The hot London trend that is officially one of the best things to do in the world in 2026

London is a world-leading city in so many respects. We’ve got countless iconic tourist attractions, unbeatable museums, a diverse and delicious food scene, and now, according to National Geographic, one of the top recommended ‘travel adventures’ in the world for 2026.

The travel magazine has put together a list of the 20 most exciting things to do on the planet in 2026, and one unexpected London entry made the cut. The criteria for NatGeo’s list? Things which ‘engage all the senses’ that everyone’s talking about, but that are actually worth the hype.

On a ranking that featured experiences like forest bathing in Japan and taking a football pilgrimage across South America, sitting in an urban sauna in London placed seventh. 

Any wellness-inclined Londoner will no doubt have seen this coming. The UK capital isn’t the only place with an abundance of inner-city saunas, but it’s had a huge surge in sauna openings in the past few years. Community saunas in particular have had huge success, but there are now loads of urban saunas dotted across the city, ranging from locally-owned not-for-profit baths to rooftop heatboxes. 

RECOMMENDED: The best saunas in London, according to Time Out.

National Geographic particularly recommends the Rooftop Saunas in Hackney, ‘offering a serene escape in the clouds… with sweeping views of the skyline’. Sessions start at a very respectable £11, and you can find out more about the place with Time Out’s guide here.

Elsewhere in the UK, stargazing in Northumberland was National Geographic’s top experience in the world for 2026. The Kielder Observatory, the country’s ‘most revered astronomical institution outside of Greenwich’, is open to the public, offers a unique way to learn about the universe, and finally learn to tell Orion’s Belt from the Big Dipper. Read more about Northumberland’s stargazing opportunities here.

You can have a look at National Geographic’s full list of the world’s best ‘travel adventures’ for 2026 here.

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Plus: 12 major changes coming to London transport in 2026.

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