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OMG, a week in San Jose, would be hell, for a tourist anyway. Salt Lake City and Phoenix are two cities that I would also have a difficult time spending a week in. Unless I could take day trips out of the city. Otherwise, I think most major cities, a week should be fine. Assuming they have enough museums, cultural facilities and stuff to do. LA, you had better have at least a week. Because you are going to be sitting in traffic that long.
I didn't feel like I saw all that I wanted to see in London even after living there for 6 months (granted, a cumulative month of that time, I was traveling in other parts of the UK and Europe)! I'm a museum and park person, so once you start diving into those kinds of locales you can really fill your days.
I was recently in Stockholm and surprised by the number of things to do there. It could easily be a city to explore over a week - especially in the summer when you can take ferries out to the islands in the Baltic.
In the US, pretty much any major city but especially Boston, Chicago, DC (a week for the Smithsonian alone!), New Orleans, and, if you're willing to rent a car, Denver and Atlanta immediately come to mind.
I went to Florence earlier this year and spent three nights. By the second night we were ready to go as it was very crowded and touristy. I wouldn’t want to spend a week there. Same with Venice.
Cities where I have or would spend a week:
London (lived here for 6 months and didn’t see all I wanted)
Amsterdam (spent a week and went back because we didn’t get to see and do everything we wanted)
Paris (a week wasn’t long enough)
Edinburgh
Barcelona
Rome
Copenhagen
Istanbul
Athens
NYC
Boston
San Francisco
Hong Kong
Sydney
Shanghai
Bangkok
San Diego
As a whole though I prefer three nights in a city, max.
Flagstaff, AZ. It's hardly a city given it's relatively small size, but it's a perfect base to explore everything that northern Arizona has on offer. "Flag" is a really cool town with plenty of good restaurants, breweries, and bars.
Within a 2-hour drive of town are:
Grand Canyon National Park
Walnut Canyon National Monument
Wupatki National Monument
Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument
Petrified Forest National Park
Grand Canyon Railway
San Francisco Peaks
Sedona
Oak Creek Canyon
Mogollon Rim
Lake Powell
Historic Jerome
Prescott
Grand Falls of the Little Colorado
Navajo & Hopi Reservations
Hiking along the Mogollon Rim
Phoenix Metro
OMG, a week in San Jose, would be hell, for a tourist anyway. Salt Lake City and Phoenix are two cities that I would also have a difficult time spending a week in. Unless I could take day trips out of the city. Otherwise, I think most major cities, a week should be fine. Assuming they have enough museums, cultural facilities and stuff to do. LA, you had better have at least a week. Because you are going to be sitting in traffic that long.
LA now has an expanding subway system that I understand covers a lot of tourist sites. I would not go anywhere where I would have to be subjected to traffic on a regular basis. That would not be a vacation for me.
In my experience the large international cities: Rome, Paris, NYC, London, Tokyo, perhaps LA (if you have a thought-out plan).
Other places I think you would have to have a specific interest in something they have as opposed to just being a general tourist there. Some western cities would reward those with interests in hiking, western history, etc... Some smaller European/Asian cities will have history, art, cuisine centers.
You could broaden the question a bit to include nearby "areas" worth a whole week, imho: Salt Lake City/Moab; Lisbon/Porto; Dublin/Kerry; Croatia's coastline; Bali; Bangkok/Chiang Mai/Pai; Berlin & any other German city/region - I would suggest Bavaria or the Romantic Road region (which is good for almost a week drive in itself).
I've spent a week on a 2 by 4 mile island, often in fact..
Key West..
I could imagine that given the chance, I could easily spend a month at any overseas destination.
I mostly travel alone, I find that conflicting itineraries often put a drag on my trip.
Sure there can be compromises, but being pissed at someone simply isn't worth it.
I'm also a chill with the locals type person, Key West is extremely expensive for a tourist.
I can save hundreds of dollars just by knowing where the locals eat, drink and be merry..
A week in in Paris, Rome or Florence? I personally don't think that's nearly enough time.. If you have the cash..
For region: Amalfi Coast, Cote d'azure, Dalmation Coast, Greek isles, area around Marrakesh and Cape Town, Southern and Northern California.
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