The eight cities worth seeing at least once, in our Part 1 shortlist, are Florence, Vienna, Rome, Rio de Janeiro, Paris, Marrakech, Istanbul and Mumbai. We rechecked each for 2026, replaced what had changed, and swapped Moscow out for Istanbul, since travel to Russia is not a plan most readers can make today.
| City | Country | The one thing to do | 2026 detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| Florence | Italy | See Raphael’s self-portrait at the Uffizi | Ticket €25 at the door, €29 online |
| Vienna | Austria | Walk the Ringstrasse | Just over 2 million residents |
| Rome | Italy | Colosseum, Forum, Vatican, Trevi | €2 fee for the Trevi basin since February 2026 |
| Rio de Janeiro | Brazil | Christ the Redeemer and Copacabana | Carnival ran February 13 to 21, 2026 |
| Paris | France | Notre-Dame, the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower | Notre-Dame reopened December 2024 |
| Marrakech | Morocco | Medina and Jemaa el-Fnaa | Earthquake in September 2023 |
| Istanbul | Turkey | Hagia Sophia and the old city | Over 15 million residents |
| Mumbai | India | Hindi film capital and harbour city | Largest city proper in India |
You do not need a fortune for most of these. A must-see city is not always an expensive one, and the entries below say where costs are real.
Florence, Italy
Florence has 361,625 residents as of 2026 and a historic centre that UNESCO listed in 1982. Visit the Uffizi to see Raphael’s self-portrait, dated around 1504 to 1506. The standard ticket is €25 at the door or €29 booked online, with free entry on the first Sunday of each month and a €4 booking fee still applying online. Florence was a centre of medieval trade and finance, which explains the money behind its art.
Vienna, Austria
Vienna is Austria’s capital and largest city, with just over two million residents. It is also a city of composers: Beethoven, Brahms, Haydn, Mozart and Schubert all lived and worked here. The city is wrapped by the Danube Canal and the boulevards of the Ring, and the Ringstrasse is the best walk for a first-time visitor. History is on display at every corner, as in a museum that you can walk through.
Rome, Italy
Rome is the capital of Italy and the obvious first stop: the Colosseum, the Roman Forum and the Vatican, plus churches and fountains that are older than most countries. Since February 2, 2026, visitors must pay €2 to enter the basin steps at the Trevi Fountain, although the piazza is free and the fountain can be seen from a distance. The city says the fee manages crowds and pays for upkeep. The arrangement is set to run to the end of 2027.
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Rio’s two main draws are the Christ the Redeemer statue, an Art Deco figure on the 700-metre Corcovado, and the beach at Copacabana. Rio also hosts the biggest carnival in Brazil. The 2026 edition ran from February 13 to 21, with the Sambadrome parades the centrepiece. Guides put Sambadrome tickets for the Special Group nights at roughly $180 to $370, so book early.
Paris, France
Paris is the capital of France and its fashion centre, and still the city where you can do everything: shopping on the Champs-Élysées, the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower. The big news is Notre-Dame, which reopened to the public in December 2024 after the 2019 fire. Entry is free, and visiting the towers costs about €16, according to visitor guides.
Marrakech, Morocco
Marrakech’s medina is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, packed with souks, the Kutubiyya Mosque and the Jemaa el-Fnaa square. It is also the usual gateway to the Atlas Mountains and the Sahara. A magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck Al Haouz Province on September 8, 2023, about 73 kilometres southwest of the city, so check which sites you want to see are open before you go.
Istanbul, Turkey
Istanbul is a city on two continents with more than 15 million residents. It was the capital of four empires, including the Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman, and its Hagia Sophia, built under Justinian I, was the world’s largest cathedral for a thousand years. Few cities pack this much history onto a single waterfront. It replaces Moscow in our list.
Mumbai, India
Mumbai is the financial capital of India and the most populous city proper in the country, according to the 2011 census. It sits on a deep natural harbour on the Konkan coast and is the home of the Hindi film industry that people call Bollywood. We dropped our 2010s statistics on film output and population rank, since they have not been verified for today.
FAQ
Which city should I visit first?
If you have one choice, Rome or Paris cover the most history in the least time. Florence suits art lovers, and Istanbul gives you two continents in a single trip.
Do I need to pay to see the Trevi Fountain in 2026?
Only to enter the basin steps: since February 2, 2026, that costs €2. The piazza and the view of the fountain remain free.
Is Notre-Dame open again?
Yes. Notre-Dame de Paris reopened to the public in December 2024, and entry to the cathedral is free. The towers cost extra.
How much is a ticket to the Uffizi in Florence?
The standard ticket is €25 at the door and €29 booked online. Entry is free on the first Sunday of each month.
Why did you replace Moscow with Istanbul?
Travel to Russia is not practical for most readers today, so we swapped it for another historic megacity that is easy to visit.
Last updated: October 2026.
