I’ve always had a thing about fog. If the morning sky is cloaked in mist, I’m happy as a clam. It’s a condition I’ve been afflicted with my entire life (and one that’s procured quite a bit of teasing over the years), but there’s something about the mysterious nature of it all that improves my mood and boosts my creativity. As you might imagine, when murmurings of 2026’s “mystic outlands” trend began bubbling up, I felt as though I had met my people. If this is the first you’re hearing of it, allow me to show you the ropes: this trend was coined by Pinterest Predicts and centers on millennial and boomer travelers seeking out “distant ruins swallowed by mist, naturally-occurring spirals, and moody, enchanting forests.” More or less: Scottish Highlands vibes.
But digging a bit deeper into the psychology behind why travelers might be seeking out so-called mystical destinations, I’d argue it’s less about the aesthetic and more about the transformation. The metaphorical mist, if you will. “A few defining elements tend to surface,” says Scott Dunn’s Simon Hunt. “A palpable sense of energy tied to the land, ancient rituals and living traditions, otherworldly landscapes, and experiences that invite reflection.” Operating within those parameters, the mystic outlands trend extends to some of the world’s most mesmerizing corners.
“These journeys often take place in rare or remote environments where silence, scale, or isolation heighten awareness, and where…time-honored traditions invite reflection rather than spectacle,” explains Timbuktu’s founder and CEO Johnny Prince. This brings up a key point: while notions of moody forests and mysterious spirals might suggest a solo journey, a mystical travel experience is about connecting to the human experience. A “renewed perspective on how others live, believe, and find meaning in the world,” as Prince puts it.
Keeping this in mind, continue ahead for mind-bending travel destinations—some covered in mist, yes, others of the metaphorical variety. From the haunting coastline of Namibia to off-road adventures in Iceland, let the 13 trips ahead inform your next adventure.
Secluded Deserts in Namibia
Photo: Getty Images
The coastal deserts of Namibia are as perplexing to the eye as they are stirring to the soul. “The country offers landscapes like nowhere else on earth,” says Jennifer Morris of Abercrombie & Kent. The Skeleton Coast is a remote stretch in Northern Namibia named for its shipwrecks and whale skeletons, but it’s the intense fog and mesmerizing convergence of desert sand and Atlantic Ocean that truly renders it a mystical destination. Further inland and to the south, Wolwedans Boulders Camp sits atop an island of granite and sandy plains found within a private nature reserve deep in the desert. “[Come for] the dark sky reserve, incredible wilderness, and peace,” says Prince.