Cities<\/p>\n
\u201cPittsburgh is a favorite city of mine in America,\u201d says Lump. \u201cIt\u2019s an easy long weekend.\u201d This postindustrial city in Pennsylvania has a young, creative population and buzzing arts scene thanks to being a university town. Lump recommends its \u201cfantastic\u201d museums and \u201cfun neighborhoods\u201d with lots of quirky, independent shops.<\/p>\n
Medell\u00edn in Colombia and Rio de Janeiro in Brazil are the publisher\u2019s South American picks. Medell\u00edn is a great \u201ccomeback story,\u201d says Lump, with thriving art and culture, beautiful gardens and is \u201ca really vibrant destination.\u201d Rio, meanwhile, has new museum openings on the horizon and a new hiking trail up to the Christ the Redeemer statue.<\/p>\n
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The Air Guitar World Championship is one of Oulu’s cultural innovations. – snik2016\/iStock Editorial\/Getty Images<\/p>\n
The recommended cities in Europe are Oulu in Finland, Guimar\u00e3es in Portugal and Hull in England. Oulu has been chosen as a European Capital of Culture for 2026, while Guimar\u00e3es is the European Green Capital for the year ahead.<\/p>\n
\u201cPart of the fun of lists like this is to give people a reason\u201d to reconsider underrated destinations within their own countries, says Lump. Hull is much maligned on a domestic level \u2013 \u201cgrim,\u201d as his English friend said recently \u2013 but Lump says it\u2019s \u201csuper-important from a maritime perspective\u201d and has a \u201cgreat aquarium.\u201d<\/p>\n
Also on the 2026 list: Rabat in Morocco, Beijing in China and Manila in the Philippines.<\/p>\n
The path less traveled<\/p>\n
Sunseekers know all about the attractions of Turkey\u2019s Aegean and Mediterranean coastlines, but the Black Sea coast in the country\u2019s northeast offers a milder climate, spectacular scenery, architectural treasures and adventure travel without the crowds.<\/p>\n
Khiva is less well known than Samarkand and Bukhara, Uzbekistan\u2019s other Silk Road cities, but a new high-speed train service from Tashkent could be about to change that. National Geographic says visit this open-air museum city while you can.<\/p>\n
Most visitors to South Korea head to its urban centers, but hiking is on the rise. Large sections of the Dongseo Trail, a 527-mile route modeled after Spain\u2019s Camino de Santiago, are set to open in 2026. \u201cThey\u2019ve planned it out so thoughtfully,\u201d says Lump, \u201ceach section is basically a good day\u2019s hike.\u201d<\/p>\n
Yamagata Prefecture, about 200 miles north of Tokyo, is hailed as a respite from the tourist crowds with which Japan\u2019s more popular destinations are grappling. \u201cIt\u2019s a really beautiful part of the country,\u201d says Lump, with \u201cgreat interesting food and onsens and temples.\u201d<\/p>\n
Also on the 2026 list: Coastal Oaxaca in Mexico.<\/p>\n
Wildlife and wonder![\"What](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/9e121b7149f331b3ffce234c90731706.jpeg\"\/)
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What a corker! Dominica is known for its sperm whales. – Reinhard Dirscherl\/ullstein bild\/Getty Images<\/p>\n
Fans of large toothed predators rejoice: Dominica is on the cusp of establishing the world\u2019s first sperm whale reserve, with around 200 of the majestic beasts swimming its Caribbean waters year-round.<\/p>\n
Rwanda\u2019s Akagera National Park has been selected by National Geographic as somewhere to see the safari \u201cbig five\u201d (lions, leopards, rhinos, elephants and buffalo) but with much fewer humans spoiling your view.<\/p>\n
The Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library, designed by renowned Norwegian architectural firm Sn\u00f8hetta, will open in North Dakota\u2019s Badlands in July 2026, giving people another reason to visit this \u201chaunting, spare\u201d landscape, says Lump.<\/p>\n
Spain\u2019s Basque Country has made the list as one of the few places on land where phenomena enthusiasts should be able to see the total solar eclipse due next August 12.<\/p>\n
Starting in April, visitors to Australia\u2019s Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park will be able to stay overnight for the first time, stargazing by campfire by the world\u2019s largest monolith.<\/p>\n
For those who prefer their stars of the sporting variety, Vancouver in Canada and the Dolomites in Italy have been selected due to their status as hosts of the FIFA World Cup and Winter Olympics respectively.<\/p>\n
Also on the 2026 list: Qu\u00e9bec, Canada. <\/p>\n
Regeneration<\/p>\n
Maui is \u201cbouncing back\u201d after the wildfires that devastated the Hawaiian island in 2023 and \u201cit could be a really good time to think about going back there,\u201d says Lump. This isn\u2019t just about altruism, though. It\u2019s a wonderful chance to see once-crowded beaches on a more intimate scale and the island\u2019s top hotels have been introducing a host of exciting new guest experiences to entice visitors.<\/p>\n
The South Pacific archipelago of Fiji, with its 300-plus paradise islands, is \u201cmaking big strides in sustainable tourism,\u201d says National Geographic. Voluntourism opportunities abound, which makes those end-of-day cocktails by the sea even more satisfying.<\/p>\n
Finally, Oklahoma is getting spruced up for the 100th anniversary of Route 66, with the state investing more than $82 million invested in its 400-mile stretch of the iconic road. Says National Geographic, \u201cIt feels like there\u2019s a spectacle of relit neon signs, revived motor courts, and roadside attractions waiting around every bend.\u201d<\/p>\n
For more, visit National Geographic\u2019s Best of the World<\/a>.<\/p>\n