Looking for Holiday Solitude? Here Are the Top Countries To Visit

by Mia Taylor
Last updated: 2:25 PM ET, Wed December 11, 2024

With overtourism becoming a serious challenge once again, travelers in search of peace and quiet may be hard pressed to find what they’re after.

The latest UN Tourism figures show that destinations such as France, Spain, Italy, and Turkey each attracted more than 55 million visitors this year. Meanwhile, global travel reached 98 percent of pre-pandemic levels from January through September 2024.

With numbers like that, finding a bit of solitude can be daunting, to say the least.

To help with this challenge, BookRetreats.com has just released its Holiday Relaxation Report, which is focused on one simple question: Where can travelers still find genuine peace and quiet.

To get to the bottom of this all-important question, BookRetreats researchers analyzed 76 global locations based on factors such as safety, solitude, serenity, nature, and wellness.

This analysis effort was then used to develop a scored ranking based on nine specific data points:

Percentage of protected area
Forest coverage
Crowd density
Noise
Light pollution
Global peacefulness
Total wellness experiences.

Based on these factors, each country on the BookRetreats ranking received a score between 1 and 100.

The final report offers up a Global Relaxation Index, or what BookRetreats has officially deemed the 25 most relaxing holiday places to visit in 2025.

Driving through the Australian outback at sunset.

Which country topped the list?

Now for the all-important information: Which country was deemed the best place for travelers to indulge in some peace and quiet?

The answer: Australia. According to BookRetreats the country down under offers “more calm and fewer crowds”with just 3.4 people per kilometer. To put that into perspective, tourist hotspots like Italy and Mauritius have densities of 198.3 and 626 people per kilometer respectively.

“As the most relaxing vacation spot for 2025, Australia offers what crowded European destinations have lost: space to breathe,” says the report.

Canada, meanwhile, came in second for relaxation (Side note: It is North America’s only destination in the top 25).
According to the experts at BookRetreats the full list of top-ranked countries for solitude reveals that travelers will need to head further north, or south, to find what they’re after.

“The best places to go to relax aren’t where you might expect. As mass tourism transforms popular European destinations, our Global Relaxation Index reveals…the most relaxing vacations now require heading south, or far north,” says the report.

Here are the top 10 most relaxing places to visit for the holidays and beyond:

Australia
Canada
Iceland
Finland
New Zealand
Austria
Sweden
Estonia
Norway
Portugal

Least relaxing places to visit

While the leading destinations on the Global Relaxation Index manage to achieve a balance between visitor numbers and offering opportunities to escape and relax in pristine nature, countries that do not prioritize protection of their natural environment fared far worse. This includes countries like India, Turkey, Sri Lanka, and the Philippines, which rank among the lowest on the Global Relaxation Index.

The 10 least relaxing holiday destinations face multiple challenges: dense populations averaging over 200 people per km2, safety concerns, and limited protected places, says the report.

Furthermore, high noise and light pollution, significant traffic congestion—with one-way commutes averaging 49.5 minutes—and rapid tourism development further impact travelers’ ability to relax.

“What’s fascinating is how the map of relaxation has shifted,” Sean Kelly, co-founder BookRetreats dot com said. “The most peaceful escapes now lie in vast wilderness destinations like Australia and Canada, or in Northern European nations that combine safe environments with naturally calm city life. As we look to 2025 and beyond, destinations that protect their serenity—whether through untouched wilderness or mindful urban living—will become the new standard for relaxation travel.”

More key takeaways from the report

The report found that Northern Europe’s rich wellness traditions and safe, quiet environment generally outranked warm Mediterranean destinations, claiming 6 of the top 10 spots on the final ranking. And destinations that actively work to protect their natural environment also fared better in the ranking overall.

“Australia, New Zealand, Austria, and Botswana all preserve nearly 30% of their country, which includes numerous national parks, wetlands, marine areas, and forests,” says the report.

Interestingly, Botswana and Namibia place in the top 25 of the ranking, beating out traditional favorites for relaxation like Greece, Costa Rica, France, and Thailand.

“Both African nations offer vast open spaces averaging less than 5 people per km,” says the report. “They also rank among the 65 most peaceful countries on the Global Peace Index (GPI), which includes safety and security indicators such as violent demonstrations, terrorism impact, and homicide rate.”

Countries in Northern Europe, on the other hand, offer a different path to tranquility. Claiming six spots in the top 10, Northern European locations offer travelers relaxation not through acres of space, but through smart green cities, slow-pace lifestyles, and rich wellness traditions.

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