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The best cities in the world to visit in 2025 have just been revealed, and one Canadian city made the list — but no, it’s not Montreal.
In fact, it’s not Toronto or Vancouver or any of our other first 20 guesses. Capital city Ottawa? Nope. Charming Victoria Not even close. Up-and-coming Calgary? No sir. Oceanside Halifax? You’re getting colder.
After snagging the No. 3 spot on last year’s Lonely Planet Best in Travel guide, Montreal was unceremoniously dethroned this time around — but the worst part is who dethroned us: Edmonton.
Yes, you read that right.
Edmonton might come as a surprise to some, but Lonely Planet highlighted its “[long-celebrated] fringe festival and bohemian Old Strathcona district” and the fact that the city is “doubling down on its downtown with the opening of the Ice District, the second-largest sports and entertainment complex in North America” as reasons for its inclusion.
The 2025 list of best cities is packed with exciting destinations like Toulouse, France, and Osaka, Japan, so you’ll have to excuse us for thinking Edmonton looks a little out of place. But hey, at least Canada still made the list — even if snagging a spot over Montreal will definitely cause some side-eye from Quebecers (and probably the rest of the country, too).
Here’s the full list of best cities to visit in 2025, according to Lonely Planet:
- Toulouse, France
- Puducherry (Pondicherry), India
- Bansko, Bulgaria
- Chiang Mai, Thailand
- Genoa, Italy
- Pittsburgh, USA
- Osaka, Japan
- Curitiba, Brazil
- Palma de Mallorca, Spain
- Edmonton, Canada
Montrealers, if you’re feeling the FOMO, maybe it’s time to check out what’s happening in Edmonton for yourself. Who knows? You might just have the trip of your lifetime — apparently, anything’s possible at this point.
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