The Global Relaxation Index: World’s Most Relaxing Holiday Destinations Ranked
BookRetreats.com Holiday Relaxation Report - Mapping the World's Most Relaxing Holiday Destinations
Searching for serenity? Forget it—at least in the world’s most popular holiday locations.
According to the latest UN Tourism figures, destinations such as France ๐ซ๐ท , Spain ๐ช๐ธ , Italy ๐ฎ๐น , and Turkey ๐น๐ท each drew over 55 million visitors.¹ With global travel surging to 96% of pre-pandemic levels in the first seven months of this year, tourism is on track to break new records by 2025.²
The result: these once-peaceful destinations now face unprecedented crowds, urban congestion, rising crime, and growing tension between tourists and locals.
BookRetreats.com’s Holiday Relaxation Report asks a simple question: where can travelers still find genuine peace and quiet?
To answer this, we analyzed 76 destinations through the lens of safety, solitude, serenity, nature, and wellness.
Rankings drew from 9 individual data points, including percentage of protected area, forest coverage, crowd density, noise and light pollution, global peacefulness, and total wellness experiences.
Each destination received a score between 1 and 100 on our Global Relaxation Index, revealing the 25 most relaxing holiday destinations to visit in 2025.
● ๐ฆ๐บ Australia tops the Global Relaxation Index, offering more calm and fewer crowds—with just 3.4 people per km²—while tourist hotspots like Italy and Mauritius struggle with densities of 198.3 and 626 people per km² respectively.
● ๐ช๐บ Northern Europe’s rich wellness traditions and safe, quiet environment outrank warm Mediterranean destinations, claiming 6 of the top 10 spots.
● ๐จ๐ฆ Canada places second for relaxation (North America’s only destination in the top 25).
● ๐ง๐ผ Botswana and ๐ณ๐ฆ Namibia put Africa on the map for tranquil travel, overtaking popular destinations such as Greece, Costa Rica, France, and Thailand.
BookRetreats Map of World's Most Relaxing Holiday Destinations
25 Most Relaxing Vacation Destinations
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 a decisive shift: the most relaxing vacations now require heading south, or far north.
Australia leads this change, topping the index at 73.8 out of 100. As the most relaxing vacation spot for 2025, Australia offers what crowded European destinations have lost: space to breathe.
While Italy struggles with tourism overflow, Australia hosts 50 million fewer annual visitors across an area 25 times larger. Adding in locals, this translates to just 3.4 people per km2, compared to 198.3 in Italy and 626 in Mauritius—the most crowded destination in the report.
This pattern of space and tranquility extends across the top performers in the study.
Canada claims second place with 3.9 people per km2, North America’s only destination in the top 25. Iceland, Finland, and New Zealand complete the top five, all sharing a crowd density below 20 people per km2.
Destinations that protect their natural spaces is another important indicator. Australia, New Zealand, Austria (6), and Botswana (11) all preserve nearly 30% of their country, which includes numerous national parks, wetlands, marine areas, and forests.
Interestingly, Botswana and Namibia place in the top 25, outranking traditional favorites for relaxation like Greece, Costa Rica, France, and Thailand.
Both African nations offer vast open spaces averaging less than 5 people per km2. 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.³
However, when it comes to wellness and nature, few places can compete with Japan. The country ranks 15th globally for relaxation, becoming Asia’s most relaxing destination for 2025. Visitors here can explore over 9,000 unique wellness experiences, and forests cover more than half of the country’s land area (66.99%).
While leading destinations balance visitor numbers with plenty of opportunities to escape and relax in pristine nature, countries like India, Turkey, Sri Lanka, and the Philippines 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.
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.
Sean Kelly, Co-founder of BookRetreats.com, comments, “The Global Relaxation Index confirms what many travelers already sense—the places we once visited for peace and quiet have become victims of their own popularity. What’s fascinating is how the map of relaxation has shifted. 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.”
Below is a complete ranking of the world’s most relaxing vacation destinations, including values for individual factors for a better understanding of scores.
