Sensory Cities: The Most and Least Overwhelming Places to Holiday

Holidays are fun and exciting experiences. From booking your flights to counting down the days and finally arriving at your destination to start your adventure, the whole experience can be joyous.

But, while the majority of us love holidays, what makes each one special can hugely differ from person to person. While some want the heady high of dazzling lights and bustling cities, others search for tranquil escapes on untouched beaches.
Before booking any trip, we all do varying degrees of research, looking for our perfect destination. Reading reviews, looking at pictures and finding the best spots to explore can help get some sense of a place, but on arrival, there still may be some surprises.

Whether you are looking for a sensory hit or yearning for calm, we have done the work to find the most and least overwhelming cities in the world so that you don’t have to.

Looking for something specific in this article? Use the links below:

• The most overwhelming cities
• Least overwhelming cities
• Cities with the most & least amounts of traffic
• The busiest & quietest airports
• The noisiest & quietest cities
• The most & least densely populated cities
• Cities with the largest & smallest built-up area
• The most & least air-polluted cities
• The most & least humid cities
• Cities with the highest & lowest light pollution levels

Most overwhelming cities

Top 10 most overwhelming cities for the senses

Through analysis of several existing reports and articles on top visited destinations we identified the 40 most noted cities (that had accompanying available data) to rank their impact on tourist's senses. 

Our team assessed this impact by looking at annual airport passengers, population density, built-up area size, air quality, noise levels and the amount of traffic to unveil a ranking of the most and least overwhelming locations. All data was weighted and indexed to create an overall sensory score, out of 39, with Delhi, India, being the most overwhelming when considering all factors. 

Delhi 

Rich in history and culture, the Indian city of Delhi tops our list as the most overwhelming city for your senses. Lively streets laden with mouth-watering street food, vibrant shops, tuk-tuks and historic sites make it heavy on the senses, perfect for those looking for adventure.

With the second largest population on our list, it is easy to see how Delhi’s streets get so busy with over 31 million residents. Street sellers, traffic and passers-by make for a buzzy atmosphere, placing Delhi as the city with the highest rate of hearing loss among the population. While exciting, its noisy streets could overwhelm tourists wanting a more serene break. 

Despite its sensory pulls, Delhi ranks top for the city with the most air pollution, making it an unsuitable destination for those sensitive to poor air quality. Its PM2.5 level stands at 92.7μg/m³, over double the levels of second place Dubai. 

Bangkok

Thailand’s capital, Bangkok, is the second most overwhelming city for the senses. With bustling streets full of vibrance and culture, Bangkok is a popular destination among travelers wanting an exciting escape.

From outdoor markets to majestic temples and dazzling skyscrapers, there is much to see, hear and experience in this busy city. While those looking for exploration and buzz may slot right in here, people looking for a more tranquil escape may not find it so easy. 

Ranked in the top 10 most polluted and noisy cities, Bangkok records an average PM2.5 reading of 21.7μg/m³, making it potentially unsuitable for visitors with breathing-related health conditions. While the city’s hearing loss levels were the second worst on our list, suggesting an overwhelmingly loud surrounding. 

Istanbul

Our data revealed that the third most overwhelming city for the senses is the Turkish holiday hub Istanbul.

The largest city in the country straddled between two continents, Istanbul is an enchanting place to visit. With historic mosques, delicious street food and the infamous Grand Bazaar there is plenty to experience in this coastal city. 

Despite its many draws, Istanbul ranks within the top 10 most noisy, air and light-polluted cities from our research and also takes the title of the third most densely populated location with 9,816 people per square km. So, those looking to escape busy streets, bright lights and lots of noise may want to look at some of our least overwhelming cities for their next holiday booking. 

Least overwhelming cities

Top 10 least overwhelming cities for the sense

So, we have revealed the cities that most overwhelm and excite the senses, but where should those looking for a more relaxed break go?

Stockholm

Stockholm takes the crown as our least overwhelming city, with its postcard-worthy architecture, fresh air and a beautiful natural offering.

Stockholm is a Scandinavian gem set across 14 islands connected by 57 bridges. The city's air is one of the cleanest in the world, ranking fourth on our list. 

Stockholm also ranked low for sound pollution (seventh lowest), light pollution (ninth lowest) and airport passengers (sixth lowest). With the average 10km journey across the city taking 15 minutes 30 seconds, the eighth fastest time. 

Visitors looking for a slower sensory experience can stroll across this wondrous city, exploring open-air museums and locally sourced food without too many distractions. 

Copenhagen

Our second least overwhelming city, Copenhagen, is the capital of Sweden's neighboring country, Denmark. And, like Stockholm, Copenhagen sits across coastal islands. 

