One question I get often is “What’s your favorite place you’ve visited?” And to be honest, that’s a tough question to answer! I think if I’m being honest, the answer would be the Garden Tomb in Israel, but that has such an unfair advantage considering the fact that I’m a Christian, and my entire life/worldview revolves around what historically happened in that exact spot. But then when I exclude that, it’s still a hard question to answer because I almost view my travels as being split up into 2 eras: everything before 2020 vs everything after. The year 2020 really marked a shift in my travels as it was both the start of my solo traveling and the start of this travel blog. Plus, that’s when I started sharing stories via social media, which is really what I have become known for since then. It’s almost impossible for me to compare places I visited before 2020 to those I have visited since 2020. So I decided to start a list of my favorite places visited in the 2020s decade. This does exclude places visited right before the 2020s, such as the Amazon River, Ukraine, and Moldova, but I have to draw the line somewhere. My most popular blog post every year is my year-end ranking of everywhere I visited throughout that year, so I’ll be using those for reference, though I’m not sticking to those exactly as my opinions on certain locations have changed over time. By the end of 2029, this will be a list of my top 100 places visited in the 2020s, but I’ll gradually work my way to that number by adding 10 new entries at the end of each year. Because 2025 has not ended yet, only 2020-2024 will be represented, which means this list is currently a top 50. That doesn’t mean each year will have 10 representatives though. I can have as many places as I want from each year or even leave a whole year out since I want this to be a true list of my top 100 places with no restrictions. Theoretically, this could end up being a list of 100 places all visited in 2029, though I think that’s highly unlikely. So, with all that said, here’s my top 50 places visited so far in the 2020s (through the end of 2024).
50. Harborwalk Village πΊπΈ
Visited: 2023, 2024
[Not included on any year-end ranking]
Every fall, my family spends a weekend in Destin, Florida, on Harborwalk Village. Destin is probably my favorite part of Florida. While I’m not one to slow down and relax on vacation, this is the one place where I’m okay with that. I actually didn’t go from 2020-2022 because of Covid restrictions or bad timing, but this is something I look forward to every year. You actually won’t find this one on any of my year-end rankings because I have a rule excluding places in Northwest Florida that I had visited prior to these lists, but for this list, it felt necessary to have it represented.
49. Lookout Mountain πΊπΈ
Visited: 2020, 2023, 2024
Lookout Mountain is huge! It spans 3 US states and contains many cool places to visit. While I don’t think any singular spot would make this list, as a collection of unique places, they do. On the Tennessee side, you can visit Ruby Falls and Sunset Rock. In Georgia, you’ve got Cloudland Canyon and Pigeon Mountain. And then in Alabama, there’s Little River Gorge. I was impressed with each of these locations, so the fact that they’re all technically connected is pretty cool!
48. French Quarter πΊπΈ
Visited: 2021
New Orleans, Louisiana, is one of my favorite cities to visit as a day trip. The French Quarter, in particular, is so colorful and energetic, and the food is incredible. I’ve been here many times, but surprisingly (due to a pandemic followed by moving to Georgia), I have only been once so far in the 2020s. But hopefully I’ll find myself visiting this awesome place again in the near future.
47. Fort McHenry πΊπΈ
Visited: 2024
Fort McHenry, in Baltimore, Maryland, is a very important historic site for the United States. This was a key location in the War for Independence, and during the Battle of Baltimore at this fort, captured American Francis Scott Key wrote the “Star Spangled Banner” while looking out the widow from a British ship and seeing the American flag still waving in the sky. This would go on to become the national anthem of the United States, and that flag can be seen not too far away at the Smithsonian Museum of American History in Washington DC.
46. Kapata Market πΏπ²
Visited: 2021
Kapata Market is a random market in Chipata, Zambia. Here, you can find almost anything you can think of, and it was such a cool experience being able to explore its maze-like alleys. While this may seem high to be ranking this, I love visiting places that are so culturally different from what I’m used to in the US, so for me, it had to get ranked pretty highly.
