Best Treks & Hikes in the World
The world’s best multi-day treks and hiking routes — from Himalayan passes to Patagonian glaciers.
Multi-day trekking is a different kind of travel. You carry what you need, sleep where the trail puts you, and measure progress in passes crossed and valleys descended. The rewards are landscapes that roads don’t reach and a satisfying exhaustion that no hotel pool can replicate.
Some of these treks require serious fitness and altitude acclimatisation. Others are long walks through beautiful countryside with a hot meal at the end of each day. We’ve noted what each demands.
The Classics#
The treks that appear on every list, because they deserve to. Each one has built a reputation over decades, and the infrastructure - guides, lodges, permits - reflects that popularity.
The name sells itself, but the trek is more accessible than most people realise. No technical climbing - it’s a hiking trail with teahouse lodges every few hours. The challenge is altitude: Base Camp sits at 5,364 metres.
Acclimatisation days are not optional. The views of Ama Dablam and the Khumbu Icefall make every steep section worth it.
Four days on a stone path built by the Incas, ending at the Sun Gate with Machu Picchu spread below in the dawn light. Daily permits capped at 500 - book 6+ months in advance.
Highest point is Dead Woman’s Pass at 4,215 metres. The alternative Salkantay trek is harder, less crowded, and some people prefer it.
Circumnavigation of Western Europe’s highest peak, sleeping in mountain refuges with hot meals and sometimes wine. The scenery changes character with each valley and each national border.
No technical skills needed, but solid fitness is essential. Book refuges early for July and August.
Glacier valleys, granite towers, and lakes that are improbably blue. Refugio bunks book out fast - register the day bookings open.
Patagonian weather is the wildcard: rain gear is non-negotiable regardless of the forecast. The full circuit (8 - 9 days) adds the backside of the range.
Tallest freestanding mountain on earth, and one of the Seven Summits you can climb without technical skills. That doesn’t mean it’s easy - the summit is at 5,895 metres and altitude sickness rates are high.
Machame route (6 - 7 days) is most popular. Budget \,000 - 4,000 for mandatory guide, porters, and park fees.
Widely considered the hardest GR trail in Europe. Scrambling, steep ascents, and exposed ridgelines across the mountainous spine of Corsica.
The southern half is easier than the north. Refuges are basic - bring a sleeping bag. Mediterranean landscapes at altitude: granite peaks, pine forests, and swimming holes.
Temperate rainforest, waterfalls, and Mackinnon Pass at 1,154 metres. Hut passes sell out on the first day of bookings.
It rains a lot in Fiordland, which is actually part of the appeal - the waterfalls multiply and the forest drips with prehistoric intensity.
Not a wilderness trek - you sleep in albergues (pilgrim hostels) in towns and villages. The appeal is rhythm: walking every day, stripped of decisions, with a fixed destination.
The Camino Francés from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port is the classic route. Works for atheists as well as believers.
Three weeks around the entire Annapurna massif, crossing Thorong La pass at 5,416 metres. Road construction has shortened the route, but the core section from Manang to Muktinath remains spectacular.
The shorter Base Camp trek (7 - 12 days) ends in a natural amphitheatre surrounded by 7,000+ metre peaks. Better teahouse food than Everest.
Cradle Mountain to Lake St Clair through buttongrass moorland, ancient rainforest, and glacial lakes. Wombats are regular trail companions.
October to May season. Limited to 34 starters per day. Booking required.
The Himalayas#
Nepal and the surrounding Himalayan ranges have more world-class trekking than anywhere else. The infrastructure is built for it - teahouse lodges every few hours, porters available for hire, and permits straightforward to arrange. The altitude is the real challenge. Above 3,500 metres, acclimatisation days are not optional - they’re the difference between a great trip and a medical evacuation.
India’s Ladakh and Sikkim, Bhutan’s Snowman Trek, and Pakistan’s Karakoram all offer Himalayan trekking with fewer crowds than Nepal, though the logistics are generally more complex.
Everest Base Camp
The name sells itself, but the trek is more accessible than most people realise. No technical climbing - it’s a hiking trail, steep in places but never requiring ropes. 12 - 14 days round trip from Lukla. The teahouses are simple but adequate: a bed, dal bhat, and views of Ama Dablam that no five-star hotel can match. Altitude is the real challenge - Base Camp sits at 5,364 metres.
Location: Nepal Distance: 130 km Time: 12 - 14 days
Annapurna Circuit
Once the classic Nepal trek: three weeks around the entire massif, crossing Thorong La pass at 5,416 metres. Road construction has shortened the route, but the core section from Manang to Muktinath remains spectacular. The shorter Annapurna Base Camp trek (7 - 12 days) ends in a natural amphitheatre surrounded by 7,000+ metre peaks.
Location: Nepal Distance: 160 - 230 km Time: 12 - 21 days
Langtang Valley
Closer to Kathmandu than the Everest or Annapurna regions, and far less crowded. The valley was devastated by the 2015 earthquake but has rebuilt. Kyanjin Gompa at the head of the valley, with Langtang Lirung looming above, is one of Nepal’s great mountain views.
Location: Nepal Distance: ~80 km Time: 7 - 10 days
Snowman Trek
Often called the hardest trek in the world. 25 days across remote passes above 5,000 metres in Bhutan. No teahouses - fully supported camping. The daily fee (+ per person) includes guide, food, and equipment. Roughly half of all attempts are abandoned due to weather.
Location: Bhutan Distance: ~350 km Time: 25 days
South America#
South American trekking tends toward the dramatic - glaciers, volcanoes, and landscapes with no tree cover to block the wind or the views. Patagonia dominates the conversation, but the Andes offer world-class routes from Colombia to Argentina, and the logistics have improved enormously in the past decade.