With canals, plenty of eateries, museums and a world-famous amusement park, Copenhagen has plenty to see while still retaining a calming atmosphere. 

Ranking in the top 10 least air polluted, built-up and densely populated cities, the Danish capital also ranked within the top 10 best hearing population and the least light polluted location. Visitors to this city can explore at a calmer pace for a more relaxed break. 

Vienna

Famed for its artistic and musical offerings, the Austrian capital, Vienna, ranks as our third least overwhelming city. 

With palaces, parks and captivating architecture, Vienna makes for a beautiful holiday that is lighter on the senses. Ranked in the top 10 least densely populated, built-up, light-polluted and humid locations, Vienna also takes the title as the location with the best rates of hearing among the population. 

For holidaymakers looking for an altogether cultural yet serene escape, Vienna could be the perfect spot.

Cities with the most and least traffic

We have revealed the most and least overwhelming cities for your senses overall, and now, we will break down the specific factors measured to get those locations. To start, we will look at the cities with the most and least amounts of traffic.

Whether in your own vehicle, a rental car, taxi or public transport, you will probably need to travel by road at some point. 

And, while some cities are ideal for quickly zipping across others could see you stuck in traffic queues, testing your patience and overwhelming your senses. 

Top 5 cities with the most amount of traffic

Our research revealed that London is the city with the most traffic. With limited cars allowed through central London, black cabs, bikes and iconic red buses to contend with, it is no surprise that the average 10 km journey takes well over half an hour. 

The capital of Ireland, Dublin, came in as the city with the second highest level of traffic. An average 10 km journey across this pub-studded city will take 29 minutes and 36 seconds.

A 10 km journey across Toronto will take 29 minutes on average, making it the city with the third highest level of traffic. 

Milan ranks fourth. Famed for its fashion walks, you may opt to strut around town instead of traveling by car as the average 10 km trip takes 28 minutes and 50 seconds here. 

Despite its small size, Brussels, the capital of Belgium, ranks as the city with the fifth highest level of traffic. An average 10 km journey here takes 27 minutes. 

Top 5 cities with the least amount of traffic

In Orlando, the average 10 km journey takes just 10 and a half minutes, almost a quarter of the time the same trip takes in London! Making it the city with the least amount of traffic. 

Dubai follows in second place. The average 10 km journey there takes 12 minutes and 50 seconds.

Surrounded by desert, Las Vegas ranks as the city with the third least amount of traffic, with the average 10 km journey taking 13 minutes and 30 seconds.

Johannesburg comes in fourth with a 10 km journey time of 13 minutes 30 seconds, followed by Abu Dhabi, averaging 14 minutes and 30 seconds for a 10 km drive. 

The busiest & quietest airports 

You need to arrive at your destination before you can whizz around by car, so next we have broken down the cities with the busiest and quietest airports.

Top 5 busiest airports

Getting through any airport can be stressful regardless of where you are going to or from. 

However, some airports are so busy that they add an extra strain to your journey and can overwhelm the senses. 

Our research discovered that Dubai has the busiest airport, with Dubai International Airport welcoming 87 million passengers each year.

London Heathrow, the UK capital’s biggest international airport, ranked second busiest, with 80 million passengers coming through its terminals yearly. 

Tokyo Haneda was not far off, coming in third place with 79 million passengers flying into and out of the Japanese airport. 

LAX, or Los Angeles International Airport, also landed in the top five, seeing 75 million through its gates annually. 

Delhi finishes off the list of busiest airports as Indira Gandhi International Airport has a yearly passenger total of 74 million.

Top 5 quietest airports 

On the flip side, some airports due to size/location, see far fewer passengers and can be less overwhelming. 

Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, the nearest airport to Taipei, had the smallest number of passengers yearly, with just 5 million passengers, over half the total of the second quietest airport. 

Václav Havel Airport Prague ranked as the second quietest airport, welcoming an annual passenger count of 14 million. 

Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport was a close third, with 15 million passengers landing and flying from its terminals each year. 

The Polish Warsaw Chopin Airport ranked fourth, with 19 million passengers passing through its gates annually. 

O.R. Tambo International Airport in South Africa completes our top five quietest airports list with 21 million annual passengers.

The noisiest & quietest cities 

So, we have covered the busiest and quietest roads and airports across the cities. Our next piece of research will focus on how loud cities are, looking at rates of hearing loss among the population as an indication of noisy surroundings.

Top 5 most noisy cities

Situated within the top three most overwhelming cities, Delhi tops our rankings as the loudest city. Hearing loss in this city was -8.3711 dB HL worse than average hearing levels.

Bangkok, Thailand, follows in second with an average hearing level of -6.6481 dB HL below average. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia ranked third with an average hearing level of -4.5113 dB HL below average.