45. Gateway Arch πΊπΈ
Visited: 2021
I’ve been pretty harsh on the Gateway Arch as a national park. If you look at my national park rankings, you’ll notice it’s in last place. But that doesn’t mean I don’t like it! It just means that I don’t think it should be a national park. As a standalone site, I really enjoyed visiting this iconic landmark in St Louis! Taking the elevator to the top for some incredible views of the city is one of the highlights, and I highly recommend visiting.
44. Hacienda Casa Blanca π¨π΄
Visited: 2024
If there’s one thing Colombia is known for (besides Pablo Escobar or drugs), it’s coffee. Colombia is one of the largest exporters of coffee in the world, and many consider Colombian coffee to be the best. Hacienda Casa Blanca is one of the most iconic coffee farms in Colombia, and it was a very cool experience to explore it. Unlike typical farms, coffee farms are found on the sides of mountains in an almost-jungle-like environment, so visiting it is pretty unique.
43. Catedral Nuevo πͺπ¨
Visited: 2022
I enjoy visiting religious buildings, and Catedral Nuevo is a standout location from the 2020s so far. Its full name is the Catedral de la Inmaculada ConcepciΓ³n, though locals call it Catedral Nuevo, which is much easier to say. It’s located in Cuenca, Ecuador (one of my favorite cities anywhere), and it’s basically the centerpiece of the city. This cathedral is very impressive, and you can even visit the roof to get stunning views of the city!
42. Paynes Prairie Preserve πΊπΈ
Visited: 2023
[Included on 2024 Ranking]
Paynes Prairie Preserve is a large open prairie found near Gainesville, Florida. This is a very unusual environment to find in Florida, and the wildlife here is very unique as well. Within this park, you can find wild horses and bison, though I only saw the horses. There’s a large alligator population here as well, which might be a little more expected, considering its location. This was a very nice surprise!
41. Times Square πΊπΈ
Visited: 2024
I used to hate New York City, so if you had asked me a few years ago where Times Square would rank on any given list, it would’ve been toward the bottom. After a recent successful trip to the city, my opinion of the city overall has improved drastically. And Times Square in general is such an iconic place that you can’t help but feel a certain energy when you visit it. Unlike the Walk of Fame in LA that gets worse with each visit, I think Times Square does the opposite.
40. Las Vegas Strip πΊπΈ
Visited: 2020
I first visited the Vegas Strip in 2014 but then returned in 2020 in the middle of a global pandemic. While I don’t support the lifestyle often associated with this city, I can’t deny that the Vegas Strip is one of my favorite places to explore on foot. Each casino lining this strip is unique and worth visiting on its own, and the fact that you can walk from one impressive building to another to another is really cool. Highlights here are The Venetian, Bellagio, and Caesars Palace, but they’re all fun to visit!
39. Okefenokee Swamp πΊπΈ
Visited: 2022, 2023
Okefenokee Swamp is the largest blackwater swamp in America and is large enough to fit both the New York City and Chicago metro areas inside. After visiting all 3 major entrances to the park, Stephen C Foster State Park was by far my favorite as I rented a small jon boat and took it out to explore this massive swamp, spotting alligators that were larger than the boat itself. This is a cool place to visit!
38. Jekyll Island πΊπΈ
Visited: 2022, 2023
[Included on 2023 Ranking]
Jekyll Island is one of the Golden Isles of Georgia and an exciting place to visit. The most interesting feature of this island is Driftwood Beach, an ancient forest that has been overtaken by the Atlantic Ocean. It has been used as the backdrop of many movies and TV shows due to its iconic look, and visiting for both sunrise and sunset are incredible experiences!
37. Congaree National Park πΊπΈ
Visited: 2022
Congaree National Park, near Columbia, South Carolina, is an underrated park for sure! In fact, it has often been labeled as the “worst national park” and certain reviews of it have led to memes within the national park community. However, after visiting it for myself, I grew to really love this park! Kayaking through Cedar Creek is one of the most scenic experiences I’ve had in a national park that didn’t involve grand views of mountains or canyons.
