2023’s Best Vacation Cities for Amazing Views

A couple sits on wooden chairs in front of an open window, looking out at a body of water and mountains in the distance

Where in the U.S. can you book a scenic urban getaway?

With the holiday travel season approaching, Window Gnome ranked 2023’s Best Vacation Cities for Amazing Views.

We compared over 450 of the biggest U.S. cities based on 3 categories. We looked at access to “hotels with views” from Expedia and accommodations tagged with “amazing views” on Airbnb. We also considered ratings and cost factors, among 9 total metrics.

Plan a breathtaking vacation with help from our ranking below. To learn how we ranked the cities, see our methodology.

If you prefer more secluded vacations, check out our ranking of the Best States for Remote Getaways.

Contents

Rankings

See how each city fared in our ranking:

Top 5 Close Up

Check out the slideshow below for highlights on each of our top 5 cities.

Two people bike along a body of water across from the Chicago skyline
No. 5: Chicago | Overall Score: 60.70

Number of Hotels With a View: 277 | Rank: No. 5
Share of Hotels With a View: 6.06% | Rank: No. 9
Number of Airbnbs With Amazing Views: 263 | Rank: No. 3
Number of Top-Rated Airbnbs With Amazing Views (4.5+ Stars): 225 | Rank: No. 2 (tie)
Average Nightly Rate for Airbnbs With Amazing Views: $361.79 | Rank: No. 204

Photo Credit: Chait Goli / Pexels / Pexels License
No. 1: Miami | Overall Score: 71.65

Number of Hotels With a View: 360 | Rank: No. 3
Share of Hotels With a View: 2.43% | Rank: No. 101
Number of Airbnbs With Amazing Views: 653 | Rank: No. 1
Number of Top-Rated Airbnbs With Amazing Views (4.5+ Stars): 242 | Rank: No. 1
Average Nightly Rate for Airbnbs With Amazing Views: $223.43 | Rank: No. 86

Photo Credit: Mikhail Nilov / Pexels / Pexels License
The Eiffel Tower stands out in front of a large fountain among hotels and casinos in Las Vegas
No. 2: Las Vegas | Overall Score: 70.65

Number of Hotels With a View: 201 | Rank: No. 8
Share of Hotels With a View: 2.84% | Rank: No. 84
Number of Airbnbs With Amazing Views: 646 | Rank: No. 2
Number of Top-Rated Airbnbs With Amazing Views (4.5+ Stars): 218 | Rank: No. 4
Average Nightly Rate for Airbnbs With Amazing Views: $267.63 | Rank: No. 126

Photo Credit: Solvej Nielsen / Pexels / Pexels License
A view of the Los Angeles skyline with Griffith Observatory in the center
No. 3: Los Angeles | Overall Score: 68.07

Number of Hotels With a View: 473 | Rank: No. 2
Share of Hotels With a View: 4.06% | Rank: No. 41
Number of Airbnbs With Amazing Views: 255 | Rank: No. 5
Number of Top-Rated Airbnbs With Amazing Views (4.5+ Stars): 225 | Rank: No. 2 (tie)
Average Number of Reviews for Airbnbs With Amazing Views: 117.85 | Rank: No. 52

Photo Credit: Roberto Nickson / Pexels / Pexels License
A view of San Francisco’s colorful skyline as the sky grows pink ahead of the sunset
No. 4: San Francisco | Overall Score: 64.39

Number of Hotels With a View: 272 | Rank: No. 6
Share of Hotels With a View: 9.36% | Rank: No. 2
Number of Airbnbs With Amazing Views: 258 | Rank: No. 4
Average Guest Rating for Airbnbs With Amazing Views: 4.89 | Rank: No. 157
Number of Top-Rated Airbnbs With Amazing Views (4.5+ Stars): 210 | Rank: No. 5

Photo Credit: KEHN HERMANO / Pexels / Pexels License
Two people bike along a body of water across from the Chicago skyline
No. 5: Chicago | Overall Score: 60.70

Number of Hotels With a View: 277 | Rank: No. 5
Share of Hotels With a View: 6.06% | Rank: No. 9
Number of Airbnbs With Amazing Views: 263 | Rank: No. 3
Number of Top-Rated Airbnbs With Amazing Views (4.5+ Stars): 225 | Rank: No. 2 (tie)
Average Nightly Rate for Airbnbs With Amazing Views: $361.79 | Rank: No. 204

Photo Credit: Chait Goli / Pexels / Pexels License
No. 1: Miami | Overall Score: 71.65

Number of Hotels With a View: 360 | Rank: No. 3
Share of Hotels With a View: 2.43% | Rank: No. 101
Number of Airbnbs With Amazing Views: 653 | Rank: No. 1
Number of Top-Rated Airbnbs With Amazing Views (4.5+ Stars): 242 | Rank: No. 1
Average Nightly Rate for Airbnbs With Amazing Views: $223.43 | Rank: No. 86

Photo Credit: Mikhail Nilov / Pexels / Pexels License

The Upshot

Sights of beaches and Western mountain ranges dominated the top 100 of our ranking, including 5 Arizona, 7 Colorado, 7 Florida, and 18 California cities. All 4 cities representing New Mexico also finished in the top 100. 

