The World's Great Walks

Some walks are measured in weeks, not hours. The great long-distance routes follow pilgrim paths to cathedrals and shrines, cross entire mountain ranges, or run the length of a country from one border to the other. You carry what you need, sleep somewhere new each night, and let the landscape change around you one stage at a time.

They come in three broad kinds. Pilgrimage walks like the Camino de Santiago and Japan’s Kumano Kodo follow routes walked for centuries, with a network of hostels, inns and temples built around the people walking them. Thru-hikes such as the Pacific Crest Trail and the Appalachian Trail take four to six months end to end, and most people walk a section at a time. Classic multi-day walks like the Tour du Mont Blanc, the West Highland Way and New Zealand’s Milford Track fit into a one to three week trip, hut to hut or village to village.

Every route below has its own guide with a map of the line and its main stops, the stages, the best time to walk, permits or pilgrim credentials, and where to stay along the way.