36. Niagara Falls πΊπΈ
Visited: 2024
Niagara Falls is a group of three waterfalls on the New York-Ontario border. I have visited the Canadian side before, but in 2024 I only visited the US side. Because I visited when much of the park was iced over, I couldn’t really get a full view of the falls, so it will get ranked a little lower than it probably should have for that reason. Winter in New York is miserable by the way!
35. Everglades National Park πΊπΈ
Visited: 2021
The Florida Everglades is the largest tropical wilderness in the United States and the largest wilderness of any kind east of the Mississippi River. It’s also considered a UNESCO World Heritage Site as it is an important ecosystem. The Everglades is essentially a giant river of grass, and it protects many endangered species. An airboat tour is essential here, and spotting alligators in the Florida Everglades is very exciting!
34. Arthur’s Pass π³πΏ
Visited: 2024
Arthur’s Pass is a national park and town on the South Island of New Zealand. It’s located in a more remote, less visited section of the island, and you can sense the seclusion when you’re there. The park is home to some beautiful landscapes and was used as a filming location for several movies, including The Chronicles of Narnia. This probably isn’t what you come up New Zealand for, but it shouldn’t be missed when you come.
33. Lake WΔnaka π³πΏ
Visited: 2024
WΔnaka is a town on New Zealand’s South Island that is named after the lake it was built around. This town was such a nice surprise and one of my favorite places in New Zealand. But the lake really is what the town is known for, and one of the most iconic picture opportunities in the entire country is found here where a tree sticks out of the lake, creating a cool scene. #ThatWanakaTree is a national treasure of New Zealand, and it had to be represented on this list.
32. Capitol Reef National Park πΊπΈ
Visited: 2020
Spoiler Alert: All 5 of the Mighty 5 parks in Utah are on this list. Of these, Capitol Reef is the least impressive, but that doesn’t mean this park isn’t incredible: it made this list for a reason! Because this park is the least visited of the 5, it feels much more remote, and I felt as if I had the entire park to myself at times. It’s pure nature, and that, along with the isolation, is what I really loved about Capitol Reef!
31. Mammoth Cave National Park πΊπΈ
Visited: 2024
Mammoth Cave is the largest known cave system in the world. This national park in Kentucky is a cool one to visit, but tours are required to enter the cave (probably for obvious reasons). While tours aren’t my favorite, it’s really cool getting to visit this massive cave, and the above-ground scenery is pretty too, so you can enjoy the park without going underground, if that bothers you.
30. Playas de Tijuana π²π½
Visited: 2020
While attempting to visit the southwest corner of the United States and realizing the park was closed, I was forced to accept a ride from my Uber driver to cross the border into Tijuana (which was the most dangerous city in the world at the time). As a result, I got a free tour of the city, including a stop at Playas de Tijuana, where I was able to stick my foot through the gap in the border wall to claim my fourth corner of the country. The view of the border wall extending into the Pacific Ocean is iconic, and this whole area was really cool to visit.
29. Hokitika Gorge π³πΏ
Visited: 2024
Hokitika Gorge is a beautiful gorge in Kokatahi, New Zealand, known for its bright blue water. The water is so blue because it comes from melted glaciers, and it looks like it came from the Caribbean rather than the South Pacific. The hike down into the gorge is beautiful as well, and you get to cross a really cool suspension bridge. This is definitely a place to visit on the South Island, though it’s a little out of the way of the typical tourist sites.
28. Mount Aspiring National Park π³πΏ
Visited: 2024
Mount Aspiring National Park is found along the West Coast of New Zealand’s South Island. This feels very remote because it’s in the middle of the Southern Alps mountain range, with no civilization anywhere nearby. Cell phone signal here is very weak as well, which forces you to focus on the incredible nature and countless waterfalls found throughout. (Watch out for sandflies though!)
27. Joshua Tree National Park πΊπΈ
Visited: 2023
Sure, this park is somewhat touristy, but I really enjoyed it! Joshua Tree National Park is found in the middle of the desert with most of the park being part of the Mojave Desert and part being in the Sonoran Desert. It’s near Palm Springs, California, so it has become pretty popular. The park is known for its many Joshua trees found throughout, and these make some really cool pictures! The heat in the middle of the summer is brutal though, so you may want to watch what time of year you visit.
