These are the world’s friendliest cities, according to hundreds of travellers

If you’ve ever been rescued by a stranger while staring blankly at a metro map, you’ll know how much a friendly local can make a trip. Condé Nast Traveller has just revealed the friendliest cities in the world for 2026 as part of its annual Readers’ Choice Awards, and this year the top spot has gone to Melbourne.

The rankings are voted for by readers, who are asked where in the world they’ve had the warmest welcome, whether that’s a local helping them decode a restaurant menu or pointing them in the right direction on the underground. Each city is then given a score out of 100.

Melbourne scored 98.52, with CN Traveller highlighting its ‘distinct artsy vibe’ and ‘European feel’. We can’t argue with that – in fact, the Aussie city was ranked first on Time Out’s ranking of the world’s best cities earlier this year, receiving a particularly favourable score from Gen Z respondents. It isn’t the only Aussie city on CN Traveller’s list either. Perth came sixth with a score of 97.28, with the publication citing its laid-back warmth as the reason visitors feel so welcome.

Portugal also had a strong showing, with Porto in second place with 98.33, and Lisbon climbing from eighth last year to fourth with 97.50. Seoul completed the top three on 97.94, with CN Traveller pointing to small acts of kindness, like a restaurant owner talking visitors through a dish or a local helping them navigate the subway.

It’s a pretty dramatic reshuffle from 2025. Only Lisbon and Cape Town held on from last year’s top ten, but slipped from third to tenth. Last year’s winner, Quito, doesn’t feature at all, and neither does Edinburgh, which was the UK’s only entry in the top ten in 2025.

Amsterdam (fifth) was praised for its inclusivity, Jaipur (seventh) for the generosity of its shopkeepers, Buenos Aires (eighth) for social traditions like the Sunday asado, and Bangkok (ninth) for living up to Thailand’s ‘Land of Smiles’ reputation.

The friendliest cities in the world in 2026, according to Condé Nast Traveller

1. Melbourne, Australia (98.52)
2. Porto, Portugal (98.33)
3. Seoul, South Korea (97.94)
4. Lisbon, Portugal (97.50)
5. Amsterdam, Netherlands (97.35)
6. Perth, Australia (97.28)
7. Jaipur, India (96.67)
8. Buenos Aires, Argentina (96.37)
9. Bangkok, Thailand (96.16)
10. Cape Town, South Africa (96.00)

For something else to make you happy, these are the funniest photos from The Comedy Wildlife Awards Finalists 2026.

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