Australians call it bushwalking, and the country’s long trails are among the longest anywhere. The Bibbulmun Track in Western Australia runs about 1,000 km from the hills outside Perth to Albany, with a free campsite and shelter roughly a day’s walk apart the whole way.
The famous walks are shorter and booked well ahead. The Overland Track crosses Tasmania’s alpine heart from Cradle Mountain to Lake St Clair in six days, the Three Capes Track follows the sea cliffs of Tasman National Park with a hut every night, and the Larapinta Trail follows the red ridges of the West MacDonnell Ranges west from Alice Springs.
Season decides everything. Walk the north and the centre from May to September, when the heat breaks, and the south and Tasmania from October to April. There are no altitude problems: the highest point on the mainland, Mount Kosciuszko, is 2,228 m.
At a Glance#
- Best multi-day walk: the Overland Track, 65 km over six days from Cradle Mountain to Lake St Clair, booked and paid for from October to May.
- Hut-based comfort: the Three Capes Track in Tasman National Park, about 46 km over four days with cabins, gas cooking and mattresses provided.
- Outback epic: the 223 km Larapinta Trail from Alice Springs through the West MacDonnell Ranges, best from May to August.
- Longest trail: the Bibbulmun Track, about 1,000 km to Albany, free to walk, best in spring.
- Tropical: the 62 km Jatbula Trail from Nitmiluk Gorge to Leliyn (Edith Falls), June to September only, with capped daily permits.
- Easy day hikes: the Blue Mountains by train from Sydney, the Kosciuszko summit from Thredbo, the Kings Canyon Rim Walk and Wineglass Bay in Freycinet.
Tasmania#
Tasmania has the best and most varied walking in the country, much of it inside the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area. The Overland Track is the one people plan years around: 65 km from Dove Lake below Cradle Mountain to Lake St Clair, past alpine tarns, pencil pine forest and side trips to Mount Ossa, Tasmania’s highest peak at 1,617 m. From 1 October to 31 May you must book a start date and walk north to south, and the fee for the 2026-27 season is 312 AUD (about 205 USD) per adult, including the parks pass. Public huts stand at each stage but fill up, so you carry a tent. Snow can fall in any month.
The Three Capes Track on the Tasman Peninsula, an hour and a half from Hobart, is the comfortable alternative: a boat from Port Arthur to the start, three nights in architect-designed cabins, and some of the highest sea cliffs in the southern hemisphere at Cape Pillar. The parks service lists the fee at about 625 AUD per adult, which covers the boat, huts and parks pass. The Cape Hauy day walk from Fortescue Bay samples it in about four hours.
Experienced walkers head for the Walls of Jerusalem, Frenchmans Cap in Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers National Park and the South Coast Track in Southwest National Park, six to eight days of mud, beaches and river crossings that begins with a light-plane flight to Melaleuca. Shorter classics include the Wineglass Bay lookout in Freycinet, Russell Falls in Mount Field and the summit of kunanyi/Mount Wellington above Hobart.
The Red Centre and Top End#
The Larapinta Trail runs 223 km in 12 sections from the Telegraph Station in Alice Springs to the summit of Mount Sonder (Rwetyepme), along quartzite ridges and through gaps such as Standley Chasm and Ormiston Gorge. Thru-hikers take 12 to 20 days and arrange food drops at road-access points; many more walk a few sections or join a guided trip with semi-permanent camps. Water tanks sit at each trailhead campsite. Walk from May to August: from October the heat makes it dangerous, and some operators stop running.
Further south, the 6 km Rim Walk at Kings Canyon in Watarrka National Park and the Valley of the Winds loop at Kata Tjuta are the best day hikes in the centre. Both close early on hot days.
In the Top End, the Jatbula Trail runs 62 km from Nitmiluk Gorge near Katherine to Leliyn (Edith Falls) over five or six days, past waterfalls and swimming holes on the Arnhem Land escarpment. It opens only in the dry season, roughly June to September, numbers are capped at about 15 walkers a day, and permits go fast once released, so book through NT Parks as early as you can. Kakadu’s guided overnight walks and Litchfield’s Tabletop Track are the other multi-day options in the north.
New South Wales and the ACT#
The Blue Mountains are the easiest big walking area to reach: trains from Sydney’s Central station reach Katoomba in about two hours. The Grand Canyon Track near Blackheath, the Prince Henry Cliff Walk and the Giant Stairway beside the Three Sisters are all half-day walks, and the 45 km Six Foot Track from Katoomba to Jenolan Caves takes three days.
On Sydney’s southern edge, the Coast Track in Royal National Park covers 26 km of cliffs and beaches over two days. In the Snowy Mountains, the summit of Mount Kosciuszko is a 13 km return walk on a raised steel path from the top of the Thredbo chairlift, or a longer loop over the Main Range from Charlotte Pass, past glacial lakes. Snow lingers into November. Near Canberra, Namadgi National Park holds the northern end of the Australian Alps Walking Track, which runs about 650 km south to Walhalla in Victoria.