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Country Final Score Peacefulness Crowd Density Noise & Light Pollution Traffic Cities Protected Area Forest Coverage Biodiversity Wellness Activities
1 Australia 73.8 1.536 3.44 36.24 37.5 19 33.45 17.44 0.696 4,700
2 Canada 72.5 1.449 3.95 41.25 33.51 54 11.55 34.81 0.905 4,724
3 Iceland 71.2 1.112 3.88 22.48 21.35 1 2.84 0.51 0.821 77
4 Finland 71.1 1.474 16.62 23.58 25.56 6 13.27 66.40 0.96 215
5 New Zealand 69.3 1.323 19.17 37.88 32.56 10 30.58 36.64 0.602 639
6 Austria 65.2 1.313 109.79 33.61 23.77 10 29.63 46.45 0.728 263
7 Sweden 64.6 1.782 23.46 26.12 28.72 10 15.63 62.09 0.955 303
8 Estonia 64.5 1.615 30.23 31.09 21.58 2 20.79 53.65 0.867 80
9 Norway 62.9 1.638 17.05 30.51 26.67 4 5.36 37.54 0.948 283
10 Portugal 62.6 1.372 114.37 36.74 28.65 8 17.14 36.06 0.772 1,218
11 Botswana 62.3 1.863 4.29 26.14 28.53 1 29.15 26.39 0.81 13
12 Croatia 62.1 1.504 69.62 33.98 25.79 3 24.05 34.28 0.812 256
13 Germany 60.5 1.542 236.61 41.85 29.82 100 40.13 31.92 0.692 3,695
14 Montenegro 59.9 1.746 46.83 31.11 16.89 1 16.56 60.48 0.648 39
15 Japan 59.0 1.525 334.29 44.01 40.33 204 15.11 66.99 0.883 9,195
16 Spain 59.0 1.597 95.14 47.18 26.76 90 17.91 36.70 0.704 3,791
17 Bulgaria 58.3 1.629 61.39 50.39 29.05 7 35.67 35.09 0.723 224
18 Lithuania 58.3 1.672 44.08 30.72 23.36 5 18.31 33.92 0.67 101
19 Czechia 57.7 1.459 137.81 43.19 29.12 5 21.93 33.94 0.616 433
20 Malaysia 57.5 1.427 107.07 49.25 37.17 37 8.13 58.17 0.778 804
21 Switzerland 57.4 1.35 215.44 37.28 33.28 5 12.51 30.74 0.65 825
22 Poland 57.3 1.678 124.46 46.71 31.72 47 38.22 30.41 0.73 1,181
23 Namibia 56.1 1.972 3.60 45 26.18 1 24.42 8.06 0.759 23
24 Netherlands 56.0 1.527 512.41 30.15 23.16 23 29.77 10.43 0.612 1,904
25 Denmark 55.8 1.382 138.06 30.56 27.93 4 17.76 14.49 0.452 174
Showing 1 to 25 of 76 entries
Safety
– Peacefulness (Global Peace Index Score, lower = better)
Solitude
– Crowd Density (people per km2 – population and daily tourists)
Serenity
– Noise & Light Pollution (perceived score out of 100, lower = better)
– Traffic (average one-way daily commute in minutes)
– Cities (number of cities with population threshold over 100,000)
Nature
– Protected Area (% of marine and land protected area)
– Forest Coverage (% of forest area)
– Biodiversity (% average of Biodiversity Intactness Index)
Wellness
– Wellness Activities (number of retreats and spa and wellness centers)
1. Australia
Bay/Coast in Australia - ranked most relaxing place in the world
Australia is the world’s most relaxing holiday destination, scoring 73.8 on our index. Key to this ranking is the country’s balance of vast natural landscapes and low tourist numbers.
Unlike Europe’s crowded capitals, Australia welcomes 7,190,000 annual visitors alongside its 26,451,100 residents. Spread across its vast area, this holiday destination averages 3.4 people per km2.
Australia is one of the best destinations for nature, too. Protected spaces cover just over a third of the country (33.45%), which includes 704 national parks—the highest number of national parks in our study.
From the ancient Daintree Rainforest to the red expanse of Uluru, these sanctuaries showcase Australia’s raw natural beauty. At the center of these attractions is the Great Barrier Reef, one of the world’s official seven natural wonders, where visitors can drift in pristine waters above coral gardens.
Offering 4,700 wellness experiences, Australia delivers calm in every setting. Travelers can unwind in thermal springs near Melbourne, practice yoga on empty Tasmanian beaches, or retreat to luxury eco-lodges in the quiet of the Outback.
2. Canada
Forest, mountains, and lake in Canada - 2nd best relaxing vacation spot
Canada claims second place, North America’s only destination in the top 25.
Nature defines the Canadian travel experience. Home to the world’s largest collection of lakes and the mesmerizing aurora borealis, Canada’s untouched wilderness is the place for peace seekers.
According to the Natural History Museum, Canada—alongside Finland, Sweden, and Norway—have an average Biodiversity Intactness Index (BII) of above 90%, with 90% or more indicating resilient, functioning ecosystems.⁴
The country trumps Australia in wellness experiences, offering 4,724 activities nationwide. From thermal springs nestled in the Rocky Mountains to lake-side silent retreats in Eastern Ontario, Canada combines sprawling spaces with unique opportunities to relax in nature.
Visitors can expect solitude across its expansive 9,966,721 km2 area, which hosts an estimated 3.9 people per km2.
3. Iceland
Northern lights in Iceland - best quiet holiday destinations
Iceland is Europe’s most relaxing holiday destination, combining safety, space, and otherworldly wilderness.
