Global travel authority Lonely Planet has unveiled its top destinations for 2023, with Manchester and Southern Scotland making the list of 30 must-visit locations.

Manchester - Best in Travel 2023

Manchester is the only UK city to feature and Southern Scotland, which covers the Scottish Borders and Dumfries & Galloway, is the only UK region to make the annual list. 

Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel 2023 draws on expert local perspectives with the aim of helping travellers to discover a destination in the way most meaningful to them. Southern Scotland and Manchester have been named in the Learn category, alongside New Mexico, Dresden, El Salvador and Marseille.

Abbotsford in Southern Scotland was home to 19th century novelist Sir Walter Scott

Southern Scotland’s history and culture make it the ideal place for delving into the past, to learn more about iconic figures such as Robert Burns and Sir Walter Scott, while Lonely Planet highlights Manchester’s dynamic arts scene and describe it as a place that has ‘grown in both size and renown in recent years, metamorphosing into a brilliantly creative, proudly musical, and gastronomically diverse hub’.

Manchester is famous for its soccer teams

Each year, Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel 2023 lists start with nominations from Lonely Planet’s vast community of staff, writers, bloggers, publishing partners and more. The nominations are whittled down by its panel of travel experts to just 30 destinations. Each is chosen for its topicality, unique experiences, ‘wow’ factor and its ongoing commitment to sustainability, community, and diversity.

Tom Hall, Vice President at Lonely Planet, said: “2023 is shaping up to be the year to get out and explore. With much of the world firmly on the road to recovery, travellers are looking for different locations and experiences.

“The list celebrates the world in all its wonderful enticing variety. Each of the itineraries in Lonely Planet's Best in Travel 2023 shows how to leave the crowds behind and truly get the heart of a destination.” 

Historic Melrose Abbey in the Scottish Borders

Responding to Southern Scotland’s inclusion, Scottish Tourism Minister Ivan McKee said: “Scotland is one of the world’s most iconic destinations with diverse and varied regions to be explored. The inclusion of the South of Scotland in Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel 2023, only highlights this rich diversity.  

“This recognition will put the South of Scotland on the map for more foreign and domestic visitors and encourage them to stay longer and spend more as they sustainably explore and discover the region’s historical, cultural and natural attractions.”    

Sheona Southern, Managing Director of Marketing Manchester, added: “This accolade comes ahead of an exciting year for Greater Manchester’s visitor attractions with major world-class openings coming to the city in fantastic culture, new music venues to bring in fans, beautiful green spaces, alongside a growing global reputation for outstanding food and drink, vibrant places to stay, and unique neighbourhoods to explore.

"We will be making the most of Lonely Planet’s accolade to encourage international visitors to come and see Greater Manchester and find out what makes it special for themselves.”

The popular Castlefield area of Manchester with its canals

Lonely Planet says of Manchester: 'Along with being an accessibility-friendly destination that’s also doing a lot for sustainability, Manchester has some exciting things happening in 2023. The Manchester Museum is getting a major renovation, the Manchester Jewish Museum is expanding, the Factory International arts space is set to open and the historic Castlefield Viaduct is being transformed into a green walking trail.'

Lonely Planet’s accolade for Southern Scotland cites 'the new Lumo train offering low-price competition between London and Edinburgh', which makes accessing Scotland 'a fast, affordable breeze'. Instead of heading to the Highlands, Lonely Planet recommends 'heading for the Borders and other areas of Southern Scotland to learn more about the country’s history and famous residents like writer Robert Burns.'

If you or your group would like to enjoy a tailor-made tour of Southern Scotland or an action-packed visit to Manchester, please do contact our friendly team today.

To read more about Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel 2023 list, click here.