Tripadvisor has released its hotly anticipated annual Travelers’ Choice Awards: Best of the Best Things To Do for 2025, highlighting the world’s highest-rated attractions and tours, and putting popular “tourist traps” to the test of public opinion. Drawing on millions of reviews from a global community of travellers, the list reveals which iconic and off-the-beaten-path experiences are truly worth travellers’ time and money. For Thai readers keen on travel overseas or looking to understand how Thailand stacks up in global rankings, this year’s results offer both inspiration and food for thought.
Tripadvisor’s “Best of the Best” lists carry enormous influence because they are decided by ordinary visitors who share their experiences on the world’s largest travel platform. According to the latest release, the 2025 lists were compiled from reviews posted between April 1, 2024, and March 31, 2025, weighing the quality and quantity of feedback as well as editorial input (Tripadvisor Media Center, 2025; AOL, 2025). This ensures that rankings are shaped not by marketing hype, but by the lived experiences of fellow travellers.
The Basílica de la Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, an unfinished architectural marvel by Antoni Gaudí, claimed the title of the world’s top attraction for 2025, followed closely by the Eiffel Tower in Paris. Closer to home, Angkor Wat in Siem Reap remains Southeast Asia’s highest-ranked site, a testament to the enduring draw of cultural heritage. Notably, the NASA Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida was the leading attraction in the United States, showing that science and history remain crowd-pleasers (USA Today, 2025).
When it comes to stand-out experiences, immersive and culturally rich tours topped the lists. The “Best tour in Florence: Renaissance & Medici Tales” in Italy was named 2025’s best global experience, praised for its ability to blend storytelling, history, and breathtaking sights. Vietnam’s Full-Day Ninh Binh Highlights Tour was also celebrated as a “once-in-a-lifetime” journey, while unique outdoor and food-focused excursions—like the Blue Cave Small-Group Boat Tour from Dubrovnik and London’s historical pub tour—earned high spots. In the U.S., adventure and educational tours, such as the comprehensive Grand Tour Around Oahu in Hawaii, were especially popular.
For Thais, these lists matter in several ways. More Thai travellers are journeying overseas, eager to match their expectations with what global peers have enjoyed or avoided. Understanding which attractions are regarded as “tourist traps” and which are genuinely memorable based on independent reviews can help prioritise and plan international journeys, especially with the baht fluctuating and travel budgets tighter for many families. At the same time, seeing how experiences with deep cultural resonance, such as Vietnam’s or Italy’s history-centric tours, are celebrated worldwide reinforces the value of Thailand’s own rich heritage for both local and inbound tourists.
A glance at Tripadvisor’s Thailand-specific rankings (Tripadvisor Thailand, 2025; Tripadvisor Top Experiences Thailand, 2025) shows that Thai experiences echo global trends. Among the nation’s most highly rated activities are the Bangkok Canal Tour, ethical elephant sanctuaries in Chiang Mai, traditional cooking classes, and iconic temples including Wat Arun and the Grand Palace. These attractions not only offer a taste of local culture, but also rate as genuinely enriching and meaningful experiences in the eyes of international and domestic visitors alike.
The methodology behind Tripadvisor’s selections provides credibility; the awards are based wholly on reviews posted within a set timeframe and a rigorous editorial assessment (Tripadvisor Media Center, 2025). Unlike many tourism promotional campaigns, these rankings cannot be purchased or influenced by advertising spend. For example, the Sagrada Familia’s top spot results from a climb based on sustained and widespread positive reviews over years, not a sudden burst of social media hype or marketing campaigns.
Moreover, the emphasis on relevance to different traveller demographics—solo, families, culture seekers, adventure lovers—adds another layer of nuance. Family-friendly sites like the NASA Kennedy Space Center are marked out for multigenerational appeal, while adrenaline adventures and heritage walks cater to special interests. For Thai outbound travellers, this can help personalise itineraries, ensuring that experiences match individual or group preferences, whether it’s food tours in Istanbul or canal cruises in Amsterdam.
Historically, tourism “must-sees” have tempted visitors with impressive facades, but disappointment often follows when the reality falls short of glossy brochures. Tripadvisor’s reviews collectively act as a crowdsourced filter, helping weed out experiences where long queues, high prices, or overt commercialisation detract from actual enjoyment. “With such a huge selection of travel activities and excursions available on the platform, Tripadvisor helps travelers find the experiences that turn a trip into a lifelong memory,” explained the President of Tripadvisor in a recent statement (Tripadvisor, 2025). The focus on quality over hype is a lesson for both Thai tourism operators and travellers.
The list is also notable for the variety of categories it covers, reflecting a shift away from monolithic tourism towards more niche and sustainable practices. This year, Tripadvisor extended recognition to day cruises, water sports, food and drink experiences, and even bucket-list adventures—where, for instance, a Cappadocia hot-air balloon ride in Turkey was named the world’s top “Bucket List” experience. Meanwhile, regional and sub-category winners showcase the breadth of what can be regarded as a “top” activity, from chocolate tours in Edinburgh to ethical elephant experiences in Chiang Mai.
Thai society’s growing receptiveness to experiential travel, rather than just sightseeing, can be seen in the popularity of local cooking classes and market tours, reflecting broader global trends toward culinary and hands-on cultural engagements. These experiences, noted in both international and local Tripadvisor lists, help sustain communities by channelling tourism revenue directly to small businesses and craftspeople (Tripadvisor Top Experiences Thailand, 2025).
Looking into the future, Tripadvisor’s rankings are likely to grow in prominence as Thai and global tourists alike become more attuned to the risks of crowds and “tourist trap” fatigue. The COVID-19 pandemic has reshaped attitudes around personal safety, authenticity, value for money, and environmental impact. Bookings for smaller group experiences and open-air attractions are rising—trends mirrored in the latest award winners.
Thai tourism authorities and private operators can glean several lessons. Firstly, maintaining the authenticity and quality of cultural and nature-based experiences is critical to global recognition. Second, managing capacity and visitor flows at popular attractions—not only temples and beaches but also community-based tours and food markets—is key to sustaining positive reviews and rankings. In the last year alone, Thai destinations with amplified efforts around responsible tourism received noticeably higher traveller commendations on Tripadvisor.
For Thai travellers venturing abroad, the actionable lesson is to consult crowdsourced review platforms like Tripadvisor ahead of booking attractions or tours. Filtering experiences by recent reviews, examining traveller-uploaded photos, and searching for features that match personal interests (such as child-friendly amenities, accessibility, or local guides) can prevent costly disappointments and turn trips into lifelong memories.
Meanwhile, for those welcoming international visitors to Thailand, there is an ongoing imperative to deliver “best of the best” service and credible storytelling. Investing in guide training, conservation, and new interpretations of heritage routes can ensure that Thai attractions remain on the world map, not as overhyped tourist traps, but as genuinely unmissable experiences.
In conclusion, Tripadvisor’s 2025 Travelers’ Choice Awards underline the growing demand for quality, authenticity, and variety in travel. For Thai readers, the message is clear: let other travellers’ honest reviews help shape your journeys—both as a tourist at home and when exploring the world. Whether you aspire to marvel at Gaudí’s Barcelona masterpiece, zip along a Bangkok canal, or support a hill-tribe cooking school in Chiang Mai, always dig deeper than the brochure: the best experiences are those validated by travellers like you.
For a deeper dive into specific attraction rankings and real-time updates, visit Tripadvisor’s official site (Tripadvisor Best of the Best 2025).