Having something to look forward is good for mind, body and soul, which is why – back to work and still in the midst of the bleak midwinter – it helps to think about where you might like to go on holiday in 2026. The destinations on the Vogue team’s vision boards span everything from off-roading in Costa Rica to cold water swimming on the south coast in Dorset. Read on for some timely travel inspiration for 2026.
Seoul
“I was that cliched 30-something who travelled to Japan for the first time last year and wouldn’t shut up about it for weeks afterwards. The food! The fashion! The trains that actually run on time! Never before have I been so besotted by a travel destination. So much so that I’ll confess to asking ChatGPT for a list of places I should go next as someone who loved visiting Japan. No matter how I framed it (design/nature/architecture/food), the top result was always the same: South Korea. Before you question my approach, know that I cross-referenced this recommendation with the IRL experiences of Vogue’s film and culture editor, Radhika Seth, who went last year and gave South Korea a glowing review. I’ll be taking my cues from her gastronomical adventures and eating my way around the country’s capital, Seoul.” – Joy Montgomery, shopping editor
“My typical holiday speed is one of two: a high-octane sprint through a grungy metropolis, gorging my senses on whatever the city proffers by day or night; or, a non-verbal lounge on a palm-fringed beach – no thoughts, tropical vibes, the only movement being turning to even out my tan. This year, though, I’m giddy with excitement for a trip entirely beyond my typical remit – to the Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan. While I wouldn’t call myself much of a trekker, the prospect of a mindful, meditation-filled disconnect amid sublime mountain vistas speaks straight to what my heart currently desires. I’ll be there during the Paro Tshechu, a vibrant highlight of Bhutan’s cultural calendar – I can’t wait to experience the colourful spectacle firsthand, and learn more about its spiritual and religious significance. Bhutan offers much on the luxury front, too – Aman and Six Senses are among the global names that have a presence, but a more recent addition to the mix is Pemako, the only Bhutanese-owned luxe hotelier. That’s where I’ll be, first in the capital, Thimphu, and then down to their valley-side hideaway in Punakha. Before then, though, fashion month… Plenty of reasons to unwind after that!” – Mahoro Seward, fashion & style editor
Costa Rica
“Last year, I decided to change my approach to holiday booking. I used to love a last-minute, spontaneous trip, but I’ve learnt the hard way about the dent that can put in the bank balance. So, I have changed my ways. I spent the Christmas holidays in Vietnam, having booked it all the way back in January 2025, and last week I secured my flights to Costa Rica for New Year’s Eve. I will be ushering in 2027 by taking in volcanic views from a 4x4, dipping in hot springs, wildlife watching and surfing. Only 349 days to go.“ – Ellie Davis, senior beauty shopping writer
Los Angeles
“Those who know me well know that I have a weird fixation with Los Angeles, for reasons that I can’t fully explain (I remember reading somewhere that if you can’t stop thinking about a place, you’ve got unfinished business there). I love the colour of the city; pastel by day, neon-tinted by night, with air that smells like palm-tree wood, perfume and pollution (I’ve never been able to truly pinpoint the scent of LA, but I wish I could bottle it). I love the oddness of the place, too; the seediness and the gauche glamour and how those two things exist in tandem. The last time I went was September, and I’ll be back again in February this year. It’s a Lynchian nightmare. A Hollywood-lobotomised dream. And I am all for it.” – Daisy Jones, acting news & features editor
The South Coast of England
“My sister very kindly gave my partner and I a Mr & Mrs Smith voucher for our birthdays last year, which I cannot recommend highly enough as a gift – having prepaid accommodation in your back pocket feels like the most fabulous luxury. We spent the festive season just gone in London, so by the time 2026 was rolling around we needed an escape route. We elected to ring in the new year at the stunning Aller Dorset, taking in the view of the iced-over lake while cosied up by our wood-burning stove. The serene little homes are peaceful and private, but with all the luxury of a five-star hotel (plus an al fresco bath) – I’ve genuinely never felt so relaxed. For me, there’s something particularly restorative about a staycation, so this year, I’m dedicating some annual leave to driving along the Cornish coast and camping for a week, celebrating my 30th birthday with a dip in the sea at Bournemouth, and then heading back to Aller to finish.” – Mia Portet, shopping producer
