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We all have a travel bucket list of things we really, really want to do some day. Trips that are too expensive for a “just because”, the ones you’ll save for a special occasion.
Seeing the Northern Lights. Wildlife watching in the Galápagos. Honeymooning in the Maldives.
But have you ever wondered how expensive these trips are in actuality? Wonder no more, because the team at travel insurance company SquareMouth have crunched the numbers for you.
Looking at reported trip costs from more than 100,000 travel insurance sales, surveys of more than 6,000 customers, and data from sources like Google Flights and Kayak hotels, the expense index has revealed the 15 most costly destinations around the world.
Unsurprisingly, remote and isolated destinations top the list, as these spots are harder to reach, more expensive to supply, and often cater to luxury and adventure travellers.
Certain types of travel are also more expensive – with polar and expedition trips being the most expensive, followed by island and beach destinations then safari and wildlife adventures.
The most expensive holiday destinations for 2026
If you’re planning on visiting Greenland this year, be prepared to spend a pretty penny on your vacation.
According to the data, the average trip cost per day in Greenland is a whopping $1,171 (€1,027), while the cost to rent a car stands at $110 (€97) per day.
A weeknight – not even a weekend – hotel stay will set you back $227 (€200), and a dinner out at an inexpensive restaurant is $36.03 (€31.60).
Next up is the British Virgin Islands, where the weeknight hotel cost is $1,137 (€997), and the average trip cost per day is $925 (€811).
Coming in third is French Polynesia, where the trip cost per day is $756 (€663), and the weeknight hotel cost is $1,382 (€1,212).
Rounding out the top five are Antarctica, where the flight cost is $1,899 (€1,665) and the trip cost per day is $1,511 (€1,325); and the Maldives, where the trip cost per day is $1,072 (€940) and the weeknight hotel cost is $1,249 (€1,096).
The top 15 most expensive to travel to in 2026
1. Greenland
2. British Virgin Islands
3. French Polynesia
4. Antarctica
5. Maldives
6. Switzerland
7. Zimbabwe
8. Turks and Caicos Islands
9= Botswana
9= Anguilla
9= Saint Lucia
12= Namibia
12= Iceland
14. Norway
15. Zambia
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