ArboursAbroad contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. If you purchase using one of the affiliated links, we may receive compensation at no extra cost to you. See our Disclosure Policy for more information.
Wow, it’s an honor to write about the best treks in the world. Once we started thinking about all the places we’ve hiked over the years, we realized we’ve truly taken to heart getting out and seeing the Creation around us. We’ve seen gorgeous alpine lakes, amazing mountain peaks, and some super sketchy trails…We’ve been dreaming of sharing the best treks in the world for quite some time now, and we’re stoked to say we’re finally sharing them below!
When getting out and exploring the best treks in the world, please practice leave no trace principles, packing out your garbage (yes, even used toilet paper), and leaving a place better than you found it. That way, generations of people hiking after you can enjoy the beauty too!
Looking for a specific area for the best treks in the world? Jump straight to it with the links below.
- The Best Treks in South America
- The Best Hikes in North America
- Best Hikes in Europe
- Best Hikes in the UK
- Hikes in Africa
The Best Treks in South America
Torres del Paine in Patagonia
- Time Needed: 3-6 days for “W” trek, 8-10 days for “O” circuit
- Distance: 84.4 km or 52.5 miles
- Location: Parque Nacional Torres del Paine in Chile, South America
When we bought our one-way tickets to South America, we had two things we knew we had to do.. visit Machu Picchu (hike below) and hike Torres del Paine. This is a multiday trek in the very south of Chile in the Patagonia region. While it’s much more commercialized than when we did this iconic hike, the natural beauty is still found all around.
Gorgeous alpine lakes, weather that changes in the blink of an eye creating some of the most pristine rainbows you’ll ever see. Wildflowers and Calafate berries (the perfect berries to up your oatmeal game), and freshwater that’s drinkable straight from a stream. Torres del Paine is a nature lover’s paradise!
Cerro Castillo in Chile
- Time Needed: 4 days
- Distance: 55 km or 34 miles
- Location: Parque Nacional Cerro Castillo
This hike holds true to its name… hiking towards a rock castle the whole way. Cerro Castillo is a less popular hike in Patagonia that takes you through some epic jagged peaks and alpine lakes. The hike takes 4 days of really pushing yourself, or give yourself an extra day to enjoy shorter days on the trail. Hiking Cerro Castillo there are many elevation gains and losses, multiple rivers to cross over, and even a fossil-filled rock slide to explore!
After the hike, be sure to stop at La Cocina de Sole and get a massive burger! The food is amazing and just what is needed after a multiday trek with only backpacker food!
LEARN MORE | Hiking Cerro Castillo with our Hitchhiking Buddies
Salkantay Trek in Peru
- Time Needed: 5 days (though we did it in 3.. not recommended)
- Distance: 74 km or 46 miles
- Location: Near Machu Picchu in Peru
This is an alternative to the Inca trail. We did the Salkantay as a multi-day guided tour leading us to Machu Picchu, and are still dumbfounded when thinking of the views we experienced. The Salkantay trek is very difficult. As an easier and shorter alternative, many people hike the Inca Trail instead. Both lead up to a day spent at Machu Picchu, and in our opinion make the Machu Picchu experience a bit better!
Glacier Trek at Puerto Rio Tranquillo in Chile
- Time Needed: 4-6 hours
- Distance: Depends on how much fun you’re having!
- Location: Puerto Rio Tranquillo in Chile
While this isn’t necessarily a trek with an end destination involved, it is easily one of the most beautiful treks in the world. Trekking on a glacier is an experience everyone should have once in their lifetime! When doing this specific glacier trek, the company takes you out for 4+ hours, allowing you to use crampons and an ice ax, and even climb in and out of different glacier ice caves! The other couple on our tour even swam in the melted water of the glacier –something we were a bit too creeped out about to do!
Colca Canyon in Peru
- Time Needed: 2-4 days
- Distance: Depends on the route you take
- Location: Cañon del Colca and the Oasis Sangalle, Peru
Colca Canyon is the second deepest canyon in the world and is in fact twice as deep as the Grand Canyon in the United States. However, being to both, they are so totally different, so it’s really hard to compare the depths. Our experience in the Colca Canyon was flipped compared to most. You can hike the canyon as a multi-day trek on your own, or as a down and back — which is what we did, with five days of rest in the oasis at the bottom!
