Even dedicated sun-seekers need a little culture from time to time. A gallery here. A museum there. And in the autumn and winter months when opportunities for catching a few rays are few and far between, it’s especially true.
But where in the world should you travel for that culture fix? And which cities are ripe for a spot of high-brow sightseeing when the mood strikes?
To find out, we took to the web for a list of the world’s most-visited cities, before ranking each location based on five factors that, for more culture-focused travellers, matter the most to them.
Want to know which cities made our shortlist? Read on to see the results of our study in full…
The World’s Top 10 Most Cultured Cities
You can probably take a guess at which cities made the top 10. Do your hunches match up with reality? Let’s find out…
Turns out Brits don’t need to travel far for a taste of culture, with London coming out on top as the world’s most cultural city.
That’s despite the UK capital having way fewer museums, sights and landmarks than challengers Paris and Tokyo – its score seems to be propped up by its theatres, music venues and UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Given London’s impressive past and diverse population (some 300 languages are spoken in the Big Smoke alone), it’s hard to argue with its 90/100 score. The only problem travellers will have during their visit is figuring out how to fit it all in.
Further out from our homebase, Europe’s cities fared well too, taking five places in the top 10 alone. A special mention needs to go to the Czech capital Prague, which beat the likes of Berlin, Rome and Istanbul to rank as the fifth most-cultured place in the world. Not bad for a city that’s a fraction of the size of its continental counterparts.
For travellers dreaming of places that are more far-flung, the Big Apple promises a proper slice of culture, with New York ranked a respectable 74/100 for its landmark attractions and UNESCO wonders. But it’s Japan that’s the real winner here, with both Tokyo and Kyoto ranking among the world’s cultural hotspots – the only country to feature twice in our shortlist.
Where to Find Culture Around the Globe
If you can bring yourself to get off your poolside lounger (we know, it’s hard), there’s culture to be found in every corner of the globe. But which cities are most worth your time?
Here, let’s take a look at the best places for sightseeing on all six continents (excluding Antarctica, for obvious reasons).
Searching for sights, sounds and a taste of local life in South America? Buenos Aires has you covered, bringing Latin flavour and colourful heritage in spades. Or perhaps Australia’s sunlit shores are getting the old wanderlust going? If that’s the case, Melbourne delivers plenty in the land down under.
Elsewhere around the world, the cultural heavyweights of London and New York are hard to best in the West, while Tokyo continues to enthral visitors to the Far East. And let’s not forget Africa, the cradle of civilisation, where cities like Cairo showcase an impossible depth of history and wonder.
Of course, this is only a tiny snapshot of the cultural highlights that await all around the world. And between you and us: a cruise remains one of the best ways to experience bags of culture in a single holiday – wherever you’re travelling, and whatever’s on your wish list.
Cultural Highlights Around the World
Art, history or just good vibes – whatever floats your boat, the world’s culture capitals are sure to deliver.
For some, a day spent exploring local museums is time well spent, while for others, it’s a wasted opportunity. But the beauty of visiting big cities is that there’s something for every type of traveller, whether you’re a culture vulture, art critic or something in between.
With that in mind, where might be best for different cultural interests? Explore our top-five guides below, which cover the best cities for things like sightseeing, museums, theatre and music venues.
Museums are a cultural treasure trove for some and a bore-fest for others. But like them or not, there’s no denying that Tokyo is the best place in the world for history buffs – with the Japanese capital boasting no fewer than 924 museums. We wonder if anyone has visited them all?!
Elsewhere, Prague once again shows off its cultural clout, getting the best of New York thanks to its impressive collection of 377 museums. That’s more than the likes of Rome and Athens, which is surprising since both cities are widely considered Europe’s heritage capitals.
For UNESCO World Heritage Sites, the ancient capital of Japan – Kyoto – shines, being the only city in the world with a double-figure number of protected cultural monuments. Barcelona bursts onto the scene here, too, doing it for Europe with nine UNESCO landmarks to its name.
Prefer sightseeing to being cooped up in a museum? Take it all in on the streets of Paris and Rome, two European capitals which pack in plenty when it comes to their sights and landmarks.
From the Colosseum to Notre Dame, Trastevere to Montmartre – why pay entrance fees when every tree-lined boulevard and charming piazza looks as good as they do here?
Budding thespian are we? A trip to the theatre is a mainstay of many a city break, and the world’s culture capitals are littered with iconic venues where you can take in a show or two.
It’s not surprising that London and New York jostle for the top spot in this category, their respective West End and Broadway shows being globally renowned as they are. But Tokyo and Paris stake a fair claim too, while the dizzying and delightful Rio de Janeiro offers an alternative take on the theatrical – and with all the colour and life you’d expect from the Brazilian capital.
If seeing your favourite band or artist abroad is on your bucket list, Europe may be your best bet, with London, Berlin and Paris dominating the top five for their notable music venues.
Travelling further afield? Catch a show in Seoul, which boasts an impressive array of gig spaces and the opportunity to take in the global phenomenon that is K-pop.
How We Did It
Agree with our list or left shaking with fury? There was method in the madness, with our index of cultural destinations shaped by our study of the world’s most-visited cities.
To compile our shortlist of global cultural highlights, we gathered up the most-visited cities in the world based on Euromonitor data. Then we ranked them by five factors, which included:
- No. of museums
- No. of sights and landmarks
- No. of theatres
- No. of UNESCO World Heritage Sites
- No. of music venues
These data points were scored on unique scales, later combined to reveal the world’s most-cultured tourism cities, and to assign each destination a final score out of 100.
We hope you’ve enjoyed this whistle-stop tour of cultural destinations around the globe. Ready to jet off, set sail and see some culture for yourself? Discover our unbeatable range of cruise holidays, which include boundless opportunities for exploration and discovery – and plenty of time to work on that tan, too.