Chiang Mai has been named the third-best city in the world in the Travel + Leisure World’s Best Awards 2026, placing the northern Thai city among the highest-rated destinations globally. The result also saw Chiang Mai rank second in Asia, behind Kyoto, Japan, while moving ahead of Bangkok, Siem Reap in Cambodia and Tokyo, Japan.

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The ranking represents another international recognition for Thailand’s tourism industry. The awards are compiled by Travel + Leisure, a US-based travel magazine, through a global reader survey.

This year’s survey received responses from more than 207,000 readers, who submitted over 661,000 votes covering more than 10,088 travel-related businesses and destinations worldwide. The categories included hotels, resorts, cities, islands, national parks, tour operators, safaris, airlines, airports, trains and other travel entities.

In the World’s Best Cities category, San Miguel de Allende in Mexico took first place with a score of 93.07, followed by Kyoto, Japan, with 92.02. Chiang Mai achieved a score of 91.88 to secure third place, ahead of Hoi An in Vietnam, Siem Reap in Cambodia and Tokyo in Japan.

Travel + Leisure readers highlighted Chiang Mai’s Lanna cultural heritage, historic temples, local cuisine, natural scenery and hospitality as key factors behind its strong ranking. The recognition reflects the city’s continued popularity among international travellers seeking cultural experiences and nature-based tourism.

Khaosod reported that the ranking adds to Thailand’s ongoing efforts to strengthen its position as a global tourism destination. Tourism officials and industry stakeholders are expected to use international recognition such as the Travel + Leisure award to support future promotion of Chiang Mai and other Thai destinations.

Top 10 World’s Best Cities 2026

1. San Miguel de Allende, Mexico — 93.07

2. Kyoto, Japan — 92.02

3. Chiang Mai, Thailand — 91.88

4. Hoi An, Vietnam — 91.81

5. Oaxaca, Mexico — 91.59

6. Bangkok, Thailand — 91.29

7. Jerusalem, Israel — 91.11

8. Siem Reap, Cambodia — 90.59

9. Mexico City, Mexico — 90.49

10. Tokyo, Japan — 90.44

Chiang Mai will continue to welcome visitors while maintaining its appeal through cultural attractions, traditional experiences and natural landscapes. The Travel + Leisure World’s Best Awards 2026 results provide further international exposure for the city as it competes with leading destinations worldwide.

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10 July 2026

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Number one for pollution.

Can be, but only half a year.

I’m sorry, no.

The pollution alone is a reason to downgrade. This is what you get when your methodology is a reader survey.

Only spent time in 3, CM, BKK & Mexico City, and if forced to live in any (without family considerations), it would be Mexica City.

Can't think of anything positive about CM city, offering more than any other place, same with BKK. If forced to live in '15 minute city' due to congestion, Mexico City wins hands down.

Although Mexico City, is actually worst for pollution, as yearly bad, instead of just seasonally.

Scratch all 3.

I rate San Francisco fairly high.

Maybe it's changed since I was there.

Wasn't so expensive in the 90s.

Not that keen on big cities though, I prefer small towns.

Chiang Mai feels like a small town as it's surrounded by open countryside, mountains and forest.

Edited July 10Jul 10 by BritManToo

I have spent time in four of those cities, and Chiang Mai is the best hands down. Crime alone makes it a winner. Air quality is seasonal, and the cost of living allows you to be able to leave during the worst of the burning season. I spent five years in Mexico and was always on edge due to the crime. Hoi An is NOISY! It is cheap and beautiful, but constant noise. Bangkok stays hot all the time. It never cools down. Quality of life is drastically infringed on due to the heat. Also, it is much more expensive than Chiang Mai.

13 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

Chiang Mai feels like a small town as it's surrounded by open countryside, mountains and forest.

From my perspective Chiang Mai is a huge traffic filled conurbation.

But I suppose in fairness the list isn't for the world's best provincial town.

Chiang Mai is great in the rainy season, everything so green and alive. Not so nice in the dry.

