If your examiner asks you about traveling in part one of your IELTS Speaking test, they might ask, “What place do you most like to visit?”
Let’s look at how you can answer this question for a good band-seven score. Below, you can also read 20 great model answers to this question (go straight to the answers here).
What To Say About Your Favorite Destination
For this kind of question, quickly think of one place you like to visit.
Note: when we say ‘visit’ in English, we usually mean a traveling destination. This might be:
- A vacation destination
- A destination for business
- A foreign country
- A place in a foreign country
- Another city in your country
- Somewhere you liked to visit when younger
- Any other place that comes to your mind
But this question could also be about visiting a local place in your city or country, such as:
- A museum
- The library
- The beach
- A shopping mall
- Your girlfriend’s house
- The cinema
- The gym
- Anywhere else you like to visit
Just say the first place that comes to your mind. Then you should add one or two more sentences. You could talk about:
- Why you like it
- How often you go there
- What you do there
- How you feel there
- Who you go there with
- How many times you’ve been there before or recently
- What you did there last time you went
- Any good memories from that place
- If you plan to go there again soon
- Anything else you can think of
Possible Reasons You Like That Place
Maybe you like it because:
- You have good memories there
- You love the weather there
- You love the food there
- You have family there
- You’ve had a lot of fun there
- Good shopping
- Fascinating sights to see
- History and culture
- Nightlife
- Beautiful nature (beaches, mountains, forests…)
- Interesting activities
- Whatever else comes into your mind
Tip: Picture the Place in Your Mind
The easiest way to quickly think of something to say about a place (or an experience) is to picture it in your mind.
Just imagine the place the last time you went there. Then describe what you’re seeing.
This ‘picturing’ is a very good habit for IELTS because it helps you to focus on ideas and what to talk about, instead of worrying about vocabulary and grammar.
Grammar Tip: Use Past Tense and Present Perfect
It’s always great to use the present perfect and past tense, just to show the examiner that you can.
This question about a ‘place’ allows you to easily think of:
- How many times you’ve been there before
- When you last went there
- What you did there before
Focus on Fluency
You don’t need to worry too much about grammar in part one. Remember that part one is mainly to warm you up.
You can’t really get a high score in part one. So save your clever vocabulary and grammar for part two, when you have more time to plan your answer.
In part one, just try to answer confidently and fluently. This means speaking without hesitation.
It’s fine to use simple English to help you do this.
Also, don’t say too much. Use the three-step YES Method to answer your part-one questions. Just say:
- Your answer (the place you like to visit)
- Explain your answer (say why you like that place)
- Stop talking (wait patiently for the next question)
Example Answers
Here are 20 good answers to this question.
Paris
1. I love visiting Paris. I’ve been there about six times before with my husband. I like Paris because it’s so romantic, the shopping is great, and the cuisine in the local restaurants is fantastic.
My Hometown
2. I really enjoy going to my hometown during my holidays because it means I can see my parents and all my old school friends again.
USA
3. One place I love to visit is the USA. I traveled there three years ago with my parents and saw all the amazing famous sights that I’d only seen before on TV, like the Grand Canyon, Hollywood, and the Statue of Liberty in New York City.
The Beach
4. I love going to the beach in a coastal town near where I live. I’d say I go there at least once a year. And I like it because I can swim in the sea and lie on the beach and get a great tan.
Germany
5. I work for a German company and I really enjoy traveling to Germany on occasional business trips. It’s very pleasant and cultured there, and the food is delicious. The beer is great too.
Pai
6. My favorite place in the world to visit is called Pai. It’s a small village in the mountains in northern Thailand. It’s incredibly peaceful and quiet there, and beautiful too, with lots of temples to visit.
Poland
7. Whenever I can I hop on a plane to Poland. I like Poland because I feel very free and relaxed there. The people are friendly and very humorous. I especially love the stunning historical city of Krakow.
The Andes
8. I love the mountains in Chile during winter. I’ve always liked skiing and the best place in the world to go skiing, in my opinion, is the Andes mountains. I simply love it there.
Israel
9. My father is originally from Israel and I really enjoy going to Telaviv with him. It’s very hot there, which I like, and quite exciting and exotic too.
The Maldives
10. Well, one time I went to the Maldives on vacation and I’ve never forgotten that trip. It’s such a stunning place, really like paradise. I would dearly love to go there again.
The Library
11. My favorite place to visit is the library in my neighborhood. I’m a bit of a bookworm, so I love discovering new books. And I enjoy the quiet, peaceful, studious atmosphere at the library.
China
12. I first visited China seven years ago, for business, and I fell in love with the place. It’s a wonderful country with incredible food and I now have plenty of friends there.
The Mountains
13. I most like escaping the city and hiking up into the mountains near my town. Climbing a mountain is great exercise and all that fresh air really helps to relieve my stress.
Tokyo
14. Well, I’ve only been to Tokyo in Japan once, but I think it’s my favorite place in the world to visit. There are so many exciting things to do there. It’s a very clean city, and the people in Tokyo are always so polite.
My Friend’s House
15. I suppose my favorite place to visit is my friend’s house. When I visit him, we joke around and play computer games for hours. It’s always a lot of fun.
Ho Chi Minh City
16. I really like to catch a train to Ho Chi Minh City. It’s a great place to go for some shopping or for a fun night out. Even though Ho Chi Minh is a sizeable metropolis, I find that it still has a peaceful, small-town feel to it.
Farm
17. I’ve always loved visiting my grandfather’s farm. When I was a child, I used to live there, and I would work and play on the farm all day. So there are many happy memories for me there.
London
18. I most like to visit London, the capital of the UK. I don’t think there’s any city in the world quite like London. It’s an incredibly liberal-minded city where you can be yourself without fear of judgment.
The Gym
19. I’m very health-conscious, so my favorite place to go is the gym. I hit the gym almost every day, sometimes twice a day. I love working out there. It makes me feel fantastic.
The Shopping Mall
20. To be honest, the place I most like to visit is the shopping mall with a few friends. I’m something of a shopaholic, you see. My favorite pastimes are window shopping, bargain hunting, and buying lovely new items of clothing.
Now, It’s Your Turn!
Don’t worry if the English in some of these answers seems quite advanced.
For a band-seven score, it’s okay if you make a few mistakes and don’t use super-advanced English, especially in part one.
Now give this question a go yourself.
Set up your voice recorder and ask aloud, “What place do you most like to visit?”
Focus on fluency, and use the three-step YES Method.
When you’ve finished, listen to your answer, and write down what you said.
If you notice any mistakes, try again.
Keep repeating this process and you’ll soon be ready for an excellent band-seven score in IELTS Speaking part one.