These MN Vacation Spots Offer Luxury On A Budget, New Ranking Says

Minnesotans who want a luxury vacation without the sticker shock can find affordable escapes without traveling too far from home, according to a new ranking.

The financial media company MarketBeat lists three vacation spots in its ranking of the top 120 “bougie-on-a-budget” travel destinations.

Minnesota destinations and their rankings nationally:

• Grand Marais (Rank: 76)
• Ely (Rank: 102)
• Lanesboro (Rank: 105)

On r/Minnesota, users shared favorite activities and stops in Grand Marais and along the North Shore.

Top recommendations included hiking Artist Point, Oberg Mountain, and waterfalls like Devil’s Kettle and Manitou Cascades. Visitors also suggested sea kayaking, horseback riding at Gunflint Lodge, and scenic drives up the Gunflint Trail.

Food favorites included World’s Best Donuts, Angry Trout Café, Fisherman’s Daughter, and Voyageur Brewing for a picnic plate on the patio. Others debated Hungry Hippie Tacos, while some recommended Rustic Inn over the more touristy Betty’s Pies.

For coffee and sweets, users mentioned Moose, Fika in Lutsen, and Beth’s Fudge.

Local highlights included North House Folk School, Drury Lane Books, Sivertson’s Gallery, and saunas at Sisu + Löyly.

What the 120 destinations have in common is that “they feel luxurious, but remain under-the-radar — and under budget,” MarketBeat said.

Nationally, the top 10 affordable luxury vacation destinations and MarketBeat’s observations are:

1. Twin Lakes, Colorado: Rich with outdoorsy experience, “the luxury is the view.”
2. Kaunakakai, Hawaii: With “million dollar views,” Kaunakakai offers a “stripped-down, soulful Hawaii experience.”
3. Cold Spring, New York: An hour outside of New York City, the Hudson Valley village is “full of antique shops, art galleries and stylish cafés — all nestled between leafy mountains and the water’s edge.”
4. Mount Dora, Florida: Mount Dora, which is set on a chain of lakes in central Florida, “serves up small-town charm with upscale flourishes.”
5. Cape May Point, New Jersey: Absent the bustle of Cape May proper, the Point is “quieter, wilder, and full of dunes, shorebirds, and Victorian rentals tucked into quiet streets.”
6. Saranac Lake, New York: West of Lake Placid, the lake “offers Adirondack charm without Olympic crowds or prices. … It’s pure lake-life calm.”
7. Grand Rivers, Kentucky: “Tucked between two massive lakes (Lake Barkley and Lake Kentucky), this boating town has the relaxed elegance of a coastal getaway.”
8. Paris, Kentucky: The town has an Eiffel Tower replica, “but the real draw is nearby Kentucky Lake, where you can rent a stylish cabin, sip something cold by the water, and enjoy a calm, upscale-feeling summer escape that still flies under the radar.”
9. Dauphin Island, Florida: The coastal charm here is “less about crowds and more about barefoot walks, bird sanctuaries, and beachfront cottages that still come at off-the-radar prices.”
10. Los Alamos, California: The one-road town in Santa Barbara wine country “feels like Napa’s bohemian cousin.” Amenities include boutique inns “that haven’t caught on price-wise.”

MarketBeat’s ranking is based on a July panel survey of 3,011 professionals in the travel industry based on age, gender, and geography.