Where to Go in 2026: A Month-by-Month Guide
A new year is on the horizon, bringing with it the irresistible pull of possibility. Looking ahead is half the joy—imagining the places you’ll go, the people you’ll meet and the flavors still waiting to be savored.
To spark that anticipation, we’ve mapped out a month-by-month guide for your 2026 travels. From timeless temples and windswept isles to sunlit beaches and storybook rivers, each destination offers its own season of wonder.
These journeys are only a glimpse of what awaits aboard the National Geographic–Lindblad Expeditions fleet. Each ship is a gateway to discovery, carrying you deeper into the world’s wild and wondrous places. Wherever your curiosity leads—toward culture, wildlife, landscapes or all of the above—countless adventures lie ahead.
January: Cambodia & Vietnam
In Cambodia, you'll walk the sacred pathways of Angkor Wat, the world's largest religious monument. Photo: Ralph Hammelbacher
Southeast Asia’s timeless temples seem lifted from legend, and January’s clear skies and cool weather set the stage for unforgettable scenes. Watch the sunset silhouette the lotus-bud towers of Angkor Wat—a Khmer masterpiece symbolizing sacred mountains—and wander Ta Prohm, where tree roots entwine with intricate stone facades. Beyond the grandeur of these temples, life along the Mekong tells another story—one of enduring traditions. Guests aboard The Jahan riverboat can drift into the rhythms of the delta, where oxcarts trundle past emerald rice paddies, silk weavers tend their looms and floating markets brim with pineapples, dragon fruit and pomelos.Explore Cambodia and Vietnam on:Sailing Vietnam and Cambodia’s Mekong River Aboard The Jahan
February: Caribbean
Escape the cold weather on the tall-masted Sea Cloud II, exploring island nations such as Dominica, Antigua and more.
Swap puffy coats and blustery gales for balmy breezes and coral-sand beaches. The Sea Cloud II—a tall-masted sailing ship once owned by heiress Marjorie Merriweather Post—charts a course through the Caribbean’s azure seas, calling at hidden harbors and storied ports. Watch from on deck as the crew nimbly scales the rigging and sets the sails by hand, then go ashore for a rainforest trek or reef snorkel. These shores are steeped in pirate lore and colonial history, so be on the lookout for historic forts and naval outposts.
March: Upper Amazon
Expert guides will help you spot wildlife in the Amazon rainforest as you weave through river networks by skiff. Photo: David Vargas
Journey to the Upper Amazon in the wet season, when the rainforest reveals its most vibrant self. In March, heavy rains nurture a profusion of fruit and flowers, drawing wildlife in abundance. By skiff or kayak, slip into mirrored forests and flooded creeks that are inaccessible at other times of year, seeking out shimmering piranhas, pink dolphins and gentle manatees. High waters also bring you closer to the toucans, scarlet macaws and howler monkeys rustling in the canopy. When night falls, the adventure continues; amid a raucous jungle chorus, set out in search of frogs, fishing bats and the watchful black caiman.
Explore the Upper Amazon on:Upper Amazon: A River ExpeditionExploring Peru: Machu Picchu and the Amazon
April: Azores
Stroll through the idyllic villages of the Azores amidst lush flora grown out of volcanic beds.
Seaside springs, lava-walled vineyards, plateau villages—the Azores take you far beyond the ordinary sun-and-sand island escape. Walk between the black lava walls of Pico island’s UNESCO-protected vineyards—a testament to ingenuity and resilience—and gaze up at Mount Pico rising steeply from the sea. On São Jorge, discover villages perched on fajãs—lava-formed coastal plateaus—then taste sharp, tangy cheese, a legacy of 15th-century Flemish settlers. Spring is especially striking on São Miguel, where wildflowers bloom around crater lakes and across coastal pastures.
Explore the Azores on:Islands of the Azores: Basalt Peaks to Volcanic VineyardsExploring Cabo Verde, the Canary Islands and the AzoresRoots of the Atlantic: Portugal, Morocco and the Canary Islands
May: Scotland’s Northern Isles
Seabirds such as Atlantic Puffins begin to nest on seaside cliffs in May on Scotland's Northern Isles.
For a British Isles escape far from Big Ben and Stonehenge, head to the archipelagos of Shetland and Orkney, a realm of folklore and weatherworn coasts. Spring is hen the isles awaken: buds sprout across the moors and meadows, seabirds nest on cliff edges and lambs graze in fresh pastures. Brisk air and occasional drizzle are a fair trade for uncrowded landmarks: wander the haunting 5,000-year-old stone dwellings of Skara Brae, and ponder the mysteries of the Ring of Brodgar, a circle of prehistoric megaliths.