26. DΓ©sert de Lompoul πΈπ³
Visited: 2023
How often do you have the opportunity to ride a camel along the edge of the Sahara Desert? This place in Senegal was a dream destination for me. I first got to try surfing down the massive sand dunes, then I took a camel ride, and then I finally rode an ATV to the beach and back. And the bright sand in the direct sunlight made an incredible backdrop to all of it!
25. Pacific Coast Highway πΊπΈ
Visited: 2020, 2023
The Pacific Coast Highway is one of the most iconic road trips in the United States. While I haven’t driven it in its entirety, I’ve been to small sections of it. In 2020, I traveled the portion from San Diego up through La Jolla to Torrey Pines, and then in 2023, I went from Long Beach to Venice Beach to Santa Monica to Malibu. This is a beautiful part of the country, and I enjoy it every time I return!
24. Goxu Mbaaj πΈπ³
Visited: 2023
Goxu Mbaaj is a poor neighborhood/fishing village of Saint-Louis, Senegal in a more desert area. This is one of those places that tourists don’t go, and that’s why I loved it. I worked in an optical clinic here and got to personally interact with the locals. The poverty in this area is definitely eye-opening, but I’m so thankful I was able to come and experience this place.
23. Panther Creek Falls πΊπΈ
Visited: 2023
Panther Creek Falls is my favorite hike in Georgia. It’s located in Clarksville, not too far away from Helen, and it’s an all-day event to hike. The trail leads to a beautiful waterfall, as the name would suggest, but what really makes it special is the giant natural pool at its base. Here, you can go for a swim all the way to the waterfall and then stand on the rocks underneath the falling water. This is an awesome trail, and the finale is so worth it!
22. Cumberland Island πΊπΈ
Visited: 2023
Cumberland Island is a barrier island off the coast of Georgia and right next to Florida. It’s home to a wild horse population and the Dungeness Ruins, an old mansion that was owned by the Carnegie family. This place is an awesome experience to visit, and there’s nothing like wandering along trails by the beach and then coming upon a wild horse!
21. Northern & Southernmost Points πΊπΈ
Visited: 2021
I combined these two sites because their inclusion goes hand-in-hand with each other. Basically, I wouldn’t have either one of these on this list individually, but because I visited both within a few months of each other, it made the experience more special. Many people are familiar with the Southernmost Point buoy in Key West, Florida, but not many people know there’s also a Northernmost Point buoy in Angle Inlet, Minnesota, marking the northernmost point of the contiguous United States.
20. Blue Mountains National Park π¦πΊ
Visited: 2024
Blue Mountains National Park is found in Australia near the start of the Outback. It’s a beautiful park, though it doesn’t really contain mountains, despite what its name implies. The views from the high plateaus of this park are incredible, with the Three Sisters Overlook being the most famous. It’s also an odd park as there are small towns scattered throughout it, and these are fun places to visit as you go from one overlook to the next.
19. Chicamocha Canyon π¨π΄
Visited: 2024
Chicamocha Canyon is a beautiful national park near Bucaramanga, Colombia, and the views here can rival many of the best national parks in the United States. To visit it, there’s a long cable car, which is considered one of the longest in the world, that you must take. You can also get on a swing that sends you out over the edge of the canyon, if you want to be real adventurous.
18. Canyonlands National Park πΊπΈ
Visited: 2020
Canyonlands National Park is located just outside Moab, Utah. It’s a beautiful park with plenty of canyon overlooks to stop at. In order to properly visit this park, you would need a four-wheel drive vehicle, so I didn’t get to see as much of it as I’d like. But the view from Mesa Arch at sunrise is potentially my favorite view in any national park ever, and that alone makes this park worth visiting!