Pity about the urban sprawl though, it was so much nicer thirty years ago!

19 minutes ago, Back Stage said:

I have spent time in four of those cities, and Chiang Mai is the best hands down. Crime alone makes it a winner.

San Miguel de Allende is basically Koh Samui of Mexico, where gringos outnumber the locals. Why even bother to leave America, ha.

Oaxaca is authentic mountain indigenous colonial city but kinda rough, as is all of Mexico compared to Asia.

If security is your #1 concern than Kyoto is even safer than CM has about double (60,000) the Farang expat community as CM (30,000) although CM probably gets more Snow Bird visitors in the winter

Which makes sense if you're too poor to ski, as Kyoto is just a few hours to winter ski resorts. Plus I am guessing it's on a nicer rail network than CM.

I took the overnight from Bangkok to CM with a sleeper bunk, good times. But definitely antiquated rail tech compared to Japan, eh. 😀

Was air quality also taken into account? Asking for a friend😆

Chiang Mai is great for a tourist-visit — I fell in love with the place when I first time visited it as tourist in 1987, even thought that it was a place where I could live — however, when I years later decided to settle in Thailand for my otium mid 2000s, I'm happy that I didn't chose Chiang Mai as residence.

2 minutes ago, 241195_1469957797 said:

Was air quality also taken into account? Asking for a friend😆

Apparently not ....

... "The categories included hotels, resorts, cities, islands, national parks, tour operators, safaris, airlines, airports, trains and other travel entities." ...

And if the 'tourist' didn't visit during rainy season vs high touriest season, then they really wouldn't know the differences.

OMG experience & reviews during smog season, are the result of ignorance. Way too funny compared to the much better views & experience during rainy season, when you can actually see something further than 3 kms away.

Lived here 25+ years, and never realized what I missed, untill scamdemic, when I visited the north during rainy season. As most visits were during longer school breaks, March & April, as school started early May. The peak of smog season.

I recall last year CNX was named "Best city in Asia" by some other magazine. So is this an improvement or a step back?

Doesn't mention Seville or Lisbon, two of Europe's most beautiful cities.

San Miguel and Oaxca are worth a visit, but both become very ordinary the moment you leave the city centre, like most Mexican cities.

As for CM, good place to be between April and December, but it is a murderous place to be as a pedestrian. Have you ever tried crossing the road at the junction of Niman and Huay Kaew? Or at ANY point on Niman?

What a joke! The air in Chiang Mai is pretty much unbreathable for months in a row - each and every year. 😷🤒

I just wonder how much they spent to enter this competition and how much time they put in to show only the beautiful places out of smoke season?

2 minutes ago, jcmj said:

I just wonder how much they spent to enter this competition and how much time they put in to show only the beautiful places out of smoke season?

Hopefully intended visitors realize this and don’t even bother coming.

Who or what international organisation produced these results? Was it Disneyland, Nato or drunk mates at a pub in Thailand?

Seemed to me the smoke was much improved this year but maybe the stats show differently. It is a okay place, but I would not say it is in the top 3 of Thailand.

The food options are very good and prices for an apt. or decent hotel are ok. They in the past few years closed down 2 malls.

Major traffic and infrastructure issues especially in the city. Terrible dangerous infrastructure going out toward Mai Rim on the 107. Gay people seem to like it.

Flame post removed @Caldera if you see a post that breaks forum rules then use the report button.

Travel + Leisure, a US-based travel magazine, through a global reader survey. Love to see where they got their stats from as they most likley fugged the stats. to increase their bookings for some reason?

Chiang Mai is awesome. Great food, cheap transport, hills nearby, gyms, markets, road trips, hot springs, caves.

44 minutes ago, Caldera said:

What a joke! The air in Chiang Mai is pretty much unbreathable for months in a row - each and every year. 😷🤒

Bad for 2 months then the rain falls.

I like the province, the city, not so much, though been quite some time since I stayed there. Too congested then, so would imagine worse now, so not even a consideration to visit again.

