Angola is a large Atlantic-facing country in southwest Africa, about the size of Alaska, with Luanda as its main gateway and West Africa Time as its single time zone. Its visitor appeal is unusually varied: a 1,650-kilometer co...

Benin is a compact West African country with unusually strong cultural travel appeal: the royal history of Dahomey, Vodun heritage, Atlantic slave-trade memory sites, lake villages, coastal cities, and national parks. The pract...

Burkina Faso is a landlocked West African country with important cultural, musical, architectural and archaeological heritage, but it is not a safe leisure-travel destination at this time. The U.S. Department of State lists Bur...

Bulgaria is one of Europe's most varied compact trips: Roman ruins, Orthodox monasteries, Ottoman-era towns, Black Sea beaches, mountain hikes, ski resorts, rose valleys and wine regions sit within a country that is easy to com...

Bosnia and Herzegovina is a compact Balkans destination where Ottoman, Austro-Hungarian, Yugoslav and postwar history meet mountain scenery, rivers, coffee culture and old stone towns. The official tourism site highlights Saraj...

Botswana is one of Africa's premier wildlife destinations, built around low-density safari areas, desert landscapes and strong conservation management. The Botswana Tourism Organisation highlights the Okavango Delta, Chobe Nati...

Switzerland is a compact but highly varied Alpine country where cities, lakes, mountain railways, hiking, skiing, museums, chocolate, cheese and efficient public transport make trip planning unusually flexible. Switzerland Tour...

Cameroon is often described by its own tourism promotion as a compact survey of Central African landscapes: Atlantic beaches at Kribi and Limbe, volcanic highlands around Mount Cameroon, large cities such as Douala and Yaounde,...

The Democratic Republic of the Congo has some of Africa's most important natural landscapes, including the Congo River, Kinshasa, Virunga National Park, Kahuzi-Biega National Park, Garamba, Salonga, and vast rainforest and volc...

The Republic of the Congo, often called Congo-Brazzaville, is a low-volume destination for rainforest, river, and wildlife travel rather than mass tourism. Brazzaville sits on the Congo River opposite Kinshasa and works as the...

Spain is a high-capacity destination for art, architecture, food, beaches, hiking, festivals, pilgrimage routes, islands, and rail-based city hopping. Spain.info, the official tourism website, organizes planning around destinat...

Ethiopia is a historically rich but currently complex destination, best suited to experienced travelers using up-to-date security advice and reputable local operators. Its visitor appeal is unusually broad: rock-hewn churches,...

France is one of the world's most varied travel countries, combining art museums, medieval towns, Atlantic and Mediterranean coastlines, Alps and Pyrenees hiking, vineyards, food markets, fashion, gardens, pilgrimage routes, an...

Gabon is an equatorial Central African country for travelers interested in rainforest, Atlantic beaches, wildlife, conservation, and low-density nature trips rather than conventional mass tourism. Discover Gabon, the official d...

Ghana is one of West Africa's most accessible cultural and heritage destinations, combining Atlantic coast forts, Accra nightlife and museums, Asante history, national parks, waterfalls, lake travel, festivals, food, and diaspo...

Gibraltar is a compact British Overseas Territory at the entrance to the Mediterranean, best known for the Rock of Gibraltar, Barbary macaques, military tunnels, views toward Spain and Morocco, marinas, duty-free shopping, and...

Croatia is an Adriatic and Central European destination built around walled coastal cities, island ferries, Roman and Venetian heritage, national parks, wine regions, and a strong summer beach season. The Croatian National Tour...

Italy is one of Europe's great cultural travel countries, combining Roman ruins, Renaissance cities, medieval hill towns, Alpine and Dolomite scenery, Mediterranean islands, food and wine regions, pilgrimage sites, fashion, des...

Jordan is a compact Middle Eastern country where a first visit can connect Petra, Wadi Rum, the Dead Sea, Amman, Jerash, Madaba, Mount Nebo, and Aqaba without the long domestic flights required in larger destinations. The offic...

Kenya is one of East Africa's most varied travel destinations, combining savanna wildlife, Rift Valley lakes, Indian Ocean beaches, Nairobi museums and restaurants, Swahili coast heritage, mountain trekking, and community conse...

Morocco is one of North Africa's most varied visitor destinations, combining imperial cities, medinas, desert routes, Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts, mountain villages, crafts, gardens, and cuisine. The official Moroccan Nat...

Mali has extraordinary cultural importance: Timbuktu, Djenne, the Bandiagara escarpment of the Dogon country, the Niger River, Segou, and Bamako connect medieval Islamic scholarship, Sahel trade, earthen architecture, music, an...

Mauritania has major Saharan and Atlantic heritage: Chinguetti and Ouadane manuscript towns, the ancient ksour of Oualata and Tichitt, Banc d'Arguin National Park, the iron ore train between Nouadhibou and Zouerat, desert plate...

Namibia is a large, sparsely populated southern African country of desert scenery, wildlife, German colonial towns, rock art, Atlantic fog coast, and self-drive routes. Official Visit Namibia materials point travelers toward to...

Nigeria is West Africa's most populous country and a major center of music, film, food, markets, religious life, festivals, and cultural landscapes, but it requires careful, current security planning. The official national tour...

Saudi Arabia has opened rapidly to tourism, offering desert archaeology, Red Sea coast, Islamic history, old towns, modern Riyadh, Jeddah's historic district, AlUla, Diriyah, mountain villages, date oases, and major events. Vis...

Sudan has exceptional archaeological and natural heritage, including Nubian pyramids, Kushite temples, Nile landscapes, Red Sea reefs, and desert sites, but current conditions make leisure travel unsuitable. Historically, trave...

Serbia is a Balkan and Danube destination with Belgrade nightlife and riverfronts, Novi Sad and Petrovaradin Fortress, Orthodox monasteries, Roman sites, spa towns, wine regions, national parks, music festivals, markets, and mo...

Slovenia is a small country where Alpine, Mediterranean, Karst, and Pannonian landscapes sit close together, making it unusually efficient for a varied trip. The Slovenian Tourist Board highlights active holidays, hiking, bikin...

Syria has extraordinary historic and archaeological significance, including Damascus, Aleppo, Palmyra, Bosra, Krak des Chevaliers, Qal'at Salah El-Din, and the ancient villages of northern Syria, but it is not a normal leisure...

Togo is a narrow West African country stretching from the Gulf of Guinea to the savanna north, with Lome markets and beaches, Togoville, Lake Togo, Aneho, Kpalime forests and waterfalls, Kara region cultural landscapes, Fazao-M...

Turkey, officially Turkiye, bridges Europe and Asia with Istanbul, Aegean and Mediterranean coasts, Cappadocia, Black Sea highlands, eastern Anatolia, ancient Greek and Roman cities, Ottoman architecture, food, bazaars, beaches...

Tanzania is an East African destination built around safari, Kilimanjaro, Zanzibar, Swahili coast history, beaches, migration landscapes, coffee, cultures, and major protected areas. The official Tanzania Tourism Board site hig...

South Africa is one of the continent's most varied travel destinations, combining major cities, safari country, coastline, wine regions, and globally important heritage sites. South African Tourism highlights wildlife safaris,...

Zambia is strongly associated with Victoria Falls, walking safaris, big rivers, and lower-density wilderness travel. The official Zambia Tourism site describes the country as the home of the African walking safari, Victoria Fal...

Zimbabwe's visitor appeal rests on Victoria Falls, major wildlife parks, and some of southern Africa's most important archaeological and rock-art landscapes. The Zimbabwe Tourism Authority's official site frames the country aro...