17. Dry Tortugas National Park πΊπΈ
Visited: 2021
Dry Tortugas is a remote island group in the Gulf of Mexico and one of the most remote national parks in the United States. To get there, you have to travel 70 miles through dangerous waters littered with shipwrecks. On Garden Key, the main island, you’ll find Fort Jefferson, which had many uses over the years. This is a cool park to explore, but getting there and the remoteness of it are really what make the experience.
16. Great Smoky Mountains πΊπΈ
Visited: 2023
Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the most visited national park in the United States and for good reason! It’s located in both Tennessee and North Carolina, and there’s a road called the Newfound Gap Road that leads right through the middle of it. The crowds do take away from the experience at times, but the park is still a beautiful place to visit, especially in the fall.
15. National Mall πΊπΈ
Visited: 2024
The National Mall in Washington DC contains many of the most important monuments in the United States. Here, you’ll find the Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, White House, Library of Congress, and Capitol Building, plus much more all within a couple miles of each other. I spent a full day walking the entire mall and visiting the different monuments, and as an American, this is just such an iconic place to visit.
14. Rocky Mountain National Park πΊπΈ
Visited: 2021
Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado is iconic. The views from this park are some of the best in the United States, especially from Trail Ridge Road. I got stuck in the middle of a snow storm when I visited, but that doesn’t take away from the enjoyment I had because the nature here is just incredible!
13. Lake of the Woods π¨π¦ πΊπΈ
Visited: 2021
Lake of the Woods is a large lake between Minnesota and Manitoba, and during the winter, it freezes over. This offered a unique opportunity to the town of Angle Inlet, Minnesota, during Covid when they were cut off from the rest of the United States due to the closure of the border. As a last resort, they plowed an ice road 20 miles across the lake to reach mainland Minnesota, and I flew up there to drive it myself. This was such a cool experience and one that likely won’t be possible again anytime soon now that the border is back open.
12. Chinggis Khaan Statue Complex π²π³
Visited: 2022
This massive statue of Genghis Khan is found in the middle of a steppe in Tsonjin Boldog, Mongolia, basically in the middle of nowhere. It’s actually the largest equestrian statue in the world! There’s a lot of tradition behind the location of this and why it was constructed, but visiting it is really cool! I think the remoteness of it makes visiting it that much more special as it’s literally a giant statue with nothing else around it for miles.
11. Cerro Santa Ana πͺπ¨
Visited: 2022
Cerro Santa Ana is a mountain in Guayaquil, Ecuador, with many colorful houses and businesses along it. There’s a path with 465 steps up the mountain through the winding streets of this neighborhood, and it leads to a cool lighthouse at the top. The top of the lighthouse offers stunning views of the surrounding area, and it was definitely worth the trip to Guayaquil!
10. Yaakaar Ju Sax πΈπ³
Visited: 2023
Yaakaar Ju Sax is where we held our clinic for the majority of the week in Saint-Louis, Senegal. This is one of my favorite clinic locations ever, even though it was extremely hot the entire time. Our clinic was located on a rooftop inside a residential neighborhood and right next to a mosque which would ring out the Call to Prayer five times a day. The dirt alley below would become flooded with people during our clinics, and they would all be wearing colorful outfits. This was such a unique clinic setting that it really sticks out to me and had to make this list.
9. Sydney Harbour π¦πΊ
Visited: 2024
Sydney Harbour is one of the most recognized locations on the planet thanks to the iconic Sydney Opera House. And visiting this area was just as awesome as I had hoped it would be! I walked from the opera house to the Harbour Bridge, enjoying all the cool vantage points of the city along the way, and it’s a beautiful area to explore. This is one of those places that I never thought I’d be able to visit, so seeing it with my own eyes was truly special.
8. Muma πΏπ²
Visited: 2021
This isn’t someplace you’ll find on a map or a travel guide or anywhere really… (The pinned location on these pictures even has no idea what to call it). It’s a remote village hidden deep within the deserts of Eastern Zambia, complete with mud huts and an arid climate. Wandering around this village, you’ll meet friendly locals shucking corn and run into countless cows and goats wandering around. I worked in a clinic here in this village, and it was so special to be able to witness the lifestyle here in person. This is about as opposite from my normal lifestyle as you can get, so it was a fascinating glimpse into how others live.
