Are you looking to plan an epic adventure? Need inspiration for places to visit? With so many potential destinations, it’s always hard to know where to travel next!
But to help we have put together this guide featuring some of the most amazing countries to visit where you can mix culture, with sightseeing, beaches, temples, wildlife and more.
Check out our guide to the best countries to visit when backpacking the world, perfect for solo travellers, friends and couples. Our list includes a selection of the most popular destinations in Asia, Africa, Europe, Americas and Pacific.
Ignite your wanderlust and start getting exciting for your next trip.
1. Thailand
Millions of foreigners visit Thailand every year and it is easy to see why. Tasty food, friendly people, beaches, islands, legendary parties, and exotic animals – just to name a few reasons to go backpacking here. Thailand is a great value for money country to explore with accommodation, transport and food costing a fraction of other countries.
There are so many things to do here too, you could explore cities like Bangkok and Chiang Mai, visit an elephant sanctuary in Thailand, or even volunteer to help animals. Other popular ideas for a backpacking trip include learning to scuba dive, seeing the most beautiful Thai islands, enjoying the full moon party, booking a cookery course or heading north for jungle treks and adventures.
2. Peru
Peru is one of the ultimate backpacker destinations and a country everyone should have on their travel bucket list. Peru is home to some of the most desirable places to visit in the world including the majestic Machu Picchu – somewhere you have to visit once in your life.
Other highlights include Lima, Cusco and seeing ancient tourist attractions like the Nazca Lines. Lots of top rated tour operators offer trips for 18-30 year olds all year round allowing you to see the highlights. When travelling to Peru you also might want to learn some basic Spanish phrases for travellers, this will make your trip more fun.
3. Australia
Australia is one of the best countries to go backpacking and it is also one of the most popular gap year destiantions for young travellers seeking to see the world. You could spend months exploring Australia and a great idea is to rent a camper van and go explore.
There are so many places you could add to your Australia itinerary including The Great Barrier Reef, Whitsunday Islands, Fraser Island and Ayers Rock. Cities like Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Cairns and Brisbane are also all must visit destinations.
You can find some of the best hostels in the world in Australia, and this is one of the most social places to meet other backpackers from all over the world. Prices for accommodation, transport and eating out are on the more expensive side of our list, but Australia really is a dream country to travel.
4. India
India is a huge country with so many places you can visit. Travelling in India is fairly easy even with the language barrier and also this country is one of the cheapest destinations on our list. India is rich in travel destinations, you can see exotic tigers at national parks, visit the world famous Taj Mahal, relax on beaches in Goa, or head north to Dharamshala for mountains and spectacular scenery. There is a well established tourism infrastructure and there are so many tours, activities and things to do in India including volunteering abroad programs which are a great way to give back and do something rewarding.
5. Costa Rica
Costa Rica has been gaining in popularity over the last decade and it is now one of must visit places in Central America. Costa Rica is rich in culture, nature, beaches and tropical jungles – the country is doing an amazing job conserving and resorting natural habitats. Some of the best things to do in Costa Rica include going surfing, visiting the Cloud Forests, climbing volcanos, volunteering with animals and learning Spanish.
6. USA
The USA needs little introduction, this country is iconic with so many locations everyone knows about. From New York City, to California, and everywhere in-between you could spends months exploring the States and not see everything. From world famous cities like LA, Miami and New York, to going overland across the legendary Route 66′, to seeing some of the most spectacular natural destinations in the world like the Grand Canyon, the U.S. will not disappoint.
7. Portugal
Portugal has some of the best beaches in Europe, a warm climate, an outdoor lifestyle, tasty food and friendly people. Portugal is a very relaxed country to go backpacking and the places you can visit are diverse, from historical cities, to islands and beaches. Amazing places to visit in Portugal include Lisbon and Porto – both are some of the prettiest and laid back cities in Europe with colourful buildings, old cobbled streets and lots of tourist attractions.
If you are looking to escape the cities head south to the Algarve where you can find beautiful beaches and lots of water sports activities like surfing. You could combine an overland trip and also see Spain in the same trip too.
8. Vietnam
Vietnam is one of the highlights of south east Asia and there are lots of things to see and do here. You can travel up or down the stunning coast and see places like Ha Long Bay, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Hoi Ann and Phu Quoc. Vietnamese people are very friendly and you can get incredible value for money here, this is one of the cheapest places to go backpacking in Asia. If the idea of staying longer in Vietnam and being more than just a tourist, then you might want to consider teaching English, this is a great way to live in the country and get paid.
9. New Zealand
New Zealand is one of the best adventure destinations in the world, and a simply stunning country with some of the most breathtaking landscapes in the world. New Zealand is built for backpacking and the country might look small on a map but there are so many places to visit.
Auckland, Queenstown and Wellington are essential stop offs whilst there are so many spectacular outdoor locations to see. So many travel operators offer trips in New Zealand perfect for exploring and making new friends. Prices are competitive for backpacking here, especially compared to neighbouring Australia.
10. Croatia
Croatia has been gaining in popularity over the past decade and is seen as a more authentic and cheaper destination than Greece.
Whereas the most beautiful islands in Greece are now really expensive and overrun with tourists during summer, Croatia is still relatively quiet and prices for travelling here are also very affordable especially when out of the peak summer season.
Some of the best tourist attractions in Croatia include the stunning cities of Dubrovnik, Zagreb and Split. There are so many beaches you can check out include Golden Horn beach (pictured above) which is rated as one of the most unique in the world.
11. Nepal
Nepal has some of the friendliest people in the world, and if you are open to new cultures you will fall in love with the country. There are so many bucket list adventures here, the main draw for international tourists is the awe-inspiring Mount Everest, the tallest mountain in the world.
There are lots of treks and trips for all levels and abilities, you could trek the Annapurna Circuit or travel to Everest Base Camp – this can be some of the most exhilarating challenges in the world.
But there is far more to Nepal than just trekking, you can also see ancient temples and some of the best wildlife spots in Asia. Places to see before leaving Nepal include Bhaktapur and Namo Buddha, Chitwan National Park, Helambu, Kathmandu, Langtang and Lumbini.
Nepal is also one of the best value for money destinations in Asia, and the people are some of the most welcoming and friendly you will ever encounter.
12. South Africa
We couldn’t make a top backpacking destination list without including South Africa. This country has a well stablished infrastructure for tourism with bus routes and overland tours connecting the whole country.
There are lots of incredible destinations in South Africa including Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg. Cape Town really is one of the most spectacular settings for a city in the world with Table Mountain looming high above.
If you dream of seeing wildlife then you will be left with so many memories of a lifetime here, especially when you get to see animals like lions, leopards, cheetahs, rhinos, giraffes and elephants in their nature habitat.
No trip to Africa would be complete without seeing the world famous safari destination, the Kruger National Park. Not many places in the world compares to this!
13. Indonesia
Another entry for south east Asia making our list, Indonesia has long been a popular backpacking destination. Indonesia is beautiful, diverse and made up of thousands of spectacular islands. The most famous being Bali, which is somewhere you really need to experience once in your life. There are so many amazing places in Bali, from temples, beaches, nature and waterfalls.
There is also far more to Indonesia, you can see exotic wildlife like orangutans in Borneo or explore huge metropolis cities like Jakarta. You could spend months exploring Indonesia and still not see everywhere. This is also a great value for money country to visit and there are lots of affordable hostels and places to stay.
We hope our list has given you some ideas for amazing places to visit on your next adventure. We really could have written a backpacking guide with 100+ countries, but the places featured are special in their own way, and all offer completely different experience. Book your next backpacking adventure today!
