Auckland city hike ranked as one of world's best

File photo / Nicola Topping

It takes in ancient volcanoes, traditional Maori sites, stunning vistas and sea breezes, all of which make it one of the top 10 city hikes in the world.

Auckland's Coast-to-Coast walk has been named by Lonely Planet as one of the best urban tramps.

The 16 kilometre walk - which takes in Auckland Domain, Mt Eden and One Tree Hill - leads hikers across the city between the Waitemata and Manukau harbours.

It beat the Hong Kong Trail and Arthur's Seat in the Scottish capital Edinburgh, to make the number eight spot on the list, which was topped by Rio de Janeiro's Tijuca Forest walk.

London's Thames Path and Sydney's Great Coastal Walk came in second and third.

Tony Walton, president of the Auckland Tramping Club, said the accolade was "pretty spectacular".

"It's really good news," he said. "It's a good walk.

"[The walk] really is quite impressive because you're walking through the middle of a city but you don't actually think you're in the middle of the city very much, because it's going through Mt Eden, Cornwall Park, and One Tree Hill."

Another positive is that it's not too long and can be managed by even the most inexperienced hikers, he said.

"It's in the realms of anyone who can walk more than a few feet, you can probably do it without too much difficulty," Mr Walton said.

The Coast-to-Coast trail also forms part of Te Araroa - The Long Pathway, a 3000km walking track from Cape Reinga to Bluff, and trampers taking on this ambitious walk can often be found on the Auckland segment.

The Auckland walk features in Lonely Planet's new 1000 Ultimate Adventures book, which sees a series of 'top 10' lists of various activities to tick off the to-do list when travelling around the world.

New Zealand-based adventures made it into 33 of the lists featured in the new book.

Top 10 city hikes in the world as named by Lonely Planet:

1 - Tijuca Forest, Rio de Janeiro

2 - Thames Path, London

3 - Great Coastal Walk, Sydney

4 - Hoerikwaggo Trail, Cape Town

5 - Berlin Wall Trail, Berlin

6 - Seawall, Vancouver

7 - South Mountain Park, Phoenix

8 - Coast to Coast Walk, Auckland

9 - Arthur's Seat, Edinburgh

10 - Hong Kong Trail, Hong Kong

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Auckland's Coast-to-Coast Walk:

Length - 16kms between the Viaduct Harbour and Onehunga

Time it takes - 3 to 5 hours

Walkers can expect to follow the city streets through the CBD, Auckland University and the Domain, past the War Memorial Museum and through plush suburbs, before hiking up Auckland's tallest volcano, Mt Eden, for panoramic views of the city. The next jaunt takes you through Melville Park and Cornwall Park, before climbing One Tree Hill for more stunning vistas, through Royal Oak, Jellicoe Park and out to the Manukau Harbour, taking in the history of the city all the way. The walk can be completed in either direction.