According to Gunnar Garfors, the Norwegian author who has visited every country in the world, the best city in the world is Seoul, followed by Toronto and London. This is his personal top 20, built on people, food, fun and atmosphere, and we have refreshed each entry with current figures for 2026. Cities: Seoul, Toronto, London, Cape Town, Berlin and 15 more.
Garfors is a Norwegian traveler and author, and the first person to visit every country in the world twice. His book 198: How I Ran Out of Countries came out in 2015, and this list comes from it. His picks are opinions from around that time, so we added current facts and flagged where you should check travel advice first.
| Rank | City |
|---|---|
| 1 | Seoul, South Korea |
| 2 | Toronto, Canada |
| 3 | London, UK |
| 4 | Cape Town, South Africa |
| 5 | Berlin, Germany |
| 6 | Reykjavik, Iceland |
| 7 | Taipei, Taiwan |
| 8 | Tokyo, Japan |
| 9 | Hanoi, Vietnam |
| 10 | Istanbul, Turkey |
| 11 | Auckland, New Zealand |
| 12 | Cali, Colombia |
| 13 | Lisbon, Portugal |
| 14 | Tel Aviv, Israel |
| 15 | Oslo, Norway |
| 16 | Seattle, USA |
| 17 | Florianópolis, Brazil |
| 18 | Mumbai, India |
| 19 | Copenhagen, Denmark |
| 20 | Kyiv, Ukraine |
20. Kyiv, Ukraine
Kyiv, spelled Kiev in the original list, is Ukraine’s capital and was home to about 2.95 million people before 2022. Garfors rated it for its restaurants, its late-night bars and the Pechersk Lavra cave monastery.
Conditions there have changed a lot since his list. Check your government’s current travel advice before you plan anything.
19. Copenhagen, Denmark
Copenhagen is Denmark’s capital, with an urban population of 1.4 million, built on the islands of Zealand and Amager and linked to Malmö by the Øresund Bridge. Garfors liked its canals, its food scene and the self-governing Christiania district.
A daily ferry to Oslo, number 15 on this list, makes the two an easy pair.
18. Mumbai, India
Mumbai is India’s financial capital. Its 2011 census count was almost 12.5 million people in the city proper and over 20 million in the metropolitan region. Garfors picked it for its colors, smells and diversity.
His advice for the street food was to make sure it has been properly cooked, which is still sensible.
17. Florianópolis, Brazil
Florianópolis sits on Santa Catarina Island in southern Brazil and had 537,211 residents at the 2022 census. Garfors counted 42 beaches, though current reference counts put it at around 60, and the city is a center for surfing and for nightlife.
Garfors argues it beats Rio de Janeiro for beaches.
16. Seattle, USA
Seattle was his only US city. It has about 784,777 residents (2025) and sits between Puget Sound and Lake Washington. He praised the friendly people, the views, the fish market and the coffee culture.
Surrounding islands and ferries make good day trips.
15. Oslo, Norway
Oslo had 724,290 residents in 2025. Garfors, who is Norwegian and says so, highlights the Opera House, whose roof slopes to ground level so visitors can walk up for panoramic views of the city.
The metro reaches the forest, so a hike is easy to fit in.
14. Tel Aviv, Israel
Tel Aviv has about 494,900 residents and is Israel’s economic and technology center. Its White City district became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2003 and holds the world’s largest concentration of International Style buildings.
Garfors loved it as a city that never stops. Check official travel advice before you go.
13. Lisbon, Portugal
Lisbon had an estimated population of 658,236 in 2025 and is one of the oldest cities in Europe. Garfors recommended the narrow streets of Baixa, the downtown rebuilt after the 1755 earthquake, and he walked everywhere.
Lisbon has been one of Europe’s most popular city-break picks in recent years.
12. Cali, Colombia
Cali is Colombia’s third largest city, with an estimated 2.3 million residents in 2026. Garfors called it the world capital of salsa and recommended its restaurants and museums.
Check current official travel advice for Colombia before you go.
11. Auckland, New Zealand
Auckland is New Zealand’s most populous city, with about 1.55 million people in its urban area (June 2025). It is nicknamed the City of Sails, and about one in three households owns a boat.
Garfors recommends taking ferries between the harbor’s bars and lounges.
10. Istanbul, Turkey
Istanbul has over 15 million people and straddles two continents on the Bosphorus. Garfors says to visit both sides and to travel between them by boat, and to try the meze.
Hagia Sophia, built under Justinian I, is one of the many landmarks.
9. Hanoi, Vietnam
Hanoi is Vietnam’s capital, with 8.7 million people as of 2026.
Garfors ranks it ninth overall.
8. Tokyo, Japan
Tokyo had over 14 million residents in its city proper in 2023, and the Greater Tokyo Area, with 33 million, is the third largest metropolitan area in the world. Tourism hit 15.18 million foreign visitors in 2019.
Its metro area is by far the largest on the list.
7. Taipei, Taiwan
Taipei had about 2.49 million residents in 2023 and is Taiwan’s economic and cultural center, home to Taipei 101. Garfors knows it well, because he has lived in the city.
He has lived there, which gives his pick extra weight.
6. Reykjavik, Iceland
Reykjavík is the world’s northernmost capital of a sovereign state, at 64 degrees north. It has about 140,000 residents as of 2026 and roughly 64 percent of Iceland’s population lives in the surrounding capital region.
Garfors ranks it sixth.
5. Berlin, Germany
Berlin has 3.7 million residents, more than any other city in the European Union.
That makes it the biggest city proper in the top five after London.
4. Cape Town, South Africa
Cape Town is South Africa’s legislative capital and oldest city, known for Table Mountain and Cape Point. Table Mountain National Park lies within city limits.
We also have a guide to the best luxury hotels in Cape Town.
3. London, UK
London had 9.14 million residents in 2025 and a metropolitan area of 15.4 million, the largest in Western Europe.
Garfors puts it third, ahead of Cape Town and Berlin.
2. Toronto, Canada
Toronto is Canada’s most populous city, with a 2021 census population of 2,794,356 and a Greater Toronto Area of 6.7 million.
It ranks fourth in North America by population, behind Mexico City, New York and Los Angeles.
1. Seoul, South Korea
Seoul is South Korea’s capital, with about 9.6 million residents as of 2024. Five UNESCO World Heritage Sites lie within the Seoul Capital Area, among them Changdeokgung palace.
Garfors places it first, above every other city here.
Keep reading
- 15 mindsets travel gives you: what visiting many places changes in how you think.
- The world’s most expensive cities: what a home costs in places like these.
Don’t forget to check our other stories in the travel section.
FAQ
Who is the traveler behind this list?
Gunnar Garfors, a Norwegian author who has visited every country in the world twice and holds several Guinness records. He wrote the book 198: How I Ran Out of Countries.
What is the best city in the world according to him?
Seoul, South Korea, which he ranks number one, ahead of Toronto and London.
Which cities on the list should I check travel advice for?
Kyiv, Tel Aviv and Cali. Conditions change, so read your government’s current advice before you book.
Is Copenhagen close to Oslo?
They are linked by a daily ferry, according to Garfors, which makes the two a natural pair.
How big is Tokyo compared with the others?
Tokyo had over 14 million residents in the city proper in 2023, and the Greater Tokyo Area has 33 million, the third largest metro area in the world.
Is this list a ranking by population or by tourism?
Neither. It is his personal ranking, based on people, food, fun and atmosphere.
How we put this list together
The order is Garfors’ personal ranking. We did not re-rank it, and we updated each city with current population and status figures from public reference data. Anything we could not check is left out.
Last updated: October 2026.
