MIR’s 2026 Month by Month Guide to What’s Next
Choose Your Month, Then Choose Your Journey
Still haven’t decided on your 2026 travel plans? Looking for someplace new to discover? Our team has hand-picked destinations we know well, and that you might not have considered yet. Airline sale fares are common at this time of year, and it’s a sweet spot: far enough ahead to have good availability, but close enough to start making real plans.
Here’s our month-by-month inspiration guide for where you can do something you haven’t done yet. Taste farm-to-table at its best by a Michelin-starred chef in a Slovenian village. Meet with students and learn more about Taiwan and its indigenous heritage. Hang out on a rocky ridge in remote western Mongolia to watch ethnic Kazakhs carrying on a 6,000-year-old tradition of hunting with magnificent golden eagles. Visit a studio of a master qvevri maker who explains how Georgians still produce natural wine in clay vessels buried in the ground, just as they have for thousands of years.
We’ve got plenty of ideas. Start with these. Each month in our guide below features two journeys, small group or private, chosen for experiences that work especially well at that time of the year. Or just give us a call. We’re happy to help you sort through the options.
March
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Backstreets and Bazaars of Uzbekistan
Spring arrives in Uzbekistan with Navruz, bringing public celebrations, music, and shared meals. Historic bazaars, neighborhood streets, and Silk Road cities fill with activity as the country comes together to welcome the new year. Experience Navruz on the ground, when seasonal traditions are most visible in daily life. See the Tour >>
Active Essential Slovenia
Private time in Slovenia centers on food and landscapes. Michelin-starred dining, visits with regional producers, and time in the Alps, the Karst Plateau, and along the coast connect cooking traditions with the seasons. This journey is designed for travelers who want to experience Slovenia through its tables and terrain. See the Tour >>
April
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The Baltics
Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania come into focus through medieval old towns, historic capitals, and Riga’s Art Nouveau streets. Mild weather and longer days suit time spent walking neighborhoods and city centers. Mild weather and longer days make it easier to slow down and notice details that are easy to miss later in the year. See the Tour >>
Treasures of the South Caucasus
Across Armenia, Georgia, and Azerbaijan, ancient monasteries, historic cities, and mountain landscapes sit close together. Move between ancient monasteries, historic cities, and mountain landscapes. Visit long-standing religious sites, local homes, and regional centers, with opportunities to hear traditional folk music that remains part of community life. See the Tour >>
May
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Albania: Beyond the Guidebook
Much of Albania’s story unfolds in its towns and landscapes. UNESCO-listed sites, Ottoman-era architecture, and archaeological remains show how the country developed along its own path. Walk the historic centers of Berat and Gjirokaster, explore archaeological sites such as Butrint, and see how daily life reflects the country’s complex past. See the Tour >>
Silk Route Odyssey: Caravan Across Uzbekistan
Follow historic Silk Road routes through Samarkand, Bukhara, and Khiva. Monumental architecture, former caravan cities, and living traditions reveal Uzbekistan’s long role as a crossroads of trade and culture. See the Tour >>
June
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Bulgaria and Romania: Frescoes and Fortresses
Castles, fortified towns, and UNESCO-listed monasteries set the tone across Bulgaria and Romania. Painted churches and stone strongholds point to a past where faith and authority were closely linked. Visiting these sites back to back reveals clear contrasts from one region to the next. See the Tour >>
Eastern Turkey and Georgia: Crossroads of Ancient Civilizations
This route links eastern Turkey and Georgia through landscapes that have connected empires for centuries. Stand beneath Mount Ararat, visit rock-cut churches and medieval monasteries, walk the historic streets of Kars and Tbilisi, and see how borders, beliefs, and geography meet along the way. See the Tour >>
July
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Mongolian Explorer with Naadam Festival
Naadam brings Mongolia together with wrestling, archery, and horse racing at the height of summer. Travel from Ulaanbaatar into the Gobi Desert and embrace the quiet steppes during the most important event of the year. See the Tour >>
Village Traditions of the South Caucasus
Spend time in rural Georgia and Armenia during the summer, when village life moves outdoors. Bread is baked in clay ovens set into the ground, gardens are tended, and long tables bring neighbors together, and the day moves at a pace set by work, weather, and company. See the Tour >>
August
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Pamir Highway: From the Tien Shan to the High Pamirs
One of Central Asia’s highest roads runs through dramatic passes and wide mountain valleys. Villages appear far apart, and long days on the road show the scale of the region the best. This route is as much about the distance between places as the places themselves. See the Tour >>
Outposts of the Silk Road
Remote Silk Road towns such as Merv and Kunya-Urgench sit deep in the desert. Ruined caravanserais and ancient fortresses stand far from modern population centers. Reaching these sites today tells the story of travel across Central Asia long before modern borders. See the Tour >>
September
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Balkan Odyssey: Crossroads of Cultures
Overland travel across the Balkans makes change easy to notice. Short drives bring shifts in architecture, food, and daily habits as borders are crossed. Seeing the region by road emphasizes how quickly one setting gives way to another, and brings a different mix of influences that reflect centuries of movement through the area. See the Tour >>
A Taste of Georgia: Wine, Cuisine, and Culture
Harvest season sets the rhythm in Georgia. Vineyards are active, traditional dishes fill the table, and winemaking work continues late into the day. This is the time when food and wine naturally become the center of social life, and meals and toasts are accompanied by folk music. See the Tour >>
October
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Mongolia’s Golden Eagle Festival
In western Mongolia, eagle hunters gather for the Golden Eagle Festival to compete in the Altai region. Beyond the festival grounds, spending time in Bayan-Olgii and the surrounding valleys, with time in nomadic camps and wide open landscapes, offers a close view of a nomadic life. See the Tour >>
Essential Tibet
Spend time in Tibet moving between Lhasa, Gyantse, and Shigatse, where monasteries, prayer halls, and old towns remain central to daily life. Walk the Barkhor circuit with local pilgrims, visit the Potala Palace and Jokhang Temple, and travel across the plateau to monasteries that continue to anchor religious practice today. See the Tour >>
November
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Uncovering Taiwan: An Island Apart
Daily life in Taiwan comes into view through temples, markets, and neighborhood streets. Street food stalls and morning markets show how food structures the day. These ordinary settings say more about the island than major sights alone. See the Tour >>
South Korea: A Journey Through Time
Move between royal palaces, busy neighborhoods, and quiet tea houses as you travel across South Korea. Be the part of the everyday moments, through reading a room through nunchi, sharing tea, and watching how tradition fits into modern life. See the Tour >>
December
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Christmas Traditions of Poland
The holiday season in Krakow and nearby towns fills the main squares with Christmas markets and churches with carols. Wigilia meals, prepared once a year, bring families together around long tables. Visiting during this period shows how strongly the calendar still shapes the season. See the Tour >>
Saudi Arabia: Trade Routes, Tradition, and Transformation
Follow old trade routes of Saudi Arabia from the Nabataean tombs of Al Ula to historic Diriyah and the old quarters of Jeddah. Along the way, ancient sites, working markets, and fast-changing cities sit side by side, showing how the past and present intertwine. See the Tour >>
