Top 26 travel destinations of 2026

Looking for your next big city adventure or relaxing beach getaway? From urban oases to under-the-radar escapes, here’s where people are traveling in 2026 — and where you can go too.

Based on the latest travel trends and Citi booking data, we’ve picked 26 places to put on your radar for the year ahead. Each destination is matched to a different travel style, so whether you’re craving your next adventure abroad or a weekend wellness retreat, your 2026 itinerary starts here. 

Value traveler

Max out your experience — not your credit card.

• Lisbon, Portugal – Lisbon has been on travelers’ radars for years as a low-cost European destination — and for good reason. Here in Portugal’s capital city, you can visit opulent UNESCO World Heritage Sites like Jerónimos Monastery for less than €20, ride iconic yellow trams around the city for €3.10, and end your day with dinner and wine at a tasca (a family-run bistro) for roughly €10–€15. Even though the city is a favorite for budget-conscious international visitors, it offers plenty of ways to splurge, whether it’s dining at one of the city’s Michelin-starred restaurants or upgrading to a luxury hotel stay.

• Bellingham, Washington – Situated right on Bellingham Bay, with views of the Cascade Mountains beyond, Bellingham offers a taste of Washington’s stunning natural beauty and vibrant arts scene — without Seattle’s sky-high prices. The city is full of free and low-cost things to do, especially if you like getting outside. Think inexpensive kayak rentals, free outdoor concerts and lush public spaces like Whatcom Falls Park that will make you forget you’re just minutes from the city center. For a $10 day trip with million-dollar views, take the Lummi Island Ferry across the bay to relax on secluded beaches before catching the sunset over Mount Baker.

• Austin, Texas – Austin has been growing rapidly over the past decade, but it still has plenty of Texas-sized charm. The city offers incredible value to travelers who want an urban escape with all of the fixings — a smoking hot culinary scene, live music, creative culture — minus the major expense. In Austin, you can grab 5-star bites from award-winning food trucks like La Santa Barbacha or KG BBQ, then head out to enjoy free activities like window shopping for cowboy boots or watching the bats take flight from the Congress Avenue Bridge at sunset.

Bucket lister

Go big. Dream bigger.

• Paris, France – Few cities capture the imagination quite like Paris. In the age of social media, its aesthetic appeal helps it loom large as an aspirational destination — especially if you’re ready to step into your “main character energy.” Timeless attractions like the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre will continue to top any bucket list in 2026 and make the visit worth the wait. 

• Tromsø, Norway – You may not have heard of Tromsø, but chances are you’re familiar with its claim to fame. Thanks to its northern location and dark skies, this Arctic city is widely regarded as one of the best places in the world to see the northern lights. Visit between August and April to cross the Aurora Borealis off your bucket list, or double down on once-in-a-lifetime experiences by looking for wild humpback whales and orcas off the coast of Tromsø between November and January.

• Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – If you’re only going to one party this year, make it Carnival in Rio. Expect larger-than-life floats and dancers in dazzling costumes parading through the Sambadrome, plus hundreds of epic street parties, or blocos, that keep the celebration going for days. With this year’s rise in event-centered travel, you’ll be in good company with other travelers coming to experience this bucket-list worthy festival.

• New York, New York – This city is the ultimate canvas for a once-in-a-lifetime trip. TikTok-trending content of intimate rooftop lounges and Chinatown food crawls are keeping pace with classic experiences like Broadway shows and museum passes, helping first-time visitors do New York, their way. For eligible Citi cardholders, it’s an ideal place to live it up by activating perks like eligible hotel room upgrades and your $100 experience credit when you book a hotel from The Reserve.

Authentic explorer

Go beyond the tourist trail.

• Mexico City, Mexico – It’s no secret that Mexico City is considered a culinary and cultural capital. But this year, its rise to prominence can be clearly traced through social media. Browse Reddit threads for direct access to the latest local insights or plan your day around TikTok-famous taco spots like El Califa de León. While classic Mexico City attractions like the Frida Kahlo Museum and Chapultepec Castle will never go out of style, the urban boundary is densely packed with enough hidden gems to easily fill an itinerary based solely on social media recommendations. 

