List of the most famous cities in the world you can plan to visit

If you are planning for your next tour there are plenty of options to chose from. People rank the world’s most famous cities based on the visitors’ feedback, some create readers polls, some collect data from the best websites. The truth is, whether you like a place or not entirely depends on your preference. This blog will give you a detailed insight into the most famous cities in the world. Here we accumulate and analyze the data from the world’s best sites to list down the top 12 most famous cities in the world. We also count people’s opinions on different platforms. However, We would like to mention here that the most famous cities do not necessarily mean that they are the best to live in or economically strong. We consider nature, hospitality, history, culture, foods, lifestyle, weather, easy to visit, tourist-friendly, etc.  

12 most famous cities in the world you can plan to visit

This list does not prepare based on superiority. Any city standing top of this list does not mean that it is the best one. Our aim is to give you a summary of the most famous cities in the world instead of ranking from top to bottom.

1. Paris, France (The city of love and romance)

Paris is the capital and the most populous city carrying the reputation as “the city of love and romance” worldwide. Paris is also a city of art. It is a populated city having about 2,175,000 people. Paris welcomes visitors more than most other countries in the world.  According to Wikipedia, 12.6 million people visit Paris in 2020 but in 2019 the number was 73 percent larger. A survey by Institut français d’opinion publique finds that almost 61% of Paris’s people are Roman Catholic. It also has 7% Muslims, 4% Protestants, 2% Jewish, and 25 percent people without any religion.

Tourist attractions

Paris has many monuments and cultural attractions for tourists.  Louvre, the world’s most visited museum situated in the center of the city. In the southwest, it also has the Eiffel Tower the most famous monument in the world. Moreover, Paris has Basilica of Sacré-Cœur (a Roman Catholic church), Centre Pompidou, Musée d’Orsay (a museum), Sainte-Chapelle (a royal Chapelle), Les Invalides, Panthéon (a monument), Catacombs of Paris underground ossuaries), Arc de Triomphe (a famous monument), Disneyland Paris, Basilica of St Denis (a medieval abbey Church), etc. which are very attractive to the tourists.

2. Rome, Italy

Rome is the capital city of Italy with 2,860,000 residents. It is also the capital of the Lazio region, the center of the Metropolitan City of Rome. The Vatican City, an independent city inside Rome makes Rome more famous to the world. In 2019, about 10.1 million people visit Rome which makes it the 11th most visited city in the world. Three specialized agencies of the United Nation, The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the World Food Programme (WFP), and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) are also situated in Rome. The Secretariat of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Union for the Mediterranean is also hosted by Rome. Rome is a predominantly Christian city. Besides, 82% of Christian, Rome has 3.8% Muslim, 0.7% Judaism, and 8.7% non-religious people.

Tourist attractions

Rome is the city of art, palaces, museums, parks, churches, gardens, basilicas, temples, villas, piazzas, theatres, and other venues. Millions of tourists from all over the world visit Rome every year. The Vatican City comes first when talking about Rome’s tourism. Colosseum (Roman world’s biggest amphitheater), Roman Forum (The Forum of ancient Rome), St Peter’s Basilica (a church in the Vatican City), Archbasilica of Saint John Lateran (the Cathedral of Rome), Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore (an exceedingly important Roman Catholic church), Sistine Chapel (a Chapel in the Vatican containing a huge collection of paintings from all periods), Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps (a flight of 138 stairs), Via dei Condotti (Rome’s leading shopping street), Piazza del Popolo (Square of the people), etc. are also visited by millions of tourists every year.

3. Bangkok, Thailand

Thailand’s capital city Bangkok contains more than 10.539 million in 1,568.7 square kilometers. It is a super famous city around the world because of its temples, food, luxury, floating markets, and romantic rooftop restaurants. Thai hospitality makes Bangkok one of the world’s top tourist destinations. Bangkok welcomes more than 20 million international visitors every year.

Tourist attractions

Bangkok is certainly one of the most famous tourist destinations in the world. With its famous nightlife, nightclubs, cabarets, or exotic red-light districts, Bangkok never ceases to amaze. Wat Phra Kaew (The Temple of the Emerald Buddha), Wat Pho (Temple of The Reclining Buddha), Wat Arun (a Buddhist Temple), Giant Swing (a religious structure in Sao ching cha), Erawan Shrine (a shrine in Bangkok), Vimanmek Mansion (a former royal villa), Bangkok National Museum, Taling Chan Floating Market, Khao San Road, etc. are extremely popular with the tourists. People also know Thailand for its sex industry. Although, prostitution is strictly prohibited here.

