10 Cities That Should Be on Everyone’s Bucket List

Bucket List Cities

Creating a bucket list is tricky! The world is full of amazing cities. It would be easy to put together a list of unique cities that are off the beaten path, or a list of the coolest small towns, or up-and-coming destinations. But for this list I returned to the basics: what are the top ten cities that everyone should see, even if the destinations are already heavily touristed? Here are my ten. Discussion is welcome! And I’m well aware that there are no African or South American cities on my list. A few cities on both continents barely missed the cut.

Note that this post was done for Travelocity. I’m including the first three cities here. The full Travelocity post is HERE, and is linked at the bottom too.

Florence, Italy

Florence is the birthplace of the Renaissance and has the art and architecture to prove it, but beyond that it maintains a large European city feel on a small walkable scale. Don’t judge the city by the daytime crowds of tour groups and cruise ship passengers. Stay in the city center for a few days, walk around early in the morning and late in the evening, and you’ll feel the history.

Florence at sunrise

Istanbul, Turkey

There are countless reasons to visit Istanbul: the hills; the Bosphorus; the Blue Mosque; Hagia Sofia; the Grand Bazaar; its amazing history and importance on the Silk Road. It’s Asian and European, secular and devout. And everything comes together magnificently.

Istanbul’s Hagia Sophia. Photo credit: Cacinda Maloney, Points and Travel

Tokyo, Japan

Visit Tokyo for the skyscrapers, the arcades, the anime, the iconic Park Hyatt Tokyo, and the amazingly hectic pace of the city, but head to the gardens, temples and parks as well to see Tokyo’s more relaxed side.