Not only does the island have the best peacefulness score globally, but it also leads all destinations for the serenity category in our report.
In between its vast natural landscapes, Iceland has just one major city and several sleepy towns, placing first for low noise and light pollution. These pristine dark skies make it one of the best places to witness the spectacular Northern Lights.
In addition, the destination has one of the lowest populations, offering travelers uncrowded spaces and clear open roads. Icelanders spend an estimated 21.35 minutes in traffic one way, compared to 59.99 minutes in Costa Rica.
For those seeking ultimate relaxation, this Nordic nation is renowned for its wellness experiences. Visitors can float in famous geothermal spas like the Myvatn Nature Baths and Blue Lagoon, or head to Akureyri for a quiet yoga retreat in the mountains.
Yet all these attractions are bringing new challenges to Iceland.
As tourist numbers grow to four times the local population, this remote paradise will need to preserve the serenity that makes it so popular.
4. Finland
Snow covered forest in Finland
Like its Nordic neighbor, Finland demonstrates how wilderness and modern living can coexist, securing fourth place for the best relaxing vacation spots.
The evidence is everywhere: forests blanket 66.4% of the country—second only to Japan—while thousands of lakes snake through the landscape, each offering its own pocket of calm away from the city.
The country ranks second for low noise and light pollution and one-way commutes average just 25.5 minutes, creating an environment where both people and nature can thrive.
Though wellness facilities may be fewer than other top destinations, the natural calm of the country can be seen in every corner of Finnish life.
From morning walks through frost-tipped forests to evening swims in crystal-clear lakes, visitors here get to slow down and unwind away from the packed tourist attractions of bustling cities.
5. New Zealand
Quiet cove in New Zealand
In a world of overtourism and endless noise, New Zealand is an oasis of calm, earning fifth place in our report.
Nature rules here. Ancient forests cover nearly 37% of the island, while protected zones blanket almost a third of the country’s mountains, coastlines, and seas.
15 national parks guard everything from mist-shrouded fjords to steaming volcanoes, and more than 200 waterfalls thunder through valleys.
With only 19 people per km2, visitors find twenty times more room than in crowded destinations like the Philippines, where 390 people (per km2) squeeze into a similar-sized space.
While its growing cities show signs of modern pressures, most of the country remains a quiet paradise.
Best Holiday Destinations for Solitude
Mongolia stands apart as the world’s least crowded destination for travelers seeking genuine solitude. While France receives 100 million tourists annually and Spain finds room for 85 million, Mongolia hosts just 590,000 visitors.
This low number, combined with Mongolia’s vast territory and low population, equates to an estimated 2.19 people per km2.
Here, travelers regularly find themselves with entire valleys, mountains, and desert landscapes to themselves, sharing the space only with nomadic families and free-roaming horses.
Australia, Namibia, Iceland, and Canada are also among the best vacation spots for solitude.
Country Final Score Crowd Density
1 Mongolia 54.7 2.19
2 Australia 73.8 3.44
3 Namibia 56.1 3.60
4 Iceland 71.2 3.88
5 Canada 72.5 3.95
6 Botswana 62.3 4.29
7 Bolivia 51.8 11.30
8 Argentina 48.4 16.38
9 Finland 71.1 16.62
10 Norway 62.9 17.05
Best Holiday Destinations for Quiet
Iceland is the best place for quiet holidays.
The country is home to only one city, scoring top marks for low noise and light pollution, as well as traffic congestion.
Beyond Reykjavรญk in the southwest, Iceland opens into vast stretches of untamed terrain where glaciers meet black sand beaches and geothermal springs bubble in volcanic landscapes.
This environment blended with mindful modern living provides genuine opportunities for stillness that few other destinations can match.
Montenegro places second, followed by Botswana, Estonia, and Finland.
Country Final Score Noise & Light
Pollution Traffic Cities
1 Iceland 71.2 22.48 21.35 1
2 Montenegro 59.9 31.11 16.89 1
3 Botswana 62.3 26.14 28.53 1
4 Estonia 64.5 31.09 21.58 2
5 Finland 71.1 23.58 25.56 6
6 Lithuania 58.3 30.72 23.36 5
7 Norway 62.9 30.51 26.67 4
8 Sweden 64.6 26.12 28.72 10
9 Denmark 55.8 30.56 27.93 4
10 Croatia 62.1 33.98 25.79 3
Best Holiday Destinations for Nature
Brazil is the leading destination for natural beauty. This vast country preserves its natural heritage: 3,780 designated protected areas cover close to 30% of the nation, from pristine rainforests to vast indigenous reserves.
In addition, forests blanket nearly 60% of Brazil, offering travelers endless trails to explore.
Some of the most remarkable natural attractions here include the Amazon Rainforest, home to the world’s richest biodiversity, and Iguazu Falls, where 275 waterfalls combine to create one of Earth’s most spectacular water displays.
