More and more, our beloved River City is stepping into the spotlight, with our incomparable foodie scene, stunning nature and, of course, the anticipation around the 2032 Summer Olympics! So it’s no surprise — although it is a treat — that Travel + Leisure named Brisbane as one of the 50 best places to travel in 2026!
Brisbane was chosen from among more than 100 nominees, with special attention paid to ambitious new projects, culinary experiences or major cultural events happening in each city… and Brisbane has them all!
We were included in the Cultural Immersion category, alongside heavy hitters like Brazil and Hamburg, Germany. Thanks to the economic investment our city is getting ahead of the Games — Brisbane’s set to become the site for Australia’s first Rosewood hotel — and our thriving art community, from institutions like QAGOMA to more alternative spaces like Superordinary, the cultural appeal of Brissy is only growing.
Melbourne also made the list in the category Big-City Thrills thanks, in large part, to the variety and number of major sporting events they’ve hosted.
The 50 Best Places to Travel in 2026
Food and Drinks
- Carlsbad, CA, USA
- Malaysia
- Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Sancerre, France
- Taipei, Taiwan
- Umbria, Italy
Big-City Thrills
- Melbourne, Australia
- Mexico City, Mexico
- Santa Barbara, CA, USA
- Santa Fe, NM, USA
- Seattle, WA, USA
- Singapore
- Washington, D.C., USA
Moments on the water
- Emilie by Uniworld Boutique River Cruises
- Four Seasons I
- Magdalena River, Colombia
- Seven Seas Prestige
Cultural immersion
- Bentonville, AR, USA
- Brazil
- Brisbane, Australia
- Colonial Williamsburg, VA, USA
- Dallas-Fort Worth, TX, USA
- Doha, Qatar
- Hamburg, Germany
Adventurous travellers
- Andermatt, Switzerland
- Cyprus
- Dakar, Senegal
- Milan and the Dolomites
- Mongolia
- Southern Peru
- Sri Lanka
- Zimbabwe
Beach vibes
- Anguilla
- Bodrum, Turkey
- Grand Cayman
- Miami and Miami Beach, FL, USA
- Naples, FL, USA
- Okinawa, Japan
- Riviera Nayarit, Mexico
Nature lovers
- Alberta, Canada
- Asheville, NC, USA
- Asturias, Spain
- Guatemala
- Madhya Pradesh, India
- Masai Mara, Kenya
- New Zealand
- Okavango Delta, Botswana
- Oulu, Finland
- Reykjavík, Iceland
- Salt Lake City, UT, USA