America's 13 Most Peaceful Cities For Tourists Seeking A Stress-Free Escape

In a world that rarely slows down, finding a moment to just rest can feel like a luxury in itself these days. While major tourist cities and packed itineraries have their time and place, sometimes you just need a destination that's meant for relaxation. Across the United States are plenty of peaceful cities that offer exactly that, whether it's soothing landscapes, walkable downtowns, or just a slower pace of life.

Whether your idea of a stress-free getaway is a spa weekend, time in nature, or just enjoying a walkable, laid-back city, each of these destinations has something to offer tourists looking to relax. We've visited a handful of these cities ourselves, but have also used research to fill out this list, largely through tourism sites and travel blogs. From coastal towns and desert retreats to artsy mountain enclaves and waterfront cities, these are the country's most peaceful cities for travelers seeking a restorative getaway.

Less than a couple hours outside of Philadelphia lies one of Pennsylvania's most underrated cities, Lancaster. Located within Lancaster County, which is home to the oldest Amish community in the country, Lancaster offers plenty of rural farm views. From visiting an Amish village to taking a buggy ride, there are few better places to escape the stresses of modern life than in Lancaster. Here, you'll also find plenty of farm-fresh eateries like BrickHouse Coffee and Kitchen, located in nearby Refton. Housed in a 19th-century building, the family-owned restaurant serves cozy pastries and breakfast and lunch dishes (and dinner on Fridays).

But apart from its Amish community, Lancaster is also a city with quaint shops, restaurants, and tons of laid-back charm. Lancaster Brewing Company, located within a building completed around 1880, is a top choice, with around 20 beers on tap at a time. We can also attest to its food menu, which includes dishes like a Nashville hot chicken sandwich, pizzas, and Cajun-style mac and cheese. While there's plenty to do, Lancaster still feels relaxed — in fact, TheTravel even ranked Lancaster as Pennsylvania's most peaceful city (based on reviews from Tripadvisor) due to its slow pace, walkable downtown, and Amish culture. The Inn and Spa at Leola Village is a great choice for a peaceful trip, located less than 20 minutes outside of the city. The hotel's story began as a farmhouse in 1867, and today, includes scenic gardens, a seasonal pool, onsite dining with locally-sourced ingredients, and a luxury spa.

According to Insider Monkey, Boulder is the second most peaceful city in the U.S., due to its low noise levels and outdoor amenities. With Eldorado Canyon, Chautauqua Park, Red Rocks, and Green Mountain all surrounding Boulder, there's truly no shortage of ways to enjoy the outdoors here. This city is a top spot for hiking and rock climbing, but if you're looking for something a bit more low-key, take a drive down Flagstaff Road for flatiron views, or go canoeing along the 700-acre Boulder Reservoir. If you're looking for a relaxed hike, it's just 1 mile up to the Bald Mountain Scenic Area, where you'll be greeted by Great Plains and Continental Divide views. Boulder also has plenty of historic charm particularly along Pearl Street, the city's main shopping and dining corridor, four blocks of which are pedestrian-only.

For farm-to-fork dining, check out restaurants like The Kitchen — its seasonal menus feature an array of veggie, seafood, meat, and pasta dishes. St. Julien Hotel and Spa offers one of Boulder's most luxurious stays. With a steam room, sauna, pool, hot tub, and fitness center alongside various spa services, locally-sourced ingredients at the onsite Jill's Restaurant and Bistro.

For over 200 years, wellness-minded travelers have been making the journey to Asheville, thanks to its cool mountain air and forest scenery. Framed by the Blue Ridge Mountains, Asheville is largely known as a hiking destination (try the 5.6-mile Mount Mitchell Trail if you're up for a challenge), and you'll find a whole host of outdoor recreation opportunities, from kayaking along the Green River to waterfall-spotting in Pisgah National Forest. If you're looking for some good old-fashioned self-care, you'll find all sorts of offerings in Asheville, ranging from forest bathing, and sound baths to goat yoga. Notably, Asheville is also considered to be one of three "energy vortexes" in the United States, thanks to the abundance of quartz in the surrounding mountains, which is said to have healing properties.