However, a BII of below 90% does indicate struggling ecosystems in need of greater protection from human impact.
Finland, Sweden, and Zimbabwe complete the top spots in this category. Each offers its own distinct natural attractions, from pristine Nordic lakes to untamed African savannas.
Country Final Score Protected Area Forest Coverage Biodiversity
1 Brazil 48.3 29.42 58.65 0.752
2 Costa Rica 52.3 28.23 59.40 0.648
3 Panama 48.0 27.21 56.51 0.765
4 Bolivia 51.8 30.86 46.90 0.802
5 Japan 59.0 15.11 66.99 0.883
6 Finland 71.1 13.27 66.40 0.96
7 Sweden 64.6 15.63 62.09 0.955
8 Germany 60.5 40.13 31.92 0.692
9 Cambodia 51.0 31.66 44.54 0.716
10 Austria 65.2 29.63 46.45 0.728
Best Holiday Destinations for Safety
Boasting the best GPI, Iceland is the most peaceful country in the world. Since 2008, the island has set the standard for societal safety and security, as well as global and domestic peacekeeping.³
Whether in its calm streets, remote highlands, or among its coastal villages, visitors can enjoy a level of safety unlike anywhere else.
Ireland, Austria, New Zealand, and Switzerland are also top destinations for those seeking safe vacations.
Country Final Score Peacefulness (GPI)
1 Iceland 71.2 1.112
2 Ireland 55.5 1.303
3 Austria 65.2 1.313
4 New Zealand 69.3 1.323
5 Switzerland 57.4 1.35
6 Portugal 62.6 1.372
7 Denmark 55.8 1.382
8 Malaysia 57.5 1.427
9 Canada 72.5 1.449
10 Czechia 57.7 1.459
Best Holiday Destinations for Wellness
The United States dominates the global wellness scene with over 10,000 experiences for visitors seeking restoration and rejuvenation in 2025.
The country’s diverse landscapes create distinct wellness experiences: thermal springs wind through the Colorado River region, wellness centers nestle in Utah’s red rock country, and beach retreats dot shorelines.
Japan follows in second place, blending ancient tradition with modern wellness trends.
The country’s network of onsen (hot springs) and established healing practices like reiki offer visitors authentic therapeutic experiences in settings from remote mountain villages to vibrant cultural capitals.
Country Final Score Wellness Activities
1 United States of America 46.4 10,537
2 Japan 59.0 9,195
3 United Kingdom 54.2 6,773
4 France 52.4 6,327
5 Italy 53.8 5,276
6 Canada 72.5 4,724
7 Australia 73.8 4,700
8 India 31.8 4,229
9 Spain 59.0 3,791
10 Germany 60.5 3,695
Looking Ahead
Woman swims in relaxing holiday location
As familiar destinations struggle with overwhelming crowds, the world’s most relaxing destinations now lie in unexpected corners of the world.
Looking ahead to 2025 and beyond, the future of relaxation travel belongs to places that actively preserve their tranquility.
These places offer what travelers are desperately searching for in a modern world: space to breathe, room to explore, and the chance to connect deeply with both nature and culture.
Methodology
To determine the world’s most relaxing holiday destinations, BookRetreats.com compared 76 countries across five key dimensions: safety, solitude, serenity, nature, and wellness.
We evaluated these dimensions using nine individual metrics, which are listed with their corresponding weights below.
Through min-max and logarithmic normalization, we determined each country’s weighted average across all metrics to calculate its overall score. We then used the resulting scores to rank-order our destinations.
Each destination was graded on a 100 point scale, with scores closest to 100 representing greater relaxation.
The final index score combines nine weighted metrics across five categories:
Safety (25 points)
Peacefulness (Global Peace Index 2024)
Note: The GPI is based on 23 qualitative and quantitative indicators that measure the state of peace across three domains: the level of Societal Safety and Security; the extent of Ongoing Domestic and International Conflict; and the degree of Militarization.
Solitude (20 points)
Crowd Density: people per km2, combining population (World Population Review) and daily tourist arrivals (UN Tourism) over total land area
Note: This is an approximation of crowdedness, as population and tourists are not evenly distributed across land areas and tourist numbers fluctuate seasonally.
Serenity (20 points)
Noise & Light Pollution: perceived score out of 100 (Numbeo)
Traffic: average one-way daily commute in minutes (Numbeo)
Cities: includes cities with a population threshold over 100,000 (World Population Review)
Note: Numbeo scores are based on perceptions of visitors. We chose to use these on-the-ground figures to provide invaluable insight into the reality of what travelers experience in a given country.
