What makes Sacramento one of the top places to explore in 2025? Travel+Leisure explains
Planning a vacation? The best destination might be in your own backyard.
Travel + Leisure recently named Sacramento one of its 50 Best Places to Travel in 2025, along with such popular tourist destinations as Egypt, Italy and Thailand.
“These are places that feel of the moment,” the Travel + Leisure editors wrote in a Nov. 21 article, “whether that’s because they offer unparalleled access to the outdoors, a cultural immersion you can’t find anywhere else, a pulse-quickening hit of excitement, or the sort of blissful luxury only a true five-star property can deliver.” moved quote up here
The travel publication named Sacramento one of the top spots for those seeking “big-city thrills,” noting the city’s flourishing food scene, concert venues and proximity to San Francisco, Lake Tahoe and Yosemite National Park.
“There are plenty of reasons travelers are finally taking California’s capital city seriously as a destination in its own right,” Travel + Leisure said.
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Why is Sacramento among Travel + Leisure’s top places to explore?
According to Travel + Leisure, Sacramento is now home to 15 Michelin-recognized restaurants.
Billy Ngo, chef and founder of Kru Contemporary Japanese Cuisine in Sacramento, was a 2024 James Beard Award finalist, and Pachamama Coffee, a global cooperative of smallholder coffee farmers headquartered in Sacramento, was named a Sustainability Pioneer in the 2024 Sustainable Food Awards.
“Our transformation as a food destination and music festival mecca has flown somewhat under the radar,” Mike Testa, president and CEO of Visit Sacramento, told Travel +Leisure. “And so when people arrive … they feel like they’ve been let in on a secret.”
California’s capital city is also the future home of the Athletics professional baseball team, Travel + Leisure said. The A’s will play home games at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento for at least three years, starting in 2025, before moving to Las Vegas.
“An impressive lineup of food and music festivals, including the Farm-to-Fork Festival and GoldenSky (country music festival), plus a new concert venue, Channel 24, offer even more reasons to get there before the secret’s out,” Travel +Leisure said.
This is not the first time Sacramento has been recognized by the travel magazine.
Travel + Leisure previously ranked Sacramento as among the best places to live in California, one of 10 affordable road trip destinations in the United States and one of 15 cities that feature scenic train rides.
Which other California cities made the list?
In addition to Sacramento, another California city to be highlighted by Travel+ Leisure was Santa Monica, showcased as a top destination for those seeking “beach vibes.”
The publication called the Southern California city “particularly exciting” thanks to an infusion of new restaurants, hotels, and shops.
Travel + Leisure highlighted two Mediterranean-Middle Eastern restaurants — Orla and Layla — that offer an upscale experience for diners.
Misti Kerns, president and CEO of Santa Monica Travel & Tourism, told Travel +Leisure that now is the time to experience the city’s “unique, laid-back luxury experiences.”
San Diego, the third California city, was favored for being “home to sunny weather, beautiful beaches and “undeniable energy.”
Travel + Leisure accentuated the city’s “impressive lineup of good eats” that included James Beard Award finalist Le Coq and the area’s first omakase yakitori restaurant, Yakitori Tsuta.
Overall, San Diego’s “robust food scene” was also considered a destination for foodies.
“There’s an undeniable energy here — creativity and passion are coming from all the chefs,” Tara Monsod, executive chef of Animae, told T+L. “The city is buzzing to be recognized as a true culinary destination.”
How did Travel + Leisure come up with its list?
To come up with Travel + Leisure’’s list of places to go in 2025, staffers vetted nearly 120 contenders.
The 50 finalists were organized into seven categories based on travelers’ interests, ranging from cultural immersion to outdoor adventures and food and drinks.
This story was originally published December 17, 2024 at 6:00 AM.
