10 New Year travel resolutions to make for your best year yet

The arrival of a new year offers the perfect opportunity to learn a new skill or take a deep dive into history—and if you truly want to understand the heart of a tradition, why not go straight to the source? When you join us on a guided tour, you can get the feel of a culture through its craft and community. Think: learning to make pasta in Rome during the Pasta-Making Class & Dinner excursion on our A Week in Italy: Venice, Florence & Rome tour, crafting woven bracelets with local women on our Peru for Women: Colca Canyon, Lake Titicaca & Machu Picchu tour, or discovering centuries of history on our Highlights of England, Scotland & Ireland tour.

Across all of our tours you’ll find hands-on experiences that teach you something new, but cooking classes in Italy and castle tours in England aren’t just about picking up a new skill or understanding the past. They’re about doing something you’ve never done before, connecting with people who live these traditions every day, and returning home with a story you couldn’t have learned anywhere else.

There’s something truly transformative about going somewhere you’ve never been. Maybe you’re taking a leap outside your comfort zone on a first-time Europe trip to an English-speaking destination on our Highlights of England, Scotland & Ireland tour. Or maybe you’re a seasoned traveler ready to venture farther from home than you’ve ever been on one of our Japan guided tours. We can help make this the year that you take the leap.

“This was our first trip to Europe, and honestly, we were a little nervous about planning it ourselves,” said traveler Ann Marie after joining our London, Paris & Rome tour. “After reading tons of reviews, EF Go Ahead stood out—and wow, what an incredible choice! I’m beyond thrilled we booked with them. Everything was seamless and stress-free; all we had to do was show up and enjoy!” Our guided tours blend expert guidance, a built-in community of fellow explorers, and thoughtfully crafted itineraries that turn the unknown into something exhilarating instead of overwhelming. So go ahead—set your sights on somewhere new this year. We’ll be there to support you every step of the way.

Your New Year’s resolution might be to spend more time with your family, and shared adventures usually beat shared space on the couch. We might be biased, but our favorite way to reconnect with the people who matter most is by traveling together. We welcome families on all of our guided tours, whether you’re thinking about multi-generational travel with grandparents and grandchildren or planning a family trip to retrace your heritage.

Shared experiences—like pausing for a photo in front of the Trevi Fountain and comparing everyone’s gelato rankings on our A Week in Italy: Venice, Florence & Rome tour, or visiting the motherland on our A Week in Greece: Athens, Mykonos & Santorini tour—naturally become the moments you’ll talk about for years. Plus, because we handle the logistics, you’re free to focus on what truly counts: being together and making memories.

If your goal this year is to breathe more fresh air or trade screen time for starlight, travel is the perfect spark. Our African Safari Tours, National Park Tours, and other nature-focused itineraries make it easy to leave your daily routine behind and step into something awe-inspiring. From scanning Iceland’s dark winter skies for the aurora borealis on our northern lights tours to floating above the Maasai Mara in a hot-air balloon on our Kenya Wildlife Safari: Mount Kenya, Maasai Mara & Amboseli tour, there’s something simultaneously grounding and uplifting about being out in the world.

“This tour takes you on an extraordinary adventure filled with diverse and breathtaking landscapes,” said traveler Karen after returning from our Iceland: Reykjavik & the Northern Lights tour. “From the ethereal northern lights to stunning waterfalls, expansive lava fields, dynamic geysers, and a peek inside an awe-inspiring glacier, each day offers a new and exciting experience.” These experiences remind us how good it feels to be fully present outdoors, surrounded by landscapes that make you look up.

If you’ve been watching yet another “This is the year we go!” group chat slowly lose steam, this is the moment to make it real. Let this be the year you break free of the chat and finally explore the Giza pyramids (alongside your female Egyptologist Tour Director) on our Egypt for Women: Cairo & Nile River Cruise tour, or sip bubbly with your best friends on our France for Women: Paris, Loire Valley & Champagne Region tour.

Our women’s tours are designed to help you connect with other curious travelers—whether you’re adventuring with your closest friends or heading out solo and hoping to meet new ones. These trips create a supportive, empowering environment where an afternoon spent sipping wine at a female-owned winery in Italy turns into a lifetime of inside jokes, and an indigo-dyeing lesson from a female artisan in Japan sparks inspiration. And if you decide to start the next group chat while at the top of Machu Picchu on our Peru for Women: Colca Canyon, Lake Titicaca & Machu Picchu tour, we’re sure you’ll be in good company.