Victoria and South Australia#
The Grampians Peaks Trail crosses Grampians National Park (Gariwerd) for about 160 km over 13 days, with hike-in campsites and a few walk-in huts, and the Pinnacle walk from Halls Gap is the classic day hike. The Great Ocean Walk follows the coast for about 100 km from Apollo Bay to the Twelve Apostles through Great Otway National Park, with campsites you book in advance. Wilsons Promontory has overnight circuits to remote beaches, and in the Alpine National Park the Razorback ridge to Mount Feathertop is the best alpine walk in the state.
In South Australia, the Heysen Trail runs about 1,200 km from Cape Jervis to the Flinders Ranges, and its best sections circle Wilpena Pound in Ikara-Flinders Ranges National Park. Much of the trail closes for the fire danger season, usually from November or December to April.
Western Australia and Queensland#
The Bibbulmun Track starts in Kalamunda in the Perth hills and runs about 1,000 km through jarrah and karri forest and along the south coast to Albany. End-to-enders take six to eight weeks, and the three-sided shelters and campsites are free. September to November brings wildflowers and mild weather. Near the coast at Margaret River, the 123 km Cape to Cape Track takes five to seven days, and Bluff Knoll in the Stirling Range is the southwest’s steepest day climb.
In Queensland, the 32 km Thorsborne Trail on Hinchinbrook Island is a four-day island walk with a strict cap on walkers, and Carnarvon Gorge and the rainforest of Lamington National Park have the best day walks in the state.
Best time to go#
| Region | Best months | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Tasmania and the Alps | November to April | Winter snow, June to September |
| Red Centre (Larapinta) | May to August | October to March heat |
| Top End (Jatbula) | June to September | Wet season, November to April |
| Southwest WA (Bibbulmun) | September to November, March to May | Summer heat and fire bans |
| Sydney and Blue Mountains | March to May, September to November | Hot summer days |
Permits, costs and safety#
- Bookings: only a few walks need advance booking, but those that do sell out: the Overland Track for December to February, the Three Capes Track, the Jatbula and the Thorsborne. Most other trails are free apart from park entry and campsite fees.
- Guides: no walk requires a guide. Commercial operators run guided Overland, Three Capes, Larapinta and Bibbulmun trips with private huts or camps, at a much higher price.
- Water and heat: carry more water than you think, start at first light, and check that tanks are full before relying on them in the centre.
- Fire: walks close on extreme fire danger days, and campfires are banned in most alpine and Tasmanian parks.
- Navigation: carry a personal locator beacon on remote walks; some parks and police stations lend them.
Tasmanian weather
On the Overland Track and in the Tasmanian highlands, blizzards can arrive in midsummer. Carry a tent, a warm sleeping bag and full waterproofs even on a sunny forecast, and check the Parks and Wildlife Service alerts before you start.
For heat, snakes and outback driving to the trailheads, read our Australia safety guide, and our national parks guide covers park passes. For trails across the region, see trekking in Oceania and hiking in New Zealand.
Best hiking areas in Australia#
More Things to Do#
Australia hiking FAQs#
What is the best multi-day hike in Australia?
The Overland Track in Tasmania is the classic: six days through alpine moorland and rainforest from Cradle Mountain to Lake St Clair. The Larapinta Trail is the best outback walk, and the Three Capes Track is the most comfortable, with cabins every night.
Do you need a permit to hike the Overland Track?
Yes, between 1 October and 31 May. You book a start date online and pay a fee of 312 AUD per adult for the 2026-27 season, which includes your parks pass. Outside that period you only register your walk, but winter conditions are serious.
When is the best time to hike the Larapinta Trail?
May to August, when days are warm and nights cold, often near freezing. From October to March temperatures regularly pass 35°C (95°F), water is scarce and many operators stop running trips.
Is hiking in Australia dangerous?
Most risks are about heat, water and weather rather than wildlife. Snakes avoid people and bites are rare; wear boots and long trousers in long grass. The bigger dangers are dehydration in the centre, sudden cold in Tasmania, bushfires in summer and getting lost on remote trails without a beacon.
Can you hike in Australia in summer?
Yes, in the south. December to March is peak season in Tasmania, the Victorian Alps and the Snowy Mountains. Avoid the Red Centre and the tropical north then, when heat and the wet season close most trails.
What are the best day hikes near Sydney?
The Blue Mountains, two hours by train, have the Grand Canyon Track, the Prince Henry Cliff Walk and the Giant Stairway. Closer in, the Coast Track in Royal National Park and the Spit to Manly walk along Sydney Harbour need no car.