There is a quiet art to a great city break, and anyone who travels often will tell you that the secret ingredient is often not a famous landmark or a five-star hotel, but simply the ability to walk out your front door and feel the city unfold beneath your feet. A walkable destination changes the entire rhythm of a trip: you notice the way light falls on old stone, you hear snippets of conversation in unfamiliar languages, you stop for coffee when a street catches your eye, and you stumble upon tiny plazas that no guidebook ever bothered to mention. That feeling of discovery is exactly what Skyscanner tapped into when its travel experts set out to find the best up-and-coming cities for a break that aren’t the usual suspects. Think less Berlin, less Dubrovnik, and more places that have been quietly waiting in the wings. The team looked at flight data for destinations outside the United States, then evaluated 14 different factors for each city, including the distances between main attractions, the number of walking trails, average elevation, air quality, and safety. The result was a walkability index focused on how long it takes to stroll between a place’s highlights, the total steps involved, population density, and how many trails and attractions are packed into the area. The top ten is charmingly eclectic: Córdoba in Spain takes first place, followed by Nagasaki and Hiroshima in Japan, then Reggio Calabria in Italy, Monte Carlo in Monaco, Tartu in Estonia, Bursa in Türkiye, Bolzano in Italy, Sarajevo in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Victoria in British Columbia, Canada. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Europe dominates the list, with six of the ten spots belonging to the continent, but it is the mix of famous names and hidden gems that makes the ranking feel so genuinely useful for anyone planning their next adventure.
If you have ever dreamed of wandering through sun-baked Andalusian streets, Córdoba should already be on your radar, and now there is data to back up that instinct. Located in the heart of southern Spain, Córdoba was once an important Roman city and later a major centre of Islamic civilisation, and that long, layered history is written into every corner of its old town. The city’s most famous landmark is La Mezquita, a breathtaking mosque-cathedral that seems to hold centuries of faith and art within its walls, and the good news is that you can reach it and most other highlights simply by putting one foot in front of the other. Skyscanner found that it takes just 26 minutes to walk around the main attractions, which is almost absurdly convenient for travellers who want to see a lot without feeling rushed. You can easily spend a morning wandering the Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, before drifting into the Palacio de Viana, a palace full of tranquil courtyards, or losing yourself in La Judería, the old Jewish quarter with its narrow, flower-filled alleys. The Alcázar de los Reyes Cristianos, meanwhile, offers gardens and ancient walls that whisper stories of kings and queens, and if you want to stretch your legs a little further, there are an impressive 29 walking trails in and around the city. What makes Córdoba so special is not just the number of sights, but the way they are woven together into a walkable, human-scale urban fabric. You do not need to plan a complicated itinerary or hire a car; you can simply wake up, step outside, and let the city guide you from one historic treasure to the next, pausing for orange juice and churros when the mood strikes. It is the kind of place that rewards slow travel, and the Skyscanner ranking suggests that the city is finally getting the recognition it deserves as one of Europe’s most rewarding destinations for a short break.
Further east and south, Italy and Monaco offer their own walkable wonders, each with a distinct personality. Reggio Calabria, sitting on the toe of the Italian boot and separated from Sicily by the sparkling Strait of Messina, is a city that many travellers overlook in favour of more famous Italian hotspots, but that is exactly what makes it so appealing. Here you get stunning beaches, dramatic views across the water to Mount Etna, and a relaxed southern Italian atmosphere that feels a world away from the crowds of Rome or Florence. The waterfront is glorious, with palm trees and wide promenades, and you can wander past the striking Rabarama statues along Via Marina before visiting the Museo Nazionale Della Magna Grecia, home to extraordinary ancient Greek treasures. Best of all, all of the main attractions can be seen on foot in just 25 minutes and a little over 2,300 steps, which means you can comfortably explore the entire city in a single morning and still have plenty of time for lunch. Then there is Monte Carlo, a name that usually conjures images of supercars, yachts, and high-stakes gambling, but which is actually a surprisingly pleasant place to explore on two feet. The city limits cover less than one square kilometre, so everything is conveniently close, from the designer shops that line the streets to the breathtaking ocean views from Rue des Remparts. You can stroll through the glamorous harbour, stand in awe at the Oceanographic Museum of Monaco, wander around Casino Square, and even visit the quirky Private Cars Collection of HSH Prince of Monaco, all without breaking a sweat. Just be prepared for some steep hills, because Monte Carlo’s beauty comes with a fairly serious incline, but that only makes the panoramic views at the top feel more earned. Further north, Tartu in Estonia is a different kind of delight. Despite being the country’s second-largest city and a European Capital of Culture in 2024, it remains relatively unknown to international travellers, which is a shame because it has a beautifully preserved old town, atmospheric ruins, and neighbourhoods filled with wooden houses that feel almost fairytale-like. Tartu is deeply committed to sustainable practices, and it boasts the lowest air pollution of any destination on the list, so every deep breath you take while exploring feels especially clean. The city is full of street art, lush parks, and riverside walks, and you should not miss the Estonian National Museum, Town Hall Square, or the Botanical Garden of the University of Tartu. It is an intellectual, creative, and wonderfully unhurried city, perfect for travellers who want a break that feels both culturally rich and genuinely restful.
