The best holiday destinations for 2022: Top places to visit

After a challenging 2020 and 2021, travel will be back with a bang in 2022 as a whole host of best holiday destinations welcome travellers to start exploring again.

Check out our top picks for the best holiday destinations to visit in 2022.

1.Almere, Holland

If ever there was a year to visit the Netherlands, it's 2022 when the Floriade floral spectacle takes place, with its timely eco-theme of ‘growing green cities’. Held every 10 years, the Floriade Expo returns for six months from April to October and will bring an array of unique and fascinating exhibitions to Almere, near Amsterdam.

With a focus on imagining sustainable, city living for the future, you can expect inspiring gardens, workshops and exhibitions mixed with striking attractions and tasting sessions. The 150-acre site is also where 300 eco-homes have been built, with plans for the area to be turned into a green residential neighbourhood of 660 homes, so if you're after a sustainably-focused holiday destination for 2022, Holland is the place worth considering.

2.Japan

Fresh from its Olympic and Paralympic success, Japan is a dream holiday destination that should be firmly on your list for 2022. This year, however, it's time to go beyond Tokyo and explore the country's rural side. Japan's newest bullet train route, Nishi Kyushu Shinkansen, is set to open between Nagasaki and Saga in autumn 2022. This will help speed up Nagasaki connections from the current Kyushu bullet train line that comes into Fukuoka from Tokyo.

The trains themselves will be called kamome meaning 'seagull,' following the popularity of lockdown video game franchise, Ghost of Tsushima, which is set on the stunning archipelagos surrounding the city of Nagasaki. Over the next decade, there will also be new bullet train lines joining Tokyo directly to traditional Fukui, snowy Sapporo and passing through the Nakasendo walking trails of the Kiso Valley. Japan is set to be one of the biggest rail holiday destinations of the future...

3.Kaunas, Lithuania

The Lithuanian city of Kaunas, along with Novi Sad in Serbia, is the European Capital of Culture for 2022, allowing the photogenic destination to step into the spotlight to showcase its cultural offering to the world.

The city combines tree-lined promenades and historic architecture with contemporary street art and high-class dining. As Lithuania's second largest city, Kaunas offers a unique take on art deco design, fairy tale attractions like Kaunas Castle and Pa?aislis Monastery and Modernist architecture to browse.

4.Barbados

We've got our eyes on the sun, sea and white sand of this Caribbean idyll for early and late 2022. What's more, a stylish new hotel has arrived in Christ Church, giving you a five-star all-inclusive retreat to experience when you get there. O2 Beach Club and Spa is set on 1,000 feet of the powder white sand on Barbados' south coast. It's the hottest new place to experience indulgent dining, top-notch pampering and a trio of pools.

5.Egypt

2022 is a big year for Egypt. The country will mark 100 years of independence from the United Kingdom and historians will celebrate 100 years since the discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun. By the end of the year, the long-awaited Grand Egyptian Museum will also open its doors.

What's more, February will see the latest big-screen adaptation of Agatha Christie’s Death on the Nile, directed by and starring Kenneth Branagh, open in cinemas. If you've always wanted to explore the ancient wonders of Egypt, 2022 is the year

6.Birmingham, England

Host of the 2022 Commonwealth Games, from 28 July to 8 August, Birmingham will welcome 19 different sports to various venues across the city next summer. During a visit to England's second city, there's plenty to entertain you alongside the archery and tennis. Birmingham is becoming a serious gastronomic destination, collecting Michelin stars (it now has five) and featuring on various 'best UK restaurant' lists.

Opheem, Purnell's and Harborne Kitchen are some of the finest places to dine, while the world-famous Balti Triangle area should be on your list for feasting on a memorable curry. New hotels to check into this year include the impressive Grand Hotel, a landmark that underwent a ￡45 million restoration and refurbishment. While here, be sure to check out the canal quarter, admire nature at the Botanical Gardens and soak up the creative scene of The Custard Factory, too.

7.Azores, Portugal

From its unique take on gastronomy to its old world wines, interesting flora and incredible crater lakes, the Azores invite you to get back to nature and take in the scenery of the Portuguese islands. Senhora da Rosa is a new boutique hotel in Ponta Delgada, with garden views and swimming pools, that's worth checking out.

8.Oberammergau, Germany

The Bavarian town of Oberammergau will see its renowned Passion Play return for the 42nd edition from May to October. The once-every-decade performance draws hundreds of thousands of visitors to its open-air re-enactment of Jesus Christ's suffering. Made up entirely of Oberammergau residents, including children, it's a moving five-hour performance worth travelling for.

