The Best Travel Moments of 2024

2024 was another year filled full of visiting new countries and cities! From solo trekking in Patagonia to a romantic Tuscany getaway to a Spanish hostelling trip with housemates. It has been very varied with many new memories and experiences I didn’t plan for! So without further ado, here are The Best Travel Moments of 2024 below.

Honourable Mentions

A top 10 of the best travel moments of 2024 was decided after sorting through travel journals and photos. However many were worth an honourable mention. As preparation for Patagonia, I went to Snowdonia, Wales and Lake District, England for a spot of wild camping to test out the new tent. In Belfast, I visited the Titanic Museum which was very engaging and fascinating! A recent excursion was the Golden Circle Tour in Iceland which had some magical moments such as the Great Geyser and Gulfoss Falls but there were too many tourists to make the list. And finally, only just narrowing missing out was watching the Giro D’Italia cycling race along the Strade Bianchi rodes outside Sienna.

10. Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias, Valencia

Starting at No.10 on the Best Travel Moments of 2024 was a hostelling trip to Valencia & Barcelona. The main event was watching Valencia FC play football live at the Mestella. However, poor weather and a boring game meant my favourite part was visiting the Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencia (City of Arts and Sciences). The modern architecture, pools and parks are unlike anything I had seen before. We didn’t visit the Art Gallery or Oceanografic but the L’Hemisfèric is immersive to watch documentaries on the planetarium. The Museum was informative about biology and space travel. Whilst training for a half marathon, I managed to get an early morning 13km run whilst my mates slept. It was enjoyable to run through the modern complex and parks.

9. Florence Doumo & Sunset

I visited Florence 15 years ago and was excited to return to explore as an Adult. It’s a city full of history and culture to explore with a wonderful food scene to dig into. We luckily pre-booked the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore and climb up the Duomo. The tickets were expensive at over £40 each but the views across the city from the top were truly special. We learnt about the construction of the Dumo and the design by Brunelleschi. After the allocated time slot for the Duomo, we climbed the Bell Tower for a great view back across to the Dome. To top off the amazing day, we crossed the Ponte Vecchio and climbed up to Piazzale Michelangelo for sunset. It was stupidly busy but we managed to get to the front row to watch the colourful sky.

8. Andes Day Hike & Hot Spring, Chile,

After Solo Trekking in Patagonia, I had a day in Santiago so booked a tour into the Andes Mountains. A full-day excursion with a funny, friendly and knowledgeable tour guide taught us the culture, history and geography of Chile. The hike up to 2500m to see San Jose Volcano was easy but rewarding views of the pastel-coloured rocks in the steep valleys. In the afternoon, we visited a Hot Spring which was ideal to recover my body after trekking for 8 days. There were 7 pools of varying temperatures with the hottest at the top and the coolest at the bottom. Unlike other natural hot springs, there was no strong smell of Sulphur and the views of the surrounding peaks were majestic!

7. Gladiator Run & Coffee, Pienza, Italy

6. Mirador Lago Paine, Patagonia, Chile

On Day 2 of the Torres Del Paine O Circuit, I witnessed a Mirador which left me in awe. The view across Lago Paine over towards Dickson was stunning despite the strong Patagonian winds. The trail was gentle with the landscape slowly transforming as I trekked along the valley. It was the early days of the O Trek but started to socialise with my fellow backpackers. And was happy to have time to hike by myself on the peaceful trail and connect back with nature. The route went through meadows, over streams, along boardwalks and then finished at the edges of Lake Dickson. A truly amazing trekking day in remote and wild Patagonia.

5. Sky Lagoon, Reykjavik, Iceland

Iceland feels like the go-to place in 2024 with half my friends all visiting. Sky Lagoon was the most highly recommended to visit. In December 2024, Roisin and I had a short 4-day trip to Reykjavik where we did a Golden Circle tour, saw the Northern Lights (just) and relaxed in a Lagoon overlooking the Atlantic. It’s a popular attraction with many people enjoying some overpriced drinks and taking many photos while not dropping their phones. The highlight was the 7-Step Ritual where you started in the toasty infinity Lagoon before a freezing cold plunge. Then into the Sauna which looked out onto the Ocean through a glass wall. A cold mist contrasts to the sauna heat and then an exfoliating scrub cleanses the skin. Next is a steam room before an Excelsior shot to finish the ritual and feel revitalised.

