From top-tier art&nbsp;museums, scenic mountainside hikes, and luxury hotels at reasonable prices, there's no shortage of new sights to be found in our list of the 8 best&nbsp;Gen Z&nbsp;travel destinations to explore in 2024.&nbsp;

2024&nbsp;is sure a year of discovery, exploration, and new experiences for Gen Z, and what better way to celebrate being young than embarking on a journey across the world? It's time to embrace change, curiosity, and all things unknown, pack a&nbsp;suitcase, and get out there, whether you choose to travel solo, with your&nbsp;best friends, or with a partner.

Bath, England

Bath&nbsp;is the ideal destination for those in search of beautiful&nbsp;Roman&nbsp;architecture, historical landmarks, and relaxing spa visits. Situated in the southeastern county of Somerset, this city has a mild climate, and is the perfect destination to visit year-round, without any fear of extreme temperature or a busy&nbsp;tourist&nbsp;season.
Although Bath is technically a large, bustling city, with a population of over 90,000 people, the plethora of activities, the blend of contemporary and classical cultural heritage sites, and numerous shops and&nbsp;eateries&nbsp;make the city appear accessible and welcoming to visitors.&nbsp;
The city boasts a wide variety of activities, sights, and attractions, offering plenty of museums, shops, and historical sites to explore throughout your visit. If you're looking to brush up on your historical knowledge and take in the elegant Roman&nbsp;architecture&nbsp;in all its glory, the Roman Baths are a must-see sight, located in the heart of the city. Other architectural marvels include the Bath Assembly Rooms&mdash;the center of the famed 18th-century social scene, and a brilliant example of some of the finest Georgian-style architecture in the city&mdash;and the Royal Crescent, a row of Georgian townhouses overlooking the picturesque Royal&nbsp;Victoria&nbsp;Park.&nbsp;
If you're looking to to explore some of the famed cultural sites of Bath, be sure to include the Holborne Museum&mdash;a massive collection of art, with pieces ranging from famed&nbsp;Renaissance&nbsp;works to contemporary Gainsborough, all housed within a grand, elegantly designed Georgian-style building&mdash;and the&nbsp;American&nbsp;Museum&mdash;a vast museum with an impressive collection of artifacts from the colonial period to contemporary times&mdash;on your list of must-see museums. Beyond its roots in the Roman Empire, Bath is also rich in literary history, with authors such as&nbsp;Jane Austen&nbsp;and Mary Shelley calling the city home at one point or another. Fans of Austen or newcomers alike are sure to enjoy the visually engaging and intellectually stimulating exhibits at the Jane Austen Centre.&nbsp;
For those looking to spend their time in Bath relaxing in a spa, the Thermae Bath Spa is a must-visit location. Boasting a large open central&nbsp;spa&nbsp;bath, a rooftop pool, a multi-sensory Wellness Suite, and classic spa treatments including a wide variety of&nbsp;facials&nbsp;and massages, the Thermae Bath Spa is the most popular spa destination in Bath for a reason. Situated in the center of the city, the Thermae Bath Spa is also close to the shopping district, which houses small&nbsp;boutiques, department stores, luxury fashion stores, and independent shops alike, accompanied by renowned eateries and tea shops to stop in.

Lake Como, Italy

With breathtaking scenery, a charming cosmopolitan environment, and no shortage of&nbsp;Northern Italian&nbsp;cuisine, it's no secret why the region has become such a favored travel destination.&nbsp;Lake Como is ripe with enjoyable food, scenery, and culture, and you're sure to enjoy it all year round. No matter what you choose for your accommodations during your stay, whether it be a luxurious&nbsp;spa hotel, like the famed Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni, or a quaint, family-owned bed and breakfast off the beaten path, the charm of Como is guaranteed to be present.&nbsp;
As a midsize cosmopolitan center, Como has shopping, countless restaurants, and remarkable museums to enjoy, but among the more unique things that the city has to offer are the historical villas and natural sights to visit. If you're looking to take some&nbsp;Instagram-worthy photos and explore Lake Como's gorgeous villas, be sure to visit Villa Bernasconi, Villa Melzi in nearby Bellagio, Villa Monastero, Villa Olmo, Villa Carlota, and most famous, Villa Balbianello. All of these villas are open to the public, and many also act as museums, event locations, and art galleries in addition to welcoming guests to view their breathtaking exterior facades and gardens. For that classic Lake Como experience, book a&nbsp;boat&nbsp;tour and spend the day out on the water, exploring the picturesque shoreline of the lake and taking a look at some of the less accessible villas.

