The Best Locations within the World to Travel in 2026, Based on Lonely Planet

As 2025 steadily attracts to a detailed, you’re in all probability going to not solely begin fascinated about all of the cool locations you ticked off the bucket checklist this 12 months, but in addition about what lies forward on your journey plans in 2026, proper?

Well, for those who want some contemporary contenders, Lonely Planet has simply revealed its roundup of the best places to travel, and together with some already-popular locations like Mexico City, Botswana and Sardinia, there are some out-of-the-box strategies on the agenda, too. 

First up, Réunion, a French Department within the Indian Ocean (which is round 230km from Mauritius), described by Lonely Planet as one of the best place ‘for delving into a unique natural and multicultural heritage’. 

Generations of migration has meant in the present day, a splendidly various inhabitants and spectrum of faiths name the island house, and that selection is mirrored in its pure panorama, which is house to 400 completely different microclimates, a bounty of species and one of many world’s most lively volcanoes. 

Recommended: The greatest journey locations for 2026, in accordance with National Geographic. 

However, it’s not the one vacation spot on this with nature in buckets – why not contemplate Tipperary? Sure, it is perhaps a good distance (get it?!) however the rural Irish county is primed for distant journey. The Glen of Aherlow is an imposing valley the place you may hike or horseback-ride your manner round, and there’s a number of historic websites to soak up (just like the Rock of Cashel or Cahir Castle) and meals to be loved (well-known Cashel Blue cheese is value travelling for alone). 

And there’s loads extra the place that got here from: the traditional Spanish port metropolis of Cádiz, Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota, Quy Nhon in Vietnam, Ikra-Flinders Ranges and Outback in Australia and Cartagena in Colombia are simply another inclusions by Lonely Planet. Scroll on for the total checklist. 

These are the 25 greatest locations to journey in 2026, in accordance with Lonely Planet

1. Peru, South America
2. Jaffna, Sri Lanka
3. Maine, USA
4. Cádiz, Spain
5. Réunion, Africa
6. Botswana, Africa
7. Cartagena, Colombia
8. Finland, Europe
9. Tipperary, Ireland
10. Mexico City
11. Quetzaltenango, Guatemala
12. British Colombia, Canada
13. Sardinia, Italy
14. Liberdade, São Paulo
15. Utrecht, Netherlands
16. Barbados, Caribbean
17. Jeju-Do, South Korea
18. North Island, New Zealand
19. Theodore Roosevelt National Park, North Dakota
20. Quy Nhon, Vietnam
21. Siem Reap, Cambodia
22. Phuket, Thailand
23. Ikra-Flinders Ranges and Outback, South Australia
24. Tunisia, Africa
25. Solomon Islands, Oceania

You can learn extra about every of those locations on Lonely Planet’s website. Oh, and hold your eyes peeled for Time Out’s roundup of the 26 greatest new issues to do on the planet in 2026 – what number of did you tick off this 12 months?

ICYMI: The greatest ‘set-jetting’ locations for 2026 journey have been named.

Plus: These are the lodges that made the World’s 50 Best longlist for 2025.

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