One of the best ways to experience the Passion Play is to combine it with a trip to Italy to discover its historic regions through private tours of beautiful villas and chapels, before travelling through Austria to Germany. Good Housekeeping's exclusive Oberammergau Passion Play tour takes in the once-in-a-decade performance and more during a seven-day holiday in July.

9.Jamaica

The most celebrated film release of 2021, No Time To Die took us back to the cinema as the latest instalment from the James Bond franchise brought edge-of-your-seat action to the big screen. While we were transported to various locations, from Italian city Matera to the Scottish Cairngorms, it was the scenes shot in Jamaica that gave us wanderlust that we see lasting well into 2022.

Port Antonio was used to shoot the scenes featuring Bond's villa, but there's beauty found around the island, whether you're staying in Ocho Rios or Montego Bay. Jamaica also doubled for Cuba later on in the film.

10.Qatar

All eyes will be on Qatar when it hosts the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, the first ever World Cup in the Arab, from 21 November to 18 December. The Middle Eastern country is known for its dizzying skyscrapers, amazing dining and luxury hotels, but there's fascinating Arab culture to explore for those looking to combine a sporting holiday with seeing the sights (or for those who wish to explore it before the football crowds arrive).

A destination that blends culture and modernity, Qatar is home to scenic sandy beaches, adrenalin-fuelling water sports, phenomenal architecture and awe-inspiring museums. Make it a luxury trip by checking into a five-star hotel, like the Mandarin Oriental, Doha or the Four Seasons Hotel Doha, and don't miss a visit to the Museum of Islamic Art and Souq Waqif, as well as a sunrise trip to the desert.

11.Halki (Chalki), Greece

While the Greek islands opened up for summer 2021 holidays, we're looking forward to fully recharging here in 2022. This year, we plan on seeing its lesser-known side and Greek island specialist Olympic Holidays tells us that Halki is the place to watch. Halki is as near to authentic Greece as you will find, with fewer than 500 inhabitants (the first baby in almost 50 years was born in July 2021). The charming island captures you from the moment you set eyes on the harbour as the ferry from Rhodes edges closer.

Life here revolves around the harbour area, where a selection of bars and restaurants can be found. There are three main beaches – Pondamos, Ftenagia and Kania. You'll find only one taxi and one mini bus on the island, so congestion issues seem a world away and it's not long before the locals welcome you like one of their own. It's ideal as part of an island hop with Rhodes and you can expect to stay in traditional houses or at the only hotel on the island, the 19-room Aretanassa Hotel.

12.Yellowstone National Park, USA

In March 2022, America's first and oldest national park celebrates its 150th anniversary, giving us a reason to go beyond the USA's cities and explore the country's natural beauty. As Yellowstone National Park turns 150, this is your opportunity to celebrate its epic sights, including Old Faithful, Grand Prismatic Spring and the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone.

Part of the Great American West region, Yellowstone covers 3,500 square miles of wilderness and officials have pledged to use its 150th anniversary as an opportunity to work closer with the 27 tribes whose connections to the land go back thousands of years. America is home to 63 national parks, including Canyonlands, Arches and Zion, which you can experience with Good Housekeeping on a Rocky Mountaineer adventure in 2022.

13.East Lothian, Scotland

A slew of attractions opened in Edinburgh in 2021, from whisky experience Johnnie Walker Princes Street to retail-led destination St James Quarter, but for 2022 we've got our eyes on the countryside of East Lothian. Just a 30-minute drive from the city, you can experience this rural haven, where a whole host of recent openings have placed the scenic location on our must-visit list.

New restaurant the Lawn, in the seaside town of North Berwick and part of the Marine Hotel, offers stunning coastal views, a stylish, laid-back bar and lounge and dining from MasterChef: The Professionals’ Chris Niven. Meanwhile, the Glenkinchie Distillery will reopen after refurbishment and the new luxurious eco-lodges at Whitekirk Hill offer the perfect self-catering escape for everyone, from families to spa lovers.

14.Mauritius

This gorgeous, green island offers so much more than honeymoon-worthy beaches and after Mauritius was closed to tourists for most of 2021, we can't wait to return and explore it in 2022. There's plenty for adventure travellers here - from zip lining to diving - along with diverse cuisine and friendly islanders. The Indian Ocean island is a wonderful destination for all, whether you're taking the family, exploring it solo or heading out with friends.

In the north, there's great nightlife and incredible beaches for swimming, while the south has some unspoilt locations for a wild and authentic side to the isle. A stay at the sustainably focused Anantara Iko Mauritius Resort & Villas, near Blue Bay, offers the best of both worlds: five-star facilities and luxury surroundings combined with untouched forests and sands.