Despite the inconvenience of occasional flight delays, lost luggage, or overpriced rental cars, traveling is generally good for you. There are plenty of emotional, mental and physical health benefits to feeding your wanderlust.
Studies show that travel may lower your risk of heart disease, boost your immune system, reduce stress, increase physical activity and stimulate your creativity.
Travel may also help improve your sleep, lift your mood and lower your risk of depression, not to mention reduce job burnout.
Wellness travel is a growing trend, worth over $800 billion last year and estimated to reach $1.3 trillion in 2025, according to the Global Wellness Institute.
But you don’t have to go to a fancy spa resort to reap the benefits of travel. Wherever you go, you can soak up some vitamin D in the sunniest spots, boost your vitamin C with fresh local fruit, improve your mood laughing with locals in some of the happiest countries in the world or breathe in the oxygen in the cities with the lowest air pollution.
To find out the best destinations for a “vitamin vacay,” vacation rental site Holidu collated a list of all of the main cities in each country in the world and then analyzed and ranked each based on:
Vitamin D: the average number of sunshine hours in a city per yearVitamin C: the average amount of citrus fruits consumed per capita per yearSerotonin: the happiness ranking of the country overall (3-year average)B12: the average amount of calories consumed from meat, dairy, and eggs per capita per dayOxygen: the average air pollution levelsSugar: the percentage of daily calories coming from sugar
The data comes from the World Data Bank, IQ Air, and the World Happiness Report.
According to Holidu, here are the top 25 cities for a healthy, vitamin-rich vacation.
1. (tie) Faro, Portugal
Number of sunshine hours each year: 3,036Per capita kilos of citrus fruit consumed annually: 0.39 kgWorld happiness ranking: No. 56Average meat, dairy, and eggs consumed a day: 747 caloriesAverage air quality: goodAverage percent daily calories from sugar: 6.81%
Faro, Portugal, takes the top spot, along with Stockholm, for the best destination for a vitamin-rich vacation. Get your oxygen with Faro’s clean air: average air pollution is an impressively low 3.8 PM2.5. Faro is Portugal’s southernmost city, so you can always get your vitamin D on the sunny beaches. You can eat healthy, too: Portuguese people typically only get 6.81% of their daily calories from sugar, and the Mediterranean diet is part of the identity of the Portuguese gastronomy.
1. (tie) Stockholm, Sweden
Hours of sunshine annually: 1,803Per capita citrus fruit consumed annually: 0.63 kgWorld happiness ranking: No. 6 (of 137 countries)Average meat, dairy, and eggs consumed a day: 860 caloriesAverage air quality: goodAverage percent daily calories from sugar: 10.42%
Tied with Faro is Stockholm, and while you won’t get more than a few hours of sunshine in winter, days in Sweden can be over 18 hours long in the summer. Plus, Sweden is one of the happiest countries in the world and boasts low air pollution with a 6.8 PM2.5 concentration thanks to its coastal location and government initiatives.
3. Helsinki, Finland
Hours of sunshine annually: 1,858Per capita citrus fruit consumed annually: 0.19 kgWorld happiness ranking: No. 1Average meat, dairy, and eggs consumed a day: 1,144 caloriesAverage air quality: goodAverage percent daily calories from sugar: 10.2%
Boost your seratonin with a visit to the No. 1 happiest country in the world. Finland also also scored high for vitamin B12 and the amount of meat, poultry, and fish eaten on average each day. Helsinki and the surrounding area is loaded with good food, great design, interesting museums, unique architecture, idyllic towns and and plenty of opportunities to take in nature and the outdoors.
4. Madrid
Hours of sunshine annually: 2,769Per capita citrus fruit consumed annually: 0.71 kgWorld happiness ranking: No. 32Average meat, dairy, and eggs consumed a day: 751 caloriesAverage air quality: goodAverage percent daily calories from sugar: 8.65%
Spain’s elegant capital is not only rich in sunshine, clean air and great food, it’s a great place to enrich your mind and spirit at places like the Prado and Reina Sofia museums, the largest royal palace in Western Europe, music, theater and Flamenco dancing events, plus great shopping, nightlife and a huge open-air market.
5. Reykjavik, Iceland
Hours of sunshine annually: 1,326Per capita citrus fruit consumed annually: 0.29 kgWorld happiness ranking: No. 3Average meat, dairy, and eggs consumed a day: 1,283 caloriesAverage air quality: goodAverage percent daily calories from sugar: 10.13%
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Visit the third happiest country in the world and get your vitamin B12 by sampling the country’s traditional lamb, fish, and dairy products. Visitors to Reykjavík can rejuvenate at one of the city’s 17 geothermal swimming pools, and get charged up hiking, skiing, golfing or horseback riding. Beyond the city, you can head out to see the dramatic landscapes of Iceland, with stunning waterfalls, volcanoes, geysers, hot springs, lava fields and the Northern lights.
