The best places to visit in 2026

Travel was a joyful part of 2025, even as the world felt at its most turbulent. We’re more eager than ever to find a true escape, whether that’s by spending the night on a sleeper train or trekking to an Inca ruin – or being pampered in a perfectly-formed hotel.

The only problem? As more of us desire exceptional trips away, the most popular spots become oversubscribed. Last year, there were lamentable tales of overtourism from every continent. TikTok-inspired queues took over Paris; Machu Picchu's Wonder of the World status was threatened.

To find that balance, our travel experts are recommending places to go that you might not have previously considered – such as picturesque Hakone in Japan and plucky Stratford in east London. Or you might fancy trying an old favourite a different way. Travel correspondent Simon Calder has suggest northwest Spain, with its rugged coastline, as the perfect place to watch the total solar eclipse from in August.

Here are the 14 best places to visit in 2026, according to The Independent’s travel experts.

open image in gallery

Read more: The European ski resort that offers it all – from guaranteed snow to Michelin-starred food

Vienna may be setting up to host the Eurovision Song Contest in 2026, but bypass the Austrian capital’s music scene and you’ll find a great city in the “green heart of Austria”, Graz. As of 21 November 2025, British Airways operates flights to Graz three times a week from London Gatwick. With a Unesco-listed Gothic old town, Styrian tapas and summer river surfing on the Mur, this is the alternative Austrian city break to take next May. Natalie Wilson

With the launch of Uganda Airlines’ nonstop flight from London Gatwick to Entebbe, it became easier to travel to Uganda in 2025. Most travellers will visit this East African country to see the gorillas that roam Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, but we’d recommend including a stay in Jinja on the shores of the River Nile.

A two to three-hour drive (80km) east from the capital Kampala, this laidback town is perfect for adventurers thanks to the high-grade rapids that make it a dream destination for white water rafting and kayaking. Visitors will also find relaxed riverside bars, an awe-inspiring range of birdlife and horse-riding through local villages with African Horse Safaris. There are a number of excellent affordable accommodation options, including 30 Wilson and Jinja Backpackers, and just outside of town you’ll find the stunning Wildwaters Lodge on its own private island for a taste of rustic luxury. Annabel Grossman

In April 2020, my first planned trip scuppered by Covid was to Armenia. Over the years I had heard great things about the former Soviet republic from Armenian expatriates in the UK and beyond. The capital, Yerevan, was hit by an earthquake in 1988 – a seismic event that, say some, accelerated the collapse of the USSR.

Plenty of interest remains in the city, by all accounts, and the rest of the country has much more to offer. Lonely Planet co-founder Tony Wheeler says: “All over the country there are amazing religious sites, it was like every ancient church had a stunning mountain-backdrop location.” Armenia become easier to reach from 12 June, when Wizz Air launches flights from Luton. Simon Calder

The UK government says that security in El Salvador has improved considerably in recent years. This is largely due to the country's major crackdown on gang activity, meaning that travellers are slowly starting to return to some of its major tourist hotspots.

Its pristine beaches have been attracting surfers to experience its extraordinary waves, especially on the “Surf City” circuit, while towns and cities such as Suchitoto and Santa Ana are drawing those looking for an alternative city break. While tourist infrastructure is still largely underdeveloped, El Salvador is one of the cheaper countries to visit in Central America next year. Amelia Neath

open image in gallery

The Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, which was transformed from a post-industrial wasteland for the 2012 London Games, is turning into a cultural hub to rival Kensington to the west, thanks to the Victoria and Albert Museum. After enhancing the waterfront in Dundee to great effect with a Scottish design museum in 2018, last year the V&A opened its Storehouse in Stratford.

It is a mesmerising miscellany of objects representing human innovation and imagination through the centuries, with a special treat in the shape of the David Bowie Centre. From 18 April 2026, the touristic allure will increase still further with the opening of the separate V&A East Museum – celebrating contemporary creativity and east London’s culture. SC

Tucked away in the northwest corner of Argentina, Salta is often overlooked by tourists who head for the wilds of Patagonia, Mendoza wine country or the culture-filled streets of Buenos Aires. The city of Salta itself is worth a couple of days’ exploration, but it’s the rugged, otherworldly landscapes that really make this province stand out.

