The New York Times 52 Places to Go in 2016

1. Visit Mexico City MEXICO

Mexico City is the capital and largest city in Mexico as well as the largest city in the Americas and the world's third largest metropolitan area by population, after Seoul and Tokyo. Mexico City is also the Federal District (Distrito Federal), the seat of the federal government. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole.

Mexico City is home to the largest pyramid in the world, the Pyramid of the Sun, which is located in the ancient city of Teotihuacan just outside the capital.

127 people are doing this goal:

2. Visit Bordeaux FRANCE

Bordeaux is a port city on the Garonne River in the Gironde department in southwestern France. The Bordeaux metropolitan area has a population of 1,105,000 and constitutes the sixth-largest urban area in France. It is the capital of the Aquitaine region, as well as the prefecture of the Gironde department. Its inhabitants are called Bordelais. Bordeaux is the world's major wine industry capital.

Bordeaux is home to the largest urban UNESCO World Heritage site in the world, boasting stunning 18th-century architecture and renowned wine.

43 people are doing this goal:

3. Visit Malta

Malta /ˈmɔːltə/, officially the Republic of Malta, is a southern European country and consists of an archipelago situated centrally in the Mediterranean, 93 km south of Sicily and 288 km east of Tunisia, with the Strait of Gibraltar 1,826 km to the west and Alexandria 1,510 km to the east. Malta covers just over 300 km² in land area, making it one of World's smallest and most densely populated countries. Its de facto capital is Valletta and the largest city is Birkirkara.

120 people are doing this goal:

4. Visit Coral Bay UNITED STATES VIRGIN ISLANDS

Coral Bay is a town on the island of St. John in the United States Virgin Islands. It is located on the southeastern side of the island. Though it was once the main commercial and population center on the island due to its sheltered harbor, it has fallen from prominence with the introduction of a ferry service to Cruz Bay, which is now the largest town on St. John.

18 people are doing this goal:

5. Visit Theodore Roosevelt National Park NORTH DAKOTA

Theodore Roosevelt National Park is a United States National Park comprising three geographically separated areas of badlands in western North Dakota. The park was named for U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt, in honor of his achievements in conservation as president and for the landscape's influence on his life. The park covers 110 square miles (285 km²) of land in three sections: the North Unit, the South Unit, and the Elkhorn Ranch Unit.

52 people are doing this goal:

6. Visit Mozambique

Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique, is a country in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west and Swaziland and South Africa to the southwest. The area was explored by Vasco da Gama in 1498 and colonized by Portugal in 1505. Mozambique became independent in 1975, and became the People's Republic of Mozambique shortly after.

28 people are doing this goal:

7. Visit Toronto CANADA

Toronto is the largest city in Canada and the provincial capital of Ontario. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from the Mississaugas of the New Credit. The settlement was later established as the Town of York and proclaimed as the new capital of Upper Canada by its lieutenant-governor, John Graves Simcoe.

Toronto is home to the world's longest street, Yonge Street, which spans 1,896 kilometers from Lake Ontario to the Minnesota border.

339 people are doing this goal:

8. Visit Abu Dhabi UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

Abu Dhabi is the capital and the second largest city in the United Arab Emirates. Abu Dhabi lies on a T-shaped island jutting into the Persian Gulf from the central western coast. The city proper, making up an area of 67,340 km, had an estimated population of 860,000 in 2008. Abu Dhabi houses important offices of the federal government, and is the seat for the United Arab Emirates Government and the home for the Emirati Royal Family. Abu Dhabi has grown to be a cosmopolitan metropolis.

Abu Dhabi is home to the world's fastest roller coaster, reaching speeds of 149 mph.

76 people are doing this goal:

9. Visit Skane SWEDEN

Scania is the southernmost of the 25 traditional non-administrative provinces (landskap) of Sweden, constituting a peninsula on the southern tip of the Scandinavian peninsula, and some adjacent islands. The modern administrative subdivision (län) Skåne County is almost, but not totally, congruent with the province. The largest city is Malmö, which is also the third largest in Sweden and the administrative centre of Skåne County.

12 people are doing this goal:

10. Visit Viñales CUBA

Viñales is a small town and municipality in the north-central Pinar del Río Province of Cuba. The town consists mostly of one-story wooden houses with porches. The municipality is dominated by low mountain ranges of the Cordillera de Guaniguanico such as Sierra de los Órganos. Typical outcrops known as mogotes complete the karstic character of the landscape.

