There’s no shortage of stunning cities splashed across travel blogs and Instagram feeds. From romantic boulevards to dazzling skylines, countless destinations promise the trip of a lifetime. But in reality? Many of these hotspots are overcrowded, uncomfortable and anything but relaxing, leaving travellers stressed out and questioning if it was worth it.
At Ibiza Summer Villas, we wanted to find out which famous cities truly offer a stress-free escape, and which ones leave visitors battling crowds, crime and sticky weather. By analysing global search trends, crime data, tourist density, reviews and more, we uncovered the destinations where expectations clash most with reality, and the places that genuinely deliver on peace of mind.
These are the top three most stressful destinations to travel to in 2025
Not all holiday destinations are created equal, and some cities, despite their reputation, beauty and fame, can come with a sense of travel tension. From overcrowded streets and high crime rates to overwhelming weather, these destinations top the list for all of the wrong reasons. Based on a combination of safety, tourist density and comfort, these are the three most stressful destinations to visit in 2025.
1. Paris, France
Paris tops the list for most stressful travel destinations in 2025. The City of Lights has over 47.5 million annual tourists, all of which are crammed into just 105 square kilometers. In fact, Paris ranked number 1 for tourist density, with an overwhelming 450,664 visitors per km². For clarity, that is more than 10 times the density of the bustling city of New York. What makes this worse is that interest in visiting Paris is growing quickly, with search volume for “Trips to Paris” rising 24% over the past year.
The city also ranked 5th for crime and places in the middle for weather comfort, with 76% average humidity. Paris is a beautiful city, but for tourists, it may not be a relaxing getaway.
2. Hanoi, Vietnam
Coming in second place is the capital of Vietnam, Hanoi, where the numbers tell a stressful story. Hanoi ranks number 1 for humidity at a sweltering 84% which makes it the most physically uncomfortable city on the list. It also ranks number 4 for the percentage of tourist attraction reviews mentioning stress, which suggests that visitors are not simply hot, they are overwhelmed.
Throw in a crime score of 45, 8,295 tourists per km² and a growing popularity, with +19% search trend, and Hanoi quickly becomes a pressure cooker of noise, overstimulation and sweltering heat.
3. Shanghai, China
Shanghai rounds out the top three with a jaw-dropping 300 million annual tourists. The city also sees a +64% increase in searches regarding trips which makes it one of the fastest growing destinations in the world, and the third most overcrowded in terms of growing interest.
While the density is not as severe as Paris, Shanghai still experiences 47,318 visitors per km², while also ranking in the top 20 for crime and stress related reviews. Shanghai is an incredible urban experience, but it is important that tourists are ready to sweat, queue and compete for a room.
These are the top three most relaxing destinations to travel to in 2025
While the cities above may push visitors to become overwhelmed, some cities truly offer a welcome escape from the chaos of home. Below we take a look at the top 3 destinations for a stress-free holiday, which stood out for their low crime, light crowds and all-round ease.
1. Dubai, UAE
Based on our data, Dubai reigns as the world's most relaxing destination. Despite the city drawing in 17.1 million annual tourists, it actually ranks 43rd for tourist density due to its expansive urban layout. Dubai also boasts the 2nd lowest crime rate according to our study, that is a crime index of 16.1. It also has relatively low humidity, especially for a desert city, at 60%.
What is interesting is that visiting Dubai is actually on the decline, with a -79% drop in search volume, which means fewer crowds and shorter queues for those who visit the urban metropolis.
2. Munich, Germany
Munich comes in second place for relaxation as it offers a balanced blend of safety, with a crime index of 21.1, mild weather and manageable tourist traffic. With 8.5 million visitors, the density of the city is relatively low at 27,357/km². It is also important to note that the online reviews reflect a stress-free experience, with just 0.0148% of attraction reviews mentioning the word “stressful”. With search interest dropping -16%, the Bavarian city is offering a truly relaxing European break for tourists.
3. Melbourne, Australia
Rounding out the top 3 most relaxing cities is Melbourne. The Australian city boasts the second lowest tourist density in the study, with just 1,265 visitors per km². It also has a refreshing 52% average humidity, which places it near the bottom when it comes to weather discomfort.
Another important element is that Melbourne has a very low percentage of stressful reviews, as well as a relatively low crime rate when compared to most major sprawling cities. With searches down slightly and crowds spread out across nearly 10,000 km², Melbourne is the ideal getaway for those looking to relax in 2025.
Ibiza is one of the most relaxing destinations to travel to
Ibiza may have a global reputation for 24-hour partying, however, the bustling island getaway ranks as one of the most relaxing destinations in 2025 - coming in at number 44 out of 51 cities.
With just 5,907 tourists per km², Ibiza is actually less congested than major holiday cities like Lisbon, Barcelona and Amsterdam. The Ibiza crime index is 50.05, which places it in the middle of the pack, and much lower than London, Rome and New York. While it draws over 3.3 million visitors per year, the island still provides a manageable pace for those looking to balance beach relaxation with beach clubs.
Another interesting fact is that Ibiza has slightly lower-than-average humidity at 63% as well as a stable interest in search trends. All of the above makes it a solid and surprising choice for a stress-free summer.
Conclusion
The data shows that some of the most popular and sought-after holiday destinations aren’t always the most peaceful. From overcrowding and rising crime to humidity and poor visitor experiences, these rankings help highlight the hidden pressures behind your next getaway.
Whether you are chasing the sun, calm or culture of a new city, it is important to consider crowds, crime and comfort. This study is for those seeking true serenity.
Methodology
To determine the most and least stressful destinations to travel to in 2025, we analysed 51 of the world’s most visited cities using a range of travel-relevant data points. Each city was ranked according to:
- Tourist Density: Annual tourist numbers divided by the city’s square kilometre area (sourced from Statista, tourism boards, and Wikipedia).
- Crime Index: Numbeo crime data for each city, representing how safe tourists are likely to feel.
- Humidity: Average annual humidity from weather-and-climate.com, affecting physical comfort.
- Stressful Reviews: The percentage of reviews across each city’s top 10 attractions that mention the word “stressful.”
- Search Trends: Google Search Volume (via keywordtool.io) showing whether interest in travelling to that city has risen or declined in the past year.
Each factor was ranked individually, and the cities were then given an overall average ranking to produce the final stress index.
