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Lonely Planet has unveiled its top destinations and experiences for the coming year with the release of Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel 2026.

In Lonely Planet’s new guide, the team of travel experts recommends where to go and what to do in 2026.

The book features 25 must-visit destinations and 25 essential experiences from all around the globe, illustrated with colourful photography, essays and local advice for exploring each place.

This includes the thriving street-art scene in Bristol, known for being the birthplace of iconic street artist Banksy. 

The city has become a colourful hotbed of creativity for a wide range of artists, with specialist walking tours providing insight into the inspiration behind the works of local artists which blend beautifully into the cityscape. 

From Banksy’s Girl With A Pierced Eardrum to Alex Lucas’ colourful mural house fronts, visitors of Bristol can marvel at art everywhere.

Visit West CEO, Kathryn Davis said: 'Bristol is renowned for its progressive spirit, creative energy, and strong sense of independence, so it’s only fitting that its streets are alive with vibrant colour and powerful street art. 

'Our ever-evolving outdoor gallery draws thousands of visitors from around the world each year to take part in street art tours, spray art workshops and immerse themselves in the city’s rich cultural scene.

The city has become a colourful hotbed of creativity for a wide range of artists, with specialist walking tours providing insight into the inspiration behind the works of local artists which blend beautifully into the cityscape
The book features 25 must-visit destinations and 25 essential experiences from all around the globe, illustrated with colourful photography, essays and local advice for exploring each place

'We are thrilled that Lonely Planet has awarded Bristol's street art for Best in Travel 2026. 

'We look forward to welcoming many more visitors this next year and beyond, to discover the humorous, playful, political and subversive street art in the city.'

Despite it being Los Angeles that's the official host of the FIFA World Cup 2026, Lonely Planet recommends tourists come to England to watch a Premier League game next year.

The travel experts also tell readers to head to Tipperary, rather than tourist hotspot Dublin, if you're heading to Ireland.

The Best in Travel guide also features many US destinations, including Maine and Theodore Roosevelt National Park.

It recommends heading to the Grand Canyon to rapid-raft the Colorado River, Louisiana to take a Creole trail ride, visiting Willamette Wine Country in Oregon, and staying at Hawaii's Volcano House, in Volcanoes National Park.

Around the rest of the world, Lonely Planet highlights the under-the-radar nightlife scene of the Serbian capital, Belgrade, and Grenada’s legendary Spicemas festival.

It also praises culinary-focused experiences around the globe, including food tours of Dubai’s Old Town, and the distinctive Indian gastronomy of Kerala. 

Despite it being Los Angeles that's the official host of the FIFA World Cup 2026, Lonely Planet recommends tourists come to England to watch a Premier League game next year
The travel experts also tell readers to head to Tipperary, rather than tourist hotspot Dublin, if you're heading to Ireland
It recommends heading to the Grand Canyon to rapid-raft the Colorado River, Louisiana to take a Creole trail ride, visiting Willamette Wine Country in Oregon, and staying at Hawaii's Volcano House, in Volcanoes National Park (pictured)

Lonely Planet's Best In Travel 2026 

Places

• Barbados

• Botswana

• British Columbia, Canada

• Cádiz, Spain

• Cartagena, Colombia

• Finland

• Ikara-Flinders Ranges & Outback, South Australia

• Jaffna, Sri Lanka

• Jeju-do, South Korea

• Liberdade, São Paulo, Brazil

• Maine, USA

• Mexico City, Mexico

• North Island, New Zealand/Aotearoa

• Peru

• Phuket, Thailand

• Quetzaltenango (Xela), Guatemala

• Quy Nhon, Vietnam

• Réunion

• Sardinia, Italy

• Siem Reap, Cambodia

• Solomon Islands

• Theodore Roosevelt National Park, USA

• Tipperary, Ireland

• Tunisia

• Utrecht, Netherlands

Experiences

• Azores, Portugal, go whale-watching

• Batanes, Philippines, see the sights by bike

• Belgrade, Serbia, experience the legendary nightlife scene

• Bolivia, watch a Flying Cholitas match

• Bristol, England, deep-dive into street art

• Ecuador, ride horses in the Andes Mountains

• England, attend a Premier League game

• Grand Canyon, USA, rapid-raft the Colorado River

• Grenada, party in the Caribbean

• Iberá, Argentina, look for jaguars in the wetlands

• Japan, spend the night in a ryokan

• Kerala, India, go on a culinary tour

• Kruger National Park, South Africa, stay in a train carriage

• Louisiana, USA, take a Creole trail ride

• Melbourne, Australia, savour the exciting food scene

• Namibia, track desert elephants

• Old Dubai, United Arab Emirates, go on a cultural food tour

• Oregon, USA, visit Willamette Wine Country

• Southern France, visit Eileen Gray’s House

• Tajikistan, hike and wildcamp

• The Amazon, Peru, become a citizen scientist

• Victoria, Australia, explore the Bathing Trail

• Vietnam & Cambodia, cruise the Mekong River

• Volcanoes National Park, USA, stay at Hawaii’s Volcano House

• Wairarapa, New Zealand/Aotearoa, go stargazing

The guide claims that outdoor and nature lovers will find the lure of whale-watching in the Azores, or stargazing in New Zealand’s north island region of Wairarapa.

It also recommends pairing the biodiversity of Peru’s Amazon rainforests with alternative Inca sites such as Choquequirao. 

Some of the lesser-known places the guide recommends travelling to are Jaffna in Sri Lanka, Utrecht in Netherlands, and Cadiz in Spain.

Lonely Planet's Best in Travel 2026 is available for £14.99 from lonelyplanet.com or where all good books are sold. 

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