Asheville made it onto Travel + Leisure’s 50 best places to travel in 2026 list, taking a spot alongside recommendations from Salt Lake City, Utah, to the Masai Mara, Kenya.
T+L has been covering travel, food, wine, hiking, hotels, and beyond since 1971, reaching more than 16 million readers monthly, according to the website. Among the articles it publishes are lists of travel recommendations.
The recent list of 2026 travel options, published Nov. 18, included seven categories: food and drinks, big-city thrills, moments on the water, cultural immersion, adventurous travelers, beach vibes, and nature lovers.
Despite Western North Carolina’s continuing efforts to recover from the devastating effects of Tropical Storm Helene, T+L found plenty to recommend for travelers in the area. Here’s what writers suggested, plus other travel choices in Asheville’s category and more.
What to do in Asheville, NC
Asheville was among T+L’s 11 best places to travel for nature lovers in 2026, one of several sections on its larger list of 50 overall best places to travel. T+L commented on WNC’s recovery from Tropical Storm Helene, noting that the storm “decimated large swaths of Asheville’s River Arts District and Biltmore Village.”
T+L’s suggestions for what to do in Asheville included:
- Shop and explore at Marquee Asheville
- Discover Affrilachian and Black Highlander art at the YMI Cultural Center
- Whitewater rafting, repelling, e-biking, and more with French Broad Adventures
- Get trail recommendations at the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy
- Eat at the new American restaurant, Crusco
- Stay at the reopened Wrong Way River Lodge & Cabins or Grand Bohemian Lodge
Best places to travel for nature lovers in 2026
T+L’s picks for the best places for nature lovers to travel in 2026 include:
- Alberta, Canada
- Asheville, North Carolina
- Asturias, Spain
- Guatemala
- Madhya Pradesh, India
- Masai Mara, Kenya
- New Zealand
- Okavango Delta, Botswana
- Oulu, Finland
- Reykjavik, Iceland
- Salt Lake City, Utah
Iris Seaton is the trending news reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at iseaton@citizentimes.com.