Apart from spending time outdoors, Asheville is also home to interesting sites like the Biltmore Estate, constructed in 1895 by the Vanderbilt family, and areas like the River Arts District, Asheville's walkable, funky neighborhood with local shops. The city is also known as having the most breweries per capita in the country, and lots of live music (the Orange Peel is a top-rated choice). For a restful escape, The Inn on Biltmore Estate has Blue Ridge Mountain scenery, a spa, its own winery, and access to the 8,000-acre grounds without day visitors.

Scottsdale was ranked as America's best place to retire in 2025 thanks to its outdoor recreation and high quality of life, and we can confirm that you can get a little taste of this even during a short getaway. This Arizona city just outside of Phoenix has over 50 luxury resorts and day spas — so there are few better choices if you're looking for a place to recharge for a weekend. 

Apart from indulging in spa services, Scottsdale and its desert surroundings offers plenty of other peaceful amenities, like hiking trails (check out the Go John Trail in Cave Creek Regional Park for wilderness views), and the Desert Botanical Garden, a 140-acre desert oasis home to over 50,000 plants. Its Western-style downtown is also ideal for a relaxed weekend of strolling, shopping, and popping into art galleries. For a stay immersed in nature, ADERO Scottsdale Resort offers plenty of Sonoran Desert landscapes, access to trails and wildlife, and opportunities for a peaceful escape. Located in a designated Dark Sky community, it's also a great spot for stargazing — on Friday nights, the hotel sets up telescopes and hosts a free event with the help of Star Dudes, a group of local astronomers.

With its distinctive adobe architecture, desert landscapes, and the lingering smell of roasting green chile (as of 2023, it's actually New Mexico's official scent), we've found that it's impossible to leave Santa Fe without feeling at least a bit rejuvenated. Known as the "artisan capital of the U.S.," the city is home to over 250 art galleries, and is even a designated UNESCO Creative City for its breadth of crafts and folk art. If your idea of de-stressing involves a glass of wine, Santa Fe has that too. New Mexico's legacy in winemaking extends back to the 1600s, and you'll find a number of tasting rooms right in Santa Fe, such as Ahmyo Wine Garden, where you can enjoy an array of local wine, beer, and shareable bites among orchard trees and flowers, sculpture gardens, and artwork.

For a restorative and truly one-of-a-kind stay, The Inn of the Five Graces is located right in Santa Fe's historic heart. Its guest rooms, which were constructed by traditional adobe mud plaster as early as the 1600s, offer both history and luxury, and its onsite spa offers an array of massages, fitness services, and skincare treatments, all inspired by ancient healing philosophies.

It's said that the ocean is healing, and this charming maritime city in New England has all the makings of a stress-free getaway. From walking along the bustling waterfront, where you'll find quaint local shops and eateries to the picturesque cobblestone side streets, hopping aboard a sailboat and enjoying lots of fresh seafood, you may just never want to leave Portland. When it comes to local seafood (especially lobster), there's no shortage of options, but The Highroller Lobster Company is a top choice, with a 4.6 rating and thousands of reviews on Google.

If you're looking for culture, Portland is also home to institutions like the Portland Museum of Art, which dates back to 1882 and holds a collection of 19,000 pieces. Nearby in Cape Elizabeth, don't miss visiting Maine's oldest lighthouse, Portland Head Light, where you'll also find a plethora of surrounding hiking trails. Designed with wellness in mind, stay at the Longfellow Hotel for ultimate relaxation in Portland. The hotel offers a full lineup of spa services, an onsite cafe focused on healthy fare, and a cozy salon-style restaurant and bar serving local seafood.

