Australians wanting to embark on a “golden gap year” don’t need to look far, with three cities named among the best places to travel for over 60-year-olds.

A golden gap year is when retirees pack it up and travel around the world, enjoying life after years of hard work.

Some might get on a cruise ship, others might sell their home and downsize to a caravan.

But not all destinations are equal and some cities are better suited to an older crowd.

Travel insurance company PayingTooMuch looked at 45 global cities to see which is best for over-60s wanting to embark on a golden gap year.

Once again, Melbourne has trounced Sydney.

Melbourne is the best city for a golden gap year

Australia had three cities in the top 10, which were ranked by using several metrics, including the number of 3 star+ hotels, quality of health care and things to do.

Australia was deemed to be the most desirable country of all thanks to that feat, but Melbourne took the top spot.

Victoria’s capital has the most three star [or above] hotels than any other city with 1389, 1838 tourist attractions and 40 off-peak tours that cater to those over 60.

There’s plenty to see and do in Melbourne. Photo:Getty

Melbourne also has 568 walking routes and a health care score of 69.1 per cent.

Sydney came in second place on the list of best locations to spend a golden gap year, with 766 three star or above hotels and 1598 things to do and see.

The harbour city has 70 off-peak tours geared towards retirees and more than 700 walking tracks to explore.

Obviously, Sydney is more expensive than Melbourne. The average cost to stay at a three-star hotel for a week is about $1600 in Melbourne, but in Sydney it’s more like $2000, PayingTooMuch reported.

Sydney is the second-best Australian city for retirees to explore. Photo:Getty

The third Australian city on the list of Brisbane, where there are 45 tours, 366 things to see and 370 walking tracks.

The cost to stay a week in a hotel in the Sunshine State is about $1000, but there are more than 450 three-star or more hotels to choose from.

The best golden gap year cities

Auckland also made the cut on the list of best cities to explore during a golden gap year.

The New Zealand city finished ahead of Brisbane, beating many European destinations.

If it’s tours you’re after then Amsterdam is probably the place for you.

It was ranked third overall but has 61 tours available, which is the highest of any city.

The top 10 best cities for retirees

1. Melbourne, Australia
2. Sydney, Australia
3. Amsterdam, The Netherlands
4. Berlin, Germany
5. Auckland, New Zealand
6. Brisbane, Australia
7. Helsinki, Finland
8. Oslo, Norway
9. Munich, Germany
10. Singapore.