The world’s most walkable cities in 2026, according to locals

👣 Walkability score: 93 percent

A city doesn’t have to be small to be walkable. In fact, Seoul is one of the largest cities on the list by surface area and population, but its impressive 93 percent approval rating from locals has secured the South Korean capital joint-first position. Why? Well, the city has a reputation as an exceedingly safe place to stroll by day and night, and is home to neighbourhoods such as Myeongdong, Insadong, and Hongdae, which are all primed for exploring on foot. 

Then there are the innovative pedestrian walkways, like Seoullo 7017, an 1074m-long elevated ‘sky garden’ which has seen an old inner city highway revamped into a stroll-worthy green space, home to 24,000 different plants. In downtown Seoul, the Cheonggyecheon Stream is flanked by a walkway that not only links many of the city’s central metro stations, but also landmarks such as Gwanjang Market, Jongmyo Shrine and Gyeongbokgung Palace. 

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👣 Walkability score: 93 percent

Yes, Edinburgh is hilly and completely chocker-block with cobblestones, but walking around the Scottish capital is the best way to appreciate it in all its whimsical glory – and a strong walkability score of 93 percent backs that up. It helps that the city is remarkably concentrated, with a bounty of must-see attractions like Calton Hill, Edinburgh Castle and the Old Town all falling within a 15-minute walk of each other. It also helps that some of Edinburgh’s top attractions are walks, like clambering up to the top of Arthur’s Seat, the long-extinct volcano which takes roughly an hour to climb and offers unparalleled city views. Oh, and Edinburgh’s walkability is likely why the city makes such a brilliant backdrop for events like the Fringe – the premise relies on flitting between as many comedy shows as possible, after all. 

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👣 Walkability score: 91 percent

There are densely packed cities, and then there’s New York. But despite Manhattan’s boundless capacity for noise, crowds and general chaos, its foundation is markedly organised. Yes, we’re talking about the grid system, which was planned as the city’s population exploded in the nineteenth century and has ensured the centre of the Big Apple, despite its scale, remains easy to navigate on foot. Twenty blocks extend for around one mile, and Fifth Avenue (known as the ‘spine’ of the island) is the dividing line between East and West Manhattan. But that walkability also extends to Brooklyn – particularly in the borough’s northwestern neighbourhoods like DUMBO, Cobble Hill and Williamsburg. Oh, and don’t forget the dazzling, pedestrian-friendly pathway that connects it to the Center of the Universe – the Brooklyn Bridge. 

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👣 Walkability score: 90 percent

Compact, mostly flat and notoriously safe – these are just a handful of characteristics that helped Copenhagen secure a 90 percent approval rating from locals for its walkability. However, we’ve also got the infrastructure to thank, as the streets here have clearly marked pedestrian zones and elevated pavements. Not to mention the Danish capital is home to Europe’s first – and what remains one of the longest – pedestrian-only streets, Strøget. This pioneering thoroughfare encompasses a chain of streets and connects central squares like Nytorv, Gammeltorv and Amagertorv. It essentially functions as one sprawling, car-free network, where you can browse high-end shops, check out attractions like Helligåndskirken, and watch street performers. Plenty to keep you entertained while you wander around then, right?

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👣 Walkability score: 89 percent

For the past decade, the Norwegian capital has gradually been inching towards the goals set out in its Car-Free Livability Programme, which aims to lower emissions and, generally, prioritise people over cars. The overarching mission is to transform the city’s historic centre into a completely pedestrianised zone – a very big job being tackled in small chunks, but the implementation of cycle lanes and removal of parking spaces has so far facilitated a significant reduction in traffic. In fact, phasing out cars between 2017 and 2019 has led to the downtown area being largely car-free. 

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👣 Walkability score: 88 percent

It’s not surprising that, as nice places to walk around go, Stockholm has consistently been a top contender (it was named one of the world’s best cities for green space earlier this month). While the Swedish capital is spread across 14 islands, getting between them all is easy, thanks to bridges and well-maintained pathways. Plus, more than four-fifths of Stockholm residents live in a ‘15-minute city’, meaning vital aspects of daily life – like school, work, shops, a park, and even entertainment – are within a quarter of an hour’s walk, or less. Now that’s walkability. 

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👣 Walkability score: 88 percent

You won’t find a city more synonymous with romantic strolls than old Paree, but the French capital’s reputation as a walkable hub isn’t based solely on lovey-dovey movies. Under mayor Anne Hidalgo, Paris has been transformed into a pedestrian paradise – between 2002 and 2023, car traffic plummeted by more than half. The lower traffic has not only improved air and noise pollution, but has enriched the lives of locals. Over 300 pedestrianised ‘school streets’ have been designated, and the reduction of parking spaces in city centres has enabled the quintessential Parisian terrace seating to flourish. No wonder 88 percent of Parisians praised the city as pedestrian-friendly. 

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👣 Walkability score: 86 percent

Singapore’s sheltered walkways are just another example of the city’s innovative infrastructure. They allow for not only more organised strolling for pedestrians but are also designed to shelter them from the varied climate (the city-state experiences extreme sun and rain, after all). In fact, covered walkways have a long history in tropical southeast Asia, with what are known as ‘Five Foot Ways’ or ‘Kaki Lima’ core to the quintessential shophouse architecture, which enabled customers to browse no matter the conditions outside. 

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👣 Walkability score: 85 percent

It’s no coincidence that this is the fourth Nordic city to claim a place in our ranks. Much like Copenhagen, Oslo, and Stockholm, the Finnish capital is a compact city that puts pedestrians first. You don’t need to walk far between the city’s top landmarks – Visit Finland recommends following the coast and circling Kaivopuisto, which is the hub’s oldest park – and the Helsinki also boasts impressive examples of people-focused infrastructure. Take Baana – it’s a former railway line which has been revamped into a ‘traffic-free’ pedestrian and bike highway connecting the Western Harbour with the train station. 

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👣 Walkability score: 83 percent

You can hardly appreciate a historic city like Kraków from public transport. Handily, Kraków’s Old Town (known as Stare Miasto) and neighbouring Jewish Quarter (or Kazimierz), two spots that sit at the top of any first-timers’ must-see list, are both completely pedestrianised and right next to each other. Why? Well, it’s largely to protect the area from damage (the streets are cobbled and very narrow, after all), but keeping them car-free has meant that tourism in the area can flourish. Who needs cars spoiling those views, anyway?

📍 Discover the best things to do in Kraków

Here are the rest of the world’s 20 most walkable cities, according to locals

• Riga, Latvia (83 percent)
• Vienna, Austria (83 percent)
• Amsterdam, Netherlands (81 percent)
• Tallinn, Estonia (80 percent)
• Zurich, Switzerland (79 percent)
• Taipei, Taiwan (79 percent)
• Vancouver, Canada (78 percent)
• Macau, China (78 percent)
• Melbourne, Australia (76 percent)
• Munich, Germany (75 percent)

Read the full ranking of Time Out’s Best Cities with Intrepid Travel.

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