4. Pasta & Wine Tasting Class, Montepulciano

For Roisin’s birthday, I gifted her a Pasta Cooking and Wine Tasting experience at Tiberini Winery. Montepulciano is well-known for its Montepulciano d’Abruzzo red wine. Even though the weather was dire, we were welcomed into a traditional family home and learnt to cook authentic Italian dishes with a professional chef and the family Nonna (Italian Grandma). We hand-made Ravioli and Pici Pasta, slow-cooked a Chicken main course and made incredible Tiramisu. All this while sampling the wines from the vineyard and were given a tour of the cellars. Lunch was a family affair where we enjoyed our dishes and tasted perfectly matched wines with each course. We were grateful for the Tiberini family to share their time and knowledge with us.

3. Santiago Sunset, Chile

Santiago is a huge city surrounded by snow-capped Andes mountains. Every evening I was in Santiago, there were beautiful sunsets and several options for viewpoints. Santa Lucía Hill has impressive 360 panoramic views but close before sunset whereas Gran Torre Costanera costs about £15 to get to the top. My favourite was the short 30min hike up to San Cristóbal Hill. It’s an obvious feature in the skyline being 300m above the city and offering the perfect platform to watch sunset to the west. There are also options of a Funciluar and a Cable Car to reach the top. Savouring the sunset while the football celebrations from Colo-Colo FC could be heard below was a nice end to my trip to Chile.

2. Hörnlihütte Hike – Zermatt, Switzerland

There may be some bias as this day hike was on my birthday in Zermatt. However, it’s not every day you can hike up to the start of such an iconic mountain, the Matterhorn. While most people got the cable car up to Schwarzee, Roisin and I decided to hike up 1000m from the Zermatt town centre to Schwarzee and then joined the crowds up to Hörnlihütte. The mountain hut at the base of Toblerone Mountain has stunning views over towards Briethorn and Gornergrat. The decking is chaotic with people eating and drinking but the best part is above and behind Hörnlihütte where you can get up close and personal with the Matterhorn. Watch as climbers descend back off the challenging terrain. This day hike was so great, that it claimed the No.1 spot on The Best Mountain Day Hikes list but narrowly missed out on the Best Travel Moments of 2024 title.

1. Mirador Base Torres – Torres Del Paine, Patagonia, Chile

The Best Travel Moment of 2024 was at Mirador Base Torres in Patagonia. After 7 Days of Trekking, I was fortunate to see the Base Torres in their full glory. It was a fast and hot climb up the scramble to the Mirador while carrying the Osprey Atmos 50. As expected, it’s jam-packed with day hikers, W Trekkers and O Trekkers all along the shoreline admiring the beauty. The aqua water and orange-tinted rock create an imposing amphitheatre. It was the dream reward for completing the Torres Del Paine O Circuit and I happily spent hours savouring the views. The next morning at 4am, I hiked back up to the Mirador Base Torres to enjoy the sunrise over the towers. The golden hues of the sunlight were an incredible sight and straight from a postcard!

Lessons Learnt from Travel 24

Travel in 2024 has pushed my boundaries and taught me many lessons about myself and the incredible countries I’ve visited. While the Best travel moments of 2024 simply show my favourite memories, the key lessons weren’t in the same order. Check out a few brief lessons from the year:

• Disconnecting / Connecting – My main takeaway is being offline and away from Tech in Torres Del Paine for over a week and then reconnecting with the beautiful landscapes and mountain geography.
• Expanding Food Appreciation – Pasta, Pizza and Gelato in Italy, Paella in Spain, Seafood in Iceland and Steak in Peru… It’s been top quality and made me appreciate the cusines of new countries.
• Confidence from Solo Travel – The Patagonia trip gave me confidence in my planning and abilities to travel alone. I enjoyed the mix of solitude and socialising on the circuit and hostels.
• Driving & Running Abroad – A new one for 2024 was running in foreign countries. It started in Valencia and managed runs in Barcelona, Florence & Tuscany and Zermatt.
• South America Travel – From talking to other travellers, most people were spending months in South America. I picked up tips and places to visit throughout the continent.
• Mountain and Wild Camping – Having never wild camped before, I learnt about wild camping in the UK and then Camping while trekking in Patagonia. From pitching tents to picking good spots and packing organisation.

Where were the best travel moments of 2024 for you? I’ve started to plan travel for 2025 with a post on Maximising your holiday coming soon. Any recommendations for outdoor adventures or cities are always appreciated!