It’s the thick of winter, and you know what that means: We’re dreaming of other places. Some warmth would be nice, but any change of scenery is welcome. As we reflected on and researched the destinations for this list of the best places to travel in 2026, we considered exciting upcoming events, museum openings, and eye-catching new accommodation options, plus the places our most well-traveled friends can’t stop talking about. If you’re seeking inspiration for your travel plans this year, look no further.
From a conservation sanctuary on a private island in the Seychelles—where giant tortoises and hawksbill sea turtles roam—to the majestic waterfalls and fjords of Norway, to a banner year of cultural, culinary, and sporting events in Los Angeles, to horse-trekking and hiking through stunning alpine valleys in Kyrgyzstan, keep reading for all the places on Vogue’s travel itinerary this year.
Norway
A trip to Norway can satisfy both the sightseers and the leisure-seekers among us. In Oslo, check out the country’s largest collection of art, architecture, and design at the National Museum, or soak up the wellness benefits of one of the floating saunas on the Oslo fjord, where, in the summer, people lie out in the sun and jump into the crisp water. Or take the Flåm railway, which stops at the Kjosfossen waterfall, where you’ll see mysterious women in red dresses dancing to Norwegian folk music amidst the cliffs. (It is still one of the wildest things I’ve seen, and the village of Flåm itself, though touristy, felt whimsical and otherworldly.)
There are also some exciting new hotel openings, like the Relais Chateaux property Yrti Island Retreat, which is slated to open in April 2026 in one of the country’s oldest fishing communities on the island of Træna. If you’re looking for a tried-and-true option, you can’t go wrong with 62° Nord’s charming trio of hotels—Storfjord, Hotel Union Øye, and Brosundet—which are dotted around the striking fjords that snake inland from the port town of Ålesund. And if culinary adventure is more your speed, try one of the newer additions to the Michelin star list, like Bergen’s Gaptrast and Omakase by Sergey Pak. —Anna Grace Lee
Malta
Many countries have been described as a crossroads of the world, but few can lay claim to that title quite like Malta. There’s a fascinating air of cultures clashing that colors every corner of the island—from the Arabic-style gallarija balconies that adorn the buildings of its capital Valletta, to the Sicilian-influenced baked pastas served on the terraces of its restaurants, to the odd blazing red of an English postbox. (Across the centuries, with its prime location smack bang in the middle of the Mediterranean, the island has served as a strategic outpost for empires including the Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, Arabs, and the British.)
And this year, with a new wave of stylish hotel openings, there’s never been a better time to visit. In the picturesque hilltop village of Attard, the historic Casa Bonavita is having the finishing touches applied before it opens in the spring. The 18th-century palazzo hotel—which is surrounded by gardens teeming with fragrant olive blossoms and jasmine—is the brainchild of Christopher and Suzanne Sharp, the co-founders of the fashion world-favorite homewares brand The Rug Company. Also gearing up to open its doors? Romègas, a 500-year-old protected palazzo in the heart of Valletta that was originally the home of a Knight of Malta. (Bonus points for the rooftop pool, which will offer a merciful respite from the heat of the city during the island’s hot and heady summer months.) Oh, and there’s also a splashy new museum for contemporary art, MICAS, which opened last year with an inaugural exhibition by the flamboyant Portuguese artist Joana Vasconcelos. This crossroads of the world is set to become a crossroads for design-conscious travelers, too. —Liam Hess
Los Angeles
All signs point to 2026 being a big year for Los Angeles, as it continues to recover in the wake of last year’s devastating fires. From March to June, chef René Redzepi will bring his world-famous gastronomic restaurant Noma to the city for a residency in Silver Lake, with a menu that promises to be “entirely locally sourced.” In June and July, Los Angeles will host several FIFA World Cup matches, attracting swaths of fans. And in September, the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art—a museum founded by George Lucas and his wife, businesswoman Mellody Hobson—will open, offering visitors an experience focused on visual storytelling in a futuristic building designed by Ma Yansong. The billion-dollar-plus museum will also feature props, models, costumes, and more from Star Wars and Indiana Jones. —A.G.L.
Egypt
If you’ve been holding out on visiting Egypt until the long-gestating Grand Egyptian Museum opened its doors, the wait is over: In November 2025, after two decades of construction, it’s finally ready to showcase the complete collection of Tutankhamun’s treasures for the first time in history (and much more besides). If that wasn’t enough to tempt you to the Land of Pharaohs, there’s a sophisticated new hospitality group ready to plan your Egyptian journey in style from beginning to end: the aptly named Egypt Beyond.
