National Geographic revealed the top 25 best places in the world to travel to in 2026.
The list is compiled from picks by “National Geographic’s global community of explorers, photographers, and editors.”
The 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,” National Geographic reported.
Locations in the U.S. on the list
Within the list, there are hard-to-reach locations like Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park in Australia, but it also includes easier to navigate spots like Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
“When one of the world’s most trusted travel authorities puts Pittsburgh on the same list as the planet’s most extraordinary destinations, travelers take notice,” Anne Ryan, the deputy secretary of tourism for Pennsylvania, said in a press release, per CBS News. “This is the kind of global spotlight that turns curiosity into bookings — and we’re ready to welcome the world to experience Pittsburgh."
In the West, the Badlands of North Dakota got a shining moment as a highlight.
Editors detailed a reason to go for each location, and for the Badlands, National Geographic writes, “The Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library reflects a complex man — and an enigmatic landscape."
The third and final U.S. location on the list was Maui, Hawaii.
Here’s the full list of National Geographic’s Best of the World:
- The Dolomites, Milan, Italy
- Québec, Canada
- Beijing, China
- Dominica
- Rabat, Morocco
- Hull, Yorkshire, England
- North Dakota Badlands, U.S.
- Manila, Philippines
- Black Sea Coast, Türkiye
- Khiva, Uzbekistan
- Akagera National Park, Rwanda, East Africa
- Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Yamagata Prefecture, Japa
- Route 66: Oklahoma, U.S.
- Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, Australia
- Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Oulu, Finland
- South Korea
- Guimarães, Portugal
- Basque Country, Spain
- Maui, Hawaii, U.S.
- Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.
- Coastal Oaxaca (Costa Chica), Mexico
- Fiji
- Medellín, Colombia
- Reader’s Choice Winner: Banff, Canada