1. Sports fans: Italy, North America, Senegal
Sports fans have several excellent excuses to travel this year. First up is Italy, where the Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games take place in February and March, organised across a deliberately wide spread of venues in the north to draw attention to lesser-known mountain towns. Milan will host the opening and closing ceremonies as well as key indoor events, while the Dolomites — a Unesco World Heritage mountain range with towering limestone peaks — stage the alpine competitions, many of them centred on the resort town of Cortina d’Ampezzo. See milanocortina2026.org
Then, in June and July, the Fifa World Cup unfolds across North America, with matches in cities across Canada, the US and Mexico. For travellers, that opens up multiple routes into the tournament — from stadium seats to fan zones and public screenings. Vancouver, which will host seven matches, stands out for its compact layout, outdoor beauty and strong culture of public viewing, making it an appealing base even for those without tickets. In Mexico, where football culture runs deep, host cities will lean heavily into street-level celebrations and public viewing, offering a more immersive, festival-like way to experience the tournament. See fifa.com/worldcup
Meanwhile, Senegal will become the first African country to host an Olympic event when Dakar stages the Youth Olympic Games in November, a perfect excuse to see history in the making and explore the city’s markets, museums and dramatic coastline too. See olympics.com/en/olympic-games/dakar-2026
2. Road trippers: Route 66, US
Few journeys in travel lore are as iconic as Route 66, the highway that helped define the American open road. First designated in 1926, the route originally stretched nearly 4,000km from Chicago to Santa Monica, threading through eight states and countless communities. In 2026, it marks its centenary, with a coordinated series of celebrations, events and commemorative projects.
The party officially kicks off in Springfield, Missouri — often described as the birthplace of Route 66 — on April 30, before rolling out across the road’s eight states with festivals, parades, car rallies, art installations and historic restorations.
Oklahoma has the longest continuous stretch of Route 66 of any state, and local efforts have restored vintage neon signs, motels and roadside attractions that speak to the classic era of American motoring. Tulsa, which calls itself the Capital of Route 66, makes a good base for exploring this section, with its walkable downtown, independent shops and local museums. Other worthy stops include the giant soda bottle at Pops 66 in Arcadia, the Route 66 Museum in Clinton and a constellation of restored service stations and roadside curios that echo the muscle cars, diners and drive-ins of mid-century road travel. See route66centennial.org
3. Culture lovers: Oulu, Finland
This year’s European Capital of Culture is set on Finland’s northern coast, 90km south of the Arctic Circle. Better known for its tech and timber than its thriving arts scene, it may seem an unlikely choice but that is precisely the point: to illustrate that culture doesn’t only thrive in Europe’s major centres. The designation brings a year-long programme of exhibitions, performances and public art to the city, with a strong emphasis on how culture is shaped by landscape, climate and light in the far north.
Highlights include major exhibitions at the Oulu Art Museum, a new public art trail developed by artists working alongside scientists, and large-scale light installations designed for the region’s long winter darkness. Indigenous Sámi culture is a central thread, with projects focusing on language and land-based traditions.
Seasonality plays a role too. Summer brings kayaking routes, cycling paths and open-air performances, while autumn is marked by food — pop-ups, long-table dinners and tasting weeks will celebrate Arctic ingredients such as reindeer, salmon, berries and foraged mushrooms. See oulu2026.eu
4. Eco adventurers: Arusha, Tanzania
Long known as a safari gateway, Arusha is quietly redefining itself as a destination for travellers interested in conservation, education and forest-based experiences. In late 2026, the city will open Dr Jane’s Dream: The Goodall Centre for Hope, a major primatology and conservation centre dedicated to the legacy of Jane Goodall, the pioneering primatologist who transformed our understanding of chimpanzees and passed away in 2025.
Set near the Arusha Cultural Heritage Centre, a major complex dedicated to Tanzanian art, history and heritage, the interactive space will explore Goodall’s life story through multimedia installations, showcase art inspired by East African landscapes and a garden designed for reflection and learning. The centre will also host community projects and a theatre for talks and performances, making it a new focal point for conservation in East Africa.
Its opening coincides with a wave of new forest lodges and low-impact camps in the surrounding region, offering alternatives to traditional savannah safaris, while nearby Arusha National Park provides a gentler introduction to wildlife, with canoeing, walking safaris and birdlife. The city itself sits at the foot of Mount Meru, perfect for treks and day hikes with views of Kilimanjaro. See janesdream.org.
5. Walkers & wanderers: the English coast
After more than a decade in the making, the King Charles III England Coast Path National Trail will be completed in the English spring, opening up the country’s entire coastline to walkers for the first time. While many parts are open, the completion of the entire 4,300km route will make it the longest managed coastal walking trail in the world.
Rather than a single epic hike, the path is designed to be experienced in sections, linking fishing villages, seaside towns, nature reserves and historic sites, while also unlocking long stretches of coast that were previously inaccessible. The diverse landscapes along the trail include rugged Atlantic headlands and hidden coves in the southwest, chalk cliffs and fortified shores in the southeast and broad tidal flats, rich with birdlife, further north. See nationaltrail.co.uk/england-coast-path
6. Sky watchers: Snæfellsnes Peninsula, Iceland
On August 12, a total solar eclipse will sweep across parts of Iceland — a celestial event that won’t return to these skies until 2196. On the Snæfellsnes Peninsula, the moment is being marked by Iceland Eclipse, a four-day gathering that blends science, music, art and stargazing around the brief window of totality.
Centred on the small town of Hellissandur, the event is deliberately intimate, with attendance capped to keep its footprint light. The programme combines talks by astronomers and scientists with live music, art installations and guided sky-watching, all set against a backdrop of lava fields, glaciers and Atlantic cliffs. The annual Perseid meteor shower peaks the same week, adding another spectacle to the night sky. See icelandeclipse.com.
7. Fun hunters: Tokyo, Japan
The world’s first permanent Pokémon theme park opens in Tokyo’s Tama Hills on February 5, 2026, turning one of Japan’s most influential pop-culture exports into a physical destination. Named PokéPark Kanto, the attraction spans 26,000 square metres inside Yomiuriland, one of Tokyo’s largest amusement parks, and is designed as a year-round destination for fans of all ages.
The park is divided into two zones: Pokémon Forest, a 500m nature trail where visitors can spot over 600 Pokémon in lifelike habitats along grassy paths and tunnels, and Sedge Town, a lively hub featuring a Pokémon Centre, Trainer’s Market, themed rides and daily parades. Expect interactive experiences rather than high-speed thrills — scavenger hunts, live performances and meet-and-greet moments with iconic characters. See pokepark-kanto.co.jp
