Wow! Now that’s a one hell of a tough question to answer!

To make it just a little bit easier, let me split the question into two;

A: Which cities do I hope to visit most in the next year or so?

B: Which cities do I want to visit most in general?

Let’s start with A;

Cities I can’t wait to visit ASAP

Granada – After spending the best part of a week in Seville, I can’t wait to get back to the sunny region of Andalusia. Granada seems like the simple next step, although the weather is supposed to be a lot cooler. Exploring the Alhambra would be a dream come true, as weird as it sounds, I actually knew about the Alhambra before I knew what the Tower of London, Colosseum, and Machu Pichu were, having read about it in a children’s comic.

Salzburg – Mozart, the Sound of Music, and an immense but explore-able ice cave?! Count me in!

Marrakesh – I can’t lie, 50% of this me desperately wanting to stay in a Riad. The rest is a mix of the weather, fabled Moroccan hospitality, and the colourful markets. This is a city I’d like to visit as a longer trip to the country (hopefully around a month), but that I’d make a weekend out of if I get the chance.

New Orleans – Probably the US city I’ve wanted to visit the most for years now, I’m hoping to get the chance the next time I visit family and friends in Florida. Since the number on both of those metrics is constantly rising, that may be sooner rather than later. In particular, I’d absolutely love to time my visit in the earlier days of Mardi Gras, before the city is completely overrun by tourists (such as myself lol), and the locals start waiting for the festival to be over instead of truly enjoying it.

The Cities at the Top of my Bucket List

Rio de Janeiro – Sugar Loaf Mountain, favela football, Beaches, Archipelagos, THAT statue, and Brazilian beach vibes for days! I can’t wait to finally visit this colourful city! Yes, I’ve been told it can be quite sketchy, but then again, I was told the same about many places I’ve been and they all turned out great. You just have to not be an idiot. Coming here for Carnival would be absolutely incredible!

Berlin – A city which would also make my ASAP list above, I’m not sure exactly why I’m so desperate to go to “the Grey City”… perhaps it’s the fact it’s so steeped in modern history. I mean, Berlin’s history is deeply entwined with both WWII/the Holocaust and the Cold War, two of the most relevant and layered eras of modern history. The nightlife and museum scenes both seem really interesting, as do the myriad of more obscure attractions the city has to offer, such as Liquidrom, the futuristic spa, and Spreepark, an abandoned theme park.

Kathmandu – A city I was a coin toss away from visiting earlier this year, Kathmandu climbed up my bucket list as I researched what there is to do in the city ahead of my would-have-been trip. Hectic but colourful alleys, thronging squares, dozens of day hikes in the area, a thriving backpacker scene, and above all else; a MASSIVE culture shock. That’s what I’m expecting from Kathmandu¹

Tokyo/Kyoto – I just couldn’t chose between these two iconic Japanese city’s so, me being me, I’m not. Call it a cop out, I. Don’t. Care. Japan as a whole has always been at the top of my bucket list, and between the cultural and historic values that Kyoto brings, and Tokyo being well, Tokyo… I think I can live with my double choice 😝 Tokyo in particular I can see myself exploring in for a couple months non-stop.

Cusco – The city that has had me flirting with bank robbery for the last couple years, I can’t even explain how badly I want to get myself to Cusco! It’s not just the uber-explorable city that calls me. The surrounding area is chock-full with incredible sites and hikes! Most important of all, Cusco is the standard base for the Salcantay trail to Machu Pichu, an adventure which is at the absolute tippy tippy top of my bucket list²! Oh and… Tintin went there, so… yeah.

Honorable Mentions – Dublin, Sarajevo, Krakow, Istanbul, Jerusalem, Cairo, Queenstown, La Paz, Oaxaca, and Mexico City.

Bonus: Cities I’ve been to but I’d visit again and again

Edinburgh – Charismatic city with never ending supplies in both charm and what to do. The city is incredibly walk-able too

Budapest – A blast through and through! The castle district and ruin pubs in particular are what makes Budapest so special for me but the museums, food science, and obscure stuff to do are all worthy reasons of their own.

San Cristobal de las Casas – The adventure capital of Mexico and Central America. One of the Pueblo Magicos. Vibrant and Colourful. Chocolate Liquors. Waterfall Central.

Cape Town – For my money the city with most beautiful landscape (yes, over Rio). Cape Town has absolutely everything a visitor can ask for; Beaches? Some of the best in the world. Adrenaline? How about swimming with crocodiles, the worlds highest abseil, and shark cage diving. Wildlife? Chill with penguins at the beach or swim with a colony of seals, the choice is yours. Hikes? Some of the best I’ve ever done (and I’ve done a lot). Natural beauty? Just look at the above picture and don’t even get me started!!

Discover more of Cape Town here!

Antigua – Simply the best.

Discover more of Antigua here!

1. That and the worlds largest Passover Seder ↩︎
2. The other top spots are; Climbing Kilimanjaro, attending “Las Fallas” in Valencia, Diving on a sardine run in South Africa, visiting the Galapagos Islands, taking a Nile Cruise, and hiking the length of New Zealand. Let me know if you’d like to see more of my bucket list on the blog. ↩︎