5 Events Worth Traveling for in 2026

This February, the Winter Olympics return to Italy for the first time in 20 years, with Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, the “Pearl of the Dolomites,” sharing the spotlight.

Milan will host opening ceremonies and indoor events like figure skating and ice hockey, the latter after the NHL’s 12-year absence from the Olympic games. Outdoor competitions will unfold in resort towns across the Italian Alps—including Men’s Alpine Skiing on the legendary Stelvio run, a technical slope that shares its name with the pass we tackle on our Dolomites Challenge Bike Tour. Verona’s ancient Roman arena sets the stage for an unforgettable close, making this the most geographically expansive Winter Games ever.

Named for the gravel roads that crisscross Tuscany’s scenic Crete Senesi and Val d’Orcia countryside, the Strade Bianche is an early-season professional road race created in 2007 to help preserve the region’s white limestone roads—some dating back to the Middle Ages. The course blends asphalt and settori sterrati (gravel sections), culminating in a thrilling finish in Siena’s Piazza del Campo.

The day after the men’s and women’s pro races, the Gran Fondo Strade Bianche invites amateurs tackle parts of the same challenging route—a must-do for gravel-chasers and cycling enthusiasts alike.

Every summer the world watches as elite athletes compete in cycling’s greatest Grand Tour. In its 113th edition this July, the TDF features a historic Grand Départ from the Catalonian capital of Barcelona, taking the pros past iconic landmarks like Gaudí’s Sagrada Familia basilica (tentatively slated for completion in 2026) and finishing the stage with a climb up Montjuïc to the Olympic Stadium.

As always, the route is expected to take on classic French massifs like the Pyrenees, and the battle for the Yellow jersey will be fierce among top contenders like Tadej Pogačar, Jonas Vingegaard, and Mathieu Van der Poel.

On August 12, 2026, a total solar eclipse will sweep across the sky from Siberia to Spain, causing a brief but surreal twilight in the late afternoon. The path of totality crosses northern Spain for the first time since 1905, with the Ebro River Basin and Balearic Islands experiencing optimal views.

In Mallorca, the sun’s low position near the horizon creates an especially ethereal perspective, with the potential to witness a dramatic “golden corona.” The eclipse also coincides with the peak of the Perseid meteor shower, offering the chance to see another celestial event: a magical, moonless evening sky littered with shooting stars.

Each October, a spectacular mass migration descends on the Algarve, making it a premier destination for fall birdwatching. Rich in protected wetlands and situated on a major flyway, southern Portugal provides safe haven for thousands of raptors, coastal species, and sea birds on their way to wintering grounds in Africa.

Celebrating its 17th edition in 2026, this four-day festival showcases remarkable biodiversity with guided excursions, bird-ringing sessions, boat trips to spot pelagic birds and dolphins, and workshops on photography, field sketching, archaeology, geology, botany, and marine life.