Cape Town tops World's Most Beautiful Cities list for 2026

Cape Town has been named the world's most beautiful city after more than 24,000 people worldwide were asked to choose their most beautiful city. 

Time Out's 2026 list of the World's most beautiful cities reveals serious competition for Cape Town, which saw an overwhelming 86 per cent of Capetonians describe their city as beautiful. It places the Mother City ahead of global favourites including Edinburgh, Sydney and Paris.  

Essentially, the result reflects what we locals really believe: few cities can match Cape Town's dramatic combination of mountains, ocean, vineyards and historic neighbourhoods. From sunrise over Lion's Head to sunset on Camps Bay beach, it's a city that delivers postcard moments in every direction. 

"We’d argue a city’s beauty comes down to its unique, one-of-a-kind appeal. On Time Out’s list of the world’s most beautiful cities right now, each destination serves up something different, from the cascading buildings of Porto to the beach-lined fringes of Cape Town and the towering skyscrapers of Chicago," says Time Out's Travel Editor Grace Beard. 

See the world's 20 most beautiful cities, according to locals 

1. Cape Town, South Africa – 86%
2. Edinburgh, United Kingdom – 84%
3. Sydney, Australia – 78%
4. Chicago, United States – 77%
5. Lisbon, Portugal – 74%
6. Paris, France – 68%
7. Stockholm, Sweden – 68%
8. Porto, Portugal – 67%
9. Medellín, Colombia – 66%
10. Riga, Latvia – 65%
11. San Diego, United States – 61%
12. Panama City, Panama – 60%
13. Cambridge, United Kingdom – 60%
14. Florence, Italy – 60%
15. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – 60%
16. Bath, United Kingdom – 60%
17. Bangalore, India – 59%
18. Vienna, Austria – 59%
19. Brasília, Brazil – 59%

For Cape Town, the accolade is another reminder that while visitors travel thousands of kilometres to experience the city's scenery, it's the people who live here every day who appreciate it most. And judging by this year's results, we're not taking those views for granted.