• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Lonely Planet Names Its Top 10 Cities to Visit in 2018

By
Grace Donnelly
Grace Donnelly
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Grace Donnelly
Grace Donnelly
Down Arrow Button Icon
October 24, 2017, 2:57 PM ET

Travelers beginning to eye their calendars for 2018 got some trip suggestions from Lonely Planet on Tuesday.

The 13th annual Best in Travel lists from the magazine included the 10 best cities to visit in the upcoming year.

“Whether they’ve been overlooked, are celebrating milestones next year or have crept up on our radar lately, they all offer compelling reasons to go soon,” Lonely Planet’s U.S. managing editor Alex Howard said of the cities included. “The landscape of cities is changing faster than ever, and even familiar cities can surprise travelers with each visit.”

Seville, Spain topped their list of destination cities for next year. An artistic city that received a profile boost as the setting of many Game of Thrones scenes, Seville has transformed over the last 10 years.

Spain, Andalusia, Seville. High angle view of city with Giralda tower
Spain, Andalusia, Seville. High angle view of the Cathedral with the Giralda towerMatteo Colombo/Getty Images/AWL Images RM
Matteo Colombo/Getty Images/AWL Images RM

Detroit took second place. The city has been undergoing its own renaissance, fueled by new investments in business and housing and long term commitments to community growth from companies like JPMorgan. Fortune‘s Matt Heimer recently spoke with Jamie Dimon, the bank’s CEO, about its efforts in Detroit.

The bank’s effort, called Invested in Detroit, is a ­neighborhood-by-neighborhood campaign to revive local real estate, launch small businesses, and train residents for in-demand jobs—all at the same time, as quickly as possible. “If you don’t have jobs, you don’t have housing,” Dimon tells Fortune in an interview at JPMorgan Chase’s New York headquarters. “If you don’t have housing, people can’t get to their jobs. If people don’t have skills, people can’t buy homes. You’ve got to make progress on all these fronts.”

And the investments are starting to show, said Lonely Planet‘s Howard.

 

View of Detroit from Book Tower
View of downtown Detroit from the pinnacle of Book Tower on Washington Blvd. One can see many of Detroit’s architectural icons, including the David Stott Building, Penobscot Building, Book Cadillac Hotel, and the Ally Detroit CenterGeoffrey George — Getty Images
Geoffrey George — Getty Images

“New stadiums, hotels, streetcars and parks, alongside distilleries and art galleries, are evidence that Motor City is back in business, fueled by a creative and tenacious energy that’s palpable throughout the city,” he said.

Canberra, Australia; Hamburg, Germany; Kaohsiung, Taiwan; Antwerp, Belgium; and Matera, Italy take spots three through seven on the list.

Germany, Hamburg, Inner Alster Lake, view from the Lombard bridge in evening lightGetty Images/Westend61
Getty Images/Westend61

Lonely Planet named San Juan, Puerto Rico as number eight on the list, despite the heavy damage the city sustained during Hurricane Maria. Howard said that they made the decision to include San Juan before the storm, but chose to keep the destination despite many residents still living without electricity or clean drinking water.

Typical colourful buildings in Recinto Sur street
Old San Juan.Getty Images
Getty Images

“The reasons we named San Juan one of the best cities to visit in 2018 are still as strong as ever. Many local businesses and hotels are already reopening, and we’re confident that this progress will continue steadily into the new year,” Howard told CNN.

Guanajuato City - Aerial View at Twilight
Highlighted in the photo are – Catedral de Guanajuato (yellow building) and Universidad de Guanajuato/University of Guanajuato (white building).Maria Swärd — Getty Images
Maria Swärd — Getty Images

Guanajuato, Mexico and Oslo, Norway round out the list at nine and ten, respectively.

About the Author
By Grace Donnelly
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in

elon
CommentarySpaceX
The SpaceX IPO is great — but it won’t deliver 100x returns 
By Jeffrey StewartApril 1, 2026
41 minutes ago
Macquarie bets impact investing can fill an Asian financial access gap for the ‘missing middle’
AsiaAustralia
Macquarie bets impact investing can fill an Asian financial access gap for the ‘missing middle’
By Nicholas GordonApril 1, 2026
3 hours ago
Trump at a podium
PoliticsIran
Trump will address the nation about the Iran war on Wednesday. Here’s what to expect
By Eva RoytburgApril 1, 2026
3 hours ago
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket is displayed outside a Space Exploration Technologies Corp. facility in Hawthorne, California.
Startups & VentureElon Musk
SpaceX has filed confidentially for IPO ahead of AI rivals
By Bailey Lipschultz, Edward Ludlow and BloombergApril 1, 2026
3 hours ago
cancer
HealthCancer
Cancer’s grim calculus for the young: their insurance status can determine how long they survive
By Rhonda Winegar, Tara Martin, Zhaoli Liu and The ConversationApril 1, 2026
3 hours ago
AI ‘slop’ is flooding YouTube Kids—and more than 200 groups and experts are calling for a ban
CybersecurityYouTube
AI ‘slop’ is flooding YouTube Kids—and more than 200 groups and experts are calling for a ban
By Catherina GioinoApril 1, 2026
3 hours ago

Most Popular

Jerome Powell says the $39 trillion national debt is ‘not unsustainable,’ but warns the trajectory ‘will not end well’
Economy
Jerome Powell says the $39 trillion national debt is ‘not unsustainable,’ but warns the trajectory ‘will not end well’
By Fortune EditorsMarch 30, 2026
2 days ago
Two-thirds of parents say their adult Gen Z kids still rely on them financially  for support—even though it's putting them under strain
Success
Two-thirds of parents say their adult Gen Z kids still rely on them financially  for support—even though it's putting them under strain
By Fortune EditorsMarch 31, 2026
1 day ago
Kevin O'Leary says if you earn $68,000 a year and follow this rule, you'll retire a millionaire
Personal Finance
Kevin O'Leary says if you earn $68,000 a year and follow this rule, you'll retire a millionaire
By Fortune EditorsMarch 31, 2026
1 day ago
A man used AI to call 3,000 Irish bartenders to track the cost of Guinness. Now pubs are lowering their prices to compete
AI
A man used AI to call 3,000 Irish bartenders to track the cost of Guinness. Now pubs are lowering their prices to compete
By Fortune EditorsMarch 30, 2026
2 days ago
Hiring just hit a level not seen since the economy was ‘closed down literally’ during COVID, top economist says
Economy
Hiring just hit a level not seen since the economy was ‘closed down literally’ during COVID, top economist says
By Fortune EditorsMarch 31, 2026
1 day ago
Markets cheer as Trump threatens to abandon Iran war, but Jamie Dimon sides with allies: ‘Win this thing and clean up the straits’
Energy
Markets cheer as Trump threatens to abandon Iran war, but Jamie Dimon sides with allies: ‘Win this thing and clean up the straits’
By Fortune EditorsMarch 31, 2026
1 day ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.