7. Zion National Park πΊπΈ
Visited: 2020
Zion National Park in Utah is one of the most popular parks in the United States. It’s a beautiful park with two very popular hikes. One of them (Angel’s Landing) was closed when I visited, but the other (The Narrows) was open. The Narrows is a trail in a river that cuts through a narrow slot canyon. It’s probably my favorite hike I’ve ever been on, even though I injured myself here pretty badly. (A walking stick is highly recommended!) Seriously though, the views along this trail are breathtaking!
6. Lake KhΓΆvsgΓΆl π²π³
Visited: 2022
Lake KhΓΆvsgΓΆl is a lake in northern Mongolia in the town of Khatgal. It’s a remote area, but it’s very beautiful. The town’s buildings all look like log cabins, and the surrounding landscape is nothing but steppe as far as you can see. The lake itself is a bright blue color, and it’s especially cool to see the wild horses and yaks wandering around and grazing alongside it. This is one of my favorite places in the world as it was just so peaceful and friendly.
5. Arches National Park πΊπΈ
Visited: 2020
Arches National Park, right outside Moab, Utah, is a unique park because it’s basically a museum of many different rock formations. Delicate Arch in particular is very iconic and has become a symbol for the state of Utah. The hike to reach it can be dangerously hot during the summer, but it’s so worth the effort to visit. And there are many other arches and rock formations to see outside Delicate Arch. This park was my main reason for visiting the Mighty 5 parks of Utah, and it did not disappoint!
4. Bryce Canyon National Park πΊπΈ
Visited: 2020
Bryce Canyon unexpectedly became my favorite national park in Utah. It came at just the perfect time of that trip- the weather was perfect, and I was needing a more relaxing day compared to the hiking-heavy days and long driving times leading up to it. Viewing the canyon from the top in amazing, but hiking down to the bottom really gives you a different perspective that set this one apart in my mind.
3. Fiordland National Park π³πΏ
Visited: 2024
Fiordland National Park, near Queenstown, New Zealand, is a special place. It’s pure nature at its best! Driving up into the Southern Alps here offers some incredible views, and there’s some fun wildlife to spot here as well. The most iconic part of the park, of course, is Milford Sound, which was referred to as the “eighth wonder of the world” by Rudyard Kipling. Milford Sound is a must-see location in New Zealand, and taking a boat tour of it was one of the best decisions I made on the trip!
2. South Luangwa National Park πΏπ²
Visited: 2021
One of the greatest travel experiences you can have is an African safari. There’s nothing quite like it anywhere else in the world! And South Luangwa National Park in eastern Zambia is one of the best safari locations in the entire continent of Africa. I can’t explain what it’s like to see wild elephants, giraffes, lions, buffalo, hippos, baboons, leopards, gazelle, and many other animals in their natural habitat, but it’s incredible! This is one of my favorite travel experiences of all time, and it’s (almost) tied for first place on not only this list but my mental list of favorite place of all time. The only reason it barely gets second place is because the fact that there are other great safari locations out there means it’s not as unique as the place I ranked in first.
1. Iguazu Falls π¦π· π§π·
Visited: 2024
First place has to go to Iguazu Falls. I can’t think of any other time where I was this stunned by what I saw. Iguazu Falls is breathtaking! It’s a series of 275 waterfalls all side by side along a less-than-2-mile stretch of river, straddling the Brazil/Argentina border. I’ve never seen anywhere this beautiful anywhere else in the world, and it will be difficult to find someplace that tops it. Visiting the falls from both sides is necessary in order to fully experience it in my opinion, and I’m so glad that’s how I planned to see it when I visited! From a strictly-travel perspective, Iguazu Falls might be my favorite place on earth. When you take into account my faith, the Garden Tomb in Jerusalem edges it out, but that has an extremely unfair advantage that almost shouldn’t count on a list like this. Iguazu Falls is incredible, and there was no doubt that it would be ranked #1.
Tyler's Travels 