Condé Nast Traveller names Sydney the best city in the world for 2024

Our fair city just stole the top spot as Condé Nast Traveller best city in the world for 2024, voted on by over half a million readers. We want to hear what you think makes Sydney the best city in the world.

Sydney’s mix of entertainment, thriving culinary scene, and a coastline that will knock your socks, off made it the city to beat—scoring 92.96. There were no shortage of beautiful, world-class cities vying for the win— Valencia and Singapore took second and third place—but Sydney had the edge.

A hybrid of beach lifestyle and metropolitan buzz, Sydney represents the future of urban living—balancing lifestyle, business, and sustainability like few others. Condé Nast Traveller’s wrote, “If you’ve experienced a snippet of life Down Under, you’ve probably fallen hard for the unique, indoor-outdoor way of life the Aussies embrace so well.”

Sydney was also named world’s second-most friendly city, with a score of 93.85, behind Singapore, with 94.84 points, and Sydney hotel The Fullerton was crowned best hotel in Australasia. Park Hyatt Sydney came in second, Halcyon House at Cabarita Beach, NSW, in third place, Osborn House in Bundanoon, NSW in ninth place

Southern Ocean Lodge on Kangaroo Island was named 29th in the Best Hotels in the World, the only Australian hotel to be tipped in the top 50. 

What do you think makes Sydney the best city in the world?

Traveller also unveiled its Readers’ Choice Awards this week, with Sydney placing third in the US awards’ list of the best cities in the world, describing it as “an ideal getaway no matter the season”.

While it sometimes seems like there’s a new “best city in the world” award every other week, Condé Nast Traveller is recognised as one of the world’s premium travel brands, and the awards were voted for by over 575,048 readers.


Condé Nast Traveller’s 10 best cities in the world for 2024

  1. Sydney, Australia
  2. Valencia, Spain
  3. Singapore
  4. Hong Kong
  5. Stockholm, Sweden
  6. Tokyo, Japan
  7. Vienna, Austria
  8. Berlin, Germany
  9. Milan, Italy
  10. Budapest, Hungary

Related
Parramatta Road is set for Sydney's biggest transformation to date.

“Transportation as transformation”: Sydney’s big plans for Parramatta Road

If you’ve spent any amount of time in Sydney over the past decade or so, you may have noticed that our beautiful harbour city is under construction. Whether it’s around Central Station or down at Darling Harbour, you couldn’t walk ... Read more
The Kilo sale is happening in Sydney in August.

5 big sales across Sydney in August: Afterpay Day, Vintage Kilo Warehouse and more

Sydney will be a shopping mecca this August, not just because some of the city’s best shops are gearing up for Afterpay Day (August 15—18), but several big sales events are happening around town that you should be aware of. ... Read more
Sydney Observatory has organised a guided Indigenous sky tour for Sydney Science Festival.

Sydney Observatory is offering a guided Indigenous sky tour in August

Sydney Observatory will celebrate Australia’s First Nations during the seven-day Sydney Science Festival with Celestial Emu, a riveting new short film pulled together by director Olivia Costa with help from Gamilaroi astrophysicist Karlie Noon and dancer Daniel Mateo. Organised in ... Read more
ATTENZONE! Food & Wine opens in Redfern

ATTENZIONE! Redfern’s new modern Italian wine bar is an ode to the good life

Some of Sydney’s most reliable hospitality stars have come together to open a new modern Italian restaurant and wine bar in Redfern. ATTENZIONE! Food & Wine is the latest venture from Felix Colman, Toby Stansfield, Toby Davis and Dexter Kim, ... Read more