#1 Amsterdam

Amsterdam

Amsterdam has always been a wonderful travel destination, but in 2013 the city is celebrating the 400-year anniversary of its famous canal ring as well as the 125^th birthday of the Concertgebouw, Amsterdam’s iconic concert hall, which will celebrate with a series of world-class performances. This year will also see the reopening of three of Amsterdam’s most beloved museums: the Van GoghMuseum, the Rijksmuseum (arts and history) and the Stedelijk(design and contemporary art). The Rijksmuseum and the Stedelijkhave been closed since 2003 and 2004 respectively, and Amsterdam is greeting their return with great fanfare.

#2 Singapore

Singapore

The Republic of Singapore, a city-state of 63 islands that lie between Malaysia and Indonesia, is one of the world’s richest nations and acenter of global finance. Even though concrete, glass and steel have all but obliterated Singapore’s native rainforests, the small nation is earning a reputation as an emerging destination for environmental tourism. A study released in 2011 by The Economist and Siemens named Singapore the greenest city in Asia, and in 2013 Singapore is opening two major new ecological attractions. The first is the Gardens by the Bay, a diverse nature park that covers 250 acres of reclaimed land and won the building-of-the-year prize at the World Architecture Festival in 2012. The second is the new Marine Life Park, the world’s largest oceanarium, which features an aquarium with 49 different habitats and more than 800 species of marine life as well as a huge water park with six water slides and the 2,000-foot-long Adventure River.

#3 Ireland

Ireland

The Emerald Isle is hoping to attract a different kind of green this year when The Gathering, a yearlong family reunion for the 70 million people worldwide who claim Irish ancestry, is expected to bring millions of tourists to Ireland.

Video: Guinness brewery factory tour

The Gathering will include clan rendezvous, festivals, cultural events, musical performances and a host of other celebrations nationwide from January through December. While touring their ancestral home, these far-flung sons and daughters of the Old Sod will have ample time to visit some of Ireland’s many attractions, from the enchanted Aran Islands to the breathtaking Cliffs of Moher.

#4 Istanbul, Turkey

Istanbul, Turkey

With all the interesting places in the world, choosing a vacation spot is never easy. Here are 20 great travel destinations—and why you should go there in 2013.

Istanbul is often cited as one of the world’s most beautiful and romantic cities. If that’s not reason enough for you to set your travel sights on Turkey this year, 2013 also marks the 90th anniversary of the founding of the Turkish Republic. The anniversary will feature many cultural events and celebrations, including the reopening of theAtaturk Cultural Center, home of Istanbul’s state ballet, opera and orchestra, and this fall Istanbul will host its internationally famous Biennial, a citywide contemporary art exhibition that takes place every two years. Other special attractions in Istanbul include a lively café scene, Nobel laureate Orhan Pamuk’s new Museum of Innocence, a museum based on his novel of the same name, and SALT, a word-renowned cultural institution. Getting to Istanbul also became easier this year, when Turkey became part of the Eurail system.