Both Abu Dhabi and Dubai had average hearing levels of -4.2602 dB HL below average coming in joint fourth place for noisiest cities.

Top 5 most quietest cities 

Vienna, Austria, tops the list as the quietest city with hearing levels 2.2888 dB HL above average. 

Osaka and Tokyo, both in Japan, ranked as the second quietest cities recording hearing levels 1.9146 dB HL above average.

Zurich, Switzerland, follows with hearing levels 1.9059 dB HL above average with Munich, Germany, closely behind with 1.901 dB HL above average. 

The most & least densely populated cities

Loud sounds and noisy streets can go hand in hand with lots of people, so next we will be looking at the most and least densely populated cities.

Top 5 most densely populated cities

While bustling streets full of metropolitan life can be an exciting pull for tourists they can also be a sensory overload and unsuitable for every holidaymaker. 

Below, we have broken down the top five most densely populated cities to help you get a gauge of just how busy these cities are before you step off the plane. 

Topping many of our rankings, Delhi, India, ranks as the most densely populated city, with 13,307 people for every km².

A relatively small city by global standards, Singapore is the second most densely populated, with over 11,000 residents for every square km. 

In third place is the home of the infamous Grand Bazaar, the Turkish capital, Istanbul. For each km² of land, there are almost 10,000 people. 

Popular with traveling backpackers, Taipei, Taiwan, ranked as the fourth most populated city with just shy of 9,000 people per km². 

The capital of the UK, London, completes the list of the most densely populated cities, with 6,200 Londoners for every km². 

Top 5 least densely populated cities 

Cities with smaller populations can create a greater sense of calm and, potentially, give visitors more space to take in the sights.

Our rankings revealed three of the least densely populated cities were in the United States. With bountiful land, it is easy to see how the USA has produced cities with small population density. 

Orlando, Florida, the city of Walt Disney World and Universal Studios, has plenty of space for you to enjoy, with just 980 residents per square kilometer. 

Despite New York’s ample tourism, the city ranks as the fourth least densely populated city in our ranking, with 1,890 residents per square kilometer.

Miami, like Orlando, is also located in the Sunshine State and completes our top five, ranking fifth with just under 1,900 people per km². 

Outside of the USA, Abu Dhabi ranked as the second least densely populated city, with 1,300 people per km². 

Melbourne, in Australia, came in as the third sparsest populated city with 1,600 residents per square kilometer.

Cities with the largest & smallest built-up area

While population density gives a rough idea of how many people are in a city, the built-up area sheds light on how big the city is. 

A built-up area measures the size of a city when including the space occupied by buildings and infrastructure such as roads. 

Locations with a larger built-up area may feel more overwhelming as they are prone to being busier with more people and traffic. 

Top 5 cities with the largest built-up area

The Empire State (New York) tops our list as the city with the largest built-up area. With a sprawling subway system and some of the most recognisable tourist attractions in the world, it is easy to see how this city stretches over 11,000km². 

Tokyo ranked as the second most built-up city, measuring 8,775km². Los Angeles came third with a built-up area equaling 6,918km². 

Johannesburg in South Africa totalled 4,040km², and Miami, in sunny Florida, has a stretch of 3,222km².

Top 5 cities with the smallest built-up area

Our rankings unveiled Barcelona, Spain, as the city with the smallest built-up area, with 130 square kilometers of built-up land. 

The Turkish resort city of Antalya ranks as the city with the second smallest built-up area, totalling 180km². 

With its idyllic streets, the Swiss city of Zurich comes in third with a built-up area of 240km². 

Prague’s historic architecture amasses just 310km², and Vienna, Austria, finishes off the top five with a built-up area stretching just 340km².

Cities with the highest & lowest air pollution levels

A lot of time on holiday is spent outdoors, and while exploring the lengths of a city, you may find the levels of air pollution affecting you.

Extended exposure to high levels of air pollution is bad for anyone, but if you have health conditions affecting your breathing, even a short exposure can be harmful. 

Beyond the effects on your health, high levels of air pollution can indicate other overwhelming factors like lots of traffic, smog and smokey factories. 

Top 5 most polluted cities

Our research placed Delhi, India, as the city with the highest level of air pollution, with an average reading of 92.7μg/m³. 

Dubai and Abu Dhabi, both in the United Arab Emirates, placed second and third respectively, with readings of 43.6μg/m³ and 38.2μg/m³. 

Kuala Lumpur, the largest city in Malaysia, ranked as the city with the fourth highest levels of air pollution at 22.9μg/m³, followed by Bangkok, Thailand, which measured 21.7μg/m³.

Top 5 least polluted cities

Visitors to coastal Melbourne can take a sigh of relief as the city has the lowest levels of air pollution, measuring 4.4μg/m³.