Inca Trail to Machu Picchu
Four days on a stone path built by the Incas, ending at the Sun Gate with Machu Picchu spread below in the dawn light. Daily permits capped at 500 (including guides and porters) - book 6+ months in advance. Highest point is Dead Woman’s Pass at 4,215 metres. The alternative Salkantay trek (5 days) is harder, less crowded, and some people prefer it.
Location: Peru Distance: 43 km Time: 4 days
W Trek
Four to five days through glacier valleys, around granite towers, and past lakes that are improbably blue. Refugio bunks book out fast - register the day bookings open. The full circuit (8 - 9 days) adds the backside of the range and requires camping. Weather is the wildcard: Patagonian wind is no joke.
Location: Torres del Paine, Chile Distance: 80 km Time: 4 - 5 days
Huayhuash Circuit
Often called South America’s best trek by people who’ve done both this and the Inca Trail. 10 - 12 days around the Cordillera Huayhuash, with multiple passes above 4,500 metres and turquoise glacial lakes at every turn. Less infrastructure - you camp and carry (or hire arrieros with donkeys).
Location: Peru Distance: ~130 km Time: 10 - 12 days
Lost City (Ciudad Perdida)
Four to six days through jungle to a pre-Columbian city older than Machu Picchu. Muddy, humid, and involves river crossings, but the ruins - terraced platforms emerging from the forest canopy - are extraordinary. Must be done with a licensed guide.
Location: Colombia Distance: ~44 km Time: 4 - 6 days
Europe#
European trekking is civilised in the best sense. Mountain refuges serve hot meals and sometimes wine. Trails are marked with paint blazes and signposts. You can often reach the trailhead by public bus. The scenery is relentlessly alpine in the mountain regions and unexpectedly wild on the Mediterranean islands.
The long-distance GR trail network across France, Spain, and Portugal offers weeks of connected walking. The hut systems in the Alps (Switzerland, Austria, Italy, France) mean you can walk for days without carrying a tent or stove.
Tour du Mont Blanc
170 kilometres circumnavigating Western Europe’s highest peak. 10 - 12 days sleeping in mountain refuges with hot meals. The scenery changes character with each valley and each national border. No technical skills needed, but solid fitness is essential. Book refuges early for July and August.
Location: France / Italy / Switzerland Distance: 170 km Time: 10 - 12 days
GR20
180 kilometres across the mountainous spine of Corsica, widely considered the hardest GR trail in Europe. 16 days of scrambling, steep ascents, and exposed ridgelines. The southern half is easier than the north. Refuges are basic - bring a sleeping bag. Mediterranean landscapes at altitude: granite peaks, pine forests, and swimming holes.
Location: Corsica, France Distance: 180 km Time: 16 days
Camino de Santiago
The Camino Francés from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port to Santiago de Compostela, 780 kilometres over 30 - 35 days. Not a wilderness trek - you sleep in albergues (pilgrim hostels) in towns and villages. The appeal is rhythm: walking every day, stripped of decisions, with a fixed destination. Works for atheists as well as believers.
Location: Spain Distance: 780 km Time: 30 - 35 days
Haute Route
Chamonix to Zermatt in 12 - 14 days, traversing alpine passes with views of Mont Blanc, the Matterhorn, and everything in between. The walker’s Haute Route stays on trails; the ski mountaineering version follows glaciers. Mountain huts are comfortable by alpine standards.
Location: Switzerland / France Distance: ~180 km Time: 12 - 14 days
Kungsleden
The King’s Trail, 440 kilometres through Swedish Lapland above the Arctic Circle. Midnight sun in summer, autumn colours in September, and genuine wilderness. Huts every 15 - 20 km run by the Swedish Tourist Association. Kebnekaise, Sweden’s highest peak, is a side trip from the trail.
Location: Sweden Distance: 440 km Time: 15 - 20 days
Africa & Oceania#
Africa’s trekking scene is dominated by one mountain - Kilimanjaro - but the continent has far more to offer. The Rwenzori Mountains, the Simien Mountains in Ethiopia, and the Drakensberg in South Africa are all world-class and comparatively uncrowded.
New Zealand is a trekking country by design. The nine Great Walks are maintained to a standard that puts most national trail systems to shame, and the Department of Conservation hut system makes multi-day trips straightforward.
Mount Kilimanjaro
The tallest freestanding mountain in the world, and one of the Seven Summits you can climb without technical skills. That doesn’t mean it’s easy - the summit is at 5,895 metres and the altitude sickness rate is high. The Machame route (6 - 7 days) is the most popular. Budget ,000 - 4,000 for the mandatory guide, porters, and park fees.
Location: Tanzania Distance: 60 - 70 km Time: 5 - 9 days
Milford Track
53.5 kilometres over 4 days through temperate rainforest, past waterfalls, and over Mackinnon Pass. Hut passes sell out on the first day of bookings. It rains a lot in Fiordland, which is actually part of the appeal - the waterfalls multiply and the forest drips with prehistoric intensity.
Location: New Zealand Distance: 53.5 km Time: 4 days
Overland Track
65 kilometres over 6 days through Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park. Buttongrass moorland, ancient rainforest, glacial lakes, and wombats. October to May season. Booking required and limited to 34 starters per day.
Location: Tasmania, Australia Distance: 65 km Time: 6 days
Simien Mountains
Multi-day trek along the rim of a vast escarpment, with views that drop 1,500 metres to the lowlands. Gelada baboons (found nowhere else), Ethiopian wolves, and Ras Dashen (4,550 metres) for the peak-baggers. Scout and armed ranger required. Infrastructure is basic but improving.
Location: Ethiopia Distance: ~100 km Time: 5 - 8 days