The World’s Greatest Multi-Day Hikes:

Tak­ing on one of the World’s great­est Mul­ti-Day hikes is no mean feat — but one that will not only see you not only con­quer the best peaks, paths and coast­lines on the plan­et, but immerse you in epic scenery, true adven­ture and life-chang­ing expe­ri­ences that push you — and nature — to the lim­it.

Rep­re­sent­ing the vest of wilder­ness adven­ture, mul­ti-day hikes offer an immer­sive expe­ri­ence through some of the world’s most breath­tak­ing land­scapes. Yet, seek­ing out these hikes, and know­ing what await you on the road ahead can be, at times, more chal­leng­ing than the treks them­selves. So to help you nav­i­gate the remote moun­tains, lush forests, unfor­get­table views and cul­tur­al encoun­ters that lie ahead, as well as pre­pare you for the miles, endurance and chal­lenges that await you on the road ahead, we’ve round­ed out a com­pre­hen­sive guide to the top 15 World’s Great­est Mul­ti-Day Hikes, to help you get the most out of, and con­quer these stun­ning jour­neys:

1.) Torres del Paine “O” Circuit (Chile, Patagonia): The Ultimate Patagonian Adventure

Overview: The Tor­res del Paine “O” Cir­cuit is one of the most breath­tak­ing and remote mul­ti-day treks in the world, cir­cling through the heart of Tor­res del Paine Nation­al Park in Chilean Patag­o­nia. This 130-kilo­me­ter (80-mile) route takes hik­ers through glac­i­er-fed rivers, wind-swept val­leys, ancient forests, and dra­mat­ic moun­tain pass­es, offer­ing a tru­ly immer­sive wilder­ness expe­ri­ence.

Unlike the more pop­u­lar “W” Trek, the “O” Cir­cuit loops around the back of the park, lead­ing to soli­tude, untouched land­scapes, and jaw-drop­ping vis­tas. The trek’s high­light is the John Gard­ner Pass, where hik­ers get their first breath­tak­ing view of the mas­sive Grey Glac­i­er, stretch­ing as far as the eye can see. Wildlife encoun­ters are com­mon, with gua­na­cos, con­dors, and even elu­sive pumas roam­ing the rugged ter­rain. Chal­leng­ing yet reward­ing, this trek is a must for expe­ri­enced hik­ers look­ing for an unpar­al­leled adven­ture in one of the world’s most stun­ning nation­al parks.

Dura­tion: The O Cir­cuit typ­i­cal­ly takes 7 to 10 days to com­plete, depend­ing on your pace and weath­er con­di­tions. Unlike the short­er W Trek (4–5 days), this full cir­cuit requires care­ful plan­ning and endurance.

Loca­tion: Tor­res del Paine Nation­al Park, Mag­a­l­lanes Region, Chilean Patag­o­nia.

How to Get There: The jour­ney begins by fly­ing into Pun­ta Are­nas (PUQ), Chile’s south­ern­most major air­port. From there, take a bus or rental car to Puer­to Natales (3–4 hours), the gate­way town to Tor­res del Paine. Most hik­ers spend a night in Puer­to Natales to gath­er sup­plies before tak­ing a 2‑hour bus ride to the park’s entrance, where the adven­ture begins.

Bud­get Esti­mate: While the hike itself is free, there are sev­er­al expens­es to con­sid­er:

• - Park entrance fee: ~$50 USD per per­son

• - Camp­ing fees & refu­gios: $10 – $120 USD per night (depend­ing on camp­site vs. lodge accom­mo­da­tion)

• - Food & sup­plies: $100 – $250 USD for the entire trek

• - Trans­porta­tion:

  • - Bus­es: ~$30 – $50 USD round trip from Puer­to Natales

  • - Flights to Pun­ta Are­nas: ~$200 – $600 USD (depend­ing on depar­ture loca­tion)

• - Guid­ed treks (option­al): $1,500 – $3,000 USD per per­son

Best View Spot: The John Gard­ner Pass offers the most jaw-drop­ping view of Grey Glac­i­er, one of the largest glac­i­ers in South Amer­i­ca. Reach­ing this high-alti­tude pass (1,200m / 3,940ft) pro­vides an incred­i­ble panoram­ic per­spec­tive of the icy expanse below, mak­ing it one of the most mem­o­rable moments of the trek.

Pho­tog­ra­phy Tips: Patagonia’s unpre­dictable weath­er and dra­mat­ic land­scapes make pho­tog­ra­phy a chal­lenge but also an oppor­tu­ni­ty for stun­ning shots. To cap­ture the best images, bring a weath­er-sealed cam­era or a high-qual­i­ty smart­phone with extra bat­ter­ies, as cold tem­per­a­tures drain bat­tery life quick­ly. Morn­ings and late after­noons offer the best light for land­scapes, while the gold­en glow on the Tor­res at sun­rise is one of the most icon­ic sights in the park. For cap­tur­ing the milky-blue glacial lakes and dra­mat­ic peaks, use a polar­iz­ing fil­ter to enhance col­ors and reduce glare. Pro­tect your gear from strong winds and rain with water­proof bags, and if shoot­ing long expo­sures, bring a light­weight tri­pod.

Best Time to Go: The best time to hike the Tor­res del Paine “O” Cir­cuit is dur­ing the Patag­on­ian sum­mer (Novem­ber to March) when the weath­er is milder, and the days are long (up to 17 hours of day­light). How­ev­er, strong winds and sud­den rain show­ers are com­mon year-round. The shoul­der sea­sons (Octo­ber & April) offer few­er crowds, but the risk of snow and extreme winds increas­es.

Expect­ed Weath­er:

• - Sum­mer (Nov – Mar): Day­time: 10–20°C (50–68°F), Night­time: 0–5°C (32–41°F)

• - Win­ter (May – Sept, not rec­om­mend­ed): Day­time: ‑5 to 5°C (23–41°F), Night­time: ‑10°C (14°F) or low­er

Patag­o­nia is known for its rapid­ly chang­ing weath­er, so always be pre­pared for wind, rain, and sud­den tem­per­a­ture drops.

Rec­om­mend­ed Gear:

• - Water­proof hik­ing boots with strong ankle sup­port

• - Lay­ered cloth­ing (meri­no wool base lay­ers, fleece, and a water­proof shell)

• - Gloves, hat, and buff for wind pro­tec­tion

• - High-qual­i­ty rain gear (jack­et & pants)

• - Sleep­ing bag rat­ed for cold tem­per­a­tures

• - Light­weight tent (if camp­ing inde­pen­dent­ly)

• - Trekking poles (essen­tial for steep and windy sec­tions)

• - Water fil­ter or purifi­ca­tion tablets (streams are clean, but purifi­ca­tion is rec­om­mend­ed)

• - Plen­ty of snacks and high-ener­gy foods

Top Tips for Com­plet­ing the Hike: Prepa­ra­tion is key to suc­cess­ful­ly com­plet­ing the O Cir­cuit, as harsh weath­er, long dis­tances, and remote ter­rain make this trek demand­ing. Book your camp­sites or refu­gios months in advance, as park reg­u­la­tions require reser­va­tions at des­ig­nat­ed sites. Train before­hand with endurance hikes car­ry­ing a full pack, as some days involve up to 10 hours of trekking through rugged ter­rain.

Weath­er in Patag­o­nia is infa­mous­ly unpre­dictable, so always be pre­pared for sud­den storms and extreme winds. Start your hik­ing days ear­ly to avoid unpre­dictable after­noon weath­er and allow flex­i­bil­i­ty for delays. Since wild camp­ing is pro­hib­it­ed, plan your dai­ly mileage care­ful­ly to reach the next des­ig­nat­ed camp­site. Last­ly, leave no trace—pack out all trash and respect the pris­tine envi­ron­ment of this spec­tac­u­lar nation­al park.

 

2.)  Everest Base Camp Trek (Nepal): A Journey to the Foot of the World’s Highest Peak

Overview: The Ever­est Base Camp (EBC) Trek is one of the most leg­endary mul­ti-day hikes on the plan­et, tak­ing adven­tur­ers through the heart of the Himalayas to the foot of Mount Ever­est (8,848m / 29,029ft). This icon­ic trek fol­lows ancient trade routes, Sher­pa vil­lages, and rugged moun­tain trails, offer­ing stun­ning views of Ever­est, Lhotse, Nuptse, and Ama Dablam.

Start­ing in Luk­la, the trail winds through Sagar­matha Nation­al Park, a UNESCO World Her­itage Site, pass­ing through the vibrant town of Nam­che Bazaar, Bud­dhist monas­ter­ies, and breath­tak­ing high-alti­tude land­scapes. The final push to Ever­est Base Camp (5,364m / 17,598ft) is both phys­i­cal­ly and men­tal­ly demand­ing, but the reward of stand­ing at the base of the world’s tallest peak makes every step worth­while.

This trek is more than just a hike—it’s a cul­tur­al, spir­i­tu­al, and phys­i­cal jour­ney into one of the most awe-inspir­ing regions on Earth.

Dura­tion: The Ever­est Base Camp Trek typ­i­cal­ly takes 12 to 14 days, includ­ing 8–10 days for ascent and acclima­ti­za­tion and 2–4 days for descent.

Loca­tion: Ever­est Region, Solukhum­bu Dis­trict, Nepal.

How to Get There: Most trekkers fly into Kathmandu’s Trib­hu­van Inter­na­tion­al Air­port (KTM). From there, take a scenic yet thrilling 30-minute flight to Luk­la (Ten­z­ing-Hillary Air­port), the gate­way to the trek. The alter­na­tive route is a long dri­ve to Jiri fol­lowed by an extend­ed trek to Luk­la, which adds 5–7 extra days.

Bud­get Esti­mate: The Ever­est Base Camp Trek can range from bud­get-friend­ly to lux­u­ry, depend­ing on how you trek:

• - Per­mits: $50 – $70 USD (Sagar­matha Nation­al Park & TIMS card)

• - Flights to Luk­la: $200 – $400 USD (round trip)

• - Accom­mo­da­tion (tea­hous­es): $5 – $20 USD per night

• - Food & drinks: $15 – $40 USD per day

• - Guide & porter (option­al but rec­om­mend­ed): $25 – $50 USD per day

• - Gear rental (if need­ed): $50 – $200 USD

• - Guid­ed pack­age tours (option­al): $1,200 – $3,500 USD

Best View Spot: Kala Patthar (5,545m / 18,192ft) is the best view­point of Mount Ever­est, offer­ing an unpar­al­leled sun­rise or sun­set view over the entire Himalayan range. Many trekkers hike here ear­ly in the morn­ing to wit­ness the first gold­en light hit­ting Everest’s peak.

