January is the month for travel planning – we’ve all got a bit more time to evaluate where in the world we really want to visit in the upcoming year, and there’s shedloads of inspiration coming out of all the world’s most trusted travel publications.
Time Out has just unveiled its list of the best places to travel in 2026, all of them expertly selected by our writers and editors, but the New York Times has also weighed in with a sprawling, 52-strong list of enticing destinations.
Topping that list, ranking higher than Armenia (in 20), Assisi in Italy (32nd place) and Rio Pastaza Watershed in Ecuador (in 47th) is what the publication has dubbed ‘Revolutionary America’.
It’s the country’s 250th birthday, after all, and celebrations marking the anniversary will be held all over the States. There’ll be two new galleries and a red, white and blue to-do pomp and parade in Philadelphia (where the Declaration of Independence was born) to battle re-enactments in New Jersey and a very special July 4 concert on the lawn of the US Capitol.
But that’s not the only big birthday celebration on the list, as Route 66 also turns 100 this year. The centennial also featured on Time Out’s ranking of the 26 best new things to do in the world this year, and stops along the almost 4,000km highway will host road rallies, festivals of vintage cars, family-friendly activities and loads more, which all begins on April 30 in Missouri with a celebratory concert.
Looking for somewhere a little more off-the-beaten-track than the world’s most famous road? What about the Osa Peninsula in Costa Rica, fourth on the NYT’s roundup, which we recently named as the planet’s most underrated travel destination.
Recommended: The best places in the world to travel in 2026, according to Time Out’s editors.
‘Over two percent of the planet’s biodiversity is packed into this wild, remote corner of the country.’ said Time Out’s travel editor Grace Beard, ‘I spotted humpback whales leaping from Golfo Dulce, sloths clinging to the trees in Corcovado National Park, crocodiles lurking in mangrove mud beds, bands of coatis crossing the road, scarlet macaws and yellow-throated toucans soaring overhead – and so, so much more.’
According to the NYT, visitors should stop by Alma Cocina, a new farm-to-table restaurant in the nearby town of Uvita, and Mandala Ojochal, a dreamy boutique hotel, should be on your radar as a place to stay.
Bangkok also ranked well, claiming third place on the NYT’s list, and has apparently ‘been hard at work addressing its status as one of Asia’s least green cities. In the city centre, it’s now possible to walk between two central parks, Benjakitti and Lumphini, along a 20-acre green corridor featuring an array of sculptures. The city has also added a mile-long suspended walkway to Benjakitti Park that overlooks lotus ponds and mangrove forests.’
It’s also now home to Dib Bangkok, a slick new contemporary art gallery – the first of its kind in Thailand – which is home to works spanning 70 years and multiple continents.
These are the top 10 places to travel in 2026, according to the New York Times
- Revolutionary America
- Warsaw
- Bangkok
- Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica
- Bandhavgarh, India
- Dallas
- Oran, Algeria
- Route 66
- Saba, the Caribbean
- Poblenou, Barcelona
To view the full list, head to the New York Times website, and make sure to have a read of Time Out’s roundups of the world’s coolest neighbourhoods and streets for more travel inspiration.
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Plus: Bali, Marrakech and Sicily: The must-visit destinations for 2026, according to Rough Guides.
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