The Long & Short of It: 10 Long-Haul Destinations for 2027

5 DESTINATIONS WHOSE MOMENT IS NOW

Brits are pairing Serengeti safaris with Zanzibar beach breaks, and direct flights from London are landing next summer. Tanzania is ‘the destination that will be everywhere in 2027’ according to our Consultants, with the East African destination dominating conversations we’re having around safari and tropical relaxation. 2027 will also see the journey getting easier than ever, with new direct services from the UK to Kilimanjaro and Zanzibar launching in summer 2027.

The sixth series of Race Across The World sent its teams 7,500 miles from Palermo to northern Mongolia and Brits are keen to follow in their footsteps with their very own small-group tours. In 2026, bookings to Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan rose an average of 22% versus the previous year.

Travel Experts say the region is selling particularly well for small-group touring, pairing the turquoise-tiled Silk Road cities of Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva with yurt stays beside high mountain lakes in Kyrgyzstan. 

Parents are spending the kids' inheritance on one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World, with the mighty Vic Falls fast becoming a favourite with SKI holidaymakers, according to our panel. The town beside the waterfall with the longest single cascade on Earth became easier to reach in 2026, when direct flights from Gatwick to Harare returned for the first time in 14 years.

Next year Zimbabwe will co-host the Cricket World Cup with South Africa and Namibia in October and November 2027, bringing Harare even more into the spotlight.

Bookings to Sichuan are up 83.3% year on year, the sharpest rise of any destination in our list. Giant pandas, the turquoise lakes of Jiuzhaigou National Park, and centuries-old teahouses are luring Brits to China’s spicy south-west. We reckon the current mandate for visa-free entry is certainly helping matters – so get in quick before the initiative ends!

The Lord of the Rings put Glenorchy on the map, and the live-action Legend of Zelda film is set to do it all over again when it hits the big screen next year. Among its Otago filming locations, Glenorchy and the aptly named ‘Paradise’ sit at the head of Lake Wakatipu, 45 minutes from Queenstown along one of New Zealand's most breathtaking lakeside roads. It’s the kind of road trip our Experts say more of their customers are booking, particularly as self-drive holiday demand booms. 

For the foodies, New Zealand’s culinary credentials have also reached a new milestone with the arrival of its first-ever MICHELIN Guide, spanning Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Queenstown.

5 DESTINATIONS WHOSE MOMENT IS COMING

Demand for Taiwan has surged over the past few months (+20.7% between June and September 2026), and that trend doesn’t seem to be slowing. Our Experts say travellers are seeking out the ‘next Japan’, without sacrificing the heady mix of food, culture and landscape, which Taiwan delivers by the bowlful. We’re tipping Jiufen as the spot worth exploring, a former gold-rush town clinging to the hills above the sea whose tangle of teahouses, lantern-lit lanes and street-food stalls sits barely an hour from Taipei. It pairs beautifully with the capital's night markets and the marble cliffs of Taroko Gorge.

The salt flats and star-filled skies of San Pedro de Atacama, alongside the vineyards of the Colchagua Valley and Patagonian glaciers are drawing British explorers to Chile, with momentum building and bookings rising 14% over the summer months. Our Experts expect South America to keep gathering pace throughout 2027 too; capacity growth signals increased traveller demand, with British Airways increasing its Latin American capacity by 25% in 2027.

As stargazing and noctourism holidays grow in popularity, San Pedro de Atacama is the place to do it. A desert oasis town beneath some of the darkest skies on Earth, accessible via Santiago, which gets a daily British Airways service from March 2027.

Interest in the South Pacific has grown steadily since 2025, but our data shows a 61.7% rise in bookings for Tonga in the past quarter alone, versus the same period last year. British travellers already heading to Australia or New Zealand can tag on a week in these paradise isles for the price of a short-haul hop, with Tonga around three hours from Auckland and the Cook Islands just under four.

Cruise bookings continue to grow and it’s not just to traditional cruising hot spots, with expedition cruising now making up a significant stack of bookings. Customers of all ages have been booking these cruises with us, some as far as two years ahead!

For travellers who want wilderness without logistics, cruising is it. For those thinking about travelling to Antarctica, South Georgia may be the perfect starting point. Accessible only by boat, it’s renowned for its abundant wildlife, from king penguin colonies to seabirds and seals.

Brisbane is heading for its biggest moment on the world stage. In October 2027, the Rugby World Cup arrives in Australia, and Brissie is where the first England match is set to kick-off. It’s the perfect precursor to the city’s 2032 Olympic Games hosting. Getting to the east coast is about to get a heck of a lot easier too, with Qantas launching its first ever non-stop flight between London and Sydney in October 2027.