My Favorite Cities in the World
This list will change constantly as I visit new cities or revisit old ones. But it’s always fun to keep a list. Because apparently, I like lists.
I don’t use any objective criteria when making this list. It’s completely about feel. Sometimes I like big cities, and other times I like small towns. Sure, access to good beer and food helps, but it’s not always the determining factor.
Only rule:
- I must have been to the city for at least one night
1. Munich, Germany
I’ve been to Munich more times than I can count, but my last visit was May 2020. I grew up in Germany just about an hour and half north of Munich, so it will always feel a bit like home to me. Not mention the incredible beer. The city was designed around beer. There isn’t really any other city that can make that claim.
2. Hong Kong
My first trip to Hong Kong was in October 2018, and it was my first trip to “Far East” Asia. It was the perfect introduction to Asia. Hong Kong is where East meets West; Ancient meets Modern; and Crazy meets Cool. I stayed both on Hong Kong Island and Kowloon, but I loved Hong Kong Island. Being in the middle of the street markets, honking cars, and massive amounts of people moving up and down the city escalators. Sometimes a city just injects you with adrenaline and keeps you going. Hong Kong was all of that and more for me.
3. Ljubljana, Slovenia
I only spent 2 nights in Ljubljana back in June of 2016, but I’ve never been able to get it out of my mind. It is the perfect laid back small city. Despite not being full of “tourist sites,” the city is amazingly picturesque with a castle resting above it and a river that winds through the middle. There’s a small downtown that runs on both sides full of outdoor cafes that offer drinks and a variety of different foods. And because nobody outside of Slovenia speaks Slovenian, English is spoken everywhere. It’s such an easy city to navigate and just feel at home. As I left Ljubljana, I immediately knew I wanted to come back for a month or more.
4. Porto, Portugal
I visited Porto in November of 2017 for just three nights. We had just had a great time in Lisbon and drinking wine in Douro Valley. Porto was the end of our trip. And while I had heard good things, Porto caught me completely by surprise. It’s far less touristy than Lisbon, but the people are just as friendly. And there’s a certain grit that you can just feel that seems real and authentic. There’s no other real way to describe it. The food is great and there is wine everywhere. You don’t need a whole lot else.
5. New York City
I have gone to New York City just about once a year since 2015. And I don’t go to New York City to be a tourist. I go to eat and drink. Sure, it has plenty to do and see. But I go to eat and drink. And maybe see a show. Name a cuisine and you will find it done as well or better in New York City than anywhere else in the world. A lot of people don’t get New York City, but that’s because they stay near Times Square and stand in line at the Empire State Building, Statue of Liberty cruises, or World Trade Center. If you’ve never been, I guess you need to do that. But, to experience NYC, is to stay in a village like Greenwich, the East Village, or Tribeca and then just get out and walk. Find coffee and donut shops in the morning, sandwich shops in the afternoon, wine bars in the afternoon, restaurants in the evening and then great cocktail bars at night. That’s a full day without standing in lines.
6. Tokyo, Japan
I visited Tokyo in June of 2019 and it more than met my already high expectations. It’s a massive city with a shitload to see and a shitload to eat. And while the food really is that good, what really puts it over the top for me are the people. The Japanese people are the friendliest and most welcoming people. It’s unbelievably refreshing to be around people that nice. I’m not that nice to my own family. Many travelers seem to prefer Kyoto. And while Kyoto is a “prettier” town, it doesn’t feel real. Tokyo, despite its size and maybe because of its size, retains its character as its own city and not a tourist trap.
7. Copenhagen, Denmark
The Danes have the word Hygge which basically means a cozy, comfortable, cool experience. Copenhagen is pretty damn hygge. The town has the world’s longest pedestrian only street full of restaurants and sidewalk cafes. Half of the downtown area seems to be pedestrian only. And it’s also one of the most bike friendly cities I’ve ever been to as well. You’re only seconds away from the water no matter where you are, and there’s great beer and decent food to be found on every block.
8. Bogota, Colombia
My first and only trip to Colombia was in November 2015. We did a three nights each in Bogota, Cartagena, and Medellin. And while most people prefer the beaches of Cartagena or the mountains of Medellin, I like the capital Bogota a little bit more than the others. It has a great city center in La Candelaria and we stayed up in Zona T which was an all night party.
9. Berlin, Germany
Berlin may be in Germany, but it has a totally different vibe to it than it’s lederhosen, beer guzzling cousins in Bavaria and the rest of Germany. I visited many times as a kid before the wall fell and then one more time in 1993 after reunification. My last visit was in June 2018. It’s an amazingly edgy, international city with an incredible history that hits you on just about every street you walk. You can still get great German beer here as well as their specialty, the Berliner Weisse.
10. Wroclaw, Poland
Wroclaw was another surprise for me during our Poland trip in June of 2018. We visited Gdansk, Warsaw, and Krakow first. But Wroclaw stood out. It was much smaller but with an amazingly large pedestrian only town square that went back several blocks. It felt like you were back visiting a quaint European town before the tourist hordes arrived. There’s a river that cuts through the city that you can kayak down as well. I was only there for 2 nights, but wish I had stayed longer.
Honorable Mentions
Quito, Ecuador
Vancouver, Canada
Valletta, Malta
Bergen, Norway
Lisbon, Portugal
San Francisco, California
Austin, Texas