The 35 best and worst long-haul city destinations in the world for Brits for 2025 have been named – and it’s Cape Town that’s top of the pile and an American city slammed as a ‘total rip off’ that’s bottom.
The results come from a Which? survey of over 1,500 of its members asked to rank their experiences of cities outside Europe over the past year.
Those polled rated the cities on food and drink; accommodation; cultural and tourist attractions; shopping; ease of getting around; lack of crowds; and value for money.
Which? explains: ‘A score was then calculated based on a combination of overall satisfaction and likeliness to recommend the destination.’
Best-rated Cape Town gets a score of 91 per cent, with Which? saying: ‘The city was a particular hit with foodies, receiving a five-star rating in the food and drink category, and [it] also received five stars for shopping and overall value for money.’
One visitor to the South African city tells Which?: ‘I was amazed by the low cost of eating out in Cape Town versus London or New York. The food was exceptional.’ Another tourist says: ‘There are so many amazing things to do in Cape Town at such a very reasonable cost… it is a wonderful place to visit.’
Cape Town also picks up four stars for accommodation and cultural sights and attractions. ‘The proximity of nature was particularly valued by respondents, who highlighted the spectacular scenery at the famous Table Mountain and penguins on Boulders Beach as high points,’ adds Which?.
Kyoto grabs second place in the ranking, with the Japanese city earning a score of 90 per cent. Japan scores highly overall, with capital city Tokyo taking joint fourth place with 86 per cent.
The 35 best and worst long-haul city destinations in the world for Brits for 2025 have been named – and it’s Cape Town that’s top of the pile
Kyoto comes second in the ranking with the Japanese city earning a score of 90 per cent and one visitor praising its ‘awe-inspiring sites’
The full ranking, which comes from a Which? survey of over 1,500 of its members, asked to rank their experiences of cities outside Europe over the past year
Which? says: ‘Historic Kyoto received a full five stars for its cultural sights and attractions, which include an astonishing 17 officially designated Unesco World Heritage Sites. As the former imperial capital, Kyoto is a heritage lover’s haven.’
A tourist tells Which?: ‘Few world cities have such a huge range of awe-inspiring sites.’
Kyoto also picks up five stars for food and drink and four stars for value for money, ease of getting around, accommodation and shopping.
Sydney rounds off the top three, earning a score of 88 per cent. One repeat visitor to the city tells Which?: ‘It is one of the “must-see” cities of the world.’
The Australian city picks up five stars for cultural sights and attractions, for food and drink and for ease of getting around.
Which? says that visitors ‘singled out’ the ‘quality of the fish market and even the local coffee’. It also earns four stars for shopping.
Chicago is the highest-rated American city on the list, tying in fourth place with Tokyo with a score of 86 per cent.
Which? reveals that people praise Chicago’s ‘atmospheric lakeside setting’, ‘pioneering skyscrapers’ and ‘beautiful architecture’. Chicago wins five stars for cultural sights and attractions, four stars for food and drink and shopping and three stars for value for money, lack of crowds and accommodation.
Sydney rounds off the top three with a score of 88 per cent. One tourist says the city is a ‘must-see’ destination
Tokyo, in joint fourth place with 86 per cent, earns five stars for food and drink, cultural sights, attractions and shopping, and four stars for accommodation, ease of getting around and value for money
Chicago (tied in fourth with 86 per cent) is the highest-rated American city in the ranking
Tokyo earns five stars for food and drink, cultural sights, attractions and shopping and four stars for accommodation, ease of getting around and value for money.
A visitor to the Japanese capital tells Which?: ‘I just love the place, and it’s got everything, including the famed contrast between ultramodern and traditional. Another praises Tokyo as ‘one of the most unique and extraordinary cities in the world’.
Singapore takes the final space in the top five with a score of 85 per cent, followed by Bangkok, Melbourne and Washington D.C, all tied on 84 per cent and in sixth place.
At the other end of the ranking, Miami is rated the worst city break destination with a ‘meagre’ score of just 56 per cent.
Which? says the city was ‘dismissed’ as ‘overrated’ by visitors with its highest score a three-star rating for shopping. It earns just one star for cultural sights and for shopping.
Value for money was a ‘particular bugbear’ for tourists according to Which?, with one respondent claiming that Miami is ‘very expensive compared to the UK’ and a ‘total rip off’.
‘Brash’ and ‘glitzy’ Las Vegas comes second last with a score of just 58 per cent. It earns no more than two stars in any of the categories and picks up just one star for cultural sights and attractions, lack of crowds and value for money.
Miami is rated the worst city break destination with a ‘meagre’ score of just 56 per cent. Which? says the city was ‘dismissed’ as ‘overrated’ by visitors, with its highest score a three-star rating for shopping
‘Brash’ and ‘glitzy’ Las Vegas comes second last with a score of just 58 per cent. It earns no more than two stars in any of the categories
Los Angeles is the third-worst-rated destination with a score of 62 per cent
One disappointed tourist tells Which?: ‘It is fake in every way, incredibly expensive, with bad food and terrible transport options… it’s my least favourite city in the world.’
Los Angeles (62 per cent), Seattle (64 per cent) and Dubai (64 per cent) also rank among the worst city break destinations in the world.
Rory Boland, editor of Which? Travel, says: ‘Some cities are one-trick ponies, but the standout destinations in this year’s survey have it all – each offering unique cultural sights, top-class food and drink, and even sublime scenery.
‘In many cases, they are bargains too. Cape Town is probably the world holiday destination where your pound will go furthest, while the cost of a holiday in Japan for British travellers has tumbled in recent years thanks to a weaker yen against the pound – there has never been a better time to go.’
