Exploration
10 of the world’s most stunning places to walk in a week
To experience true wilderness you need to hit the trail and get away from it all – so here are some of the best multi-day hikes on the planet.
You don’t have to commit to months away from civilisation to get into some of the world’s most spectacularly wild places. After picking out the best one-day hikes in the world, we’ve gone to the next level and found some of the best trails to take if you’ve got a week or so to spare.
Our choices include seeing you walking amongst Chilean Patagonia’s sawtooth peaks to crossing newly laid lava fields in Iceland; hiking over a glacier in Africa (yes, Africa) to going down deep in America’s Grand Canyon. There’s many more that escaped the list – but for starters, lace up your boots and take your pick from the following bunch for hiking adventures in 2019 and beyond.
EUROPE
Laugavegur
Hiking to extremes on Iceland’s Laugavegur Trail
© Diogo Tavares/Unsplash
- Where: Iceland
- Why: A truly wild trail through ever-changing otherworldly landscapes
- Length: 54km, 4 days
- When to go: Mid-July to mid-Sep
Iceland is a land of dramatic contrasts, with glaciers, lava fields, bubbling hot springs and multi-coloured mountains, and you can see them all on this constantly changing trail.
Starting in the geothermal region of Landmannalaugar, the trail threads through the southern highlands to Thorsmörk, a lush green area at the foot of the famous Eyjafjallajokull volcano, which exploded dramatically back in 2010 and fed fresh lava flows through the valley.
Thorsmork, Iceland
© Alexandre Deschaumes
The added bonus here is the bright Icelandic summer days, which allow for long trekking days and maximum time to enjoy the vast open landscapes and hear legendary folkloric tales around the campfire.
If you want to extend it a couple of days longer, this trail connects with the Fimmvörðuháls trail, which passes Eyjafjallajokull’s new craters, Magni and Móði, and three glaciers before ending up at the Skógafoss waterfall.
Related
Berliner Höhenweg
The Berlin Höhenweg hike takes you high into the Austrian Alps
© Nathalie Gandrille
- Where: Austria
- Why: Non-stop peak-bagging on some of the Alps’ most famous summits
- Length: 80km/7 days
- When to go: June to September
This is the birthplace and modern playground of European Alpinism and it’s laced with high-altitude trails running between traditional mountain huts.
This challenging but well marked hut-to-hut route starts in Finkenberg and hits some big highlights, including the famous Berliner Hütte – a listed building with wood panelled walls and chandeliers. It ticks off the high peaks of Zillertal and three summits of around 3,500m in altitude – Hochfeiler, Großer Möseler and Olperer – on the Tuxer Hauptkamm chain.
Panorama of the Zillertal mountain range
© Niklas Siemens
High altitude experience, decent equipment and good physical fitness are all essentials, but there is rarely any need for extreme mountaineering skills or crampons to complete the route. And it you don’t fancy doing it all, there are routes down from the huts at the end of each day.
NORTH AMERICA
Grand Canyon Rim-to-Rim
Pass through the magic of the Grand Canyon
© pexels.com
- Where: Arizona, USA
- Why: The only way to explore the immense scale of the Grand Canyon
- Length: 38km each way/4 days return trip
- When to go: May to October
Less than one percent of the Grand Canyon’s five million annual visitors venture below the rim – but with this epic adventure you can truly say you’ve explored the depths of one of the world’s greatest wonders.
The route begins on the North Rim’s Kaibab Trail and drops 1,800m over 23km on a rugged and knee-battering downward path to the Colorado River, where hikers get a completely different experience to that above. If you’re lucky enough to reserve a place, treat yourself to a night in Phantom Ranch, the only lodging on the floor of the canyon.
The Kaibab Trail
© Ronnie Macdonald/Wikimedia Creative Commons
From there, the Bright Angel Trail takes you back up the canyon’s other side, a 15km switchback route that climbs up 1,370m to the South Rim, from where you can either take the Trans-Canyon shuttle back or do it all again in reverse.
Oh, and if you fancy running it, the fastest time was set by Jim Walmsley in 2016. He did it there and back in just five hours, 55 minutes and 20 seconds.
Yosemite Grand Traverse
Yosemite is a nature lover's paradise
© Christian Pondella/Red Bull Content Pool
- Where: California, USA
- Why: The ultimate trip through one of America’s best national parks
- Length: 96km/6-7 days
- When to go: July to September
This epic trail combines the most remote and most iconic parts of this legendary park, the mecca of big wall climbing. There are plenty of ups and downs, but when it comes to scenery it’s all highs, no lows.
Starting in the Ansel Adams Wilderness area, the route takes in wide views of the high mountains, sweeping meadows, big waterfalls and plenty of swimming holes.
Go for a swim in Cathedral Lake
© Steve Dunleavy/Wikimedia Creative Commons
It includes a traverse along granite peaks with views into Little Yosemite Valley, a side-trip to the top of 3,027m-high Cloud’s Rest, a section of the John Muir Trail and a stunning overnight camp at Cathedral Lake, a place many consider the most beautiful in the Yosemite Valley.
In a park that concentrates its millions of annual visitors in one area, this is the ideal way to get away from the crowds.
SOUTH AMERICA
Inca Trail
On the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu
© Gaston Francisco
- Where: Peru
- Why: Follow the footsteps of ancient civilisation to a world wonder
- Length: 43km/4 days
- When to go: May to September
This stunningly scenic trail to the ‘Lost City of the Incas’ travels along original pathway stones, through cloud forests and steaming sub-tropical jungle peppered with fascinating ruins.
It’s the absolute best way to get to Machu Picchu – and the only way to be at the Sun Gate in relative peace as the day dawns, the mist burns off and this incredible site slowly awakes.