In many ways more similar to Peru or Bolivia than the terrain typically associated with Argentina, the lands are characterised by dazzling salt flats, arid deserts dotted with cacti, high-altitude vineyards, burnt orange mountains and rainbow-striped hills. The small towns and villages you come across are remote but welcoming, with a unique Andean culture – in the larger ones (including Cachi and Cafayate), you’ll find artisanal markets, pretty squares and a scattering of restaurants serving traditional dishes. AG

open image in gallery

Read more: The new luxury hotel drawing tourists to one of the driest places in the world

Ever dreamed of seeing Antarctica? It may become a lot easier to do so if you first stop in Chile. Silversea, a Monaco-based cruise line, is building a hotel at one of the southernmost populated settlements in the world, Chile's Puerto Williams. The town is often used as a starting point for tourists exploring Antarctica, but this new hotel, due to open in 2026, will break up the journey, giving visitors a place to stay before they embark on a voyage around the icy continent. With 150 rooms, it will draw inspiration from local traditional art, architecture and materials in hopes of blending into its surroundings. AN

This will be the year of Wuthering Heights. A new film version of the Emily Brontë novel, directed by Emerald Fennell, is already being described as controversial months before its release. Far away from the frenzy of the film, the moors around Haworth will be as they have always been: wild, windy, cold, and incredibly beautiful. A long hike across their heather-filled paths are an ideal way to escape the conversation. Afterwards, drop into the Brontë Parsonage – where the three sisters lived, and two are buried – before heading to the Black Bull, where their brother, Branwell, was a regular. It’ll be much more invigorating than any film could be. Sophie Dickinson

Make 2026 the year you give a tourism boost to one of the world's least-visited destinations – the tropical island paradise of American Samoa. It saw fewer than 4,500 tourists last year, partly because it's extremely remote – 2,600 miles southwest of Hawaii and 1,800 miles northeast of New Zealand – but also because booking accommodation and tours was a hassle, involving drawn-out back-and-forths over email with individual operators, many of whom lacked websites.

Now, though, trips are easier to organise thanks to a new online booking platform on VisitAmericanSamoa.org. There's also a newly launched American Samoa Pocket Guide, packed with destination information and itinerary suggestions. So, while the journey to the island is still long, there’s now one less hurdle between you and an untamed world of volcanic peaks, pristine coral reefs and rainforest-fringed beaches. Ted Thornhill

Read more: Travel to America’s last undiscovered paradise just got easier

Think Turkey only offers beach resorts and hot air balloon rides? Think again. A two-hour flight from Istanbul, Trabzon, and the surrounding region, is as far away from the typical image of the country as possible. Instead, this is a place of dense, misty forest and remote, plunging valleys.

Bears live here, as do the Laz people, whose culture and language is closer to that of Georgia than the rest of the Turkey. To explore it, hire a guide and ask to see the winding remains of the Silk Road, which weaves its way past medieval castles and fog-covered lookout points. Try the kuymak, too, a delicacy which is, essentially, just melted cheese and butter. Perfect sustenance for a day in the mountains. SD

open image in gallery

In August this year and next, Spain will be in the rare position of being visited by a total solar eclipse. In the astronomical highlight (or highdark) of 2026 on 12 August, a vast swathe of the northern half of the country falls within the “line of totality” – with the sun fleetingly blocked out by the moon.

For everyone who loves the exquisitely corrugated north coast, it brings the prospect of witnessing this cosmological coincidence anywhere from La Coruna in the west to Bilbao in the east. It may also bring an amazing “hollowed-out sunset” to the Balearic islands. Depending on the prospects for clear skies, I hope to be either in the port of Gijon or inland at Burgos. SC

Kyrgyzstan seems to effortlessly tick travel trend boxes with everything from affordable luxury train rides to horseback trekking. Take the high season train from Bishkek to Balykchy for VIP sofa seats, panoramic views and modern bathrooms from just £7 per person. Or for something more rustic, trot through Tien Shan mountain landscapes before spending the night in traditional yurts as part of a multi-day riding adventure. NW

open image in gallery

Hakone is primarily known for its proximity to Mount Fuji. It’s certainly in a good position to view the holy peak from, but the town is also worth lingering in for its many art galleries and exhibition spaces. In 2026, visitors can explore collections of delicate miniatures at the Doll House Museum, French Impressionism at the Pola Museum of Art, quirky sculptures at the Open-Air Museum or delicate jewellery at the Lalique Museum. Wander between a few, then relax in one of the resorts many onsen: its hot springs are enviogarating year-round. For a particularly stylish dip, stay in the Gora Kadan hotel – many of their impossibly chic rooms include private baths, refreshed by the natural resource. SD

According to falling tourism figures, the slots are slowing in Las Vegas. The most recent figures show that visitor volume decreased by 8.8 per cent year-on-year in September 2025. But Vegas is still primed to dazzle with its fountains, fine dining and debauchery in 2026. The Nevada city now spins as a playground for the F1 in November, and with the FIFA World Cup 2026 bound for the US, tourists should stray from the pitch to pick up the party in Sin City or leave the strip for a show at the Sphere. NW