12 Must-See Cities to Visit ASAP

The world is changing at a crazy pace! These hot new destinations are changing—and becoming more popular travel spots! Book a ticket to these must-see cities before the secrets are uncovered. 

1. Cape Town, South Africa

Named the #1 place to travel in 2014 by the New York Times, Cape Town is a great place to visit to feel inspired by peace, culture and a rich history. With the passing of Nelson Mandela this year and the 20th anniversary of his presidency, there is much to see and learn in Cape Town.

2. Copenhagen, Denmark

Home to the best restaurant in the world, Rene Redzepi’s Noma, making a reservation here is a enough reason to visit! The Scandinavian culture and lifestyle has become intriguing to other Europeans and Americans, making Copenhagen an important spot to visit soon.

3. Glasgow, Scotland

While it looks like Scotland is staying in the UK, there are still a lot of changes ahead for the country that voted on its independence in 2014. Glasgow is becoming a city that’s trendy on its own, home to many popular TV shows and chic Scottish lads and lasses. Visit for gorgeous scenery, historic cathedrals and plenty of kilts and bagpipes.

4. Lima, Peru

Tourism has been growing exponentially in Peru over the past few years and the scene will only get bigger. Lima has been put on the map for its culinary excellence: a Cordon Bleu cooking school and several world-class restaurants are now in the oceanfront city. Central was named the 15th best restaurant by the World’s 50 Best, so be sure to get a reservation!

5. Brooklyn, New York

Skip the trip to Manhattan– check out neighborhoods like Williamsburg, Bushwick, and Bed-Stuy that are getting trendier by the second. Unfortunately, a lot of the neighborhood charm that made these areas so attractive is rapidly disappearing, so visit before they are totally changed.

6. Lanai, Hawaii

Once the pineapple capital of the world, the fruit trees were replaced by luxury resorts in this paradise over the past few decades.  What’s next: Larry Ellison, a billionaire CEO purchased 98% of this small island in summer 2013 and plans to create a “laboratory of sustainability” with a solar energy grid, electric cars, a desalination plant irrigating organic farms, a winery or two, a research university, and more, according to International Business Times.

7. Brisbane, Australia

When you think Australia you may think Sydney or Melbourne, but this third largest city is up and coming and definitely worth visiting soon! Home to Queensland University, a Chinatown, a massive performing arts center and a gorgeous oceanfront landscape, this metropolitan destination offers plenty to see.

8. Venice, Italy

Venice has been gradually sinking a few inches per century for almost as long as the city’s existence. While no noticeable changes to the city will probably happen in our lifetimes, there’s never a bad excuse to go to Venice!

9. New Orleans, Louisiana

After being destroyed by Hurricane Katrina in 2005, New Orleans has come back as a city even more popular with tourists, a hotspot for cuisine, culture and music attractive almost year round!

10. Jerusalem, Israel

Known as the holiest city to three major world religions — Judaism, Christianity, and Islam — Israel’s tourism board realized that the city has much more to offer than historic, religious sites, and the city has become a cosmopolitan destination. Not only are the sites inspiring, but when you’re done visiting Roman ruins you can go out for a fantastic dinner and relax in a five-star hotel. So much is changing in this region, now is a great time to visit as no one really knows what this city will be like in the recent future.

11. Windhoek, Namibia 

While much of Africa is unfortunately not safe enough to visit, Namibia has become a popular destinations for city visiting and safaris. Windhoek, the country’s capitol, has historic German buildings from their period of colonization as well as a rich local culture evident in museums, arts and cuisine.

12.  Antarctica (no cities…)

There has never been a better time to explore Antarctica on a tourist expedition! Not only are the glaciers melting and species dying at a rapid pace, but we really don’t know the future of this continent, and now is the time to buy your below-zero gear and get out on the ice.