In 2026, travel will no longer be a question of distance, but of feeling. Travelers will increasingly choose places that offer retreat, peace and space to relax, rather than destinations that only fill social media. These are the most desirable destinations of 2026!
The most desirable destinations 2026: The year 2026 brings a noticeable shift in the way we travel. After years of intensive tourism, quick getaways and constant accessibility, interest is increasingly turning to destinations that offer a calm rhythm and a sense of space. Travelers are no longer just looking for new places, but for an experience that allows for a true break from everyday dynamics.
Search analysis published by Expedia, reveals ten destinations, which travelers most often book at the beginning of the year.
Islands, countryside, smaller towns and regions where the experience is still connected to the local environment. The year 2026 thus confirms the shift from mass tourism to a more personal experience of the world.
The most desirable destinations 2026
Europe is returning to the countryside and regions with character. The English Cotswolds and French Savoy prove that modern luxury is often associated with simplicity.
Elsewhere, destinations stand out, offering space and nature without a sense of remoteness, from the American expanses to the Pacific coasts and island Asia. The list works in a balanced, almost thoughtful way, as a response to fatigue from fast, expendable travel.
1. Big Sky, Montana, USA
Big Sky, Montana, is that part of America where the mountains seem to be purposely placed to “reset” your head. It’s an alpine destination on a grand scale: legendary ski terrain and serious winter infrastructure on one side, and endless hiking and biking trails, rafting, fishing, and evenings when the sky turns colors so dramatically that your phone almost seems like an insult in the summer.
The village is small but cozy – mountain chic enough to get a good coffee and a good dinner, but raw enough that every glance towards the peaks reminds you why you came: for space, silence and a sense of freedom. Big Sky’s biggest asset is its location – it’s close to Yellowstone, but without its crowds; you get wilderness, but not the feeling of being cut off from the world. If you’re looking for a destination where nature is the main attraction and for you the luxury of being able to breathe deeply, Big Sky is the place to be.
BOOK NOW: BIG SKY, MONTANA, USA2. Okinawa, Japan
Okinawa is Japan that has “unplugged” from the stereotype a bit: instead of neon and subways, you get island life, turquoise seas, and a pace that almost steals your watch from your wrist. It’s an archipelago in the far south of the country, where Asian culture is intertwined with a subtropical atmosphere and the history of the former Ryukyu Kingdom – meaning that as you stroll through the markets, castle ruins, and coastal villages, you’ll feel like you’re in Japan and somewhere completely different at the same time.
The beaches are photogenic (and often surprisingly peaceful), the snorkeling and diving are top-notch thanks to the coral reefs, and the food is a reason to come back for a second time: from fresh seafood to Okinawan classics that you'll never be able to recreate as well at home. Okinawa is also great for people who don't want a "just lie down" vacation - you can explore natural parks, hidden coves, caves and viewpoints, and in the evening catch a sunset that's more cinematic than Instagram. If you're looking for a destination where you can get exotic without feeling too far from comfort, and where Japan shows you its more relaxed, seaside side, Okinawa is a dangerously good idea.
3. Sardinia, Italy
Sardinia is that part of Italy that offers you the Caribbean blue and the ancient, almost mystical interior in one breath – as if someone had put luxurious beaches, wild mountains and a stubborn island soul on the same island. The coast is the reason to stay in the first place: bays with white sand, rock formations, water through which you can see to the bottom, and small fishing villages where lunch is still sacred. Then Sardinia quickly lures you away from the sunbed – into the hills, along serpentines to viewpoints, into stone villages and on walks among the nuraghi (ancient stone towers), where history does not show off, but quietly “weights” with the feeling that you are in a place that is older than the tourist brochures.
The food is simple and honest: freshly caught fish, pasta with local character, sheep's cheeses, wine to sip slowly, and desserts that are dangerously good for every "just one bite." The best part? Sardinia can be glamorous if that's what you're looking for (hello, Costa Smeralda), but it's even more beautiful when you experience it more at home - with a rental car, a little curiosity, and enough time to catch the evenings when the sea calms, the air smells of Mediterranean scrub, and you think, "Ah, that's why people come here every year."
