Urban Exploring: The Best City Breaks for Hikers 

Travelling can be one of the most enriching experiences - from seeing some of the world’s most iconic views and immersing yourself in new cultures, to trying new foods and discovering hidden gems. But what happens when you and your travel companions want different things from your trip? 

According to YouGov, two in five (42%) Brits say they enjoy city breaks, while more than a third (37%) favour holidays that combine both relaxing and activities and one in ten (11%) like purely activity-focused getaways, such as hiking trips. With that in mind, we wondered: where in the world offers the best of both - an exhilarating city break with great hikes right on your doorstep? 

To find out, we crunched the numbers - analysing global city break destinations based on the number of nearby hiking trails, how popular they are and their average review score, revealing a definitive ranking of the world’s best city break destinations for hiking-loving travellers.

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 The World’s Top 20 City Breaks for Hikers ㅤ

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 1. Edinburgh, United Kingdom 

Hikeability Score: 89/100 
Europe’s top hiking city break can be found in Scotland – a country which has some jaw-dropping mountains and hiking routes which people travel from all over to visit. Arthur’s Seat, an iconic viewpoint, sits right in the middle of the city and is often visited by tourists due to the many routes on offer to reach it, some more challenging than others.

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2. Marseille, France 

Hikeability Score: 86/100 
Marseille, a French city famous for its iconic bouillabaisse seafood stew, ranks as Europe’s second-best hiking city. Tourists wishing to stretch their legs a little after indulging in the delightful gastronomic scene can simply visit the nearby Calanques National Park, where a variety of hikes reward active visitors with sweeping views of the dazzling turquoise Mediterranean Sea.

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3. Innsbruck, Austria

Hikeability Score: 83/100 
Nestled in the Austrian Alps, Innsbruck is a hotspot for hiking - so much so that heading into the snow-capped mountains for a post-work hike is a part of the local culture. Travellers wanting to experience it for themselves will be rewarded with mountain huts that offer traditional snacks and strudel. After putting in the effort to explore the mountains, the city itself has even more to offer, from classic Tyrolean schnitzel to the Hofburg Palace. 

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4. Belfast, United Kingdom 

Hikeability Score: 83/100 
Northern Ireland’s capital, Belfast, is an eclectic mixture of culture, history and hiking. With a rising foodie scene and opportunities to learn about the local history such as how the Titanic was built, there’s so much on offer here. Walking-wise, the Cave Hill Country Park - said to have inspired Gulliver's Travels - and Divis Peak are highly rated by those who have tried them out.

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5. Sheffield, United Kingdom 

Hikeability Score: 82/100 
Sheffield, the UK’s gateway to the Peak District, has one third of its city falling within the park itself. Whether it’s Mam Tor or Stanage Edge you’re interested in trying out, the Peak District is a gorgeous spot to explore and find yourself immersed in nature. Beyond the park is a vibrant city scene too, with an industrial quarter chock full of craft beer and foodie hotspots, as well as a strong art and music scene.

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If this has all inspired your next city break, don’t forget to pack your hiking gear - so you’re ready to explore both the trails and the streets on your getaway. 

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Methodology:  
To determine the best city breaks for hikers, we began by compiling a seed list of over 180 of the most popular tourist cities worldwide. We then used AllTrails.com to gather hiking data for each city. For consistency, we used the dropdown option featuring the city name followed by “[city]”, which displays trails located within approximately a 30 km radius of the city centre. This reflects the default area shown on AllTrails when searching by city. 

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For each city, we recorded: 

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● The number of hiking trails listed within or near the city boundary 

● The average review score of the top 10 most-rated hikes, as a proxy for quality 

● The total number of reviews for those same top 10 hikes, as a proxy for popularity 

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To reflect what matters most to hikers, we applied a weighted scoring system: 

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● 60% for quality (average review score) 

● 30% for popularity (number of reviews) 

● 10% for quantity (total number of listed hikes) 

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Each city was then assigned a Hikeability Score out of 100, using exponential scaling to ensure meaningful spread across scores, with 100 representing the top-performing destination. 

Data correct as of May 2025. 

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Check out our Trails and Inspirational category to discover the most amazing trails and hikes in the world, as recommended by our athletes, ambassadors and loyal customers.