Begin your trip at one of their beautifully appointed Art Deco apartments in the Immobilia building of Downtown Cairo—already a favorite among the London fashion set, it’s the perfect base for checking out the Giza pyramids or simply shopping in the city’s teeming souks. Then, head to Luxor for a cruise on the newly unveiled Nile Canopus boat, which feels more like a floating boutique hotel than your typical cruise and will whisk you in style down to Aswan, exploring ancient ruins along the way. Finally, settle in at the classic Luxor stay Al Moudira Hotel—also part of the Egypt Beyond group—where you can wander through its corridors swathed in hand-painted tiles, out to the oasis-like gardens with their fruit trees and tropical plants, and then over to the Valley of the Kings, which sits right on the hotel’s doorstep. We couldn’t plan a better Egyptian itinerary if we tried. —L.H.
Estonia
In the past, the Baltic state of Estonia has often been overlooked in favor of its Scandinavian neighbors—but that’s rapidly changing. This cosmopolitan, tech-forward nation has been enjoying a moment in the sun thanks to the charming medieval architecture, booming gastronomic scene, and vibrant nightlife of its capital, Tallinn. If you want to really get to grips with Estonian culture, however, it’s worth heading out to one of the 2,000 rugged islands that dot its coastline along the Baltic Sea, where you’ll find plenty of rustic retreats in nature reserves surrounded by pine forests and freshwater springs—the perfect place to discover the country’s smoke sauna culture, which was even the subject of an acclaimed 2023 documentary that premiered at Sundance.
In 2026, expect the spotlight to shine most brightly on the wild, windswept island of Hiiumaa. This UNESCO-protected biosphere is the setting for Eha Retreat, a hotly anticipated sanctuary opening later this year with just eight suites and three secluded forest cabins to fully immerse yourself in the island’s profound stillness. Guests will move through programs that blend ancestral Estonian healing rituals with modern science (think mineral-rich peat wraps and sound journeys curated for deep sleep), while the experience will be rounded out by hyper-seasonal menus crafted by Green Michelin Star chef Peeter Pihel (think foraged forest berries and seaweed). Every element of the stay will offer the opportunity to connect with the land, and the unique culture of Estonia as a whole. —L.H.
Florence, Italy
As the birthplace of the Renaissance, Florence knows a thing or two about reinvention. And this year, a new guard of hotels is landing to shake the dust off the city’s hotel scene. First, there’s La Réserve Firenze, which is taking over a 15th-century palace in the city’s ever-buzzy Oltrarno district, just a few minutes’ walk from the centre, but mercifully removed from the high summer tourist scrum. Though it isn’t really a hotel at all: it’s actually made up of six private apartments designed to make you feel like you’re staying in your friend’s pad. (Assuming your friend is an especially stylish member of the Florentine aristocracy, that is.) And at the end of April, another iconic property in the hills of Fiesole is set to be reborn: Villa San Michele, A Belmond Hotel, will open its doors following an 18-month renovation, with a refresh of its spectacular gardens and an expansive new spa complex by Guerlain.
If you needed another reason to visit? Florence’s upcoming cultural calendar is equally impressive: the contemporary art hub Museo Sant’Orsola’s lengthy renovation is set to conclude this year, and there’s a blockbuster Mark Rothko show opening in March at Palazzo Strozzi, exploring the dialogue between the American artist’s work and the Old Masters. (His monumental canvases and their hypnotic fields of colour will also be scattered across some of the city’s historic museums for maximum immersion.) It may be one of the world’s most timeless vacation destinations, but this year in Florence, you might discover something entirely new. —L.H.
Kyrgyzstan
As my colleague Ali Farooqui wrote in our roundup of the best places Vogue editors went in 2025, Kyrgyzstan offers a range of unforgettable experiences and sights, like horse trekking to Song-Kul Lake, yurt camping, and a “night sky so clear it didn’t feel real.” Last year, the Kyrgyz Nomad Trail added 600 miles of trail, making it an even more enticing destination for intrepid hikers looking to take in the country’s alpine lakes and meadows on foot. —A.G.L.
Japan
If you needed another reason to visit Japan, here you go: One of the world’s most iconic hotels, the Park Hyatt Tokyo of Lost in Translation fame, has recently reopened after a 19-month renovation. Stay overnight for the full experience, or just visit for the evening, sipping a cocktail at the New York Grill Bar and taking in the city views from the 52nd floor as jazz plays softly in the background.
Spring 2026 will also see the opening of Capella Kyoto, a luxury hotel housed in a former school in the Miyagawa-chō district of Kyoto, featuring traditional wooden townhouses with Kyoto-native materials and artisan collaborations. Plus: a Japanese counter restaurant made of salvaged school materials and a French brasserie.
What’s more, Shuri Castle in Naha, Okinawa, a UNESCO World Heritage site and former Ryukyu Kingdom center, is set to reopen in fall 2026, after rebuilding from a 2019 fire. From hot springs to ski mountains, to sacred destinations like Mount Koya, Japan truly has something for everyone. —A.G.L.