Pho­tog­ra­phy Tips: The harsh, high-alti­tude light­ing can make pho­tog­ra­phy tricky, so bring­ing a polar­iz­ing fil­ter helps enhance con­trast and reduce glare. Ear­ly morn­ing and late after­noon pro­vide the best light, espe­cial­ly for cap­tur­ing Ever­est at sun­rise from Kala Patthar. Pro­tect your cam­era from dust and cold with a weath­er-sealed bag, and bring extra bat­ter­ies, as the freez­ing tem­per­a­tures drain pow­er quick­ly. A light­weight zoom lens is ide­al for cap­tur­ing both wide moun­tain vis­tas and close-up details of Sher­pa cul­ture.

Best Time to Go: The best time to trek to Ever­est Base Camp is dur­ing the pre-mon­soon (March-May) and post-mon­soon (Sep­tem­ber-Novem­ber) sea­sons. These months offer clear skies, sta­ble weath­er, and spec­tac­u­lar moun­tain views.

Expect­ed Weath­er:

• - Day­time (low­er alti­tudes): 10–20°C (50–68°F)

• - Day­time (high­er alti­tudes): ‑5 to 10°C (23–50°F)

• - Nights (above 4,000m): ‑10 to ‑20°C (14 to ‑4°F)

Rec­om­mend­ed Gear:

• - Insu­lat­ed hik­ing boots (water­proof & warm)

• - Down jack­et & ther­mal base lay­ers

• - Wind­proof & water­proof shell

• - Gloves, hat, and buff for cold and wind pro­tec­tion

• - Sun­glass­es & high-SPF sun­screen (strong UV expo­sure)

• - Sleep­ing bag (-10°C to ‑20°C rat­ed)

• - Trekking poles for steep sec­tions

• - Water purifi­ca­tion tablets or bot­tle

• - Ener­gy snacks & elec­trolytes

• - First aid kit (with alti­tude sick­ness med­ica­tion)

Top Tips for Com­plet­ing the Hike: Acclima­ti­za­tion is crit­i­cal to avoid alti­tude sick­ness, so fol­low the rec­om­mend­ed itin­er­ary with rest days in Nam­che Bazaar and Ding­boche. Hydrate con­stant­ly, eat carb-rich meals, and avoid alco­hol to help your body adjust. Start trekking ear­ly each day to avoid after­noon weath­er changes, and lis­ten to your body—if symp­toms of alti­tude sick­ness appear, descend imme­di­ate­ly.

Hir­ing a local guide and porter can enhance your expe­ri­ence, pro­vid­ing insights into Sher­pa cul­ture and reduc­ing phys­i­cal strain. Pack light but effi­cient­ly, as every extra kilo­gram mat­ters at high alti­tude. Last­ly, respect local tra­di­tions and the envi­ron­ment, fol­low­ing Leave No Trace prin­ci­ples.

 

3.) The Haute Route (France & Switzerland): A Classic Alpine Journey

Overview: The Haute Route is one of the most spec­tac­u­lar mul­ti-day treks in the world, link­ing Cha­monix, France, to Zer­matt, Switzer­land, across the heart of the Euro­pean Alps. This leg­endary trail spans approx­i­mate­ly 180 km (112 miles) and pass­es beneath ten of the high­est peaks in the Alps, includ­ing Mont Blanc (4,809m / 15,777ft) and the Mat­ter­horn (4,478m / 14,692ft).

Orig­i­nal­ly estab­lished as a ski-tour­ing route in the 19th cen­tu­ry, the sum­mer trekking route has become a buck­et-list adven­ture for moun­tain lovers. The trail winds through alpine mead­ows, dra­mat­ic glac­i­ers, remote val­leys, and charm­ing Swiss vil­lages, offer­ing breath­tak­ing views, chal­leng­ing ascents, and reward­ing descents.

Trekking the Haute Route is phys­i­cal­ly demand­ing, with numer­ous high-alti­tude pass­es exceed­ing 2,500m (8,200ft), but the stun­ning alpine scenery and the sense of achieve­ment make every step worth­while.

Dura­tion: The clas­sic Haute Route trek typ­i­cal­ly takes 10 to 14 days, depend­ing on pace and itin­er­ary. Some hik­ers opt for a short­er ver­sion (7–9 days) by tak­ing alter­na­tive routes or trans­port between cer­tain sec­tions.

Loca­tion: Starts in Cha­monix, France, and ends in Zer­matt, Switzer­land, tra­vers­ing the French and Swiss Alps.

How to Get There: Fly into Gene­va Inter­na­tion­al Air­port (GVA), then take a shut­tle, bus, or train to Cha­monix (1.5–2 hours), the start­ing point of the trek. After fin­ish­ing in Zer­matt, return via train to Gene­va, Zurich, or Milan for onward trav­el.

Bud­get Esti­mate: The Haute Route is mod­er­ate­ly expen­sive, as Switzer­land is one of the prici­est hik­ing des­ti­na­tions. You can expect to bud­get for the fol­low­ing:

• - Accom­mo­da­tion (moun­tain huts, hotels, or camp­ing): $40 – $150 USD per night

• - Meals (hut din­ners, packed lunch­es, and snacks): $20 – $50 USD per day

• - Trans­port (Gene­va to Cha­monix, Zer­matt to Gene­va): $50 – $150 USD

• - Per­mit & trail fees: Free (but some huts may require reservations/deposits)

• - Guid­ed tours (option­al): $2,500 – $4,500 USD for a full trek

Best View Spot: One of the most stun­ning view­points is the Col de Lou­vie (2,921m / 9,580ft), offer­ing a breath­tak­ing panoram­ic view over Mont Blanc, the Grand Com­bin, and the shim­mer­ing Lac de Lou­vie. Anoth­er icon­ic view­point is from the final descent into Zer­matt, where trekkers get an unfor­get­table first sight of the Mat­ter­horn tow­er­ing above the val­ley.

Pho­tog­ra­phy Tips: The crisp alpine air and dra­mat­ic land­scapes make for stun­ning pho­tog­ra­phy. Gold­en hour at sun­rise and sun­set offers the best light, espe­cial­ly from high pass­es like Col de Lou­vie. Use a wide-angle lens to cap­ture the vast moun­tain land­scapes, and a polar­iz­ing fil­ter to reduce glare from snow and glac­i­ers. Bring a light­weight tri­pod for night shots of the Milky Way over the Alps, and pro­tect your gear with a water­proof cov­er in case of sud­den weath­er changes.

Best Time to Go: The best time to trek the Haute Route is from mid-July to mid-Sep­tem­ber, when the snow has melt­ed from the high pass­es and the weath­er is most sta­ble. With the con­di­tions dur­ing this peri­od being:

• - July: Warmer tem­per­a­tures, few­er crowds, but some snow may still be present at high­er ele­va­tions.

• - August: Peak sea­son, busiest but best con­di­tions.

• - Sep­tem­ber: Cool­er, few­er hik­ers, and spec­tac­u­lar autumn col­ors.

Expect­ed Weath­er:

• - Day­time tem­per­a­tures: 10–25°C (50–77°F) in low­er val­leys, but can drop to 0–10°C (32–50°F) at high alti­tudes.

• - Night tem­per­a­tures: Can drop to below freez­ing at moun­tain huts.

• - Weath­er con­di­tions: High­ly unpredictable—expect sun, wind, rain, and even snow in a sin­gle day.

Rec­om­mend­ed Gear:

• - Stur­dy water­proof hik­ing boots (well bro­ken-in)

• - Light­weight, breath­able lay­ers for tem­per­a­ture changes

• - Insu­lat­ed jack­et for cold nights

• - Rain­proof jack­et and pants (essen­tial for Alpine weath­er)

• - Trekking poles for steep descents

• - Sun­glass­es & sun­screen (high UV expo­sure)

• - Water fil­ter or purifi­ca­tion tablets (refill at huts or streams)

• - Head­lamp for ear­ly morn­ing starts

• - Light­weight sleep­ing bag lin­er (huts pro­vide blan­kets)

Top Tips for Com­plet­ing the Hike: Prop­er train­ing and endurance are essen­tial, as the Haute Route involves over 12,000m (39,370ft) of ele­va­tion gain and loss. Book moun­tain huts in advance, espe­cial­ly dur­ing peak sea­son, as they fill up quick­ly. Hydrate often and car­ry snacks, as some sec­tions have long stretch­es with­out food options. Check the weath­er dai­ly, as storms can roll in sud­den­ly. Con­sid­er tak­ing cable cars or alter­nate routes if con­di­tions become dan­ger­ous.

4.)  John Muir Trail (USA, California): A Journey Through the Sierra Nevada

Overview: The John Muir Trail (JMT) is one of the most breath­tak­ing long-dis­tance hikes in the Unit­ed States, stretch­ing 211 miles (340 km) from Yosemite Val­ley to Mount Whit­ney in the Sier­ra Neva­da Moun­tains of Cal­i­for­nia. Named after the leg­endary nat­u­ral­ist John Muir, this trail tra­vers­es some of the most spec­tac­u­lar wilder­ness in Yosemite Nation­al Park, Kings Canyon Nation­al Park, and Sequoia Nation­al Park.

Hik­ers expe­ri­ence dra­mat­ic gran­ite cliffs, pris­tine alpine lakes, tow­er­ing sequoia forests, and high moun­tain pass­es, with ele­va­tions rang­ing from 4,000 feet (1,220m) to 14,505 feet (4,421m) at Mount Whit­ney, the high­est peak in the con­tigu­ous Unit­ed States. The JMT is renowned for its remote and rugged beau­ty, offer­ing soli­tude and a true wilder­ness adven­ture.

Dura­tion: The John Muir Trail typ­i­cal­ly takes 2 to 4 weeks to com­plete, depend­ing on fit­ness lev­el, pace, and resup­ply strat­e­gy. Most hik­ers aver­age 10–15 miles (16–24 km) per day, with some expe­ri­enced back­pack­ers com­plet­ing it in as few as 10 days.

Loca­tion: The trail runs north to south through the Sier­ra Neva­da Moun­tains of Cal­i­for­nia, start­ing in Yosemite Val­ley and end­ing at Mount Whit­ney, the high­est peak in the low­er 48 states.

How to Get There: Fly into San Fran­cis­co (SFO), Los Ange­les (LAX), or Reno (RNO), then take a bus or dri­ve to Yosemite Nation­al Park, the north­ern trail­head. At the end of the hike, exit via Whit­ney Por­tal and trav­el to Lone Pine, where you can take a bus or shut­tle back to your start­ing point or near­est major city.

