Making a list of the best places to visit in the world, in any given year, is a reminder of the most beautiful paradox of travel: that our planet can seem intimately small and incredibly vast at the same time. Packed with more wonders than you can fit into a lifetime, but increasingly connected, the places to travel to in the world are endless. Which is exactly what makes curating this list not only a great joy but also a challenge.
Our best places to visit in 2026 are based on that same sense of magnitude. There are places that are already familiar and yet are being imbued with new life, such as Hong Kong, which has an exciting new cultural center of gravity, and the 16th-century lake city of Udaipur, where a wave of luxury hotel openings is ushering in a new era. There are also under-the-radar gems stepping into the spotlight, like Canada’s Prince Edward Island, where a wave of independent wineries, new restaurants and boutique hotels is redefining the coastal escape, and Fez, Marrakech’s low-key sister, which will shine with the historic reopening of its medina after a remarkable 15-year restoration.
Honestly, even after 12 years of identifying the destinations we’re most excited about for this annual list, we were as shocked as you when we stumbled upon something totally unexpected. In Bolivia, vast expanses of glistening salt flats have long been a draw, but head to the Potosí region and you’ll find a geological bonanza of lagoons, hot springs and snow-capped volcanoes. And if Rwanda’s primates have captured your imagination, what about Gabon, where new eco-lodges are opening up access to pristine forests that are home to western lowland gorillas and expansive savannahs? But perhaps few places on Earth are as evocative of the immensity of life as Uluru, the enormous sandstone monolith rising from the heart of Australia’s outback. As the region celebrates the 40th anniversary of a historic giveback programme, a new chapter of purpose-driven tourism is evolving. In 2026, visitors, guided by Aṉangu storytellers, will be able to travel along a 33-mile trail and then spend the night in luxurious glamping camps, where the desert sky unfolds like an ancient manuscript, perfect for reflecting on our place in the history of the ever-developing universe.
This list is for travelers and dreamers alike. Use it, along with complementary lists for six continents, to boost your travel plans or simply satisfy your sense of wonder. Over the next year, our global team of editors will be exploring many of these places, and we’re eager to share the stories we discover on the ground and maybe even cross paths with some of you along the way. —Arati Menon
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