8 of the Most Breathtaking Big City Views Around the World, According to Matador Editors

Seeing a city from above provides an entirely different perspective than walking its streets. From a high vantage point, you’re able to take in a city’s grandeur in a way ordinarily experienced only through photographs or the window of an airplane. Some cities, like Chicago, offer 360-degree panoramas from the tops of skyscrapers, while others, like Montreal or Hong Kong, are best viewed by hiking up a mountain to take in the skyline below. Most great cities have iconic viewpoints, but these are the ones that the Matador editors consider their favorites around the world.

No major global hub has better access to hiking and nature than Hong Kong. There are many viewpoints of the city’s famous skyline accessible on foot, but none is more iconic than the Lugard Road Lookout. Ride the bus to the lookout, then hop on the Peak Trail to reach the mountain’s summit, where the view is a bit more expansive and a lot less crowded. I spent time solo traveling in Hong Kong in 2019, just as the pro-democracy protests were intensifying, and getting up above the city provided an unforgettable perspective of this deeply cultural and important city that’s an economic hub for the world. From here, you can see ships leaving port, fishing boats hauling in the day’s catch, and the high-rise towers where international business deals are signed.

Hong Kong is an exciting, delicious, diverse, and exceptionally vibrant city. To me, the photo op from Victoria Peak encapsulates the reason why so many travelers take pictures at the exact same spot as those before them – reaching the summit is in no way groundbreaking, but the memory of knowing you were there is original. If you have a few hours, hike south through Pok Fu Lam Country Park. After trekking well-marked trails through the mountainous jungle, you’ll be able to view the waterfront on the other side facing Lamma Island and ships sailing on toward the open sea and the world beyond. — Tim Wenger, transactional content editor

Attractions designed solely for tourists typically aren’t my jam, but it’s tough to say you’ve “seen Chicago” until you’ve been atop the iconic tower formerly known (and still often referred to) as the John Hancock Center. 360 Chicago is an observation deck on the 94th floor of 875 North Michigan Avenue. From more than 1,000 feet above the city, I gazed out at the Chicago skyline to the north, south, and west. The view of Lake Michigan and the beaches lining the city’s waterfront were most impressive to me as a Coloradan who doesn’t typically think of Chicago as a coastal city. Alongside the views, the space includes exhibits about the city’s history and architecture, as well as a bar – a cocktail is certainly in order when you’re looking over the Magnificent Mile from this high up.

One of the main draws is TILT, a moving platform with floor-to-ceiling windows that slowly angle forward over Michigan Avenue. It’s quite intense for such a short experience – one of the five guests on the ride with me bailed as soon as the glass started moving, his wits turned at the thought of hanging powerlessly above the skyline. As the glass tilts outward to a 30-degree angle, you’re gently pushed into a leaning position that leaves you looking straight down at the streets nearly a quarter-mile below. It’s a short experience, but one that adds an element of adrenaline to the otherwise calm and scenic visit. — TW

Touristy boat rides don’t often top my travel list. One exception is the ferry ride to San Francisco’s former Alcatraz prison, a quirky historical site now managed by the National Park Service. The ferry ride to the island from downtown Pier 33 offers one of the most striking views of the compact, modern city. During the 15-minute ride, you’ll have an unobstructed look at the sharp Transamerica Pyramid building, the Bay Bridge to the east, and historic Coit Tower atop the city’s famous Telegraph Hill. As you get closer to “The Rock,” the view changes to show more of Presidio Park and, behind it, the Golden Gate Bridge.

There are plenty of viewpoints in famously hilly San Francisco. But to get a postcard-worthy view from a distance, the ferry is your best bet. My favorite aspect of the view, aside from playful nearby sea lions, is that it’s often shrouded in fog, particularly in the mornings between June and August. Maybe it’s the history nerd in me, but it’s hard not to view the skyline and not feel connected to the city’s past, especially when you consider that it would have been the last view outside of the prison for notorious gangsters like Al Capone and Machine Gun Kelly (though some prisoners may have successfully fled the “inescapable” fortress). — Suzie Dundas, commissioning editor

Cypress Mountain and Cypress Provincial Park, on the outskirts of North Vancouver, doesn’t just offer great views, it reminds you why Vancouver is potentially the best city in North America for urban draws and outdoor adventure without compromise on either. From one vista, you’ll see both the culturally rich city and the stunning mountains and parks that are home to some of the best hiking and biking trails in Canada.

