550
5 minutes readContents
- Death Valley, California
- Lut Desert, Iran
- Mitribah, Kuwait
- Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
- Rivadavia, Argentina
- Kebili, Tunisia
- Athens, Greece
- Oodnadatta, Australia
1. Death Valley, California
Where to stay: The Inn at Death Valley – Inside the Park
“Is Death Valley the hottest place on Earth?” is a question we often get from budding travel enthusiasts. California’s desert is considered the hottest place, recording its highest-ever average temperature in July 2024 at 108.5 Fahrenheit, the equivalent of 42.5 degrees Celsius.
Photo: avsmal/ Shutterstock.com
While other destinations have recorded higher temperatures recently, Death Valley is consistently clocking in at some of the highest heat levels, giving the valley its title of the hottest place on Earth. It holds the record for highest temperature ever recorded at 134°F in July 1913. However, these readings are only for the air temperature with ground and surface temperature coming in at almost boiling point at over 201 °F.
You can visit Death Valley as part of a trip to the United States, but it’s best to avoid the hottest months of June to August.
2. Lut Desert, Iran
Where to stay: Enghelab Hotel
Lut Desert in Iran may be able to challenge the claim for the hottest temperature on the planet. In 2021, a satellite indicated a temperature of 177°F.
However, the remote nature of the desert means that there’s no routine measurements being taken to validate its hotter temperatures.
Photo: Delbars / Shutterstock.com
3. Mitribah, Kuwait
Where to stay: Millennium Hotel and Convention Centre
The WMO recorded and verified a temperature of 129°F in Mitribah in July 2016, the hottest confirmed recording anywhere in Asia. It’s also the third-highest reading from a reliable measurement ever recorded.
If you’re visiting Kuwait City, you can expect average summer temperatures to sit around 115°F. Kuwait has become one of the hottest countries with the oil-rich nation being used to soaring hot summers.
Photo: Arlo Magicman / Shutterstock.com
4. Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Where to stay: Movenpick Hotel City Star Jeddah
Jeddah’s hottest recorded temperature comes in at 125.6°F, documented in June 2010. The city serves as a major port for the Red Sea and is the jewel in Saudi Arabia’s crown as a resort city. It’s also popular with pilgrims visiting Medina and Mecca.
The city has been built to deal with its extreme heat, making it an ideal alternative to visiting desert or remote destinations on this list. If you’re a motorsports fan, you can head to Jeddah for the Formula One weekend and explore the city during more favorable conditions.
Photo: Mfee / Shutterstock.com
5. Rivadavia, Argentina
Where to stay: Lucania Palazzo Hotel
Argentina holds the record for the hottest day anywhere in South America. WMO saw 120°F conditions in December 1905, a stat that is still going strong.
The hottest months in Argentina run from November to March with average daily temperatures over 83°F. A more comfortable level of heat than its record-high temperature.
Photo: Carlos Ramírez / pexels.com/
6. Kebili, Tunisia
Where to stay: The Penthouse Suites Hotel
Tunisia holds the record for the hottest temperature in Africa and the second-highest recorded anywhere, clocking in at 131°F in July 1931. Considered the hottest place in the Eastern Hemisphere, Kebili is a destination you’ll want to visit during July and August if you’re chasing the sun.
It typically experiences at least 11 hours of sunshine in July with a lower relative humidity, compared to August and September.
Photo: Tharawit Disyawongs Shutterstock.com
7. Athens, Greece
Where to stay: Athens Tiare by Mage Hotels
If you want to experience the heat without going to Asia or Africa, you should visit Greece. Athens sits in the southern region of Europe. Its air temperatures consistently clock in over 90°F in the summer months from June to September. The WMO recorded the hottest-ever air temperature of 118°F in Europe in Athens in July 1977.
Photo: margouillat photo / Shutterstock.com
Athens is a great alternative if you want a hot vacation that doesn’t involve the desert and gives you the flexibility of going to the beach or exploring cultural sights.
8. Oodnadatta, Australia
Where to stay: Quest on Franklin
We can’t talk about the hottest cities in the world without including Australia. Oodnadatta recorded the southern hemisphere’s highest temperature in January 1960 at 123°F. This remote town sits between Alice Springs and Adelaide in the central region of Australia. It’s located in the southwest of the Simpson Desert on the Neales River.
Photo: Michael Jerrard / unsplash.com
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