Tour OperatorsJapan leads the way in Asia, while Singapore, Shanghai and Hanoi debut in the top 100 ranking.

Walk this way: Where to find the world’s best walking cities

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Destinations in Asia are stepping up to join the world’s most walkable cities. Tokyo leaps 16 positions to 20th place this year.
Destinations in Asia are stepping up to join the world’s most walkable cities. Tokyo leaps 16 positions to 20th place this year. Photo Credit: Adobe Stock/f11photo

Asia is the standout story in the 2026 edition of GuruWalk’s Best 100 Walking Cities.

GuruWalk says its guide “reflects where people actually go and how they rate the experience of walking a city with a local guide”.

While cities in Europe dominate the list again this year, Tokyo leaps 16 positions to 20th place, breaking into the world's top 25.

Kyoto (35th) and Hiroshima (81st) further strengthen Japan’s presence in the list.

Beyond Japan, Shanghai (62nd) and Singapore (70th) debut in the ranking, while Ho Chi Minh City leaps 22 spots to 38th. Vietnam also adds Hanoi (37th) and Hoi An (64th) as new entries.

“Asia is firmly on the walking-tourism map,” GuruWalk says.

The Best 100 Walking Cities ranking is based on data drawn from over 467,000 verified reviews from 3,600 tours across more than 800 cities worldwide.

The final score combines traveller volume (65%) with satisfaction rating (35%) – “because it’s not enough to attract visitors; the experience has to deliver”.

The top 10 most walkable cities in the world based of GuruWalk’s data are: Rome, Madrid, Budapest, Prague, Lisbon, Amsterdam, Porto, Barcelona, London and Berlin.

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