4. Moscow, Russia (The city of cultural gold mine)

The capital city of Russia is standing on the Moskva River has an estimated population of 12.4 million. It has the reputation as the largest city by land area on the European continent. Moscow is the home of various Russian artists, scientists, and sports personnel because of its various museums, academic & political institutions, and theatres, etc. Moscow’s historic Red Square, Saint Basil’s Cathedral, Moscow Kremlin allows it to be the home to several UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Tourist attractions

Moscow is an incredible city for tourists. Moscow is the city of culture, history, and spiritual emblem. Tsaritsyno Palace (was the residence of Catherine the Great), Red Square, VDNKh (a magnificent park), Saint Basil’s Cathedral make Moscow a famous city in the world. Also, Bolshoi Theatre, Kolomenskoye (a royal state converted into a museum), Tretyakov Gallery, Lenin Mausoleum ( embalmed body lays the body of Vladimir Ilych Lenin’s within a red granite and black labradorite step-pyramid), etc. are the really famous tourists spots of Moscow worldwide.

5. Delhi, India

Delhi, the Indian city and a union territory contains “New Delhi”, the capital city of India. The city of Delhi is a vastly populated city containing more than 17 million people in an area of 1,484 square kilometers. New Delhi alone has around 11 million resistance. Delhi’s major religion is Hinduism covering 81.68% of the total population. Also, 12.86% Muslim, 3.40% Sikhi, 0.99% Jain, 0.87% Christian and 0.87% Buddha people live here.

Tourist attractions

Delhi is a popular city with the tourist due to its colorful lifestyle, cultural and religious diversity, food, and history. The Red Fort (a Mughal architecture) is arguably the most visited site in Delhi. Also, it has a lot of tourists destination like Qutub Minar (a 12th century’s70 meters tall minaret), Jama Masjid (India’s largest mosque), Gurudwara Bangla Sahib (a worship place of Sikhs), India Gate (a memorial to Indian soldiers killed in WWI), Akshardham (a Hindu temple), etc.

6. Los Angeles, United States

California’s largest city Los Angeles is standing with an area of 502.7 square miles (1,302 square km). According to the report of Pew Research Center’s survey, 65% of the population is Christian here. Also, 3% Jewish, 2% Muslim, 2% Buddhist, and 1% Hindu people live in LA. It is vastly known for the entertainment and film industry, particularly Hollywood.

Tourist attractions

As a creative center of America, LA attracts people from all over the world. LA is one of the famous cities in the world as a culturally diverse city. The fascinating scenes, incredible shopping, park, museum are also the major tourist attraction of LA. Universal Studios Hollywood (a theme park), Disneyland Resort,  The Getty Center (a huge complex on a hilltop in the Santa Monica Mountains) are incredibly famous destinations for tourists. Petersen Automotive Museum (an incredible car museum), Santa Monica, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, California Science Center, The Broad (an art museum), Venice Beach, etc. have also received millions of tourists from all over the world every year.

7. Dubai, UAE (The city of luxury)

Establishing as a small fishing village in the 18th century, Dubai is now the Emirate of Dubai. Dubai’s growth and economy developed based on the focus on tourism and hospitality. The Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world is located in Dubai. It also has the second most Five-star hotels in the world.  Dubai has an estimated population of 3,400,800. It is a major global transport hub for passengers and cargo. Dubai receives more than 15 million tourists per year approximately.

Tourist attractions

Dubai aims to be the top tourist destination in the world. The luxury and large-scale construction boom attracts millions of tourists in Dubai. Dubai’s main tourist destination is Burj Khalifa. Also, The Dubai Fountain, The Dubai Frame, Dubai Aquarium, Dubai Miracle Garden, Wild Wadi Water Park, Palm Islands, Dubai Museum, Bastakiya District, etc. are very famous with the tourists.

8. Tokyo, Japan

The Tokyo Metropolis is the capital city of Japan standing at the head of Tokyo Bay. In Tokyo, over 14.04 million residents live in 2,194.07 square km. Most of the people of Tokyo do not believe in any religion. However, According to a report of  NHK, 62% of people are non-believers,  31% follow Buddhism,  3% follow Shintoism and 1% follow Christianity.