Bud­get Esti­mate:

• - Per­mits (required for all hik­ers): Free, but a lot­tery sys­tem applies ($10 appli­ca­tion fee)

• - Food & resup­ply: $300 – $600 USD (depend­ing on mail drops or store pur­chas­es)

• - Camp­ing fees (if stay­ing in des­ig­nat­ed camp­grounds): $5 – $20 per night

• - Trans­porta­tion (to/from trail­heads): $50 – $200 USD

• - Gear (if pur­chas­ing new): $500 – $2,000 USD

Best View Spot: One of the most icon­ic views is from Forester Pass (13,200 feet / 4,023m), the high­est point on the offi­cial JMT. This sec­tion offers jaw-drop­ping panoram­ic views of the sur­round­ing Sier­ra wilder­ness. Anoth­er high­light is Evo­lu­tion Lake, where the reflec­tion of the sur­round­ing peaks at sun­rise or sun­set cre­ates an unfor­get­table scene.

Pho­tog­ra­phy Tips: The crys­tal-clear air and high-alti­tude light make for stun­ning pho­tog­ra­phy. Shoot ear­ly in the morn­ing or late in the after­noon for the best light­ing. A wide-angle lens cap­tures the vast land­scapes, while a tele­pho­to lens brings out details in the gran­ite cliffs and wildlife. Pro­tect your cam­era from dust and mois­ture, and car­ry extra bat­ter­ies, as charg­ing options are scarce.

Best Time to Go: The ide­al time to hike the John Muir Trail is July through Sep­tem­ber, when the snow has melt­ed from the high pass­es and the weath­er is most sta­ble. Dur­ing this peri­od, you can expect the fol­low­ing con­di­tions:

• - July: Wild­flower sea­son, lin­ger­ing snow at high ele­va­tions.

• - August: Peak sea­son, best trail con­di­tions, but more crowd­ed.

• - Sep­tem­ber: Cool­er tem­per­a­tures, few­er crowds, and stun­ning fall col­ors.

Expect­ed Weath­er:

• - Day­time tem­per­a­tures: 50–80°F (10–27°C), depend­ing on ele­va­tion.

• - Night tem­per­a­tures: Can drop below freez­ing at high­er ele­va­tions.

• - Weath­er con­di­tions: Gen­er­al­ly dry, but after­noon thun­der­storms are com­mon in sum­mer.

Rec­om­mend­ed Gear

• - Light­weight but stur­dy back­pack­ing tent

• - Warm sleep­ing bag (rat­ed to at least 20°F/-6°C)

• - Bear-proof food con­tain­er (required for Yosemite & Sequoia-Kings Canyon)

• - Light­weight stove and cook­ing gear

• - Trekking poles for sta­bil­i­ty on steep pass­es

• - Water fil­ter or purifi­ca­tion tablets

• - Sun pro­tec­tion (hat, sun­glass­es, sun­screen)

• - Good qual­i­ty, bro­ken-in hik­ing boots

Top Tips for Com­plet­ing the Hike: Train­ing before the hike is cru­cial, as the JMT involves mul­ti­ple high-alti­tude pass­es and over 47,000 feet (14,300m) of ele­va­tion gain. Apply for per­mits well in advance, as the lot­tery sys­tem is com­pet­i­tive. Plan resup­ply points care­ful­ly, as food avail­abil­i­ty is lim­it­ed. Accli­mate to the alti­tude by spend­ing a few days in Yosemite or Mam­moth Lakes before start­ing. Respect Leave No Trace prin­ci­ples, as the JMT is a pris­tine wilder­ness area.

5.) The Laugavegur Trail (Iceland): A Journey Through Fire and Ice

Overview: The Lau­gave­g­ur Trail is Iceland’s most famous mul­ti-day hike, stretch­ing 55 km (34 miles) from Land­man­nalau­gar to Þórsmörk. This epic trek takes you through some of the most diverse and sur­re­al land­scapes in the world, includ­ing lava fields, steam­ing hot springs, glacial rivers, snow-capped peaks, vol­canic craters, and lush green val­leys. The trail show­cas­es Iceland’s dra­mat­ic con­trasts, often described as walk­ing through a fan­ta­sy world shaped by fire and ice.

As a well-marked and mod­er­ate­ly chal­leng­ing trail, Lau­gave­g­ur is suit­able for most hik­ers with a rea­son­able lev­el of fit­ness. Many extend their jour­ney by con­tin­u­ing on the Fim­mvörðuháls Trail to Skó­gafoss, adding anoth­er 25 km (15 miles) of breath­tak­ing scenery.

Dura­tion: The Lau­gave­g­ur Trail typ­i­cal­ly takes 3 to 4 days to com­plete, depend­ing on pace and weath­er con­di­tions. Some expe­ri­enced hik­ers com­plete it in two days, but most take their time to soak in the land­scapes.

Loca­tion: The trail is locat­ed in the Ice­landic High­lands, con­nect­ing Land­man­nalau­gar and Þórsmörk, two of the country’s most stun­ning nat­ur­al areas.

How to Get There: Fly into Keflavík Inter­na­tion­al Air­port (KEF), then take a bus or dri­ve to Reyk­javík. From there, high­land bus­es run to Land­man­nalau­gar, the start­ing point of the trail. At the end of the hike in Þórsmörk, you can take a bus back to Reyk­javík or extend your trek to Skó­gafoss via the Fim­mvörðuháls Trail.

Bud­get Esti­mate:

• - Camp­ing fees/huts: $10 – $75 USD per night (huts must be booked in advance)

• - Bus trans­port (Reyk­javík to trail­head and back): $100 – $150 USD

• - Food and sup­plies: $50 – $100 USD (self-suf­fi­cient hik­ing rec­om­mend­ed)

• - Option­al guid­ed tour: $1,000 – $2,000 USD for a mul­ti-day guid­ed trek

Best View Spot: One of the most breath­tak­ing view­points is from Hrafntin­nusker, a high-alti­tude sec­tion with panoram­ic views of vol­canic land­scapes, glac­i­ers, and col­or­ful rhy­o­lite moun­tains. Anoth­er incred­i­ble view is Álf­ta­vatn Lake, where deep blue waters reflect the sur­round­ing rugged peaks.

Pho­tog­ra­phy Tips: The con­trast­ing col­ors of the vol­canic ter­rain, snow patch­es, and lush green val­leys make for stun­ning pho­tog­ra­phy. A wide-angle lens is ide­al for cap­tur­ing the vast land­scapes, while a polar­iz­ing fil­ter helps enhance the deep blues of lakes and rivers. The mid­night sun in sum­mer pro­vides soft gold­en light for breath­tak­ing sun­set and sun­rise shots. Car­ry a water­proof bag for your cam­era, as sud­den rain and riv­er cross­ings are com­mon.

Best Time to Go: The hik­ing sea­son for the Lau­gave­g­ur Trail is short, with the best months being late June to ear­ly Sep­tem­ber when the trail is free of snow, and moun­tain huts are open.

• - June – July: Long day­light hours, few­er crowds ear­ly in the sea­son.

• - August: Peak sea­son, with the best trail con­di­tions.

• - Sep­tem­ber: Few­er hik­ers, but weath­er becomes more unpre­dictable.

Expect­ed Weath­er:

• - Day­time tem­per­a­tures: 5–15°C (41–59°F)

• - Night tem­per­a­tures: Often drop close to freez­ing, even in sum­mer.

• - Weath­er con­di­tions: High­ly unpredictable—expect rain, strong winds, fog, and even snow at high­er ele­va­tions.

Rec­om­mend­ed Gear:

• - Water­proof and wind­proof jacket/pants (essen­tial in Iceland’s ever-chang­ing weath­er)

• - Stur­dy hik­ing boots (water­proof for riv­er cross­ings)

• - Warm lay­ers (meri­no wool or syn­thet­ic)

• - Light­weight sleep­ing bag (for huts or camp­ing)

• - Trekking poles (help­ful for riv­er cross­ings and steep sec­tions)

• - Gaiters (to keep out vol­canic ash and water)

• - Water­proof back­pack cov­er and dry bags

Top Tips for Com­plet­ing the Hike: The weath­er in Ice­land is noto­ri­ous­ly unpre­dictable, so be pre­pared for rain, strong winds, and sud­den tem­per­a­ture drops. Book moun­tain huts well in advance, as they fill up quick­ly in peak sea­son. Car­ry a GPS or offline map, as fog and mist can reduce vis­i­bil­i­ty. Riv­er cross­ings can be tricky, so bring trekking poles for sta­bil­i­ty. If con­tin­u­ing to Skó­gafoss via Fim­mvörðuháls, pre­pare for a longer, steep­er climb but even more incred­i­ble views.

6) The Overland Track (Australia, Tasmania): A Wilderness Adventure Through the Heart of Tasmania

Overview: The Over­land Track is Australia’s pre­mier mul­ti-day trek, span­ning 65 km (40 miles) through the heart of Tasmania’s Cra­dle Moun­tain-Lake St Clair Nation­al Park. This icon­ic wilder­ness hike takes adven­tur­ers through ancient rain­forests, alpine plateaus, glacial val­leys, and stun­ning water­falls, with the chance to spot wom­bats, echid­nas, and even Tas­man­ian dev­ils along the way.

This well-main­tained trail is mod­er­ate­ly chal­leng­ing, with the option to sum­mit side peaks like Cra­dle Moun­tain or Mount Ossa (Tasmania’s high­est peak at 1,617m / 5,305 ft). The trail ends at Lake St Clair, Australia’s deep­est fresh­wa­ter lake, where hik­ers can either walk the final sec­tion or take a fer­ry across.

Dura­tion: Most hik­ers com­plete the Over­land Track in 5 to 6 days, though fit and expe­ri­enced trekkers can fin­ish in as few as 4 days.

Loca­tion: The Over­land Track runs from Cra­dle Moun­tain to Lake St Clair, locat­ed in Cra­dle Moun­tain-Lake St Clair Nation­al Park, Tas­ma­nia, Aus­tralia.

How to Get There: Fly into Launce­s­ton (LST) or Hobart (HBA) Air­ports, then take a shut­tle or dri­ve to Cra­dle Moun­tain Vis­i­tor Cen­tre, the trail’s start­ing point. At the fin­ish, hik­ers can either walk or take the fer­ry across Lake St Clair before catch­ing a shut­tle or bus back to their start­ing loca­tion.

