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Not sure I believe this. Why would this be? Above all the other places in the world? Is it history? Or architecture? Or people or food? Tokyo is amazing for food and history and architecture. There are many cities in South America that have awesome sights and food and history, the history of people not of industry. Africa too. So how do you determine that those 3 cities are "it". BTW I live in NJ I work in Queens, Manhattan and Brooklyn. There isn't a lot particularly spectacular about NYC anymore. Its extremely expensive and smells bad and is very crowded and dirty. The food is decent but mostly being taken over by chain restaurants you can find anywhere because minimum wage has ruined a lot of small business. It is beautiful though. Even the stereotypical times sq experience has been ruined by costumed characters and men selling cds. You have to work a lot harder to find those eclectic off the beaten path experiences that NYC used to be known for, and impossible without a reservation
To each his own, I guess. I've been to all 3. Had lots of fun, but not as much as the hype led me to believe I would. There are other cities I've enjoyed more, in fact quite a bit more.
Paris, New York and London are must-visit cities for every single human being in the whole world
You are aware that the majority of people in the world travel never venture farther than a couple of hundred miles from where they are born and would never have the financial resources to do what you feel they must do?
This is about as relevant as the "must-haves" the fashion mavens tell me I have to add to my wardrobe every season.
I've been to all 3, multiple times. Yes, there are some wonderful major landmarks, but many have long lines and are crowded even in the off-season. I've been to Paris 3 times- still haven't been up in the Eiffel Tower. My next European destination is likely to be Munich as a base, with day trips elsewhere. I LOVE Eastern Europe. I gravitate now to the "second-tier" cities- Edinburgh, Munich, Budapest... certainly not second-tier in terms of the experience, but not the ones every package tour hits. I also tend to wander a lot and just people-watch and enjoy the architecture, find local events of interest rather than the mega-museums, and pick up most of my meals in the local grocery stores. I'm very glad I've already been to the Tower of London, took the full tour of Westminster Abbey in 1994, visited the Louvre and the d'Orsay (never again- both were chaos). There's so much else to see and do!
I love NYC and try to go a couple times a year and see a few shows.
I'm in the process of planning my London trip next April, and am debating if I will stay there the whole time or take the train to Paris for a couple of days.
I gravitate now to the "second-tier" cities- Edinburgh, Munich, Budapest... certainly not second-tier in terms of the experience, but not the ones every package tour hits. I also tend to wander a lot and just people-watch and enjoy the architecture, find local events of interest rather than the mega-museums, and pick up most of my meals in the local grocery stores. There's so much else to see and do!
While I enjoy going to the major cities, this is exactly how I like to explore to really get to know a country or area. There is some really great rich history out there!
Some people don't like big cities and would have a better time hiking in the woods of Maine. To each their own, there is no all-encompassing "must see" list.
I'd also add Rome, especially if you're Catholic as well as Athens, Jerusalem, and Cairo since these represent Western or quasi-Western cradles of civilization. Of course Mecca is a requirement for Muslims. If you're hispanic, Mexico City, Madrid, Buenos Aires, and Barcelona. Finally, for east Asians, Hong Kong, Seoul, Shanghai, and Beijing, with Bangkok an honorable mention. All rich in history yet very vibrant with that same "If you can't find anything to do in London, you have no life" mantra. After you've seen those, THEN you move on to the next tier of cities, such as Chicago, Seville, Guadalajara, Los Angeles, Berlin, St. Petersburg, Osaka, Ho Chi Mi city, and Sydney to experience the next level of urbanity. Then continue to work your way down to the mid-sized cities, and finally the small ones.
Then keep in mind, for all of those megacities, once you've visited them all, they'll probably have enough new stuff that you'll never have time to truly see it all, and as it is to enjoy what you'd like to see the most. Even if they we're like what you envisioned based on historical stereotypes, there's always a way to experience some history when you walk past that contemporary condo building and imagine the old factory or worship space for example that once stood there, and also keep an eye out on participation. I've never been outside North America and would love to enjoy the old world when I have a chance, and I just may next year for my father's retirement, and one of my cousins is moving to Germany, about midway between Paris and Berlin due to a military job.
With regards to those headlining tourist traps, I usually would visit those just once just to say that I was there, and especially given that the high entry fees will just keep on getting more expensive ($35 for Seattle's Space Needle was ridiculous for just an hour looking around and learning a little info, and I wouldn't have gone up if it wasn't a clear day). It's also important to make the most out of your budget as most of those cities are very expensive in terms of what tourists really want see, stay at, and dine. There are loopholes of course like hostel sharing, some organized tours, free/reduced admission days at some attractions, and hole-in-the-wall joints. But I feel that these cities provide the ultimate urban experience and adventure that you just won't find anywhere else.
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