Here Comes the Sun: Top 10 Cities in the World With the Longest Sunny Hours!

The best vacations come with a clear sky and the sun gleaming bright, without a trace of rain clouds to dampen your mood. When you’re planning your next trip, why not consider visiting the countries with the sunniest cities in the world? These are the cities that have the longest sunny hours daily and annually; you can likewise bet on happy tours that won’t be ruined by rain or cloudy weather. Just remember to apply lots of sunscreen, bring your best sunglasses, and of course — take lots of photos!

Also read: Cherry Blossoms in Japan 2022: When & Where to See Them

Sunniest cities in the world

Yuma, Arizona | Image credit: Cheri Aguire via Canva Pro

This data comes from Sleepopolis, which summarises each continent’s top cities that have the most and least sunshine hours annually. According to the website, Yuma, Arizona is the sunniest city in the world. This means that tourists have a 90% chance of enjoying the city’s sunshine no matter the season. 

Below are the top 10 sunniest cities in the world with their respective number of sunshine hours per year:

Marsa Alam, Egypt | Image credit: maudanros via Canva Pro

1. Yuma, Arizona – 4,015.3
2. Marsa Alam, Egypt – 3,958.0
3. Calama, Chile – 3926.2
4. Dakhla Oasis, Egypt – 3943.4
5. Phoenix, Arizona – 3,871.6
6. Keetmanshoop, Namibia – 3870
7. Las Vegas, Nevada – 3,825.3
8. Tucson, Arizona – 3,806.0
9. Kharga, Egypt – 3790.8
10. El Paso, Texas – 3,762.5

Aside from the sunniest cities in the world, Sleepopolis also gave the top five sunniest cities per continent. The following cities have the longest sunshine hours in their respective continents:

Asia

Dubai, UAE | Image credit: Wael Hneini

1. Dubai, United Arab Emirates 
2. Muscat, Oman
3. Tel Aviv, Israel
4. Abha, Saudi Arabia
5. Baghdad, Iraq

Europe

Nicosia, Cyprus | Image credit: Datingjungle

1. Nicosia, Cyprus 
2. Ierapetra, Greece
3. Valletta, Malta
4. Athens, Greece
5. Marseille, France

Africa

Dakhla Oasis, Egypt | Image credit: Siempreverde22 via Canva Pro

1. Marsa Alam, Egypt
2. Dakhla Oasis, Egypt
3. Keetmanshoop, Namibia
4. Kharga, Egypt
5. Khartoum, Sudan

North America

Phoenix, Arizona | Image credit: Sean Pavone via Canva Pro

1. Yuma, Arizona, USA
2. Phoenix, Arizona, USA
3. Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
4. Tucson, Arizona, USA
5. El Paso, Texas, USA

South America

Calama, Chile | Image credit: DoraDalton via Canva Pro

1. Calama, Chile
2. Arequipa, Peru
3. Maracaibo, Venezuela
4. Antofagasta, Chile
5. Mendoza, Argentina

Oceania

Perth, Australia | Image credit: zetter via Canva Pro

1. Perth, Australia
2. Darwin, Australia
3. Brisbane, Australia
4. Canberra, Australia
5. Adelaide, Australia

Also read: Australia Travel Requirements: What to Know Before Visiting New South Wales and More!

See below for the full infographic:

Were the lists of the sunniest cities in the world what you expected? If not, then perhaps this is a sign to add these sunny destinations to your bucket list. Let us know on our Facebook page if you’ve already visited any of the mentioned cities!