Best Under-the-Radar Destinations of 2026: 4 Hidden Gems to Visit Before Everyone Else

At Conscious Travel Collective, we are here for travelers who seek meaning, ease, and value a highly personalized trip uniquely crafted for them.

We specialize in carefully curating each journey with experiences that are deeply connected to the destination, building itineraries that go beyond the typical "google-able" activities for moments that are intimate, personal, and deeply resonate with each traveler

As specialists, we offer only a handful of destinations around the globe. Our collection of destinations is carefully selected because each offer culturally rich experiences, warm hospitality, unique boutique

accommodations, and passionate locals who are eager to share their hometown with our travelers.

These four destinations represent the sweet spot we're always seeking: places that offer world-class experiences while still retaining their soul. But the window is closing. Here's where to go now, before everyone else catches on.

Best Under-the-Radar Destination for 2026: #1 - Umbria, Italy

While Tuscany continues to draw crowds, Umbria remains Italy's best-kept secret—offering the same rolling hills, medieval hill towns, and extraordinary cuisine without the tour buses. This is the dreamy Italian landscape and easy lifestyle travelers hope to find in Tuscany: intimate, unhurried, and deeply rooted in centuries-old traditions.

Nestled in the heart of central Italy, Umbria is the only Italian region with no coastline or border with another country—making it profoundly Italian in character. The landscape is defined by gentle green hills dotted with ancient olive groves and vineyards, medieval stone villages perched on hilltops, and the serene waters of Lake Trasimeno. The climate is typically Mediterranean with hot, dry summers and mild winters, though the higher elevations offer cooler relief in summer and occasional snow in winter.

Art lovers should make their way to Spoleto, a stunning Hilltown that hosts the Festival dei Due Mondi each June and July—a world-renowned celebration of opera, dance, theater, and classical music set against medieval piazzas and Renaissance palaces, transforming the entire town into a living stage. The wine is exceptional (try Sagrantino di Montefalco), and you can still have a Romanesque church or Renaissance fresco practically to yourself.

Insider Tip - Book a table at Ristorante Apollinare for refined Umbrian cuisine in a former convent—the kind of access that disappears once a place becomes "discovered."

A note from our founder, Tara: 

As someone who spends about four months a year traveling to scout and meet with our local partners, I'm constantly searching for places that deliver authentic luxury. I particularly love the lesser-known destinations—too often overlooked by travelers, but sure to be on everyone's radar in the next decade as word gets out about these little gems. Italy is our most popular destination, so I have deep familiarity with that stunning country, which is why two of my recommendations come from different corners of Italy that most travelers haven't discovered yet.

#2 - Medellín, Colombia

Medellín has become a darling of the digital nomad set, and high-end developers have been building on this buzz over the last decade. What's emerging is a strong base for the luxury traveler: impressive hotel properties, incredible dining and world-class chefs, combined with sleek spas, stylish bars, and trend-setting shopping—which means you have a narrow window to experience this city before the high prices follow.

What makes Medellín extraordinary right now is that it's in transition: you're seeing world-class contemporary art at Museo de Antioquia and an exploding fine dining scene alongside the city's authentic local culture.

Book a private food tour through Comuna 13 to understand the neighborhood's remarkable transformation through street art and social innovation, or experience the contrast between emerging luxury and genuine local warmth that defines Medellín in this moment of its history.

Luxury hotels like Elcielo Hotel are catering to the sophisticated international traveler, achieving the same level of refinement found in European capital cities. The surrounding coffee region still offers intimate finca stays where you can connect directly with farming families and understand why Colombian coffee culture deserves UNESCO recognition. The year-round spring weather doesn't hurt either.

Insider Tip - Medellin is a city perfect in all seasons. With the nickname, "City of Eternal Spring," Medellín has a pleasant, spring-like climate all year. Consistent temperatures average around 72°F / 22°C due to its high altitude.

Go soon! The international hotel chains are already circling, and once they arrive, that magical balance between authentic and elevated is sure to shift.

#3 - Pacific Coast & Oaxaca Region, Mexico

Oaxaca City has been on the radar of in-the-know travelers for some time now, but the Pacific coast towns like Mazunte and Zipolite remain blissfully uncommercial—offering that rare combination of dramatic coastline, laid-back boho lifestyle with a side of world-class mezcal, vibrant local food culture, and deeply rooted Indigenous traditions.

If you've only experienced the version of Mexican seaside luxury that looks like sprawling, polished resorts, this area is an opportunity to see an entirely different side. Here, luxury is about sleeping in a palapa steps from the ocean, supporting an environmental nonprofit at an early morning sea turtle release, and sipping mezcal with the master distiller who made it.

The authenticity, warmth, and welcoming atmosphere found in these smaller beach towns is something you'll carry with you forever, guaranteed to change the way you travel in Mexico.

Insider Tip - Couples and friend groups should consider a stay at Hotel Punta Nayaa, an intimate 8-room boutique, adults-only property on the coast near Puerto Escondido for barefoot luxury. This is hospitality that comes from the heart and soul—the kind most travelers miss if they only visit the well-manicured shores of private resort beaches hidden behind all-inclusive walls.

#4 - Bolzano & South Tyrol, Italy

Imagine a place where Italian spontaneity meets gorgeous Alpine aesthetic. Where you can sip an Aperol spritz while looking over craggy, snowcapped mountains, all without venturing outside the city limits. This is Bolzano and South Tyrol, where Italian and Austrian cultures merge to create something unlike anywhere else in Europe: Dolomite drama, Michelin-starred restaurants, modern design-forward hotels, and four-season appeal that most travelers haven't discovered yet.

Travelers are often surprised to see this side of Italy. Locals often welcome you with the German "Grüß Gott" over the Italian "Buonasera." The area still retains a very Austrian feeling, but with that characteristic Italian hospitality we all love. You'll be ordering speck and canederli in German one moment and sipping Gewürztraminer on a sun-drenched piazza the next.

With the 2026 Winter Olympics coming to Milano and the resort town of Cortina d'Ampezzo getting all the attention, savvy luxury travelers should look to Bolzano instead: it offers far more beyond skiing .... think unique Alto Adige wine routes, surprising cultural depth, and year-round experiences, plus significantly easier access with its own train station—something Cortina notably lacks.

Not into winter travel?? Perfect. Bolzano's valley basin geography delivers hot, sunny summers (average temps of 83°F) with pleasant, warm evenings and over 300 sunny days a year. South Tyrol feels like a secret even among Italians, with an incredible food culture and wines that few Americans have tasted.

Insider tip - Stay at Forestis Dolomites for contemporary alpine luxury, or book a table at Zur Rose, a One Star Michelin experience. Zur Rose is a gourmet landmark along the romantic South Tyrolean Wine Road, leaving a lasting impression for Italian sensibility creatively applied to mountain cuisine.

Position yourself ahead of the Olympic crowds by discovering this region now!

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The author of this blog is the Founder of Conscious Travel Collective, Tara Busch.

Hey there!

I’m Tara, the founder of Conscious Travel Collective. After years in the travel industry and loving the opportunity to connect travelers with the world, I was struggling. Part of what troubled me was the absence of a critical element that makes travel so special - which is genuine, reciprocal, authentic connection!

Connection with places, through the people that live there.

So, with much intention, I started Conscious Travel Collective to offer folks travel that connects. We design personalized experiences for sustainable, ethical travel that creates genuine connection for travelers and host alike!

If you're asking us, this is exactly what travel should be!

For more on our approach to private travel head over to our homepage. We are so happy to welcome you!

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