Hong Kong
“I mostly travel for food. Last year, a friend and I ate our way through Vietnam (bún chả, bánh mì, every type of Vietnamese coffee) in the spring; two mates and I consumed a terrifying amount of fried chicken, tteokbokki and kimbap in Seoul in the autumn; and then I went on a solo culinary odyssey to Kuala Lumpur, Langkawi and Penang in the winter, to gorge on char kway teow and siam laksa at street side stalls. (Penang also introduced me to a life-changing 20p chicken samosa, which was probably the best thing I ate in all of 2025.) On this year’s hit list? Hong Kong, most likely combined with Macau and Taipei. The plan will be to eat our body weight in dim sum, alongside sweet pineapple buns, creamy milk tea, egg tarts, congee, claypot rice, roast goose and Michelin-recommended wonton noodles for £3 a bowl. Add to that the low-lit, neon-drenched streets, straight out of a Wong Kar-wai movie; the gilded temples thick with the scent of incense; the early mornings trekking up to Victoria Peak (to make more room in our stomachs, obviously), and I can’t think of a better destination for 2026.” – Radhika Seth, film & culture editor
Venice
“After missing the Biennale in 2024 and having extreme FOMO for the next six months, I’m making a point of going to Venice with the masses this year. Aside from spending days getting lost in various pavilions, making a beeline for Miet Warlop (Belgium), Isabel Nolan (Ireland) and Eglė Budvytytė (Lithuania), I’m most excited to sip a Campari spritz and gaze out wistfully across the canals as I reflect on the state of contemporary art. I’m slowly collating a list of recommendations, but in my experience, the best plates of pasta are often found down unassuming side streets, cooked by wise Italian women with limited English. I plan to split my time between off-the-beaten-path gems and the Gritti Palace.” – Olivia Allen, fashion writer
St Lucia
“Hard to believe I’m writing this but 2026 is the first year I’m going “home”. Or, at least to my grandmother’s home. I’ll be heading to the tiny island of St Lucia for the first time, ready to breathe in the rainforest and catch up with my beautiful family. We’re staying at the Viceroy’s Sugar Beach location on the south-east of the island, a place that – should the pictures be believed – might just be paradise. There’s a sparkly new Augustinus Bader spa, along with a Racquet Club for heart-pounding tennis lessons. My husband and I have a ritual of January sun and this couldn’t come at a better moment. Home, heat and enough mango to sustain me until summer.” – Morgan Fargo, beauty & wellness editor
Scotland
“I had just one New Year’s resolution for 2026: visit Scotland. Specifically, the Highlands. I’ve got romantic notions of rocking up to a loch via sleeper train (only Belmond will do!), but travelling with two small children means less gazing out the window with a glass of something fab, more sticker books and wheat puff dust management. No matter, for when we get to Gleneagles (again, manifesting!), we’ll be enveloped in chicness and rustic outdoorsiness. Fresh air is calling and I won’t rest until we’re bound for the north – even if the true destination is a delightfully quaint Airbnb.” – Alice Newbold, fashion news & features director
Shanghai
Having somehow reached the start of December 2025 with 10 days of annual leave unused, I’ve resolved to be more intentional (and better organised) when it comes to travel in this Year of the Horse. First up on the vision board: a spring trip to Shanghai and Hong Kong with my foodiest friend. I haven’t done a “big” trip in ages, and I’m feeling the urge to immerse myself in a neon megalopolis and eat soup dumplings at Fuchun Xiaolong while feeling maudlin about Anthony Bourdain. Come summer, I plan to make my annual pilgrimage to a Greek island (Antiparos beckons), via a stopover in Athens specifically for the grilled bread and tomatoes at Manari Taverna, the best! – Kerry McDermott, digital director