Winter can be a gruelling season: the frost is settling in, you’ve had to turn on your heating reluctantly, and the days are getting shorter and shorter. But do not despair, as the next few months of hibernation are the perfect time to start planning your 2026 holidays. Trust us: it’s a sure-fire way to banish those winter blues.
If you’re still stuck, though, then National Geographic has done you a solid, as it’s named the best travel destinations to visit next year. The travel mag’s explorers, photographers and editors have travelled far and wide to pick the 25 top holiday spots. There are some unusual offerings in the list, ideal if you want to avoid the crowds and visit somewhere more under the radar.
Among the mix is Hull in Yorkshire, England, which is finally getting its moment in the spotlight. While the Yorkshire port city gets a lot of bad rap, Nat Geo’s experts say it has a ‘laid-back charm [that’s] hard to resist’. Next summer in Hull, you’ll want to look out for the reopening of Hull Maritime Museum after a huge revamp. There, you’ll be able to marvel at the thousands of rehung artefacts and enter one of its iconic domes for the very first time.
Further afield, Nat Geo has singled out North Dakota’s Badlands as a must-visit destination. Why? Within the rugged landscape lies the new Three Affiliated Tribes National Park, the traditional home of three tribes. According to Nat Geo, visitors can ‘participate in photography workshops and Indigenous ranger-led hikes that explore the breathtakingly spare’ environment.
Other unmissable destinations on Nat Geo’s round-up include the coast of Oaxaca in Mexico, an amazing, beachy respite after the festivities of Day of the Dead; Beijing, with its imposing, ancient monuments; and the island paradise of Fiji. Read the full list below for more travel inspo.
The 25 best travel destinations in 2026, according to Nat Geo
- Akagera National Park, Rwanda, East Africa
- Basque Country, Spain
- Beijing, China
- Black Sea Coast, Turkey
- Coastal Oaxaca (Costa Chica), Mexico
- Dominica
- Fiji
- Guimarães, Portugal
- Hull, Yorkshire, England
- Khiva, Uzbekistan
- Manila, Philippines
- Maui, Hawaii, US
- Medellín, Colombia
- North Dakota Badlands, US
- Oulu, Finland
- Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, US
- Québec, Canada
- Rabat, Morocco
- Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Route 66: Oklahoma, US
- Dongseo Trail, South Korea
- The Dolomites, Milan, Italy
- Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, Australia
- Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Yamagata Prefecture, Japan
ICYMI: The best ‘set-jetting’ destinations for 2026 travel have been named.
Plus: These are the hotels that made the World’s 50 Best longlist for 2025.
Stay in the loop: sign up to our free Time Out UK newsletter for the latest UK news and the best stuff happening across the country.