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Australia just landed 5 spots on TIME’s World’s Greatest Places 2026 list

Emily Murphy Emily Murphy
These Aussie destinations, experiences and operators just got the world’s attention.

Every year, TIME puts out its World’s Greatest Places list and the whole travel industry holds its breath. 100 destinations. Global nominations. The full weight of one of the world’s most recognised mastheads behind each pick.

This year, Australia didn’t just make the cut – it made a statement. Four spots landed on the official list, up from the three inclusions last year. A fifth, from an Australian-owned expedition operator, snuck in under a different category. Together, they’re a pretty convincing argument that this country is doing something right.

Sea Sea Hotel, Crescent Head, NSW

Bedroom at Sea Sea Hotel
Head back in time at Sea Sea Hotel. (Credit: Tommaso Riva)

Sea Sea Hotel is a love letter to Crescent Head’s 1970s surf culture – retro in the best possible way, considered in every detail and sitting on Dunghutti Country near one of the coast’s most uncrowded breaks. TIME’s judges were taken by the whole package, but the kitchen deserves its own mention: former Icebergs chef Daniel Medcalf has built a modern-casual dining room around the native produce of the Macleay Valley.

On Board, Southwest Tasmania

Odalisque III in Bathurst Harbour
Board Odalisque III and sail into Bathurst Harbour.

No roads. No towns. No hotels. The southwest corner of Tasmania is one of the most genuinely remote places in the country and On Board – a family-run operation that has known these waters since 1998 and is also now part of Luxury Lodges of Australia – is one of the only ways in. Its new Port Davey Highlights cruise starts the way all great adventures should: a 40-minute seaplane flight from Hobart over wilderness that looks like it was designed by someone who’d never heard the word ‘development’. From there, guests board the 12-passenger Odalisque III into Bathurst Harbour for three days of sea caves, Indigenous rock art, coastal hikes and possible sightings of the endangered, orange-bellied parrot.

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Murujuga Cultural Landscape, Burrup Peninsula, WA

Murujuga Cultural Landscape
Murujuga holds hundreds of thousands of ancient petroglyphs.

There are places in the world that make you feel small in the best possible way. Murujuga is one of them. Spread across the Burrup Peninsula in the Pilbara, this extraordinary landscape holds hundreds of thousands of ancient petroglyphs – rock engravings that represent one of the most significant concentrations of ancient rock art anywhere on Earth, and the continuous cultural practice of Aboriginal people across tens of thousands of years. The Ngarda-Ngarli people have cared for Country for more than 50,000 years; etched into its rusted boulders are prehistoric megafauna and early human life. UNESCO recognised it with World Heritage status in 2025 – only the second Australian site recognised solely for its First Nations cultural heritage.

Our print editor, Imogen Eveson, visited Murujuga shortly after the UNESCO inscription and came back changed. “It was one of those experiences that recentres you, offering a new appreciation not only for Australia – its natural and cultural history and the living heritage that continues today – but for the planet more broadly," she says.

“The more people who are able to experience Murujuga responsibly, as I did on an expedition cruise, the more people will come to understand and want to protect this extraordinary place."

Sydney Fish Market, NSW

Sydney Fish Market exterior
Visit Sydney Fish Market. (Credit: Tom Roe)

The old fish market had charm, seagulls and limited parking. The new Sydney Fish Market has an $836 million price tag, a wave-shaped roof and 40 restaurants under one address. The redesigned Blackwattle Bay precinct isn’t really a market anymore – it’s a waterfront destination that happens to sell excellent seafood, alongside Malaysian, Aegean and everything in between. TIME’s panel noted the ambition of what’s been built here: a place that genuinely integrates harbour life with serious dining. Sydney already had the Opera House. Now it has this.

Aurora Expeditions’ Douglas Mawson

It’s not officially in the Australia category – but Aurora Expeditions is an Australian-owned company, and its newest ship is too good to leave off this list. The Douglas Mawson launched in November 2025, named after the Antarctic explorer who would absolutely have approved of what’s been built in his honour. Small by design (just 130 expeditioners in polar regions), it’s equipped with a wave-piercing hull that tames the Drake Passage, a forward observation lounge, a citizen science centre and Zodiac platforms for getting off the ship and into the thick of it fast.