Devon, England
With the blockbuster, Margot Robbie-starring adaptation of Wuthering Heights releasing on Valentine’s Day, literary-minded visitors will be flocking to the wild and windy moors of West Yorkshire this year. But if you’re seeking a more off-the-beaten-track corner of England to explore, consider Devon, a scenic county in Southwest England—and one that may receive its own film tourism boost, after a new adaptation of Sense and Sensibility with Daisy Edgar-Jones was spotted filming there last year. (Expect it to hit cinemas in September.)
In terms of places to stay, the region’s revival has been led by the arrival of Fowlescombe Farm, a 450-acre regenerative retreat near the wilds of Dartmoor featuring 10 luxurious suites housed in timeworn stone barns and a Victorian farmhouse, decorated in a sleek but sensitive contemporary style. (Bonus points for the food too: in the refectory dining barn, Chef Elly Wentworth serves a field-to-fine dining menu dictated entirely by the produce available each day.) For those who prefer their countryside with a side of Regency romance, Olga Polizzi’s Hotel Endsleigh remains the gold standard, offering 100 acres of Grade I-listed gardens and secret grottos on the Tamar Valley’s edge. Meanwhile, The Pig-at-Combe just outside Exeter carries offbeat country charm aplenty—some of the quirkier details include luxuriously appointed shepherd’s huts for overnighting and a mini-spa offering massages in a former potting shed—making it the ideal base for a weekend of coastal foraging or simply strolling across the moorlands. —L.H.
Seychelles
Tropical paradises don’t get more paradisical than the Seychelles, the archipelago of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean offering picture-postcard beaches, extraordinary wildlife, and a rich melting pot of cultures. And this year, there’s a handful of new stays to lure travelers to its white sandy shores. (Admittedly, it’s a bit of a schlep from the U.S., but it’s worth the journey.)
In the summer, La Réserve Seychelles will open its doors on Praslin Island: consisting of six breezy beachside villas, the resort is set to become one of the country’s most exclusive hideaways. If wildlife spotting and a sustainable stay are your top priority, this fall will also see the grand return of Fregate Island, a conservation sanctuary on a private island where Aldabra giant tortoises and hawksbill sea turtles roam. Here, you’ll find 14 private villas and three “estates,” all of which offer access to the island’s state-of-the-art regenerative spa, 25-acre hydroponic farm, and its very own rum distillery. For budget-conscious travelers, there are several excellent options on the main island of Mahé, where you can spend your days beach hopping and immersing yourself in the Creole culture (including plenty of Seychellois grilled fish and coconut curries). —L.H.
Alberta, Canada
It’s no secret that Alberta is a place of awe-inspiring natural beauty: the snow-capped peaks of the Rocky Mountains, the turquoise shimmer of Lakes Louise and Jasper, the rustic charm of towns like Waterton and Canmore. But even within a land that seems to exist beyond time—it’s the richest source of dinosaur fossils on the planet, after all—there’s a sense the Canadian province is having a moment.
You could chalk that up, at least in part, to a wave of happenings in and around Banff National Park. There’s the grand reopening of the Rimrock Resort Hotel this summer, which is currently undergoing a design-forward revamp to become a flagship property in Accor’s new luxury Emblems Collection, and will serve as the perfect year-round base for alpine adventure in the region. (It sits on the slopes of the breathtaking Sulphur Mountain.) Then, there’s the recent unveiling of Basin Glacial Waters, a new thermal bathing destination attached to the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise hotel and designed by Italian architect Matteo Thun, featuring over 19,000 square feet of saunas, steam rooms, and cold plunge pools fed directly by the Victoria Glacier. It’s a slice of Nordic wellness in the heart of the Canadian wilderness—and as good a reason as any to head to Alberta in 2026. —L.H.
Botswana
As far as African safari destinations go, it’s hard to beat Botswana: there are few settings as spectacular for wildlife sightings as the Okavango Delta, the lush oasis in the heart of the Kalahari Desert. And thanks to the country’s “low volume, high value” tourism model, the majority of stays here are intimate, high-end camps that emphasize a fierce commitment to conservation. (Of course, that means a trip to Botswana comes with the price tags to match—but it’s worth the additional expense to have the kind of magical, once-in-a-lifetime encounter only this kind of safari experience can provide.)
It only makes sense, then, that the South Africa-based safari brand Singita—arguably the pinnacle of high-end safaris, with its purpose-driven philosophy, exceptional service, and stylish camps—is finally setting up shop in the Abu Concession, sitting within 170,000 hectares of untouched wilderness across the Okavango. Elela, which takes its name from the Setswana word for “to flow,” is designed to mirror the seasonality of the Okavango Delta with eight circular, stilted camps that offer 360-degree views of the shifting floodplains. Expect this to top every safari junkie’s wish list when it opens in December. —L.H.
