The New York Times has released their list of 52 Places To Go in 2026, and to our delight, Melbourne made it onto the list. We just made it onto the rankings at number 49, thanks to the excitement of the Formula 1. The only other Australian location to make the list was the Top End, which fared a lot better at number 14.
Melbourne on the New York Times list of places to go in 2026
In 49th place, Melbourne came in ahead of other locations like Virginia Beach in the United States, Big Sur in California and Mon in Denmark.
The Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne was listed as a must-see event for fans around the world, due to the debut of the Cadillac Formula 1 Team. See the first all-new team in a decade race around the track at Albert Park. The Grand Prix will run from March 5 to 8 this year.
To go with the driving theme, the New York Times listed other spots like the Fox Classic Car Collection in Docklands, and the Porsche & Coffee street celebration in South Melbourne on March 1. For a driving adventure, they recommended a trip along the Great Ocean Road to see the new Blowhole lookout at Loch Ard Gorge.
For top attractions beyond the track, they recommended a visit to Queen Victoria Market, the Royal Botanic Gardens and the city’s many laneways for a cup of coffee.
Meanwhile, the Top End of Australia was praised for its awesome ecosystems, its Indigenous history and the reopening of Gunlom Falls after six years of closure.
Top 10 places
- Revolutionary America
- Warsaw, Poland
- Bangkok, Thailand
- Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica
- Bandhavgarh, India
- Dallas, USA
- Oran, Algeria
- Route 66, USA
- Saba, the Caribbean
- Poblenou, Barcelona, Spain
To see the full list, click here.