Best Countries To Visit According To Experienced Travelers
"I have been to 44 countries, and I find Japan to be the perfect tourist destination. Japan is well-endowed with a rich cultural heritage, diverse, breathtaking natural scenery, and the hospitality is top-notch. Japanese cuisine is designated as UNESCO intangible heritage. There are 47 prefectures in Japan. Each prefecture has its own distinctive character. I have been to Japan six times, and I have never been bored with it. There is so much to do, see, and experience in Japan. Japan is truly the most perfect country for tourism based on my experience."
"I love Vietnam. Visited it two times, and I love that the place feels safe. Since I'm from Japan, I only miss the quiet streets (no car horns at all here). Be prepared to hear horns all day long. Another thing that's great about Vietnam is that I'm probably less scammed than in other places I've visited."
"Bosnia. Great food, inexpensive, lots of great outdoor activities, and easy to get around."
"Peru. If you can speak Spanish or are fine using Google Translate to get around in other areas apart from Cusco/Lima, you'll find a wonderful place that has a lot to offer. Particularly Machu Picchu. It's the one famous place I feel is underrated. No matter how much you talk about how cool it is, it's still better than that."
"Oh, I want to vote for Thailand. Cheaper than Japan, but lots to do and see. It's just got something for everyone. Food is fantastic also!"
"Spain and Germany also rank pretty high. They are both easily accessible to tourists and have a wide variety of things to see and do."
"I'm going with Greece. Unparalleled history, incredible sites, and museums. Stunning natural beauty, obviously islands, but a lot more than just perfect summer vibes. It's inexpensive and has friendly people who are very hospitable and welcoming to visitors."
"Turkey is pretty incredible."
"Cliché, but it must be France. I prefer the style of Spain and Italy, but if we're talking about pure tourism, France. The sheer number of beautiful villages, cities, and historical sites is astonishing. They also have more money, so the sites are always well-kept and renovated with top-notch facilities. Their castles and historical buildings are prettier and more grandiose than those in Spain and Italy. They have a wide variety of scenery, regions, and climates, from the hot South a la Italian to the rugged Brittany where you feel like you're in Ireland."
"Spain and Italy are two of my favorite countries to see things. So much amazing architecture, heritage sites, and diverse scenery to boot. I remember taking a train from Florence to Genoa (IIRC), fell asleep briefly, woke up to the ocean on my left and mountain cliffs on my right. It was surreal. As for a city, nothing is comparable to Rome. When I'm retired and have done my travel goals, I want to just spend a month in Rome staring at random ancient buildings. And the entire city of Florence is an art. Venice is a pain in the ass because of crowds, but hey, I'm so glad I didn't die before seeing it. I grew up around Disneyland and was completely flabbergasted that people would even compare this miracle of a city to a theme park. WTF, for real."
"Slovenia. It's really underrated but extremely beautiful."
"Portugal! I traveled all throughout my 20s and used to never want to return to the same place twice since there was so much to see in the world. However, I'm heading back to Portugal now for my third extended visit. Love the beaches, the people, the food, the whole vibe there. It's great!"
"This really is a personal question. Mine would be Indonesia. That being said, I speak Indonesian and have been there many times. But Indonesia is so big and diverse that every time I go, I discover something new."
"Iceland was lovely."
"Argentina. People are talkative and kind, but not over the top. A diverse amount of nature and foods from other cultures that meld into one. I have been twice and would come back a third time."
"So far, Mexico is my top spot."
"I have visited some 30-odd countries, but I loved Norway a lot. Lofoten is pure rugged beauty. No crowds. There are spots where you have everything in one frame — beach, snow, mountains, and waterfalls. And we spotted rainbows three times in three days. It was out of this world."
"Australia. My friend and I traveled the Great Ocean Road from Melbourne, then flew to Cairns in order to drive up to Port Douglas to go diving in the Great Barrier Reef. Then we flew to Sydney to climb the bridge and watch Macbeth at the Sydney Opera House. It was an amazing trip!"