14 people are doing this goal:

11. Visit Guadeloupe FRANCE

Guadeloupe is a Caribbean island located in the Leeward Islands, in the Lesser Antilles, with a land area of 1,628 square kilometres (629 sq.  mi) and a population of 400,000. It is an overseas region of France, consisting of a single overseas department. Its departmental code is "971". As the other overseas departments, Guadeloupe is also an integral part of the Republic.

24 people are doing this goal:

12. Visit Park City UTAH

Park City is a town in Summit and Wasatch counties in the U.S. state of Utah. It is considered to be part of the Wasatch Back. The city is 32 miles (51 km) southeast of downtown Salt Lake City and 19.88 miles (31.99 km) from Salt Lake City's east edge of Sugar House along Interstate 80. The population was 7,558 at the 2010 census. On average, the tourist population greatly exceeds the number of permanent residents.

19 people are doing this goal:

13. Visit Aarhus DENMARK

Aarhus is the second-largest city in Denmark. The principal port of Denmark, Aarhus is on the east side of the peninsula of Jutland in the geographical center of Denmark. Aarhus is the seat of the council of Aarhus municipality with 315,193 inhabitants and 252,213 (1 January 2012) in the inner urban area. According to Aarhus municipality, the "Greater Aarhus" area has a population of about 1.2 million people. The city claims the unofficial title "Capital of Jutland".

23 people are doing this goal:

14. Visit Cesme TURKEY

Çeşme is a coastal town and the administrative centre of the district of the same name in Turkey's westernmost end, on a promontory on the tip of the peninsula which also carries the same name and which extends inland to form a whole with the wider Karaburun Peninsula. It is a popular holiday resort and the district center, where two thirds of the district population is concentrated.

5 people are doing this goal:

15. Travel the Road of the Seven Lakes ARGENTINA

The Road of the Seven Lakes (Spanish: Camino de los Siete Lagos) is the popular name given to the provincial route 234 between San Martín de los Andes and Villa La Angostura in the Neuquén Province, Argentina. The 107 km dirt road that crosses the Lanín and Nahuel Huapi national parks provide access to several lakes in the forestial area of the Patagonic Andes, as well as to other sights.

6 people are doing this goal:

16. Visit Hangzhou CHINA

Hangzhou, formerly transliterated as Hangchow, is the capital and largest city of Zhejiang Province in Eastern China. It is governed as a sub-provincial city. As of 2010, the entire administrative division ("shì", 杭州市) or prefecture had a registered population of 8.7 million people. The built up area of the Hangzhou municipality had a resident population of 6.242 million in 2010 (urban and suburban districts), of which 3.56 million lived in the six urban core districts.

11 people are doing this goal:

17. Visit Korcula Island CROATIA

Korčula (pronounced 'kor-chu-la') is an island in the Adriatic Sea, in Southern Dalmatia, near Dubrovnik. According to some sources, Marco Polo may have been born here.

14 people are doing this goal:

18. Visit San Sebastian SPAIN

San Sebastián or Donostia is a coastal city and municipality located in the Basque Autonomous Community, Spain. It lies on the coast of the Bay of Biscay, 20 km (12 miles) from the French border.

37 people are doing this goal:

19. Visit Virunga National Park DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO

The Virunga National Park (French: Parc National des Virunga), formerly named Albert National Park, is a 7800 square km National Park that stretches from the Virunga Mountains in the South, to the Rwenzori Mountains in the North, in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, bordering Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda and Rwenzori Mountains National Park and Queen Elisabeth National Park in Uganda. The park was established in 1925 as Africa's first national park.

14 people are doing this goal:

20. Visit Grand Rapids MICHIGAN

Grand Rapids is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The city is located on the Grand River about 40 miles east of Lake Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 188,040. In 2010, the Grand Rapids metropolitan area had a population of 774,160 and a combined statistical area, Grand Rapids-Muskegon-Holland, population of 1,321,557. It is the county seat of Kent County, Michigan, second largest city in Michigan, and the largest city in West Michigan.

Grand Rapids is known as the "Beer City" with over 80 breweries and counting.

