The World’s Most Walkable Cities

Where are the world’s most walkable cities? Whether it’s strolling along the beach in Miami or traversing the High Line in New York City, walking is the best way to discover a new destination. It’s free, easy, and healthy, helping you to find out what makes a city unique. Walking also benefits the environment—as fewer vehicles means fewer emissions. As many cities have top attractions clustered near each other, walking is often faster than other modes of transport to explore top highlights. 

We mapped the walking distance between the top five attractions in hundreds of destinations around the world, and created a final shortlist of 50 cities where the total does not exceed 10 miles. Forget crowded subways, enclosed spaces, and expensive taxis—don your walking shoes and take to the spacious streets of the world’s most exciting cities! Ready to take a walk on the wild side? Take a stroll around the world’s top 50 most walkable cities below, and learn about the top five attractions in each!

The Top 50 Most Walkable Cities in the World

Sauntering into first place, the enchanting Italian city of Florence ranks as the world’s most walkable city. Within 10 minutes, visitors are able to admire the unique Ponte Vecchio bridge, as well as the iconic Cathedral of Santa Maria—which boasts the largest brick dome ever constructed. Athens is also among the world’s most walkable cities. Its ancient ruins tower above the city’s skyline and are all located within close proximity to one another.

Visitors looking to discover more modern cities will enjoy grand vistas of  the famous Harbour Bridge and spot the instantly recognizable Opera House while walking around Australia’s largest city, Sydney - the most walkable city in Oceania. History buffs can marvel at the Blue Mosque and Galata Tower while exploring the winding streets of Istanbul—it’s one of the world’s largest cities, but its main attractions are surprisingly close together. Food and wine enthusiasts will love the Cite du Vin in Bordeaux—followed by a walk around the city’s elegant UNESCO World Heritage center.

Despite being well-known for its Underground trains and black taxis, London is a great city to enjoy on foot and takes position 31 in the ranking. To the east, Tower Bridge and the Tower of London attract visitors from around the world–as you explore, take a moment to appreciate the spectacular skyline of the City of London and Canary Wharf behind. To the west, relax in the green gardens of Hyde Park after a visit to see Her Majesty at Buckingham Palace.

For travelers looking for mountains, beaches, and more, Cape Town offers plenty of unique walking paths and is the most walkable city in South Africa. Wander around the city’s inviting waterfront, where you’ll find top-rated restaurants, buzzing bars, and a number of enormous yachts towering out of the still waters. If you’re up for a decent hike, put on your sturdiest shoes and climb the world-famous Table Mountain. Once you reach the 3,500 feet summit, you’ll enjoy one of the best views in Africa. 

How We Produced This Guide to the World’s Most Walkable Cities

We used a leading online mapping service to calculate the distance between the five top attractions in hundreds of cities around the world. In order to keep our focus on truly walkable cities, we excluded destinations where the total distance between the top five attractions exceeded 10 miles. To identify the top five attractions, we selected the five attractions with the most online reviews by visitors on a leading review platform. 

We measured the total distance in miles, and assumed that the traveler would take the most direct route between each attraction. We looked at the geographical location of each attraction, and then measured the most logical walking route between the top five (minimising walking distance). We calculated the total walking time based on the calculation that walking one mile takes 20 minutes.

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