"Switzerland. Infrastructure, high quality of life, and one of the most beautiful places in the world."
"I would say Germany. They have so many great cities, which offer different experiences, great infrastructure and museums, and theater galore."
"It's got to be New Zealand. Incredible geographic diversity, great food, great coffee! Great wine, not wildly expensive. You can go from Wellington and get any food imaginable to the middle of a volcanic plain surrounded by green mountains in just a couple of hours. Would go all the time if it weren't so damn far away."
"I have to say Jordan is really up there. It's a Middle Eastern country that's safe, but also has more character than the oil-rich states. The country is almost perfectly designed and shaped for a vacation. The people were great as well. All very friendly and totally opposite of spots like Egypt. Some places gave out baklava for free because I only ordered a little. Tour guides brought lunch that wasn't part of the tour package to give us more time at the sights. Locals helped tourists tie their scarves properly. Coffee stores would make an effort to write my name in Arabic on the cup, etc. There were lots of little nice interactions, and I can't remember any bad ones. And then the food — Jordanian food has to be one of my favorite cuisines, and everything was so fresh and delicious. We ate only local food the entire time to make every meal count."
"Belize is spectacular. Culturally and geographically diverse in a small enough area to really explore it in a reasonable amount of time. Wonderful people. Some of the most amazing historical sites and affordable. Getting a lot of tourism recently, and with good reason."
"I've been to about 25 countries. After I visited China, that number stopped growing because I just kept going back there. It's been years since then. It's large enough to keep me busy, and each place is very different. It's also not too 'easy,' so I still feel a sense of adventure."
Have a favorite country you keep going back to — or one that surprised you in the best way? Drop your personal picks in the comments and let us know what makes them perfect in your book!
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With so many "top 10" lists and travel influencers hyping up their favorite spots, it can feel like every country is being called the perfect destination, making it easy to forget that the perfect place to visit is ultimately personal. To find out what travelers actually think, u/AliveRelationship551 asked, "Which country do you think is the PERFECT tourist destination according to your personal experience?" In response, people offered a mix of passionate favorites, underrated picks, and some notes about what makes a place truly special to them: "I have been to 44 countries, and I find Japan to be the perfect tourist destination. Japan is well-endowed with a rich cultural heritage, diverse, breathtaking natural scenery, and the hospitality is top-notch. Japanese cuisine is designated as UNESCO intangible heritage. There are 47 prefectures in Japan. Each prefecture has its own distinctive character. I have been to Japan six times, and I have never been bored with it. There is so much to do, see, and experience in Japan. Japan is truly the most perfect country for tourism based on my experience." "I love Vietnam. Visited it two times, and I love that the place feels safe. Since I'm from Japan, I only miss the quiet streets (no car horns at all here). Be prepared to hear horns all day long. Another thing that's great about Vietnam is that I'm probably less scammed than in other places I've visited." "Bosnia. Great food, inexpensive, lots of great outdoor activities, and easy to get around." "Peru. If you can speak Spanish or are fine using Google Translate to get around in other areas apart from Cusco/Lima, you'll find a wonderful place that has a lot to offer. Particularly Machu Picchu. It's the one famous place I feel is underrated. No matter how much you talk about how cool it is, it's still better than that." "Oh, I want to vote for Thailand. Cheaper than Japan, but lots to do and see. It's just got something for everyone. Food is fantastic also!" "Spain and Germany also rank pretty high. They are both easily accessible to tourists and have a wide variety of things to see and do." "I'm going with Greece. Unparalleled history, incredible sites, and museums. Stunning natural beauty, obviously islands, but a lot more than just perfect summer vibes. It's inexpensive and has friendly people who are very hospitable and welcoming to visitors." "Turkey is pretty incredible." "Cliché, but it must be France. I prefer the style of Spain and Italy, but if we're talking about pure tourism, France. The