Bud­get Esti­mate:

• - Over­land Track Per­mit (manda­to­ry, peak sea­son): ~$200 USD per per­son

• - Accom­mo­da­tion in Launce­s­ton or Hobart (before/after hike): $50 – $150 per night

• - Fer­ry across Lake St Clair (option­al): ~$50 USD per per­son

• - Food and sup­plies: $100 – $200 for the trek

• - Trans­port to and from trail­heads: $50 – $100

Best View Spot: One of the most breath­tak­ing panora­mas is from Marion’s Look­out, offer­ing sweep­ing views of Cra­dle Moun­tain and Dove Lake. For those up for a chal­lenge, sum­mit­ing Mount Ossa pro­vides spec­tac­u­lar 360-degree views of Tasmania’s rugged wilder­ness.

Pho­tog­ra­phy Tips: The Over­land Track offers incred­i­ble diver­si­ty for pho­tog­ra­phy, from misty rain­forests and alpine lakes to dra­mat­ic moun­tain peaks. A wide-angle lens is best for cap­tur­ing the vast land­scapes, while a tele­pho­to lens helps with wildlife pho­tog­ra­phy. The soft morn­ing and evening light at Cra­dle Moun­tain and Pelion Gap cre­ate stun­ning gold­en-hour shots. Be pre­pared for rain and moisture—bring a water­proof cov­er for your cam­era.

Best Time to Go: The best time to hike the Over­land Track is between Octo­ber and May, when the weath­er is milder and trail con­di­tions are sta­ble. How­ev­er for those tak­ing on the hike out of sea­son, you can expect the fol­low­ing tem­per­a­tures:

• - Sum­mer (Dec – Feb): Warmest weath­er, longer day­light hours, but more crowd­ed.

• - Autumn (Mar – May): Beau­ti­ful autumn foliage, few­er hik­ers, unpre­dictable weath­er.

• - Spring (Oct – Nov): Wild­flow­ers bloom, cool­er tem­per­a­tures, few­er crowds.

• - Win­ter (Jun – Sept): Snow-cov­ered land­scapes but only for expe­ri­enced hik­ers with win­ter gear.

Expect­ed Weath­er:

• Sum­mer (Dec – Feb): 10–25°C (50–77°F), occa­sion­al rain and strong sun.

• Win­ter (Jun – Sept): ‑2 to 10°C (28–50°F), pos­si­ble snow and icy con­di­tions.

• Tasmania’s weath­er is high­ly unpre­dictable, with sud­den tem­per­a­ture drops, heavy rain, and strong winds pos­si­ble year-round.

Rec­om­mend­ed Gear:

• - Water­proof and wind­proof jack­et and pants (Tasmania’s rain is fre­quent)

• - Stur­dy, water­proof hik­ing boots (essen­tial for mud­dy and rocky sec­tions)

• - Warm lay­ers (meri­no wool or fleece)

• - Camp­ing stove and food sup­plies (no food is avail­able along the track)

• - Sleep­ing bag (rat­ed for below-freez­ing tem­per­a­tures in cold­er months)

• - Trekking poles (use­ful for uneven ter­rain and stream cross­ings)

• - Head­lamp with extra bat­ter­ies

Top Tips for Com­plet­ing the Hike: Pre­pare for all weath­er con­di­tions, even in sum­mer, as Tasmania’s cli­mate is famous­ly unpre­dictable. Book your Over­land Track per­mit well in advance (manda­to­ry in peak sea­son) and secure a spot in the huts if not car­ry­ing a tent. While the huts pro­vide basic shel­ter, car­ry­ing a tent is rec­om­mend­ed in case they are full. Pro­tect your food from wildlife—wombats and pos­sums are noto­ri­ous for raid­ing sup­plies. If tack­ling Mount Ossa, start ear­ly and watch for chang­ing weath­er at the sum­mit.

7) The Snowman Trek (Bhutan): The Ultimate Himalayan Challenge

Overview: The Snow­man Trek is often con­sid­ered one of the tough­est and most remote high-alti­tude treks in the world. Span­ning 200 miles (322 km) over 24–30 days, this epic jour­ney cross­es 11 moun­tain pass­es, many of which exceed 5,000 meters (16,400 feet) in ele­va­tion. The trail winds through Bhutan’s most iso­lat­ed Himalayan val­leys, offer­ing unpar­al­leled views of snow-capped peaks, glacial lakes, and Bud­dhist monas­ter­ies, while immers­ing trekkers in the country’s untouched cul­ture and tra­di­tion­al way of life.

The trek is not just about endurance—it is a spir­i­tu­al and cul­tur­al expe­ri­ence, tak­ing hik­ers through ancient vil­lages, yak pas­tures, and sacred dzongs (fortress­es), with a back­drop of some of the high­est unclimbed peaks in the world. Due to its extreme alti­tude and chal­leng­ing ter­rain, only a few hun­dred peo­ple attempt it each year, mak­ing it one of the least-trav­eled and most exclu­sive treks on the plan­et.

Dura­tion: The Snow­man Trek typ­i­cal­ly takes 24–30 days to com­plete, depend­ing on weath­er con­di­tions and acclima­ti­za­tion needs.

Loca­tion: The trek begins in Paro or Druk­gyel Dzong in west­ern Bhutan and tra­vers­es through the remote Laya and Lunana regions, end­ing at Sephu in cen­tral Bhutan.

How to Get There: Trav­el­ers must fly into Paro Inter­na­tion­al Air­port (PBH), Bhutan’s only inter­na­tion­al air­port. Flights are lim­it­ed and oper­at­ed only by Bhutanese air­lines. Entry into Bhutan requires a gov­ern­ment-approved tour pack­age that includes per­mits, guides, and logis­tics. From Paro, trekkers trav­el to the start­ing point at Druk­gyel Dzong by vehi­cle before begin­ning the trek.

Bud­get Esti­mate:

• - Manda­to­ry Bhutan visa & gov­ern­ment dai­ly tar­iff: ~$250–350 USD per day (includes accom­mo­da­tion, meals, and guide ser­vices)

• - Trekking per­mits & logis­tics: ~$1,000+ USD for the Snow­man Trek

• - Round-trip flights to Bhutan: $600 – $1,500 USD (depend­ing on depar­ture loca­tion)

• - Gear and equip­ment rental (if need­ed): $200 – $500 USD

• - Option­al tips for guides & sup­port staff: ~$100 – $300 USD

Best View Spot: The most stun­ning view­points include Gangla Karchung Pass (5,120m / 16,800 ft), Jichu Drake Base Camp, and Thanza, where hik­ers can gaze upon the mas­sive peaks of Gangkhar Puen­sum (7,570m / 24,836 ft)—the high­est unclimbed moun­tain in the world.

Pho­tog­ra­phy Tips: The Snow­man Trek offers some of the most breath­tak­ing high-alti­tude land­scapes on Earth. Bring a tele­pho­to lens for cap­tur­ing dis­tant peaks and wildlife, and a wide-angle lens to show­case vast Himalayan panora­mas. Ear­ly morn­ing and late after­noon light cre­ate the best con­trast on glac­i­ers and moun­tain ridges, while misty val­leys and col­or­ful Bhutanese prayer flags add depth to cul­tur­al shots. Cold tem­per­a­tures and alti­tude can drain bat­ter­ies quick­ly, so car­ry extra pow­er banks.

Best Time to Go: The best time to attempt the Snow­man Trek is in late Sep­tem­ber to mid-Octo­ber, when the weath­er is most sta­ble, and the skies are clear­est.

• - Spring (April – May): Warmer tem­per­a­tures, bloom­ing rhodo­den­drons, but more unpre­dictable weath­er.

• - Autumn (Sept – Oct): Best vis­i­bil­i­ty, sta­ble weath­er, and mild tem­per­a­tures.

• - Win­ter (Nov – March): Not rec­om­mend­ed due to extreme cold and heavy snow­fall block­ing pass­es.

• - Mon­soon (June – Aug): Not rec­om­mend­ed due to heavy rains, land­slides, and leech­es in low­er regions.

Expect­ed Weath­er

• Day­time: 5°C – 15°C (41°F – 59°F) at low­er ele­va­tions, but much cold­er at high­er alti­tudes.

• Night­time: ‑10°C to ‑25°C (14°F to ‑13°F), with strong winds and occa­sion­al snow­fall at high pass­es.

Rec­om­mend­ed Gear:

• - Four-sea­son tent and high-alti­tude sleep­ing bag (rat­ed to ‑20°C/-4°F or low­er)

• - Water­proof and insu­lat­ed boots for rough ter­rain and snow

• - Lay­ered cloth­ing sys­tem (ther­mal base lay­ers, fleece, and down jack­et)

• - High-SPF sun­screen, sun­glass­es, and lip balm (intense UV expo­sure at alti­tude)

• - Trekking poles for steep and icy sec­tions

• - Water purifi­ca­tion tablets or a fil­tra­tion sys­tem

• - Oxy­gen can­is­ter or alti­tude sick­ness med­ica­tion (if nec­es­sary)

Top Tips for Com­plet­ing the Hike: Acclima­ti­za­tion is critical—spend extra days at high­er alti­tudes to pre­vent alti­tude sick­ness. Trek with an expe­ri­enced guide and sup­port team, as the remote nature of the trail means no road access or res­cue options for most of the route. Train well in advance, focus­ing on car­dio, endurance, and high-alti­tude hik­ing expe­ri­ence. Bhutan’s strict tourism reg­u­la­tions require an orga­nized trekking per­mit, so book your trek months in advance. Final­ly, embrace the cul­tur­al aspect of the journey—interact with local yak herders, monks, and vil­lagers who call this remote region home.

8.) The Great Hikes of New Zealand:

New Zealand’s beau­ty lends itself to not one, but a mul­ti­tude of incred­i­ble mul­ti-day hikes, with the nine great hikes of New Zealand undoubt­ed­ly being the sta­ple of inter­na­tion­al mul­ti-day hik­ing. Whilst being a favourite is very much a mat­ter of per­son­al choice, we’ve round­ed out our three favorites of the great nine hikes ;

8.1: Milford Track (New Zealand): The Finest Walk in the World

Overview: The Mil­ford Track is often hailed as the finest walk in the world, and for good rea­son. This 53.5 km (33.2 miles) trek through Fiord­land Nation­al Park is a spec­tac­u­lar jour­ney across lush rain­forests, alpine pass­es, glacial val­leys, and cas­cad­ing water­falls, cul­mi­nat­ing at the breath­tak­ing Mil­ford Sound. The well-main­tained trail fol­lows in the foot­steps of ear­ly explor­ers and offers hik­ers a mix of serene lakes, sus­pen­sion bridges, and dra­mat­ic fjord views.

