Where to travel in 2026: 10 standout destinations
Travel is about rejuvenation. And globetrotters chase destinations where something fresh is unfolding – places on the brink of a big reveal or hosting a milestone event. Locations where they can proudly say, “I was there when …”
Carolyn Werry, director of travel at Canadian-owned luxury tour company Gray & Co., says today’s travellers are increasingly “purpose-driven,” meaning they will design a trip around one irresistible hook – a concert, new hotel, museum opening or challenging hiking trail.
“In a world where there’s so many choices – which can make it really hard to figure out where to go – some people like to have a focal point, like a music festival or a major sporting event, and then build a holiday around it.”
For 2026, we asked travel experts to pinpoint 10 destinations poised for a standout moment. The resulting list is an eclectic mix.
Maybe this is the year you cheer on the world’s best at Italy’s Winter Olympics, venture into the untamed beauty of a new national park in northern Quebec or check into a new hotel in Scotland’s whisky heartland. Wherever your curiosity takes you, here are some picks that will spark that delicious feeling of anticipation.
Islay, Scotland
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Islay, the southernmost island in the Inner Hebrides archipelago, has long lured Scotch lovers with its famously peaty single malts.
This windswept corner of Scotland is set to entice more whisky pilgrims to its shores when two new distilleries open later in 2026 – Laggan Bay, near Big Strand, the island’s longest sandy beach, and Portintruan, just outside Port Ellen. Their debuts will bring Islay’s total to 13 distilleries, reinforcing the island’s status as a must-see for those with a discerning taste for Scotland’s national drink.
Only 500 square kilometres in size, Islay is a small but mighty player that is redefining whisky tourism, says Gray & Co.’s Werry. Alongside tastings at world-class favourites such as Lagavulin, Laphroaig, Ardbeg and Bowmore, to name a few, she says the island also offers great hiking (with stunning coastal views), both sea and fly-fishing, and luxury accommodation infused with Scottish charm.
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One of the island’s newest boutique hotels is Ardbeg House, a 12-room property from French purveyor LVMH that is getting rave reviews for its surreal decor, standout service and cozy Islay Bar, where cocktail-hour tastings are a daily ritual. The luxury retreat in Port Ellen, designed with Russell Sage Studio, showcases the work of more than 20 Scottish artisans – including a bed crafted from a deconstructed piano, copper wall art made from retired stills and bespoke boat chandeliers.
If the Ardbeg House is booked, Werry suggests Islay House or the Port Charlotte Hotel, both “lovely, four-star alternatives.” For the freshest oysters, she points to the Oyster Shed and for hearty pub fare, Bowmore Hotel Restaurant. Time your trip for May and you will catch Fèis Ìle, a whisky-centric festival with live music, good eats and plenty of wee drams to keep your spirits high.
Cairo, Egypt
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After two decades of construction, Egypt has finally unveiled the Grand Egyptian Museum. The 490,000-square-metre structure, home to 100,000 artifacts representing 7,000 years of history, is being billed as the world’s largest museum devoted to a single civilization.
As The Globe and Mail’s Eric Reguly wrote in a recent story, the GEM cost more than US$1-billion to build and took about the same time to construct as the Great Pyramid, which was constructed from 2.3 million stone blocks weighing about 2.5 tonnes each.
“We used to be ashamed of the visitor experience here,” said Amr Gazarin, chief executive of Orascom Pyramids Entertainment, the company behind the US$30-million improvement of the experience at the Giza Pyramids Plateau, including the sound and light show.
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He told The Globe that the revamped Giza Plateau is already triggering a surge in tourism, with the GEM expected to draw around 15,000 visitors daily, roughly five million annually, making “this the capital for archeological visits in the world.”
Cari Gray, founder of Gray & Co., agrees that Egypt’s star is on the rise. Cairo, which is just 30 minutes from the pyramids, is a vivid blend of old and new. “It is stimulating and vibrant, but also chaotic,” says Gray.
Egypt counts on a new tourism dynasty as museum joins a revamped Giza.
There are bustling souks, contemporary art galleries in the Zamalek district, the 22 royal mummies at the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization and great shopping at Madu, a store that supports female artisans. “The street food is amazing,” Gray says. For a splurge, she suggests Khufu’s, recently named the region’s best restaurant by 50 Best Restaurants. For a stay with iconic pyramid views, try the Marriott Mena House (its gardens are beautiful, too).
Visitors to Egypt can drift down the Nile aboard a private dahabiya (a twin-masted sailboat). Gray recommends the 100-year-old Set Nefru, built for a scion of the Egyptian royal family and recently restored. Cruises end in Aswan (home to the storied Sofitel Legend Old Cataract hotel, where Agatha Christie used to sip cocktails) or in Luxor (try the Al Moudira Hotel, near the valleys of the Kings and the Queens).
Oulu, Finland
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This under-the-radar Nordic city, located just south of the Arctic Circle, usually yields the spotlight to Helsinki (the capital) or Rovaniemi (the reputed hometown of Santa Claus). But now it is Oulu’s time to shine. Named a 2026 European Capital of Culture by the European Commission, Oulu has earned the spotlight because of its blend of high-tech innovation (it’s the pioneer of wireless 6G tech), natural beauty and eclectic, boundary-pushing cultural programs.
Next June will bring Climate Clock, a new eco-art trail created by artists and scientists. Later in the summer, dive into the Arctic Food Lab, celebrating raw Nordic mainstays such as reindeer, salmon and sea buckthorn (golden berries), a celebrated local superfood. Long-time favourites are set to return, too: The Frozen People Festival, an electronic music celebration held on the icy Gulf of Bothnia in February, and August’s Air Guitar World Championships, which draws enthusiastic competitors from around the globe.
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In November, the Lumo Art & Tech festival will feature a symphony concert paired with astral photography. And year-round, visitors can try Oulu’s floating saunas, anchored on rafts in the Oulujoki river. Morten Stausholm, with Intrepid Travel in North Europe, notes Finns like their saunas scorching. He said that some people go further and add Koskenkorva (local alcohol) to the sauna-oven to “enhance the experience.”
When it comes to cuisine, his picks are Villa Hannala, known for its homemade pastries, bread and local dishes such lohikeitto (salmon soup) and shrimp toast; and Bootti, a floating seafood restaurant on a boat, docked in the Oulu harbour.
Places to stay include the recently renovated Lapland Hotels Oulu and the Scandic Go hotel, opening late 2026. But Stausholm often steers travellers toward traditional mokkis, cozy cottages located near lakes, forests and the region’s 965 kilometres of walking and cycling paths.
Uluru, Australia
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In the heart of the Australian outback, a towering sandstone monolith rises nearly as tall as the Empire State Building. Formed more than 500 million years ago, Uluru holds profound meaning for the Aboriginal Anangu peoples. Its caves – etched with ancient rock art – reflect tens of thousands of years of Anangu law, stories and ceremony.
October marked the 40th anniversary of the historic hand-back of the title deeds for Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park to the Anangu, a milestone that helped usher in a new era of Aboriginal tourism.
Starting in April 2026, visitors will for the first time be able to stay overnight inside the World Heritage-listed park and join a five-day Uluru-Kata Tjutu signature walk, developed jointly by the Anangu Traditional Owners and the Tasmanian Walking Company.
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The 54-kilometre trek begins beneath Kata Tjuta’s massive domes before arcing east across remote desert terrain, red dunes, mulga woodlands, eventually reaching Uluru itself. Brett Godfrey, co-owner of Tasmanian Walking Co., says hikers will walk “in full view of the two rock formations … guided by knowledge of those who have walked the land for tens of thousands of years before them.” Along the way, there will be art workshops, lessons in land management and other activities, giving visitors a rare chance to experience one of the world’s most sacred landscapes through the eyes of its traditional custodians.
Nights are spent in ecofriendly lodges or glamping setups, perfect for stargazing by a campfire and hearing stories of the Outback – its magic, resilience and the profound connection the Anangu have maintained with this land for centuries.
Basque Country, Spain
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Astro-tourism is booming, particularly among umbraphiles, the die-hard eclipse-chasers who globe-trot with protective glasses to witness what many describe as a life-changing experience. On Aug. 12, 2026, parts of mainland Europe will witness its first total solar eclipse in almost 30 years.
One of the prime viewing zones is in Spain’s Basque region, celebrated for its unique culture and language, world-class gastronomy and striking architecture, including Frank Gehry’s Guggenheim Museum Bilbao. (Spain, in fact, will enjoy near-perfect views of two consecutive solar eclipses in 2026 and 2027).
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Travel companies such as New Scientist Discovery Tours are offering expert-led eclipse trips guided by astrophysicists and archaeologists. Kevin Currie, the company’s director, says viewers will have many options to see the cosmic wonder across central and northern Spain, in towns and cities such as Oviedo, Santander, León, Bilbao, Valencia and Palma.
Currie is leading a tour based in Burgos, a medieval city which borders the Basque Country, known for the UNESCO-listed Burgos Cathedral, the Museum of Human Evolution and surrounding wineries that offer tours, tastings and stellar cuisine, including the modern Norman Foster-designed Bodegas Portia.
Tours are selling out – Burgos included – so Currie recommends booking quickly. He has another piece of advice. After the solar eclipse, don’t rush off. “The Perseid meteor of 2026 will be near its peak, offering a spectacular show once darkness falls.”
Peloponnese, Greece
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“Set-jetting” – travelling to destinations made famous by films and TV – has exploded in recent years. In July 2026, the spotlight will shift to Greece’s myth-soaked Peloponnese when Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey opens in theatres.
This beach-fringed peninsula, scattered with UNESCO-protected ruins, has shaped Greek culture for millennia. Homer’s mythical heroes were inspired by the Bronze Age Mycenaeans, whose presence still echoes across the landscape.
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