Nature (20 points)
Protected Areas: percentage of protected land and marine area (Protected Planet)
Forest Coverage (Our World in Data, 2020)
Biodiversity: Biodiversity Intactness Index score (Natural History Museum, 2024)
Note: To obtain each country’s Biodiversity Intactness Index score in 2024, BII values from the PREDICTS database for each related scenario were averaged to determine one annual score.
Wellness (15 points)
Wellness Activities: number of retreats and spa and wellness centers (BookRetreats.com, TripAdvisor)
Sources:
The BookRetreats Holiday Relaxation Report draws from the latest available data collected as of November 13, 2024 from the following sources:
UN Tourism. (2024). Tourism Data Dashboard: Inbound Tourism, Tourism Arrivals. Retrieved from https://www.unwto.org/tourism-data/global-and-regional-tourism-performance
UN Tourism. (2024). UN Tourism World Tourism Barometer. Retrieved from: https://www.unwto.org/un-tourism-world-tourism-barometer-data
Institute for Economics & Peace. (2024, June). Global Peace Index 2024: Measuring Peace in a Complex World. Retrieved from http://visionofhumanity.org/resources
Phillips, H., De Palma, A., Gonzalez, R. E., Contu, S., et al. (2021). The Biodiversity Intactness Index – country, region and global-level summaries for the year 1970 to 2050 under various scenarios [Data set]. Natural History Museum. Retrieved from https://data.nhm.ac.uk/dataset/bii-bte/resource/2876792f-98d9-4a8d-beee-7dc3e572e2b1
BookRetreats. (2024). Retreats & Trainings. Retrieved from BookRetreats.com
Numbeo. (2024). Pollution Index. Retrieved from https://www.numbeo.com/pollution/
Numbeo. (2024). Traffic Index. Retrieved from https://www.numbeo.com/traffic/
Ritchie, H. (2021). 2020 Forest area. Our World in Data. Retrieved from https://ourworldindata.org/forest-area
Seven Natural Wonders. (2024). Official Record. Retrieved from https://sevennaturalwonders.org/
TripAdvisor. (2024). Spa & Wellness Centers. Retrieved from TripAdvisor.com
UNEP-WCMC & IUCN. (2024). The World Database on Protected Areas. Protected Planet. Retrieved from https://www.protectedplanet.net/
World Population Review. (2024). Most Cities by Country 2024. Retrieved from https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/most-cities-by-country
World Population Review. (2024). 2023 Population Data. World Population by Country 2024. Retrieved from https://worldpopulationreview.com/
Details and Limitations of Study:
The data presented in this study are estimates, and are by no means absolute. A country’s level of relaxation depends above all on individual choices. Nevertheless, the methodology we have used has enabled us to get as close to a conclusive ranking for all the countries for which we have been able to obtain sufficient data.
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By Chelsea Westman
Chelsea is a travel researcher and writer who uncovers industry-shaping trends through data-rich insights. From Europe’s most coveted beaches to air quality impacts on U.S. travel, her reports reveal transformative shifts in global tourism and what these changes mean for today’s travellers.
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The Global Relaxation Index: World’s Most Relaxing Holiday Destinations Ranked
Updated December 18, 2024
Searching for serenity? Forget it—at least in the world’s most popular holiday locations.
According to the latest UN Tourism figures, destinations such as France, Spain, Italy, and Turkey each drew over 55 million visitors.¹ With global travel surging to 96% of pre-pandemic levels in the first seven months of this year, tourism is on track to break new records by 2025.²
The result: these once-peaceful destinations now face unprecedented crowds, urban congestion, rising crime, and growing tension between tourists and locals.
BookRetreats.com’s Holiday Relaxation Report asks a simple question: where can travelers still find genuine peace and quiet?
To answer this, we analyzed 76 destinations through the lens of safety, solitude, serenity, nature, and wellness.
Rankings drew from 9 individual data points, including percentage of protected area, forest coverage, crowd density, noise and light pollution, global peacefulness, and total wellness experiences.
Each destination received a score between 1 and 100 on our Global Relaxation Index, revealing the 25 most relaxing holiday destinations to visit in 2025.
- Australia tops the Global Relaxation Index, offering more calm and fewer crowds—with just 3.4 people per km2—while tourist hotspots like Italy and Mauritius struggle with densities of 198.3 and 626 people per km2 respectively.
- Northern Europe’s rich wellness traditions and safe, quiet environment outrank warm Mediterranean destinations, claiming 6 of the top 10 spots.
- Canada places second for relaxation (North America’s only destination in the top 25).
- Botswana and Namibia put Africa on the map for tranquil travel, overtaking popular destinations such as Greece, Costa Rica, France, and Thailand.
25 Most Relaxing Vacation Destinations
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 a decisive shift: the most relaxing vacations now require heading south, or far north.
Australia leads this change, topping the index at 73.8 out of 100. As the most relaxing vacation spot for 2025, Australia offers what crowded European destinations have lost: space to breathe.
