These 12 New Year’s resolutions are guaranteed to become your top travel moments in 2024
If you’ve taken a trip before, you know that it’s often the unexpected moments that end up being the most memorable. Whether you can’t stop reminiscing about that pizza you tried in Naples, all the green of the Irish countryside, or the new friends you made while walking through the Costa Rican rainforest, good news: You can find more of the good stuff on a 2024 adventure. Check out 12 New Year’s resolutions you can make to uncover more remember-this-forever experiences in the year ahead. (Psst… never traveled before? All the more reason to put these resolutions on your list.)
If you fell in love with food and wine on recent adventures...
1. Whip up traditional Spanish dishes in Barcelona
Keep this New Year’s resolution on: Food & Wine: A Taste of Spain →
Looking for good New Year’s resolutions? Cooking really good food in a really good place is the way to go—especially if you loved savoring culinary moments on your last trip! On our Food & Wine Tour of Spain, you’ll search for fresh ingredients in Barcelona’s Santa Caterina Market, sip wine with your fellow travelers, and learn to make everything from paella to pan con tomate (or pa amb tomàquet in the Catalan dialect). “Pan con tomate is the simplest tapa around, but it’s also one of the most classic,” said staffer Chloe while sharing her best tips for a trip to Barcelona. “It’s made with crusty homemade bread smeared with fresh tomato and garlic, finished off with a drizzle of olive oil.”
2. Taste the ceviche of your dreams in Peru
Keep this New Year’s resolution on: Grand Tour of Peru: Machu Picchu to Lake Titicaca →
If one of your goals for the new year is to taste more local delicacies, Peru has mouthwatering bites galore. This is the place to find hundreds of varieties of potatoes, a classic steak dish called lomo saltado, grilled chicken prepared a la brasa—we could go on and on. But, of all the Peruvian dishes to try on tour, ceviche should top your list. It’s made with cubes of raw fish marinated in lime with tomatoes, onion, cilantro, and spices, and getting to try it is one of the reasons why Lima, Peru, should be on your bucket list. (Lima is right on the ocean, so the ceviche is as fresh and delicious as it gets.)
3. Savor le petit déjeuner at a Parisian cafe
Keep this New Year’s resolution on: Food & Wine: A Taste of Bordeaux & Burgundy →
If you loved tasting local bites on a past trip, then there’s a seat at a French cafe with your name on it. These neighborhood hubs are the spots to enjoy quintessential culinary moments, like sipping a café crème during le petit déjeuner (breakfast). Or, settle in and bite into pain au chocolat (a croissant filled with chocolate, which is one of the 20 top French foods to try according to a French local). Eating breakfast may not usually make the list while you’re setting goals for the new year, but getting the French cafe experience while watching the world—and all the stylish Parisians—go by is in a league of its own.
If meeting new people was the highlight of a past trip...
4. Bond with fellow safari-goers in Kenya
Keep this New Year’s resolution on: Kenya Culture & Wildlife Safari: Samburu to Maasai Mara →
Looking for a trip with lots of shared group time? There are so many reasons to go on a safari in Kenya, and getting the chance to experience daily game drives with fellow travelers is one of them. “A big benefit of a solo safari in Kenya is that you travel in the same Jeep the whole time with the same six people, including your guide,” said staffer Megan. “You really get ample time to talk to that group and can easily leave the tour with six new travel friends!” Sharing those thrilling moments is guaranteed to make 2024 travel special.
5. Find out why Thailand is called the Land of Smiles
Keep this New Year’s resolution on: Grand Tour of Thailand: Bangkok, Chiang Mai & Phuket →
We can’t say for sure what will wow you the most on a trip to Thailand, but we will say this: You’ll never run out of amazing things to do or amazing folks to meet. You’re sure to bond with both your fellow travelers and the local Thai people (who are as warm and welcoming as they come) as you dig into can’t-miss Thai dishes and experience all the quintessential things to do in Thailand. Plus, our guided Thailand tours include ample group time, which means you can share the wonder as you hop from pristine islands to golden temples to elephant sanctuaries. Talk about some good New Year’s resolutions!
6. See why solo travel and new friendships go hand-in-hand
Keep this New Year’s resolution on: Solo Tours →
If your 2024 New Year’s resolutions include making new connections, our Solo Tours are for you. These guided trips are designed to include meaningful group moments, which makes bonding with fellow travelers a breeze. “I’ve learned there are many people who want to travel, but may not have a dedicated travel partner, and are therefore hesitant to ‘go alone’ because our society is a couples-oriented one,” said traveler Caroline while sharing her reasons to go guided as a female solo traveler. “Having a dedicated solo traveler group takes away that perception. As a Group Coordinator, I’ve organized tours with EF for six years, and 95% of my travelers are solo female travelers. You may start your journey solo, but you’ll come away with new friends. I stay in touch with many of my former travel mates and people I’ve met on tour. I started going solo in 2001. Life-changing. Literally.” We’ll raise a New Year’s toast to that!
