All eyes will be on Milan and the northeastern ski resort of Cortina d’Ampezzo for the 2026 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games in February and March. It’s the most geographically dispersed Winter Games ever, with ceremonies and competitions happening across 8,500 primarily mountainous square miles of northern Italy. Most will be held in the Dolomites, putting a spotlight on the legendary Alpine range.
Want to follow in Olympians’footsteps? Cortina d’Ampezzo is part of Dolomiti Superski, the world’s largest ski area, connecting 12 resorts and 29,652 acres of terrain with one pass. The Dolomites are known for their sculptural relief—colossal walls, serrated ridges, and piercing spires—and the sights from the lifts are as exhilarating as the downhill. Many of those lifts keep running in summer, when the meadows bloom with purple snowbells and yellow poppies, and the long sunsets extend the alpenglow.
魁北克最新、最令人惊叹的野生国家公园之一——Nibiischii Park，是首个由原住民管理的国家公园。米斯蒂西尼克里族（Cree Nation of Mistissini）通过建立这座公园，保护了魁北克北部Eeyou Istchee-James Bay地区超过4000平方英里的宁静湖泊地带。这里包含该省最大的野生动物保护区——Albanel-Mistassini-and-Waconichi Lakes，从Chibougamau小镇进入，搭乘克里族拥有的Air Creebec航空，从蒙特利尔出发仅需90分钟飞行即可抵达。
One of Québec’s newest and most breathtakingly wild national parks is the first to be managed by a First Nation. With the creation of Nibiischii Park, the Cree Nation of Mistissini has protected more than 4,000 square miles of peaceful lake country in the Eeyou Istchee-James Bay region of northern Québec. This vast area encompasses the province’s largest wildlife reserve, Albanel-Mistassini-and-Waconichi Lakes, accessible from Chibougamau, a 90-minute flight from Montréal on Cree-owned airline Air Creebec.
In the reserve, Waconichi Lake’s waterfront cabins, floating chalets, and sauna provide a summer wilderness retreat for anglers and paddlers, as well as wildlife-watchers, who can take in panoramas of the lake and surrounding boreal forest from a new cliffside walkway and suspension bridge. Last winter, for the first time, the nation opened its lodge year-round and launched Cree-led winter activities: fireside storytelling, crafting workshops, and wilderness survival classes.
Beijing in 2026 gives travelers fresh ways to explore this most culture-rich of capitals. For starters, the Beijing Central Axis—a nearly five-mile strip of imperial and ceremonial buildings and gardens—is a recent addition to UNESCO’s World Heritage List, and a new sightseeing bus makes it easier to get a look at the highlights: the Temple of Heaven, Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, and the Drum and Bell Towers, all stunning examples of ancient Chinese city planning.
More imperial history awaits at the Ming Tombs, where a project is under way to gradually open all 13 complexes. The tomb of Emperor Chongzhen, who hanged himself as rebels stormed the city, was among the first three to allow visitors, with more to come as soon as 2026. In the mountains to the north, the majestic Great Wall has emerged as the new star of Beijing’s nighttime economy. Located within the city, the Mutianyu and Juyongguan sections of the wall have joined Badaling and Simatai in holding warm-weather after-dark tours, with spectacular illuminations. South of Beijing, a new hiking trail has been established at Zhoukoudian, where bones of Peking Man were discovered.
Approximately 200 sperm whales swim year-round in Dominica’s waters, and the Caribbean nation is currently on the cusp of establishing the world’s first sperm whale reserve, likely by early 2026. The Dominica Sperm Whale Reserve will protect nearly 800 square kilometers of water off the island’s west coast, where the majestic sea creatures roam, underscoring the national commitment to marine conservation. Visitors will have the opportunity to swim with whales or observe them from a boat, but reserve staff will regulate the number to ensure the big mammals aren’t disturbed.
摩洛哥轻松惬意的大西洋海岸首都拉巴特，既是一座古老的帝国城市，也是一座国际化大都市。你可以从12世纪的城堡——乌达亚卡斯巴（Casbah of Oudaya）狭窄的小巷，漫步到20世纪法国人建造的宽阔林荫大道Ville Nouvelle，那里宏伟的殖民时期建筑如今是时尚精品店和餐厅。
Morocco’s relaxed Atlantic-coast capital is both an ancient imperial city and a cosmopolitan metropolis, where you can wander from the skinny alleyways of its 12th-century citadel, the Casbah of Oudaya, onto the broad boulevards of the 20th-century French-built Ville Nouvelle, where grand colonial-era buildings house stylish boutiques and restaurants.