With its lush gardens and picturesque streets, Savannah, Georgia is a top pick for travelers seeking a restorative escape in the South. With its cobblestones and pastel-toned buildings, draped with oak trees and Spanish moss, Savannah is best explored on foot, with plenty of historic sightseeing, charming town squares, and Southern restaurants to stop in along the way. From enjoying a classic seafood boil at Savannah Seafood Shack to dining at The Grey, which is housed within a former 1930s Greyhound station and led by a James Beard-awarded chef, if trying new restaurants is how you recharge — you can hardly do better than a trip to Savannah.

As far as more traditional wellness goes, Savannah also is home to unique experiences like tea tasting at Ashford Tea Company, and meditating in a bee garden at Savannah Bee Company's Wilmington Island location, which claims to be the first of its kind in North America — the humming, smells, and vibrations of the hives are said to have healing properties. For a relaxing stay in Savannah, stay at Perry Lane Hotel, considered the number one hotel in Savannah, which offers in-room spa services, a rooftop pool, and a fitness center.

This waterfront destination is surrounded by Lake Mendota, Lake Monona, and Lake Wingra (plus even more lakes just a short way away) and has plenty of opportunities to spend time outdoors from kayaking on one of the lakes to strolling along the quiet trails around Lake Mendota's Tenney Park. Don't skip exploring Olbrich Botanical Garden, one of Madison's gems. The outdoor gardens are free to visit, and even include a unique Royal Thai Pavilion and Garden, gifted by the government of Thailand and the only one of its kind in the continental U.S.

Within the botanical garden, you'll also find Bolz Conservatory, a glass pyramid filled with 650 kinds of plants as well as birds and even a waterfall — all accessible for only $6 for adults. If you enjoy biking, you'll be pleased to know that Madison is known as the "biking capital of the Midwest," with over 200 miles of biking and hiking trails. Stay at the Edgewater Hotel, which has been around since the 1940s and offers serene Lake Mendota views, alongside spa services, numerous dining options, and proximity to downtown.

Once an escape for celebrities during Hollywood's heyday, relaxation and de-stressing are woven into Palm Springs' fabric. Shopping on Palm Canyon Drive, browsing mid-century modern architecture, and enjoying a vibrant food and bar scene are just some of the best things to do in breathtaking Palm Springs, along with sipping a drink by the pool and enjoying some much-needed desert sunshine. If you prefer a bit more nature, Palm Springs is brimming with that as well, from Joshua Tree National Park, which is around an hour away, to Indian Canyons Nature Preserve, which has 60 miles of trails and is right outside the city.

After your hike, head to one of the hot springs in the Palm Springs area, which are known for their restorative qualities. Azure Palm Hot Springs Resort and Day Spa is a well-rated choice in the area, and is said to have Southern California's biggest hot mineral spring pool, according to the resort's website. We also enjoyed a visit to Miracle Springs Resort and Spa, which offers a pool day pass for just $20. For a quiet and rejuvenating stay right in Palm Springs, El Noa Noa Hotel offers relaxing features like an outdoor pool, a hot tub, a garden, and mountain views, as well as walkability into downtown.

St. Petersburg may have once been best-known as a quiet retirement city, but nowadays, it's going through a resurgence while still maintaining its laid-back vibes. If you're picturing your toes in the sand and turquoise oceans for your upcoming trip, St. Petersburg's award-winning beaches await, but this Florida city is also becoming an impressive cultural destination. With dreamy spots like Sunken Gardens, a historic botanical garden known as the city's oldest living museum, the waterfront Dali Museum, and awe-inspiring glasswork from the Chihuly Collection, St. Petersburg offers so much more than just the beach to its visitors. The city also offers a flourishing food and nightlife scene, with spots like the Michelin-recommended Il Ritorno and the locally-owned Latin American and Caribbean restaurant, Copa.

When it comes to an accommodation offering luxury and history, you can hardly do better than The Don CeSar. Dating back to 1928, this picture-perfect pink hotel features an onsite spa (complete with Gulf Coast views from its terrace), fitness and wellness classes, two outdoor heated pools, and various dining options. 

