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The world is full of places that are “nice”.  This guide is not about nice – it’s about the places that genuinely blow you away.

After travelling to 100+ countries over 20 years – from dirt-cheap backpacking to high-end weekends, rushed trips to months on the road – I’ve started to really filter out the “good” from the genuinely wow wow wow.

This guide ranks the best countries to visit in the world.   I’ve spent 1+ month in every country below and typically 3+ months.  So this isn’t based on theory, but on having actually travelled extensively in all.

Quick picks

If you just want the headlines:

• Best overall: Italy
• Very close second: France
• Best for wow factor: Italy
• Best for culture: Italy
• Best for food: Japan
• Best for natural beauty: USA
• Best for ease of travel: Thailand

How they’re ranked

Every country is scored across five factors:

• Mega Wow — true bucket list experiences (not just “nice”, but world-class)
• Culture — history, architecture, depth
• Natural Beauty — landscapes, variety, wildlife
• Food — because it matters more than people admit
• Ease — safety, cost, logistics, and how easy it is to actually travel around

Each country is scored out of 5 in each category, with a 6 reserved for best-in-class globally. Totals are out of a possible 30.

Country Tier: A league of its own

#1 ITALY 🇮🇹 – GOBSMACKING BEAUTY

Mega wow highlights (11):
Dolomites — the world’s most dramatic mountain scenery
Venice — magic canal city
Rome — the greatest historical city
Florence — Renaissance art and architecture at its peak
Lake Como — the most beautiful lake in the world
Tuscany — rolling countryside and hilltop towns
The Sorrento Peninsula — famous compact coastline
Matera — cave town from the Passion of Christ
Eastern Sicily’s Old Towns — the best old towns in the world
Bologna’s food — Italy’s gastronomic capital
Hiking the Cinque Terre — picture-perfect seaside villages

Why it’s #1:

It feels like there are the wonders of Europe… and then there is Italy.

No other country combines history, beauty, food, and sheer number of world-class places in such a small area. You could visit Italy for years and still not run out of places that are genuinely spectacular.

Travel tip:
Do the big sites – but drift slightly off them. Sometimes 100m makes all the difference.  Venice is the perfect example: chaos in the centre, magic just around the corner. Or better yet — go in January.

Country tier: Very close second

#2 FRANCE 🇫🇷 – CONSISTENCY AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL

Mega wow highlights (6):

Champagne wine tasting — rolling vineyards and historic wine houses
Provence — villages, markets, and beautiful countryside
Paris — one of the world’s great cities
Bordeaux — best reds in the world and magical villages
Lyon — France’s gastronomic capital
Chamonix — Mont Blanc and majestic Alpine scenery

Why it’s #2:
France doesn’t quite match Italy’s headline “wow wow wow” count – but it might be the most consistently high-quality country in the world.

It’s hard to have: a bad meal, a bad glass of wine, or a town you don’t fall in love with.  France is where everything just… works. Food, culture, lifestyle – all at an elite level.

Travel tip:
Learn a bit about wine before you go. It sounds pretentious – but it completely transforms the experience. Regions suddenly come alive in a way most people miss.

Country Tier: Elite

#3= VIETNAM 🇻🇳 – RAW ENERGY AND NATURAL WONDER

Mega wow highlights (4):
HaLong Bay — one of the great natural wonders of the world
Hoi An — a beautiful historic trading town
Hanoi’s Old Quarter — chaotic, atmospheric, and unforgettable
Cycling through Mai Chau — mountains and rice terraces

Why it’s ranked here:
Vietnam is one of the best all-round travel countries anywhere – incredible natural jungle, mountain and beach scenery, fantastic food, and very easy (and cheap!) to travel around.

It also still feels lively and developing enough for that true adventure feel when travelling.

Travel tip:
Travel the north to south route over about two weeks – it’s one of the best travel routes anywhere in the world.

#3= JAPAN 🇯🇵 – A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT PACE OF LIFE

Mega wow highlights (4):

Climbing Mount Fuji — Japan’s iconic volcano
Niseko’s powder — the best powder skiing in the world
Tokyo — one of the world’s great cities
Okinawa’s islands — Japan’s tropical islands

Why it’s ranked here:
Japan is such a completely different culture and way of living to any other country in the world.  It isn’t so much about the individual travel destinations, but about a vibe that sees your heart rate dropping, your pace slowing, and next thing you know you’re bowing to people in the elevator.

It takes somewhere pretty special to beat France for top spot in food, but Japan does it.  And it is this obsession for perfection that makes a visit to Japan incredible.

Travel tip:

Try to time your visit with climbing Mount Fuji – early June to early September.  So many Japanese climb it, so will immediately get a chance to experience the intense pride the Japanese feel in making visitors feel welcome.