Kyoto, Japan

While&nbsp;Tokyo&nbsp;is lauded for its bustling cosmopolitan scene and sprawling cityscape, on the other hand, Kyoto is often recognized for its more laid-back, relaxing atmosphere, alongside the many sights and attractions it has to offer.&nbsp;If you're in search of a nature-oriented getaway while in Kyoto, the Arashiyama Bamboo Forest is a must-see destination. With acres of towering&nbsp;bamboo&nbsp;plants, the forest is completely shrouded in greenery, resulting in a breathtakingly beautiful sight. Although the bamboo forest is a popular tourist destination, don't let the crowds stop you from experiencing the surreal atmosphere of the forest. Plan to get an&nbsp;early start&nbsp;when you visit the Arashiyama Bamboo Forest, as there will be fewer people around, and you'll be free to wander at length without fear of an overwhelming crowd. The bamboo forest is also in close proximity to several famed temples and shrines, among them, Tenryuji Temple and Kogenji Temple, both of which are rich in history and culture, as well as being beautiful&nbsp;landmark&nbsp;sites to visit.&nbsp;
It's impossible to visit Japan without taking time to explore the cuisine and restaurant nightlife scene, and Kyoto, while more laid-back than Tokyo, has no shortage of incredible restaurants, confection shops, and&nbsp;sake&nbsp;breweries. Check out the Fushimi sake district if you're interested in sampling sake from local breweries and learning about the production process. If you find yourself wanting to wander a neighborhood that has excellent restaurants, unique shops, and picturesque buildings, opt to visit the Gion district. It's also well worth your time to check the calendar before your trip to see if any local&nbsp;festivals&nbsp;are occurring throughout your trip.
One of the best things about Kyoto is its location, as it is close enough in proximity to several other cities to make a day trip or two if you feel compelled. Both Uji and Nara are close to Kyoto, and are worth making the trip out to explore. If you're a matcha lover, Uji is a must-visit city, as it is famed for its high-quality&nbsp;matcha&nbsp;production, and it would be well worth your time to check out some of the local tea shops and other attractions. Chances are, if you've spent any time in the past year or so looking at travel or vacation content on&nbsp;social media, you've come across videos of people in Nara, a city famous for Nara Park, a natural sanctuary that is home to over 1000 deer. Over time, the deer, which guests can interact with, have become sacred to the city, and considered a treasure of the region. Nara is also home to Todaiji Temple, one of the most famous landmark temples in the country.&nbsp;

Oslo, Norway

Whether you're looking to book a quick&nbsp;weekend&nbsp;trip or a longer vacation to one of the trendiest Gen Z travel destinations, you're sure to find everything you're looking for in Oslo, Norway's capital city. Oslo, one of the most walkable cities in the world, has an ideal blend of natural scenery,&nbsp;shopping&nbsp;and entertainment, and cultural sites, perfect for wandering around leisurely as you take in the sights.&nbsp;
If you're an art enthusiast, or even if you're just looking to expand your cultural horizons through your travels, be sure to visit the National Museum and the MUNCH Museum, two of Europe's largest&nbsp;art museums. The harbor promenade where both the National Museum and the MUNCH Museum reside is also home to some of Oslo's most interesting cultural attractions, including the Oslo Opera House, the architecturally impressive&nbsp;Oslo&nbsp;City Hall, and numerous smaller galleries and exhibits, making this scenic, five-kilometer stretch well worth your time if you're looking to hit all the best cultural spots.&nbsp;
Another popular way to pass the time as a visitor in Oslo is by exploring all the nearby islands in the&nbsp;Oslofjord. Opt to take a boat tour through the area, where you'll catch the most beautiful natural views, enjoy fresh air, and take a look at the skyline from the open water.&nbsp;

Madeira, Portugal

Madeira, a volcanic island off the coast of&nbsp;Portugal, is abundant with mountainous landscapes, small, picturesque towns, and an excellent&nbsp;culinary&nbsp;tradition. Although it may not seem like a typical, touristy&nbsp;vacation&nbsp;spot, Madeira has become much more popular in recent years as a Gen Z travel destination thanks to the influence of social media.&nbsp;
It's important to note, however, that while Madeira is a beautiful, scenic island, it is not populated with typical sandy beaches or a&nbsp;resort-like atmosphere. Instead, Madeira offers a charming, rocky coastline with a mountainous view, making it the perfect destination to visit if you're looking to spend time outdoors walking, hiking, or just simply taking in the view. Check out Cabo Gir&atilde;o to look out atop one of the island's most popular scenic sights, and one of&nbsp;Europe's&nbsp;tallest sea cliffs. If hiking is more your speed, take a day trip to Ponta de S&atilde;o Louren&ccedil;o, which is an eight-kilometer coastal trail that winds around the island, taking visitors to the Ponta do Furado viewpoint, one of the&nbsp;island's&nbsp;most lauded natural sights.&nbsp;
Madeira is also home to a number of small, striking towns, each with their own alluring qualities. One such town is C&acirc;mara de Lobos, a fisherman's district in one of the rocky harbors of the island. The waterfront area is full of a&nbsp;rainbow&nbsp;of colorful fishermen's boats, charming buildings, and some of the best cafes on the island. If you're looking for a spot to grab a fresh seafood meal, a nice glass of famous Madeira&nbsp;wine, and enjoy the scenic view, look no further than this area.&nbsp;

