Hey, there’s a great big world out there, and if you haven’t been to see it lately, plan a trip for next year. And because it’ll be 2024, here are 24 of the best cities to see and go. Some because something big is happening there;
The 24 best cities to visit in 2024
By Ewan McDonald
NZ Herald·
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Paris, France beats with anticipation for the Olympics, and everyone's looking forward to Notre-Dame's comeback. Photo / 123rf
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Mostar
Mostar is in Bosnia-Herzegovina, once part of Yugoslavia, which fractured into several entities in the 1990s. It’s a gorgeous part of Europe, rising from coastal villages and white beaches into pine forests. Why go? Mostar grew up in the 15th and 16th centuries, an Ottoman frontier town in a deep river valley, and about half the population are Muslim; other faiths are practised. Most historic buildings and the Old Bridge were destroyed in 20th Century conflicts; Unesco rebuilt them as a symbol of reconciliation, international co-operation and co-existence of cultural, ethnic and religious communities. We could do with a few more Mostars right now.
Oslo
The Norwegian capital has largely let Stockholm and Helsinki do Nordic Cool. However, the fjordside city was named one of Europe’s most artistic cities this year, thanks to two stunning, recently opened art palaces – the National Museum of Art and Munch, dedicated to … oh, you guessed. Munch is a dramatic 13-storey, 60m climate-friendly building, looming over the harbour, one of the largest galleries dedicated to a single artist. Three versions of The Scream are displayed but there’s much more to see and do. Munch is a performance, music, dance venue for all ages plus views, hospo and even a beach and saunas. The National Museum is one of Europe’s biggest (it also has a Scream) with exhibitions cataloguing Viking history (the real thing, not the horned-helmet myths), antique sculptures, Ming vases – and Kardashian gowns.
Prague
Prague still looks its old self but Czechia’s capital isn’t living in the past. New treats: a greener alternative to hop-on hop-off buses and to reduce traffic, a hop-on-hop-off vintage tram service scooting around favourite streets and landmarks (thoughts, Wayne?); Prague Eyes, cafes, galleries and bars, a buzzy space at night, morphed out of decaying riverfront factories; Praha 7, another former industrial quarter, reborn with street-food stalls, farmers’ markets, pop-up fashion around Prague Market; Manifesto Market for sensational craft beers and global menus; Retro Museum, time-travel into 1970-80s Communist Czechoslovakia.
Seville
Barcelona’s had its moment in the sun and – as mentioned elsewhere – Spain has many other sensational cities. Like Seville, an enticing mix of Moorish, Christian and Jewish history (they used to get along well here), flamenco, tapas bar-hopping and … er, bullfighting. Marvel at the jaw-dropping Alcazar palace and gardens, massive Cathedral and vast, impressive Plaza Espana complex; be sideways-ed by the sunny, happy-go-lucky city’s penchant for gobsmacking contemporary architecture and people-friendly planning. Largely car-free, 80km of new cycle paths beckons e-bikers.
Venice
La Serenissima, “the most serene”, is anything but. Some 20 million visitors flood in each year; on busy days 150,000 people, mostly cruise passengers and day-trippers, crowd a city of 50,000 residents. Most stick to the landmarks, concentrating numbers into a tiny footprint. Thanks to over-tourism, apartments turned to Airbnb, lack of employment, Venice has become an expensive theme park; by 2030 there could be no residents. Then there’s climate change: experts suggest the city could sink by 2100, despite gigantic flood barriers. So, go while you can, but travel off-peak, stay several nights, shop and eat locally, avoid hotspots and spread your euros around the neighbourhoods.
MIDDLE EAST
Dubai
Few Kiwis had heard of Dubai when Emirates began flights 20 years ago. How times – or, rather, Dubai – have changed, becoming one of the planet’s most cosmopolitan cities. With stunning architecture, fancy hotels, shopping festivals, majestic skyscrapers, glittering skylines, and giant shopping malls, the one-time fishing and pearl-diving village is now regarded one of the region’s most progressive spots. The desert city has created attractions and activities to tempt travellers to extend their stopover: adrenaline-junkie sports, desert safaris, the Gold Souk market, beaches and museums.
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Istanbul
You can argue whether it’s in Europe (one-third) or Asia (two-thirds); debate whether it’s home to 14.75 million (officially) or “no one really has a clue”. But you can’t dispute this is one of the world’s bedazzling metropoles: history, culture, amazing landmarks, vibrant nightlife, breathtaking views in a cultural melting-pot that rarely snoozes, let alone sleeps. Enjoy traditional Turkish or up-to-the-zeitgeist cuisine; opulent boutiques; haggling at the Grand Bazaar. Why go in 2024? For all the reasons people have come here for 2600 years.
