Philadelphia Named the Top U.S. City to Visit in 2020 By National Geographic

Philadelphia, you’re blushing.

The City of Brotherly Love is one of the 25 must-visit destinations in the world in 2020, according to a phenomenal new write-up in National Geographic Voyageur.

Even more impressive: The city is one of only two U.S. destinations (alongside Grand Canyon National Park) to make the list, which is part of the publication’s annual Best Trips feature.

In the piece, author Johnna Rizzo reflects on Philly as a metropolis of the unexpected in the midst of an exciting reinvention, saying that “Philly has changed from a city of industrial might … to a city of ingenious makers.”

National Geographic Traveler notes that “Philly continues to blossom with countless clever and quirky impulses” like South Philly’s Electric Street neon mural.   - Photo de J. Fusco pour Visit Philadelphia

For Rizzo, that excitement is palpable in the city’s art. She draws attention to the eclectic (Le Rue électrique neon installation off East Passyunk Avenue, Klip Collective’s holiday Spectacle lumineux « Deck the Hall ») as well as the familiar (the AMOUR sculpture, le William Penn statue on City Hall).

Philly has changed from a city of industrial might ... to a city of ingenious makers.

Elsewhere, Rizzo finds lots to love in the city’s scène gastronomique, noting that “food in America’s first capital city is being reinvented at a radical clip.”

Nationally acclaimed eateries like Fishtown’s Suraya et South Philly Barbacoa warrant glowing mentions. So does the “cheese-and-salami utopia” Di Bruno Bros. and dive bar Dirty Frank's. (One thing we learned: Bob Dylan was maybe once kicked off the stage at Dirty Frank’s.)

Also highlighted in the Nat Geo Traveler piece: Klip Collective’s jaw-dropping Deck the Hall Light Show, which returns to Dilworth Park from November 25 through January 1.   - Photo de J. Fusco pour Visit Philadelphia

Rizzo’s exploration of the city as “an American classic” also finds her visiting Embarcadère de la rue Cherry on the Delaware River waterfront, the Machine à écrire Philly store on East Passyunk Avenue, Keith Haring’s only in situ mural in the U.S. and Indonesian to-die-for restaurant Hardena/Waroeng Surabaya.

Et Le Rittenhouse, le Hôtel Lokal et le Hôtel Notary receive call-outs as worthy places to lay your head after a full day exploring the city.

Food in America's first capital city is being reinvented at a radical clip.

The whole article is, of course, worth a read. (We’re also admittedly a bit biased.)

Check out the full write-up on National Geographic Traveler’s site, or pick up a hard copy of the Best Trips edition on newsstands.

Ready to start planning your own epic Philadelphia adventure? We thought so. Check out our overnight hotel package, an easy way to start exploring the spots extolled by National Geographic and beyond.