拉巴特城市景观最新的亮点包括建筑师扎哈·哈迪德设计的未来感皇家剧院（Royal Theater of Rabat），其流畅的造型受Bou Regreg河蜿蜒启发；以及火箭形状的穆罕默德六世塔（Mohammed VI Tower），它是摩洛哥最高建筑，造型简洁上镜。山顶的谢拉遗址（Chellah）是一座建于14世纪的伊斯兰墓地，坐落在罗马定居点废墟之上，象征着这座城市层层叠叠的历史。最近经过大规模修复后已重新开放。
The newest additions to Rabat’s fascinating cityscape are architect Zaha Hadid’s neo-futuristic Royal Theater of Rabat, a sinuous performing arts space inspired by the twists and turns of the Bou Regreg River, and the rocket-shaped Mohammed VI Tower, a sleek and photogenic landmark and Morocco’s tallest building. The beautiful hilltop site of Chellah is a 14th-century Islamic necropolis built on the ruins of a Roman settlement, symbolic of the city’s layered history. It’s recently reopened after an extensive restoration.
A $53 million project to promote Hull’s many-layered maritime heritage wraps up in 2026, transforming this underrated northern England port city. A network of new interpretive sites brings some 800 years of seafaring history to life. Among them are the Hull Maritime Museum, the North End Shipyard two-story visitors center, and two permanently docked museum ships: the 1960s Arctic Corsair cod trawler and the Spurn lightship, which once guided boats through the treacherous waters of the Humber Estuary near the city of Hull (Kingston upon Hull). The phased openings will be complete by summer 2026, making it the perfect time to discover the city’s laid-back charm.
At the edge of the North Sea, Hull was one of the world’s busiest whaling ports in the 19th century and a fishing and shipping hub until the 20th, before falling on hard times. Over the past decade, the city has undergone significant revitalization. Warehouses around Humber Street’s old waterside Fruit Market are now lively independent bars, restaurants, and art galleries. There’s also a spectacular performance amphitheater, called Stage@TheDock, overlooking River Hull where it meets the Humber Estuary; and a former shipyard has for over 20 years been the base for The Deep, one of the United Kingdom’s most highly respected aquariums and marine conservation centers.
Theodore Roosevelt was a native New Yorker, but North Dakota’s Badlands are where he sought refuge, first to hunt bison in 1883, then to grieve the simultaneous deaths of his wife and his mother in 1884. The rugged landscape and its then disappearing wildlife shaped the 26th president’s character and thoughts on conservation. Next summer (July 4, 2026), Teddy’s stomping grounds will welcome the 93,000-square-foot Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library, perched high on a butte above the wild little frontier-throwback town of Medora.
Interactive exhibits will transport visitors to crucial periods and places in Roosevelt’s life—from his family brownstone in Manhattan to his time in the White House to his expeditions in Africa and the Amazon. The institution aims to“humanize, not lionize”the president, who, for all his political and environmental leadership, held some deeply racist views. Designed by the Norwegian architectural firm Snøhetta, the building disappears into the landscape, built with compressed wood beams and a walkable roof covered in native vegetation. The roof itself is part of a 1.3-mile trail with outlooks toward adjoining Theodore Roosevelt National Park, where visitors can see bison, the ancient ungulate that Roosevelt had the vision to protect after watching them hunted to near extinction.
由于贸易历史和对本土食材的重视，菲律宾一直拥有令人兴奋的美食文化。2026年米其林指南为旅行者提供了更多前往的理由。大马尼拉（Metro Manila）是西班牙、中国和马来文化交融并创新出美味佳肴的地方。在热闹的市场（晚上是Tutuban，周六是Salcedo），马尼拉人享用鱼蛋和刨冰。餐厅和咖啡馆供应各省的家乡菜，比如Manam的脆皮pancit palabok（咸鲜米粉）和New Po Heng Lumpia House的春卷（内有肉、蔬菜、花生和海藻）。
With its trading history and focus on Indigenous ingredients, the Philippines has always offered an exciting food culture. The 2026 Michelin Guide gives travelers one more reason to visit now. Metro Manila, which includes the capital city, is where Spanish, Chinese, and Malay influences come together in particularly innovative and delicious ways. At bustling markets (Tutuban at night, Salcedo on Saturdays), Manileños tuck into fish balls and halo-halo. Restaurants and cafés dish up comfort foods from the provinces, like crispy pancit palabok (a savory noodle dish) at Manam and lumpia with meat, veggies, peanuts, and seaweed at New Po Heng Lumpia House.