11 people are doing this goal:

21. Visit Garzón URUGUAY

Garzón is a village in the Maldonado Department of southeastern Uruguay. Garzón is also the name of the municipality to which the village belongs. It includes the following zones: Garzón, Faro José Ignacio, Playa Juanita, Puntas de José Ignacio, Cañada de la Cruz, Costas de José Ignacio, Laguna Garzón.

6 people are doing this goal:

22. Visit Dublin IRELAND

The most popular thing to do in Dublin is to visit the Guinness Storehouse and enjoy a pint of the famous Irish stout while taking in panoramic views of the city.

424 people are doing this goal:

23. Visit Todos Santos MEXICO

Todos Santos is a small coastal town at the foothills of the Sierra de la Laguna Mountains, on the Pacific coast side of the Baja California Peninsula, about an hour's drive north of Cabo San Lucas on Highway 19 and an hour's drive southwest from La Paz. Todos Santos is located very near the Tropic of Cancer in the municipality of La Paz. The population was 5,148 at the census of 2010. It is the second-largest town in the municipality.

9 people are doing this goal:

24. Visit Tamil Nadu INDIA

Tamil Nadu /ˈtæmɨl ˈnɑːduː/ is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital is Chennai, the largest city. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh.

Tamil Nadu is home to the ancient city of Madurai, known for its stunning Meenakshi Temple.

8 people are doing this goal:

25. Visit Vaud SWITZERLAND

Vaud is one of the 26 cantons of Switzerland and is located in Romandy, the French-speaking southwestern part of the country. The capital is Lausanne. The name of the Canton in Switzerland's other languages are Vaud in Italian, Waadt in German, and Vad in Romansh.

Vaud is home to the stunning Lavaux vineyards, a UNESCO World Heritage site, producing exquisite wines.

7 people are doing this goal:

26. Visit Washington D.C UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Washington, D.C. , formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, the District, or simply D.C. , is the capital of the United States, founded on July 16, 1790. Article One of the United States Constitution provides for a federal district, distinct from the states, to serve as the permanent national capital.

Washington DC is home to the world's largest collection of cherry blossom trees, with over 3,000 lining the Tidal Basin and blooming in a vibrant display of pink and white each spring.

610 people are doing this goal:

27. Visit Brno CZECH REPUBLIC

Brno by population and area is the second largest city in the Czech Republic, the largest Moravian city, and the historical capital city of the Margraviate of Moravia. Brno is the administrative centre of the South Moravian Region where it forms a separate district Brno-City District.

18 people are doing this goal:

28. Visit Saint Helena Island UNITED KINGDOM

Saint Helena, named after Saint Helena of Constantinople, is an island of volcanic origin in the South Atlantic Ocean. It is part of the British overseas territory of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha which also includes Ascension Island and the islands of Tristan da Cunha. Saint Helena measures about 16 by 8 kilometres (10 by 5 mi) and has a population of 4,255 (2008 census). The island was uninhabited when discovered by the Portuguese in 1502.

10 people are doing this goal:

29. Visit Barcelona SPAIN

Barcelona is the capital and the most populous city of the Autonomous Community of Catalonia and the second largest city in Spain, after Madrid, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of 101.4 km (39 sq mi).

Exploring the iconic architectural wonders of Antoni Gaudí, such as the breathtaking Sagrada Família and Park Güell, tops the list of must-do activities in Barcelona.

862 people are doing this goal:

30. Visit Dalat VIETNAM

Đà Lạt, or Dalat, (pop. 206,105 as of 2009, of which 185,509 are urban inhabitants) is the capital of Lam Dong province in Vietnam. The city is located 1,500 m (4,900 ft) above sea level on the Langbiang Plateau in the southern parts of the Central Highlands (in Vietnamese, Tây Nguyên). In Vietnam, Da Lat is a popular tourist destination. Da Lat’s specific sights are pine wood with twisting roads and tree marigold blossom in the winter.

14 people are doing this goal:

31. Visit Turin ITALY

Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 (November 2008) while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat to be 1.7 million inhabitants. The Turin metropolitan area is estimated by the OECD to have a population of 2.2 million.

