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
Kylie 2025 tension two tour photo

Tickets to the biggest Kylie tour since 2011 on sale

Dust off your gold hot-pants, Sydney. Our Kylie’s “Tension Tour” is coming to town. Starting with a homecoming in Perth on February 15, the Tension Tour will zip around the world, sprinkling Kylie tour magic across Asia, the UK, and ... Read more
Vitaland Kids Cafe, St Leonards

Top 10 kid-friendly cafes in Sydney that parents love too

The best kid-friendly cafes in Sydney make eating great food, a family-friendly vibe, and finishing an entire almond-milk latte while it's still warm, seem possible.
A traditional British pub in Glebe, Sydney

Sydney’s new gastropub will take you to the heart of Great Britain

One of Glebe’s most charming heritage pubs, The Nag’s Head, has done away with its standard pub grub by welcoming in chef Nelly Robinson and a new British-inspired concept that’ll transport you straight to hospitable heartland of United Kingdom. The ... Read more
An exhibition in ancient Egypt

Sydney just hosted one of its most successful exhibitions in history

Sydney’s cultural scene has never been more diverse. As it turns out, it’s never been more important either. The runaway success of The Australian Museum’s Ramses and the Gold of the Pharaohs exhibition is proof that the city’s appetite for ... Read more