One of the few places on the planet where you can surf waves and ski powder on the same day, Türkiye’s Black Sea coast is a scenic and culturally rich alternative to the crowded Aegean and Mediterranean coasts.
Set between the towering Pontic Mountains and the Black Sea, towns and cities like Samsun and Bartin beckon beachgoers with sandy strands on blue coves, while Trabzon’s architectural treasures and labyrinthine old town recall the days when the city was a center of Greco-Turkish culture. Farther east, Rize’s tea terraces, where farmers grow robust black tea, provide an incredible view of the city’s busy waterfront.
The open-air-museum city of Khiva steps out of the shadows of Uzbekistan’s more famous Silk Road oases, Samarkand and Bukhara, in 2026. High-speed train service, expected to start in the fall, will cut almost in half the travel time from Uzbekistan’s capital, Tashkent. You can breakfast beneath the mosaic domes of Tashkent’s Chorsu Bazaar and still reach Khiva in time for shivit oshi at the foot of the Islam Khodja Minaret. The Italian hospitality company Arsenale, meanwhile, is launching a luxurious sleeper service, the Samarkand Express. And with the opening of Mercure Khiva, which takes its inspiration from the vernacular architecture of the city’s Mevaston neighborhood, Khiva will have its first international five-star hotel in October 2026.
在阿卡盖拉国家公园（Akagera National Park）的葱郁景观中，狮子、斑马、豹子、长颈鹿、大象和500多种鸟类繁衍生息。这座1934年建立于卢旺达东部边境的公园，拥有广阔的稀树草原、起伏的绿色林地和蜿蜒水道，是寻求无拥挤野生动物体验的荒野爱好者的理想选择。阿卡盖拉年均游客仅5万人，是坦桑尼亚塞伦盖蒂（35万）和肯尼亚马赛马拉（30万）等热门公园的安静替代选择。
In the lush landscapes of Akagera National Park, lions, zebras, leopards, giraffes, elephants, and more than 500 species of birds thrive. Established in 1934 along Rwanda’s eastern border, the park’s expansive savanna, rolling green woodlands, and snaking waterways are ideal for wilderness enthusiasts seeking a safari without crowds. Akagera sees an average of only 50,000 visitors a year, making it a quieter alternative to popular parks such as Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park (350,000 visitors) and Kenya’s Masai Mara National Reserve (300,000 visitors).
Grab a place in the stands at BC Place for the world’s most watched sporting event, when Vancouver hosts seven FIFA World Cup games next June and July. The combination of favorable currency conversions, new direct flights from Europe, and simple entry requirements (Americans traveling on a valid U.S. passport don’t need a visa) helps make the Canadian city the best of the cup’s 16 North American host cities. No ticket? Head to the FIFA Fan Festival at Hastings Park for bands, food vendors, and live soccer matches broadcast on a huge amphitheater screen.
As some of Japan’s more popular destinations grapple with overtourism, mostly rural Yamagata Prefecture, roughly 200 miles north of Tokyo, offers moments of otherworldly quiet. Not even one percent of Japan’s visitors experience its sacred mountains, tranquil temples and shrines, and onsen villages.
The ski slopes and hot springs of Mount Zao, the photogenic hot-spring town of Ginzan Onsen, and the mountaintop Yamadera temple are all unforgettable destinations. In the mountains of Dewa Sanzan, travelers can join yamabushi mountain monks for waterfall meditations and mindfulness hikes.
In time for Route 66’s centennial, Oklahoma is getting an Americana glow-up. Over the past four years, the Oklahoma Department of Transportation has invested more than $82 million in the state’s 400-mile stretch of the historic Mother Road, and it feels like there’s a spectacle of relit neon signs, revived motor courts, and roadside attractions waiting around every bend.