• Nashville, Tennessee – Nashville’s soul is its legendary music scene, but there’s more to Music City than just music — and visitors are starting to take notice. Travel to Nashville is expected to keep rising in 2026 as people seek cultural experiences that can’t be found anywhere else. So go ahead and strap on your cowboy boots to enjoy Nashville like a local, whether you’re trying the original hot chicken sandwich or seeing the next big country music star perform at a crowded bar on Lower Broadway.

• Chicago, Illinois – When it comes to authentic travel, nowhere beats Midwest charm. Chicago’s affordable luxury, food-forward social scene and walkable neighborhoods are wooing visitors in search of new cultural experiences. Piece together a low-key itinerary full of local-approved moments like taking a water taxi across town or searching for the best Italian beef. All you need is an appetite and a sense of adventure — the city will handle the rest.

• New Orleans, Louisiana – With its rich jazz heritage, distinct food scene, and historic architecture, New Orleans is gaining fresh attention as a top destination for cultural immersion. Drinking a few too many hurricanes on Bourbon Street before grabbing beignets from Café du Monde is basically a rite of passage for first timers. But to experience NOLA like a local, skip the main drag and head to neighborhood jazz clubs on Frenchmen Street, take a cooking class to learn how to make the perfect gumbo, or explore the city’s thriving arts scene at its many museums.

Romantic

Get swept away together.

• Amsterdam, Netherlands – Amsterdam might fly under the radar, but it’s quietly one of Europe’s coziest cities. A little slower, a little sweeter — it invites you to linger. Share a coffee and stroopwafel by the canals, explore the cobblestone corners of de Jordaan, or take a scenic ride to windmill-dotted villages just outside the city.

• Sonoma County, California – Drive an hour north of San Francisco and watch as the city melts away into the rolling hills of Sonoma wine country. Quieter and slower than nearby Napa Valley, Sonoma is made for romance. Duck into wineries and boutiques in the artist communities tucked away on the Russian River like Healdsburg and Guerneville, or explore hidden beaches and rocky tidepools lining the Sonoma coast.

• Palma de Mallorca, Spain – Palma de Mallorca offers the best of a Spanish vacation and an island escape. In other words, go there for tapas and sangria on the beach, without Barcelona’s crowds. Palma’s old town is made up of narrow cobblestone streets punctuated by lively plazas that are perfect for lazy, meandering afternoons. Thanks to the island’s small size, day trips to wine country, beaches, and historical towns give you low-stress options for spicing up your itinerary.

History buff

Travel back in time.

• Dubrovnik, Croatia – Dubrovnik is proof that “old” doesn’t have to be stuffy. Take the UNESCO-listed Old City, for instance, which dates back to the 13th century, yet still hosts revelers streaming into the streets in the wee hours of the morning. Walk along the medieval fortified walls for panoramic views of the city and the sea beyond, or take a guided tour to learn more about the wars, empires and refugees that shaped Dubrovnik’s 1,400-year-old history.

• Washington, D.C. – Boasting one of the highest concentrations of museums of any U.S. city, Washington, D.C. is the place to go if history and culture are calling your name. As you might expect from the U.S. capital, many of the museums and memorials in D.C. focus on American history, including the National Archives, where you can see the Declaration of Independence, Constitution and Bill of Rights. You don’t need to stock up on museum tickets to get a sense of D.C.’s historic significance, though. In between visiting big-name destinations, stroll through the city’s more than 30 historic districts or eat lunch at 18th-century taverns popular among the country’s founders.

• Boston, Massachusetts – One foot in the past and one in the future, Boston is home to U.S. history and cutting-edge advancements in technology alike, along with a growing culinary and cultural scene. You can walk the Freedom Trail to relive the American Revolution by day and explore trendy restaurants in the Seaport District by night. Plus, the city’s small and walkable downtown makes it a good pick for an action-packed weekend escape.