While Italy struggles with tourism overflow, Australia hosts 50 million fewer annual visitors across an area 25 times larger. Adding in locals, this translates to just 3.4 people per km2, compared to 198.3 in Italy and 626 in Mauritius—the most crowded destination in the report.
This pattern of space and tranquility extends across the top performers in the study.
Canada claims second place with 3.9 people per km2, North America’s only destination in the top 25. Iceland, Finland, and New Zealand complete the top five, all sharing a crowd density below 20 people per km2.
Destinations that protect their natural spaces is another important indicator. Australia, New Zealand, Austria (6), and Botswana (11) all preserve nearly 30% of their country, which includes numerous national parks, wetlands, marine areas, and forests.
Interestingly, Botswana and Namibia place in the top 25, outranking traditional favorites for relaxation like Greece, Costa Rica, France, and Thailand.
Both African nations offer vast open spaces averaging less than 5 people per km2. 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.³
However, when it comes to wellness and nature, few places can compete with Japan. The country ranks 15th globally for relaxation, becoming Asia’s most relaxing destination for 2025. Visitors here can explore over 9,000 unique wellness experiences, and forests cover more than half of the country’s land area (66.99%).
While leading destinations balance visitor numbers with plenty of opportunities to escape and relax in pristine nature, countries like India, Turkey, Sri Lanka, and the Philippines 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.
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.
Sean Kelly, Co-founder of BookRetreats.com, comments, “The Global Relaxation Index confirms what many travelers already sense—the places we once visited for peace and quiet have become victims of their own popularity. What’s fascinating is how the map of relaxation has shifted. 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.”
Below is a complete ranking of the world’s most relaxing vacation destinations, including values for individual factors for a better understanding of scores.
Safety
– Peacefulness (Global Peace Index Score, lower = better)
Solitude
– Crowd Density (people per km2 – population and daily tourists)
Serenity
– Noise & Light Pollution (perceived score out of 100, lower = better)
– Traffic (average one-way daily commute in minutes)
– Cities (number of cities with population threshold over 100,000)
Nature
– Protected Area (% of marine and land protected area)
– Forest Coverage (% of forest area)
– Biodiversity (% average of Biodiversity Intactness Index)
Wellness
– Wellness Activities (number of retreats and spa and wellness centers)
1. Australia
Australia is the world’s most relaxing holiday destination, scoring 73.8 on our index. Key to this ranking is the country’s balance of vast natural landscapes and low tourist numbers.
Unlike Europe’s crowded capitals, Australia welcomes 7,190,000 annual visitors alongside its 26,451,100 residents. Spread across its vast area, this holiday destination averages 3.4 people per km2.
Australia is one of the best destinations for nature, too. Protected spaces cover just over a third of the country (33.45%), which includes 704 national parks—the highest number of national parks in our study.
From the ancient Daintree Rainforest to the red expanse of Uluru, these sanctuaries showcase Australia’s raw natural beauty. At the center of these attractions is the Great Barrier Reef, one of the world’s official seven natural wonders, where visitors can drift in pristine waters above coral gardens.
Offering 4,700 wellness experiences, Australia delivers calm in every setting. Travelers can unwind in thermal springs near Melbourne, practice yoga on empty Tasmanian beaches, or retreat to luxury eco-lodges in the quiet of the Outback.
2. Canada
Canada claims second place, North America’s only destination in the top 25.
Nature defines the Canadian travel experience. Home to the world’s largest collection of lakes and the mesmerizing aurora borealis, Canada’s untouched wilderness is the place for peace seekers.
According to the Natural History Museum, Canada—alongside Finland, Sweden, and Norway—have an average Biodiversity Intactness Index (BII) of above 90%, with 90% or more indicating resilient, functioning ecosystems.⁴
The country trumps Australia in wellness experiences, offering 4,724 activities nationwide. From thermal springs nestled in the Rocky Mountains to lake-side silent retreats in Eastern Ontario, Canada combines sprawling spaces with unique opportunities to relax in nature.
Visitors can expect solitude across its expansive 9,966,721 km2 area, which hosts an estimated 3.9 people per km2.
3. Iceland
Iceland is Europe’s most relaxing holiday destination, combining safety, space, and otherworldly wilderness.
Not only does the island have the best peacefulness score globally, but it also leads all destinations for the serenity category in our report.
In between its vast natural landscapes, Iceland has just one major city and several sleepy towns, placing first for low noise and light pollution. These pristine dark skies make it one of the best places to witness the spectacular Northern Lights.
In addition, the destination has one of the lowest populations, offering travelers uncrowded spaces and clear open roads. Icelanders spend an estimated 21.35 minutes in traffic one way, compared to 59.99 minutes in Costa Rica.
