Liverpool is the highest ranking non-capital destination
Liverpool’s city center featuring Wellington’s Column and the Sir Arthur Bower Forwood Statue on William Brown Street(Image: Getty Images)
Tripadvisor has revealed the winners of its 2026 Travellers’ Choice Awards: Best of the Best Destinations. Highlighting the top and trending travel spots for 2026, this year’s awards recognise 270 destinations across 60 countries globally, with Liverpool landing high on one of the lists.
The awards, based on a year’s worth of review data from Tripadvisor’s international travel community, highlight travellers’ preferred destinations. The awards are divided into seven sub-categories: Top Destinations, Trending Destinations, Culture & History Destinations, Food Destinations, Honeymoon Destinations, and Solo Travel Destinations.
Liverpool places third on the UK’s list of top destinations, surpassed only by the English and Scottish capitals, making it the highest-ranked non-capital city. Manchester swiftly follows in fourth place, followed by Glasgow in fifth.
Tripadvisor’s Top Destinations – UK
- London
- Edinburgh
- Liverpool
- Manchester
- Glasgow
- York
- Bath
- Belfast
- Torquay
- Jersey
London was also named the number one destination for food in the world, fending off competition from Berlin, Germany, Krakow, Poland, and Paris, France.
Liverpool’s waterfront and Royal Liver Building(Image: Getty Images)
The top trending destination in the world this year is the Portuguese island of Madeira. Described as “the perfect escape at any time”, Madeira boasts “stunning scenery, beautiful architecture and mild weather year-round”.
The UK destinations trending for 2026 are Glasgow and Belfast. Coming in at seventh place, Glasgow is praised for its contemporary culture as the UK’s first UNESCO City of Music and vibrant dining scene. Belfast is ranked 24th for the city’s museums, street art, and iconic pub music scene “where powerful storytelling meets modern creativity”.
Liverpool ONE at night time(Image: Jason Hawkes)
Tripadvisor previously revealed the best things to do in Liverpool after hundreds of thousands reviews from every day people. Everything from beautiful cathedrals, museums and football stadiums have received global acclaim, with many sitting right under our noses on a daily basis.
There are 88 attractions in Liverpool well worth your time seeking out. The list is made up of famous bars and venues, shopping locations, tucked away secrets and hidden gems and historic destinations.
Check out the top rated attractions in Liverpool with TripAdvisor’s ‘best things to do’ list.