Not booked your 2026 trip but? Get shifting, because the must-visit locations lists for subsequent yr are beginning to drop.
The venerable journey information Lonely Planet printed its “Best in Travel 2026” ebook on Oct. 21, that includes a listing of 25 nice locations and 25 nice experiences to check out within the yr forward. It’s accompanied by a set of distinctive itineraries curated on the brand new Lonely Planet Journeys travel-planning service.
CNN Journey caught up with Nitya Chambers, Lonely Planet’s govt editor and senior vp of content material, to seek out out what made the lower and why.
Finest locations
Considered one of Chambers’ favourite picks on this yr’s listing? Brazil’s “Little Japan,” in any other case often called the São Paolo neighborhood of Liberdade.
“Brazil has the largest Japanese community outside of Japan; 2 million claim connection to Japanese descent in Brazil,” she says. Liberdade was “really full of surprises. The anime-inspired street art, the oriental garden. It’s rumored to have the best ramen outside of Tokyo, although I’m sure that’s always a heated debate.”
One other city decide is Mexico Metropolis. Chambers “cannot say enough great things about it. History, food, culture, art! And it was walkable. It was incredible.” The bougainvillea-strewn neighborhoods of Coyoacán, La Roma and La Condesa all get a shout-out from Lonely Planet this yr.
The US choices on the locations listing are Theodore Roosevelt Nationwide Park in North Dakota – additionally featured on Nationwide Geographic’s Better of the World listing for 2026 – and Maine.
“Maine has such a unique culture in the United States,” says Chambers. “So coastal, so much hiking in nature. The beauty there is really distinctive and the (four) national parks there are amazing.”
A forest hike within the springtime is really useful, and don’t miss the heron rookeries; the colonies can assist as much as 500 birds.
Over on the western edges of Europe, Tipperary is a “truly a hidden gem,” she says. It’s Eire’s largest inland county and “a lot of folks just pass through on their way to the Wild Atlantic Way (coastal trail). But I think Tipperary really has one of the most beautiful and underrated driving routes.”
And in Asia, the island of Phuket is finest recognized for its “tropical honeymoon, romantic vibe,” however extra folks are actually discovering it as a work-and-travel spot for digital nomads.
“People are reimagining the way their days and weeks and months look relative to what they do for a living,” says Chambers, and this Thai vacation spot’s seashores, jungles and breezy coastal life-style are hitting the spot.
Additionally on Lonely Planet’s listing of locations to go to in 2026: Botswana; Peru; Jeju-do, South Korea; Ikara-Flinders Ranges and Outback, South Australia; Cádiz, Spain; Sardinia, Italy; Tunisia; Barbados, Caribbean; Solomon Islands; Réunion; Quezteltenango (Xela), Guatemala; Jaffna, Sri Lanka; Utrecht, Netherlands; Cartagena, Colombia; Finland; Quy Nho’n, Vietnam; British Columbia, Canada; Siem Reap, Cambodia.
Enjoyable occasions and feasting
The Finest in Journey lists 25 experiences to get pleasure from subsequent yr, together with meals excursions in Previous Dubai and in Kerala, India.
Chambers’ grandparents hail from Kerala and she or he says “it’s a real spotlight on the regional food scene, which is rooted in fresh local ingredients. There’s a real history in the locally grown spices: pepper, cardamom, turmeric. Because it’s on the southwest coast, it’s been influenced by trade over centuries and centuries. It’s a really unique cuisine.”
Theodore Roosevelt Nationwide Park in North Dakota was named to Lonely Planet’s listing of locations to go to in 2026. (Gary Anderson/NPS/TNS)
APPALACHIANVIEWS / GETTY IMAGES
Maine was named to Lonely Planet’s listing of locations to go to in 2026. Among the many sights: Bass Harbor in Acadia Nationwide Park.
Mexico Metropolis was named to Lonely Planet’s listing of locations to go to in 2026. Among the many sights: the Basilica of Guadalupe.
