The southwest of the UK known as ‘Jane Austen’s England’ has topped the list of best places to visit in 2025 by The New York Times.
Every year the publication compiles a list of top spots worth travelling to and, out of the 52 destinations in the rankings for 2025, ‘Jane Austen’s England’ takes first place.
With this year marking the 250th anniversary of the writer’s birth, visitors can experience all kinds of celebrations around Hampshire, Steventon, Southampton, Winchester and Bath – from Regency-costumed promenades to themed festivals.
It suggests Hampshire as a good starting point, being both the author’s birthplace and a source of inspiration for her – not to mention the fact it’s where you’ll find the literary legend’s home, where she wrote and revised her six beloved novels.
“Start out at Jane Austen’s House, her former cottage, featuring an exhibition and themed festivals,” the NYT recommends.
“The Jane Austen Country Fair will liven up Steventon in July, while Southampton is displaying Austen’s traveling writing desk and hosting the irreverent hit show Pride and Prejudice* (*Sort Of). In Winchester, activities include literary readings, guided walks, access to Winchester College and a new statue at Winchester Cathedral, her final resting place.
“In Bath, the Jane Austen Center is going all out, with dance balls and its Grand Regency Costumed Promenade.”
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Those considering a trip to Bath might also want to book onto historian Lucy Worsley’s guided tour, which invites guests to back in time to Regency England and explore the city and countryside that inspired many of Jane Austen’s best-loved novels.
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What’s more, the New York Times also recommends a trip to National Park property Stourhead – a 1,072-hectare (2,650-acre) estate that features in the 2005 adaptation of Pride and Prejudice.
Jane Austen’s England is one of three UK spots to appear in the 2025 rankings, with Flow Country in Scotland taking 20th spot, and a UNESCO-recognised peatland and East London in at 35.
Further afield, other 2025 list highlights include the Nangma Valley in Pakistan, the Galápagos Islands and the Dolomites in Italy.
A Cooking Class and Market Tour in Florence
The best rated experience in the world is found in the beautiful Italian city of Florence, according to the Travellers Choice Awards.
The guided tour kicks off with picking fresh ingredients from a local market in Florence before heading back to a rustic Tuscan townhouse where you will use those ingredients to whip up a four-course Italian meal.
Berlin Bike Tour
Exploring the historic German capital city by bicycle ranks second for travel experiences.
This particular tour takes four and a half hours and covers all the sites including the Berlin Wall, Checkpoint Charlie and Bradenburg Gate.
New York In One Day Tour
Though it might seem like quite a big feat to see the Big Apple in one day, this tour ranks very highly among TripAdvisor travellers.
Via bus, the tour guide shows visitors Times Square, the Empire State building, the 9/11 memorial, Wall Street, Central Park and more before the tour moves on to a boat which sails down the Hudson passing Ellis Island, the Statue of Liberty and the Brooklyn Bridge.
Sydney Bridge Climb
If you’ve ever visited the famous Australian city, you can often see what looks like minuscule people climbing the harbour bridge. Well, that is exactly what they’re doing.
The Sydney Bridge Climb can take between one and a half to three and a half hours and offers unrivalled views across the city.
Vatican VIP Experience
The breathtaking home of the catholic church is unsurprisingly very popular with visitors therefore long queues often line St Peter’s Square.
One way to combat this is to pre-book a tour and, according to the Choice awards, one that is particularly popular is the VIP experience which includes breakfast at the Vatican and early access to both the Vatican museum and Sistine Chapel.
New Orleans Cooking Class
There’s so much to see and do in the vibrant Louisiana city but one of the most popular options is to take a cooking class.
This class takes place in a converted warehouse and is led by a chef who demonstrates the fundamentals of classic Creole dishes. The demonstration also comes with plenty of information about the rich history of food in the city and there are plenty of samples after each demo.
Rotorua Maori Hangi Dinner in New Zealand
This tour takes you to the Maori village of Tamaki located in Rotorua on the North Island of New Zealand. The three and a half hour tour includes a haka song and dance by a Rangiatea cultural group and a traditional hangi feast.
Best of Niagara Falls Tour from Ontario
As well as a stop at Skylon Tower where you can see the Falls from a sky view, this tour includes boarding a cruise boat to get close to the Falls and truly see them in all their glory. The cruise also takes you along the Niagara River to see the Whirlpool Rapids and is operated by a tour guide. More info here.
Vancouver to Victoria and Butchart Gardens
This full-day tour takes you from the beautiful British Columbia city of Vancouver to Victoria, Canada by both ferry and bus. The trip gives you free time to explore Victoria before heading to Butchart Gardens which features 55 acres of beautiful floral gardens.
Wild Wicklow Tour from Dublin
Closer to home is this ‘Wild Wicklow’ tour which sets off from Ireland’s capital city of Dublin. The bus takes visitors through picturesque countryside and seaside towns before stopping at the Wicklow Mountains National Park. In the latter part of the day, a stop is made at the glacial valley of Glendalough where there is a full tour of the ancient site including the Round Tower.
Lizzie is the Daily Editor at Country Living, where you’ll find her writing about unique property market finds and dreamy UK staycation spots. Her specialisms include interiors, property, wildlife, travel, slow living and more. Previously, she’s written for Metro, Evening Standard, Ideal Home, Woman & Home and various other home and lifestyle titles. Lizzie studied English Literature at University of Liverpool, where she also was a writer and editor for her uni paper.