The best eco-friendly city breaks in the world

Cities that commit to reducing their carbon footprint make it easier for travelers to reduce theirs.

Here are 10 cities that are making eco-friendly tours a walk in the park.

Vancouver, Canada

Canada’s outdoor adventure capital has come impressively close to achieving the lofty goal of its Greenest City 2020 action plan set out in 2011. It’s easier than ever to get around without a car. Plastic straws, foam cups and take-out containers were also banned in 2020.

Don’t leave without: Cycle through 400 acres of natural West Coast rainforest in the city’s green lung, Stanley Park.

Sustainable stay: Centrally located, Skwachàys Lodge integrates sustainability into the social environment, with part of the profits from the 18-room hotel helping to subsidize housing for Aboriginal artists in the same restored Victorian building. skwachas.com

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Copenhagen, Denmark

Sustainability has long been a top priority in Denmark, with Copenhagen widely regarded as the greenest city in the world. Here, life rolls on two wheels – with more than five bikes for every car in the capital, it’s easy to get around via the city’s Bycyklen bike-sharing scheme, or perhaps explore its lanes navigable by electric GoBoat. Most restaurants use local organic produce and the harbor is so clean you can swim in it!

Don’t leave without: Skiing down CopenHill, an artificial urban ski slope built on top of a waste-to-energy plant. The complex also has an 85 meter high climbing wall. copenhill.dk

Sustainable stay: The Copenhagen hotel group Brøchner was the first company in Denmark to open a chemical-free hotel. Its newest pad, Hotel Ottilia, opened in 2019 in the former Carlsberg brewery and has the same credentials — plus a free daily wine hour. brochner-hotels.com/hotel-ottilia

Singapore

The city-state’s S$300 fines for littering, strict green building laws, and renewed attempts to preserve its green spaces (or in the case of the Jewel Changi Airport complex, create new ones). new) demonstrate Singapore’s commitment to becoming one of the greenest in the world. cities. Although the government has been reluctant to impose single-use plastic bans, the issue is a growing concern among locals.

Don’t leave without: Walk through the treetops on the elevated walkways that are part of the 10 km (6 mile) Southern Ridges Trail connecting five parks and preserves.

Sustainable stay: Designed to seamlessly integrate technology with the surroundings, the Parkroyal on Pickering luxury hotel’s waterfalls, freestanding landscaped rooftop terraces and vertical gardens help keep the building pleasantly cool. panpacific.com

Cape Town, South Africa

Cape Town proved its sustainability credentials in its response to the 2018 Day Zero water crisis, which revolutionized the city’s relationship with water. The threat has since passed, but consumption has remained low, with visitors encouraged to follow in the footsteps of locals by taking shorter showers, flushing the toilet only when necessary and adopting hand sanitizer.

Don’t leave without: Hike (or take the carbon-neutral cable car) to the top of Table Mountain for stunning views of the city and water.

Sustainable stay: Certified by Fair Trade Tourism, a non-profit organization that recognizes best practices in Africa, The Backpack hostel encourages guests to give back to the community through initiatives such as knitting a square for blankets distributed to orphanages. A host of other green measures include on-site worm farms that take care of the composting of green waste. backpackers.co.za

Edinburgh, UK

The Scottish town regularly tops lists of Britain’s greenest towns and for good reason. An impressive 49% of Edinburgh is green space, electric vehicle charging stations are plentiful and many businesses have glowing green credentials. The Edinburgh Fringe leads the way; in addition to taking steps to limit the impact of the annual comedy festival, it has developed a comprehensive guide to help the industry run greener shows.

Don’t leave without: Make the 251m (822ft) climb to Arthur’s Seat for great views of the city skyline, perhaps with a healthy, plastic-free picnic at the Hula Juice Bar. hulajuicebar.co.uk

Sustainable stay: Start the day with an organic, local breakfast at McCraes Bed & Breakfast, a family-run, eco-friendly establishment set in a Victorian townhouse in Edinburgh’s New Town. mccraes.co.uk

Bogotá – Colombia

The Colombian capital has not only been busy cleaning up its image, but also greening it. The introduction of rapid transit buses and the closing of main streets to vehicular traffic on Sundays have played a major role in reducing air pollution, and green building is taking off. Restaurants are getting in on the act too, with eco-friendly and vegan cafes like Canasto Picnic Bistró currently trending.

