Check out our list of the HOTTEST city destinations in 2023…
TAORMINA, ITALY
If you’ve been watching season two of the hit HBO series The White Lotus this year, then you will already be familiar with the charms of Taormina.
The Sicilian hilltop town is basically an extra character in the show, so lavishly is it draped across every scene.
We see plenty of San Domenico Palace, the gorgeous hotel standing in as the White Lotus, but also classic Taormina attractions such as Teatro Antico, an ancient Greek theatre, Piazza IX Aprile, the iconic town square looking over Mt Etna and the Mediterranean, and the Porta di Mezzo gate.
Add in shots from nearby Noto and Fiumefreddo and you’re booking flights as you’re watching. See visitsicily.info
TANGIER, MOROCCO
Tangier is a rare thing: a truly great city has yet to hit the tourism mainstream, a diverse, energetic and scenic hub whose fame pales in comparison even to other Moroccan hotspots such as Fez and Marrakesh. Our advice: get here soon, especially following Morocco’s stunning and unheralded success in last year’s FIFA World Cup.
There’s just too much that’s attractive about Tangier, from the food – traditional Moroccan with more pronounced French and Mediterranean influences – to the artistic history – this was a favourite haunt of everyone from Matisse to the Rolling Stones to Jack Kerouac – to the rambling Kasbah, the labyrinthine medina, and the more recent history of the Ville Nouvelle.
There’s a sense here that worlds are colliding, and it’s intoxicating. See visitmorocco.com
NASHVILLE, US
If you love music then you will want to visit Nashville, Tennessee. This is up there with the US’s best music destinations – with Memphis, Chicago, Austin and New York – a place that calls itself “Music City”, and where there’s so much more to the local scene than just country and western (though there is a lot of country and western).
There’s a heap of music history here, captured in several high-quality museums, though this culture is living and breathing and deserves to be experienced at full volume.
There’s also a reason to visit Nashville if you love good food – with a host of great restaurants, breweries and distilleries – and those who just love a nice place to stay will also be happy, with a host of recent openings, including the swish 1 Hotel and Soho House. See visitmusiccity.com
Budapest is expecting a tourism boom off the back of the Dune 2 effect.
BUDAPEST, HUNGARY
There’s likely to be a deluge of sci-fi fans arriving in Budapest late next year, as the much-anticipated release of Dune 2 – an interplanetary epic shot mostly in the Hungarian capital – takes place.
Call it the Game of Thrones effect, but locations that feature in big-budget fantasies tend to get really popular, really fast.
The film is due for release in November, 2023. That means there’s plenty of time to beat the hordes and enjoy Budapest’s famed attractions, from its art nouveau architecture, to its thriving food scene, idiosyncratic museums and galleries, energetic nightlife, and myriad bathhouses making use of ancient hot springs. See visithungary.com
MONTEVIDEO, URUGUAY
Montevideo is a city very much in the mould of Tangier, a truly great place overshadowed by sexy neighbours, in this case the likes of Buenos Aires and Rio de Janeiro.
Is that about to change? Lonely Planet just named the Uruguayan capital in its “Best in Travel 2023”, so word is probably getting out. Best to visit ASAP.
When you do, you will discover a friendly, diverse city with a long coastline to the south, and the Uruguayan “campo” – rich fields filled with livestock and vineyards – to the north.
Both of those features contribute to a thriving food scene in Montevideo, with everything from hipster cafes to old-school parrilleras (grill restaurants) to cutting edge cuisine by the likes of celebrity chef Francis Mallman.
There’s a great arts scene here too, and a relaxed, welcoming vibe. See welcomeuruguay.com
MANCHESTER, UK
Even if you’ve visited Manchester before, there’s reason to give this vibrant city another look in 2023. Manchester Museum, long a major attraction here, closed in 2021 for a major redevelopment, and will reopen in February 2023.
The museum, which already featured a collection of more than 4.5 million items from around the world, will have a new Exhibition Hall, as well as several new galleries.
Also opening in 2023 in Manchester, there’s Factory International, a vast cultural space whose name pays homage to the iconic local record label responsible for the 80s “Madchester” scene.
The space will host the year-round Manchester International Festival, and next year will also feature a large Yayoi Kusama exhibition, and an immersive Matrix-themed show. See visitmanchester.com
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA
Few cities around the world were hit as hard during the pandemic as Melbourne. Now, however, the Victorian capital is ready to bounce back, and 2023 is it’s time to shine.
You would travel to Melbourne just for the food, for one of the most exciting gastronomic scenes going, one that has been revitalised since COVID-19 closures with a spate of new restaurants doing amazing things.
There’s more reason to visit in 2023 though, from regular events such as the Australian Open tennis in January, the Melbourne International Comedy festival in March/April, and Rising in June, to a whole swag of gallery exhibitions, theatre productions, concerts and more. See visitvictoria.com
