There’s something special about standing in a place that simply takes your breath away. A harbor filled with sailboats. A cobblestoned street glowing with lanterns. A skyline you’ve seen in a hundred movies but never imagined you’d see with your own eyes.
Whether you’re planning a big trip, dreaming from your armchair, or building a list for the years ahead, these 25 cities from around the world have one thing in common: they make you go wow.
Classic Beauties You Already Know
Paris, France earns its place every time. Around every corner there’s something to love, a sidewalk cafe packed with stylish locals, a boulevard lined with the creamy stone Haussmann-era buildings that define the city, a pastry shop with a glass case full of colorful macarons. It’s the city that invented beautiful.
Rome, Italy is like an open-air museum covering nearly three thousand years of art and architecture. Wander the alleys, stumble upon a hidden piazza, and reward yourself with a bowl of carbonara or a creamy gelato for every wonder you encounter. In summer evenings, watch la passeggiata, locals dressed to the nines, strolling unhurried through the warm night air.
London, England, layers its history like a rich cake. Medieval landmarks like Westminster Abbey sit alongside Victorian icons and 21st-century hustle. One of the best things about London: most of its world-class museums are free to visit. Hyde Park, St. James’s Park, and Regent’s Park are among the most beautiful green spaces anywhere.
Cities That Surprise You
Sydney, Australia, practically sparkles. Its yacht-filled harbor, golden beaches, lush parks, and overall cleanliness give the city an energy unlike anywhere else. Take a boat tour to see the Harbor Bridge and the iconic Sydney Opera House. Then catch a ferry from Darling Harbor or Circular Quay to Manly Beach, where Queenscliff Beach offers a 164-foot rockpool, a lagoon, and waves that impress even professional surfers.
Tbilisi, Georgia, is one of the world’s most underappreciated cities. The old town is a joy to explore, with carved wooden balconies hanging over cobbled streets lined with wine bars and traditional restaurants. Hike or ride the cable car up to Narikala Fortress (originally built in the 13th century) for sweeping views of the city and the Caucasus Mountains.
Istanbul, Turkey, is an intoxicating mix of domed mosques with intricate mosaics, Ottoman-era palaces, maze-like markets, and hilly cobblestoned streets. The food alone is worth the trip: mezze, grilled seafood, and a coffeehouse culture that goes well into the night.
Cartagena, Colombia, draws visitors with its Caribbean beaches and a walkable old town that is one of the most beautifully preserved walled cities in all of South America. Buildings painted coral, cobalt, fuchsia, and bright marigold are draped with bougainvillea. Street vendors sell grilled arepas, coconut cookies, and fresh fruit. At night, live salsa music fills the squares.
Buenos Aires, Argentina, blends European elegance with Latin energy. The city was shaped by Paris-inspired architecture, and it’s the birthplace of tango; you simply cannot leave without catching a live performance. Stop into a bar notable, one of the city’s historic cafes; Café Tortoni has been welcoming guests since the 1850s.
Natural Wonders With a City Around Them
Cape Town, South Africa, sits between the flat-topped Table Mountain and the Atlantic Ocean. It could get by on looks alone, but it offers plenty more: shark diving, mountain hiking, or a leisurely afternoon at Camps Bay Beach. The lauded wine region of Stellenbosch is just 45 minutes from the city center.
Queenstown, New Zealand, is built around Lake Wakatipu, a glacial lake whose still waters reflect the surrounding mountain range, fittingly called the Remarkables. Hiking, skiing, skydiving, rafting, and winery visits are all on the menu, but you can just as easily slow down and enjoy the scenery.
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, seduces with its mountains, legendary beaches, and vibrant neighborhoods. Ipanema and Copacabana are world-famous, but don’t miss Parque Nacional da Tijuca, a protected rain forest with waterfalls and caves, or the Jardim Botânico, a tropical garden lined with 134 soaring imperial palms. And of course, there’s the 98-foot-tall Christ the Redeemer statue atop Corcovado mountain, the largest Art Deco statue in the world.
Sedona, Arizona, is the bucket-list destination closest to home on this list. Spectacular red-rock buttes and canyons glow with a near-magical rosy light. Drive the Oak Creek Canyon Scenic Drive through Coconino National Forest for postcard-perfect views. At night, a city-wide effort to reduce light pollution makes Sedona one of the best stargazing spots in the country.
Cities Drenched in Color and Culture
Hội An, Vietnam is a UNESCO World Heritage coastal canal city that feels practically untouched by the modern age. Its amazingly preserved old town holds more than 1,000 historic timber-frame houses, sacred temples, pagodas, and a 17th-century Japanese bridge. Many buildings are painted a rich golden yellow (a color associated with prosperity and royalty), and streets strung with lanterns are heavily traveled by cyclists.
