The 25 best hikes in the world (and the 14 I've done)
Twenty-five hikes worth the blisters. I've done 14 of them so far, from the roof of Africa on Kilimanjaro to the Inca Trail into Machu Picchu and Trolltunga in Norway. The rest are on my list.
For each one: how long it is, when to go, what permits you need and how to book it.
14 of 25 ticked off
- Kilimanjaro ✓
- The Inca Trail ✓
- Torres del Paine ✓
- Everest Base Camp
- Trolltunga ✓
- Tour du Mont Blanc
- Pulpit Rock (Preikestolen) ✓
- Annapurna Circuit
- Table Mountain ✓
- Laguna de los Tres (Fitz Roy)
- Tre Cime di Lavaredo ✓
- Laugavegur Trail
- Tongariro Alpine Crossing
- Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa) ✓
- Angels Landing
- Pico do Arieiro to Pico Ruivo ✓
- Camino de Santiago
- Colca Canyon ✓
- Milford Track
- Lion's Head ✓
- Tiger's Nest
- Ilulissat Icefjord ✓
- Kokoda Track
- Fairy Pools ✓
- Appalachian Trail (Harpers Ferry) ✓
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1 Kilimanjaro
Tanzania✓ Been: October 2008
The highest mountain in Africa, and you can walk all the way to the top without any climbing gear.
- Size
- 5,895 m; 5 to 9 days depending on the route
- When to go
- January to March, or June to October.
- Getting there
- You have to climb with a licensed guide and crew. Longer routes like the seven-day Machame or eight-day Lemosho give you more time to acclimatise and a better chance of the summit.
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2 The Inca Trail
Cusco region, Peru✓ Been: 2015
Four days over Andean passes and past Inca ruins, walking into Machu Picchu through the Sun Gate.
- Size
- About 43 km over 4 days
- When to go
- May to September. The trail is closed every February.
- Getting there
- Only with a licensed operator, and permits for the dry season sell out months ahead. If it's full, the Salkantay trek is a great alternative.
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3 Torres del Paine
Patagonia, Chile✓ Been: January 2016
Granite towers, glaciers and turquoise lakes. The walk up to the base of the towers at sunrise is the big one.
- Size
- The W Trek is about 80 km over 4 to 5 days
- When to go
- October to April.
- Getting there
- Book the refugios or campsites well ahead; the park won't let you on the trail without them. Fly to Punta Arenas or Puerto Natales.
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4 Everest Base Camp
Khumbu, NepalOn my list
Walking up to the foot of the highest mountain on earth, past Sherpa villages and monasteries.
- Size
- About 130 km return, 12 to 14 days
- When to go
- October to November, or March to May.
- Getting there
- Fly into Lukla and trek up the valley, staying in teahouses. You need a national park permit and a local area permit, and most people go with a guide and porter.
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5 Trolltunga
Near Odda, Norway✓ Been: May 2023
A rock ledge sticking out 700 metres above a lake. The photo everyone wants, and you earn it.
- Size
- 20 to 28 km return, 10 to 12 hours
- When to go
- June to September. Outside the summer season, only go with a guide.
- Getting there
- Start from Skjeggedal near Odda. Paid parking higher up the hill cuts the distance.
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6 Tour du Mont Blanc
France, Italy and SwitzerlandOn my list
Three countries, glaciers the whole way round, and a cold beer at a hut every night.
- Size
- About 170 km, 10 to 11 days
- When to go
- Late June to mid-September.
- Getting there
- A loop around Mont Blanc staying in mountain huts. Book the huts early, as they fill up for July and August. You can do shorter sections.
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7 Pulpit Rock (Preikestolen)
Near Stavanger, Norway✓ Been: May 2023
A flat-topped cliff 604 metres above the Lysefjord. Easy enough for most people, and the view is ridiculous.
- Size
- About 8 km return, 4 hours
- When to go
- April to October.
- Getting there
- Drive or bus from Stavanger to the Preikestolen car park. Go early or late to avoid the crowds.
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8 Annapurna Circuit
NepalOn my list
Crosses the Thorong La pass at 5,416 metres, through some of the most varied landscapes in the Himalayas.
- Size
- 160 to 230 km, 12 to 18 days
- When to go
- October to November, or March to April.
- Getting there
- Teahouse trekking around the Annapurna massif. You need an Annapurna Conservation Area permit and a TIMS card.
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9 Table Mountain
Cape Town, South Africa✓ Been: August 2017
A mountain in the middle of a city, with Cape Town, Robben Island and the ocean laid out below you.
- Size
- About 3 km up Platteklip Gorge, 2 to 3 hours
- When to go
- September to April. Go on a clear, calm day and check the forecast; the cloud comes in fast.
- Getting there
- Start from Tafelberg Road. Walk up and take the cable car down if your legs have had enough.
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10 Laguna de los Tres (Fitz Roy)
El Chaltén, ArgentinaOn my list
The jagged Fitz Roy massif reflected in a glacial lake. One of the best day hikes anywhere.
- Size
- About 22 km return, 8 to 10 hours
- When to go
- November to March.
- Getting there
- Walk straight out of El Chaltén, no permit or fee needed. The last kilometre is a steep scramble. Start early for the best chance of clear views.
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11 Tre Cime di Lavaredo
Dolomites, Italy✓ Been: June 2023
Three huge rock towers, mountain huts with strudel and beer, and wildflower meadows in summer.