With riverfront trails and a charming downtown, Ann Arbor offers plenty to do without feeling overwhelming. In fact, it was even ranked as one of the most peaceful cities in the country by Insider Monkey back in 2023, thanks to its low noise levels and access to the outdoors. Ann Arbor boasts a thriving brewery culture, with HOMES Brewery, Wolverine State Brewing Co., and Mothfire Brewing Co. being popular choices according to Redditors in r/AnnArbor. This city also has plenty of quaint local shops like Literati Bookstore.

Touring the University of Michigan campus is also worthwhile — not only does it house some interesting architecture, especially around the Gothic-style Law Quadrangle and the historic Nickels Arcade at 99, but it also houses some of Ann Arbor's top cultural institutions like the University of Michigan Museum of Art, as well as the U-M Museum of Natural History and Planetarium. And if you're looking for more nature, the Matthaei Botanical Gardens and Nichols Arboretum are free to visit, offering numerous scenic trails and gardens to explore. When it comes to accommodation, Weber's Boutique Hotel has been an Ann Arbor institution since opening in 1937, and includes an indoor saltwater pool, a sauna and hot tub, a patio, a game room, and nearby nature trails — all you'll need for a stress-free vacation.

Known as the "American Riviera" for its Spanish-inspired beauty, Santa Barbara is arguably one of California's prettiest cities. With its distinctive white buildings with red tile roofs and beachy scenery, there are few places more serene. From beach-hopping at Butterfly Beach to whale watching, Santa Barbara is full of opportunities to spend time in nature. Salt Cave Santa Barbara is also a great stop for wellness-minded travelers for a host of massage services, facials, sound baths, meditations, and other healing services. The venue is said to hold the largest underground salt cave in the continent, formed over the past 250 million years.

Santa Barbara's downtown is vibrant but still laid-back, and ideal for walking or biking, with numerous bars and restaurants tucked within the "Funk Zone" area. Santa Barbara is also a hub for wine, with nearly 20 wineries encompassing the Santa Barbara Urban Wine Trail. For panoramic ocean views alongside your tasting, pay a visit to Deep Sea Tasting Room, located on Stearns Wharf in the Funk Zone. El Encanto Santa Barbara offers one of the city's most secluded and luxurious stays, tucked away in the hills overlooking the ocean. The historic property features gardens, a spa, and seasonally-inspired dining.

Merging waterfalls, scenic trails, and an iconic urban park, Spokane is one of the most peaceful — and underrated — cities in the Northwest. A little over four hours east of Seattle, this Washington city is a haven for outdoors recreation, from hiking or biking in Riverside State Park to exploring the 12,444 acres of Mount Spokane State Park. If wildlife is what you're after, head to Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge, which is home to animals like moose, Rocky Mountain elk, river otters, and over 200 bird species.

The city also boasts a flourishing cultural scene, with plenty of coffee shops such as First Avenue Coffee (a popular choice, according to Reddit), artsy neighborhoods like the Garland District, and institutions such as the Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture. The Smithsonian affiliate showcases the people of the Inland Northwest through its extensive Indigenous artifact collection and a preserved 19th-century historic home. For a boutique stay with all the makings for a stress-free getaway, opt for the historic Davenport Hotel, which offers a heated pool, a spa, and a fitness center, alongside various onsite dining options, for ultimate convenience and relaxation.

A combination of personal experience and research were used to round up these peaceful cities. All included cities have an abundance of relaxing excursions, such as spas, nature escapes, or art. We've used a variety of sources, such as surveys from TheTravel and Insider Monkey, as well as tourism board sites and travel blogs to gather information and take in first-hand accounts of each place. All cities have a population of at least 40,000 people to qualify as a "city," and we deliberately included cities across the country with diverse landscapes and offerings. Reddit and Tripadvisor were also occasionally used to make recommendations in each city.