32 people are doing this goal:

32. Visit Isla Holbox MEXICO

Holbox ("black hole" in Yucatec Maya) is an island in the Mexican state of Quintana Roo, located on the north coast of the Yucatán Peninsula. It is approximately 12 kilometers long and 1.5 kilometers wide, and it is separated from the mainland by a shallow lagoon that is home to flamingos, pelicans and other rich birdlife. Holbox Island is part of the Municipality of Lázaro Cárdenas and also part of the Yum-Balam Biosphere Reserve.

Isla Holbox is a car-free island where you can explore by bike or golf cart.

13 people are doing this goal:

33. Visit Providence RHODE ISLAND

Providence is the capital and most populous city of the state of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region. The city proper population of 178,042 anchors the 37th largest metropolitan population in the country, with an estimated MSA population of 1,600,856, exceeding that of Rhode Island by about 60% due to its reaching into southern Massachusetts.

27 people are doing this goal:

34. Visit the Mosel wine country GERMANY

Mosel is one of 13 German wine regions (Weinbaugebiete) for quality wines (QbA and Prädikatswein), and takes its name from the Moselle River. Before 1 August 2007 the region was called Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, but changed to a name that was considered more consumer-friendly. The wine region is Germany's third largest in terms of production but is the leading region in terms of international prestige.

16 people are doing this goal:

35. Visit Pyeongchang SOUTH KOREA

Pyeongchang (Pyeongchang-gun) is a county in Gangwon province, South Korea located in the Taebaek Mountains region. It is also home to several Buddhist temples, including Woljeongsa. It is located approximately 180 km (110 mi) east of Seoul, the capital of South Korea. Pyeongchang will host the 2018 Winter Olympics.

13 people are doing this goal:

36. Visit Tyrol AUSTRIA

Tyrol is a state or Bundesland, located in the west of Austria. It comprises the Austrian part of the historical region of Tyrol. The state is split into two parts–called North Tyrol and East Tyrol–by a 20-kilometre (12 mi) -wide strip of land where the state of Salzburg borders directly on the Italian Province of Bolzano-Bozen. North Tyrol borders Bavaria in the north, the state of Vorarlberg in the west, Italy and Switzerland in the south and Salzburg in the east.

26 people are doing this goal:

37. Visit Colmar FRANCE

Colmar is a commune in the Haut-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France. It is the capital of the department. Colmar is also the seat of the highest jurisdiction in Alsace, the appellate court. It is situated along the Alsatian Wine Route and considers itself to be the "Capital of Alsatian Wine" (capitale des vins d'Alsace). In 2006, the city of Colmar had a population of 65,713 and the metropolitan area of Colmar had a population of 120,367.

25 people are doing this goal:

38. Visit Kansai JAPAN

The Kansai region or the Kinki region lies in the southern-central region of Japan's main island Honshū. The region includes the prefectures of Mie, Nara, Wakayama, Kyoto, Osaka, Hyōgo, and Shiga. Depending on who makes the distinction, Fukui, Tokushima and even Tottori Prefecture are also included. While the use of the terms "Kansai" and "Kinki" have changed over history, in most modern contexts the two can be considered the same.

Kansai is home to the world's longest suspension bridge, the Akashi Kaikyo Bridge, offering breathtaking views of the Seto Inland Sea.

11 people are doing this goal:

39. Visit East Bay CALIFORNIA

The East Bay is a commonly used, informal term for the lands on the eastern side of the San Francisco Bay, in the San Francisco Bay Area, in California, United States.

6 people are doing this goal:

40. Visit Île de Ré FRANCE

Île de Ré (formerly also Île de Rhé, Île de Rhéa or Île de Rhea - in English Isle of Rhé) is an island off the west coast of France near La Rochelle, on the northern side of the Pertuis d'Antioche strait. This island is completely flat; it is 30 km long and 5 km wide. A 2.9 km bridge, completed in 1988, connects it to La Rochelle on the mainland.

6 people are doing this goal:

41. Visit the East Coast SRI LANKA

The Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country and a sovereign state off souther coast of the Indian subcontinent. A island nation in South Asia, it was till 1972 known as Ceylon. Sri Lanka is surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait. Sri Lanka is a republic and a unitary state which is governed by a semi-presidential system with its official seat of government in Sri Jayawardenapura-Kotte, the capital.