ASIA
Jakarta
What’s the capital of Indonesia? Yes, Jakarta, but only for a few months; new, green Nusantara city will be inaugurated in August. Somehow we think the globe’s second largest megapolis will get over it. While tourists often avoid the city, that’s their loss. There’s exciting nightlife and vibrant shopping, locals are friendly and welcoming, and crime is lower than many world cities. The 150 shopping centres aren’t Sylvia Parks – they’re giant, marble-floored, extravagant malls with cafes, restaurants, karaoke bars and billiard lounges, apartments on top. Explore diverse cuisines at street-food stalls or upmarket restaurants.
Singapore
Could mention the retail hotspots, culinary scene, eye-catching architecture, entertainment, traditions and heritage, amazing tech innovations in everyday life. But here’s a good reason to go via Singapore on your radar in 2024. Singapore Airlines is increasing services to Europe, returning capacity to pre-Covid levels and restoring long-haul destinations like Frankfurt, Copenhagen, Barcelona and Manchester, and ramping up capacity to Australia, Asia, UAE and US. Changi Airport will allow passengers to depart without passports, using biometric data, streamlining the process to hop on your next flight.
Taipei
As the New York Times noted when nominating Taiwan’s capital as one of 52 places you should visit this year, “Taipei is a glorious assault on the senses, a capital with stunning natural beauty, low crime, and clear air despite its immense urban sprawl. From its neon-lit night markets to its Qing Dynasty temples, visitors can feel the quiet drum of independent pride, however fragile its future. Beijing, which sees self-ruled Taiwan as an unruly child, continues to assert its desire to reunify with Taiwan and put the island firmly back under its control. But for now, a visit to this city offers a riot of culinary and cultural pleasures ... Taipei’s future is uncertain. But (today) it remains an ideal place to gape at the sheer power of human innovation.”
NORTH AMERICA
Victoria
You might not be able to find it without Google Maps’ help, but the town clinging to the craggy southern tip of Vancouver Island has just been voted the world’s best city by readers of the upper-end US Conde Nast Traveler magazine. Also best small city, third friendliest and eighth best city for food. Which makes four good reasons to visit in 2024, along with boutique hotels, farm-to-table dining “measured in metres not miles”, Pacific and rainforest views. Mainly, it’s a city that embraces adventure – outdoor types will appreciate the environment, whale-watching from kayaks, ziplining through redwoods and y’know what we mean.
Montreal
Montreal is “a slice of old Europe in a pie of contemporary design”. We’ll happily credit the French side of the Franglais mashup with creating Canada’s cultural juggernaut, with festivals for everything from jazz to movies to pride, one of North America’s most exciting food scenes, and a city which should have “joie du vivre” as its official motto. Hot: the Museum of Illusions where guests lose themselves in more than 70 holograms and illusions; Marche des Eclusiers and Marche Angus gourmet and seasonal farmers’ markets; the revitalised MEM social history museum.
Philadelphia
It might be one of the US’ oldest and most historic cities but, heck, Philadelphia knows how to throw a party. The City of Brotherly Love is a year-round destination for good food, good times and all-around revelry. Coming in 2024 is Calder Gardens, celebrating Alexander Calder, a native considered one of the 20th century’s most innovative and influential artists. Visitors can expect to see mobiles, monumental sculptures and paintings in indoor and outdoor settings around a radical structure placed amid plantings. Philly loves its sport with big-ticket items from the World Series and WrestleMania 40 to hosting the Fifa World Cup 2026.
Charleston
Southern charm - historic quarters and shopping streets; pastel-painted houses from bygone days; beaches and bottomless bowls of fresh-trawled shrimps; tours of delightful mansions and sprawling farms preserved in pre-Civil War glory. You may see a 21st century problem here: Charleston got rich on the back of kidnapped, beaten, raped and enslaved people. The new US$100 million International African American Museum hopes to throw light on a complicated past. Built on a wharf where 30,000 captives landed, its galleries explain the ghastly trade and its legacy.