4. Phu Quoc, Vietnam
Phu Quoc is Vietnam in a way that you immediately start to like suspiciously: a tropical island in the Gulf of Thailand, where days start with the sea looking like a filter and end with sunsets that convince you that life without rushing is a perfectly legitimate plan. The main attraction is the beaches – from long, soft stretches of sand to small coves where the water becomes so transparent that you feel like you’re swimming in an aquarium (only without the glass and the entrance fee). But Phu Quoc is not just a “sunbed destination”: inland there are jungles, walking paths, viewpoints and corners where you still feel like you’re on an island, not in a tourist park.
The food here is dangerously compelling – fresh fish, seafood, Vietnamese soups, street food, and the kind of dinner where you order “just a little something” and end up with a table full of plates. The special charm is that you get the exotic without the constant feeling of effort: the infrastructure is comfortable enough to afford a peaceful vacation, but at the same time the island still offers authenticity – local markets, fishing scenes, and that relaxed rhythm where no one makes a drama out of being in a swimsuit at 11 am. If you want a tropical getaway where the sea is the main star, but at the same time has enough of a “Vietnam vibe” to feel like you’ve really traveled somewhere, Phu Quoc is a very serious candidate for your next passport stamp.
5. Savoy, France
Savoie is the part of France where the Alps don't get fancy - they just stand there, huge, dramatic and a little shamelessly beautiful, as a backdrop for the best version of your holiday. It's a destination that has two speeds: in winter it pulls you into a world of big-name skiers and endless pistes (from "serious" high-altitude terrain to family-friendly slopes), and in summer it transforms into a paradise for hiking, mountain biking, via ferratas and slow rides on passes where every bend feels like a postcard.
In between, you get lakes and the thermal charm of towns like Chambéry or Aix-les-Bains on Lake Bourget, where you can sweat on the climb one day and soak like someone who has discovered the secret of life the next. Savoy is also culinary dangerous: fondue, raclette, tartiflette, cheeses like Beaufort and local wines with an Alpine character make “just salad” a theory without evidence. But the best thing about it all is the feeling that luxury here is actually simple: clean air, the silence of the forests, the sound of bells in the pastures and evenings in a mountain hut, where the day ends with a fire in the fireplace and they think that one should live like this for at least one week a year. If you are looking for Alpine France, which can be wild, comfortable and authentically “mountainous”, Savoy is exactly that.
6. Fort Walton Beach, Florida
Fort Walton Beach, Florida, is the kind of seaside getaway that gives you a “postcard” look without the drama: white, almost sugar-soft sand, warm Gulf of Mexico waters, and colors that make you understand why this stretch of coast is called the Emerald Coast. The town is laid-back enough to make you feel like a local the second day, yet organized enough to have everything within reach—from long walks along the water to dinners where fresh fish is more the rule than a happy coincidence.
Fort Walton Beach is great for families, couples, and anyone who wants the beach without the “Miami energy”: beach during the day, SUP or kayak in calmer waters, a boat trip to watch dolphins, and in the evening, the sunset gives you the perfect excuse to stay outside for another hour. But if lying around isn’t enough for you, there’s Okaloosa Island, nearby Destin for a bit more hustle and bustle, aquarium attractions, and museums that surprise you with stories about aviation and local history. In short: Fort Walton Beach is like the Florida coast in a “friendly way” – beautiful enough to pamper you, and unpretentious enough to really relax.
7. Ucluelet, Canada
Ucluelet on Vancouver Island, Canada, is a place where the ocean doesn't whisper, it speaks in capital letters—in the waves, the fog, the scent of cedar, and that special feeling of being on the edge of the world (in the most photogenic way possible). It's the Pacific coast at its wildest, most dramatic: black rocks, foaming seas, a rainforest that looks like the set of a survival movie, and hiking trails where every turn rewards you with another "wow, is this real?"