It’s about a 25-minute drive to the High View Lookout, also called the Cypress Lookout, from Vancouver. Continuing on the road will lead you to the hiking trails of Cypress Mountain, where I strongly recommend the views from the park’s Bowen Lookout Trail that look out to fjords and islands. If you don’t have time for a half-day hike, the lookout is on the side of the road, with an attached parking area and a few picnic tables. On clear days, you can see not just Stanley Park and all of Vancouver, but also 10,781-foot-tall Mount Baker across the border in Washington. However, it’s equally beautiful in rainy or overcast weather, when just the tips of the city’s tallest skyscrapers emerge from a thick layer of clouds.

There’s really only one bad thing about the lookout: it’s so stunning that it’ll make you want to stay even longer to explore the rest of the viewpoints that line the epic Sea to Sky Highway. — SD

I rode the cable car up to Montserrat in 2018 while spending a few days reporting in the city, and its views of Bogota are unmatched by anywhere that’s so easily reachable. It’s difficult to believe you’re at 10,341 feet with this major city right beneath you. The mountain is home to a white church that houses the shrine of El Señor Caído (The Fallen Lord) and it’s accessible by cable car, funicular, or a steep hike. Visiting at sunrise or sunset is preferred if you go, when the golden hour hues cast a glow across the buildings below. Markets, street food stalls, and plenty of hustle and bustle takes place on the way up and at the top. — TW

Now and then when growing up, I’d grab an apple and some cheese slices from the fridge, pack my Game Boy, leave a dramatic note for my parents, and hide in the forest. I’d return when it got dark to my mum asking if I’d had a nice day.
My running away continued into my teens and 20s, when it dawned on me that I might just need outdoor space to recharge socially. That urge only grew stronger when I lived in cities, where the streets felt too narrow and the people too clamorous — even in tamer urban environments like Edinburgh.

Edinburgh is a collection of small towns you can walk between in a day if you’re determined. It’s one of those rare cities where you can get a real lay of the land with just a bit of elevation. And your cup runneth over with viewpoints, thanks in part to the fact that it’s built around the remnants of ancient volcanoes. There’s extinct Arthur’s Seat, with its 360-degree views of the city; The Mound, which overlooks Princes Street, Edinburgh Castle, and both the Old and New Towns; but my favorite is Calton Hill.

Because of its status as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, I’d jog up to Calton Hill at sunrise to avoid the busloads of people. From here, you can see as far as the Firth of Forth and the North Sea. You can also watch trains arriving and departing from the main station. That view made living in the city bearable for me. Maybe it was the sense of control that came from being above it all. Or the reminder that, if things ever got too much, I could just get on a train and return to the trees. — Katie Gavin, editor

Montréal is one of the most romantic cities I’ve spent time in. I first came in autumn to visit a man I traveled halfway across the world to see. The hope for a future together was weighty, so instead we focused on me getting to know the city the way he did. We began at Mont Royal, walking through the forested paths of fall colors until the skyline opened beneath us. From the Kondiaronk Belvedere, the city stretched toward the river, with downtown’s towers giving way to the St. Lawrence River. That week we moved through his favorite bars and late-night diners, but it’s that view I remember most — the moment I first fell in love with Montréal. — KG

There’s something appropriately cinematic about standing on the terrace of Griffith Observatory at sunset. Perched on the southern slope of Mount Hollywood in Griffith Park, the 1930s art deco landmark overlooks the city from 1,134 feet above sea level, with views that stretch from downtown’s skyline to the Pacific Ocean. It’s especially popular during sunset when the city glows and the reflection bounces off the observatory windows. Even as a California kid who tried to avoid the most touristy spots growing up, this view was always legendary.

The public space is highly accessible whether you want to bike, take public transportation, hike, or take a rideshare. That comes with another caveat: it can get crowded. It’s worth it. After taking in the city and Hollywood sign, explore one of the many hikes in the park or catch an exhibit or show at the planetarium and look through the telescopes. — Nickolaus Hines, managing editor