June: Galápagos
A male blue-footed booby shows a courtship display, a common sight in Galápagos in June. Photo: Ralph Lee Hopkins
A journey to this legendary archipelago is nothing short of epic. While the Galápagos is thrilling year-round, June brings a season of renewal—with comfortably warm weather and wildlife rituals at their peak. Join local naturalists in spotting waved albatrosses nesting on their only breeding ground on Earth, Española, or blue-footed boobies engaged in their feet-flashing courtship dance. On land, giant tortoises roam the grasslands and feast on cactus pads, while beneath the waves, manta rays and dolphins abound.
July: Greenland
Receding ice from summer tempertures allow you to get up-close to towering glaciers in Ilulissat Icefjord. Photo: Michael S. Nolan
At the height of Arctic summer, Greenland reveals its wonders in extraordinary ways. Fjords and channels—normally locked in ice—open for navigation, offering views of calving icebergs, sheer granite cliffs and valleys sculpted by glaciers. Ice-free shores, calmer seas and extended daylight hours allow for more Zodiac landings. Step ashore at archaeological sites of early Arctic settlers or scan rocky shores for polar bears. Some routes lead to the Ilulissat Icefjord—home to the world’s most active glacier. Pair this destination with nearby Iceland, where geysers, lava fields and glacier-capped volcanoes make for an unforgettable two-country Arctic adventure.
August: Rhine River
Every other August, Brussels' flower carpet covers the UNESCO-listed Grand Place with thousands of vibrant dahlias.
The Rhine feels straight out of a storybook, with page after page of half-timbered houses, castles and terraced vineyards. A highlight of voyages aboard the new Connect is Brussels’ famous Flower Carpet, when thousands of dahlias blanket the Grand Place. Summer bustles with festivals, but the most memorable moments unfold in quieter settings: savor an after-hours tour of the Kröller-Müller Museum, home to modern masterpieces, or raise a Champagne toast at cliffside Rheinstein Castle with its resident lord. Local culture flourishes on board, too—through Dutch cheese tastings, Black Forest cuckoo clock demonstrations and more.
Explore the Rhine River on:Rhine River: Castles, Culture and Culinary DelightsHolland and Belgium: Medieval History and Scenic Waterways
September: Canadian Maritimes
September is the ideal time to visit the Canadian Maritimes, including the redstone cliffs of Quebec's Magdalen Islands.
Canada’s border stretches thousands of miles from coast to coast, but it’s the far eastern edge that casts an autumnal spell. Birch and maple forests ignite with color, gulf waters teem with fin and minke whales, and crisp air enlivens every hike. Explore dunes, red sandstone cliffs and alpine plateaus where moose and caribou roam. The cultural landscapes are just as compelling: uncover 11th-century Norse ruins at L’Anse aux Meadows, connect with Indigenous heritage at sacred sites and stroll Québec City’s cobblestoned streets, echoing Old World Europe.
Explore the Canadian Maritimes on:Sailing the St. Lawrence Seaway and Canadian MaritimesThe Canadian Maritimes and Newfoundland
October: Egypt
As the days cool in Egypt, you'll have amazing opportunities to roam the Giza Necropolis. Photo: Michael S. Nolan
Skip the scorching heat and early wake-up calls—October on the Nile brings cooler days and clear skies. With Egyptologist guides, trace 5,000 years of history: marvel at the Pyramids of Giza, the relocated temples of Abu Simbel and Karnak’s soaring pylons and obelisks. Enjoy privileged access to the iconic Sphinx, its smile as enigmatic as its origins. A special highlight is the new Grand Egyptian Museum, where King Tut’s treasures—a golden chariot, jewelry, funerary masks—gleam among thousands of artifacts.
Explore Egypt on:Passage Through Egypt Aboard Oberoi PhilaeExploring Egypt Aboard Sun Goddess
November: Patagonia
Pass by blooming flowers and plants on hikes that extend into the evening daylight hours. Photo: David Vargas
Early spring in the southern hemisphere brings a magical in-between season that is particularly picturesque. Firebush and golden lilies bloom, penguins return to shore and baby guanacos take their first steps. Weather shifts like crisp winds and sudden showers only add to the atmospheric beauty. Set out from our expedition ships to explore a private reserve with elephant seals, culpeo foxes and soaring Andean condors, then cruise fjords with glaciers still draped in snow. With longer daylight hours, there’s more time to explore—by Zodiac, kayak or on foot.
December: Antarctica
In early Antarctica season, penguins dot the snowy landscape that guests can explore on a cross-country skiing excursion. Photo: Andrew Peacock
End the year on the ultimate high: a journey to the farthest reaches of the Earth. At the beginning of the travel season, Antarctica’s icy expanse bursts with life. Spot humpback whales—one of four baleen species on the peninsula—as they breach in graceful arcs, and watch for orcas hunting seals along the ice edge. On rocky ground, courting penguins bow and trumpet as they build pebble nests in crowded rookeries. With the thaw still weeks away, the continent lies cloaked in pristine snow, glowing under near-constant daylight.
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