Travel in 2026 is less about distance and more about intention. After years of fast itineraries and crowded “must-see” lists, the trips we’re craving now are slower, richer and rooted in experience. We want journeys that teach us something, shift our perspective, or simply allow us to be present in a way everyday life rarely does.

From small-town escapes to big-sky spectacles, these are the experiences shaping how — and why — we travel next.

1. Townsize Your Next Escape

Big cities will always have their pull, but there’s something quietly luxurious about going smaller. Townsizing means choosing places where everyday life becomes your itinerary — morning markets, familiar faces, unhurried walks. Think Siwa Oasis in Egypt with its palm groves and shaded courtyards, Rye in England’s storybook lanes, or coastal Maine towns where lobster rolls and harbour benches set the pace.

2. Travel To Change How You See Something Familiar

Some of the most rewarding trips don’t introduce something entirely new — they reframe what you thought you already understood. That might mean seeing Paris through neighbourhood rituals rather than landmarks, experiencing Rome as a living food culture rather than an open-air museum, or understanding Dublin through its social history and local storytelling. These experiences aren’t about producing something or ticking off a skill; they’re about perspective. You return home noticing the everyday a little differently — and that shift often lasts far longer than the trip itself.

3. Learn A Regional Craft With A Sense Of Place

There’s growing appeal in learning a craft that belongs exactly where you are. In Portugal, azulejo workshops reveal the stories behind tiles that shape entire streetscapes. In Morocco, ceramic and zellige sessions uncover geometry and patience passed down through generations. In Scandinavia, weaving and wood-carving are inseparable from landscape and heritage. These experiences aren’t about perfection — they’re about slowing down and making something meaningful by hand.

4. Travel For Ancient Rituals Still Practised Today

Some of the most powerful travel moments come from witnessing traditions that haven’t been reinvented for visitors. Fire festivals in Shetland, solstice celebrations across Scandinavia, Semana Santa processions in southern Spain or tea ceremonies in China all offer a sense of continuity that feels grounding in a fast-moving world. You’re not watching a performance — you’re stepping briefly into something that exists with or without you.

5. Build A Trip Around Water Culture

Water is increasingly shaping how we travel. Nordic sauna culture in Finland and Sweden, hammams in Istanbul and Morocco, and hot-spring towns across Italy and France centre days around ritual, rhythm and rest. Heat, cold, conversation and stillness become the structure of the trip. It’s wellness without buzzwords — deeply local, deeply human.

6. Follow Your Appetite On A Food Tour

Food tours have evolved into cultural deep-dives. In Brixton, African and Caribbean routes explore food through community and history. In Seattle’s Pike Place Market, chef-led tours unlock stories behind the stalls. In Paris, neighbourhood walks turn this familiar city into something new again. This is about understanding a place through taste, context and connection — not just eating well, but eating wisely.

Explore through culture and history in Brixton

7. Travel For A Festival, Not A Landmark

Festivals turn trips into moments. Holi in India fills streets with colour and music, while Alpine Krampus parades bring folklore to life in Austria and Germany with fire, costume and theatrical energy. They’re busy and unpredictable — but that’s the point. You’re seeing a place at its most alive, not at its most curated.

8. See A City In Motion On A Running Tour

Running tours slip you into a city’s rhythm before the crowds arrive. In Barcelona, routes pass from waterfront paths into medieval streets; in Paris, sunrise runs skim bridges while the city wakes. It’s active, intimate and surprisingly revealing — like borrowing a local’s routine for an hour.

9. Let A Brilliant Walking Tour Change Your Mind

The best walking tours go far beyond sightseeing. They reveal hidden courtyards, layered histories and everyday details you’d never spot alone. Whether it’s Berlin’s backstreets, Melbourne’s street-art lanes or a deeply human perspective on London, the right guide can change how you see a city entirely.

10. Make Sound The Star Of Your Art Trip

Art doesn’t have to be silent. In Berlin and Montreal, sound-based installations and festivals treat audio as architecture — immersive, physical and emotionally charged. These are experiences you feel as much as hear, redefining what galleries and performance spaces can be.

11. Plan A Trip Around A Total Solar Eclipse

On 12 August 2026, a total solar eclipse will pass over northern Spain. Experiencing it from a city like Bilbao — with riverside viewpoints, contemporary architecture and a strong food scene — turns a fleeting astronomical moment into a deeply shared memory. It’s travel with a deadline, and that’s part of the magic.