Phuket was named to Lonely Planet’s listing of locations to go to in 2026. (Photograph by Lauren DeCicca/Getty Photographs)
Phuket was named to Lonely Planet’s listing of locations to go to in 2026. (Photograph by CHANAKARN LAOSARAKHAM/AFP by way of Getty Photographs)
Cameron Spencer/Getty Photographs
Botswana was named to Lonely Planet’s listing of locations to go to in 2026. Among the many sights: the Mashatu recreation reserve in Mapungubwe.
Peru was named to Lonely Planet’s listing of locations to go to in 2026. Among the many websites: The majestic Huayna Picchu towers over the traditional ruins of Machu Picchu. (Colleen Thomas/TNS)
Jeju-do in South Korea was named to Lonely Planet’s listing of locations to go to in 2026. Among the many websites: Seonimgyo Bridge over Cheonjeyeon Waterfall has seven nymphs carved on either side. (Photograph: Getty photographs)
Sardinia in Italy was named to Lonely Planet’s listing of locations to go to in 2026. (Getty Photographs)
Barbados was named to Lonely Planet’s listing of locations to go to in 2026. (Jewel Samad/AFP by way of Getty Photographs)
Utrecht, Netherlands, was named to Lonely Planet’s listing of locations to go to in 2026. (AP Photograph/Aleksandar Furtula)
Finland was named to Lonely Planet’s listing of locations to go to in 2026. Among the many websites: the northern lights in Lapland. (Irene Stachon/AP)
British Columbia was named to Lonely Planet’s listing of locations to go to in 2026. Among the many websites: The Peak 2 Peak aerial tram at Whistler. (Thinkstock)
Siem Reap, Cambodia, was named to Lonely Planet’s listing of locations to go to in 2026. Among the many websites: the Angkor Wat temple. (AP Photograph/Heng Sinith, File)
Kerala, India, was named to Lonely Planet’s listing of locations to go to in 2026. Among the many websites: Tea plantations and Muthirappuzhayar River within the hills close to Munnar. (AP Photograph/Heng Sinith, File)
Melbourne, Australia, was named to Lonely Planet’s listing of locations to go to in 2026. (Onfokus/iStock Unreleased/Getty Photographs)
Grenada was named to Lonely Planet’s listing of locations to go to in 2026. Among the many websites: Sandy Island, Carriacou
Belgrade, Serbia, was named to Lonely Planet’s listing of locations to go to in 2026. Among the many websites: the town’s musical fountain. (AP Photograph/Darko Vojinovic)
A Japanese ryokan was named to Lonely Planet’s listing of must-try experiences in 2026. This one is is nestled between Mount Yufu and the rice fields of Oita. (Hoshino Resorts)
Kruger Nationwide Park in South Africa was named to Lonely Planet’s listing of locations to go to in 2026. (Photograph by XAVIER DUVOT/Hans Lucas/AFP by way of Getty Photographs)
(Photograph by XAVIER DUVOT/Hans Lucas/AFP by way of Getty Photographs)
Kruger Nationwide Park in South Africa was named to Lonely Planet’s listing of locations to go to in 2026.
Kruger Nationwide Park in South Africa was named to Lonely Planet’s listing of locations to go to in 2026. (Photograph by XAVIER DUVOT/Hans Lucas/AFP by way of Getty Photographs)
Hawaii Volcanoes Nationwide Park was named to Lonely Planet’s listing of locations to go to in 2026. (Janice Wei by way of AP, File)
Fast-rafting the Colorado River within the Grand Canyon was named to Lonely Planet’s listing of must-try experiences in 2026. (AP Photograph/Brian Witte, File)
The Azores was named to Lonely Planet’s listing of locations to go to in 2026. (Getty Photographs)
Namibia was named to Lonely Planet’s listing of locations to go to in 2026. (Thinkstock)
Attending a Premier League soccer recreation in England was named to Lonely Planet’s listing of must-try experiences in 2026. Right here, Chris Wooden of Nottingham Forest (proper) and Manchester Metropolis’s Ruben Dias vie for the ball throughout a recreation in Nottingham. (AP Photograph/Brian Witte, File)
Present Caption
1 of 27
Theodore Roosevelt Nationwide Park in North Dakota was named to Lonely Planet’s listing of locations to go to in 2026. (Gary Anderson/NPS/TNS)
Broaden
The colourful meals scene in Melbourne, Australia, is one other of this yr’s picks. With delicacies impressed by Asian, African and Mediterranean influences, it’s “eclectic, energetic and experimental,” says Lonely Planet.