Türkiye, Italy, and the Balkans also make a strong showing in the list, with each city offering its own unique flavour of walkability. Bursa, in the northwest of Türkiye, is a modern and industrial city with a deep historical core, once home to the Royal Springs, those renowned hot mineral waters that have attracted visitors since Roman and Byzantine times. It was also the first Ottoman capital, and that heritage is proudly on display in its busy bazaars, grand mosques, and historic tombs. The Tomb of Osman Gazi, the Bursa Grand Mosque, and the Kozahan İpekçiler Bazaar are all must-sees, and the city is surrounded by natural beauty, including forests and mountains that make it feel like a breath of fresh air after the hustle of Istanbul or Ankara. Skyscanner data suggests it takes about an hour to walk between the main attractions, which is wonderfully manageable and leaves plenty of time to stop for tea, buy some silk, and watch the world go by. In Italy, Bolzano is another city that often gets dismissed as merely a gateway to the Dolomites, a place people pass through on their way to hike or ski in the mountains. But the capital of the South Tyrol province is well worth a visit in its own right. Tucked into a valley surrounded by hilly vineyards, Bolzano has a distinctive Alpine-Italian character that sets it apart from the rest of the country. The major attractions, including Piazza Walther, the arcaded Via dei Portici, and the South Tyrol Archaeological Museum, can all be ticked off in about an hour on foot, and for those who want to venture further, there are a remarkable 505 walking trails in and around the city. Bolzano is also the safest city in the ranking, which adds an extra layer of comfort for solo travellers or anyone exploring after sunset. Then there is Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina, a city whose name carries enormous historical weight but whose streets are surprisingly intimate and easy to navigate. Set on the Miljacka River and ringed by the Dinaric Alps, Sarajevo offers stunning scenery at every turn, along with cobbled streets and a wonderfully eclectic mix of Ottoman, Austro-Hungarian, and modern architecture. Walking through the city is like taking a living history lesson, and you can deepen that understanding with visits to the Museum of Crimes against Humanity and Genocide and the War Childhood Museum, both of which are sobering but essential. Afterward, you can lighten your spirit by ducking into one of Sarajevo’s many cafes to experience the city’s famous coffee culture, before heading to the city hall, the lively Baščaršija bazaar, and the Latin Bridge. Sarajevo is a place where every step feels meaningful, and the fact that it is so compact only makes the experience more powerful.
The presence of Hiroshima, Nagasaki, and Victoria in the top ten is a reminder that walkability is a global quality, not just a European one. Hiroshima and Nagasaki are Japanese cities that carry profound historical significance, but they are also vibrant, modern places with peaceful parks, moving memorials, and carefully planned streets that make exploring on foot an almost meditative experience. In Hiroshima, you can walk from the Peace Memorial Park to the Atomic Bomb Dome and then onward through the bustling downtown area, feeling the city’s resilience and hope in every step. Nagasaki, meanwhile, is built on hills that offer sweeping views of the harbour, and its winding streets hold a fascinating mix of Portuguese, Dutch, and Japanese influences, from the glitzy neon of Chinatown to the quiet beauty of Glover Garden. Both cities have invested heavily in making their public spaces accessible and inviting, and the Skyscanner walkability index recognises that thoughtful urban design. Victoria, in British Columbia, is the only North American city to make the cut, and it is easy to see why: its charming Inner Harbour, grand parliament buildings, and colourful gardens are all clustered together in a way that practically begs you to leave the car behind. The city also has a milder climate than much of Canada, making it a pleasant place to stroll year-round, and its British colonial heritage gives it a distinctive character that feels both familiar and exotic. What all of these cities share is a sense of human scale. They are not sprawling metropolises that require constant transfers, nor are they anonymous concrete jungles designed for cars. Instead, they are places where public life happens out in the open, where shopkeepers know their regulars, where benches are positioned under shady trees, and where you can cross a bridge, climb a hill, or turn down a narrow alley and discover something unexpected. That is the true magic of walkability, and it is why these rankings matter for travellers who want more than just a checklist of famous sights. Walking is the slowest and yet the most efficient way to understand a new place, because it forces you to engage with it physically, to feel the weather on your skin, to notice the textures of the pavement and the smell of food cooking in a nearby kitchen. When a city is designed for walking, it becomes a kind of conversation between the visitor and the place, and every step deepens that dialogue.
At the end of the day, the Skyscanner ranking is less about crowning a winner and more about reminding us of what makes travel joyful in the first place. We have all had those trips where we spent hours on trains or stuck in traffic, only to arrive at a destination and feel disconnected from it. Walkable cities solve that problem by giving us back our autonomy, our sense of curiosity, and our ability to explore at our own pace. Whether you choose the Andalusian charm of Córdoba, the southern Italian warmth of Reggio Calabria, the glamorous hills of Monte Carlo, the quiet intellect of Tartu, the Ottoman grandeur of Bursa, the Alpine elegance of Bolzano, the layered history of Sarajevo, or the reflective streets of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, you are almost guaranteed a trip that feels more intimate and more memorable than a traditional sightseeing marathon. The best part is that you do not need to be a seasoned traveler to appreciate these places, because the walkability index effectively levels the playing field. You can arrive without a detailed plan, lace up a comfortable pair of shoes, and trust that the city will guide you through its most beautiful corners. And because many of these destinations are up-and-coming rather than already overrun with tourists, you will likely find lower prices, shorter queues, and a more authentic atmosphere than at the big-name favourites. That is the beauty of hidden gems, they wait patiently for the right kind of visitor, someone who values experience over Instagram landmarks and who understands that the real heart of a city is not found in any museum but in the ordinary pleasure of wandering its streets. So the next time you start planning a city break, take a page from Skyscanner’s book: ignore the obvious choices, look for places where the distance between two attractions is measured in steps rather than miles, and let your feet do the deciding. You might just find that the most walkable cities are also the ones that stay with you long after you have returned home, not because of the photos you took, but because of the rhythm of your footsteps and the feeling of being fully present in a place that welcomed you in with open arms.
