Trip Ideas Kayak Just Named This 'Surprising' U.S. City the Most Popular Destination for Summer Travel No. 1 on the list might surprise you. By Evie Carrick Evie Carrick Evie Carrick is a writer and editor who’s lived in five countries and visited well over 50. She now splits her time between Colorado and Paris, ensuring she doesn't have to live without skiing or L'As du Fallafel. Travel + Leisure Editorial Guidelines Published on May 13, 2024 Trending Videos Close this video player Photo: july7th/Getty Images If you’re not already dreaming up your summer vacation plans, you should be, with Kayak reporting that flight prices are down this summer. Domestic fares within the U.S. have decreased 13 percent, giving travelers some much-needed relief from the sky-high prices of last summer. But where is everyone headed? Kayak has been evaluating what destinations have had the highest search volume for travel between May 24 and Sept. 3. The results provide a little insight into where people are traveling domestically this summer, with 10 major U.S. cities making the list. “These are our most-searched-for destinations. So out of billions of annual searches, travelers are turning to these places over and over again,” the Kayak report notes. At the top of the popular domestic destination list is Seattle, which Kayak says is “surprising” based on past results. That said, those in the know, are well aware that the cool, notoriously rainy city shines in the summer. Between May and September, the number of rainy days drops significantly, and the temperature hovers around 70 degrees — arguably the ideal summer temperature. The average cost for summer tickets to Seattle is $455, making it the second most expensive destination on the list. Following Seattle on the list is Las Vegas — a mainstay in the popular destination arena — with an average flight cost of $396. Orlando came in at No. 3 with an average summer flight price of $328. The most expensive summer destination, Honolulu, came in at No. 4 with an average summer flight price of $780. Most of the other major U.S. cities were represented, including New York City, Miami, Chicago, and Los Angeles. But what surprised Kayak’s data team was the presence of historically less popular “wild card cities” on the list, specifically Denver (No. 6) and Boston (No. 8). Summer flights to Denver average $346, while flights to Boston average $391 this summer. Below is a full rundown of the most popular summer destinations in the U.S., according to summer flight searches on Kayak:1. SeattleAverage summer flight price: $455 2. Las VegasAverage summer flight price: $396 3. Orlando Average summer flight price: $328 4. HonoluluAverage summer flight price: $780 5. New York CityAverage summer flight price: $3786. DenverAverage summer flight price: $346 7. Los AngelesAverage summer flight price: $396 8. BostonAverage summer flight price: $391 9. MiamiAverage summer flight price: $375 10. ChicagoAverage summer flight price: $361