2025 – what a time to be alive! We’ve survived our tumultuous teens, backpacked through our early 20s, and now, we’re gearing up for fresh adventures as we enter our mid-20s. If you’re like us and are already planning your first trip of the new year, Time Out has you covered with this fresh list of the 25 best things to do around the world in 2025. From a once-every-quarter-century celebration in Rome to a sparkling new cultural centre in New York and a vintage steam train trip in Vietnam, this list has something for every kind of traveller and budget. And we’re pretty stoked to see the second-best experience of 2025 is right here in Australia.
Given our stereotype as a bunch of outdoor adrenaline junkies, it’s pretty on-brand that Australia’s one and only inclusion on the list of top things to do in 2025 is an epic outdoor experience. The spotlight shines on a brand-new multisport adventure trail that is set to open along Australia’s longest river – The Murray – which National Geographic recently named as one of the best under-the-radar spots to visit in 2025.
Winding its way along the New South Wales and Victorian border for some 2,500 kilometres before flowing into South Australia, the mighty Murray is known as being home to the world’s largest fleet of paddle steamers. In 2025, there’ll be even more reasons to explore the Murray River, with a world-first long-distance adventure trail for walkers, cyclists and paddlers set to open late next year.
This $10.3 million, nature-based trail will stretch along the river from Lake Hume in the east to Mildura in the west, showcasing the region’s stunning natural beauty, abundant wildlife and rich Indigenous heritage. The land-based trail (for cyclists and walkers) will extend around 1,040 kilometres, while the water-based trail (for kayakers and other craft) will be 1,390 kilometres.
As plans for future trail connections continue to evolve, additional features are in the works, including a floating pontoon at Barmah Lakes, complete with an accessible launch for canoes and kayaks.
Given the lengthy nature of the Murray River Adventure Trail, it will be completed in stages, with the first one expected to be finished in 2025. While you wait, you can start ticking off the 24 other epic experiences on Time Out’s list of the best things to do around the world in 2025.