Places & Food
Seoul Ranked No. 1 Big City by Condé Nast Traveler Readers (2026): Why and a One-Day Walk
AT A GLANCE
- Announced
- Oct 6, 2026 (US time), Condé Nast Traveler Readers' Choice Awards
- Category
- Best Big Cities
- Result
- Seoul 1st (5th last year); Tokyo 2nd, Phnom Penh 3rd, Shanghai 4th, Sydney 5th
- Voting
- Reader votes; 798,867 total across all categories (cities, hotels, resorts)
- Also
- Seoul ranked 3rd in the UK edition's friendliest cities list
Seoul came first in the “Best Big Cities” category of Condé Nast Traveler’s Readers’ Choice Awards, up from fifth place last year. Tokyo was second and Phnom Penh third. Here is how the vote works, what reasons were cited, and a simple one-day walk that follows them. Checked on: 2026-10-13
The hero image is AI-generated and is not a photo of the real place.
What is the Readers’ Choice Awards?
It’s an annual poll of Condé Nast Traveler readers, who rank cities, hotels, resorts and more. It is not an editors’ list, so it reflects what travelers say. The 2026 results came out on October 6 (US time), and the Seoul city government shared the news on October 8.
The 798,867 votes cover every category together, not only big cities.
The top five in the big-city category:
| Rank | City |
|---|---|
| 1 | Seoul |
| 2 | Tokyo |
| 3 | Phnom Penh |
| 4 | Shanghai |
| 5 | Sydney |
Why was Seoul picked?
Reports point to two things:
- About 2,000 years of history alongside a modern city: traditional architecture, technology and pop culture sit close together.
- Urban renewal: projects such as the Yulgok-ro park, which reconnects the area between Jongmyo Shrine and Changgyeonggung Palace over a road tunnel, were cited as making the city nicer to walk.
Seoul also ranked 3rd in the UK edition’s “World’s Friendliest Cities” list. That is a separate survey, so it’s best not to compare the two rankings directly.
A ranking isn’t a visiting guide. Please confirm opening hours and closing days for the places below on their official sites.
A one-day walking route
This groups the cited themes (history, renewal, everyday culture) into one day. It’s my suggestion, not an official route.
Morning: Jongmyo and Changgyeonggung area. Walk along the green strip over Yulgok-ro beside the palace walls. Check hours, closing days and Jongmyo’s entry rules (timed guided visits or not) before you go.
Lunch: a market meal. Gwangjang or Namdaemun Market works for a one-bowl lunch. See our Namdaemun Market food guide.
Afternoon: a museum. MMCA Seoul sits next to Gyeongbokgung Palace, so it fits the route. For exhibitions, see the MMCA four-branch autumn walk.
Evening: the Han River. End with a picnic at sunset. Our Han River picnic guide has what to bring.
Who this suits
- Anyone showing a friend around Seoul for the first time
- Residents who want to see their own city like a visitor
- Anyone planning an autumn weekend outing
FAQ
Is this an editors’ ranking? No. It’s decided by reader votes.
Is this Seoul’s first time at No. 1? In the reports I checked, Seoul was 5th last year.
Do I need to book the route? Walking and markets don’t need booking. Palace, shrine and museum entry rules can change, so check official notices.
To see what visitors actually spend money on in Seoul, read our foreign tourist spending post.
Sources (checked on 2026-10-13)
- Newspim, 2026-10-08: announcement date, ranks 1–5, vote count, last year’s rank
- The Korea Times, 2026-10-08: cited reasons, friendliest-city ranking