The places you can (and can’t) visit in 2024

01.06.24

This week in travel news: a 30-hour train trip has become a hot ticket, a "time traveling" flight didn't work out as planned and one of Africa's coolest countries just got easier to visit.

By Lilit Marcus

🗓️ We start our 2024 journey …

Amasra, Turkey. (Xantana/iStockphoto/Getty Images)

Welcome to 2024! The world rang in the New Year, and CNN was there. From Copacabana Beach to Times Square, fireworks and champagne glass clinks echoed around the world.

The beginning of a new year is a good time to make resolutions. If one of yours is to travel more, we can help: Get some inspiration from CNN Travel's roundup of 24 places to visit in 2024. Whether you're looking for a gorgeous island getaway or a buzzy food capital, there's something on this list for everyone.

On the other hand, you can eliminate some spots from your 2024 travel itinerary by checking out our list of places that will be closed permanently or temporarily in the year to come. Major museums such as the Smithsonian Castle and the Pergamon will be going through upgrades and renovations, but it's not all bad news: Notre Dame is scheduled to reopen in Paris by the end of the year.

No matter where you decide to go this year, our partners at CNN Underscored, a product reviews and recommendations guide owned by CNN, have tried and tested all the best travel adapters to make sure you're always charged on the road.

🚆 All aboard the Dogu Express

You probably know about the historic Orient Express linking Paris and Istanbul. But now the lesser-known Dogu Express (or Eastern Express in English) is helping make Turkey one of the world's leading rail destinations.

The 30-plus hours sleeper train runs from bustling capital Ankara to the sometimes snowy wonderland of Kars. Tickets are notoriously hard to come by and can often sell out within minutes. Find out why it's so popular in Turkey.

✈️ Blue year's eve

"Time travel is real," reads the Instagram post promoting a special New Year's Eve flight.

United Airlines flight 200 was slated to depart Guam at 7:35 a.m. on January 1, 2024, and land in Honolulu, Hawaii, at 6:50 p.m. on December 31, 2023, crossing the international date line and giving passengers a one-of-a-kind chance to ring in the new year twice.

Unfortunately, not everything went according to plan. Because of delays, UA 200 ultimately left Guam at 1:49 p.m. on January 1, and landed in Honolulu at 12:34 a.m. January 1, just missing out on the double celebration.

There were other travelers who had better luck, though. Cathay Pacific's flight CX872 left Hong Kong just past 1 a.m. on January 1 and arrived in San Francisco at 8:22 p.m. the previous evening.

🦓 Next stop: Africa

Zebra graze with Nairobi skyline in background (Shutterstock file photo)

Kenya's president has announced plans to drop the country's visa requirements for travelers and switch to an online travel authorization instead.

Now that it'll be easier than ever to visit this African jewel, what should you do when you get there?

In capital Nairobi, known as the "Green City in the Sun," try a "camel-ccino," visit the Karen Blixen (aka Isak Dinesen) Museum and dance the night away at one of the city's famed discos.

Tourists from around the world come to Kenya to go on safari and see some of the world's most magnificent animals up close. At Vipingo, the only PGA-accredited golf course on the continent of Africa, giraffes roam the course alongside the putters.

British photographer Felix Rome, who spent the pandemic being one of the only "tourists" in Kenya, has some tips for taking incredible wildlife photos.

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👀 In case you missed it

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He ended up in Puerto Rico instead.

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Get tips on making it from a top Beijing chef.

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It's purr-fect, of course.

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