What do a retro surf motel, a luxury wilderness expedition, a heritage-listed rock art site and a sprawling fish market have in common? They’re four Australian experiences just named on TIME magazine’s annual World’s Greatest Places list, among 100 extraordinary destinations to stay and to visit in 2026.
Each year, TIME releases a curated round-up of new and innovative destinations, hotels and experiences from across the globe. The magazine’s editors solicit nominations from its international network of correspondents and contributors, alongside submissions through an application process, with nominees spanning hotels, cruises, restaurants, attractions, museums and parks.
This year, four incredible Australian experiences were recognised on the list, starting with a new Tasmanian luxury wilderness journey that takes travellers deep into one of the world’s most remote protected areas. On Board Expeditions’ two-night Port Davey Highlights tour begins with a scenic seaplane flight from Hobart into Bathurst Harbour, where guests board a 12-passenger floating wilderness lodge. Over the next three days, guests are taken on rare adventures to secluded beaches, Indigenous cultural sites and remote islands within the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area – a region with “no access roads, towns or hotels”, known for having some of the “purest air on Earth”. It’s got bucket-list written all over it!
Australia is a utopia of UNESCO World Heritage wonders, and the latest to join the list, the Murujuga Cultural Landscape, was also recognised by TIME as a must-see for 2026. This expansive and sacred stretch of land in Western Australia’s Pilbara region is home to the world’s largest and densest collections of ancient rock art – some dating back 50,000 years. Murujuga is just the second site in Australia to be recognised on the World Heritage list solely for its First Nations cultural heritage, following Budj Bim’s listing in 2019. While it’s a nine-hour drive from Broome, the journey rewards travellers with rare access to this sacred terrain.
Part of what makes TIME’s list so incredible is its diversity of experiences, as showcased by Australia’s third inclusion: Sydney Fish Market. The largest fish market in the Southern Hemisphere and the second-most visited attraction in Sydney after the Opera House, it reopened in January following an $800 million, seven-year redevelopment. Seafood lovers will find more than 40 stalls, alongside top-tier restaurants and cafés, while the 9.3-mile waterfront stretching from Rozelle Bay to Woolloomooloo forms one of the longest pedestrian-friendly waterfront trails in the world.
Only one Australian accommodation made TIME’s 2026 list of the greatest places to stay, and it’s not the flashy five-star hotel you might expect. Hiding in the sleepy surf town of Crescent Head on NSW’s mid-north coast, Sea Sea Hotel is part of the recent retro motel revival. The boutique property, which opened at the end of 2024, brands itself as “a ’70s-inspired surf club hotel”, featuring 25 guest rooms with bespoke furniture, lighting and artwork. Beyond the rooms, there’s a mod-Oz restaurant headed by chef Daniel Medcalf (ex-Icebergs Dining Room and Bar), plus a surf and souvenir shop, a huge hi-fi lounge and a sprawling outdoor space with a heated pool, an outdoor fireplace, a sauna and ice baths. It’s giving endless summer vibes, and we’re very keen to check in.
You can see TIME’s full list of the World’s Greatest Places here.