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If your first trip showed you that you’re capable of more than you thought...
7. Go snorkeling at the Great Barrier Reef
Keep this New Year’s resolution on: Highlights of Australia: The Great Barrier Reef to Sydney →
Often, the best New Year’s resolutions are the ones that push you outside of your comfort zone—and nothing will show you just how capable you are like diving in at the Great Barrier Reef. Set off on our Australia tours to head out into the Coral Sea, where the swim of a lifetime awaits. “The Sydney Harbour and Sydney Opera House stole the show until we went to the Great Barrier Reef,” said six-time traveler Robin in our ultimate solo traveler’s guide to Australia. “Our underwater snorkeling and helicopter experiences couldn’t be topped.”
8. Go kayaking at the base of a volcano in Costa Rica
Keep this New Year’s resolution on: A Week in Costa Rica: San José, Arenal & Guanacaste →
Setting goals for the new year is always inspiring. There’s a lot to be said for taking the leap and trying something new, and that’s exactly what you’ll do when you add our Kayaking in Arenal Volcano National Park excursion on our Costa Rica tours. “We saw active volcanos, kayaked on Lake Arenal, hiked suspension bridges, had meals homecooked by locals, danced at coffee farms, watched fire shows on the beach, sailed on catamarans, and snorkeled in the Pacific—the list is endless!” said traveler Jamie after spending a week in Costa Rica. “It’s one for the books and if you’re on the fence, get off of it and jet off on this adventure! You’ll be happy you did!”
9. Lace up your walking shoes on the Amalfi Coast
Keep this New Year’s resolution on: Amalfi Coast Walking Tour →
It’s often the simple New Year’s resolutions that mean the most, and taking a stroll in a lovely locale is a good place to start. Cue the Amalfi Coast. This stretch of Italian coastline is stunning from every angle, but hiking along its famed Path of the Gods is one of the best ways to see it all. “It’s overwhelming how breathtaking this mountain path is,” said staffer Brittany while sharing her top five experiences to have on the Amalfi Coast. “As you walk, you get a full view of Positano and the coast. Plus, just being in nature was really nice; the smell of thyme and rosemary was so strong. It was a beautiful, sunny day when we set off on the excursion, and while the scenery was incredible, the camaraderie made the experience really special.” That’s a 2024 travel resolution we can get behind!
If you realized there’s so much to discover on every trip, even close to home…
10. Admire the natural wonders of the Hawaiian Islands
Keep this New Year’s resolution on: Hawaii: Oahu, the Big Island & Maui →
Still amazed by the landscapes that made you do a double take on a past trip? That same sense of wonder can be found on our U.S. and Canada tours, especially in breathtaking places like Hawaii. Here, sea turtles race toward the ocean, emerald cliffs meet roaring waves, and magma oozes from the Earth in the UNESCO-listed Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. If those aren’t scenes worthy of your 2024 travel list, we don’t know what is! Use our Hawaii Travel Guide as a jumping-off point, and add “see an active volcano” to your collection of unique New Year’s resolutions.
11. Explore the Canadian Rockies, where Lake Louise puts on a show
Keep this New Year’s resolution on: Canadian Rockies by Train: Banff, Lake Louise & Vancouver →
Travel is full of welcome surprises—especially when you come across stop-you-in-your-tracks beauty. If you’ve had your heart set on seeing more jaw-dropping vistas in the year ahead, you don’t have to go farther than the Rockies. “My wife and I have been to over 120 countries, and we’ve been to all seven continents, and I can honestly say that the Canadian Rockies rank amongst the very best in terms of being the most pristine and picturesque,” said traveler Art in our Banff National Park Travel Guide. If visiting the Canadian Rockies is one of your New Year’s resolutions for 2024, be sure to swing by Banff for an up-close look at Lake Louise, where the turquoise water is almost otherworldly.
12. Fill your camera roll as you explore Yellowstone National Park
Keep this New Year’s resolution on: U.S. National Parks: The Grand Canyon to Yellowstone →
If a New Year’s resolution is inspiring to make, it will definitely be inspiring to keep—and that’s where exploring Yellowstone National Park comes in. This natural refuge spans Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming, and seeing it for yourself is one of the best travel experiences to invest in this year. Yellowstone has got it all: wildlife, hot springs, winding rivers, mountains, and geysers. (We’re looking at you, Old Faithful!) “What impressed me most about America’s first national park was just how expansive it is,” said staffer Laura. “The park’s wide-open spaces create a feeling of boundlessness that I haven’t experienced anywhere else.”
Ready to find your next tour? Book your 2024 trip with us today!