The most famous is the Wild Pacific Trail, which takes you just above the waves and among the old trees – ideal for slow walks, contemplating life and pretending you’re the main character in a Scandinavian noir, only with a better jacket. Ucluelet is also a great base for spotting whales, sea otters, eagles and anything else that reminds us that nature is not a decoration, but the boss. And when you get back to the village, you get just the right amount of comfort: cozy cabins, warm cafes, fresh seafood and evenings when the rain is beating on the window and you’re grateful you’re not in a shopping mall. If you want a destination that both calms you and wakes you up – like a good espresso with a view of a storm – Ucluelet is almost the perfect choice.
8. Cotswolds, England
The Cotswolds in England are like a living postcard that has decided to stick to pastel tones: rolling hills, honey-yellow stone cottages, small villages with names that sound like characters from a British comedy, and the feeling that time moves politely here – without rushing. This is a destination for people who find luxury in the little things: a walk along country lanes between dry stone walls, a stop at a pub where a fire in the fireplace is almost mandatory, and a Sunday cream tea, where you quickly learn that debating whether the jam goes above or below the cream is a national sport.
The Cotswolds are ideal for leisurely exploration by car or on foot – you can visit a different village every day, each with its own little market, church, flowering gardens and that “I could live here” feeling (until you look at the property prices, of course). But it’s not all romance: there are great cycling and walking routes, historic houses, gardens, galleries and country hotels where you are pampered so discreetly that it feels like it’s completely normal. If you want an England that’s more Jane Austen than the hustle and bustle of London, and a holiday that leaves you returning home a little calmer and a little more “orderly”, the Cotswolds are a dangerously good choice.
9. San Miguel de Allende, Mexico
San Miguel de Allende is Mexico, dressed in colonial elegance and then winking at you over the rim of a glass of mezcal: cobblestone streets, houses in warm shades of ochre and terracotta, flowers hanging from balconies, and the feeling that you have landed in a city where “beauty” is the official language. The heart of the city is the historic center with the iconic pink church of Parroquia de San Miguel Arcángel, which shines so dramatically at night that even a film director would say “a little less, please” – but that is precisely its charm. San Miguel is full of galleries, small boutiques, art workshops and terrace restaurants, where dinner starts late and ends… well, when you remember that you still have plans tomorrow.
During the day, you can explore markets, museums, hidden courtyards and cafes where coffee is not just coffee, but a ritual; and if you fancy an escape from the city, there are nearby thermal springs and viewpoints that remind you that Mexico is also a landscape, not just a colour. The most compelling argument, however, is the atmosphere: San Miguel de Allende is romantic without kitsch, lively without chaos and “slow” enough to force you to put down your phone and start noticing the details – the light on the facades, the sound of street musicians, the laughter from a nearby terrace. If you are looking for a destination where you get culture, food, aesthetics and that feeling that you are on a journey, not a logistical project, San Miguel de Allende is a serious candidate for your next escape.
10. Hobart, Australia
Hobart is that part of Australia that feels like a well-kept secret: a port city in Tasmania where wilderness and urban charm go hand in hand as if it were the most normal thing in the world. On one side you have historic streets, old sandstone warehouses and cafes where coffee is a serious sporting issue; on the other side Mount Wellington (kunanyi/Mount Wellington) rises above the city and, within a 20-minute drive, gives you a view that makes you wonder if you're still in civilization.
Hobart is ideal for people who want a city with character: in the morning you can hit the famous Salamanca Market, where you can smell the local food and the sea, in the afternoon you can explore the galleries (yes, even MONA can be quite “mind-bending”), and in the evening you can end up in some small restaurant where the focus is on fresh Tasmanian ingredients – seafood, cheeses, wines and everything that grows or swims in the area. The best part is the pace: Hobart is not Sydney and it’s not at all ashamed of it – it’s calmer, more authentic and more “breathable”, which means you’re really relaxing, not just changing scenery. If you want an Australian destination that’s simultaneously culinary, cultural and naturally spectacular, without too much tourist hype, Hobart is a great reminder that sometimes the best places aren’t the biggest – but the ones where everything is just right.