Really is too far from us, even if after a visit in Krung Thep with daughter, it's 2-3 days away, as don't enjoy driving too many hours in one day. And a boring drive at that, till there.

26 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

I like the province, the city, not so much, though been quite some time since I stayed there. Too congested then, so would imagine worse now, so not even a consideration to visit again.

It’s pretty slow now and not many tourists. Went into town this morning and it was quite sparse, though that will change after the rainy season and folks from the south start flooding in.

Chiang Mai has certainly changed in the 40 years I have lived here, there were no

shopping malls , all the cars were old ,no Mercs or BMW like you see today all the

cars look new , I used to cycle around town ,something I would not do to day ,even

if I could ,

Fell in love with the place ,knew it was for me,it had everything I needed ,yes it has

smoke couple of months a year , but that's the price I pay ,when I pass on I will be

buried in the Foreign Cemetery ,so will never leave .

regards Worgeordie

12 hours ago, Georgealbert said:

Chiang Mai has been named the third-best city in the world in the Travel + Leisure World’s Best Awards 2026, placing the northern Thai city among the highest-rated destinations globally. The result also saw Chiang Mai rank second in Asia, behind Kyoto, Japan, while moving ahead of Bangkok, Siem Reap in Cambodia and Tokyo, Japan.

Get today's headlines by email

The ranking represents another international recognition for Thailand’s tourism industry. The awards are compiled by Travel + Leisure, a US-based travel magazine, through a global reader survey.

This year’s survey received responses from more than 207,000 readers, who submitted over 661,000 votes covering more than 10,088 travel-related businesses and destinations worldwide. The categories included hotels, resorts, cities, islands, national parks, tour operators, safaris, airlines, airports, trains and other travel entities.

In the World’s Best Cities category, San Miguel de Allende in Mexico took first place with a score of 93.07, followed by Kyoto, Japan, with 92.02. Chiang Mai achieved a score of 91.88 to secure third place, ahead of Hoi An in Vietnam, Siem Reap in Cambodia and Tokyo in Japan.

Travel + Leisure readers highlighted Chiang Mai’s Lanna cultural heritage, historic temples, local cuisine, natural scenery and hospitality as key factors behind its strong ranking. The recognition reflects the city’s continued popularity among international travellers seeking cultural experiences and nature-based tourism.

Khaosod reported that the ranking adds to Thailand’s ongoing efforts to strengthen its position as a global tourism destination. Tourism officials and industry stakeholders are expected to use international recognition such as the Travel + Leisure award to support future promotion of Chiang Mai and other Thai destinations.

Top 10 World’s Best Cities 2026

1. San Miguel de Allende, Mexico — 93.07

2. Kyoto, Japan — 92.02

3. Chiang Mai, Thailand — 91.88

4. Hoi An, Vietnam — 91.81

5. Oaxaca, Mexico — 91.59

6. Bangkok, Thailand — 91.29

7. Jerusalem, Israel — 91.11

8. Siem Reap, Cambodia — 90.59

9. Mexico City, Mexico — 90.49

10. Tokyo, Japan — 90.44

Chiang Mai will continue to welcome visitors while maintaining its appeal through cultural attractions, traditional experiences and natural landscapes. The Travel + Leisure World’s Best Awards 2026 results provide further international exposure for the city as it competes with leading destinations worldwide.

Join the discussion?

10 July 2026

View full article

What a joke, Chiang Mai is one of the most polluted cities in the world during the dry season.

yes, they never went there during the 'smoke season' their plane couldn't see the runway!

10 hours ago, sqwakvfr said:

I recall last year CNX was named "Best city in Asia" by some other magazine. So is this an improvement or a step back?

Not a reliable survey. Aside from the issues of pay for play, I would be surprised if a majority of people had actually visited the city. The traffic congestion, and deteriorating air quality do not allow for a positive experience for much of the year. Obviously, these enthusiasts have never visited from February to April.