The 15 Best Tourist Destinations This Year, Sorted by Trip Length

Published 23 Jul 2026 · Updated 21 Aug 2026 · FlyLemo

The right destination depends on how many days you have, because a ten-hour flight eats two of them. So this list is sorted by trip length rather than by continent: places that work for a long weekend, places that need a full week, and places that reward ten days or more. Each entry names the airport code to search, since the code is what finds the fare, and the months when weather and price line up. The same fifteen are searchable cheapest-first on our route pages, so the list doubles as a shopping list.

Long weekend: three to four days

Short flights from at least one of the markets we serve, and cities you can cover on foot.

• New York, USA (JFK, EWR, LGA). Three airports, so price all three. September and October have the best weather; January and February have the lowest fares. Pick a neighborhood and stay in it rather than crossing the city daily.
• London, UK (LHR, LGW, STN). The major museums are free, which makes a short stay in an expensive city surprisingly manageable. Heathrow is the easiest arrival for central London. April to June and September are the sweet spot.
• Paris, France (CDG, ORY). Under two and a half hours by train from London, a short hop from most of Europe, and a non-stop from many US and Canadian cities. Avoid August, when much of the city closes for holidays.
• Dubai, UAE (DXB). A natural stopover between the UK or US and India, and worth two or three days on its own between November and March. Summer is too hot for anything outdoors.
• Cancún, Mexico (CUN). Short flights from most of the US and Canada, with the Mayan sites an easy day trip. December to April is the dry season; September and October are hurricane season and cheap for a reason.

One week

Far enough that you want a full week, close enough that jet lag is manageable.

• Rome, Italy (FCO). Four days for the city, three for a day trip or two. Book timed entries for the Colosseum and the Vatican in advance. Shoulder months are April, May, late September and October.
• Reykjavík, Iceland (KEF). Around five to six hours from the US East Coast and three from the UK. Northern Lights season runs September to March; the midnight-sun months of June and July are the opposite experience. Rent a car for the south coast.
• Banff, Canada (YYC, then 90 minutes by road). Fly to Calgary. Lakes are thawed and trails open from late June to September; Lake Louise and Moraine Lake need early starts or shuttle reservations in high season.
• Agra and the Golden Triangle, India (DEL). Delhi, Agra and Jaipur in a week, with the Taj Mahal at sunrise as the centerpiece. October to March is the season. The Taj is closed on Fridays.
• Tokyo, Japan (HND, NRT). Haneda is far closer to the city than Narita. Late March to early April for cherry blossom, November for autumn color; both are busy and priced accordingly. A week covers Tokyo plus a day in Kyoto by bullet train.

Ten days or more

Long-haul from every market we serve, with the kind of distance that makes a short stay feel wasted.

• Bali, Indonesia (DPS). Dry season is April to October. Split the stay between the Ubud highlands and one stretch of coast; the island's traffic makes daily back-and-forth slow.
• The Maldives (MLE). Every resort is its own island, reached by seaplane or speedboat from Malé, so the transfer is part of the cost and the timing. December to April is dry; May to November is cheaper and wetter.
• Phuket, Thailand (HKT). November to April for calm seas; island-hopping to Phi Phi and Phang Nga Bay is the reason to go. Connections through Bangkok, Singapore or the Gulf are routine.
• Cape Town, South Africa (CPT). Southern summer runs November to March. Table Mountain, the Cape Peninsula, the penguins at Boulders Beach and the Winelands fit in ten days. Flights from North America typically connect in Europe or the Gulf.
• Queenstown, New Zealand (ZQN, usually via AKL). December to February for summer activities, June to August for skiing. Connect through Auckland; the flight from the US West Coast to Auckland is long, so arrive and stay a while.

How to turn the list into a fare

1. Search by the airport code above, not the city name, so you are comparing the right airport.
2. Look at the month view and move your dates toward the shoulder months listed.
3. Fly out mid-week; Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday departures are usually cheapest.
4. Read the baggage line; long-haul fares often include a checked bag, short-haul often do not.