Culture in the World’s Most Visited Cities, Revealed
Culture in the World’s Most Visited Cities, Revealed
Last updated: Jun 3, 2021 · 5 min read

Culture in the World’s Most Visited Cities, Revealed

Cultural experiences are such an important part of travel and whilst stunning vistas, adrenaline-pumping activities or relaxation are important. It’s culture that can really enrich a trip and offer a totally new way of thinking. 

 

Whilst Coronavirus might have stopped physical travel in its tracks, it’s certainly not stopped that feeling of wanderlust! In fact, our COVID-19 Travel Sentiment Monitor has revealed that 40% of us are planning to travel far and wide in 2021. 

But with so many options, where should you go if you’re looking for a culture-rich experience? The LuggageHero City Culture Index can help you decide. 

The World’s Most Visited Cities Ranked by Culture

Earlier this year, Mastercard released a report listing the cities around the world that had the most international visitors. We took the top 20 cities and scored them based on 10 different culture markers*, the number of visitors and the size of the city in square kilometers to crown one city the most cultural of them all…. 

Top 10 Cities for Culture Revealed

Our number one city for culture? Tokyo topped the list, as the top destination for a cultural city break. The overall ranking takes into account every culture marker in our study, Tokyo had the highest score of 8,805.

 

Most visited cities

 

Out of the 20 cities included in the study, Tokyo had the highest number of Sights & Landmarks with a total number of 4,069.

 

Top 10 Cities with the MOST Culture per Km² 

If you’re itching to explore the world but simply don’t have enough time, we compiled a list of the top 10 cities with the most culture per km². 

 

Culture pr km2

Paris revealed as the top city for a short-vacay

Paris topped the charts as the capital city with the most culture per Km², making it the ideal city break location to give you a snapshot of culture in a short period of time. Barcelona ranked the second-highest for culture per Km², while Milan took third place. 

 

Culture Per International Visitor 

Whether you’re an art aficionado, a pure foodie or just want to explore… We have revealed the cities with the MOST culture per international visitor. So there is plenty to go around! 

 

 

Antalya tops the chart, with a grand total score of 88,643 culture per international visitor, shortly followed by Makkah with a score of 85,470. 

 

Ranked: 10 Top Foodie Destinations Around the World 

Grouping together the food categories allowed us to reveal the top city for a culinary adventure. New York came out on top, followed by London and Paris for the cities where you’re sure to find something delicious to eat!

 

Food lover cities

 

Surprisingly Dubai topped the chart as the city with the most food per international visitor, with the whopping score of 194,268, Barcelona coming in second with the score of 105,698. 

Most Entertaining Cities around The World, Ranked

 

When you’re planning your next holiday, you may want to consider our top 10 most entertaining cities. Each city was ranked based on the number of theaters, nightlife, concerts and shows to crown the top destination for entertainment. 

 

Most entertaining cities

 

Our study found London to be the city with the most entertainment for tourists, with an incredible 1,094 attractions. This is eight times more than Osaka which scored just 74, according to the study.  

 

Tokyo Revealed as Top Capital City for Nature Lovers 

Did you know that spending time in nature can drastically reduce stress and improve brain function? With more than 635 nature & park attractions for you to enjoy, Tokyo was revealed as the hot spot for holiday goers lusting for a green vacation. 

 

Nature lovers cities

 

Singapore came out at the top of the list for the city with the most nature per international visitor, followed by New York and Seoul. 

Ranking The Best Educational Trips around The World 

Whether you’re taking an educational trip to ignite your enthusiasm for a subject or indulging in some historical culture, we’ve revealed the top cities to travel to. 

 

Educational cities

Tokyo tops the list at the most educational trip based on the number of museums, art galleries and architectural buildings, shortly followed by London and New York. 

 

Ranking Culture in the World’s Most Visited Cities

Click each column to filter the table for each of the different culture markers.

 

If you’re planning your next trip, whether that’s this year or next, don’t forget that LuggageHero is here to help make your trip as smooth as possible. Ensure you can experience all the culture your city break has to offer without your bags dragging you down. 

 

Book your storage in one of our cities across Europe and North America right here!

 

Culture in the World’s Most Visited Cities Methodology

We took 20 of the most-visited cities from the Mastercard 2019 Global Report and scored them on 10 different culture markers* using TripAdvisor as our guide.  

 

* These culture markers were: Sights & Landmarks, Museums, Nature & Parks, Markets, Architectural Buildings, Art Galleries, Sacred & Religious Sites, Theatres, Food & Drink Tours, Nightlife / Concerts and Shows. 

 

Search locations