Viator 2025 Experience Awards Unveil the Ultimate Travel Bucket List
Viator, the world's largest travel experiences marketplace, is proud to announce the winners of the 2025 Viator Experience Awards. Now in its fourth year, the awards honor the top travel experiences worldwide, as chosen by Viator’s millions of global travelers.
The 2025 awards recognize more than 450 exceptional tours, activities, and experiences, offering travelers access to some of the world’s most unique and unforgettable adventures. This year’s winners also reflect the evolving interests of today’s travelers, with a focus on immersive, authentic, and meaningful experiences.
“We’re proud to raise the bar once again with Viator’s Experience Awards, celebrating the world’s best things to do and the exceptional operators who make them happen,” said Laurel Greatrix, VP of Marketing at Viator. “This year’s winners are more than the makings of a bucket list—they reflect the evolution of travel itself, as people seek deeper, more personal connections to the places they explore."
What’s trending in travel?
According to Viator’s latest travel trends report, 2025 is defined by immersive hands-on learning, outdoor adventures, and culturally-rich experiences. These growing trends are clearly reflected in this year’s Experience Awards, which feature many activities that allow travelers to engage deeply with local cultures, communities, and nature.
Immersive, hands-on classes
Travelers today are more than just spectators—they want to learn and participate. Whether it’s mastering a local craft or acquiring a new culinary skill, travelers are increasingly seeking experiences that allow them to connect with the culture in a tangible way. The demand for hands-on activities such as craft workshops (+58%) and cooking lessons (+43%) continues to rise, and the Experience Awards spotlight some of the top immersive classes around the world.
Some of the 2025 award-winning hands-on experiences include:
- Paris French Bakery Behind the Scenes Experience (Paris, France)
- Pastamania - Florence Pasta Making Class (Florence, Italy)
- 1-Hour Japanese Archery Experience in Kyoto (Kyoto, Japan)
- Dance Class In a Secret Rooftop Of The Old City (Cartagena, Colombia)
- Small-Group Khinkali and Khachapuri Cooking Class (Tbilisi, Georgia)
- Interactive 15-Dish Tasting Menu & Wines at Argentine Experience (Buenos Aires, Argentina)
Outdoor adventures
Outdoor adventures have soared in popularity in recent years, and 2025 is no exception. Nearly half of this year’s award-winning experiences take place in open-air settings, offering everything from serene hiking excursions to once-in-a-lifetime wildlife encounters. These experiences give travelers a unique way to reconnect with nature.
Some of the 2025 award-winning outdoor adventures include:
- Ubud: Monkey Forest, Jungle Swing, Rice Terrace, and Water Temple (Ubud, Indonesia)
- Rotorua Rafting: Kaituna River White Water Rafting (Rotoura, New Zealand)
- Multnomah Falls and Columbia River Gorge Half-Day Hiking Tour (Portland, Oregon)
- Golden Circle, Secret Lagoon and Kerid Crater Tour from Reykjavik (Reykjavik, Iceland)
- Monkey and Sloth Jungle Habitat Panama Tour (Panama City, Panama)
- Dubai Morning Desert Safari with Quad Biking (Dubai, UAE)
Cultural classics with a twist
While cultural and historical tours have long been a favorite among travelers, today’s visitors are craving deeper, more personalized experiences. Rather than passive sightseeing, more travelers are opting for interactive small group experiences including guided walking tours, which have surged in popularity by nearly 40% year-over-year. The appeal is clear: exploring the Buda Castle District on foot after dark, for example, offers a far richer, more authentic glimpse into the city’s storied past that travelers could get on their own.
Some of the 2025 award-winning cultural experiences with a twist include:
- Prague Ghost and Legend of Old Town Walking Tour (Prague, Czech Republic)
- San Jose: Bites and Sights Walking Food Tour including Markets (San Jose, Costa Rica)
- Hanoi By Night Motorbike Tours (Led by Women) (Hanoi, Vietnam)
- Guided Bike Tour of Amsterdam's Highlights and Hidden Gems (Amsterdam, Netherlands)
- Lion City Bike Tour of Singapore (Singapore)
- Tokyo Sumo Entertainment Show (Tokyo, Japan)
Ready to go?
With approximately 400,000 unique tours, activities, and excursions to choose from—from simple day trips to extreme adventures (and everything in between)—Viator has something for every kind of traveler.
Whether you’re looking for immersive cultural encounters, off-the-beaten-path adventures, or meaningful connections with the heart of a destination, explore our full collection of 2025 award-winning experiences today.
To book your next adventure, visit www.viator.com or download the Viator app (available on the App Store and Google Play).
