Intrepid’s 2026 Not Hot List Reveals 10 Under-the-Radar Destinations

September 23, 2025

In a world where 80 per cent of travellers visit just 10 per cent of destinations, Intrepid Travel is steering adventurers elsewhere. The company’s 2026 Not Hot List, developed with trend forecasters Globetrender, spotlights 10 places often overlooked but poised to welcome visitors—from Central Asia’s vast mountain ranges to North America’s least-visited national park.

Among the highlights is Tiwai Island in Sierra Leone, newly inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2025. Here, travellers can overnight in rainforest lodges and embark on river cruises while supporting local communities that reinvest tourism revenues into conservation and development.

In Kyrgyzstan’s Tien Shan Mountains, the Kyrgyz Nomad Trail—a grassroots trekking network expanded to 2,000 km—opens up alpine valleys and glacial lakes. Trekkers stay in yurts and share meals with nomadic families, offering a rare glimpse into a way of life largely unchanged for generations.

Closer to home, Great Basin National Park in Nevada remains one of the United States’ quietest parks, drawing just over 150,000 visitors in 2024. With expanded campgrounds and new programming planned, a visit here is both a retreat into solitude and a statement of support for preserving fragile landscapes.

Other destinations on the list include:

  • Sierra Norte, Mexico, where Zapotec villages operate under a pioneering community-led tourism model.

  • Vis Island, Croatia, an antidote to overtourism with no airports or cruise stops.

  • Southeastern Anatolia (pictured in feature image), Türkiye, home to UNESCO sites and renowned culinary traditions.

  • Arunachal Pradesh, India, celebrating its first Sunrise Festival in 2026.

  • Via Transilvanica, Romania, a 1,400 km trail dubbed the “Camino of the East.”

  • Ruta de las Flores, El Salvador, a highland route famed for coffee and culture.

  • Oulu, Finland, the European Capital of Culture 2026, merging Arctic gastronomy with bold climate programming.

“While some places receive millions of visitors each year, many others go virtually unnoticed,” said Erica Kritikides, Intrepid’s General Manager of Experiences. “Our Not Hot List reflects an approach to tourism we’ve long championed: better tourism, not less tourism.”

For the curious and conscientious, the 2026 Not Hot List is an invitation to take the road less travelled—and to leave a positive impact along the way.

Intrepid Travel just added 40 new rail journeys

June 10, 2024

Intrepid Travel is launching a new trip range dedicated to rail travel which includes 40 trips and three brand new itineraries; Trans-Mongolian Railway Adventure, Express to the Orient: Paris to Istanbul, and Paris to Rome by Rail.

The range will cater to the rising trend of train travel, with new data showing 75 per cent of travellers are hoping to take a train on their next trip. The launch reflects Intrepid’s long-term product development plans, replacing internal flights with less carbon-intensive options, where viable, as part of its global decarbonization strategy.  

Each rail trip will be accompanied by one of Intrepid’s local leaders, who will not only help travellers navigate complex routes and stations, but also maximize the experiences during rest stops and overnight stays. With an average group size of 10-12 travellers, Intrepid rail trips offer customers community, conversation, and a sense of connection.  

As part of this newly dedicated trip category, Intrepid will offer iconic routes like Bangkok to Southern Thailand, and lesser-known routes like Varanasi to Agra, India, as well as rail family adventures from Tokyo to Kyoto and Rome to Pompeii. The launch is also highlighted by three brand-new itineraries:  

New rail itineraries

1.     Trans-Mongolian Railway Adventure (11 Days from $4035, CAD) 

  • While the popular Trans-Siberian route is currently closed to travellers, this new tour makes use of the Trans-Mongolian Railway, constructed in the late 1940s following the route of ancient tea caravans from Beijing, China through Mongolia.   
  • The trip begins in Beijing, traveling through hilly landscapes in China, exploring Inner Mongolia and visiting Khustai National Park, the dunes of the Gobi Desert and Sainshand, before disembarking in Ulaanbaatar, the capitol city of Mongolia.  

2.     Express to the Orient: Paris to Istanbul (15 Days from $5435, CAD) 

  • This new trip travels from Paris to Budapest by train, following the same route as the historic Orient Express, a long-distance passenger train that ran between 1883 and 1977, and lent itself to many popular films and books. Travellers will stop to explore iconic spots and lesser-known sites in Strasbourg, Munich and Salzburg. 
  • Travellers will then journey on local trains along the Simplon-Orient Express route from Belgrade to Istanbul, stopping for local delicacies, like a traditional Serbian lunch in a Salaš home. 

3.     Paris to Rome by Rail (10 Days from $5030 cad) 

  • On Intrepid’s new Paris to Rome itinerary, travellers will hop on the Gotthard Panorama Express through Switzerland.  
  • This train takes the original historic route on the Gotthard railway, constructed in 1872. The journey spirals through the alps, with panoramic views of the countryside, and Wassen Church, as well as stops for scenic hikes, medieval castles and a fresh farm-to-table Italian cooking demonstration.  

To learn more about Intrepid’s train trips and discover the 40+ rail itineraries, visit www.intrepidtravel.com/rail.