To get here you need to hike up lots of steps
© Sean Caffrey/Getty Images
The region is restricted and trekking requires permits and a guide – trekking alone is not permitted, so this one is all about the group experience.
Torres del Paine W-Route
The Parque Nacional Torres del Paine
© Getty Images/Moment Open
- Where: Chile
- Why: Unforgettable expansive and rugged scenery at the end of the world
- Length: 74km/4-6 days
- When to go: November to March
Patagonia is one of the world’s most beautiful wilderness regions and this area, with its sawtooth peaks, giant glaciers and sparkling turquoise lakes, is where it’s at its most spectacular.
The one-way W-route (named so as it snakes up and down the National Park’s major valleys) takes in the big wow moments, including the Torres del Paine, the French Valley and the huge icy mass of Glacier Grey. It can be done in either direction, either starting at Lago Grey or beneath the famous Torres turrets.
The Torres del Paine is a great place to run or walk
© Andrea Nogová
Despite being a challenge to get down to – at least two plane rides and a long bus journey – the region quickly fills with trekkers in peak season, so if you want a Refugio route, book early. To escape the crowds, extend your trip and do the ‘O’ route, which connects the two ends of the ‘W’.
AFRICA
Mountains of the Moon
The Rwenzori is not what you'd expect from Africa
© Albert Backer/Wlkimedia Creative Comons
- Where: Uganda
- Why: Escape the madding crowds in one of Africa’s hidden secrets
- Length: 65-70km/7 days
- When to go: December to February
The UNESCO World Heritage listed Rwenzori Mountains are home to scenery you would not typically expect in Africa – like lush alpine valleys, permanent icy glaciers and dense rainforest.
There are various trails here but most include an ascent of the 5,109m high Margherita peak on Mount Stanley, the continent’s third highest peak after Mount Kilimanjaro and Mount Kenya, which begins on muddy trails and ends with hikers strapping on crampons and roping up to reach the top.
A real out-there adventure in an extremely remote location bordering Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), this is one trek where you can really get away from it all.
North Drakensberg Traverse
The beauty of northern Drakensberg
© Scott N Ramsay/Yearinthewild.com
- Where: South Africa/Lesotho
- Why: A rugged and remote hike over spires, buttresses, ridges and gorges
- Length: 65km /5-6 days
- When to go: Mid-March to mid-June; September and October
This trek crosses some of the biggest highlights of the Drankensberg range, a unique set of flat top mountains and cavernous valleys, with incredible views from the sheer-drop cliffs on the edge of the high plateau of Lesotho.
This remote mountain route usually begins at the freestanding Sentinel tower and heads up a set of chain ladders to the top of the escarpment then south to end at the Rockeries Pass or the passes around Cathedral Peak.
Hills rolling for days
© Dillon McEvoy
There are few tracks on the escarpment so this is true wilderness hiking, with animal trails often leading the way and nights spent sleeping in caves that are dotted throughout the bergs.
AUSTRALASIA
Overland Track
The Overland Track with Cradle Mountain in the background
© Roxanne Desgagnes/Unsplash
- Where: Tasmania, Australia
- Why: Some of Australia’s most wild, remote and scenic landscapes
- Length: 80km /6-7 days
- When to go: October to May
Few visitors to Australia venture to the island state of Tasmania and even fewer go deep into its wilderness – but this is where you will find one of the Southern Hemisphere’s most beautiful hikes.
It’s high impact scenery and high impact hiking from the off with day one, the hardest on the trail, including the highlights of Crater Lake, Marion’s Lookout and Cradle Mountain.
View of Lake St Clair from Marion's Lookout
© Juan Jose Basagoiti Mancera/Wikimedia Creative Commons
The terrain is massively varied and includes rainforest, open plains, lakes, pine forests, waterfalls, moorland and mountain peaks.
This is a tough trek and the official website is filled with heavy warnings about the scale of the challenge hikers take on here.
Milford/Kepler/Routeburn Tracks
The Kepler Track, one of the greatest walks in New Zealand!
© Iswanto Arif/Unsplash
- Where: New Zealand
- Why: Year-round but with restrictions in winter, from May to September
- Length: Milford - 53.5km one-way/4 days; Kepler - 60km round-trip/3-4 days; Routeburn - 33km one-way /2-4 days
- When to go: March to May (Autumn in New Zealand) is the best time to go
There are so many world-class treks on New Zealand South Island it’s hard to choose which should go on the list – which is why we’ve put three of them on here in one place.
Deep in the Fjordland National Park, the Milford Track is a one-way trail from Lake Te Anau to Milford Sound that is often touted as the world’s best walk – which is probably why it is hiked by around 14,000 people a year. It runs along rivers, around lakes and up the MacKinnon Pass, where the island’s alpine and fjordland landscapes stretch as far as the eye can see.
The Milford track near the Mackinnon Pass
© AlasdairW/Wikimedia Creative Commons
In the same National Park, the Kepler Track is a challenging but hugely rewarding four-day trail over the mountains around Lake Te Anau, with remote panoramas and tough climbs and descents, including a brutal run of 93 switchbacks.
Views from the Routeburn Track
© Ilya Grigorik/Wikimedia Creative Commons
The Routeburn is all about alpine and takes in some of the country’s most beautiful scenery. It winds across meadows, over marshy ground and along the river through the Routeburn gorge past mirrored tarns, gushing waterfalls and spectacular mountain views.
On top of that, there is also the 60km-long Abel Tasman trail with its beautiful beaches and bays and the high-alpine routes around Mount Cook in the Southern Alps, where Sir Edmund Hillary trained for Mount Everest.
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