Tucson
Great thing about the US is there’s a surprise around every corner, and it’s a big space with a lot of corners. Like Tucson, Arizona, famous for Linda Ronstadt, less famous from the Beatles’ Get Back. Blessed with 350 sunshine days a year, people soak it up – golf, hiking in deserts or pine forests, or The Loop, a 200km paved trail surrounding the city for cycling, horse-riding or powerwalking. Mingling Native American, Hispanic and Anglo cultures, it’s been designated a Unesco City of Gastronomy for its “rich agricultural heritage, thriving food traditions and culinary distinctiveness”, realised in its Sonoran-style Mexican food. Barrio Viejo, a 60ha neighbourhood with centuries-old adobe architecture and one of the US’ most diverse populations, will become a National Historic Landmark next year.
San Miguel de Allende
Unesco has declared “Mexico’s prettiest town” as a World Heritage Site, Conde Nast readers voted it the world’s best city in 2022 (sixth this year). The pastel-washed, cobblestoned colonial town north of Mexico City has had brushes with fame - Diego Rivera escaped here to paint, Ginsberg and Kerouac drank at Bar La Cucaracha – and it bubbles with artistic energy, endless culinary possibilities and – because this tedious cliche keeps coming up – a low crime rate.
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CENTRAL / SOUTH AMERICA
Antigua Guatemala
Founded in the early 16th Century, Antigua Guatemala was the capital of Spanish colonial rule in Central America, built on a Renaissance grid-pattern with stunning architecture from that period. Unfortunately sited on earthquake-prone hills (later capital city planners wouldn’t repeat that mistake, surely?), it was partly destroyed and abandoned in 1773. However, many streets, churches, convents, courtyarded houses remain and it’s now a Unesco World Heritage Site. Stroll cobblestone streets, lounge with locals in Central Park or hike up a nearby volcano for amazing views.
Cuzco
Peru’s historical treasures have had their issues with Covid and then civil unrest. Machu Picchu and the Inca Trail Network are open again, although visitor numbers are limited and must be booked in advance. That doesn’t apply to Cuzco, South America’s oldest city and another Unesco World Heritage Site. Expect architecture dating back more than a millennium, a charming and walkable city with good hotels, friendly locals, shopping and unique dishes like roast guinea pig.
San Jose
Costa Rica has become the go-to place that celebrities have gone to: Mel Gibson, Mark Zuckerberg, Lady Gaga, Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt and more have hideaways in the tiny, rich Central American nation. San Jose, the capital, is a dynamic, modern city, redeveloped under an environmentally-aware framework and emphasising eco-chic style. Drink in the local joe – the country is famous for producing some of the world’s best coffee – or its other homegrown beverage, guaro, a clear, sweet sugar-cane liqueur with very high alcohol content. Tip: don’t do shots with the locals.
AFRICA
Cape Town
Travel editor Stephanie Holmes has just visited the South African jewel, with a once-in-a-lifetime safari — her recount of seeing a lion pride is persuasive.
Nairobi
The only capital city containing a national park. Many travellers spend little time exploring here, preferring to stop over before heading for the bush. Bustling, frenetic (requiring some care for personal safety), attractions include wildlife, markets, cultural performances, parks, hiking and great dining. Nairobi National Park, 10km from downtown, has over 100 species of mammals, including four of the Big Five, 400 bird species, and a tented safari camp. Giraffe and elephant sanctuaries are close by. Don’t miss the Bomas of Kenya, honouring 40 ethnic groups’ traditional villages and performances.
AUSTRALIA
Hobart
Sometimes, you don’t want your overseas holiday to be racing from airport to hotel to railway station to guided tour to restaurant or another hotel. Clubbing or casino-ing is not your idea of a good time. Hobart is a cool place to chill out. Australia’s second oldest city prides itself on gorgeous sandstone buildings like 1830s’ Salamanca Place, now art, craft and farmers’ markets; the exceptional MONA museum and a plethora of galleries and restaurants; close-by vineyards and festivals.
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Sydney
If – like me – you’ve given the formerly grungy Harbour Capital a bit of a swerve for the past few years, time for a revisit and a reset. Downtown, they’ve transformed George St, into a wide-footpathed, tree-lined, tram-gliding boulevard, a calm, elegant, human-scale high street. The Rocks, once riddled with raffish rip-offs, has been cleaned up; it’s a pleasure to sit at outdoor cafes. Wynyard Quarter’s sibling, Barangaroo on Darling Harbour, is a work in progress, however. Best time to visit next year? A midwinter break to take in the fabulous Vivid Sydney (May 24–June 15), featuring outdoor light shows, local and international performers and more.
