Sally Kirby

A red sandstone amphitheatre. An ancient woodland on the English coast. A teeny tiny island with a black sand beach. Beauty comes in all shapes and sizes – luckily, the world isn’t held to the same rigid beauty standards as humans are – and we’ve curated this list to celebrate that.  It goes without saying that Time Out’s ranking of the world’s most beautiful places is entirely subjective and by no means exhaustive, but what we can guarantee is real-life experience. Every single beach, lake, city and valley on this list has been visited and vetted by our globetrotting network of travel writers. In short, they’re all well worth making the journey to see for yourself (no social media fakery here).We update this list regularly, ensuring we’re including the big-hitters while considering the impact of overtourism and spotlighting lesser-known beauty spots. So here it is: Time Out’s guide to the most beautiful places on planet Earth. Happy travels!Updated March 2026: There are seven new additions to the list this year, including a terracotta-coloured Old Town in Italy, an opulent Renaissance-style library in New York and a compact mountain range in northern Spain.Grace Beard is Time Out’s travel editor, based in London. At Time Out, all of our travel guides are written by local writers who know their cities inside out. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines. RECOMMENDED:⛰️ The most beautiful UNESCO World Heritage Sites🗺 The most underrated travel destinations i

This list is from 2025. Our latest ranking for 2026 is live here. People who don’t live in cities will tell you they’re busy, lonely and expensive places. But there’s a reason so many people choose to live in them: with world-class art and culture, unbeatable food and nightlife, buzzing neighbourhoods and a dizzying amount of stuff to do and see, there’s simply no better place to be.  Every year, we take the pulse of city living by quizzing thousands of locals across the planet about life in their hometowns. This year, more than 18,500 city-dwellers shared their insights on everything from food, nightlife and culture to affordability, happiness and the overall city vibe. When urban living can sometimes feel isolating and costly, this year we wanted to get a sense of what, exactly, makes a city feel like home. Sure, the nightlife is great, but is the city safe and walkable? Is good quality food and art available at a reasonable price? Is it easy to make friends, find love, and access nature?  Livability was a key factor in our ranking this year. But a great city to live in is, naturally, a great city to visit. So, along with the thousands of responses from locals around the world, we asked Time Out’s global network of city experts to vote on the places they think are particularly exciting right now. After crunching all that data, here we are: Time Out’s definitive ranking of the world’s best cities in 2025. Read on to see how your hometown fared… RECOMMENDED:🛍️ The coolest n

Food and the sharing of meals is a huge part of Moroccan culture. Traditional recipes are handed down through generations; simple, seasonal and largely eaten from one dish – like tangia, a Marrakech speciality in a clay urn dish used to slow-cook meat, found all over the city, from food stalls to candlelit courtyards.  Nowadays you’ll find tradition often meets modernity in Marrakech, and the city is sizzling with stylish new openings and global fine dining menus, from Australia to India to Japan. As Michelin-starred chefs raise the bar (and prices) in the city’s palatial hotels, the streets of Gueliz are aflutter with talk of the latest newcomers bringing minimalist dining rooms, farm-to-fork sharing menus and innovative cocktails to the city. Find our top picks below.  RECOMMENDED:📍 The best things to do in Marrakech🇲🇦 The best things to do in Morocco🏨 The best hotels in Morocco🌎 The best cities in the world Paula Hardy and Sally Kirby are writers based in Marrakech and Taghazout Bay, Morocco. At Time Out, all of our travel guides are written by local writers who know their cities inside out. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines. 

Right now is a very exciting time to visit Marrakech, as it makes an excited dash to the future. This creative, unique city has undergone some serious architectural restoration, and is currently making a serious dash to the future. Here you’ll find a bunch of brand-new museums showcasing jewellery, desert gardens and ethnographic collections, a booming food scene and the city’s famous souks, selling anything you can dream of. You’ll find the absolute best in fashion, design, art and hospitality. Just remember this word: ‘Balek!’ (roughly translated as, ‘move it, donkey coming through!’).  What are some dos and don’ts in Marrakech? Marrakech is an open-minded and tourist-friendly city – that said, some awareness of Islamic beliefs will offer you a deeper appreciation of this beautiful place. In general, the less you wear, the more attention you’ll attract; modest-length, loose-fitting clothing is recommended. Souk shopping? Shop around until clear on your max price and stick to it. Take a meter taxi if available, or agree to a price before you set off.  RECOMMENDED:🥘 The best restaurants in Marrakech🏨 The best hotels in Morocco🇲🇦 The best cities in Morocco (that aren’t Marrakech) This guide was updated by Sally Kirby, a writer based in Morocco. At Time Out, all of our travel guides are written by local writers who know their cities inside out. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines. This guide includes affiliate links, which have no influence on our e

What would be your death row meal? Some might choose sushi, many would choose pizza, but there’s a whopping proportion of us who would opt for a steak without a moment’s thought. Picture it: a generous hunk of freshly sizzled, melting beef, doused in smokey flavour and oozing all those salty, meaty juices, with some chips on the side. Drooling? Us too.  The good news? Outstanding steaks are being cooked all over the world, from Michelin-starred chefs searing it up in Paris to an Australian restaurant producing plates of meat in just 15 minutes – 15 minutes! So, for all the steak fanatics out there, we’ve called on our network of editors and international writers about their favourite spots for a steak in their city. Vegetarians and vegans of the world, we recommend you look away now. RECOMMENDED:🥪 The best sandwiches in the world🍝 The best cities in the world for food🌃 The coolest neighbourhoods in the world right now This list was edited by Liv Kelly, a writer at Time Out Travel. At Time Out, all of our travel guides are written by local writers who know their cities inside out. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines.

Many are drawn to Marrakech, Morocco’s tourist capital, for its riads, souk shopping, nightlife and more – and I don’t blame them. But its popularity comes with a price, and if you prefer less tourist-centric cities, there are several others in Morocco that offer all the above (and more), without the crowds. Head to the north – Casablanca, Tangier and Rabat – to experience progressive and thriving cities. Here you’ll find historic kasbahs (fortresses), medinas, souks and palaces alongside state-of-the-art theatres, museums and parks. In the south, laid-back ocean vibes flow in the coastal cities of Agadir and Essaouira. Ready to see another side of Morocco? Here are its best cities. RECOMMENDED:🏨 The best hotels in Morocco🛍️ The best things to do in Marrakech🥙 The best restaurants in Marrakech Sally Kirby is a writer based in Taghazout, Morocco. At Time Out, all of our travel guides are written by local writers who know their cities inside out. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines.