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. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 

Hikeability Score: 100/100 
Claiming the top spot with a score of 100/100, Rio de Janeiro stands out as the most hikeable city break in the world. Situated between mountains and the sea, tourists who visit can enjoy the vibrancy of the city itself, hike through rainforest, explore the historic city centre, and even join a samba class. One of the most popular trails, the Pão de Açúcar e Morro da Urca hike, offers a scenic alternative to taking the cable car up Sugarloaf Mountain.

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2. Mexico City, Mexico 

Hikeability Score: 98/100 
Mexico City, which lies at over 2,200 metres above sea level, gives tourists an easy way to strike a balance between both urban and outdoor adventures. The city offers world class culture, like the Frida Kahlo Museum, colourful bohemian neighbourhoods and non-stop delicious cuisine (the city has actually been designated a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy) and hiking opportunities are plentiful. The Parque Nacional Desierto de los Leones sits just outside the city, and here you can explore 17th-century ruins, hike through coniferous forest, and stumble upon wildflowers, waterfalls and panoramic viewpoints.

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3. San Francisco, United States of America 

Hikeability Score: 96/100 
From exploring Alcatraz Island to catching the sunrise over the Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco is packed with iconic sights. For those wanting to get some steps in, the city offers access to sections of the California Coastal Trail as well as many other parks. The wilderness behind San Francisco’s University Campus is touted as a stunning section of the city to explore, and the Golden Gate Park - the third most visited park in the US - features tons of trails, as well as Botanical and Japanese Tea Gardens.

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4. Cape Town, South Africa 

Hikeability Score: 96/100 
Cape Town is home to the world-famous Table Mountain, which alone has 350 trails that lead up to its summit. It was previously given UNESCO heritage status, and earned itself a spot among the New Seven Wonders of Nature in 2011. The city’s visitors can hike through any one of the stunning trails on offer, visit Robben Island to learn more about Nelson Mandela’s imprisonment and apartheid, and even spot African colony penguins at Boulders Beach.

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5. Los Angeles, United States of America 

Hikeability Score: 95/100 
With an abundance of trails, LA offers plenty for those keen to explore on foot. Griffith Park and Runyon Canyon are not only great for hiking, but eagle-eyed hikers might even recognise some key filming locations from movies such as La La Land and The Terminator. Aside from getting outdoors and hiking in nature, tourists can meander along the Hollywood Walk of Fame, or bike down Venice Beach in one of the city’s 260-odd days of sunshine each year.

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Europe’s Top 20 City Breaks for Hikers 

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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.