To make the cut for Lonely Planet’s best destinations to visit next year, destinations must offer outstanding experiences in the year ahead. It could be a special event, milestone, or new openings and attractions. Likewise, along with emerging, topical and trending hotspots, overlooked and underrated destinations can also score a coveted spot in Lonely Planet’s travel yearbook.

In the category of best countries, editors say Chile is poised to steal the travel spotlight next year, when the country marks its 200th year of independence. “Chile is a sinewy sliver of a nation, isolated from the rest of South America (and indeed the world) by the soaring Andes to the east, the vast Pacific Ocean to the west, the bone-dry Atacama Desert up north and the impenetrable wilds of Patagonia down south,” reads an excerpt.

“Thanks to new non-stop flights from both London and Melbourne, it’s never been easier to catch a plane, raise a glass of pisco sour and toast the celebration.” Rounding out the top three spots for best countries are South Korea and Portugal.

A scan of the top 10 countries list reveals an interesting cross-section of destinations scattered across the Southern Hemisphere, Asia and Eastern Europe.

Meanwhile, the selection of best cities 2018 offers up travel ideas that are largely off the grid for many travellers, with destinations like Kaohsiung, Taiwan; Matera, Italy; and Guanajuato, Mexico.

But taking the top spot overall, is Seville, Spain, which editors applaud for having transformed itself from a gridlocked metropolis to a dynamic city of bikes and trams. The year 2018 is also poised to be a big one for the Andalusian capital, as it will host the European Film Awards and take a star role in the cult fantasy series Game of Thrones.

Throughout 2018, Seville will continue to mark the 400th anniversary of Baroque painter Bartolome Esteban Murillo with a series of half a dozen art expositions. Rounding out the podium for best cities is Detroit, USA and Canberra, Australia.

Here are some of the winners:

Top countries

1. Chile 
2. South Korea 
3. Portugal 
4. Djibouti 
5. New Zealand 
6. Malta 
7. Georgia 
8. Mauritius 
9. China 
10. South Africa

Top cities

1. Seville, Spain 
2. Detroit, USA 
3. Canberra, Australia 
4. Hamburg, Germany 
5. Kaohsiung, Taiwan 
6. Antwerp, Belgium 
7. Matera, Italy 
8. San Juan, Puerto Rico 
9. Guanajuato, Mexico 
10. Oslo, Norway

Top regions

1. Belfast and the Causeway Coast, Northern Ireland 
2. Alaska, USA 
3. Julian Alps, Slovenia 
4. Languedoc-Roussillon, France 
5. Kii Peninsula, Japan 

Top value destinations

1. Tallinn, Estonia 
2. Lanzarote, Canary Islands 
3. Arizona, USA 
4. La Paz, Bolivia 
5. Poland

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