Willamette Wine Nation in Oregon is the advice for grape fanatics in 2026. The “beautiful and accessible” vineyards are stated to come back with a shortage of holiday makers and an abundance of chill. We’ll say “cheers” to that.
Grenada is the place to celebration within the Caribbean subsequent yr, says Lonely Planet, with Spicemas in August the largest celebration of all. Greater than 20,000 folks arrive on the island for the late-summer extravaganza, so plan forward.
The legendary nightlife scene in Belgrade, Serbia, is the advice for celebration animals in Europe. It’s “raw, electric and unapologetically wild,” the writer says.
Uncommon stays
Spending the night time in a Japanese ryokan is certainly one of Chambers’ “personal favorites on the experiences list.” The normal journey inns provide “a glimpse of traditional Japanese interiors, gourmet cuisine and hot-spring culture. They are built for relaxation, harkening back to a slower, more analog time,” says Lonely Planet.
Kruger Nationwide Park in South Africa was named to Lonely Planet’s listing of locations to go to in 2026. (Photograph by XAVIER DUVOT/Hans Lucas/AFP by way of Getty Photographs)
Staying in a practice carriage in South Africa’s Kruger Nationwide Park is the opposite distinctive model of lodging highlighted within the 2026 experiences listing. Kruger Shalati: The Practice on the Bridge is a lodge on certainly one of Africa’s largest recreation reserves, the place company can mix luxurious residing with wildlife-spotting.
Additionally on the listing for 2026: Keep at Hawaii’s Volcano Home in Volcanoes Nationwide Park.
Journey
Fast-rafting the Colorado River within the Grand Canyon is a “bucket list, once in a lifetime” expertise, says Chambers. “A typical travel itinerary has no place here; you are adapting to the canyon. You wake up, you read the water, you work with the flow.” Free out of your on-line gadgets, it’s an opportunity to actually be within the second.
Stargazing in Wairarapa, New Zealand/Aotearoa is one other really useful method to join with the weather subsequent yr. “The sky has been there forever, but it is also having a moment!” says Chambers. “Dark Skies are gaining traction as more destinations and parks are earning recognition for ability to view the galaxy.”
Additionally on the listing for 2026: Climbing and wild tenting in Tajikistan; exploring the Bathing Path in Victoria, Australia; cruising the Mekong River in Vietnam and Cambodia; sightseeing by bike within the Philippines’ Batanes Islands.
Animals
Sightings of whales and dolphins are “almost guaranteed” within the North Atlantic waters of Azores, Portugal, says Lonely Planet, and it may be a surprisingly emotional expertise. April and early July are the most effective occasions to go to.
Namibia is its really useful place to trace desert elephants. Ensure to carry your lengthy digicam lenses and your binoculars.
Equestrians, in the meantime, are invited to think about using horses in Ecuador’s Andes Mountains or to take a Creole path trip by way of Louisiana.
Additionally on the listing for 2026: Search for jaguars within the wetlands of Iberá, Argentina; grow to be a citizen scientist within the Amazon, Peru.
Sport and tradition
Do you like flying kicks or flying cholitas? Lonely Planet’s sporting experiences embrace attending a Premier League soccer recreation in England. Says the writer, “Going to a match is not just visiting a stadium: it offers a unique window into the country’s passions and character that you’d struggle to find doing anything else.”
Cholitas, indigenous ladies in Bolivia, are the sporting stars of their nation’s wrestling rings. Sporting conventional lengthy skirts and bowler hats, the common matches are “part acrobatics, part theatrics,” says Lonely Planet.
Additionally on the listing for 2026: Go to Eileen Grey’s home in Southern France; Deep-dive into avenue artwork in Bristol, England.
