You’re vaccinated and ready to travel, but what cities offer the most bang for your buck while keeping you safe?


A recent study ranked the Best Cities for Your Summer Vaxcation and compared the 200 biggest U.S. cities based on 30 indicators of a fun (and safe) excursion — from the cost of a cab ride to the average Airbnb rate to the number of attractions. And they looked, of course, at each city’s vaccination rate.


What exactly is a “vaxcation”? Just what it sounds like: a vacation for the COVID-vaccinated.


See the top 10 (and bottom 10) summer vaxcation hotspots below, followed by some highlights and lowlights from the report.


2021 Best Cities for Your Summer Vaxcation


  1. San Francisco, CA
  2. Portland, OR
  3. Providence, RI
  4. Garden Grove, CA
  5. Washington, DC
  6. Honolulu, HI
  7. Jersey City, NJ
  8. Seattle, WA
  9. Las Vegas, NV
  10. New Orleans, LA


2021 Worst Cities for Your Summer Vaxcation


  1. Memphis, TN
  2. Little Rock, AR
  3. Pasadena, TX
  4. Mesquite, TX
  5. Jacksonville, FL
  6. Kansas City, KS
  7. Bakersfield, CA
  8. Sunrise Manor, NV
  9. Grand Prairie, TX
  10. Enterprise, NV

‍

Highlights and Lowlights:


Let’s Go to San Funcisco

‍


The Golden City tops our ranking of the Best Cities for Your Summer Vaxcation and for good reason: San Francisco is the No. 1 city for having fun, offering the second-highest number of attractions and the most vibrant nightlife. 


At the time we looked, San Francisco also boasted the highest vaccination rate of any big city. (Seattle officially leads that race — for now — but San Francisco is co-blazing the trail.)

‍

The best part? The Bay City is fully open as of June 15, with no holds barred but for “mega events.” So feel free to ditch the mask — except to get there and get around on public transit — but pack a sweatshirt or windbreaker. As Mark Twain may (or may not) have once said, "The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco."


Fun in the Honolulu Sun

‍

‍

Looking for the best outdoor experience? Then say aloha to Honolulu. Hawaii’s capital ranks No. 6 overall but No. 2 for having fun and No. 1 for being outside. 


The only letdown: This Pacific paradise ranks No. 166 in the lodging category, due to below-average hotel ratings and relatively higher Airbnb prices. But no one really goes to Honolulu to stay out of the sun.


Just make sure to have your vaccination card (or proof of a negative COVID-19 test) handy: While The Big Pineapple outperforms 180 other big cities in vaccinations, Hawaii requires all visitors to be inoculated/show no symptoms or otherwise quarantine for 10 days. 


Neva Say Neva in Nevada

‍


The Sin City metro lands on opposite ends of our ranking: Las Vegas sits in ninth place and Paradise in 11th, while Sunrise Manor finishes at a very distant 198 and Enterprise dead last. 


So be careful: Depending on which direction you’re heading, you could find yourself making good memories or having a lousy summer break in a matter of minutes. The good news is Nevada reopened at 100% capacity on June 1 (though private businesses can still require masks).


If you want to avoid mixed signals from Greater Vegas, consider driving northwest to Reno in 27th place. The Biggest Little City in the World is slightly sunnier (No. 4) than Vegas (No. 5), and it’s perfect for outdoor pleasure: There’s no shortage of camping sites (No. 17) or drinking holes.