In talking with other hikers while we were at the oasis in Sangalle, they wished they had just simply done what we did to really enjoy the place. With that said, we recommend spending a couple of days in the oasis, not just to let your body rest, but to also be able to truly take in this beautiful place! This post has some great information on hiking Colca Canyon.
READ MORE | 5 Days in the Oasis Sangalle, Hiking the Colca Canyon
Like what you’re reading? Save it here! Saving this post shows us it’s something you like, and we can do more of them in the future!
The Best Hikes in North America
Old Rag in Shenandoah National Park, USA
- Time Needed: 5-7 hours
- Distance: 14.5 km or 9 miles
- Location: Virginia, USA
Shenandoah National Park is one of the prettiest national parks we’ve ever been to. so, it’s no wonder we’re including a hike there in the best treks in the world list! Head to Shenandoah in the fall to really see this park come to life. The trek itself is 9 miles of rather strenuous hiking. There is a lot of elevation gain and loads of scrambling over and under rocks!
Kalalau Trail on Napali Coast in Kauai, USA
- Time Needed: full day
- Distance: 22 miles round trip
- Location: Napali Coast, Kauai, Hawaii, USA
Follow the ridgeline, crossing streams and waterfalls with incredible views of the rugged Napali coastline. The color of the water here is unlike anything else! The hike is an out-and-back trek, meaning you hike out 11 miles, and back the same way for 11 miles. If you can snag a permit, make this an overnight trip, and enjoy the views at both sunset and sunrise too!
The Narrows in Zion National Park, USA
- Time Needed: a couple of hours to two days
- Distance: 16 miles point to point, however, only one mile of paved until walking up the river
- Location: Zion National Park, Utah, USA
This is easily the most popular hike in Zion National Park, and for a good reason. The Narrows is a paved hike for only one mile up to the Temple of Sinawava, from there, you wade in the actual Virgin River to hike The Narrows. This is where the hike gets epic. Sometimes wading in water that’s up to your waste, and other times barely getting your feet wet, The Narrows is for the adventurous souls!
The Virgin River carves its way through a canyon, sometimes only 22 feet wide! In doing the day hike of The Narrows, you’ll get a good understanding of this beautiful area, but if you can score a permit, doing an overnight trip from top-down through the 16 miles of The Narrows, is said to be well worth it. If you’re in great shape, you can also snag a permit and do the entire hike in 10-13 hours!
The Hoodoos in Bryce Canyon National Park, USA
- Time Needed: 2 – 3 hours
- Distance: 4.6 km or 2.9 miles
- Location: Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah, USA
Technically not called the Hoodoo hike, this hike is a combination of Navajo Trail and Queen’s Garden Trail. While part of the hike is closed in the winter months due to the freezing and falling of the rock formations, this is an incredible hike no matter how much of it you do! It’s a really easy hike, great for all ages and hiking abilities! Don’t miss out on sunrise and sunset over Bryce Canyon.
LEARN MORE | Two Nights in Bryce Canyon National Park
LEARN MORE | How to Take Epic Shots in Bryce Canyon National Park
Grinnell Glacier in Glacier National Park, USA
- Time Needed: All day
- Distance: 10 miles
- Location: 48.79705, -113.66856
An incredible hike, with steep terrain. Unreal views. A glacier. Which includes loads of wildlife–like grizzly bears, moose, mountain goats, and pika. You’re sure to have a great time out. Just be careful of the wildlife as they are wild, and don’t go unprepared. We saw too many people ill prepared without water, warm gear, or other essentials. Not sure how they faired at the end. But I know I wouldn’t want to be them afterwards. Because we were toast. Even being fully prepared and in decent shape.
Angels Landing in Zion National Park, USA
- Time Needed: 4 – 6 hours
- Distance: 8.7 km or 5.4 miles
- Location: Zion National Park, Utah, USA
With over 1,400 feet of elevation change in this short hike, it certainly makes it a strenuous one! Hike up the cliffs of Zion before reaching The Wiggles, a massive switchback system getting you to the near tops of the cliffs. Then, hike a path that’s only a few feet wide, with over 1,000-foot drops on both sides of you and a chain as your only sense of security. Once you reach the top, try to enjoy the views without thinking of the scary descent!