#3= SPAIN 🇪🇸 – ENERGY, FOOD AND FESTIVALS

Mega wow highlights (4):
Seville — one of the most historic cities in Europe
Eating Pintxos in San Sebastian — the best food city in the world
Andalusia — white hill towns and dramatic landscapes
Ibiza — world-class nightlife and beautiful coves

Why it’s ranked here:
Spain combines great cities, amazing food, ease of getting around such a small country with its amazing trains, and a sense of fun that few countries match.

It also offers three of the world’s best – the world’s best food experience is in San Sebastian, the most beautiful hilltop old towns in Andalusia, and the best high end lash in Ibiza.

Travel tip:
Time your visit with a festival if you can – Spain does festivals better than almost anywhere and there are a lot to choose from.

Country Tier: Must visit

#6= ARGENTINA 🇦🇷 – RAW, RUGGED AND ADVENTUROUS

Mega wow highlights (5):
Patagonia — some of the most dramatic landscapes in the world
Buenos Aires — Europe meets South America
Wine tasting in Mendoza — wine country at the foot of the Andes
Bariloche — picture-perfect lakes and mountains 
Tierra del Fuego — trip to the end of the earth

Why it’s ranked here:

Argentina feels like adventure.  Huge landscapes, dramatic mountains, incredible wine regions – and a sense of scale that surprises most first time visitors.

The majesty of Patagonia would get Argentina on this list alone.

Travel tip:

Time of year is crucial for Argentina and works well with the dire Northern Hemisphere winter.  Aim for November to March – this lets you hike in Patagonia and enjoy the wonderful weather of the lakes and wine regions.

#6= THAILAND 🇹🇭 – THE EASIEST TRIP ON EARTH

Mega wow highlights (3):
Koh Phi Phi & Krabi – limestone cliffs and some of the best beaches in the world
Northern Thailand Jungle – temples, mountains and incredible moped trips
Ko Pha Ngan full moon parties – take the handbrake off

Why it’s ranked here:
Thailand is just easy.  Cheap.  Friendly.  Safe.  Great set up for all forms of travel.  And with some of the most perfect islands and beaches anywhere on the planet.

Whether you’re off on your first backpacking adventure as an 18 year old, or looking for ultra luxury high end, Thailand is the perfect mix of accessibility and quality.

Travel tip:
If you’re new to travel in a developing country, start here. It’s very hard to get wrong.

#6= USA 🇺🇸- UNMATCHED NATURAL BEAUTY AND SCALE

Mega wow highlights (8):
New York City — one of the great cities of the world
Yosemite National Park — granite cliffs, waterfalls, and giant sequoias
West Coast Roadtrip — the best in the world
Arches & Utah Parks — surreal desert landscapes
Grand Canyon — one of the most impressive natural sights anywhere
New Orleans — party centre extravaganza
Monument Valley — classic American West scenery
Las Vegas — viva, oh viva

Why it’s ranked here:
The US has its flaws – cost, distances, over-commercialisation – but its natural beauty is off the charts. The variety and scale, especially in the western states, are unmatched.

It also has a close place in many of our hearts from its big-hitting TV – a wander through New York, San Francisco or New Orleans brings a uniqueness to a US visit that nowhere comes close to.

Travel tip:
Do a west coast road trip.  The place is built for driving it is the best roadtrip anywhere in the world with mega wows throughout.

#6= AUSTRALIA 🇦🇺 – VARIETY AND WORLD-CLASS CITIES

Mega wow highlights (7):
Sydney — harbour, beaches, and lifestyle
Melbourne — food, culture, and sport
Fraser Island — one of the world’s great coastal drives
Tasmania — wild landscapes and wildlife
The Red Centre — Uluru, the Olgas and the King’s Canyon
Kakadu National Park — giant rock pools in Australia’s isolated north
Karijini National Park — otherworldly canyons in the middle of nowhere

Why it’s ranked here:
Australia surprises people.  Yes, there’s a heap of desert – but there’s also some of the best beaches in the world, incredible national parks and two genuinely elite cities.

Huge amount of space, giant range, yet amazing how liveable it all feels.

Travel tip:

Australia is big and bloody miles away.  If visiting, commit to a 2 week trip and don’t try to do too much.  I’d suggest 2 out of the following 5: Queensland’s coast, Melbourne & Tasmania, Sydney & the Blue Mountains, The Red Centre, Perth and the Margaret River.

Country tier: Wonderful

#10= China 🇨🇳 — OVERWHELMING, BUT INCREDIBLE

Summary Ranking Table

Travel is subjective, and no ranking is perfect – but this system is a useful way to compare countries across the things that actually make trips memorable.

What to do next

If this article has done its job, you should now have a few places in mind.

The next step is simple: click into the countries and experiences that grabbed you.  Every one links through to my more detailed travel entries – the actual places, itineraries and experiences that made me rank them so highly.

Or explore the map below to see where they all sit.

Wow factor global map

Wow Factor Score