Looking for travel inspiration for 2025 and beyond?

Look no further: CNBC asked 10 travel agents for their recommendations of the most underhyped destinations in the world. We compiled their written answers below, including can’t-miss activities for each locale and the best times of year to visit.

You’ll also find average round-trip airfare from U.S. airports. The data, provided by travel app Hopper, is based on average fares that were available to book from Jan. 15 to Jan. 22. Prices are for May-July 2025, when most Americans plan to take their longer vacations, Hopper said.

Travelers should aim to book over the next few weeks to score the best prices, it said.

Can’t-miss: “Mashpi Lodge offers an activity called the Dragon Fly — it is up to an hour ride in an open air cable car (seating only for four guests at a time and a naturalist) where you soar over the tree canopy. You hear nothing but the wind and bird calls and the distant crash of waterfalls 500 feet below you. The butterflies are like confetti.”

Best time to go: “Temperatures are pretty consistent throughout the year, but the main difference is rainy vs. dry season. Be prepared and either way, hiking in the cloud and rain forest will always be an adventure.”

Average flight price: $588 to Quito, Ecuador

Can’t-miss: “Two of the many must-see attractions are the iconic Elbphilharmonie and the unique Miniatur Wunderland. Advance tickets are highly recommended for both.”

Best time to go: “Hamburg is truly a destination for all seasons, however I particularly enjoyed a recent visit in the fall. The weather was perfect and it was wonderful to stroll along the lake, canals and to explore several neighborhoods on foot.”

Average flight price: $1,090

Why to visit: “The Nordics offer a great variety of destinations and activities, from the bustling nightlife and modern hotels of the cities, to rural pastimes like dog sledding and gazing up at the amazing northern lights. Classic Nordic activities like saunas and cold plunges share the stage with farm-to-table culinary extravaganzas. And the dollar is very strong right now, so you’ll get your money’s worth on some of the best seafood you’ll ever eat.”

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Can’t-miss: “Sweden’s capital and largest city, Stockholm, is known for a great museum scene with some truly unique attractions. The ABBA museum is a must-see for music lovers, while the Viking Museum and Vasa Museum, which houses a salvaged 17th century ship, pay tribute to Sweden’s history. And no visit would be complete without a stop at the Spiritmuseum, which celebrates Sweden’s drinking culture.”

Best time to go: “The Nordics offer something unique no matter what time of year you visit. Long summer days give way to amazing fall foliage, followed by Christmas markets and ice hotels during the wintertime, and lovely island-hopping adventures in spring. Stockholm’s cherry-blossom trees bloom in mid- to late-April, with a gorgeous display that rivals more well-known (and crowded) spots like Washington, D.C. and Kyoto.”

Average flight price:

• Copenhagen: $769
• Helsinki: $890
• Oslo: $826
• Stockholm: $801

Why to visit: “Tunisia is home to some of the world’s most well-preserved Roman ruins, including the iconic El Jem Amphitheatre, a UNESCO World Heritage site that rivals Rome’s Colosseum in grandeur. Carthage, once a powerful city-state, showcases the remnants of an ancient civilization that shaped Mediterranean history.

“From the rolling dunes of the Sahara Desert to the pristine beaches of Hammamet, Sussa and Djerba, the country offers a variety of settings for adventure and relaxation. Matmata’s troglodyte homes, famously featured in Star Wars films, add a touch of cinematic wonder to the experience.”

“Tunisia’s cuisine is a highlight that captivates food lovers. With its bold flavors and Mediterranean influences, dishes like brik (a savory pastry), couscous and harissa-infused stews offer an authentic taste of the region. The country’s burgeoning wine industry adds to its allure.”

Can’t-miss: “Sidi Bou Said, with its white-washed houses and blue doors; and Carthage.”

Best time to go: “Tunisia is great to visit year-round”:

• Spring (March-May): “Warm, ideal for exploring ruins and nature.”
• Summer (June-August): “Hot, perfect for beaches but avoid inland heat.”
• Autumn (September-November): “Mild, great for both beaches and culture.”
• Winter (December-February): “Cool, best for the Sahara and fewer crowds.” 

Average flight price: $1,360 to Tunis

“Perth is your starting point and known as one of the most isolated cities in the world. There is world-class wine further south in Margaret River. The coast is filled with some of the most beautiful beaches in the world, such as Monkey Mia and Ningaloo Reef, which also are teeming with amazing marine life. The Kimberleys are wild, rugged and unique.”

