Where should I go next? If there’s one question we hear more than any other at Travel + Leisure, it’s this enduring ask. Thankfully, our staff is constantly on the move, exploring the world on assignment and on personal adventures, so we have more than a few opinions on the best places to travel now. That first-person expertise informs many of the picks on T+L’s annual list of the best places to travel. For this edition, our staff vetted more than 100 nominees, with an eye to what makes a place worth visiting in the year ahead. Many of our 50 winners are places that were once difficult to reach but are becoming more accessible thanks to ambitious new infrastructure projects or increased service from airlines. We also tapped the expertise of travel-world insiders and many members of the T+L A-List to find out which big cities are the most resonant right now—and which underrated spots are serving up culinary experiences you won’t find anywhere else. Of course major cultural events including the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the Winter Olympics, and America250 also factor into our picks. Whatever the motivation for your trips in the year ahead—an adrenaline rush, some blissed-out beach vibes, or full-on cultural immersion—we trust our latest list will help with more than a few answers to that perennial travel question. So, where will the new year take you?
Bentonville, Arkansas, once best known as the headquarters of Walmart, has evolved into a dynamic art and culture destination. The Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, founded in 2011 by Walmart heiress Alice Walton, is debuting a 114,000-square-foot expansion in June, with new galleries and educational spaces. "This expansion is a new chapter. Its impact will touch and elevate everything we do, from the way we hang the galleries to the way we address our audiences," said Olivia Walton, chairperson of the board at Crystal Bridges, during a recent press conference attended by T+L. Bentonville’s great outdoors are drawing attention, too. The nearby Oz Trails Bike Park in Bella Vista will soon open 20 miles of rider-designed trails, solidifying Northwest Arkansas’s reputation as the self-declared Mountain Biking Capital of the World. Closer to downtown, the new 8th Street Gateway Park will transform underused land into wetlands, boardwalks, and scenic trails. With the debut of the 142-room Compton hotel, plus a calendar of events that include the Bentonville Film Festival and the Big Sugar Classic gravel bike race, Bentonville shows no signs of slowing down.—Jalyn Robinson
