This year’s annual Experiences Collection by National Geographic Traveller (UK) reveals the top 20 experiential travel trends set to define 2026. As people’s enthusiasm for meaningful and engaging adventures accelerates, studies show nearly half of global travellers are prioritising activities that immerse them in nature, community and culture — signalling a clear shift from traditional sightseeing to active participation.  

From stargazing in England’s largest Dark Sky Park, to forest bathing among centuries-old cedars in Japan, playing padel under the Spanish sun, or listening to the haunting song of whales in the Azores and Indigenous storytelling in Oaxaca, these experiences invite travellers to connect more deeply with the world around them.  

Sacha Scoging, editor, said: “Travellers want journeys that connect them to a place, its people and its pulse. Whether hiking along the ridge lines of Peru’s Sacred Valley, joining tea pickers in Sri Lanka’s misty highlands or tracking mountain gorillas with the people who protect them, these trips resonate long after travellers return.”  

Beyond the trends, in this edition readers can:  

• See Peru from a new angle. Trade the classic Inca Trail for a trilogy of Sacred Valley adventures, including ridge-top hikes, two-wheeled journeys along the Urubamba River and white-water rafting through glacier-fed canyons.   
• Follow the tea trail in Sri Lanka. A mist-wreathed photo story from the highlands, where travellers join local pickers to learn how leaves become the brews in their mugs.   
• Descend into Bermuda’s blue. Wreck dives reveal coral-encrusted hulls, maritime mysteries and an unexpected side to the infamous Bermuda Triangle.   
• Track gorillas in Uganda. Meet the communities and rangers behind a grassroots conservation movement that’s bringing the mountain gorilla back from the brink.   
• Reach new heights in the Dolomites. Explore Italy’s jagged peaks with legendary mountaineer Reinhold Messner and step inside his latest mountain museum.   
• Birdwatch in Orkney. Combine puffins, prehistoric ruins and island life on a long weekend in Scotland’s far-flung archipelago.   

All this, plus The Directory — a curated collection of some of the world’s finest hotels, retreats and experiences, brought to you by our advertising partners, to help you plan your next unforgettable adventure.   

Website: News, features and more: nationalgeographic.com/travel    
Find us on Facebook: facebook.com/NatGeoTravelUK    
X: x.com/NatGeoTravelUK    
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National Geographic Traveller (UK) digital edition is available for Apple, Android and Kindle: ngtr.uk/NGTdigital     

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Notes    

National Geographic Traveller (UK) is published under licence by APL Media Limited, from National Geographic Partners LLC in Washington, DC. The travel and lifestyle magazine launched in December 2010 and is packed full of you-are-there photography, authentic travel experiences and inspiring narratives. nationalgeographic.com/travel     

For more information about National Geographic, visit nationalgeographic.com, find us on the National Geographic app or visit us at Facebook, X, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, Pinterest and TikTok.    

CONTACT:    

For editorial enquiries:    
+44 (0) 20 7253 9906    
[email protected]    

  Maria Pieri, editorial director & chief operating officer    
+44 (0) 20 7253 9906    
[email protected]    

 Matthew Jackson, chief executive officer    
+44 (0) 20 7253 9909    
[email protected]    

 Anthony Leyens, chairman and co-founder  
+44 (0) 20 7253 9909  
[email protected]  

About APL Media 
APL Media is a multi-award-winning content marketing agency and publisher, producing high-quality print, digital, and live media across the travel and lifestyle sectors. Since 1997, it has published National Geographic Traveller (UK) under license from National Geographic Partners LLC, along with brand extensions such as guides, events, and digital platforms. The portfolio also features Living360, a digital lifestyle brand covering wellness, travel, food, sustainability, and culture, distributed via national media and its own platform. APL Media delivers custom content, branded campaigns, editorial consultancy, and leading events such as the Travel Media Awards and Step Up. Its trade titles include Postcards and the ASTA Worldwide Destination Guide, with content also produced for national newspapers. 
aplmedia.co.uk