Somewhere between work, building things, and thinking about what comes next, I keep coming back to the same question: where do I want to go?
For 2027, my list is Japan, Georgia, Spain, Norway, South Korea, and Iceland. Japan will be my third visit. The other five are places I want to make room for, each for a different reason.
This is the wishlist I'm starting with. The dates and routes can come later. Right now, I want to write down what draws me to these places: the streets I want to walk, the food I want to try, and the landscapes I want to see with my own eyes.
I wrote about the bigger dream in Louf for 2030. This is the next, more specific piece of it: six countries for 2027, with enough time in each to remember more than the airport.
01Japan 🇯🇵 — Back for the Third Time
Japan is the one country on this list I'm returning to. In 2027, I'll be going for the third time, and I want to use that as a reason to slow down.
I'd like to leave room for ordinary days: picking a neighbourhood, walking until I find somewhere interesting to eat, taking a train out of the city, and spending an afternoon somewhere that wasn't on my saved list. There are still plenty of places I want to explore, but I don't need every day to be packed.
What I want to explore:
- Tokyo at neighbourhood pace. Browse the small shops in Shimokitazawa, spend time in bookstores and cafés, and find a good bowl of ramen without turning the whole day into a route between landmarks.
- Kanazawa. Walk through the old districts, visit Kenrokuen, and look more closely at the city's crafts and architecture. Japan's tourism guide to Kanazawa is a useful starting point.
- Takayama and the Japanese Alps. Make time for old streets, morning markets, and a quieter mountain setting.
- A stay near Mount Fuji. Give myself a few days around Lake Kawaguchiko rather than rushing in for one photograph and leaving.
The wish for this trip is simple: spend less time deciding where to go next and more time enjoying where I am.
02Georgia 🇬🇪 — Tbilisi Streets and Caucasus Mountains
Georgia makes me want to plan a trip around two very different settings: a few days wandering through Tbilisi, followed by time in the mountains.
I picture balconies over old streets, a long lunch, and then the drive toward Kazbegi with the landscape opening up along the way. I'd like a trip where there is room for both a city morning and a quiet afternoon looking out at a mountain.
What I want to explore:
- Tbilisi's old town. Walk the narrow streets, spend time around the sulfur-bath district, and stop at small cafés along the way.
- Kazbegi and Gergeti Trinity Church. See the church against the mountains and give myself time to explore the surrounding area. Georgia Travel's Stepantsminda guide is where I'd start planning this part.
- Kakheti. Visit the wine-growing region, learn about local traditions, and spend time around Sighnaghi.
- Georgian food. Try khinkali and khachapuri, preferably over a long meal with someone who can tell me more about what I'm eating.
I want to leave Georgia with memories of conversations and meals as much as views.
03Spain 🇪🇸 — Architecture, Tapas, and Long Evenings
Spain is the trip on this list that I imagine mostly on foot. A morning looking at buildings, an afternoon getting lost in an old neighbourhood, and an evening that starts with food and ends whenever it ends.
I'd love to see Barcelona, then spend time in Andalusia. I won't try to squeeze every city into one trip; I'd rather choose a few places and have enough unplanned time to enjoy them.
What I want to explore:
- Barcelona's architecture. See the Sagrada Família and Park Güell, then walk through the Gothic Quarter and down toward the sea.
- Granada. Visit the Alhambra and spend an evening walking through the Albaicín.
- Seville. Explore the Real Alcázar, walk around Plaza de España, and make time for a flamenco performance.
- The food between the sightseeing. Tapas, market visits, coffee stops, and a few meals chosen simply because the place looks good.
The official Spain destination guides will help me narrow down the route. The part I want to protect is the time between the big sights: sitting in a square, watching a neighbourhood wake up, or staying a little longer over dinner.
04Norway 🇳🇴 — Fjords, Fishing Villages, and Space to Think
Norway is on my list for the landscape. I want to see mountains rising out of the water, take a ferry through a fjord, and spend a few days somewhere small enough that walking outside feels like the main event.