For those seeking ultimate relaxation, this Nordic nation is renowned for its wellness experiences. Visitors can float in famous geothermal spas like the Myvatn Nature Baths and Blue Lagoon, or head to Akureyri for a quiet yoga retreat in the mountains.
Yet all these attractions are bringing new challenges to Iceland.
As tourist numbers grow to four times the local population, this remote paradise will need to preserve the serenity that makes it so popular.
4. Finland
Like its Nordic neighbor, Finland demonstrates how wilderness and modern living can coexist, securing fourth place for the best relaxing vacation spots.
The evidence is everywhere: forests blanket 66.4% of the country—second only to Japan—while thousands of lakes snake through the landscape, each offering its own pocket of calm away from the city.
The country ranks second for low noise and light pollution and one-way commutes average just 25.5 minutes, creating an environment where both people and nature can thrive.
Though wellness facilities may be fewer than other top destinations, the natural calm of the country can be seen in every corner of Finnish life.
From morning walks through frost-tipped forests to evening swims in crystal-clear lakes, visitors here get to slow down and unwind away from the packed tourist attractions of bustling cities.
5. New Zealand
In a world of overtourism and endless noise, New Zealand is an oasis of calm, earning fifth place in our report.
Nature rules here. Ancient forests cover nearly 37% of the island, while protected zones blanket almost a third of the country’s mountains, coastlines, and seas.
15 national parks guard everything from mist-shrouded fjords to steaming volcanoes, and more than 200 waterfalls thunder through valleys.
With only 19 people per km2, visitors find twenty times more room than in crowded destinations like the Philippines, where 390 people (per km2) squeeze into a similar-sized space.
While its growing cities show signs of modern pressures, most of the country remains a quiet paradise.
Best Holiday Destinations for Solitude
Mongolia stands apart as the world’s least crowded destination for travelers seeking genuine solitude. While France receives 100 million tourists annually and Spain finds room for 85 million, Mongolia hosts just 590,000 visitors.
This low number, combined with Mongolia’s vast territory and low population, equates to an estimated 2.19 people per km2.
Here, travelers regularly find themselves with entire valleys, mountains, and desert landscapes to themselves, sharing the space only with nomadic families and free-roaming horses.
Australia, Namibia, Iceland, and Canada are also among the best vacation spots for solitude.
Best Holiday Destinations for Quiet
Iceland is the best place for quiet holidays.
The country is home to only one city, scoring top marks for low noise and light pollution, as well as traffic congestion.
Beyond Reykjavรญk in the southwest, Iceland opens into vast stretches of untamed terrain where glaciers meet black sand beaches and geothermal springs bubble in volcanic landscapes.
This environment blended with mindful modern living provides genuine opportunities for stillness that few other destinations can match.
Montenegro places second, followed by Botswana, Estonia, and Finland.
Best Holiday Destinations for Nature
Brazil is the leading destination for natural beauty. This vast country preserves its natural heritage: 3,780 designated protected areas cover close to 30% of the nation, from pristine rainforests to vast indigenous reserves.
In addition, forests blanket nearly 60% of Brazil, offering travelers endless trails to explore.
Some of the most remarkable natural attractions here include the Amazon Rainforest, home to the world’s richest biodiversity, and Iguazu Falls, where 275 waterfalls combine to create one of Earth’s most spectacular water displays.
However, a BII of below 90% does indicate struggling ecosystems in need of greater protection from human impact.
Finland, Sweden, and Zimbabwe complete the top spots in this category. Each offers its own distinct natural attractions, from pristine Nordic lakes to untamed African savannas.
Best Holiday Destinations for Safety
Boasting the best GPI, Iceland is the most peaceful country in the world. Since 2008, the island has set the standard for societal safety and security, as well as global and domestic peacekeeping.³
Whether in its calm streets, remote highlands, or among its coastal villages, visitors can enjoy a level of safety unlike anywhere else.
Ireland, Austria, New Zealand, and Switzerland are also top destinations for those seeking safe vacations.
Best Holiday Destinations for Wellness
The United States dominates the global wellness scene with over 10,000 experiences for visitors seeking restoration and rejuvenation in 2025.
The country’s diverse landscapes create distinct wellness experiences: thermal springs wind through the Colorado River region, wellness centers nestle in Utah’s red rock country, and beach retreats dot shorelines.
Japan follows in second place, blending ancient tradition with modern wellness trends.
The country’s network of onsen (hot springs) and established healing practices like reiki offer visitors authentic therapeutic experiences in settings from remote mountain villages to vibrant cultural capitals.
Looking Ahead
As familiar destinations struggle with overwhelming crowds, the world’s most relaxing destinations now lie in unexpected corners of the world.
Looking ahead to 2025 and beyond, the future of relaxation travel belongs to places that actively preserve their tranquility.
These places offer what travelers are desperately searching for in a modern world: space to breathe, room to explore, and the chance to connect deeply with both nature and culture.