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Emily Murphy
Emily Murphy is Australian Traveller's Email & Social Editor, and in her 4+ years at the company she has been instrumental in shaping its social media and email presence, and crafting compelling narratives that inspire others to explore Australia's vast landscapes. Her previous role was a journalist at Prime Creative Media and before that she was freelancing in publishing, content creation and digital marketing. When she's not creating scroll-stopping travel content, Em is a devoted 'bun mum' and enjoys spending her spare time by the sea, reading, binge-watching a good TV show and exploring Sydney's vibrant dining scene. Next on her Aussie travel wish list? South Australia and The Kimberley.
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This hidden region in Victoria is home to a peaceful lake trail

    Craig Tansley Craig Tansley
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    Video credit: Tourism Australia

    From pink salt landscapes to oases fringed by forests of red gums, the lakes of this rural region are astounding. 

    You’re going to find peace and quiet when you take a road trip through the lakes of the Wimmera Mallee region. Whether it’s mirror-like pink salt lakes that look like an inland sea, or lakes fringed by forests of red gums that showcase Victoria’s arid beauty, there’s a lake for you out here somewhere.  

    1. Lake Tyrrell  

    Lake Tyrrell
    The colours of Lake Tyrrell blend into the sky. (Image: Visit Victoria/Anne Morely)

    Located in the dead heart of the Mallee, Victoria’s largest salt lake, Lake Tyrrell, is a landscape photographer’s dream – especially at sunrise and sunset when the pink salt flats look like a gigantic mirror. It’s easy to camp or park a caravan nearby, too, though the tiny town of Sea Lake is just south (with accommodation). In winter, shallow water covers the salt, creating surreal reflections of the sky.  

    2. Nhill Lake  

    There’s a permanent water source here, so there’s always plenty of water for water skiing, swimming and fishing (the trout and redfin fishing here is legendary). Located beside the pretty heritage town of Nhill with its main street of historic buildings, there’s options for eating and drinking right next door. There’s also a barbecue area with plenty of shady picnic spots and a boardwalk for walking around the lake.  

    3. Lake Bringalbert  

    Lake Bringalert
    Lake Bringalert is a great spot for aquatic adventures.

    Located south-west of the pretty Mallee town of Kaniva, Lake Bringalbert epitomises the best of ‘outback’ Victoria. It’s ringed by red gums and red mallee and feels completely hidden from the world – you’ll barely ever see another person. There’s basic camping on its foreshore and Kaniva offers more accommodation options. It’s the perfect lake for swimming, kayaking and skiing, and the stars at night come without even a hint of city glow.  

    4. Lake Hindmarsh 

    If you’re a bird fan, you’ll love Lake Hindmarsh. Located north of Dimboola, Victoria’s largest natural freshwater lake is like an inland sea full of pelicans, swans and numerous species of ducks – but it also teems with everything from spoonbills to parrots. Sunsets here will blow your mind – the lake is a mirror for the pinks and golds you’ll see on the horizon. There’s free camping spots along the foreshore if you’d like to really contemplate the magic of the lake.  

    5. Pink Lake 

    pink lake
    The Pink Lake is most vivid after rain. (Image: Visit Victoria/Anne Morely)

    Also known as Loch Lel, the summer months offer up some seriously vivid pink water colour at this lake north of Dimboola. The pink varies throughout the year, but is best after rain (hence why summer is the time to visit).

    pink lake
    Pink Lake, also known as Loch Lel, is located near Dimboola in the Grampians. (Image: Tourism Australia)

    There’s plenty of birds, including wedge-tailed eagles, but you’re as likely to spot big lace monitors, kangaroos and echidnas. Nearby, check out the uber-cute heritage town of Dimboola and its eclectic shops, and Little Desert National Park, full of walking trails through mallee heathland. 

    6. Lake Lascelles 

    Lake Lascelles
    You can camp at Lake Lascelles.

    On a hot summer’s day, there’s nowhere better for a cooling dip, kayak or boat ride. You can camp by the lake, or at powered caravan sites – or the pretty town of Hopetoun offers numerous accommodation options a short walk away. At night you’ll see the lights of Hopetoun reflect off the lake. Fish for yellow belly, redfin or catfish, or try water-skiing. There’s also a great walking trail around the lake, where there’s more birds than you can count.