Along the way, trekkers encounter stun­ning high­lights, includ­ing Clin­ton Val­ley, Mack­in­non Pass (1,154m / 3,786 ft), and Suther­land Falls (580m / 1,903 ft)—one of the tallest water­falls in New Zealand. The trail is one-way only, mean­ing hik­ers expe­ri­ence a true wilder­ness adven­ture with min­i­mal crowds and an immer­sive back­coun­try expe­ri­ence.

Dura­tion: The Mil­ford Track takes 4 days and 3 nights to com­plete, fol­low­ing a set itin­er­ary that includes des­ig­nat­ed huts for overnight stays.

Loca­tion: The trek is locat­ed in Fiord­land Nation­al Park, South Island, New Zealand, start­ing at Glade Wharf near Te Anau and end­ing at Sand­fly Point in Mil­ford Sound.

How to Get There: Trekkers must trav­el to Te Anau, the gate­way to Fiord­land Nation­al Park. The jour­ney typ­i­cal­ly involves fly­ing into Queen­stown Air­port (ZQN), then tak­ing a bus or rental car (2–3 hours) to Te Anau. From there, hik­ers board a boat across Lake Te Anau to Glade Wharf, where the trek begins. At the end of the hike, a boat from Sand­fly Point trans­ports trekkers to Mil­ford Sound, where they can catch a bus back to Te Anau or Queen­stown.

Bud­get Esti­mate:

• - Mil­ford Track Hut Pass (required for all hik­ers): $78 NZD per night (Great Walk sea­son)

• - Boat trans­port (Te Anau to trail­head & Sand­fly Point to Mil­ford Sound): $100 – $150 NZD

• - Shut­tle trans­port back to Te Anau/Queenstown: $50 – $100 NZD

• - Accom­mo­da­tion in Te Anau (before/after the trek): $50 – $200 NZD per night

• - Food and sup­plies for 4 days: $50 – $100 NZD

Best View Spot: The most breath­tak­ing view­point is Mack­in­non Pass, where hik­ers are reward­ed with jaw-drop­ping panoram­ic views of glacial val­leys and jagged peaks. Anoth­er incred­i­ble sight is Suther­land Falls, which plunges 580 meters (1,903 feet) from a glac­i­er-fed lake above.

Pho­tog­ra­phy Tips: Cap­tur­ing the beau­ty of the Mil­ford Track requires ver­sa­til­i­ty and prepa­ra­tion. A wide-angle lens is best for expan­sive fjord land­scapes, while a tele­pho­to lens helps frame dis­tant water­falls and wildlife. Rain is com­mon, so bring a water­proof cam­era cov­er or dry bag to pro­tect your gear. The misty morn­ings cre­ate ethe­re­al light­ing, per­fect for atmos­pher­ic rain­for­est shots. Be sure to arrive ear­ly at Mack­in­non Pass for sun­rise, when the gold­en light illu­mi­nates the moun­tains in a mag­i­cal glow.

Best Time to Go: The best time to hike the Mil­ford Track is dur­ing the Great Walks sea­son (late Octo­ber to April) when the trail is open, huts are staffed, and the weath­er is more sta­ble.

• - Spring (Oct – Nov): Lush land­scapes and bloom­ing wild­flow­ers, but cool­er tem­per­a­tures.

• - Sum­mer (Dec – Feb): Warmest weath­er with long day­light hours, but also the busiest sea­son.

• - Autumn (Mar – Apr): Few­er crowds, crisp air, and vibrant foliage.

• - Win­ter (May – Sept): Not rec­om­mend­ed due to high avalanche risk, harsh weath­er, and lim­it­ed ser­vices.

Expect­ed Weath­er: Fiord­land is one of the wettest places on Earth, with an annu­al rain­fall of up to 7,000 mm (275 inch­es). Expect rain on most days, but also moments of stun­ning sun­shine.

• - Day­time tem­per­a­tures: 10°C – 20°C (50°F – 68°F) in sum­mer.

• - Night­time tem­per­a­tures: 0°C – 10°C (32°F – 50°F), cool­er at high­er ele­va­tions.

• - Rain­fall: Fre­quent show­ers and mist, espe­cial­ly in the val­leys.

Rec­om­mend­ed Gear:

• - Water­proof hik­ing boots (essen­tial for mud­dy sec­tions)

• - Light­weight, mois­ture-wick­ing cloth­ing (avoid cot­ton)

• - Water­proof rain jack­et & pants (a must for Fiordland’s wet cli­mate)

• - Warm fleece or down jack­et for cool­er evenings

• - Hik­ing poles for riv­er cross­ings and steep descents

• - Quick-dry tow­el & biodegrad­able soap for hut stays

• - Plen­ty of snacks & high-ener­gy food (no food is pro­vid­ed in huts)

• - Bug repel­lent (Sand­flies can be relent­less at low­er ele­va­tions)

Top Tips for Com­plet­ing the Hike: Due to its pop­u­lar­i­ty, Mil­ford Track hut book­ings sell out months in advance, so reserve your spot ear­ly. Since the region is extreme­ly wet, water­proof every­thing, includ­ing your back­pack. Start each day ear­ly to max­i­mize day­light and enjoy qui­eter trails before oth­er hik­ers arrive. Be pre­pared for sud­den weath­er changes, as sun­shine can quick­ly turn into heavy rain and strong winds. Last­ly, soak in the experience—listen to the water­falls, breathe in the fresh rain­for­est air, and embrace the mag­ic of Fiord­land.

8.2: Routeburn Track (New Zealand): A High-Alpine Adventure

Overview: The Route­burn Track is one of New Zealand’s Great Walks, offer­ing breath­tak­ing alpine scenery, pris­tine rivers, cas­cad­ing water­falls, and stun­ning val­ley views. This 33 km (20.5 miles) trail con­nects Fiord­land and Mount Aspir­ing Nation­al Parks, wind­ing through lush beech forests, glacial val­leys, and rugged moun­tain ridges. The track is famous for its diverse land­scapes, rang­ing from mir­ror-like alpine lakes to dra­mat­ic peaks and water­falls.

One of the high­lights of the trek is Har­ris Sad­dle (1,255m / 4,117 ft), where hik­ers are reward­ed with sweep­ing views of the Dar­ran Moun­tains and Route­burn Val­ley. With well-main­tained trails and back­coun­try huts, the Route­burn Track is a per­fect mix of chal­lenge and acces­si­bil­i­ty, mak­ing it one of the world’s most spec­tac­u­lar mul­ti-day hikes.

Dura­tion: The Route­burn Track typ­i­cal­ly takes 2 to 3 days to com­plete, depend­ing on pace and overnight stays. Most hik­ers break the jour­ney into two nights, stay­ing in huts or camp­sites along the way.

Loca­tion: The Route­burn Track is locat­ed in Fiord­land and Mount Aspir­ing Nation­al Parks on New Zealand’s South Island, run­ning between the Route­burn Shel­ter (near Glenorchy) and The Divide (near Te Anau).

How to Get There: Since the Route­burn Track is a one-way trail, trans­port must be arranged for the start and fin­ish. Most hik­ers fly into Queen­stown Air­port (ZQN) and trav­el to Glenorchy (1‑hour dri­ve), where the Route­burn Shel­ter marks the begin­ning of the trail. At the end of the hike, The Divide is locat­ed 85 km from Te Anau. Shut­tle ser­vices oper­ate between Queen­stown, Glenorchy, and Te Anau to help hik­ers com­plete the loop.

Bud­get Esti­mate:

• - Hut fees (Great Walk sea­son): $78 NZD per night

• - Camp­ing fees: $30 NZD per night

• - Trans­port between trail­heads: $50 – $150 NZD

• - Accom­mo­da­tion in Queenstown/Te Anau (before or after hike): $50 – $200 per night

• - Food and sup­plies for 2–3 days: $40 – $80 NZD

Best View Spot: The Har­ris Sad­dle view­point pro­vides unpar­al­leled panoram­ic views of Lake Har­ris, the Hol­ly­ford Val­ley, and dis­tant snow­capped peaks. Anoth­er incred­i­ble sight is Ear­land Falls, a 174-meter (570-ft) water­fall cas­cad­ing down the rugged cliffs along the track.

Pho­tog­ra­phy Tips: A wide-angle lens is best for cap­tur­ing the expan­sive alpine land­scapes, espe­cial­ly at Har­ris Sad­dle. The track’s var­ied ter­rain offers stun­ning con­trasts, from lush forests to open ridge­lines, so adjust expo­sure set­tings accord­ing­ly. Morn­ings often bring low-hang­ing mist in the val­leys, adding a dreamy atmos­phere to pho­tos. If hik­ing in autumn, the gold­en foliage cre­ates a spec­tac­u­lar col­or con­trast against the deep blue lakes and green alpine mead­ows.

Best Time to Go: The best time to hike the Route­burn Track is between late Octo­ber and April, when the weath­er is more sta­ble and the huts are open.

• - Spring (Oct – Nov): Snow may still be present on high­er sec­tions, but few­er crowds and vibrant green val­leys make it a beau­ti­ful time to hike.

• - Sum­mer (Dec – Feb): Warmer weath­er, long day­light hours, and peak hik­ing sea­son.

• - Autumn (Mar – Apr): Few­er crowds, stun­ning gold­en hues, and cool­er tem­per­a­tures.

• - Win­ter (May – Sept): Not rec­om­mend­ed unless expe­ri­enced, as avalanch­es, snow, and extreme weath­er make the track haz­ardous.

Expect­ed Weath­er: The Route­burn Track is in an alpine envi­ron­ment, mean­ing the weath­er can change sud­den­ly. Expect rain on most days, with cold tem­per­a­tures at night.

• - Day­time tem­per­a­tures: 10°C – 20°C (50°F – 68°F) in sum­mer.

• - Night­time tem­per­a­tures: 0°C – 10°C (32°F – 50°F), with poten­tial frost in high­er ele­va­tions.

• - Rain­fall: Fre­quent rain and strong winds, espe­cial­ly near Har­ris Sad­dle.