Memorable vacation views are sparse in parts of the Heartland, such as in Nebraska, North Dakota, Kansas, and Michigan. Aside from a few outliers — Lawrence, Kansas (No. 84) and Michigan cities Detroit (No. 115), Ann Arbor (No. 218), and Grand Rapids (No. 244) — most urban spots in these states lack hotels and Airbnb rentals with pretty panoramas.

Rooms in some of the most scenic cities, such as Miami (No. 1) and Seattle (No. 6), come with a hefty price tag. Meanwhile, more affordable aesthetic accommodations are found in suburbs like Sparks, Nevada (No. 22), and Rancho Cordova, California (No. 54), as well as in more remote cities like Las Cruces, New Mexico (No. 36). Texas boasts several inexpensive escapes — from lounging lakeside in Lewisville (No. 73) to Rio Grande vistas in McAllen (No. 33) to bayside bashes in Corpus Christi (No. 208). 

Ask The Experts

Some sights are bucket list contenders, while others are more of a stunning bonus for a charming getaway. 

No matter what your travel ambitions are, planning a trip can be stressful. We reached out to a panel of experts for advice on arranging your trip with ease. Read their insights below. 

  1. How far in advance should guests book their trip if traveling during shoulder seasons (spring and fall)?
  2. What are three pros and three cons of traveling during the off-peak travel season?
  3. How much more do guests pay on average for a hotel room or Airbnb with a view? 
  4. What does one’s view preference — mountains, water, city skyline — say about their personality?
Albert Barreda
Albert A. Barreda, Ph.D., MS.
Associate Professor
Yasong Wang
Yasong (Alex) Wang Ph.D. CHIA CAHTA
Professor

Behind the Ranking

First, we determined the factors (metrics) that are most relevant to rank the Best Vacation Cities for Amazing Views. We then assigned a weight to each factor based on its importance and grouped those factors into 3 categories: Access, Quality, and Cost. The categories, factors, and their weights are listed in the table below.

For each of the 500 biggest U.S. cities, we then gathered data on each factor from the sources listed below the table. We eliminated 45 cities lacking hotels and Airbnb rentals with views — and therefore Quality and Cost data, as well — resulting in a final sample size of 455 cities.

Finally, we calculated scores (out of 100 points) for each city to determine its rank in each factor, each category, and overall. A city’s Overall Score is the average of its scores across all factors and categories. The highest Overall Score ranked “Best” (No. 1) and the lowest “Worst” (No. 455).

  • The “Worst” among individual factors may not be No. 455 due to ties.
  • We collected the number of “hotels with views” from Expedia and accommodations tagged with “amazing views” on Airbnb. 
  • Many scenic cities have legal restrictions limiting Airbnb rentals, which may negatively impact their score in this ranking — as is the case with Boca Raton, Florida (No. 455) — due to a lack of Airbnb accommodations with “amazing views.”

Sources: Airbnb and Expedia

Window of Opportunity

Can’t get away on a picturesque escape to one of the top cities in our ranking? 

Whether you’re looking to design a better space in your home to soak in the sights or planning to turn your gorgeous property into a vacation rental, make the most of your scenery by upgrading your window game.

Explore our slideshow below for tips.

A white arched window peeks out from a concrete house

Add a unique touch with arched windows, round windows, and transom windows.

Photo Credit: carminesalvatore / Canva Pro / Canva License
A cracked window pane with some pieces missing
Repair or replace any damaged or broken windows.

Photo Credit: whitemay / Canva Pro / Canva License
A panoramic view through a picture window of a small coastal city
Get a perfect glimpse of your surroundings with picture windows.

Photo Credit: Tri Nguyen / Canva Pro / Canva License
A white bay window on the side of a house with geometric stained glass on the top panes

Install a big bay window or strip of bow windows overlooking your best view.

Photo Credit: ChristianBunyipAlexander / Canva Pro / Canva License
Jalousie windows are slightly opened on the side of an enclosed porch
Let in some fresh air without compromising style with jalousie windows.

Photo Credit: Nuberger13 / Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain
White awning windows jut out of a bright blue house
Crack open the windows to increase ventilation with awning and casement windows

Photo Credit: Ratchat / Canva Pro / Canva License 
A white arched window peeks out from a concrete house

Add a unique touch with arched windows, round windows, and transom windows.

Photo Credit: carminesalvatore / Canva Pro / Canva License
A cracked window pane with some pieces missing
Repair or replace any damaged or broken windows.

Photo Credit: whitemay / Canva Pro / Canva License

Use Window Gnome to schedule a professional from your area to handle window installation, repair, and window cleaning.

Window Gnome is part of the Home Gnome family of home services sites.

Media Resources

Main Photo Credit: freedomz / Canva Pro / Canva License

Sav Maive

Sav Maive is a writer and director based in San Antonio. Sav is a graduate from the University of Virginia and is a loving cat and plant mom.