There's nothing like simply wandering around aimlessly to really get to know a city. When you travel by foot, you're able to discover so many more hidden local gems than if you're watching the city pass through a bus window, or getting on a subterranean train. You could come across a cute micro-bakery, a lush patch of green, a charming pub garden or a quirky little indie shop. You never know what you might stumble upon, and that's the beauty of it.
For Time Out's Best Cities with Intrepid Travel 2026, we asked 24,000 city-dwellers around the world how pedestrian-friendly they think their cities are. Then, we crunched the data to create a ranking of the most walkable cities in the world, featuring the highest scoring city for each country. Edinburgh came out on top for the UK and second in the world. But what about the Big Smoke? The capital city placed eighth in the UK ranking.
Given how huge it is, it can be difficult to get around London without using some mode of transport. But it's not impossible. In fact, a total of 83 percent of London-based respondents agreed that its walkability is either 'good' or 'amazing'. It's particularly easy to get the steps in when you're in central London. Attractions like the National Portrait Gallery, National Gallery, British Museum, the West End, Covent Garden and South Bank, plus a whole host of the city's finest restaurants, are all within a short stroll of each other. Plus, after years of Sadiq Khan trying to make it happen, Oxford Street will finally become pedestrianised in 2027, making it even easier to navigate the busiest parts of the city by foot.
And when you simply want to walk for walking's sake (not to get from A to B) London is full of pretty tracks and trails to explore. There's Regent's Canal, London Wall and Thames Path, as well as the huge parks like Hampstead Heath and Richmond Park. There's also the epic, but lesser known, 150-mile London Loop, an orbital trail that wraps around the outer part of the city. Time Out news editor Ed has undertaken eight out of the 16 stages so far.
Read the full ranking of Time Out's Best Cities for Walking with Intrepid Travel. Ready to see the world's best cities for yourself? Book your next trip with Intrepid Travel and start planning the ultimate adventure today. Renowned for the 'best small group trips' around, Intrepid is all about locally led adventures that find the sweet spot between authentic cultural experiences and responsible tourism. Trips span more than 100 destinations – from trekking the Inca Trail in Peru to street-food discoveries in Japan and desert camping beneath the stars in Morocco.