If your New Year’s resolution is to slow down and be more present, mindfulness travel to places that naturally encourage reflection is a powerful place to start. Our tours make it easy to swap packed schedules and scrolling for stillness, so make it your New Year’s travel resolution to spend some time meditating in a quiet temple on our Grand Tour of Thailand: Bangkok, Chiang Mai & Phuket, join a yoga class on our Bali & Java: Culture & Landscapes of Indonesia tour, or find a moment of peace during sunrise over the Himalayas on our Highlights of India & Nepal: Delhi, Agra & Kathmandu tour.

These journeys create the space we rarely give ourselves at home—space to breathe, to listen, to reconnect. When you travel, you’ll realize that mindfulness isn’t something you have to chase; it’s something that unfolds naturally when you’re immersed in places that encourage you to slow down and simply be.

You don’t have to travel far to experience something extraordinary. This year, embrace exploration closer to home by discovering beauty, culture, and history in the U.S. and Canada. Wander down the cobblestone streets of Charleston on our South Carolina & Georgia: Charleston to Savannah tour, ride the rails on our Canadian Rockies by Train: Banff, Lake Louise & Vancouver tour, or take in sweeping views on another trip through North America.

“This is the best trip ever to the national parks,” said traveler Cik after joining our U.S. National Parks: The Grand Canyon to Yellowstone tour. “I was always planning for overseas trips and totally forgot how beautiful our backyard is.” Whether you choose one of our Canadian Rockies tours or USA tours, you’ll discover just how much there is to see without going far.

This is the year to stop saying “someday” and start saying “I did that.” Whether your dream is to snap a photo in front of the Giza pyramids on an Egypt & Nile River Cruise, see the Big Five on one of our African Safari Tours, or cruise through the Amazon on the extension of our Grand Tour of South America: Brazil, Argentina & Peru, our tours bring these bucket list moments within reach.

These bucket list trips aren’t just vacations—they’re the stories you’ll tell forever. “This was a trip of a lifetime for me and my husband!” said traveler Carol after returning from our Australia & New Zealand tour. “Our Tour Director, Clint, was amazing. … I would never have imagined myself climbing the Sydney Harbour Bridge if it wasn’t for Clint. … The tour took us to big cities, the Outback, national parks, waterfalls, rainforests, fiords, steam trains, boat cruises, gondolas, and so much more. I loved the opportunity to spend time with Aboriginal people to learn more about their culture and experience their village.”

If you’ve been prioritizing everyone else’s needs, then this is the year to do something for you—and solo travel can be one of the most transformative gifts you give yourself. Plus, the best part of going solo with us? You won’t be alone. “I’d been trying to make my way over to Europe for the past year-and-a-half and was waiting for a friend to go with, but I finally got tired of waiting and said to myself, ‘No, I’m going to do this and it’s going to be awesome!’” said solo traveler Dana. “What are you going to do, not go on the trip of your dreams just because nobody else wants to? Don’t let the idea of traveling alone stop you from going.”

Get to know yourself and your fellow travelers better while you learn to make tapas on our Spain for Solo Travelers: Barcelona, Madrid & Seville tour, or plant mangrove trees on our Costa Rica for Solo Travelers: Volcanoes, Jungles & Beaches tour. Our solo travel tours strike the perfect balance between independence and community, creating space for renewal, reflection, and self-discovery. With logistics handled for you, there’s nothing left to do but embrace the journey and prioritize your own growth.

If this is your year to focus less on buying and more on living, travel is the ultimate shift toward what truly matters. When you choose experiences, you’re choosing the kinds of moments that broaden your mind, fuel your curiosity, and remind you how big—and beautiful—the world really is. You’re collecting stories, not souvenirs, and discovering pieces of yourself in places you’ve never been before. These are the memories that stay with you, shaping your perspective long after the trip ends.

If your New Year’s resolution is to prioritize experiences over things, our tours make it easy to fill your life with meaningful moments. Picture sharing a meal with a local family on one of our Food & Wine Tours, snorkeling around the Great Barrier Reef on our Australia & New Zealand tour, or sipping mulled wine and perusing the stalls on a Christmas Market Tour. (Okay, we admit that it might be hard to leave that last one without acquiring a few things.)