sheer number of beautiful villages, cities, and historical sites is astonishing. They also have more money, so the sites are always well-kept and renovated with top-notch facilities. Their castles and historical buildings are prettier and more grandiose than those in Spain and Italy. They have a wide variety of scenery, regions, and climates, from the hot South a la Italian to the rugged Brittany where you feel like you're in Ireland." "Spain and Italy are two of my favorite countries to see things. So much amazing architecture, heritage sites, and diverse scenery to boot. I remember taking a train from Florence to Genoa (IIRC), fell asleep briefly, woke up to the ocean on my left and mountain cliffs on my right. It was surreal. As for a city, nothing is comparable to Rome. When I'm retired and have done my travel goals, I want to just spend a month in Rome staring at random ancient buildings. And the entire city of Florence is an art. Venice is a pain in the ass because of crowds, but hey, I'm so glad I didn't die before seeing it. I grew up around Disneyland and was completely flabbergasted that people would even compare this miracle of a city to a theme park. WTF, for real." "Slovenia. It's really underrated but extremely beautiful." "Portugal! I traveled all throughout my 20s and used to never want to return to the same place twice since there was so much to see in the world. However, I'm heading back to Portugal now for my third extended visit. Love the beaches, the people, the food, the whole vibe there. It's great!" "This really is a personal question. Mine would be Indonesia. That being said, I speak Indonesian and have been there many times. But Indonesia is so big and diverse that every time I go, I discover something new." "Iceland was lovely." "Argentina. People are talkative and kind, but not over the top. A diverse amount of nature and foods from other cultures that meld into one. I have been twice and would come back a third time." "So far, Mexico is my top spot." "I have visited some 30-odd countries, but I loved Norway a lot. Lofoten is pure rugged beauty. No crowds. There are spots where you have everything in one frame — beach, snow, mountains, and waterfalls. And we spotted rainbows three times in three days. It was out of this world." "Australia. My friend and I traveled the Great Ocean Road from Melbourne, then flew to Cairns in order to drive up to Port Douglas to go diving in the Great Barrier Reef. Then we flew to Sydney to climb the bridge and watch Macbeth at the Sydney Opera House. It was an amazing trip!" "Switzerland. Infrastructure, high quality of life, and one of the most beautiful places in the world." "I would say Germany. They have so many great cities, which offer different experiences, great infrastructure and museums, and theater galore." "It's got to be New Zealand. Incredible geographic diversity, great food, great coffee! Great wine, not wildly expensive. You can go from Wellington and get any food imaginable to the middle of a volcanic plain surrounded by green mountains in just a couple of hours. Would go all the time if it weren't so damn far away." "I have to say Jordan is really up there. It's a Middle Eastern country that's safe, but also has more character than the oil-rich states. The country is almost perfectly designed and shaped for a vacation. The people were great as well. All very friendly and totally opposite of spots like Egypt. Some places gave out baklava for free because I only ordered a little. Tour guides brought lunch that wasn't part of the tour package to give us more time at the sights. Locals helped tourists tie their scarves properly. Coffee stores would make an effort to write my name in Arabic on the cup, etc. There were lots of little nice interactions, and I can't remember any bad ones. And then the food — Jordanian food has to be one of my favorite cuisines, and everything was so fresh and delicious. We ate only local food the entire time to make every meal count." "Belize is spectacular. Culturally and geographically diverse in a small enough area to really explore it in a reasonable amount of time. Wonderful people. Some of the most amazing historical sites and affordable. Getting a lot of tourism recently, and with good reason." "I've been to about 25 countries. After I visited China, that number stopped growing because I just kept going back there. It's been years since then. It's large enough to keep me busy, and each place is very different. It's also not too 'easy,' so I still feel a sense of adventure." Have a favorite country you keep going back to — or one that surprised you in the best way? Drop your personal picks in the comments and let us know what makes them perfect in your book!
