Travel + Leisure today announced the best travel destinations and organizations across the globe, based on the results of its 2025 World’s Best Awards readers’ survey — and the Holy City once again had a stellar showing.
However, the big surprise was that, for the first time in more than a decade, Charleston was NOT named the Best City in the United States. The Holy City, which held the top spot for the past 12 years, placed third behind Santa Fe, New Mexico, and New Orleans, Louisiana. Meanwhile, Greenville, South Carolina, placed seventh.
In addition to being named the country’s third-best city, Charleston was also recognized in the following categories:
- No. 7 Best Island in the United States – Kiawah Island
- No. 3 Best Continental U.S. City Hotel – Wentworth Mansion
- No. 9 Best Continental U.S. City Hotel – John Rutledge House Inn
Travel + Leisure also published the following South Carolina-specific lists:
The full list of winners is available now on travelandleisure.com and in the August issue of Travel + Leisure, on newsstands July 18.
TOP 10 U.S. CITIES 2025:
- Santa Fe, New Mexico
- New Orleans, Louisiana
- Charleston, South Carolina
- Savannah, Georgia
- Alexandria, Virginia
- Honolulu, Hawaii
- Greenville, South Carolina
- New York, New York
- Asheville, North Carolina
- Chicago, Illinois
TOP 10 WORLD’S BEST CITIES 2025:
- San Miguel de Allende, Mexico
- Chiang Mai, Thailand
- Tokyo, Japan
- Bangkok, Thailand
- Jaipur, India
- Hoi An, Vietnam
- Mexico City, Mexico
- Kyoto, Japan
- Ubud, Bali
- Cuzco, Per