Telegraph Research Reveals the Best City to Visit

Following the biggest independent destination study since the pandemic, Telegraph Travel can reveal the best city on Earth to visit. The full results can be viewed here.

Barcelona claims the top spot, thanks to its world-class architecture, thriving arts and culture scene and more than 2,500 hours of sunshine per year.

Sydney, Cape Town, Lisbon and Venice make up the rest of the top five, with Los Angeles, Dubai, London, Vancouver and Florence also ranking in the top ten.

For this in-depth study, The Telegraph analysed a wide range of data from a shortlist of 50 cities selected by The Telegraph readers, along with selections from our panel of experts.

The criteria included factors that Telegraph readers prioritise in city break destinations, such as the number of Unesco World Heritage Sites, air quality, green space, LGBT+ safety ranking, disabled access and the number of Michelin-starred restaurants, among other criteria rewarding safety, practicality and cultural prowess.

Along with the top 50 ranking of cities, The Telegraph has divided the results into sub-categories which see Paris named as the best option for an indulgent escape, Rome the top pick for a cultural hit, and Dubai celebrated for sun, sea and sand.

The top ten cities in our 2022 study are:

1. Barcelona

2. Sydney

3. Cape Town

4. Lisbon

5. Venice

6. Los Angeles

7. Dubai

8. London

9. Vancouver

10. Florence

Claire Irvin, Head of Travel at the Telegraph, said: “Which city is the best on Earth’ is a question that always delivers impassioned debate amongst Telegraph Travel’s experts – yet, despite our collective experience and expert insight, an emphatic answer has always proved elusive… So we decided it was high time we reached a definitive conclusion, using rigorous research methods.”

Marian Muro, General Manager Turisme de Barcelona, said: “This is a significant recognition of our city as one of the friendliest cities to visit, and also to live in. Barcelona is a cosmopolitan city, with the Mediterranean Sea as a backdrop, and this, combined with its welcoming, friendly and inclusive attributes make it completely unique.”