Which? Reveals Best Long-haul Holiday Cities

Which? Reveals Best Long-haul Holiday Cities

Japan has triumphed in an annual UK survey of the best world cities for travelers, according to respected consumer magazine Which? Kyoto and Tokyo finished in the top five, partly due to value for money and despite low scores for “overtourism”, while three major US cities took the bottom three spots. 

Top Five

  1. Cape Town 
  2. Kyoto 
  3. Sydney 
  4. Chicago 
  5. Tokyo 

“A weaker yen against the pound has seen the city’s prices fall for UK holidaymakers. A three-course meal for two with a bottle of wine costs £42 [¥8,000] on average.” 

Cape Town is the world’s best city, where it is about 12% cheaper than in 2023 for Britons. “Some 2,500 destinations were rated by travellers across seven measures. This included the quality of its cultural attractions, accommodation and food and drink. And to counter problems of overtourism, we’ve also included a ‘lack of crowds’ score to help you avoid the herd.”

Cape TownThe city of Cape Town

High-quality food and drink and low prices helped Cape Town become one of the few destinations awarded the full five stars for dining. “The city has outstanding cultural sites, too, including the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art and District Six Museum on apartheid.” 

“But it’s the scenery that really sets this city apart: no photo prepares you for the view from Lion’s Head lookout or the drama of Table Mountain (hike the Platteklip Gorge trail to the top and ride the Aerial Cableway back down). All that before we get to city beaches such as Clifton and Camps Bay. 

The Cape of Good Hope boasts ruddy cliffs, two swirling oceans and plentiful fresh air. “You can stop off to meet Boulders Beach’s adorable residents—a colony of African penguins—on the way.”

KyotoThe city of Kyoto

“If the fascination of Japan is its balance between technological future and ancient tradition, Kyoto is the yin to Tokyo’s yang. The imperial capital from the 8th century to the 19th is less a city than the repository of Japan’s cultural soul. 

You come to explore Unesco-listed Buddhist temples (such as hillside Kiyomizu-dera and Kinkakuji—aka the Golden Pavilion) and Zen gardens; to enjoy tea ceremonies in wooden houses on Sannen-zaka or Ninen-zaka lanes and see geishas in Gion district’s Shimbashi street (visit at dusk if possible). 

There are also Shinto shrines: Fushimi Inari is the most dramatic, where 10,000 crimson torii gates snake like tunnels over mountainside paths. 

Kyoto’s cherry blossoms are among Japan’s best and immensely popular—probably why the city earns five stars for culture but only two for crowd levels.

Don’t miss a visit to Arishiyama Bamboo Grove, where sunlight dapples between the towering green stalks and transports you to another world. Afterwards, take a houseboat tour on the serene Oi River (Oi-gawa). Arrive early to beat the crowds.

Sydney The city of Sydney

“The Australian city may have slipped from the top spot but it remains the ultimate all-rounder: scoring five stars for its cultural attractions and vibrant cuisine. For visitors, it packs in those ‘pinch-me-I’m-in-Australia’ moments you seek. It’s the double-whammy of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Sydney Opera House on a sun-spangled waterfront. Most sights are crammed into a pocket … so Sydney received the full five stars for ease of getting around.”

And the worst?

Miami, Las Vegas and Los Angeles are rated bottom three, followed by Seattle and Dubai. Miami is “overrated” and “expensive,” earning single stars for cultural sights and shopping. “Brash” and “glitzy” Las Vegas, meanwhile, comes second last for being crowded with few attractions and poor value for money. 

Long-haul Holiday Cities Chart

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