Tulsa calls itself the Capital of Route 66, as it was the home of Roaring Twenties highway commissioner Cyrus Avery, who all but willed the classic road-trip route into existence. Follow it along 11th Street through the Meadow Gold District, full of indie retail, to admire the campy outdoor statues. A cosmic cowgirl and cowboy stand watch over art galleries and quirky gift shop Buck Atom’s Cosmic Curios. Rosie the Riveter looms near the vinyl shop Josey Records, while Cowboy Bob welcomes shoppers to Buck’s Vintage, which specializes in Western wear.
The world’s largest monolith, Uluru, formed over 500 million years ago and has been sacred to the local Anangu people for tens of thousands of years. Starting in April, visitors will be able to stay overnight within Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park for the first time. The Anangu Traditional Owners collaborated with the Tasmanian Walking Company to develop five-day, fully guided treks. After long days on the trail between Kata Tjuta and Uluru, hikers will sleep in eco-friendly lodges, stargaze by campfires, and learn from Indigenous guides about how to take care of the land, which connects to the well-being of the people and the environment.
许多歌曲都歌颂过里约热内卢迷人的海滩、热情的人民和标志性地标，一个多世纪以来吸引着游客前来这座热爱享乐的巴西城市。但2026年的里约又多了几个新理由。巴西国家博物馆（Museu Nacional/UFRJ）计划在2026年第二次临时开放，并争取2028年全面开放（该馆在2018年大火中损毁）。国家美术馆（Museu Nacional de Belas Artes）计划于2026年底全面开放，目前正在举办巴西摄影师Vicente de Mello的展览至1月中旬。标志性的科帕卡巴纳宫将揭开改造后的新面貌，增加套房并新增水疗中心。科帕卡巴纳海滩还将举办另一场“Todo Mundo no Rio”音乐会，据传贝嫂或蕾哈娜将担任头条艺人。
Many a serenade has been sung about Rio de Janeiro’s alluring beaches, passionate people, and iconic landmarks, enticing visitors to this fun-loving Brazilian city for well over a century. But Rio has revealed a few more reasons to visit in 2026. The National Museum of Brazil (Museu Nacional/UFRJ) is pushing for a second temporary reopening then, and a full reopening in 2028, following the tragic 2018 fire that burned down the 207-year-old institution. The National Museum of Fine Arts (Museu Nacional de Belas Artes), with plans to fully open in late 2026, is now hosting an exhibit by Brazilian photographer Vicente de Mello until mid-January. The iconic Copacabana Palace will unveil a facelift that features expanded suites and a new spa, and there’ll be another Todo Mundo no Rio music show on Copacabana Beach in front of millions, with—rumor has it—Beyoncé or Rihanna headlining.
At the edge of both the forest and the sea, 60 miles south of the Arctic Circle, Oulu is a bastion of Finnish heritage. Some 800 of its 216,000 residents are Indigenous Sami people, and the city’s Giellagas Institute champions their culture and language. From mid-January to early May, the Oulu Art Museum’s “Eanangiella – Voice of the Land” exhibition spotlights Sami art, material culture, and soundscapes.
Koreans are avid day hikers, and the pandemic saw a growing interest in camping, backpacking, and trekking in South Korea, thanks in part to the country’s 23 national parks. The trend continues in 2026 as large sections of the Dongseo Trail, a 527-mile route modeled after Spain’s Camino de Santiago, are set to open.
When completed, the route will connect the east and west coasts, but hikers can already plan trips along many of its 55 segments. Each is eight to 12 miles long, ideal for day hiking. Most pass through two or three towns or villages, enabling hikers to refuel easily without having to carry supplies. For those intending to stay overnight and walk the next day, all towns have affordable motels and yeogwan (inns), while many villages have minbakjip (similar to homestays).
The birthplace of Portugal and its first king, Guimarães has one foot in its medieval past and the other in a green-tech future. Named the European Green Capital for 2026 by the European Commission, the city has been expanding bike lanes, adding green spaces, and cutting pollution as it works toward climate neutrality by 2030.