Can’t-miss: “Ningaloo Reef. Forget the crowds of the Great Barrier Reef out of Cairns — imagine a pristine reef with no crowds. You can also swim with whale sharks here March to August. The luxury glamping experience at Sal Salis is a unique experience.”

When to go: “April to September. This is the sweet spot, their ‘winter.’ The temperatures are mild, however still much warmer than our northern hemisphere winter. And it would allow you to travel further north to the Kimberleys — outside of their wet season and before it heats up again from October on.”

Average flight price:

• Perth: $2,043
• Broome: $3,094

If you’re a renter, the market may be shifting in your favor.

As of December, the median asking rent price in the U.S. was $1,695, down 0.5% — or $8 — from November, according to a new report by Realtor.com.

The latest rent price is 1.1% lower — or $18 — from a year before, and down 3.7% from peak highs in July 2022.

Rental affordability is improving in part because of a “construction boom” of new apartment buildings during the pandemic, according to Daryl Fairweather, chief economist at Redfin.

“There are still units coming online now from projects that were started back in 2021, 2022,” she said.

With more new units available, some property managers are considering lowering their asking prices to attract tenants, experts say.

This means renters should have more negotiating power when it comes to the terms of their leases, Fairweather explained.

“We’re calling it a renter’s market. We think that’s going to continue for the next year,” she said.

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To be sure, the volume of newly built apartments is concentrated in some areas more than others, making rent prices decline faster in certain parts of the country.

By way of example, Austin, Texas, where the median rent is $1,394 as of December, saw some of the highest levels of multifamily housing construction over the past few years, according to Redfin. That figure is down from $1,482 in August when the median price fell 17.6% from a year prior.

Rents in Austin are likely to continue to fall as supply grows and demand balances itself out, experts say.

What you’re able to leverage as a renter will depend on what’s happening in your current market or where you plan to live.

Here are three key steps to consider if you’re on the rental market this year: 

Fees for amenities like a parking garage, a shared community space, an on-site fitness center or bike storage can range from $30 a month for basic offerings or one-time charges of $200 to $500, according to Apartment List.

If you see ads where other properties are calling out concessions like waived parking costs or reduced fees for an amenity, see if your landlord is willing to match that.

The first Social Security benefit checks for 2025 include a 2.5% increase — the lowest annual cost-of-living adjustment since 2021.

For retirees, that amounts to an increase of about $50 per month, on average, according to the Social Security Administration.

Still, amid stubborn inflation and persistent elevated costs for everyday items, some retirees may feel that the increase is not enough.

“I think overall folks are glad to see the raise,” said Jim Blair, founder at NSSA Professionals and a former Social Security administrator. “It’s not necessarily keeping up with everything, but it’s better than nothing.”

The latest government inflation data shows the measure used to calculate the annual Social Security COLA — the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers, or CPI-W — was up 2.8% over the last 12 months as of December.

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Another measure used by the Federal Reserve to gauge long-run inflation — core inflation excluding food and energy under the personal consumption expenditures price index — was up 2.8% in December, according to data released on Friday.

For retirees who would like to see bigger Social Security benefit checks, there are a couple of strategies they may consider trying, Blair said.

Social Security beneficiaries may have up to 22% of their benefits withheld for taxes.

“If you’re struggling a little bit, particularly if you’re not in too high of a tax bracket, you can always adjust that,” Blair said.

If you’ve been getting refunds, reducing how much you have withheld will allow you to access those funds sooner, though you will get back less during next year’s tax filing season, Blair said.

But there may be a risk you may owe money at tax time next year, depending on your personal circumstances, he said.

Beneficiaries can adjust the tax withholdings on their benefits by filing Form W-4V with the Social Security Administration.

In 2025, that standard monthly premium is $185 per month.

But higher-income retirees pay more for what’s known as an income-related monthly adjustment amount, or IRMAA.

That also applies to monthly premiums for Medicare Part D prescription drug plans, which have average estimated monthly premiums of $46.50 in 2025.

The premiums are based on income tax filings from two years prior. If you’ve since had a life changing event that has prompted your income to go down — such as if you’ve retired, sold an income-producing business or survived the death of a spouse — you can apply to have your Medicare withholdings adjusted.

To do that, complete Form SSA-44 and submit it to the Social Security Administration.