Rec­om­mend­ed Gear:

• - Water­proof hik­ing boots (essen­tial for riv­er cross­ings and mud­dy sec­tions)

• - Mois­ture-wick­ing lay­ers & ther­mal base lay­ers for warmth

• - Water­proof jack­et & pants (nec­es­sary for Fiordland’s unpre­dictable rain)

• - Warm hat & gloves (tem­per­a­tures can drop, even in sum­mer)

• - Plen­ty of high-ener­gy snacks & meals (no food is avail­able in huts)

• - Bug repel­lent (sand­flies are com­mon in val­leys)

Top Tips for Com­plet­ing the Hike: Due to high demand, huts and camp­sites book out months in advance, so secure your spot ear­ly. Since the track is a point-to-point hike, arrange trans­port before start­ing. Start each hik­ing day ear­ly to avoid after­noon rain show­ers, which are com­mon in Fiord­land. Pre­pare for unpre­dictable weath­er, as con­di­tions can shift from sun­ny to stormy with­in min­utes. Final­ly, take your time at Har­ris Saddle—the views are among the most breath­tak­ing in New Zealand.

8.3: Kepler Track (New Zealand): A Spectacular Alpine Loop

Overview: The Kepler Track is one of New Zealand’s Great Walks, offer­ing a stun­ning mul­ti-day loop through Fiord­land Nation­al Park. This 60 km (37-mile) trek takes hik­ers across moun­tain ridges, through lush beech forests, past lime­stone for­ma­tions, and along­side pris­tine lakes and rivers. Unlike oth­er his­toric trails in Fiord­land, the Kepler Track was pur­pose-built to show­case the area’s best land­scapes, mak­ing it one of the most scenic and well-struc­tured hikes in New Zealand.

One of the stand­out sec­tions of the hike is the ridge walk between Lux­more Hut and Iris Burn Hut, where hik­ers enjoy panoram­ic views of Lake Te Anau, Mount Lux­more, and the rugged Kepler Moun­tains. With well-main­tained trails, cozy back­coun­try huts, and a well-planned route, the Kepler Track pro­vides a per­fect bal­ance of chal­lenge and acces­si­bil­i­ty for hik­ers look­ing to expe­ri­ence New Zealand’s back­coun­try.

Dura­tion: Most hik­ers com­plete the Kepler Track in 3 to 4 days, depend­ing on their pace and hut avail­abil­i­ty. The route is a loop, so there’s no need to arrange trans­port to dif­fer­ent trail­heads.

Loca­tion: The Kepler Track is locat­ed in Fiord­land Nation­al Park on New Zealand’s South Island, start­ing and end­ing at the Kepler Track Car Park, near Te Anau.

How to Get There: Most hik­ers fly into Queen­stown Air­port (ZQN) and take a 2‑hour dri­ve or bus ride to the town of Te Anau, the gate­way to Fiord­land Nation­al Park. The Kepler Track begins just out­side of Te Anau, with the Kepler Track Car Park and the Con­trol Gates mark­ing the offi­cial trail­head. Shut­tle ser­vices are avail­able for those need­ing trans­port to and from town.

Bud­get Esti­mate:

• - Hut fees (Great Walk sea­son): $78 NZD per night

• - Camp­ing fees: $30 NZD per night

• - Accom­mo­da­tion in Te Anau (before/after hike): $50 – $200 per night

• - Food and sup­plies for 3–4 days: $60 – $120 NZD

• - Trans­port to Te Anau: $50 – $100 NZD (bus or rental car)

Best View Spot: The ridge­line between Lux­more Hut and Iris Burn Hut offers incred­i­ble panoram­ic views of Lake Te Anau, the sur­round­ing Fiord­land moun­tains, and the vast wilder­ness beyond. Anoth­er must-see is the view from Mount Lux­more Sum­mit (1,472m / 4,829 ft), which can be reached via a short detour from the main trail.

Pho­tog­ra­phy Tips: The Kepler Track’s ridge sec­tions pro­vide some of the best alpine pho­tog­ra­phy oppor­tu­ni­ties in New Zealand, espe­cial­ly at sun­rise and sun­set. Car­ry a wide-angle lens to cap­ture the sweep­ing moun­tain vis­tas. If hik­ing in autumn (March – May), the gold­en hues of the beech forests cre­ate a stun­ning con­trast against the deep blue waters of Lake Te Anau. Wildlife enthu­si­asts should keep a cam­era ready for kea (alpine par­rots), New Zealand fal­cons, and glow­worms in lime­stone caves near Lux­more Hut.

Best Time to Go: The best time to hike the Kepler Track is between late Octo­ber and April, when the huts are open, and the trail is clear of heavy snow.

• - Spring (Oct – Nov): Cool tem­per­a­tures, few­er crowds, and lush green val­leys.

• - Sum­mer (Dec – Feb): Warmest weath­er, long day­light hours, and peak hik­ing sea­son.

• - Autumn (Mar – Apr): Few­er hik­ers, beau­ti­ful gold­en beech forests, and cool­er tem­per­a­tures.

• - Win­ter (May – Sept): Not rec­om­mend­ed unless expe­ri­enced, as the alpine ridges can be cov­ered in deep snow and ice.

Expect­ed Weath­er: Fiord­land Nation­al Park is known for unpre­dictable weath­er, with fre­quent rain, strong winds, and cold tem­per­a­tures, even in sum­mer.

• - Day­time tem­per­a­tures: 10°C – 20°C (50°F – 68°F) in sum­mer.

• - Night­time tem­per­a­tures: 0°C – 10°C (32°F – 50°F), with frost pos­si­ble at high­er ele­va­tions.

• - Rain­fall: Fre­quent rain, par­tic­u­lar­ly near Iris Burn Val­ley.

Rec­om­mend­ed Gear:

• - Stur­dy water­proof hik­ing boots (nec­es­sary for wet and mud­dy sec­tions)

• - Mois­ture-wick­ing base lay­ers & ther­mal cloth­ing

• - Water­proof jack­et & pants (essen­tial for Fiordland’s unpre­dictable rain)

• - Hat & gloves (cold tem­per­a­tures at night, even in sum­mer)

• - Plen­ty of high-ener­gy snacks & light­weight meals

• - Bug repel­lent (sand­flies are com­mon in low­er val­leys)

Top Tips for Com­plet­ing the Hike: Book your huts months in advance, as they fill up quick­ly dur­ing peak sea­son. Start ear­ly each day to avoid after­noon rain, which is com­mon in Fiord­land. If pos­si­ble, hike coun­ter­clock­wise for an eas­i­er final day, as the descent from Iris Burn Hut is long and steep. Pre­pare for chang­ing weath­er con­di­tions, as Fiordland’s alpine cli­mate can shift sud­den­ly. Last­ly, take your time on the ridge­line section—the views are among the best of any Great Walk in New Zealand.

9.) GR20 (Corsica, France): Europe’s Toughest Long-Distance Trek

Overview: The GR20 is often con­sid­ered Europe’s most chal­leng­ing long-dis­tance trek, stretch­ing 180 km (112 miles) from Calen­zana in the north to Con­ca in the south. This epic route cross­es the rugged spine of Cor­si­ca, fea­tur­ing dra­mat­ic moun­tain ridges, steep ascents, and breath­tak­ing land­scapes. The trail is a true test of endurance, requir­ing tech­ni­cal scram­bling, riv­er cross­ings, and nav­i­gat­ing Corsica’s wild ter­rain.

Despite its dif­fi­cul­ty, the GR20 is also one of the most reward­ing treks in the world. Hik­ers are treat­ed to jagged gran­ite peaks, alpine lakes, water­falls, and lush forests, all while expe­ri­enc­ing Corsica’s unique blend of French and Ital­ian cul­ture. Basic refuges and moun­tain huts pro­vide accom­mo­da­tion along the route, offer­ing a rus­tic yet authen­tic trekking expe­ri­ence.

Dura­tion: The GR20 takes approx­i­mate­ly 15 days to com­plete, though expe­ri­enced hik­ers may fin­ish in 12–14 days. The trek is divid­ed into two sec­tions:

• - North­ern sec­tion (Calen­zana to Viz­za­vona): The more dif­fi­cult half, fea­tur­ing steep ascents, exposed ridges, and tech­ni­cal scram­bles.

• - South­ern sec­tion (Viz­za­vona to Con­ca): Slight­ly eas­i­er, with rolling hills, pine forests, and few­er tech­ni­cal sec­tions.

Loca­tion: The GR20 runs north to south through Cor­si­ca, start­ing in Calen­zana (near Calvi) and end­ing in Con­ca (near Por­to-Vec­chio).

How to Get There: Most hik­ers fly into Bas­tia-Poret­ta Air­port (BIA) or Calvi Air­port (CLY) and take a bus or taxi to Calen­zana, the north­ern trail­head. Those start­ing in the south can fly into Figari Air­port (FSC) and trav­el to Con­ca. Viz­za­vona, the mid­point of the trek, has a train sta­tion con­nect­ing to Bas­tia and Ajac­cio for those hik­ing only half the trail.

Bud­get Esti­mate:

• - Moun­tain refuge stays: €15 – €25 per night

• - Camp­ing fees: €6 – €10 per night (if camp­ing near refuges)

• - Food (hut meals or sup­plies): €10 – €20 per day

• - Trans­port to trail­head (bus/taxi): €10 – €50

• - Option­al bag­gage trans­port (for those not car­ry­ing a full pack): €100 – €150 for the entire trek

Best View Spot: The Cirque de la Soli­tude (though now bypassed due to safe­ty con­cerns) and the Asco-Stag­nu to Tigh­jet­tu sec­tion offer some of the most jaw-drop­ping alpine scenery in Cor­si­ca. Anoth­er must-see view­point is the Boc­ca di Pal­mente, where hik­ers can see all the way to the Mediter­ranean Sea on a clear day.

Pho­tog­ra­phy Tips: The GR20 offers stun­ning land­scape pho­tog­ra­phy, from rugged gran­ite peaks to emer­ald-green alpine lakes. The best light­ing occurs at sun­rise and sun­set, par­tic­u­lar­ly from high moun­tain pass­es like Boc­ca Pic­ca­ia. Car­ry a light­weight zoom lens to cap­ture both dis­tant peaks and close-up details of Corsica’s unique rock for­ma­tions. Be pre­pared for harsh light­ing at mid­day and con­sid­er using a polar­iz­ing fil­ter to reduce glare from rocks and water.

Best Time to Go: The best months to hike the GR20 are June to Sep­tem­ber, when snow has melt­ed from high pass­es and refuges are open.

• - June: Cool­er tem­per­a­tures, few­er hik­ers, but lin­ger­ing snow in high sec­tions.

• - July – August: Peak sea­son, warmer weath­er, but crowd­ed huts and busy trails.

• - Sep­tem­ber: Few­er crowds, pleas­ant weath­er, but short­er day­light hours.

