Put down those melatonin gummies – there’s a new way to get good shuteye. Sleepcations are in among travelers trying to catch Zs. While counting sheep might seem like an odd itinerary item, we found that more than 1 in 3 Americans get better rest on vacation.
The world’s best sleepcations, ranked.
Feeling like you could rack up more REM? Don’t settle for any old trip: tuck yourself in at these snooze-boosting cities.
Our top 3, out from under the covers.
2. Canmore, Canada
If Canmore’s lush views aren’t enough to lull you to bed, a day spent trekking nearby Banff National Park surely will. This hidden gem in Alberta is the creme de la creme of air quality and noise pollution – making it more likely to get a solid night’s rest. And with 60% of accommodations having spas, you can always book yourself a nap… we mean massage.
Average hotel cost: $262/night.
Want to hit the hay closer to home?
On flights
Choose a window seat, use an eye mask and noise-canceling headphones, and time your sleep to match your destination.
Hotel sleep hacks
Try to keep your room cool (60–67°F) or even pack a travel fan to help keep you cool. Bring a travel white noise machine or earplugs. In general, it’s best to try to recreate your home sleep environment as closely as possible to help your mind settle and get better sleep.
Jet lag fixes
Shift your sleep schedule before departure, get morning sunlight, take short naps (if needed), and consider melatonin if your bedtime at your new location is earlier than your typical bedtime. There are also apps that will allow you to input your destination and date of your trip and tell you how to start adjusting prior to your trip.
Think ahead
Sleep well before your trip, schedule rest days if crossing time zones, and be mindful of your sleep triggers (noise, light, etc.).
Plan for rest
Avoid overpacking your itinerary and choose sleep-friendly destinations. Be intentional about planning rest alongside your activities to help provide some balance and allow you the opportunity to rest.
Don’t snooze on this. Use KAYAK Explore to plan your next dreamy departure.
Survey methodology
An online survey was conducted by PureSpectrum among 1121 US consumers who have travelled domestically or internationally within the last two years. Fieldwork took place between the 28th-30th of January, 2025.
An online survey was conducted by PureSpectrum among 1121 US consumers who have travelled domestically or internationally within the last 2 years. Fieldwork took place between the 28th-30th of January, 2025.
Ranking methodology
City selection
KAYAK considered the most searched city destinations worldwide based on accommodation searches made on KAYAK from January 1, 2024, to January 12, 2025, for the travel period between January 7, 2024, and June 30, 2025. These cities were then shortlisted based on their proximity to natural landmarks such as mountains, lakes, rivers, beaches, hot springs, and national parks. Cities with a population above 1.5 million were excluded. These shortlisted destinations were then analysed against key factors: air quality, noise pollution, governance & political stability, perception of safety, share of accommodations with spa amenities, and accommodation prices.
Accommodation prices
KAYAK considered stays clicks to determine nightly prices for a standard double room in all accommodation types within the search period between January 1, 2024 to January 12, 2025 and the travel period between January 7, 2024 and June 30, 2025. Prices are presented as averages in USD.
Air quality
Average Air Quality Index (AQI) for a city from the year 2024; scale 1-500 (best-worst). Source: Air Matters. “A global air-quality service provider: Providing real-time Air Quality Index & Allergy Pollen & Weather Data, as well as Protection Recommendations and Forecast.” (Sourced February 4, 2025)
Share of accommodations with spa
The percentage of accommodations with spa in a specific destination is determined by calculating the proportion of accommodations with spa amenities compared to the total number of accommodations in that city that can be found on KAYAK. Only stays that have been reviewed in the past two years are taken into account.
Noise pollution
Average noise pollution in a city (in decibels) calculated by taking the noise level scores in different neighborhoods. Source: Noise Map. “Noise map is an interactive dashboard visualising the noise pollution generated from aircrafts and other transport means around the globe.” (Sourced January 15, 2025)
Governance and political stability
Political stability and absence of violence / terrorism in a given country in 2023 (percentile rank). Source: WGI (Sourced January 9, 2025)
Perception of safety
Safety Index by Country from Numbeo (based on general user survey data regarding perception of safety) was sourced on January 9, 2025.
Ranking creation
Values within each factor were firstly normalized using formulas: score = (x – min(X)) / (max(X) – min(X)) and score = 1 – (x – min(X)) / (max(X) – min(X)) for inverted values (e.g. average hotel price, where the lower price is better) and then the final score of the factors has been calculated for each city. Accommodation prices, Air Quality and Noise Pollution have a weight of 1 whilst share of accommodations with spa, Governance & Political Stability and Perception of safety have a weight of 0.5.
Domestic ranking creation
The domestic ranking is derived from the global ranking but excludes the components of Governance & Political Stability and Perception of Safety, as these metrics are assessed at the country level rather than the destination level. The ranking positions start from 1, highlighting the best domestic destinations.
