10 best hiking-base cities in the world

Trail networks within reach. Day hikes from downtown.

Ranked by climate, cost of living, language access, safety, and lifestyle fit. Personalize this →

#1
Oslo, Norway
100
match
Fjord at the doorstep, forest at the back, and one of the wealthiest small capitals on earth.
#2
Reykjavík, Iceland
100
match
Volcanic moonscape capital. Geothermal pools, midnight sun in summer, and aurora overhead in winter.
#3
Sofia, Bulgaria
100
match
Balkan capital with a ski mountain inside the city limits. Cheap, friendly, increasingly digital.
#4
Annecy, France
100
match
Alpine lake town an hour from Geneva. Pastel old town, paddleboard-clear water, ski lifts in winter.
#5
Hallstatt, Austria
100
match
Postcard alpine lake village wedged between mountain and water. Salt-mine history, swan-quiet off-season.
#6
Kathmandu, Nepal
100
match
Himalayan basecamp. Temples in the smog, treks at the doorstep, momos on every corner.
#7
Almaty, Kazakhstan
100
match
Mountains rise straight from the southern edge. Soviet skeleton, Asian heart, surprisingly cosmopolitan.
#8
Hong Kong, Hong Kong
100
match
Vertical city where finance towers back onto hiking trails. Dim sum, Star Ferry, and the densest skyline on earth.
#9
Pokhara, Nepal
100
match
Lakeside Himalayan base camp. Annapurna trek launchpad, paragliding from above town.
#10
Yangshuo, China
100
match
Karst pinnacles rising straight out of rice paddies along the Li River. Quiet, dramatic, cycle-friendly.

Oslo, Norway