• - Octo­ber – May: Not rec­om­mend­ed due to snow and dan­ger­ous con­di­tions in high-alti­tude areas.

Expect­ed Weath­er: Corsica’s moun­tain cli­mate is unpre­dictable, with intense sun, strong winds, and sud­den storms.

• - Sum­mer day­time: 15°C – 30°C (59°F – 86°F), but cool­er at high­er alti­tudes.

• - Night­time: 5°C – 15°C (41°F – 59°F), with frost pos­si­ble in ear­ly sum­mer.

• - Rain­fall: Sud­den thun­der­storms, espe­cial­ly in the after­noons.

Rec­om­mend­ed Gear:

• - Stur­dy, well-bro­ken-in hik­ing boots (many rocky sec­tions)

• - Trekking poles (essen­tial for steep ascents and descents)

• - Light­weight sleep­ing bag (for stay­ing in refuges)

• - Plen­ty of snacks and high-ener­gy food (food sup­plies are lim­it­ed at huts)

• - Sun pro­tec­tion (hat, sun­glass­es, sun­screen)

• - Water purifi­ca­tion tablets (streams are com­mon, but not always safe to drink)

• - Climb­ing gloves (use­ful for grip­ping chains and rocks in scram­bling sec­tions)

Top Tips for Com­plet­ing the Hike: The GR20 is phys­i­cal­ly demand­ing, so train with a loaded back­pack before attempt­ing it. Start ear­ly each day to avoid after­noon heat and thun­der­storms. Book refuge spots in advance dur­ing peak sea­son, as they fill up quick­ly. If car­ry­ing a full pack, pack light, as steep ascents and descents make heavy loads exhaust­ing. Last­ly, be pre­pared for chang­ing con­di­tions, as the GR20 is as unpre­dictable as it is beau­ti­ful.

10.) The Annapurna Circuit (Nepal): A Himalayan Classic

Overview: The Anna­pur­na Cir­cuit is one of the most icon­ic mul­ti-day treks in the world, offer­ing a spec­tac­u­lar jour­ney through diverse land­scapes, from lush sub­trop­i­cal forests to high-alti­tude moun­tain pass­es. Cov­er­ing 160–230 km (100–145 miles) depend­ing on the cho­sen route, this trek encir­cles the Anna­pur­na Mas­sif, show­cas­ing dra­mat­ic gorges, ter­raced rice fields, Tibetan-style vil­lages, and snow-capped peaks.

The trek’s crown jew­el is the Thorong La Pass (5,416m / 17,769 ft), the high­est point on the route, where trekkers are reward­ed with breath­tak­ing panoram­ic views of the Himalayas. Along the way, hik­ers expe­ri­ence Nepali and Tibetan cul­ture, vis­it­ing ancient monas­ter­ies, prayer wheels, and remote moun­tain vil­lages. With well-estab­lished tea­house accom­mo­da­tions, the Anna­pur­na Cir­cuit is a chal­leng­ing yet acces­si­ble trek for adven­tur­ers from around the world.

Dura­tion: The Anna­pur­na Cir­cuit typ­i­cal­ly takes 12 to 18 days, depend­ing on the exact route and side trips. Some trekkers short­en the trek by using jeeps or flights, while oth­ers extend their jour­ney with side treks to Tili­cho Lake or Anna­pur­na Base Camp.

Loca­tion: The Anna­pur­na Cir­cuit loops through cen­tral Nepal, pass­ing through Lamjung, Man­ang, and Mus­tang dis­tricts, with its high­est point at Thorong La Pass.

How to Get There: Most trekkers fly into Kath­man­du (Trib­hu­van Inter­na­tion­al Air­port — KTM) and trav­el by bus or pri­vate jeep to Besisa­har, the tra­di­tion­al start­ing point. Many now begin fur­ther along at Jagat or Chame, depend­ing on road con­di­tions. The trek ends in Jom­som or Naya­pul, where trekkers can take a flight, bus, or jeep back to Pokhara or Kath­man­du.

Bud­get Esti­mate:

• - Trekking per­mits (TIMS & ACAP): $50 – $60

• - Accom­mo­da­tion (tea­hous­es): $5 – $15 per night

• - Meals: $5 – $10 per meal

• - Trans­port (bus/jeep to/from trail­head): $10 – $50

• - Option­al guide/porter: $25 – $40 per day

• - Total esti­mat­ed bud­get: $500 – $1,500 (depend­ing on trek style and dura­tion)

Best View Spot: The Thorong La Pass offers the most breath­tak­ing panoram­ic views, with a stun­ning back­drop of Anna­pur­na, Dhaula­giri, Man­aslu, and the Tibetan plateau. Anoth­er must-see view­point is Poon Hill, which pro­vides an epic sun­rise over the Himalayas.

Pho­tog­ra­phy Tips: The Anna­pur­na Cir­cuit is a photographer’s dream, with every­thing from lush val­leys to tow­er­ing peaks. The best light­ing is dur­ing sun­rise and sun­set, espe­cial­ly from Thorong La Pass and Poon Hill. Bring a wide-angle lens to cap­ture the grand moun­tain land­scapes and a zoom lens for dis­tant peaks and local cul­ture shots. Be pre­pared for dusty con­di­tions in low­er areas and cold tem­per­a­tures at high alti­tudes, which can affect bat­tery life—carry extra bat­ter­ies and keep them warm.

Best Time to Go: The best sea­sons for trekking the Anna­pur­na Cir­cuit are pre-mon­soon (March–May) and post-mon­soon (September–November).

• - March–May (Spring): Warmer tem­per­a­tures, bloom­ing rhodo­den­drons, and clear views.

• - September–November (Autumn): Best vis­i­bil­i­ty, dry trails, and pleas­ant tem­per­a­tures.

• - December–February (Win­ter): Snowy con­di­tions at Thorong La Pass, mak­ing it dif­fi­cult or impass­able.

• - June–August (Mon­soon): Heavy rain, leech­es, and land­slides, but lush green land­scapes in low­er ele­va­tions.

Expect­ed Weath­er: Weath­er varies by alti­tude:

• - Low alti­tudes (1,000–2,500m / 3,280–8,200 ft): 10°C – 25°C (50°F – 77°F), with mild con­di­tions.

• - Mid-alti­tudes (2,500–4,000m / 8,200–13,100 ft): 0°C – 15°C (32°F – 59°F), cool­er and dri­er.

• - High alti­tudes (4,000–5,416m / 13,100–17,769 ft): ‑10°C to ‑20°C (14°F to ‑4°F), with strong winds and pos­si­ble snow.

Rec­om­mend­ed Gear:

• - Stur­dy, water­proof hik­ing boots (well bro­ken-in)

• - Lay­ered cloth­ing (base lay­er, fleece, insu­lat­ed jack­et, water­proof shell)

• - Sleep­ing bag (-10°C / 14°F rat­ed) for cold­er nights in tea­hous­es

• - Trekking poles (essen­tial for high pass­es and descents)

• - Sun­glass­es, sun­screen, and hat (for high-alti­tude sun expo­sure)

• - Water purifi­ca­tion tablets (to avoid buy­ing plas­tic bot­tles)

• - Portable pow­er bank (lim­it­ed elec­tric­i­ty in some vil­lages)

Top Tips for Com­plet­ing the Hike: Acclima­ti­za­tion is key—take rest days in Man­ang to avoid alti­tude sick­ness before cross­ing Thorong La Pass. Start trekking ear­ly each day to avoid strong after­noon winds, which can be espe­cial­ly harsh at high­er ele­va­tions. Drink plen­ty of water, eat well, and avoid alco­hol to help with acclima­ti­za­tion. Hir­ing a guide or porter can enhance the expe­ri­ence, espe­cial­ly for nav­i­ga­tion and car­ry­ing loads. Last­ly, respect local cus­toms and sup­port sus­tain­able tourism by stay­ing in local­ly owned tea­hous­es.

11.) The Pacific Crest Trail (USA, West Coast): A Legendary Long-Distance Trek

Overview: The Pacif­ic Crest Trail (PCT) is one of the most icon­ic long-dis­tance hikes in the world, stretch­ing 4,270 km (2,650 miles) from the Mex­i­can bor­der in Cal­i­for­nia to the Cana­di­an bor­der in Wash­ing­ton. Pass­ing through Cal­i­for­nia, Ore­gon, and Wash­ing­ton, the trail tra­vers­es an incred­i­ble vari­ety of land­scapes, includ­ing deserts, alpine peaks, vol­canic craters, deep forests, and glacial val­leys.

Hik­ing the full PCT is a major com­mit­ment, typ­i­cal­ly tak­ing four to six months to com­plete. How­ev­er, many adven­tur­ers opt for short­er sec­tions, such as the John Muir Trail in Cal­i­for­nia or the Ore­gon seg­ment. Whether thru-hik­ing or sec­tion-hik­ing, the PCT offers an unpar­al­leled jour­ney through some of North Amer­i­ca’s most stun­ning wilder­ness areas.

Dura­tion: The full Pacif­ic Crest Trail takes 4–6 months to com­plete, depend­ing on pace and weath­er con­di­tions. Sec­tion hikes can range from a few days to sev­er­al weeks, depend­ing on the cho­sen route.

Loca­tion: The PCT runs from Cam­po, Cal­i­for­nia (on the Mex­i­co bor­der), to Man­ning Park, British Colum­bia (Cana­da), pass­ing through Cal­i­for­nia, Ore­gon, and Wash­ing­ton.

How to Get There: The trail begins at Cam­po, Cal­i­for­nia, near San Diego, and ends in Man­ning Park, British Colum­bia. Hik­ers typ­i­cal­ly fly into San Diego (SAN) or Seat­tle (SEA) for trans­porta­tion to trail­heads. The most pop­u­lar resup­ply towns along the route include Lake Tahoe, Ash­land, Bend, and Cas­cade Locks.

Bud­get Esti­mate:

• - Per­mits (PCT Long-Dis­tance Per­mit): Free, but required for thru-hik­ers

• - Food & resup­ply: $1,000 – $2,500 per month

• - Gear costs (ini­tial set­up): $1,500 – $3,500

• - Accom­mo­da­tion (town stays, hos­tels, hotels): $500 – $1,500

• - Total esti­mat­ed bud­get for a thru-hike: $5,000 – $10,000

Best View Spot: The Sier­ra Neva­da sec­tion, par­tic­u­lar­ly near Yosemite and the John Muir Trail, offers some of the most breath­tak­ing moun­tain views on the trail. Oth­er high­lights include Crater Lake in Ore­gon, the Goat Rocks Wilder­ness in Wash­ing­ton, and the North Cas­cades.