South Kaibab Trail at the Grand Canyon in Arizona, USA
- Time Needed: 2 – 4 hours
- Distance: 4.5 km or 2.8 miles
- Location: Grand Canyon, Arizona, USA
The South Kaibab Trail is on the far east side of the Grand Canyon. This trail can be done as a day hike, or combined with the Bright Angel Trail as an overnight hike, requiring a permit. Be sure to check the temperatures when doing this hike, as extreme temperatures have led to many rescues being done on the South Kaibab Trail. There’s no water on this hike, so be sure to pack your own, and if you’re up for it, get off the shuttle bus a bit early and walk some of the Rim Trail!
Fern Canyon in Redwood National Park, USA
- Time Needed: 1 – 2 hours
- Distance: 1.6 km or 1 mile + some if you combine with other trails
- Location: Redwoods National Park, California, USA
Fern Canyon in Redwood National Park is a gorgeous one-of-a-kind hike through a canyon covered in, well, ferns! There are five different species of ferns covering the canyon walls. The ferns combined with the creek and moss-covered rocks make this hike feel like you’re hiking with fairies. The trail has little elevation and is rather short, so most hikers can hike Fern Canyon. However, you do need to know access to the canyon can only be done with cars, no RVs are allowed on the road. Read more about the canyon here.
Best Hikes in Europe
Preikestolen in Norway
- Time Needed: 2 – 4 hours round trip, though better as an overnight
- Distance: 7.6 km or 4.7 miles round trip
- Location: Pulpit Rock, Norway
1,000 times better experienced as an overnight trip camping above Pulpit Rock, is a must when in Norway. In fact, many people travel to Norway just to do this hike. The trail can be extremely crowded, making you feel herded along like sheep. Instead, head out on the trail just before sunset, walking the trail in the best lighting, and then set up camp above Preikestolen to be awoken with views unlike anything else!
Camping at Preikestolen allows you to experience the rock before the hundreds, if not thousands of people that come each day. We can’t even begin to explain how amazing it was to have a cup of coffee watching the sunrise down the fjord with Pulpit Rock just below us!
Kjeragbolton in Norway
- Time Needed: 6 – 8 hours
- Distance: 12 km or 7.5 miles
- Location: Lysebotn, Norway
Oh, my land, one of the best treks in the world by a long shot. Kjeragbolton ranks in our top five hikes of all time! This is a strenuous hike at points, and really flat and easy at others. The hike traverses the top of a fjord, looking down the fjord for a good chunk of the hike. It’s super slippery when wet, and has multiple different points along the trail that use chains to help you up and down the rock face. An absolutely brilliant hike!
WATCH MORE | Hiking Kjeragbolton, Trail Conditions, Elevation, and More
Cinque Terre in Italy
- Time Needed: one full day to several days
- Distance: 11 km or 6.8 miles
- Location: Cinque Terre, Italy
Cinque Terre is a group of five cities on the Italian coastline just north of Pisa. The cities are linked together with a train system as well as a trail system. The trails are completely closed or partially closed many times throughout the year due to landslides and the trails literally falling into the ocean below!
Hiking throughout the five cities on partial trails can be done in a combination of purchasing train tickets to get you to the cities with trail closures. We spent five nights camping near Cinque Terre, exploring each of the five cities for about a day each.
READ MORE | A Week in Northern Italy — Cinque Terre, Pisa, and Florence
Tre Cime di Lavaredo in the Dolomites, Italy
- Time Needed: 3 – 4 hours
- Distance: 10 km or 6 miles
- Location: Dolomiti, Italy
This hike can be done as a day hike, and if that’s all the time you have, then totally do it! We ended up camping for a couple of nights at the base of Tre Cime at Lago d’Antorno, and then hiked up from there to do an overnighter around Tre Cime. This adds quite a bit of elevation and difficulty to the hike, but the trail is gorgeous! The actual Tre Cime trek is only 10 km, and is relatively flat if you do the trek counterclockwise.
Keep in mind, there is no water on this trek, except for that which is extremely overpriced at the Refugio in the parking area, and you have to pay for parking when driving to the Refugio to hike from there. All that to say, the hike boasts absolutely majestic views. Try and stick around for sunset if you’re not camping up there, as the colors on Tre Cime are fantastic!