Methodology
To determine the world’s most relaxing holiday destinations, BookRetreats.com compared 76 countries across five key dimensions: safety, solitude, serenity, nature, and wellness.
We evaluated these dimensions using nine individual metrics, which are listed with their corresponding weights below.
Through min-max and logarithmic normalization, we determined each country’s weighted average across all metrics to calculate its overall score. We then used the resulting scores to rank-order our destinations.
Each destination was graded on a 100 point scale, with scores closest to 100 representing greater relaxation.
The final index score combines nine weighted metrics across five categories:
- Safety (25 points)
- Peacefulness (Global Peace Index 2024)
Note: The GPI is based on 23 qualitative and quantitative indicators that measure the state of peace across three domains: the level of Societal Safety and Security; the extent of Ongoing Domestic and International Conflict; and the degree of Militarization.
- Peacefulness (Global Peace Index 2024)
- Solitude (20 points)
- Crowd Density: people per km2, combining population (World Population Review) and daily tourist arrivals (UN Tourism) over total land area
Note: This is an approximation of crowdedness, as population and tourists are not evenly distributed across land areas and tourist numbers fluctuate seasonally.
- Crowd Density: people per km2, combining population (World Population Review) and daily tourist arrivals (UN Tourism) over total land area
- Serenity (20 points)
- Noise & Light Pollution: perceived score out of 100 (Numbeo)
- Traffic: average one-way daily commute in minutes (Numbeo)
- Cities: includes cities with a population threshold over 100,000 (World Population Review)
Note: Numbeo scores are based on perceptions of visitors. We chose to use these on-the-ground figures to provide invaluable insight into the reality of what travelers experience in a given country.
- Nature (20 points)
- Protected Areas: percentage of protected land and marine area (Protected Planet)
- Forest Coverage (Our World in Data, 2020)
- Biodiversity: Biodiversity Intactness Index score (Natural History Museum, 2024)
Note: To obtain each country’s Biodiversity Intactness Index score in 2024, BII values from the PREDICTS database for each related scenario were averaged to determine one annual score.
- Wellness (15 points)
- Wellness Activities: number of retreats and spa and wellness centers (BookRetreats.com, TripAdvisor)
Sources:
The BookRetreats Holiday Relaxation Report draws from the latest available data collected as of November 13, 2024 from the following sources:
- UN Tourism. (2024). Tourism Data Dashboard: Inbound Tourism, Tourism Arrivals. Retrieved from https://www.unwto.org/tourism-data/global-and-regional-tourism-performance
- UN Tourism. (2024). UN Tourism World Tourism Barometer. Retrieved from: https://www.unwto.org/un-tourism-world-tourism-barometer-data
- Institute for Economics & Peace. (2024, June). Global Peace Index 2024: Measuring Peace in a Complex World. Retrieved from http://visionofhumanity.org/resources
- Phillips, H., De Palma, A., Gonzalez, R. E., Contu, S., et al. (2021). The Biodiversity Intactness Index – country, region and global-level summaries for the year 1970 to 2050 under various scenarios [Data set]. Natural History Museum. Retrieved from https://data.nhm.ac.uk/dataset/bii-bte/resource/2876792f-98d9-4a8d-beee-7dc3e572e2b1
- BookRetreats. (2024). Retreats & Trainings. Retrieved from BookRetreats.com
- Numbeo. (2024). Pollution Index. Retrieved from https://www.numbeo.com/pollution/
- Numbeo. (2024). Traffic Index. Retrieved from https://www.numbeo.com/traffic/
- Ritchie, H. (2021). 2020 Forest area. Our World in Data. Retrieved from https://ourworldindata.org/forest-area
- Seven Natural Wonders. (2024). Official Record. Retrieved from https://sevennaturalwonders.org/
- TripAdvisor. (2024). Spa & Wellness Centers. Retrieved from TripAdvisor.com
- UNEP-WCMC & IUCN. (2024). The World Database on Protected Areas. Protected Planet. Retrieved from https://www.protectedplanet.net/
- World Population Review. (2024). Most Cities by Country 2024. Retrieved from https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/most-cities-by-country
- World Population Review. (2024). 2023 Population Data. World Population by Country 2024. Retrieved from https://worldpopulationreview.com/
Details and Limitations of Study:
The data presented in this study are estimates, and are by no means absolute. A country’s level of relaxation depends above all on individual choices. Nevertheless, the methodology we have used has enabled us to get as close to a conclusive ranking for all the countries for which we have been able to obtain sufficient data.
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Chelsea is a travel researcher and writer who uncovers industry-shaping trends through data-rich insights. From Europe’s most coveted beaches to air quality impacts on U.S. travel, her reports reveal transformative shifts in global tourism and what these changes mean for today’s travellers.
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