Las Vegas came in a close second, recording an air quality level of 4.9μg/m³, with Sydney just 0.1μg/m³ below, recording a measurement of 5μg/m³. 

The Swedish capital, Stockholm, came in fourth, measuring 5.4μg/m³, while the Irish capital, Dublin, ranked fifth at 6.3μg/m³.

The most & least humid cities

Much like air pollution, humid air can cause issues for people with breathing difficulties, it can also make our surroundings feel close and leave our skin feeling sticky or overheated. 

Top 5 most humid cities

Singapore ranked as the most humid city on our list with an average annual humidity of 84%, for context humidity levels above 50% are deemed potentially uncomfortable. 

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, came in second ranking with a humidity level of 81% matched by Toronto, Canada. 

The Polish capital was just 1% below, ranking third with a humidity level of 80%, closely followed by Copenhagen ranking fourth with a 79% outdoor humidity level. 

Top 5 least humid cities

If you are in search of a less humid environment to holiday in, Las Vegas could be the spot for you. Teetering on the edge of being too dry, it ranks as the top least humid city with an average annual humidity level of 31%. 

Delhi, India, ranked as the second least humid city with a humidity level of 45%. 

As stated previously, humidity levels over 50% are deemed potentially uncomfortable. However, the following cities stand much closer to the 50% average, with some times of the year being much drier. 

Melbourne ranked third with a 51% humidity level, while Abu Dhabi came in fourth with a 55% average. Sydney completes the top five with a humidity average of 57%.

Cities with the highest & lowest light pollution levels

While air pollution and humidity reflect a city’s air quality, light pollution is a measurement of lights radiating from a city. 

An area with higher levels of light pollution will see fewer stars in the sky and may have more late-night activity like bars, clubs, street lights, and flashy billboards. 

Those looking for a 24-hour city and a sensory hit may prefer those ranking higher for light pollution, while those wanting 8+ hours of sleep and a spot of star gazing may want to look at those ranking lower. 

Top 5 most light-polluted cities

All five of the most light-polluted cities were within the United States. 

City of Lights Las Vegas, glitzy Los Angeles, clubbing hot spot Miami, the Big Apple (New York) and holiday resort-packed Orlando all have an average radiance sum of 32.6 million.

Top 5 least light-polluted cities

In contrast, the Danish capital, Copenhagen, takes the crown as the least light-polluted city with an average radiance score of 161,490. 

Despite its famed nightlife, Dublin ranked as the second lowest light pollution level, with a radiance score of 201,930. 

Singapore ranked third with an average radiance score of 203,900. The picturesque Zurich had the fourth dimmest night illumination with a radiance score of 213,58, and Vienna, the world’s musical capital, completes the list and ranked fifth with a radiance score of 257,690.

Ready to set off on your next trip?

After learning more about the pros and cons of the cities above, you may feel equipped and ready to set off on your next break. Whether looking for a sensory hit or a more calming escape, hiring a car could be key to getting the most out of your holiday.

From seeing sights off the beaten track to having the freedom to do things on your own time, a car can upgrade your trip. 

For car rental in Iceland with the highest level of customer service and a huge fleet of vehicles to choose from, look no further than Lotus Car Rental. 

And, if you are thinking of visiting our beautiful capital, Reykjavik, we have created this handy guide to parking in Reykjavik to help you find the best spots at the best price. And if you're unsure where to start with money when you get here, check out our complete guide to currency in Iceland.

Methodology

The data was gathered from multiple sources and ranked on each factor separately to create rankings for each individual element. 

The average of all these rankings created the overall most and least overwhelming city rankings. Cities that didn’t have all the data available for each section were removed from our final ranking.

Sources: 

• Cities to rank sourced from: https://www.forbes.com/sites/laurabegleybloom/2023/12/14/ranked-the-100-best-cities-in-the-world-according-to-a-new-report/ https://www.enjoytravel.com/au/travel-news/places-to-visit/50-most-visited-cities-in-the-world https://www.euromonitor.com/press/press-releases/dec-2023/euromonitor-internationals-report-reveals-worlds-top-100-city-destinations-for-2023 
• Most Populated Cities (Based on Urban Area), Top 100 pulled from: http://demographia.com/db-worldua.pdf, cited on: https://data.london.gov.uk/dataset/global-city-population-estimates 
• Air Quality: https://www.iqair.com/world-most-polluted-countries 
• Humidity: www.Weather-and-Climate.com
• Hearing Loss: https://mimi.io/world-hearing-index 
• Traffic Levels: https://www.tomtom.com/traffic-index/ranking/ 
• Built up Land Area: http://demographia.com/db-worldua.pdf 
• Number of tourists annually: multiple sources.

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