Don’t leave without: Explore the city’s parks, squares and historic monuments while learning about its turbulent history on two wheels with Bogotá Bike Tours. bogotabiketours.com

Sustainable stay: In the green district of Usaquén, the Biohotel Organic Suites combines luxury and absolute respect for the environment. There’s an extensive solar installation, organic linens, renewable wood furniture, and rugs made from 100% recycled materials. Even gym equipment generates energy while in use. biohotelcolombia.com

San Francisco, United States

The first US city to ban plastic bags, San Francisco is also at the forefront of waste disposal, water management, eco-friendly buildings and green transportation – its buses run biodiesel and more than 60% of taxis run on alternative fuel. Plastic straws were banned citywide in 2019, as were plastic water bottles at San Francisco airport. Many restaurants have also embraced compostable tableware, taking the stress out of takeout.

Don’t leave without: Shop vintage yarn on Valencia St in the Mission district and Haight St in the Haight-Ashbury district.

Sustainable stay: On Fisherman’s Wharf, the nautical-themed Argonaut Hotel’s respectable eco-initiatives extend to its on-site restaurant, Blue Mermaid, which is committed to serving sustainable seafood and recycling cooking grease into biofuel. argonauthotel.com

Wellington, New Zealand

After enshrining the country’s commitment to the Paris Agreement in law in late 2019, New Zealand is on track to achieve net zero carbon dioxide emissions by 2050. With the highest per capita emissions weakest of all cities in Australasia, Wellington is at the forefront of the movement. Filled with world-class cultural institutions, eco-friendly cafes (many of which operate ‘cup libraries’), the compact capital is best explored on foot.

Don’t leave without: Visit Zealandia, the world’s first fully fenced urban sanctuary designed to restore the forest floor and freshwater ecosystems of a Wellington valley to their pre-human state. visit zealandia.com

Sustainable stay: The luxurious, centrally located Bolton Hotel is committed to buying locally and minimizing energy and waste, with recycling stations throughout the hotel urging guests to do the same. boltonhotel.co.nz

Oslo, Norway

The European Green Capital of 2019 is literally electric. Not only is it the electric car capital of the world, but in 2019 it also rolled out an electric scooter sharing system and its ferries are being gradually electrified. Even the city’s hottest new attraction – the 13-story Munch Museum, which opened in 2020 – was built to strict eco-friendly standards.

Don’t leave without: Embrace Oslo’s urban sauna culture in one of Oslo Fjord Sauna’s four floating saunas. Moored in Bjørvika, the Måken sauna was made entirely of driftwood and recycled materials. oslofjordsauna.com

Sustainable stay: Part of the sustainable urban development of Vulcan in the trendy district of Grünerløkka, PS:Hotel focuses on employing people who have struggled for various reasons to gain a foothold in the job market. photoll.no

Tel Aviv, Israel

It’s home to one of the world’s largest landfill regeneration projects (Ariel Sharon Park) and its mostly flat streets are ideal for exploring via the city’s Tel-O-Fun bike-sharing scheme, but When it comes to sustainability, Tel Aviv particularly excels in the food space. Dubbed the vegan capital of the world, most restaurants in the city offer plenty of plant-based options using produce grown in a growing network of rooftop gardens.

Don’t leave without: Discover how good vegan cuisine can be enjoyed in the city’s approximately 400 vegan and vegetarian restaurants, such as Bana. www.banatlv.com

Sustainable stay: In addition to its energy saving and responsible waste disposal initiatives and its strong stance against single-use plastic, the stylish boutique hotel The Vera is also furnished exclusively by local artisans, down to the organic toiletries. www.theverahotel.com

Reprinted with permission from Lonely Planet © 2021. The Handbook of Sustainable Travel by Lonely Planet, RRP $32.99. See www.shop.lonelyplanet.com