• Jeonju, South Korea – Jeonju is only two hours from Seoul by high-speed train, but visiting Jeonju Hanok Heritage Village feels like stepping into another world. The village boasts more than 800 historically preserved homes, in addition to traditional craft workshops, museums, and shrines and temples that are hundreds of years old. For the full experience, spend the night in a hanok to get a sense of what life was like before industrialization.

Wellness seeker

Make room for rest and relaxation, not just reservations.

• Essaouira, Morocco – Essaouira is a city that begs you to slow down. Linger over a glass of mint tea and freshly caught fish grilled to order. Meander past stalls brimming with spices and olives in the UNESCO-listed medina. Unwind at a traditional hammam spa and bathhouse. Spend an evening watching the sunset over the sand dunes. The coastal city is less than three hours away from Marrakech, so visitors to Morocco don’t need to travel too far out of their way to seek serenity.

• Reykjavik, Iceland – If your idea of wellness looks like chasing waterfalls by day and soaking in thermal springs by night, you’ll feel right at home in Reykjavik. The city is growing in popularity among travelers who want to disconnect from health trends and get back to the roots of wellbeing, like slowing down, spending time in nature, and connecting with community through traditional rituals. It doesn’t hurt that many of those rituals happen to include lounging in mineral pools with epic views.

• Miami, Florida – Miami’s lesser-known wellness side is quietly thriving, with days spent on sunny beaches, relaxing spa visits and hotels with resort-style perks. Just a short flight from the urban Northeast Corridor, it’s a top pick for a warm weekend escape in 2026.

• Los Angeles, California - No one does wellness like L.A. Here, you’ll find people diving into all the latest health trends, from “wellness girly” influencers taking shots of colostrum to wellness clubs where you can follow your cold plunge with an IV vitamin infusion. L.A. is also a jumping off point for wellness destinations outside the city limits, like desert full moon retreats near Joshua Tree and seaside spa getaways in Malibu.

Adventurer

Find your next thrill.

• Patagonia, Argentina and Chile - Long heralded as a beacon for outdoor adventure, Patagonia continues to delight and challenge anyone in search of type two fun. The region is packed with natural beauty, from bucket-list destinations like the Perito Moreno Glacier and Mount Fitz Roy to lesser-known alpine lakes and rugged trails. While Los Glaciares and Torres del Paine National Park are veritable playgrounds for thrill seekers, the region’s massive scale helps to hide any crowds — so you can still get a taste of solitude.

• Tokyo, Japan – Tokyo continues to climb global destination lists for 2026, thanks in part to its popularity among Gen Z travelers in search of cultural adrenaline. Viral clips of “only-in-Tokyo” moments like finding pocket-sized ramen shops or strutting across Shibuya Crossing are exploding across TikTok and Pinterest, highlighting the city’s high-energy atmosphere and ample opportunities for discovery. AI planning tools are also helping to break down cultural and linguistic barriers and putting Tokyo back on the radar for travelers who seek both structure and serendipity.

• Boulder, Colorado – This cool Colorado town is smaller than nearby Denver, but it serves as a gateway for big adventures in Rocky Mountain National Park and beyond. Even without leaving the city limits, you can find your next thrill — whether it’s a scenic hike at Chautauqua Park, mountain biking at Betasso Preserve or a classic climb in the Flatirons. 

• Key West, Florida – The allure of Key West lies in its bohemian island vibes and laid-back attitude, all contained on tiny isles floating within the turquoise gulf. The adventure begins on the drive in as you cross the famous Seven Mile Bridge stretching between the Middle and Lower Keys. Once you arrive, water sports are where it’s at. Spend your days deep sea fishing, snorkeling, kayaking, or looking out for wildlife like bottlenose dolphins, sea turtles and manatees at the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.

Start planning now

Ready to book your next trip? At Citi Travel^®, we’re here to help you at every step of your journey. 

Disclosure: This article is for educational purposes. It is not intended to provide legal, investment, or financial advice and is not a substitute for professional advice. It does not indicate the availability of any Citi product or service. For advice about your specific circumstances, you should consult a qualified professional.

Citi Travel is powered by Rocket Travel by Agoda.

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