Lago Di Braies in the Dolomites, Italy
- Time Needed: 1 – 2 hours
- Distance: 3.5 km or 2.2 miles circuit
- Location: Lago Di Braies, Dolomites, Italy
Lago Di Braies is a heavily visited place in the Dolomites. Thanks to Instagram photos overtaking the world, this place is quite popular not necessarily for those enjoying the nature of the place, but instead for those there for the gram. Do the world a favor and hike around this lake truly taking in the scenery instead of looking for every Instagram shot spot you can find.
The hike is relatively flat and goes around the entire lake. The views on all sides are just stunning, and you’ll even find bathrooms, picnic areas, and trash cans in a couple of different locations.
Reykjavegur Hot Springs in Iceland
- Time Needed: 3 – 4 hours including soaking time
- Distance: 6 km or 3.7 miles out and back
- Location: Reykjadalur Thermal River | Hveragerdi, Iceland
Thanks to our lovely hosts just down the road from here, we learned of this epic hike to a not-so-popular hot spring! Hiking for three kilometers, you’ll find yourself walking by steaming hot thermal pools — too hot to even touch, rolling hills, and in the winter, snow-covered trails. The hike leads you to a super private hot spring river. It’s romantic, beautiful, and not too touristy — the perfect kind of hot spring in Iceland!
Plitvice Lakes in Croatia
- Time Needed: 3 hours to all-day
- Distance: 3 km – 18 km trails
- Location: Plitvice Lakes National Park, Croatia
Many people head to Plitvice Lakes and only spend an hour there before jumping back on a tour bus and going to the next stop. Trust us, this is not the way to experience Plitvice Lakes. Camp nearby Plitvice, and plan an entire day hiking through their miles and miles of trails on eight different routes throughout the park! Pictures truly don’t do justice to Plitvice Lakes and all the beauty the park holds!
LEARN MORE | Your Complete Guide to Plitvice Lakes National Park
Alpi di Siusi in the Dolomites in Italy
- Time Needed: all dang day!
- Distance: endless miles and miles
- Location: Alpi di Siusi, Dolomites, Italy
This is the place where the background picture on our home page is from. It’s one of the most remarkable places on the planet, and we can’t recommend visiting Alpi di Siusi enough! Once arriving at Alpi di Siusi, you can follow different roads and trails, although, we recommend spending a full day just wandering around the largest alpine pasture in Europe!
If visiting in the winter months, then skiing instead of hiking is your option around Alpi di Siusi, and in the summer months, you can mountain bike, horseback ride, or simply walk all around. Regardless of when you go, it’s a site to see!
Best Hikes in the United Kingdom
The Quiraing in Scotland
- Time Needed: 2 – 4 hours
- Distance: 7 km or 4.5 miles + some for exploring rocks
- Location: Isle of Skye, Scotland, United Kingdom
This is one of our all-time favorite hikes in Scotland. When the weather is nice, you can see for miles and miles around. Many people simply hike to the first little viewpoint, with the super Instagrammed photo of the road leading to the Quiraing. However, the trail is best-experienced past that point and actually scrambling around the Quiraing itself! Absolutely brilliant views of Skye and the surrounding isles from here!
Hermaness Nature Reserve in Shetland
- Time Needed: 2 -3 hours
- Distance: 6.4 km or 4 miles round trip
- Location: Unst, Shetland, Scotland, United Kingdom
By far, our favorite nature reserve we’ve ever been to. Hermaness Nature Reserve is gorgeous! A boarded walkway leads you through bushes of heather, and sheep graze freely on both sides. After about two miles of easy walking, you start hearing sea birds chirping, and are soon greeted with spectacular sea views. Sit and watch the birds fly and nosedive into the water as the sun sets, then head back to the car park the same way you came.
The Best Treks in the World | Hiking in Africa
Trekking in the Sahara Desert, Morocco
While camel trekking in the Sahara Desert is an experience to have before you die, hiking in the Sahara is amazing too! There’s nothing quite like the quiet the desert brings. Sitting on top of Merzouga Dune staring at the rolling waves of sand at sunset is amazing!
Want More Travel Inspiration Across the Globe?
Drinking Around the World | Authentic Drinks to Have Across the Globe
Destination Guides | Photo Inspiration, Need to Know Info, and Travel Tips
Save This Post for Future Inspiration
