For travelers seeking the ultimate urban experience, Time Out’s annual ranking of the world’s best cities serves as a go-to guide.
According to edition.cnn.com, in the 2025 edition, Cape Town, Marrakech, and Lagos have secured spots among the top 50, recognized for their vibrant culture, dynamic food scenes, and unique local experiences.
So which destination came out on top this year? Here’s a hint:
“Where else can you visit a colony of African penguins, taste world-class wines, stroll Blue Flag beaches, enjoy views from one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature, and experience vibrant nightlife — all in a day?” asks Time Out.
The answer is of course Cape Town, which scored highly across the board.
“Steeped in history and cultural significance, Cape Town provides visitors with a plethora of options to learn, explore, and have fun, all without breaking the bank,” says Time Out of South Africa’s oldest city.
To compile the annual list, the company surveyed more than 18,500 city-dwellers, as well as its own panel of 100 experts.
They were asked for insights on topics that are near and dear to travelers’ hearts, including food, nightlife, culture, affordability, livability and the overall city vibe. Time Out then combined all the data — a total of 44 different criteria — to rank the 50 best cities in the world for 2025.
“From affordability to access to nature, liveability was a key factor in our survey this year,” said Grace Beard, Time Out’s travel editor, in a statement.
“This list not only showcases the world’s most exciting cities to visit in 2025, where world-class culture, great food and exciting nightlife can be found on every corner, but also reflects the places where locals feel most at home.”
In Cape Town, Time Out recommends visitors experience the city’s fishing culture in trendy Kalk Bay, or head to East City “for a dose of Capetonian food and design.”
As for taking in some of the great outdoors the city is famous for, the media brand suggests travelers check out the majestic Cape Point Nature Reserve.
Coming in at number two on the 2025 list, which was revealed Wednesday, is a city that has long been popular among global travelers — Bangkok.
Thailand’s capital “checks every box for a great city: famously friendly, culturally rich, and packed with iconic sites like Wat Arun and the Grand Palace,” says Time Out.
Not surprisingly, Bangkok’s world-renowned food scene ranked highly among respondents, with Time Out saying 86% of locals declared food in Bangkok “good” or “amazing,” and 84% saying eating out is affordable.
“With the expanded BTS Skytrain and MRT, exploring Bangkok has never been easier,” it added.
Last year’s winner, New York, fell to the still-impressive number three spot in 2025, with Time Out noting that 78% of New Yorkers described the city as exciting, “the highest percentage of all cities surveyed.” Meanwhile, 92% of respondents approved of its world-class arts and culture scene.
“From iconic attractions like Edge, the northern hemisphere’s highest observation deck, to vibrant neighborhoods like Riverdale and Coney Island, the city truly has it all,” says the media company.
Number four on the list is Melbourne, which just happens to be home to Time Out’s “World’s Coolest Street” for 2024. The seaside Australian city earns top marks in the “restaurants and eating out” category as well as “culture,” says the brand.
The fifth-place spot has been snagged by another perennial favorite, London, which Time Out says remains one of the world’s best cities, “thanks to its vibrant cuisine, iconic pubs, unparalleled shopping, and diverse communities.”
Rounding out the top 10 on the list are New Orleans, Mexico City, Porto, Shanghai and Copenhagen. As for the full list, two other US cities join New York and New Orleans in the top 50: Chicago (11) and Los Angeles (40).
Time Out’s 50 best cities in the world in 2025:
1 Cape Town, South Africa
2 Bangkok, Thailand
3 New York, US
4 Melbourne, Australia
5 London, UK
6 New Orleans, US
7 Mexico City, Mexico
8 Porto, Portugal
9 Shanghai, China
10 Copenhagen, Denmark
11 Chicago, US
12 Lisbon, Portugal
13 Edinburgh, UK
14 Hong Kong
15 Sydney, Australia
16 Amsterdam, Netherlands
17 Barcelona, Spain
18 Seville, Spain
19 Paris, France
20 Medellín, Colombia
21 Hanoi, Vietnam
22 Madrid, Spain
23 Berlin, Germany
24 Dubai, UAE
25 Singapore
26 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
27 Beijing, China
28 Chiang Mai, Thailand
29 Jakarta, Indonesia
30 Vienna, Austria
31 Tokyo, Japan
32 Marrakech, Morocco
33 Perth, Australia
34 Brighton, UK
35 Prague, Czech Republic
36 Glasgow, UK
37 Brisbane, Australia
38 Marseille, France
39 Budapest, Hungary
40 Los Angeles, US
41 Lagos, Nigeria
42 Seoul, South Korea
43 Valencia, Spain
44 Montreal, Canada
45 Bilbao, Spain
46 Abu Dhabi, UAE
47 Belfast, UK
48 Bristol, UK
49 Mumbai, India
50 Warsaw, Poland
