Check out this list to avoid these shockingly stressful travel destinations.
Some cities, despite their allure and cultural riches, come with unavoidable travel tension — from the crush of crowds to high crime rates and uncomfortable weather.
New research has just dropped the definitive list of the most — and least — stressful cities to visit in 2025.
The study, commissioned by property rental company Ibiza Summer Villas, analyzed 51 of the world’s most visited cities — scoring each based on five key factors: tourist density, crime rates, humidity, search trends, and the frequency at which visitor reviews mentioned stress.
Unbelievably, NYC didn’t even make it into the top 10.
And what’s more, the Big Apple, often hailed as the city that never sleeps, was found to be even less stressful than our self-styled “laidback” West Coast counterpart.
Gotham grabbed the No. 14 spot, while Los Angeles claimed an unlucky No. 13.
But who landed in surely uncoveted first place? Paris, believe it or not.
The romantic city might sound dreamy, but with 47.5 million tourists squeezed into 105 square kilometers, there’s not much room for love — or tourists, the survey authors claimed.
That’s 450,664 visitors per km², which is over ten times the density of NYC.
And in just a year, search interest for Paris has shot up 24% making it even more of a hot mess.
Although Paris doesn’t lead for crime or humidity, the sheer volume of tourists means the romantic escape many envision can quickly feel overwhelming.
In second place came Hanoi, Vietnam.
The heat in Hanoi will melt your resolve, the study showed. With a sweat-drenching 84% humidity — the highest on the list — and an intense crime score.
It also ranks No. 4 for the percentage of tourist attraction reviews mentioning stress.
Plus, a 19% rise in search interest means more people are about to discover the misery for themselves.
Taking home the non-boastworthy bronze is Shanghai, China.
China’s biggest city draws in 300 million visitors a year, making it 47,318 visitors per km².
With a staggering 64% spike in searches recently — making it one of the fastest growing destinations in the world.
On the flip side, the study also chose the least stressful cities in the world — deciding on Dubai for an unexpected first place.
Despite being the most populous city in the United Arab Emirates, the glitzy getaway has low crime, a spread-out urban setting, and a huge drop in search interest — meaning fewer crowds.
The city attracts 17.1 million tourists annually, but its expansive layout means it ranks 43rd for tourist density. It also boasts the second-lowest crime rate in the study and a mild desert humidity of 60%.
The silver medal goes to one European city you should be visiting if you want chill vibes and no chaos, according to the stats.
Munich, Germany, reportedly provides a perfect balance of safety, mild weather, and manageable crowds. With just 8.5 million visitors and a tourist density of 27,357/km², it feels far calmer than most European capitals.
Only a sliver of reviews mention stress, and a 16% dip in search interest promises even lighter crowds ahead.
And finally, the third least-stressful destination is Melbourne, Australia, the report states.
Spacious, laid-back, and with some of the lowest tourist density on the planet? Talk about a breath of fresh air.
Melbourne had the second-lowest tourist density overall, at just 1,265 visitors per km².
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