吉马朗伊斯展示了中世纪小镇如何在不失去自身特色的前提下发展成现代城市。10世纪的城堡城垛保存完好，是葡萄牙保存最好的古堡之一；布拉干萨公爵宫以红色砖烟囱和坚固的对称设计令人印象深刻。老城区中心的Torre da Alfândega是防御城墙仅存的塔楼，可俯瞰吉马朗伊斯城堡。
Guimarães shows how a medieval town can evolve into a modern urban center without losing its character. With crenellated walls still intact, its 10th-century castle is among Portugal’s best preserved, while the Palace of the Dukes of Bragança impresses with its red-brick chimneys and fortified symmetry. Torre da Alfândega, in the old town center, is the only remaining tower of the defensive walls and looks over Guimarães Castle.
Next August 12, a total solar eclipse will attract crowds to the rugged coastline and historic cities of Spain’s Basque Country—one of the few places on land in the path of the totality. Two prime spots to watch: the port city of Bilbao and the region’s inland capital of Vitoria-Gasteiz, both renowned for their architecture and cuisine.
Eclipse chasers in Bilbao can find top viewing areas in the lively, walkable Old City (Casco Viejo), the gentle hills of Parque Etxebarria (great city views anytime), and 823-foot Mount Artxanda, accessible by foot or funicular. The plaza outside Frank Gehry’s architectural masterpiece, the Guggenheim Museum, is also superb for catching the major sky event.
In 2023, wildfires on Maui claimed more than a hundred lives, caused $5.5 billion in damage, and devastated the vibrant and historic beach town of Lāhainā. The island rallied to rebuild, and while some fire-affected areas remain closed off, many cherished Lāhainā businesses have reopened, including Old Lāhainā Lū‘au, Lāhainā Cannery Mall, and Maui Ku‘ia Estate Chocolate.
Steel mills once shaped outsiders’ whole impressions of Pittsburgh, but today the city increasingly defines itself by embracing the venerable cultural institutions that industrial prosperity helped build. At the linked Carnegie Museums of Art and Natural History, it’s easy to spend a day admiring just the marquee collections of Impressionist works and dinosaur fossils (though there’s plenty more to see). Next year’s Carnegie International, held every four years, is one of the contemporary art world’s most talked-about exhibitions.
In recent decades, Oaxaca City, the capital of the southern Mexican state of Oaxaca, has become an international destination for street art, exceptional cuisine, and Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) celebrations. Over 100 miles southwest of the brightly hued colonial capital, Oaxaca’s coast, known as Costa Chica, has remained a less traveled, quieter destination than Mexico’s more popular and accessible stretches of sand. But the small coast—renowned for its world-class surf—is every bit as enticing. It has spectacular, undeveloped beaches, endemic birds, design-centric hotels, and countercultural enclaves, such as the queer-friendly, clothing-optional community of Zipolite.
No place encapsulates the South Pacific like Fiji. Its 300-plus islands are surrounded by some of the world’s most incredible coral reefs, its lush peaks and waterfalls make it a day hiker’s paradise, and Fijians are famous for their warm hospitality. Fiji has also become a destination for those looking to give back while they kick back, with more and more resorts developing programs that incentivize guests to spend some of their vacation pitching in on conservation and community projects. (The state tourism agency promotes Loloma Hour—loloma means “to act with generosity, driven by love”—a happy-hour alternative with volunteer shifts instead of cocktails.)
Although Medellín grappled with drug cartels, paramilitary groups, and violence in the 1980s and 1990s, it has since transformed dramatically. Today, one of Colombia’s most vibrant and diverse arts destinations is gaining momentum, granting authentic ways to experience the city’s welcoming charm, culture, and art.
Enjoy all three in the neighborhood of Comuna 13. Once a notorious barrio, it has evolved into a creative arts district today, full of dance performances, colorful murals, street-art tours, and an energetic vibe that comes from the resilience of the community.
It’s no surprise that Banff, Alberta, is our Readers’Choice Winner for Best of the World 2026. This stunning alpine jewel achieves what few destinations can: a perfect harmony between cosmopolitan energy and untamed nature, where you can sip locally roasted artisan coffee on Banff Avenue one moment and spot a wandering grizzly bear the next.
Nestled within Canada’s first national park, the streets transform into a magical, snow-dusted wonderland as skiers converge on three world-class resorts, Mount Norquay, Lake Louise, and Banff Sunshine Village.