Barcelona, Spain draws more than 15 million visitors a year. The city is practically synonymous with the work of architect Antoni Gaudí, whose La Sagrada Família and Park Güell are among the most extraordinary buildings on earth. Add golden Mediterranean beaches, covered food markets, snug tapas bars, and an average of 339 sunshine hours per month, and you have a city that’s very hard to leave.
Chefchaouen, Morocco (also called the Blue Pearl), is washed in the most spellbinding shade of cobalt blue you’ve ever seen. Tucked below the Rif Mountains, its alleyways beg to be wandered. About 45 minutes outside town, a three-mile hike leads to the Cascades d’Akchour waterfalls. Back in town, the Spanish Mosque (built in the 1920s and never used for worship) offers a beautiful vantage point over the medina at sunset.
Palermo, Italy, is sun-soaked, decadent, and deeply alive. Its striking gold-stone cathedral is one of many Arab-Norman structures dating to the Norman Kingdom of Sicily (1130–1194). Italy’s largest opera house, Teatro Massimo, is here — not Rome, not Milan, but Palermo. Head to the Ballarò street market for bags of almonds, olives, spices, and tomatoes the color of rubies. Then settle in on the Piazza Caracciolo for an Aperol spritz and watch the evening unfold.
San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, was named the favorite Mexican city. A beautiful maze of cobbled alleys, cool courtyards, and Spanish colonial, Baroque, neoclassical, and neo-Gothic architecture creates a postcard-perfect backdrop at every turn. The Parroquia de San Miguel Arcángel (a gorgeous pink 19th-century neo-Gothic church) is the city’s most photographed landmark.
Cities Where East Meets West
Singapore is a true feast for the senses. Its skyline mixes futuristic skyscrapers with surreal supertrees and undulating glass domes. A 540-foot Ferris wheel anchors the waterfront. Neighborhoods like Chinatown, Kampong Glam, and Little India reflect the city-state’s multicultural heritage. The hawker center street food scene (roasted pork rice, Malaysian fried noodles, sweet icy cendol) is world-class.
Kyoto, Japan packs a remarkable amount into a low-rise, walkable city. It has 17 UNESCO World Heritage sites, including the famous Golden Pavilion (Kinkaku-ji) and the Silver Pavilion (Ginkaku-ji). Cherry, plum, and willow trees line the riverbanks. Lanterns illuminate tiny alleys lined with wooden teahouses. The Gion district at dusk is particularly magical.
Seoul, South Korea puts its past and present side by side. Ancient palaces and Buddhist temples share the city with cutting-edge skyscrapers and electric nightlife districts. Parks along the Cheonggyecheon Stream and Han River offer a peaceful escape, and the city’s mountain hiking trails are never far away.
Taipei, Taiwan offers the chance to look out over the whole city from the 89th-floor observatory of Taipei 101, one of the tallest skyscrapers on the planet. Down at street level, tranquil temples, flower markets, and night markets full of food stalls await. For a taste of Taiwan’s natural beauty, Yangmingshan National Park brings cherry blossoms, azaleas, hot springs, and green forests.
A Few More Worth the Journey
Dubrovnik, Croatia (the Pearl of the Adriatic) has charmed filmmakers for decades. Game of Thrones, Succession, and Star Wars all used its medieval streets as a backdrop. UNESCO designated the old city a World Heritage site long before Hollywood came calling. The compact, traffic-free old town is lined with practically mint-condition medieval buildings, and its thick stone walls are among the best-preserved medieval fortifications in the world.
Edinburgh, Scotland is an ancient city set on a dramatic landscape of extinct volcanoes, anchored by a grand castle that looks like something from a fairy tale. When the hills wear you out, duck into a pub for steak-and-ale pie and a smooth Scottish stout. If you visit in August, Edinburgh Fringe (the largest arts festival in the world) takes over the city. Just book your hotel well in advance.
San Francisco, California earns its spot through sheer geography. Perched on a peninsula between the Pacific Ocean and San Francisco Bay, its steep streets deliver beautiful hilltop views of bridges, mountains, and shimmering water. The Golden Gate Bridge, the Painted Ladies, and the cable cars (first used by locals in the 1870s) are world-famous. But the city’s soul lives in quieter places too: the Italian delis of North Beach, the dim sum parlors of Chinatown, and the 14-acre Presidio Tunnel Tops park, which opened in 2022.
New York City may be chaotic, but that chaos is part of what makes it beautiful. The 104-story World Trade Center is the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, MoMA, and the Brooklyn Museum each hold collections that could take days to explore. And one of the best free things to do in the city? Walk through Central Park. It’s still one of the prettiest places in all of New York.
Twenty-five cities. A lifetime of memories waiting to be made. Which one would you put at the top of your list?