World’s most overwhelming cities ranked and the surprising destinations to chill instead

Holidays are supposed to be relaxing. A chance to recharge, soak in the culture, and eat your body weight in sweet treats.

However, for some destinations, the reality is more sweat than serenity, and now we have the data to prove it.

A new global study has revealed the most stressful cities to visit, analysing 51 of the worlds most popular destinations based on a variety of factors including: tourist density, weather discomfort, crime statistics and review of data mentioning stress.

Topping the list? The city of light, love and apparently logistical nightmares. Despite scoring moderately on crime and weather discomfort, Paris overwhelms with sheer crowd pressure, with 47.5 million annual tourists crammed into just 105 square kilometres. That’s ten times busier than New York City when measured by tourists per square kilometre.

Coming in second place was Hanoi, Vietnam, which took the crown for most physically uncomfortable destination thanks to its sky-high humidity. Tourists reported feeling hot, overwhelmed, and stressed, with the city also placing fourth for negative review mentions.

Shanghai rounded out the top three, hosting a staggering 300 million tourists per year, alongside higher crime rates and a top-20 ranking for stress mentions.

Other cities in the top ten included Buenos Aires, Mumbai, and Bangkok, all juggling weather extremes, chaotic traffic, or crowded tourist hubs, the Daily Mail reported.

But it wasn’t all doom and data. The study also crowned the world’s most relaxing cities, and the winners might surprise you.

Dubai took first place for a stress-free holiday location, with just 17.1 million visitors a year spread across a vast cityscape and a very low crime rate.

Munich came second, praised for its low crime, mild weather and relatively modest tourist traffic. It might lack Paris’ drama, but it delivers calm in spades.

And in third place? Melbourne, Australia, with the second lowest tourist density overall (just 1,265 visitors per square kilometre). Comfortable humidity and a relaxed vibe helped Australia’s culture capital rank as one of the world’s best for low-stress sightseeing.

So whether you’re plotting your next escape or weighing up whether to brave the Eiffel Tower queues, it might pay to look beyond the bucket list — or at least pack an extra dose of patience.