Lake Bled, Slovenia

Quiet, secluded, and bountiful in its lush&nbsp;forest&nbsp;landscape, Lake Bled in Slovenia is the perfect natural&nbsp;getaway&nbsp;to check out.&nbsp;Bled Island, in the middle of Lake Bled, is one of the most popular attractions in the region. Visitors can rent wooden&nbsp;rowboats&nbsp;and opt to spend an afternoon out on the lake taking in the scenery or to row straight out to Bled Island, where guests are welcome to explore the small island, its charming buildings, and the gorgeous church at the center of everything.&nbsp;
Up towards the cliffs is Lake Bled Castle, a structure that has stood, overlooking the cerulean blue lake, for upwards of a thousand years. Once they reach the&nbsp;castle, which is the oldest in Slovenia, visitors can explore the grounds, tour the museum, and enjoy a wine tasting in the wine cellar. Lake Bled is surrounded by countless top-tier&nbsp;hiking&nbsp;trails and natural wonders, and if you're an outdoors person, consider it well worth your time to explore Mala Osojnica and Vintgar Gorge, two famed hiking spots near the lake. While Lake Bled is certainly a sight to behold year-round, consider planning your trip in the spring or summer to maximize the activities available to you, as when the warm weather hits, there's no better place to indulge in water sporting activities and&nbsp;swimming.&nbsp;

Jeju Island, South Korea

Explore the natural beauty of Jeju Island by visiting one of the many beaches, one of the most popular being Hyopjae Beach, famous for its white sandy shoreline, clear blue ocean, and picturesque view of the nearby Biyangdo Island on the horizon. If you're looking for a little more action beyond wandering the smooth, sandy beaches and collecting sea shells, opt to check out Hallasan, a shield&nbsp;volcano&nbsp;whose summit boasts the highest elevation in the country. Surrounding the volcano is a vast&nbsp;national park, complete with lush, green forests, waterfalls, and excellent hiking trails, including the Jeju Olle trail. Visit Cheonjiyeon Waterfall, a UNESCO Global Geopark, during the daytime to see the forest and streaming waterfall aglow in the&nbsp;sun, or choose to visit the site at night and experience the scene in an entirely different way. If you're feeling up to it, visit Seongsan Ilchulbong, a bluff on the eastern side of the island&mdash;and a UNESCO World Heritage Site&mdash;at sunrise to see a spectacular scenic view.&nbsp;
Perhaps among the most well-known features of the island is the community of female divers, ranging in age from young adulthood, all the way up to 80 years old. With an extensive knowledge of the local environment and&nbsp;marine&nbsp;life, the Jeju divers are committed to safely and sustainably harvesting&nbsp;seafood&nbsp;and shellfish for the community. The Haenyeo School, the official community of divers, are recognized by the government to be representative of local culture and the people's spirit, and are often admired for their skill, perseverance, knowledge, and care for their community. Guests can visit the Haenyeo Museum on Jeju Island to learn more about the tradition, and it's worth wandering around the area to check out some of the local restaurants to try the fresh seafood.

Barcelona, Spain

Barcelona&nbsp;is home to numerous impressive cultural attractions, a robust culinary tradition, breathtaking architecture, and a generally impeccable ambiance, making it one of the most popular travel destinations in the world.&nbsp;With an exciting&nbsp;nightlife&nbsp;and club scene, Barcelona is the perfect city to visit if you're looking to unwind and engage in an electrifying social scene after a long day of exploring cultural sites like museums and cathedrals. A robust city, Barcelona offers guests a whole host of nighttime experiences, ranging from flamenco shows, to wine bars, to techno&nbsp;clubs.&nbsp;
If there were one thing you absolutely cannot miss in Barcelona, it would be the Catedral de Barcelona, a towering 900-year-old&nbsp;Gothic&nbsp;cathedral. Whether you opt to simply take in view of the exterior facades, or you venture inside, the intricate, exquisitely designed Gothic architectural style is sure to leave you breathless. Other&nbsp;architectural&nbsp;sights to check out in Barcelona include La Sagrada Familia, Santa Maria del Mar, Casa Battl&oacute;, and Park G&uuml;ell.&nbsp;
Barcelona is also famous for its pedestrian spaces, the largest among them being La Rambla, a long, winding boulevard offering a plethora of shops, countless&nbsp;cafes, and the opportunity for a lovely, leisurely stroll.

8 best Gen Z travel destinations to explore in 2024

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