As we look ahead to 2026, a clear pattern is emerging across the travel landscape—from the pages of trusted publications like Travel + Leisure to conversations with our hotel and destination partners. Travel is becoming more intentional, more personal, and more thoughtfully paced. Rather than chasing buzzy destinations, discerning travelers are planning fewer trips further in advance, prioritizing places that offer depth, privacy, and a sense of discovery. The destinations below reflect what continues to surface across 2026 “best places to go” lists—and what our own clients are gravitating toward as they plan for the year ahead.
Quiet Escapes
Travelers aren’t just avoiding crowds—they’re choosing destinations that feel buffered from the outside world. Vast landscapes and low-density lodges in places like Patagonia offer space to disconnect completely, where the environment itself encourages slower days, fewer distractions, and a deeper connection to place.
Personalized Journeys
Increasingly, travel planning begins not with a destination, but with a question: How do you want your days to feel? Destinations such as Japan lend themselves beautifully to this approach, allowing travelers to balance structure with spontaneity—moving seamlessly between culture, nature, and moments of stillness tailored to individual rhythms.
Slower, More Intentional Travel
Rather than hopping between cities, travelers are choosing longer stays in fewer places, allowing experiences to unfold naturally. Regions like The Dolomites reward this pace, where lingering leads to better hotels, deeper local connections, and days shaped more by curiosity than by schedules.
Multi-Generational Travel
Travel across generations continues to grow, with families seeking destinations that balance shared experiences and personal downtime. Tuscany remains a standout for this style of travel, offering spacious villas, flexible itineraries, and a timeless rhythm that works equally well for grandparents, parents, and children.
Adventure with Comfort
Adventure travel is evolving beyond “roughing it.” Today’s travelers want immersion in nature paired with thoughtful design and high-touch service. New Zealand exemplifies this shift, where dramatic landscapes, guided outdoor experiences, and refined accommodations coexist effortlessly—allowing exploration without compromise.
The American West, Reimagined
Closer to home (for us in California), the American West is experiencing a renewed appeal—driven by travelers seeking wide-open spaces without long-haul flights. Destinations like Jackson Hole offer a compelling blend of landscape, design-forward lodges, and curated outdoor experiences, making them ideal for travelers who want nature, privacy, and ease of access.
Closer-to-Home Luxury
For West Coast travelers in particular, destinations closer to California continue to gain momentum. Places such as Big Island of Hawaii and Riviera Maya offer a true sense of escape without the friction of long travel days—combining exceptional resorts, natural beauty, and the ability to truly unwind.
Under-the-Radar Discovery
Across nearly every 2026 travel forecast we’ve reviewed, there’s a shared emphasis on destinations that feel authentic, grounded, and refreshingly uncrowded. Wine regions, in particular, are gaining attention as travelers trade marquee names for places that offer beauty and substance without excess.
Regions like Sancerre, highlighted in recent Travel + Leisure coverage, embody this shift. With vineyard-covered hills, charming villages, and an understated elegance, Sancerre invites travelers to slow down and experience France through a more local lens. It’s the kind of destination that feels discovered rather than promoted—rewarding curiosity and lingering long after the trip ends.
Across all of these trends, the common thread is intention. Travelers are planning further ahead, staying longer, and making more deliberate choices about how they spend their time away. As a result, many of the most sought-after hotels, guides, and private experiences for 2026 are already being secured—particularly for peak seasons and school holidays.
If 2026 travel is on your horizon, this is an ideal time to begin the conversation. A planning call allows us to think strategically about timing, destinations, and availability, and to design a trip that feels both well considered and effortless.
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