Lonely Planet Names Miami a Top Ten City to Visit in 2019

You already know Miami is an awesome city. But you might have to share it with a lot more people in the coming year.

Lonely Planet has named Miami the number four city on Planet Earth to visit in 2019.

The top five – in order – on Lonely Planet’s prestigious list are Copenhagen, Denmark; Shenzhen, China; Novi Sad, Serbia; Miami; and Kathmandu, Nepal. The only other U.S. city to crack the top ten was Seattle, coming in at number eight.

So how did Miami beat out a bazillion other places for this honor?

“Miami is a very unique city, and 2019 is a great time to experience it,” says Trisha Ping, Lonely Planet’s eastern U.S. destination editor. “Obviously there are the beaches, nightlife, and art deco architecture. But in recent years, there has been such a food renaissance. So many people are traveling to Miami to eat.”

And our awesomeness doesn’t stop there.

“There is the art scene in Wynwood, too... it’s popping,” Ping says. “It’s a city that is really coming into its own. And with [Brightline], it’s now even easier to get from Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach to the city.”

Of course, locals know that many art galleries that once called Wynwood home have moved on to other Miami neighborhoods due to rising real estate costs. But as long as tourists gather to take selfies in front of Wynwood's murals, you can bet they'll keep raving about its "art scene."

Lonely Planet’s “Best in Travel” awards require quite a process; Ping says it's her colleagues’ “biggest discussion point of the year.” It all starts with nominations from the travel media company and guidebook's editors, researchers, locals, and influencers throughout the world. Destinations that emerge as favorites are ultimately ranked by a small, travel-knowledgeable panel of judges.

In addition to its Top Cities list, Lonely Planet also recently announced its Top Countries, Best Value Destinations, and Best New Attractions for Kids, among other picks.