Not everything good costs money. We looked at how much of each city's must-sees have free admission — squares, viewpoints, churches, parks — to find where a traveller's budget stretches furthest.
Share of the must-sees (priority 1) with free admission.
| City | Country | % free | No. free | Must-sees |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ibiza | Spain | 100 % | 6 | 6 |
| Gran Canaria | Spain | 100 % | 5 | 5 |
| Chinchón | Spain | 100 % | 4 | 4 |
| Santiago de Compostela | Spain | 80 % | 4 | 5 |
| Tenerife | Spain | 80 % | 4 | 5 |
| Edinburgh | United Kingdom | 80 % | 4 | 5 |
| Munich | Germany | 80 % | 4 | 5 |
| Havana | Cuba | 80 % | 4 | 5 |
| Ronda | Spain | 80 % | 4 | 5 |
| A Coruña | Spain | 80 % | 4 | 5 |
| Split | Croatia | 75 % | 6 | 8 |
| Prague | Czech Republic | 75 % | 3 | 4 |
| Berlin | Germany | 75 % | 3 | 4 |
| Alicante | Spain | 75 % | 3 | 4 |
| Aranjuez | Spain | 75 % | 3 | 4 |
| Cáceres | Spain | 75 % | 3 | 4 |
| Nerja | Spain | 75 % | 3 | 4 |
| Kuala Lumpur | Malaysia | 67 % | 4 | 6 |
| Montserrat | Spain | 67 % | 4 | 6 |
| Santander | Spain | 67 % | 4 | 6 |
| Pamplona | Spain | 67 % | 4 | 6 |
| Buenos Aires | Argentina | 67 % | 2 | 3 |
| Cadiz | Spain | 67 % | 2 | 3 |
| Sitges | Spain | 67 % | 2 | 3 |
| Kyoto | Japan | 63 % | 5 | 8 |
| Nice | France | 63 % | 5 | 8 |
| Madrid | Spain | 60 % | 3 | 5 |
| Bruges | Belgium | 60 % | 3 | 5 |
| Marrakesh | Morocco | 60 % | 3 | 5 |
| Cuenca | Spain | 60 % | 3 | 5 |
| Girona | Spain | 60 % | 3 | 5 |
| Budapest | Hungary | 57 % | 4 | 7 |
| Hong Kong | China | 57 % | 4 | 7 |
| Siem Reap | Cambodia | 57 % | 4 | 7 |
| Salzburg | Austria | 57 % | 4 | 7 |
| Brussels | Belgium | 57 % | 4 | 7 |
| Phuket | Thailand | 56 % | 5 | 9 |
| Delhi | India | 56 % | 5 | 9 |
| Warsaw | Poland | 50 % | 5 | 10 |
| Ho Chi Minh City | Vietnam | 50 % | 4 | 8 |
| Sorrento | Italy | 50 % | 4 | 8 |
| New York | United States | 50 % | 3 | 6 |
| Istanbul | Turkey | 50 % | 3 | 6 |
| Porto | Portugal | 50 % | 3 | 6 |
| Zaragoza | Spain | 50 % | 3 | 6 |
| London | United Kingdom | 50 % | 2 | 4 |
| Tokyo | Japan | 50 % | 2 | 4 |
| San Sebastián | Spain | 50 % | 2 | 4 |
| Bilbao | Spain | 50 % | 2 | 4 |
| Dublin | Ireland | 50 % | 2 | 4 |
| Salamanca | Spain | 50 % | 2 | 4 |
| Florence | Italy | 44 % | 4 | 9 |
| Santorini | Greece | 43 % | 3 | 7 |
| Granada | Spain | 40 % | 2 | 5 |
| Athens | Greece | 40 % | 2 | 5 |
| Milan | Italy | 40 % | 2 | 5 |
| Singapore | Singapore | 40 % | 2 | 5 |
| Segovia | Spain | 40 % | 2 | 5 |
| Osaka | Japan | 40 % | 2 | 5 |
| Alcalá de Henares | Spain | 40 % | 2 | 5 |
| Burgos | Spain | 40 % | 2 | 5 |
| Hanoi | Vietnam | 33 % | 3 | 9 |
| Rome | Italy | 33 % | 2 | 6 |
| Toledo | Spain | 33 % | 2 | 6 |
| Vienna | Austria | 33 % | 2 | 6 |
| Cairo | Egypt | 33 % | 2 | 6 |
| Seoul | South Korea | 33 % | 2 | 6 |
| Dubrovnik | Croatia | 33 % | 2 | 6 |
| Pisa | Italy | 33 % | 2 | 6 |
| Copenhague | Denmark | 33 % | 2 | 6 |
| Barcelona | Spain | 33 % | 1 | 3 |
| Seville | Spain | 33 % | 1 | 3 |
| Dubai | United Arab Emirates | 33 % | 1 | 3 |
| Cancun | Mexico | 33 % | 1 | 3 |
| Rio de Janeiro | Brazil | 33 % | 1 | 3 |
| Oviedo | Spain | 33 % | 1 | 3 |
| Lanzarote | Spain | 29 % | 2 | 7 |
| Krakow | Poland | 25 % | 2 | 8 |
| Paris | France | 25 % | 1 | 4 |
| Venice | Italy | 25 % | 1 | 4 |
| Palma de Mallorca | Spain | 25 % | 1 | 4 |
| Bangkok | Thailand | 25 % | 1 | 4 |
| San Lorenzo de El Escorial | Spain | 25 % | 1 | 4 |
| León | Spain | 25 % | 1 | 4 |
| Amsterdam | Netherlands | 20 % | 1 | 5 |
| Naples | Italy | 20 % | 1 | 5 |
| Ávila | Spain | 20 % | 1 | 5 |
| Mérida | Spain | 20 % | 1 | 5 |
| Estocolmo | Sweden | 20 % | 1 | 5 |
| Cordoba | Spain | 17 % | 1 | 6 |
| Mexico City | Mexico | 17 % | 1 | 6 |
| Bali | Indonesia | 17 % | 1 | 6 |
| Cartagena | Spain | 17 % | 1 | 6 |
| Agra | India | 13 % | 1 | 8 |
| Lisbon | Portugal | 0 % | 0 | 3 |
| Valencia | Spain | 0 % | 0 | 5 |
| Malaga | Spain | 0 % | 0 | 3 |
Tap a header to re-sort the table.
Leading the way is Ibiza (100% of its must-sees are free). In all, in 51 of the 97 cities half or more of the essentials cost nothing to enter.
Must-sees (priority 1) with €0 admission: squares, monumental streets, free-entry churches, viewpoints and parks. We don't count museums with an occasional free day. Detail in the methodology.
Yes: pick cities with a high free share and save paid tickets only for what really interests you. The Trip Planner lets you set €0 a day and builds a plan from free sights alone.
Set your budget — even €0/day — and let the planner build the plan.
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