14 people are doing this goal:

42. Visit Rosine KENTUCKY

Rosine is an unincorporated town in Ohio County, Kentucky, United States. Bill Monroe, The Father of Bluegrass, is not only buried in the town but also memorialized with a bronze cast disk affixed to the barn where his music remains alive. The community was named for the pen name of Jenny Taylor McHenry, poet and wife of founder Henry D. McHenry. The ZIP Code is 42370 and the area code is 270.

2 people are doing this goal:

43. Visit Málaga SPAIN

Málaga is a large city in the southern Spanish region of Andalucia and capital of the Malaga Province. The largest city on the Costa del Sol, Malaga has a typical Mediterranean climate and is also known as the birthplace of famous Spanish artist Pablo Picasso The city offers beaches, hiking, architectural sites, art museums, excellent shopping and cuisine.

47 people are doing this goal:

44. Visit Guizhou CHINA

Guizhou is a province of the People's Republic of China located in the southwestern part of the country. Its provincial capital city is Guiyang.

8 people are doing this goal:

45. Visit Phnom Penh CAMBODIA

Phnom Penh is the capital and largest city of Cambodia. Located on the banks of the Mekong River, Phnom Penh has been the national capital since the French colonized Cambodia, and has grown to become the nation's center of economic activities. Phnom Penh has grown to become the industrial, commercial, cultural, tourist and historical center of Cambodia. Once known as the "Pearl of Asia", it was considered one of the loveliest of French-built cities in Indochina in the 1920s.

Phnom Penh is home to the stunning Royal Palace, boasting a silver-floored throne room.

48 people are doing this goal:

46. Visit St. Louis MISSOURI

St. Louis /seɪnt ˈluːɪs/ is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States, and is the second-largest city in the state. With a population of 318,069 in July 2011, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) population of 2,812,896 is the 18th-largest in the country. The Greater St. Louis combined statistical area's (CSA) population of 2,878,255 is the 16th-largest CSA in the country, the fourth-largest in the Midwest.

St. Louis is home to the iconic Gateway Arch, the tallest man-made monument in the United States.

37 people are doing this goal:

47. Visit Thessaloniki GREECE

Thessaloniki, also known as Thessalonica and historically known as Salonica, is the second-largest city in Greece and the capital of the region of Central Macedonia as well as the capital of the Decentralized Administration of Macedonia and Thrace. Its honorific title is Συμπρωτεύουσα (Symprotévusa), literally "co-capital", and stands as a reference to its historical status as the Συμβασιλεύουσα (Symvasilévousa), "co-reigning" city of the Byzantine Empire, alongside Constantinople.

18 people are doing this goal:

48. Visit Marfa TEXAS

Marfa is a town in the high desert of far West Texas. Located between the Davis Mountains and Big Bend National Park, it is also the county seat of Presidio County. The population was 1,981 at the 2010 census. Marfa was founded in the early 1880s as a railroad water stop, and grew quickly through the 1920s.

6 people are doing this goal:

49. Visit Ubud INDONESIA

Ubud is a town on the Indonesian island of Bali in Ubud District, located amongst rice paddies and steep ravines in the central foothills of the Gianyar regency. One of Bali's major arts and culture centres, it has developed a large tourism industry. Ubud has a population of about 30,000 people, but it is becoming difficult to distinguish the town itself from the villages that surround it.

15 people are doing this goal:

50. Visit the Southern Gulf Islands CANADA

The Gulf Islands are the islands in the Strait of Georgia (also known as Salish Sea or the Gulf of Georgia, explained in detail below), between Vancouver Island and the mainland of British Columbia, Canada.

6 people are doing this goal:

51. Visit Sydney AUSTRALIA

Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is classified as an Alpha+ World City indicating its influence in the region and throughout the world. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people. Inhabitants of Sydney are called Sydneysiders, comprising a cosmopolitan and international population.

The number one most popular thing to do in Sydney, Australia is to visit the iconic Sydney Opera House and take in a performance or explore its architectural beauty.

218 people are doing this goal:

52. Visit Beaufort SOUTH CAROLINA

Beaufort (is a city in and the county seat of Beaufort County, South Carolina, USA. Chartered in 1711, it is the second-oldest city in South Carolina, behind Charleston. The city's population was 12,361 in the 2010 census. It is located in the Hilton Head Island-Beaufort Micropolitan Area. Beaufort is located on Port Royal Island, in the heart of the Sea Islands and Lowcountry.

9 people are doing this goal: