Every year, I always think about traveling more, but never actually plan it, book it, and actually go. I’ve fallen down a bit of a rabbit hole reading every “must-travel” 2026 list that comes across my feed, and let’s just say my wanderlust is entirely activated. Some of these places are on every “travel now” list for a reason: things are happening there this year that won’t happen again for a very long time. Others are destinations I’ve always just had a feeling about, the kind that quietly call until you finally answer.

So here is my very own 2026 travel list. Part research, part vibes, part “let’s just eat incredible food and stare at something beautiful.” Whether you’re in a full trip-planning mode or just need some fun inspiration, hopefully, something sparks something for you, too.

Egypt

I’ve always wanted to visit Egypt since we studied it for a year in elementary school, but now, in addition to the Great Pyramids, this wait on the museum is finally over. After two decades, yes two, the Grand Egyptian Museum finally opened late last year, and with it, visitors get to see King Tut’s full collection of treasures for the first time ever. Honestly, that’s worth the trip across the ocean. Egypt is also in the middle of a hospitality glow-up with new options making the journey feel as special as the destination.

Starting in Cairo to marvel at the Pyramids at Giza and get lost in the city’s souks. Then head south to cruise the Nile on a boat that feels more like a boutique hotel than a typical river cruise, passing by ancient ruins all the way to Aswan. End the trip in Luxor, where stepping out of the hotel is mere footsteps from the Valley of the Kings. Rumor has it that another can’t-miss stop is the Karnak Temple, described as “one of those places that genuinely stops you in your tracks.” Sign me up.

Los Angeles

It almost feels like a toss-up to put my home away from home, LA, on this list, but the city is showing up super strong this year. After last year’s devastating wildfires, Los Angeles is showing its resilience, and 2026 is going to be a landmark year. Eight FIFA World Cup matches are coming to the city, and the museum scene is exploding, which will keep people coming back long after the final whistle. The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, eight years in the making, opens in September and is located in a billion-dollar building resembling a spaceship. The David Geffen Galleries for LACMA will be replacing four buildings with one stunning, large home for its permanent collection.

Personally, I want to see the Grand LA complex designed by Frank Gehry. In addition to your typical restaurants, hotels, and the usual, Dataland is opening this spring. Dataland is an AI art museum bringing a genuinely new kind of art experience to the city. LA has always done culture in its own way and right now that energy feels super alive. The can’t miss? The view from the Griffith Observatory at sunset, because some classics are classics for a reason.

Mallorca, Spain

Mallorca is always worth a visit. The Mediterranean views, sea cliffs, food, wine, and the pure, easy beauty of it. But 2026 has a very specific, very compelling reason to visit: August 12th, Spain will experience its first total solar eclipse in years. One of the best vantage points? Apparently, the cliffside perch of Jumeirah, which overlooks both the Mediterranean and the Serra de Tramuntana mountains. The hotel is planning a multi-day Celestial Celebration with lunar-themed cocktail receptions, dinners, and new moon wellness trends.

Even if you miss the eclipse window, Mallorca delivers. The Serra de Tramuntana mountain range is a UNESCO site, the old town of Palma is stunning, and it just sounds like everything you could ever want a vacation to be. A solar eclipse over the Mediterranean sounds like one of those once-in-a-lifetime things you don’t pass up.

Japan

Japan is one of those places that, from what I’ve read, rewards return visits as much as it does first trips. Every season, every city, and every neighborhood has something new to give you. But 2026 is stacking the deck. Spring brings the opening of Capella Kyoto, a luxury hotel housed in a former school, built with traditional wooden architecture and local artisan collaborations. Shuri Castle in Okinawa, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is set to reopen following the 2019 fire. There is just so much culture and history to enjoy. From sacred Mount Koya to Hokkaido ski slopes and Tokyo’s neon-lit energy, it just never runs out of things to provide.

But why is it on my radar? After a long, two-year major renovation, the Park Hyatt Tokyo, made famous by Lost In Translation, is finally reopening. Even if you don’t stay, it’s welcoming visitors to have cocktails at the New York Grill & Bar on the 52nd floor at night. The same softly playing jazz, city lights stretching as far as you can see. It’s cinematic in the best way.

Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi has always had a glam factor, but now it’s having a full-on cultural renaissance, bringing it to a whole new level. The Saadiyat Cultural District alone is apparently worth the flight. The Louvre Abu Dhabi, with its stunning floating dome, is already a jaw-dropper; the new Zayed National Museum just opened with its fascinating falcon-wing architecture, and because I’m a history nerd, the Grand Egyptian Museum isn’t the only historical museum making headlines. The Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi and the digital art museum are both drawing big buzz.

The one can’t miss, according to many, is wandering through the Louvre Abu Dhabi. It’s one of the rare spaces where the architecture is as genuinely impressive as the art inside. The way the latticed dome filters sunlight into the galleries is magical. If you want to do it in style, the St. Regis Saadiyat Island Resort puts you right in the heart of it all. Really, the reason this one made my list is the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi opening later this year.

Puglia, Italy

The heel of Italy’s boot has a reputation for making people feel like they’ve found something most people haven’t. Trulli houses dotting the Itria Valley, olive groves that are centuries old, beaches that are truly turquoise, and food that is simple, perfect, and entirely unforgettable. It’s the type of travel that rewards visitors for slowing down. Puglia is one of the rare places where a return visit deepens the experience. You see it differently the second and third time, find the hidden corners, and start to feel like a local. Whether it’s a first trip or a long-awaited return, the can’t miss is the Valle d’Itria, where the iconic white truly of Alberobello and the beautifully preserved towns of Locorotondo and Cisternino make every photo feel like it’s not even real.

Antwerp, Belgium

Antwerp is a design lover’s best-kept secret. It’s often skipped for Brussels, Paris, or Amsterdam, and that’s honestly everyone’s loss. Belgium’s second city has always had serious creative credentials. It is, of course, the city that gave way to the Antwerp Six, the boundary-pushing group of fashion designers, including Dries Van Noten, who put Belgian fashion on the global map during the 1980s. That spirit never left. A new generation of artists and innovators has been driving the city’s creative scene today, and the tourism has followed suit. New hotels like August and Botanic Sanctuary Antwerp, a real former medieval monastery, are the kind of places you want to check into and never leave.

The must-see is Kanaal, a remarkable Alex Vervoordt-envisioned complex where canal-side industrial warehouses and concrete grain silos have been transformed into a series of ateliers, galleries, and creative headquarters. It’s the kind of space that makes you feel like you’re seeing something before the rest of the world has the opportunity to catch on. Add in Michelin-starred dining, incredible chocolate, and diamond heritage, and Antwerp delivers on every level.

Assisi, Italy

800 years of history, one very special year. Assisi is one of those places that’s been on my list for a while for a few reasons. Assisi is the kind of hill town that looks like it was painted, not built. All stone and winding alleys and views over the Umbrian valley that make you stop mid-step. This year it becomes even more special because 2026 marks the 800th anniversary of the death of St. Francis, Assisi’s most beloved son, and the entire town is celebrating with a year of events, exhibits, and experiences that won’t happen again in our lifetimes.

The highlight of the celebrations is the rare display of St. Francis’s remains to the public through late March, a moment that bears historical weight. In May, the Calendimaggio festival brings the medieval streets to life with music, theater, and processions. The recommendation I saw the most, and the can’t miss, was the 2.5-mile hike up to the Eremo Delle Carceri, the mountain monastery where St. Francis prayed and the grotto where he slept. And the Rocca Maggiore, the 14th-century fortress at the top of the town, offers 360-degree views of the Umbrian countryside that are “unreasonably gorgeous.”

Pack Your Bags

If this list has anything in common, other than being covered in art and culture, it’s that each of these places is offering something in 2026 that goes beyond the usual travel focus. It’s not just “it’s beautiful, and the food is good,” although, yes, to all of that. Its openings, anniversaries, celebrations, and cultural moments are genuinely time-stamped to right now. Obviously, I can’t do all of these in one year, maybe not even a couple. I’m a person, not a travel journalist with a very generous expense account, but a girl can dream, plan, and at a minimum start a very detailed bucket list, dream board.

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