25 Most Beautiful Cities in the World
These 25 cities consistently top 'most beautiful' lists in travel publications + traveler polls. Visit them at least once.
1. Florence, Italy
Renaissance at every street corner, Duomo, Uffizi, Ponte Vecchio, Tuscan hills
2. Prague, Czech Republic
Medieval old town + castle + Charles Bridge + the most-photographed European city
3. Paris, France
Eternal beauty — Seine + Sacré-Cœur + Eiffel + Louvre + boulevards
4. Venice, Italy
Canal labyrinth + St Mark's Square + Doge's Palace + no cars + dream
5. Rome, Italy
2,800 years stacked: Colosseum + Vatican + Trastevere + Trevi + ruins
6. Kyoto, Japan
Bamboo groves + 2,000+ temples + geisha district + autumn leaves + serene
7. Edinburgh, Scotland
Castle on extinct volcano + Old Town + Royal Mile + foggy mystery
8. Lisbon, Portugal
Seven hills + azulejo tiles + trams + fado + Atlantic coast
9. Bruges, Belgium
Medieval canal town + chocolate + lace + frozen in time
10. Cape Town, South Africa
Table Mountain + ocean + winelands + most-dramatic urban setting
11. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Christ the Redeemer + Sugarloaf + Copacabana + Carnival + tropical
12. Santorini, Greece
White buildings + blue domes + caldera + sunset photographers' dream
13. Charleston, USA
Pastel mansions + horse carriages + Spanish moss + Southern charm
14. Salzburg, Austria
Mozart + baroque + Alps + Sound of Music + fortress city
15. Sydney, Australia
Harbor + Opera House + bridge + beaches + perfect setting
16. Saint Petersburg, Russia
Imperial palaces + canals + Hermitage + Venice of the North
17. Istanbul, Turkey
East meets West + Hagia Sophia + Bosphorus + Grand Bazaar + 16M people
18. Marrakech, Morocco
Souks + Jemaa el-Fnaa + Atlas Mountains + Saadian Tombs + sensory
19. Granada, Spain
Alhambra + Sierra Nevada + Albayzin + Andalusian magic
20. Cusco, Peru
Andes + Spanish-Inca architecture + gateway to Machu Picchu
21. Marrakesh, Morocco
Magical medina + riads + Sahara extensions
22. Quito, Ecuador
Historic colonial center + UNESCO + Andes setting
23. Antigua, Guatemala
Colonial pastel + volcanoes + colorful colonial old town
24. Hoi An, Vietnam
Lanterns + ancient houses + tailors + Yellow buildings
25. Tbilisi, Georgia
Old town + sulfur baths + Caucasus + modern art + emerging beauty