Tourist attractions

Tokyo is arguably the best place to visit in Asia. It is home to the Imperial Palace and the seat of Government and Parliament. The places in Tokyo mostly visited by tourists are The Imperial Palace, Ginza District (a shopping district), Sensō-ji Temple (a famous shrine). National Museum of Nature and Science, Ueno Park & Ueno Zoo, Tokyo National Museum, Meiji Shrine (a shrine dedicated to Emperor Meiji), Tokyo Skytree (634-meter-tall communication and observation tower), etc. are also very famous worldwide.

9. Istanbul, Turkey

The city of Istanbul economic, cultural, and historic center of Turkey for years. It lies in both Europe and Asia and that makes Istanbul even more popular around the world. The city span the Bosphorus strait, a natural strait & an internationally significant waterway. This largest city of Turkey contains 15 million residents which are almost 19 percent of the population of the entire Turkey. However, Istanbul is a great place for tourists. In 2028 Over 13.4 million foreign visitors came to Istanbul making Istanbul the world’s fifth-most popular tourist destination. 

Tourist attractions

The most famous tourists attractions of Istanbul are – Aya Sofya (a mosque now converted into a museum), Topkapi Palace (a Palace of Ottoman Sultans), Blue Mosque, Basilica Cistern (a huge, palace-like underground hall), Hippodrome (an ancient Greek stadium designed for horse racing), Istanbul Archaeology Museum, Grand Bazaar, Süleymaniye Mosque, Dolmabahçe Palace (a Palace built by Sultan Abdülmecid I in 1854), Chora Church and so on.

10. Amsterdam, Netherlands (Venice of the North)

Netherlands’ capital city Amsterdam is also the most popular city in the Netherland with a population of 872,680. The city is popularly called the “Venice of the North” by people because of its large number of canals. Amsterdam, the name came from “Amstel dam” – a dam built in the river Amstel around 1270 AD.

Tourist attractions

Amsterdam is one of the most famous cities in the world for travelers in Europe. Moco Museum, NEMO Science Museum, Albert Cuyp Market, Dam Square, A’dam Lookout, Verzetsmuseum, Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, Heineken Experience, Museum Ons’ Lieve Heer Op Solder,  Artis Zoo, Rembrandthuis, De Negen Straatjes are some of the many tourist’s attractions in Amsterdam. It also has many more places to visit.

11. Berlin, Germany

Berlin, the capital city of Germany is the most populous city of the European Union according to the population within city limits. It contains 3.8 million inhabitants in an area of  891.8 square km. Berlin’s main religion is Christianity. Almost 30.5% of people are Christian here. Also, approximately 8.1 percent were Muslim, 1 percent were Jewish people live in Berlin.

Tourist attractions

Berlin’s main attractions are its history and culture. Also, the beautiful architecture from different eras attracts tons of tourists around the world. Some places like Reichstag (the meeting place of the Federal Assembly), Brandenburg Gate (an old city gate), Berlin Television Tower, Humboldt Forum (a cosmopolitan forum for culture, art & science) are the top famous tourist destinations of the city. Gendarmenmarkt (a stunning city square), Kurfürstendamm (an elegant Halensee neighborhood), Charlottenburg Palace, Museum Island (an old museum), etc. are also equally worthwhile to visit.

12. Hongkong, China

Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China is the special administrative region of China. It is situated on the eastern Pearl River Delta in South China. Hongkong’s population is more than 7.5 million with an area of 1,104-square-kilometre. The residence of various nationalities lives in Hongkong. In modern days, Hongkong is one of the economic giants being the home of the third-highest number of billionaires. Also, it is the largest concentration of ultra-high-net-worth individuals of any city in the world.

Tourist attractions

Hongkong is known to the world as a glamorous city. It is also one of the top choices for luxury shopping. The main tourist attractions of Hongkong are Star Ferry, Skyline, Victoria Peak, Big Buddha (a 34-meter-high Buddha statue), and Wong Tai Sin Temple (an incredible Temple built to honor the Taoist god Wong Tai Sin). People also find Temple Street Night Market, Hong Kong Disneyland, Ocean Park (a theme park), Dragon’s Back Hike, Lan Kwai Fong (Hongkong’s most famous dining area), etc. are very attractive to visit.

On the contrary, there are many more famous cities in the world. As it is not possible to cover all of them in one blog, we have chosen the top of them according to our rating. However, If you want any of them to be on our list you can write us in the comment. We will update our list based on your choice.

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