Amazing City-Hopping Holidays for Unique Cultural Experiences

This summer make it a point to explore multiple unique destinations that you are unlikely to forget. And what better way to do this than with a carefully curated guide for the best city-hopping holidays? Recent trends have revealed that authentic experiences, cultural exploration, high interaction with local people and places are some of the key factors that influence booking patterns amongst travelers.

Skyscanner is one of the many travel apps that efficiently allow users to organize and book multiple-destination trips with their flight comparison tool which categorizes flights by “best,” “cheapest,” and “fastest,” with over 1,200 airline options to choose from. Bookings are made easy as users are immediately redirected to the airline’s website to complete the purchase.

So, if you’re thinking of living it up over culture and fusion food in Vienna, Berlin, and Oslo, and staring at skyscrapers and street life in Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok, then we’ve put together some amazing city-hopping holidays to help you decide if you plan on doing this before 2020.

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4 City-hopping Holidays Fit for your Bucket List

For noodles, skyscrapers and street life: Singapore > Kuala Lumpur > Bangkok

Start by flying to Singapore Changi, which, as one of Southeast Asia’s biggest airports, flies to 400 cities in 100 countries worldwide. In Singapore itself, your main mission is to eat. Liao Fan’s hawker stall was the world’s first ever street-food stand to win a Michelin star – and also makes the cheapest Michelin-starred meal on the planet. Get a portion of soy chicken rice and check out a flashy, view-tastic hotel Parkroyal on Pickering, just a dumpling’s throw away and a 20-minute cab from the airport.

From Changi, it’s just an hour’s flight to the multicultural Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur, where minarets coexist with shiny-metal skyscrapers. With a swimming pool, opposite the iconic Petronas Twin Towers, stay down the street at the Doubletree by Hilton, which has a fab pool of its own.

It takes two hours and costs next to nothing to get to Bangkok from KL, where the options for rounding off your trip are endless: wander through Chinatown, take a riverboat, haggle over knick-knacks and eat some of the tastiest food you’ve ever had. Before you sign off on probably one of your most exciting city-hopping holidays and head home, stay somewhere special: we love Siamotif Boutique Hotel.

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For museums and fusion food: Vienna > Berlin > Oslo

Start in Europe’s capital of class, Vienna – where imperial architecture meets priceless museum collections (make a beeline for the MuseumsQuartier) and opulent coffee houses. Best to stay in Landstrasse – a 10-minute metro ride from the museums, but also on the direct train line back to the airport. You can’t go wrong at the Mercure Grand Hotel Biedermeier Wien.

From there, you can get cheap plane tickets from Vienna to Berlin. Finish off your city-hopping holidays an hour and a half’s flight away in Oslo, where you’ll get a taste of a food revolution in the making: the world’s northernmost three-Michelin-starred restaurant is there, as well as traditional flavors interspersed with world-class sushi and pizza. Stay at Hotel Bristol for impeccable amenities and a fuss-free journey back to the airport.

For urban nature and people-watching: Hong Kong > Seoul > Tokyo

Start off in the international hub that is Hong Kong, where 70% of the city is mountains and parks – making it one of Asia’s greenest urban centers. In between bowls of steaming, delicate dim sum, take some time to hike through the parks and surrounding geological regions, and stay downtown to immerse yourself in the buzz – we like Rosedale Hotel Kowloon, on the airport side of the city center.

It’s three and a half hours, and generally cheap, to hop over from there to Seoul – South Korea’s 24-hour capital party of karaoke and K-pop, with sauna spas on hand when you need some downtime. Nab a room at the highly recommended ENA Suite Hotel Namdaemun, which is a five-minute walk from Korea’s oldest and largest market, Namdaemun Market.

Then it’s on to Tokyo, a two hours flight away, where old and new collide in a dizzying feast for the senses. Make Shibuya your base – the Japanese city’s entertainment center and one of its most colorful, busy neighborhoods, famous for its neon advertisements and shopping centers. For the full experience and a relaxing end to your city-hopping holidays, try out a capsule hotel, like do-c Ebisu.

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For art, steaks and food markets: Mexico City > Bogotá > Rio de Janeiro

As Latin America’s busiest airport, Juarez International is an obvious jumping off point for exploring it. But don’t leave Mexico City without visiting the colossal Palacio Nacional on Constitution Square and climbing the Teotihuacan Pyramids, a 40-km drive from the city. We’d recommend escaping the urban frenzy and staying in the historic center and former village Coyoacán, where Frida Kahlo’s famous Casa Azul house is based. Cheap-and-cheerful Hotel Montreal is a 10-minute drive away.

Four hours onwards by plane is Bogotá, the vibrant capital of Colombia, surrounded by the Andes and adorned with beautifully preserved colonial buildings. Head downtown to La Candelaria, where most travelers on city-hopping holidays congregate thanks to its concentration of historic buildings (the Selina La Candelaria Bogotá hotel is ridiculously cheap and in great shape). Your to-do: eat a chargrilled beef tenderloin at the legendary Andrés Carne de Res steakhouse.

Round off your Latin American odyssey in the buzzing city of Rio de Janeiro

The city’s most captivating beach is abuzz with favela boys kicking footballs and bikini-clad locals by day, and an increasingly vibrant nightlife when the sun goes down. For the best views of Rio, choose a cloudless day and head high. You’ll meet the iconic Christ the Redeemer statue at the top of Corcovado mountain, while a cable car (or a hike, if you’re feeling energetic) up to the granite peak of Sugarloaf Mountain will reward you with panoramic views from the mountains down to the sea. Refuel at trendy Oro in Leblon for a dinner inspired by Brazil’s foodie heritage, then shimmy over to the edgy Lapa district for dancing, live music and the toe-tapping rhythms of samba spilling out into the streets.

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Of the four city-hoping holidays above, which one would you be more ecstatic to take on, and why? Feel free to share in the comments.

About the Author

Esther Lackie

Aesthetics enthusiast, in love with running; marketing and PR pro during the day, an amateur chef and wine taster behind closed doors.

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