These are the 10 most expensive destinations in the world

Travel isn't always cheap, but it's usually worth the cost.

Our best trips give us memories and experiences we wouldn't have had otherwise. For many people, it's money well spent.

This year, travelers are willing to pay up for their dream trip, according to new data from travel insurance comparison site Squaremouth. Out of the 6,000 surveyed customers, 45% said they're increasing their travel budgets for 2026, with over half also cutting back on other expenses.

These travelers aren't interested in roughing it to save a few bucks either. According to the survey, 23% of respondents said they're specifically spending more for a premium or bucket-list travel experience.

Squaremouth created an index of the most expensive travel destinations for 2026 to identify where travelers are shelling out their hard-earned money. The platform looked at its own sales data between April 2025 and 2026, economy airfare from Google Travel Flights for a Sept. 12 through Sept. 19, 2026 flight, and lodging costs from KAYAK.

"We’ve seen clear signs that travelers are making budget cuts elsewhere to afford premium travel this year, and the types of trips and destinations in this report are not ones where it’s easy to absorb a financial loss and move on," said Senior Director of Operations at Squaremouth Chrissy Valdez.

Here are the most expensive places people are traveling to this year.

What are the most expensive types of trips 2026?

According to Squaremouth's index, the most expensive destinations travelers are going to are polar and expedition destinations, followed by island and beach locales, and safari and wildlife places. These often remote destinations require long-haul travel and have fewer travel options to choose from, which drive up costs.

Trips to Antarctica – calculated based on the cost of its gateway city, Ushuaia, Argentina – are the most expensive, averaging $27,195 for an 18-day trip. Meanwhile, Rwanda had the highest per-day trip cost at $1609.20 per day, according to Squaremouth.

Travelers are also paying more for luxurious experiences, such as staying in their own over-water bungalow in the Maldives. Once-in-a-lifetime adventure trips also made the list, like a safari in Zimbabwe.

10 most expensive destinations 2026

Here are the most expensive places people are visiting in 2026 based on the highest average costs across the five categories: daily trip cost, airfare, accommodations, car rental and everyday food and drink prices.

1. Greenland
2. British Virgin Islands
3. French Polynesia
4. Antarctica
5. Maldives
6. Switzerland
7. Zimbabwe
8. Turks and Caicos
9. Botswana
10. Anguilla