12. Follow Filming Trails From Scotland And Beyond

Screen tourism is growing up. Glasgow’s streets and Victorian architecture continue to double for other worlds, while nearby landscapes offer instant cinematic drama. From there, film-led travel can expand outward — letting stories guide you, but staying long enough to discover the place beyond the frame.

13. Watch The Winter Olympics In Italy

The 2026 Winter Olympics will spotlight Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, blending alpine spectacle with Italian style. Even beyond the games, the Dolomites offer year-round appeal — mountain villages, dramatic hikes and food traditions shaped by landscape.

14. Ride A Scenic Railway Through New Zealand

Some landscapes are best seen in motion. New Zealand’s scenic rail routes glide through farmland, coastlines and glacier-carved valleys, turning the journey itself into the experience. Pair rail days with hikes and geothermal sites for a trip that feels both restful and expansive.

15. Go Beyond Machu Picchu In Peru

Machu Picchu may be the headline, but Peru rewards a wider lens. Base yourself in Cusco and explore the Sacred Valley, Lake Titicaca and high-altitude communities where traditions remain deeply rooted. With access set to improve, 2026 is a pivotal year to experience the country with intention.

16. Reach A Summit Without Being A Mountaineer

You don’t need technical climbing skills to enjoy a mountaintop moment. From Table Mountain above Cape Town to accessible peaks across the US and Europe, manageable trails still deliver sweeping views and that quiet sense of achievement.

17. Try Glacier Hiking Before Routes Shift

Stepping onto ancient ice feels otherworldly. In Patagonia, Iceland and beyond, guided glacier hikes take you across landscapes shaped over millennia — but changing conditions mean some routes may not last. This is a now-or-never experience.

18. Trek Volcanic Paths In Greece

Volcanic landscapes bring drama underfoot. Santorini’s caldera trails, Nisyros’s steaming craters and post-hike hot springs turn a simple walk into an elemental experience that connects you directly to the land.

19. Dive Into The World’s Coral Reefs

Reefs are among the planet’s most extraordinary ecosystems. With restoration and conservation efforts accelerating, 2026 offers meaningful opportunities to snorkel and dive responsibly — learning not just what makes reefs beautiful, but what keeps them alive.

20. Go Whale Watching During Peak Migrations

Watching whales surface in open water is quietly awe-inspiring. Coastlines in Baja California, Western Australia and South Africa offer peak migration moments that feel cinematic without being staged — provided you choose ethical operators.

21. Discover The Gentle Joy Of Birdwatching

Birdwatching slows travel right down. Puffins in Iceland, kiwis on Stewart Island, or estuary birds near major cities reward patience and presence. With the right guide, it’s accessible, absorbing and unexpectedly joyful.

22. Catch The Northern Lights While They’re Strong

With heightened solar activity, 2026 is an ideal year to chase the aurora. Iceland, Finnish Lapland and Tromsø combine long winter nights with daytime adventures, ensuring the trip feels magical whether the lights appear or not.

23. Make Your Accommodation Part Of The Experience

Where you sleep can shape how you remember a trip. Ice hotels in Sweden, cave hotels in Cappadocia or jungle lodges in Costa Rica turn rest into an experience — not a pause between activities.

24. Sleep Under Desert Stars

Spending the night in the desert transforms a day trip into something deeper. From luxury domes to traditional camps, sleeping beneath vast skies brings silence, stargazing and sunrise moments that reset perspective.

25. Mark America’s 250th Anniversary In Washington, DC

Milestone years change a city’s energy. With the US marking 250 years since independence, Washington, DC becomes a place to experience history as something living — through exhibitions, events and the stories woven into its streets.

26. Choose A Proper SWITCH OFF

Switching off is no longer accidental — it’s intentional. Remote islands, quiet coastlines and less-visited corners of familiar places offer space to reconnect with nature and yourself. Replace notifications with walking, swimming, reading and long meals. The reward is clarity.

The best trips in 2026 won’t be defined by how far you travel, but by how deeply you experience a place. Learn something, witness something, slow down somewhere unexpected. Choose at least one journey that gives you more than photographs — one that genuinely stays with you.

The 26 Best Travel Experiences To Shape Your 2026