- Size
- About 10 km loop, 3 to 4 hours
- When to go
- June to October.
- Getting there
- A toll road takes you to the Auronzo hut car park, or there's a summer bus from Misurina.
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12 Laugavegur Trail
IcelandOn my list
Rainbow-coloured hills, steaming vents, black deserts and glaciers in a few days' walk.
- Size
- 55 km, 3 to 4 days
- When to go
- Late June to early September.
- Getting there
- From Landmannalaugar to Þórsmörk, staying in huts that need booking well ahead, or camping. Buses run to both ends in summer.
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13 Tongariro Alpine Crossing
North Island, New ZealandOn my list
Across volcanic craters and past the Emerald Lakes, under the cone that played Mount Doom.
- Size
- 19.4 km one way, 6 to 8 hours
- When to go
- November to April.
- Getting there
- Book a shuttle to the start and pick-up at the end; parking at the start is limited.
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14 Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa)
Snowdonia, Wales✓ Been: August 2021
The highest mountain in Wales, and part of the National Three Peaks Challenge.
- Size
- 1,085 m; 5 to 7 hours up and down
- When to go
- May to September.
- Getting there
- The Llanberis Path is the gentlest; the Pyg and Miners' tracks start from Pen-y-Pass, which you need to book parking for or reach by bus.
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15 Angels Landing
Zion National Park, Utah, USAOn my list
A narrow ridge with drops on both sides and chains to hold onto. Not for anyone who doesn't like heights.
- Size
- About 8.7 km return, 4 to 5 hours
- When to go
- March to May, or September to November.
- Getting there
- You need a permit from the park's lottery for the final chain section. Apply on recreation.gov.
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16 Pico do Arieiro to Pico Ruivo
Madeira, Portugal✓ Been: March 2024
A ridge walk between Madeira's highest peaks, through tunnels and along stairs carved into the rock, often above the clouds.
- Size
- About 12 km return, 5 to 6 hours
- When to go
- April to October. Check the trail's open before you go; it closes after storms.
- Getting there
- Drive or taxi up to Pico do Arieiro, about 40 minutes from Funchal. Go for sunrise if you can.
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17 Camino de Santiago
SpainOn my list
Five weeks of walking, eating and drinking your way across Spain.
- Size
- About 780 km on the Camino Francés, 4 to 5 weeks
- When to go
- May to June, or September to October.
- Getting there
- Walk from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port to Santiago de Compostela, staying in pilgrim hostels. Walk at least the last 100 km, from Sarria, for the certificate.
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18 Colca Canyon
Arequipa region, Peru✓ Been: November 2015
One of the deepest canyons in the world, with condors riding the thermals in the morning.
- Size
- 2 to 3 days to the bottom and back
- When to go
- May to October.
- Getting there
- From Arequipa. Most treks go down to the oasis of Sangalle and climb out before dawn.
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19 Milford Track
Fiordland, New ZealandOn my list
Rainforest, alpine passes and a side trip to Sutherland Falls, one of the tallest in the country.
- Size
- 53.5 km, 4 days
- When to go
- Late October to April.
- Getting there
- A Great Walk with huts that must be booked, and they sell out within hours when bookings open.
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20 Lion's Head
Cape Town, South Africa✓ Been: August 2017
The best view of Table Mountain is from here, along with the whole of Cape Town.
- Size
- About 5.5 km return, 2 to 3 hours
- When to go
- Year round on a clear day. Full-moon and sunrise hikes are popular.
- Getting there
- Start from Signal Hill Road. There are chains and ladders near the top, or a longer way round.
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21 Tiger's Nest
Paro, BhutanOn my list
A monastery clinging to a cliff 900 metres above the valley.
- Size
- About 6 km return, 4 to 5 hours
- When to go
- March to May, or September to November.
- Getting there
- Bhutan needs a visa and a daily sustainable development fee, booked through a licensed operator.
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22 Ilulissat Icefjord
Greenland✓ Been: May 2022
A fjord jammed with icebergs the size of buildings, calving from one of the fastest glaciers in the world.
- Size
- Several marked trails, 2 to 7 km
- When to go
- May to September.
- Getting there
- Fly to Ilulissat via Kangerlussuaq or Nuuk. The trails start on the edge of town.
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23 Kokoda Track
Papua New GuineaOn my list
Hard jungle trekking along the route fought over in the Second World War.
- Size
- 96 km, 8 to 10 days
- When to go
- April to November.
- Getting there
- Only with a licensed trek operator, and you need a Kokoda Track permit.
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24 Fairy Pools
Isle of Skye, Scotland✓ Been: October 2021
Crystal-clear blue pools and waterfalls under the Black Cuillin.
- Size
- About 4 km return, or longer loops
- When to go
- May to September.
- Getting there
- Park at the Glenbrittle car park (it's paid and fills up early). Wild swimmers, bring a wetsuit.
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25 Appalachian Trail (Harpers Ferry)
West Virginia, USA✓ Been: October 2026
A taste of America's most famous long-distance trail, in a historic little town where two rivers meet.
- Size
- The whole trail is about 3,500 km; day sections are easy to pick off
- When to go
- April to June, or September to October for the colours.
- Getting there
- Harpers Ferry is about an hour and a half from Washington DC, and the trail runs right through the town.
Pick one, buy some decent boots and wear them in before you go. Then tell me which one I should do next.
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