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
A Coldplay show

More tickets have been released for Coldplay’s sold-out Sydney shows

One of the most popular bands in history, Coldplay, have unsurprisingly sold out four Sydney shows for their record-breaking Music Of The Spheres World Tour. But disappointed Sydneysiders and visitors need not worry; an extra batch of tickets has just ... Read more
A big serving of rib eye in The Rocks, Sydney

One of Sydney’s classic steakhouses just reopened in The Rocks

After a renewed focus on hospitality and a desire to elevate the dining scene around Circular Quay, Hunter Street Hospitality has unveiled a new lease on life for beloved steakhouse, The Cut Bar & Grill. The Cut, which has been ... Read more
Bell Shakespeare has announced its 2025 season.

Sydney is going crazy for Shakespeare in 2025

William Shakespeare’s legacy has been kept alive by specialist theatre companies around the world; for Australia, that mantle goes to Bell Shakespeare. The national production will celebrating its 35th anniversary in 2025, sprouting an exciting three-play program of Shakespeare productions ... Read more
The soundtrack for classic film Birdman will be performed in full at Sydney's City Recital Hall

5 best concerts to see in Sydney this October

Sydney’s constant influx of live music goes into overdrive across the month of October, with big-tickets shows from the likes of The Weeknd and Empire of the Sun, as well as nostalgia-baiting tours that’ll satisfy anyone searching for live music ... Read more