National Geographic is betting on what’s arriving in the city, not what’s already there.

A perennial favourite, Melbourne has been named on National Geographic’s Best Places in the World to Travel to in 2027 list, the only Australian destination to be chosen. The annual list names 25 places across six continents, from the fjords of Norway’s Vestland to Niigata in Japan and Luxor, which goes dark under a total solar eclipse in August 2027. Nat Geo’s one-line pitch for Melbourne: “A famously liveable city gets even more inviting."

Australian Traveller readers also voted Melbourne the best city to visit in our 2025 Readers’ Choice Awards. But the Nat Geo entry is less about what Melbourne already is – the food, the neighbourhoods, the sport – and more about what’s arriving.

What’s confirmed for 2027

The firmest date on the list is the Rugby World Cup, which runs from 1 October to 13 November 2027. Marvel Stadium in Docklands will host eight matches: six regular games, including France vs USA and Argentina vs Spain, and two Round of 16 matches. Tickets are already on sale.

There’s also the Queen Victoria Market’s open-air car park that is being turned into Market Square, a 1.8-hectare park pitched as the city’s largest in more than 50 years. It’s one of 13 new or upgraded green spaces in a $26 million push in the City of Melbourne’s 2026–27 budget, alongside a converted warehouse in Kensington and a greener north bank of the Yarra River.

The hot springs

The strongest part of Nat Geo’s case sits beyond the city limits, on the Great Victorian Bathing Trail. The route links hot springs and sea baths east and west of Melbourne, with some venues still under construction.

Phillip Island Hot Springs’ first stage, the Lagoon Bathing Precinct, is due to open on the island’s south coast by the end of 2026, with Bass Strait views and pools that blend geothermal water, seawater and fresh water.

The 12 Apostles Hot Springs and Resort is a $200 million project on a 79-hectare site about a kilometre from the Twelve Apostles visitor centre, with a 150-room wellness resort planned. Nat Geo expects it in 2027. The project was previously slated to open in 2026 and was offered to investors in 2023. Until there’s a confirmed opening date, it’s one to watch, not one to plan a trip around.

Why we love Melbourne

Set aside everything still marked as expected and Melbourne’s case doesn’t get any weaker. Earlier this month, Condé Nast Traveller readers named it the world’s friendliest city for 2026, up from sixth the year before. Caretaker’s Cottage was also the only Australian bar on The World’s 50 Best Bars 2026, at number 45 – its fourth straight year in the top 50.

The city backs that up at street level. Proud Mary in Collingwood has made the World’s 100 Best Coffee Shops two years running, and it’s one of dozens of cafes worth crossing town for. Melbourne’s pubs and breweries are where its beer culture lives, from craft brewers to live music rooms. And the food is the one thing Nat Geo didn’t need to sell: on Smith Street alone, it says, you can eat your way from Korean barbecue to Ethiopian stew.

There’s also the city’s own bathing scene, so you don’t need to wait for the new hot springs to get a taste. Sauna Boat Melbourne runs hot and cold sessions on the water at Docklands, and there are plenty of day spas to unwind in. And if you’re timing a trip around a soak, Melbourne wins winter.