Lofoten is the place I keep thinking about most. I'd love to stay near the water and explore the villages and coastal scenery without constantly changing accommodation.
What I want to explore:
- Lofoten. Visit fishing villages, see the red cabins by the water, and choose a few coastal walks suited to the weather. The Visit Norway guide to Lofoten has plenty to build a trip around.
- Bergen. Walk around Bryggen and spend time by the harbour before heading farther into the fjord region.
- The fjords. Take a boat journey and experience the scale from the water, with time to stop in a small town along the way.
- Tromsø, if I choose a winter trip. I'd love a chance to see the northern lights. That would shape a different trip from summer walks and long daylight hours, so I'll choose the season before joining all these ideas together.
For Norway, I want to keep the route modest. A cabin, a view, and enough time to notice the changing light would already make a good day.
05South Korea 🇰🇷 — Seoul Energy and a Slower Coast
South Korea makes me want a trip with a change of pace halfway through. Start in Seoul with palaces, markets, cafés, and streets that stay busy after dark. Then head toward the coast and spend a little more time outside.
I'm especially curious about the everyday details: what breakfast looks like, which neighbourhood I'd enjoy walking through twice, and what I end up ordering when I stop somewhere without planning it.
What I want to explore:
- Seoul's old and new neighbourhoods. Visit Gyeongbokgung, walk through Bukchon with respect for the people living there, and spend time around Hongdae and Seongsu.
- Markets and Korean food. Try tteokbokki, hotteok, Korean barbecue, and dishes I haven't thought to look up yet.
- Busan. Spend time by the sea, explore Gamcheon Culture Village, and visit Haedong Yonggungsa Temple.
- Jeju, if I can give it enough days. Walk part of an Olle trail and see the volcanic landscape around Seongsan Ilchulbong. I'd rather save it for another trip than squeeze it into a rushed stop.
I'm using VISITKOREA's destination collection to start connecting these ideas. Seoul and Busan alone already feel like a trip worth taking.
06Iceland 🇮🇸 — Waterfalls, Glaciers, and a Road Trip
Iceland is the place where I want to put the landscape at the centre of the trip. Waterfalls, black sand, ice, and stretches of road where I'd want to pull over at every safe viewpoint.
My first instinct is a road trip along the south coast. There is already enough there to fill several days, and I'd like the freedom to stop, walk, and spend longer somewhere when the weather allows.
What I want to explore:
- Skógafoss and Seljalandsfoss. Hear the waterfalls, feel the spray, and take time on the surrounding paths.
- The coast around Vík. See the black sand and basalt formations at Reynisfjara from a safe distance from the waves.
- Jökulsárlón. Watch the ice moving through the glacier lagoon and visit nearby Diamond Beach.
- A geothermal soak. Make space for a warm pool after a day outside.
- Reykjavík. Spend a couple of days walking around the city, finding coffee, and getting a feel for everyday life before driving out.
The Visit Iceland south coast guide is my starting point. I'd also love to see the northern lights if I travel during the darker months, but I'll plan a trip I'd enjoy even if they never appear.
07What I Want From 2027
Looking at these six countries together, I can see what I'm hoping for: some busy city days, some good meals, and plenty of time near mountains or water.
I want to keep building and working toward the freedom to take these trips. I also want to use that freedom when I have it. It's easy to keep saving places and assume there will always be a better time to go.
So this is the list I'm putting down now. Japan for the third time. Georgia, Spain, Norway, South Korea, and Iceland. I'll work out the order, the budget, and the dates as the year gets closer.
And when I come back to this post, I hope there are a few actual stories to add.
— Bhupesh
08Photo Credits
These are inspiration photos, shared by photographers on Unsplash:
- Japan and cover: David Edelstein.
- Georgia: Maksim Samuilionak.
- Spain: Jerome.
- Norway: Daniel Diemer.
- South Korea: Seval Torun.
- Iceland: Katarzyna Gonsior.
All six photos are available under the Unsplash License.