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6. Tel Aviv, Israel
Hours of sunshine annually: 3,311Per capita citrus fruit consumed annually: 0.91 kgWorld happiness ranking: No. 4Average meat, dairy, and eggs consumed a day: 761 caloriesAverage air quality: goodAverage percent daily calories from sugar: 10.22%
7. Las Vegas
Hours of sunshine annually: 3,825Per capita citrus fruit consumed annually: 0.15 kgWorld happiness ranking: No. 15Average meat, dairy, and eggs consumed a day: 883 caloriesAverage air quality: goodAverage percent daily calories from sugar: 14.93%
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8. Lisbon, Portugal
Hours of sunshine annually: 2,806Per capita citrus fruit consumed annually: 0.39 kgWorld happiness ranking: No. 56Average meat, dairy, and eggs consumed a day: 747 caloriesAverage air quality: goodAverage percent daily calories from sugar: 6.81%
9. Malaga, Spain
Hours of sunshine annually: 2,815Per capita citrus fruit consumed annually: 0.71 kgWorld happiness ranking: No. 32Average meat, dairy, and eggs consumed a day: 751 caloriesAverage air quality: goodAverage percent daily calories from sugar: 8.65%
10. Seville, Spain
Hours of sunshine annually: 2,921Per capita citrus fruit consumed annually: 0.71 kgWorld happiness ranking: No. 32Average meat, dairy, and eggs consumed a day: 751 caloriesAverage air quality: goodAverage percent daily calories from sugar: 8.65%
11. Oslo, Norway
Hours of sunshine annually: 1,668Per capita citrus fruit consumed annually: 0.15 kgWorld happiness ranking: No. 7Average meat, dairy, and eggs consumed a day: 881 caloriesAverage air quality: goodAverage percent daily calories from sugar: 8.42%
12. Perth, Australia
Hours of sunshine annually: 3,230Per capita citrus fruit consumed annually: 0.02 kgWorld happiness ranking: No. 12Average meat, dairy, and eggs consumed a day: 888 caloriesAverage air quality: goodAverage percent daily calories from sugar: 12.3%
13. (tie) Adelaide, Australia
Hours of sunshine annually: 2,765Per capita citrus fruit consumed annually: 0.02 kgWorld happiness ranking: No. 12Average meat, dairy, and eggs consumed a day: 888 caloriesAverage air quality: goodAverage percent daily calories from sugar: 12.3%
13. (tie) Valencia, Spain
Hours of sunshine annually: 2,696Per capita citrus fruit consumed annually: 0.71 kgWorld happiness ranking: No. 32Average meat, dairy, and eggs consumed a day: 751 caloriesAverage air quality: goodAverage percent daily calories from sugar: 8.65%
15. (tie) Brisbane, Australia
Hours of sunshine annually: 2,968Per capita citrus fruit consumed annually: 0.02 kgWorld happiness ranking: No. 12Average meat, dairy, and eggs consumed a day: 888 caloriesAverage air quality: goodAverage percent daily calories from sugar: 12.3%
15. (tie) Calgary, Canada
Hours of sunshine annually: 2,396Per capita citrus fruit consumed annually: 0.43 kgWorld happiness ranking: No. 13Average meat, dairy, and eggs consumed a day: 632 caloriesAverage air quality: goodAverage percent daily calories from sugar: 11.45%
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17. (tie) Copenhagen
Hours of sunshine annually: 1,912Per capita citrus fruit consumed annually: 0.86 kgWorld happiness ranking: No. 2Average meat, dairy, and eggs consumed a day: 833 caloriesAverage air quality: goodAverage percent daily calories from sugar: 14.31%
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17. (tie) Miami
Hours of sunshine annually: 3,154Per capita citrus fruit consumed annually: 0.15 kgWorld happiness ranking: No. 15Average meat, dairy, and eggs consumed a day: 883 caloriesAverage air quality: goodAverage percent daily calories from sugar: 14.93%
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19. San Francisco
Hours of sunshine annually: 3,062Per capita citrus fruit consumed annually: 0.15 kgWorld happiness ranking: No. 15Average meat, dairy, and eggs consumed a day: 883 caloriesAverage air quality: goodAverage percent daily calories from sugar: 14.93%
20. Lausanne, Switzerland
Hours of sunshine annually: 1,957Per capita citrus fruit consumed annually: 0.52 kgWorld happiness ranking: No. 8Average meat, dairy, and eggs consumed a day: 915 caloriesAverage air quality: goodAverage percent daily calories from sugar: 13.17%
20. (tie) Ottawa, Canada
Hours of sunshine annually: 2,084Per capita citrus fruit consumed annually: 0.43 kgWorld happiness ranking: No. 13Average meat, dairy, and eggs consumed a day: 632 caloriesAverage air quality: goodAverage percent daily calories from sugar: 11.45%
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22. Sydney, Australia
Hours of sunshine annually: 2,468Per capita citrus fruit consumed annually: 0.02 kgWorld happiness ranking: No. 12Average meat, dairy, and eggs consumed a day: 888 caloriesAverage air quality: goodAverage percent daily calories from sugar: 12.30%
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23. Dublin, Ireland
Hours of sunshine annually: 1,453Per capita citrus fruit consumed annually: 3.07 kgWorld happiness ranking: No. 14Average meat, dairy, and eggs consumed a day: 832 caloriesAverage air quality: goodAverage percent daily calories from sugar: 11.07%
24. (tie) Boston
Hours of sunshine annually: 2,633.6Per capita citrus fruit consumed annually: 0.15 kgWorld happiness ranking: No. 15Average meat, dairy, and eggs consumed a day: 883 caloriesAverage air quality: goodAverage percent daily calories from sugar: 14.93%
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24. (tie) San Diego
Hours of sunshine annually: 3,054Per capita citrus fruit consumed annually: 0.15 kgWorld happiness ranking: No. 15Average meat, dairy, and eggs consumed a day: 883 caloriesAverage air quality: goodAverage percent daily calories from sugar: 14.93%
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26. Bern, Switzerland
Hours of sunshine annually: 1,797Per capita citrus fruit consumed annually: 0.52 kgWorld happiness ranking: No. 8Average meat, dairy, and eggs consumed a day: 915 caloriesAverage air quality: goodAverage percent daily calories from sugar: 13.17%
Check out the full “vitamin vacation” index at Holidu.co.uk.
