The best of the best — our top-rated resorts, cruises, and vacation ideas across every travel style, updated regularly as we review more options.
Best All-Inclusive Resorts
Best All-Inclusive Resorts for Families
Our top picks for family all-inclusives, from water parks to kids clubs to family suites.
Best Family Resorts in Jamaica
The Jamaica all-inclusives that actually deliver for parents and kids alike.
Best Adults-Only Resorts in Mexico
Our guide to choosing the right adults-only escape in Mexico.
Best for Celebrations
Best All-Inclusive Resorts for a 50th Birthday Celebration
Milestone-worthy resorts for a celebration to remember.
Best Cruises
Coming soon: our top picks for first-time cruisers, families and luxury travelers.
Want a Personalized Recommendation?
“Best” depends on who’s traveling. Tell us about your trip and we’ll point you to the option that actually fits.
How We Choose Our Top Vacation Picks
Every entry on this top vacation picks list is chosen using the same criteria: consistent guest satisfaction, clear value for the price, and a strong fit for a specific type of traveler rather than a vague “best overall” ranking that tries to please everyone.
We update these top vacation picks regularly rather than publishing them once and leaving them untouched, since resort quality, pricing and cruise line offerings shift from season to season.
If you want a deeper comparison instead of a single recommendation, our Best Resorts for Solo Travelers guide is a good example of how we break down top picks by traveler type in more detail. For independent reviews when researching any of these top vacation picks further, TripAdvisor is a useful outside resource.
Keep in mind that a top pick for one traveler is not automatically the right choice for another. A resort that tops our list for a couples getaway may be a poor fit for a large family trip, so read past the ranking itself to the specific reasoning behind each pick.
We also weigh recent guest feedback more heavily than a resort or cruise line’s general reputation, since a brand that was excellent five years ago can decline, and a newer property can quickly earn a spot among our top vacation picks if it is consistently delivering for guests right now.
Bookmark this top vacation picks page if you plan to return, since we add and remove entries as new guides go live and as older recommendations get refreshed with more current pricing and availability information.
If you are choosing between two options on this top vacation picks list, our dedicated comparison guides often go into more depth than a single “best of” entry can, breaking down price, amenities and who each specific option suits best.
And if none of these top vacation picks quite match what you are looking for, that is a good sign it is worth reaching out directly, since our full library of guides covers dozens of additional resorts, cruise lines and destinations beyond this shortlist.
These top vacation picks span budget to luxury, so do not assume every entry is out of reach if you are traveling on a tighter budget, since several of the highest-rated picks on this list represent strong value rather than the most expensive option available.