John Metcalfe The Mercury News (TNS)
Every year, the entire staff of National Geographic — writers, explorers, photographers — get together to decide the best places to visit in the year to come.
It’s like the world’s most qualified travel company is giving you advice for free. Getting there, now that will cost you – although for 2026’s picks, some destinations for U.S. residents are easier to reach than you might think.
“Our annual Best of the World feature will inspire you to explore Spain’s Basque Country beyond a total solar eclipse, hike a coast-to-coast trail in South Korea, plan a road trip on America’s iconic Route 66, or celebrate 800 years of maritime history in England,” write the magazine’s staff.
Domestically, places that made the list include Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (impressive arts and culture); Maui, Hawaii (recovering after the 2023 wildfires) and the Badlands of North Dakota (the soon-to-open Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library). In no particular order, here are some other destinations on the magazine’s list of 25.
National Geographic’s best places in the world to travel to in 2026
1 The Dolomites, Milan, Italy
2 Vancouver, Canada
3 Beijing, China
4 Rabat, Morocco
5 Hull, Yorkshire, England
6 Manila, Philippines
7 Akagera National Park, Rwanda
8 Oulu, Finland
9 Route 66, Oklahoma
10 Coastal Oaxaca, Mexico
Source: nationalgeographic.com/travel/article/best-of-the-world-2026