Pho­tog­ra­phy Tips: Cap­tur­ing the diverse land­scapes of the PCT requires a mix of wide-angle shots for grand vis­tas and zoom lens­es for wildlife. The gold­en hours of sun­rise and sun­set pro­vide the best light­ing, espe­cial­ly in alpine regions. Cloud inver­sions in Wash­ing­ton and California’s desert sun­ris­es offer dra­mat­ic pho­to oppor­tu­ni­ties. Keep­ing cam­era gear light­weight is cru­cial for long-dis­tance hikers—many opt for com­pact mir­ror­less cam­eras or high-qual­i­ty smart­phones.

Best Time to Go: The best time for a north­bound thru-hike is April to Sep­tem­ber, start­ing in California’s desert before the sum­mer heat peaks and fin­ish­ing before Washington’s autumn snow­fall. South­bound hik­ers typ­i­cal­ly begin in late June or July to avoid deep snow in the North Cas­cades.

• - Cal­i­for­nia Desert (April–May): Hot days, cool nights, lim­it­ed water sources

• - Sier­ra Neva­da (June–July): Snowmelt, riv­er cross­ings, and stun­ning alpine scenery

• - Ore­gon (July–August): Milder ter­rain, wild­flow­ers, and vol­canic land­scapes

• - Wash­ing­ton (August–September): Rugged ter­rain, poten­tial ear­ly snow­fall

Expect­ed Weath­er: Weath­er varies dra­mat­i­cal­ly across the PCT:

• South­ern Cal­i­for­nia Desert: 5°C–35°C (40°F–95°F), very dry

• Sier­ra Neva­da Moun­tains: ‑5°C–25°C (23°F–77°F), risk of snow

• Ore­gon & Wash­ing­ton: 0°C–20°C (32°F–68°F), cool­er and wet­ter in fall

Rec­om­mend­ed Gear:

• - Ultra­light back­pack­ing gear (tent, sleep­ing bag, sleep­ing pad)

• - Trail run­ners or light­weight hik­ing boots (pre­ferred by most thru-hik­ers)

• - Sun pro­tec­tion (hat, sun­glass­es, sun­screen)

• - Water fil­ter or purifi­ca­tion sys­tem (cru­cial for desert sec­tions)

• - Bear-proof food stor­age (bear can­is­ter or Ursack)

• - Light­weight rain gear and insu­la­tion for cold­er sec­tions

• - Trekking poles for sta­bil­i­ty on var­ied ter­rain

Top Tips for Com­plet­ing the Hike: Hik­ing the PCT requires care­ful plan­ning and adapt­abil­i­ty. Resup­ply logis­tics are crucial—many hik­ers mail food drops to remote towns. Water sources are scarce in the desert, so car­ry extra capac­i­ty. Trail angels pro­vide sup­port, but hik­ers should be self-suf­fi­cient. Take rest days (zero days) in trail towns to avoid burnout, and lis­ten to your body to pre­vent injuries.

12.) The Camino de Santiago (Spain & France): A Pilgrimage Through History

Overview: The Camino de San­ti­a­go, also known as The Way of St. James, is one of the most famous long-dis­tance walks in the world, draw­ing thou­sands of pil­grims, adven­tur­ers, and his­to­ry enthu­si­asts each year. The net­work of trails leads to the San­ti­a­go de Com­postela Cathe­dral in Spain, where the remains of St. James are believed to be buried.

While there are mul­ti­ple routes, the most pop­u­lar is the Camino Francés, a 780-km (485-mile) jour­ney start­ing in Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, France, and cross­ing north­ern Spain. Oth­er well-known routes include the Camino Por­tugués, the Camino del Norte, and the Via de la Pla­ta. Whether for spir­i­tu­al rea­sons, cul­tur­al explo­ration, or the love of walk­ing, the Camino offers an unfor­get­table expe­ri­ence through charm­ing vil­lages, rolling vine­yards, and medieval towns.

Dura­tion: The Camino Francés takes 4–6 weeks to com­plete, depend­ing on pace and rest days. Short­er routes, such as the Camino Por­tugués, can be done in 2–4 weeks, while some trekkers com­plete the last 100 km from Sar­ria to San­ti­a­go in just 5–7 days.

Loca­tion: The Camino con­sists of mul­ti­ple routes, but the most famous is the Camino Francés, which runs from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, France, to San­ti­a­go de Com­postela, Spain. Oth­er routes orig­i­nate in Por­tu­gal, south­ern Spain, and along the north­ern coast.

How to Get There: To reach the Camino Francés start­ing point, fly into Biar­ritz Air­port (BIQ) or Pam­plona Air­port (PNA) and take a train or bus to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port. To begin in Por­tu­gal, fly into Lis­bon (LIS) or Por­to (OPO). Once in San­ti­a­go de Com­postela, trav­el­ers can fly out of San­ti­a­go de Com­postela Air­port (SCQ) or take a train to Madrid or Barcelona.

Bud­get Esti­mate:

• - Pilgrim’s Pass­port (Cre­den­cial del Pere­gri­no): ~€2–€5

• - Dai­ly accom­mo­da­tion (alber­gues, hos­tels, hotels): €5–€50 per night

• - Food and drinks: €10–€30 per day

• - Option­al lug­gage trans­port ser­vice: €3–€5 per stage

• - Total esti­mat­ed bud­get: €700–€2,000 (depend­ing on accom­mo­da­tion and din­ing choic­es)

Best View Spot: The Alto del Perdón, just out­side Pam­plona, offers one of the most icon­ic views of the Camino, with a met­al pil­grim sculp­ture over­look­ing the rolling hills of Navar­ra. The Cruz de Fer­ro is anoth­er famous stop, where pil­grims leave stones as sym­bols of their jour­ney.

Pho­tog­ra­phy Tips: Cap­ture the essence of the Camino by doc­u­ment­ing dai­ly life, from sun­ris­es over misty vil­lages to bustling pil­grim hos­tels. Gold­en-hour shots of the rolling land­scapes of Castil­la y León add depth to pho­tos. The final arrival at San­ti­a­go de Com­postela Cathe­dral is a moment worth capturing—consider tak­ing both wide-angle shots of the square and close-up images of emo­tion­al pil­grims fin­ish­ing their jour­ney.

Best Time to Go: The Camino is best hiked in spring (April–June) and fall (September–October) when tem­per­a­tures are mild and crowds are small­er. Sum­mer (July–August) is pop­u­lar but can be hot, espe­cial­ly in cen­tral Spain, while win­ter (November–March) is qui­eter but brings cold and rainy weath­er.

• - Spring: Pleas­ant weath­er, bloom­ing flow­ers, few­er crowds

• - Sum­mer: Long day­light hours, peak crowds, hot in cen­tral Spain

• - Fall: Cool­er tem­per­a­tures, stun­ning autumn col­ors, few­er pil­grims

• - Win­ter: Qui­etest sea­son, but some alber­gues may be closed

Expect­ed Weath­er

• - North­ern Spain (April–June, Sept–Oct): 10°C–25°C (50°F–77°F), occa­sion­al rain

• - Cen­tral Spain (July–August): 20°C–35°C (68°F–95°F), dry and hot

• - Gali­cia (March–November): 5°C–20°C (41°F–68°F), fre­quent rain

Rec­om­mend­ed Gear

• - Com­fort­able, light­weight hik­ing shoes (well-bro­ken-in)

• - Back­pack (30–40L) with min­i­mal weight

• - Mois­ture-wick­ing clothes and lay­ers for chang­ing weath­er

• - Sleep­ing bag or lin­er for alber­gues

• - Pilgrim’s Pass­port (Cre­den­cial) for accom­mo­da­tions and stamps

• - Reusable water bot­tle and snacks

• - Basic first-aid kit and foot care sup­plies (for blis­ters!)

Top Tips for Com­plet­ing the Hike: Take rest days when need­ed, as overex­er­tion leads to injuries. Start ear­ly in the morn­ing to avoid the heat and secure a bed in alber­gues. Pack light—many first-time pil­grims over­pack and regret it. Embrace the jour­ney, meet fel­low trav­el­ers, and soak in the spir­i­tu­al and cul­tur­al expe­ri­ence. Final­ly, don’t rush—the Camino is not just about the des­ti­na­tion but about the expe­ri­ence itself.

13.) The Drakensberg Grand Traverse (South Africa & Lesotho): A Wild and Remote Expedition

Overview: The Drak­ens­berg Grand Tra­verse is one of Africa’s most chal­leng­ing and reward­ing long-dis­tance hikes, stretch­ing over 230 km (143 miles) through the breath­tak­ing Drak­ens­berg Moun­tains, which form the nat­ur­al bor­der between South Africa and Lesotho. Unlike tra­di­tion­al marked trails, this trek requires nav­i­ga­tion­al skills, self-suf­fi­cien­cy, and a strong sense of adven­ture, as hik­ers tra­verse rugged peaks, deep val­leys, and high-alti­tude plateaus.

This off-the-grid wilder­ness expe­ri­ence offers an unpar­al­leled sense of soli­tude, with dra­mat­ic basalt cliffs, cas­cad­ing water­falls, and sweep­ing views of the KwaZu­lu-Natal province and Lesotho’s remote high­lands. Hik­ers will tack­le six major peaks, includ­ing Mafa­di (3,450m / 11,319 ft), the high­est peak in South Africa. With no offi­cial trail or des­ig­nat­ed camp­sites, the jour­ney is a true test of endurance, sur­vival skills, and love for raw, untouched nature.

Dura­tion: Most trekkers com­plete the Drak­ens­berg Grand Tra­verse in 10–14 days, depend­ing on weath­er con­di­tions, fit­ness lev­el, and route vari­a­tions. Some expe­ri­enced ultra-hik­ers com­plete it in as lit­tle as 5–7 days, but this requires intense endurance and light pack­ing.

Loca­tion: The trek starts at The Sen­tinel Car Park in the north­ern Drak­ens­berg and ends at Bushman’s Nek Bor­der Post in the south, cov­er­ing a vast expanse of the uKhahlam­ba-Drak­ens­berg Park, a UNESCO World Her­itage Site.

How to Get There: To reach the start­ing point, fly into King Sha­ka Inter­na­tion­al Air­port (DUR) in Dur­ban or OR Tam­bo Inter­na­tion­al Air­port (JNB) in Johan­nes­burg. From there, rent a car or take a shut­tle to the Sen­tinel Car Park, the north­ern entry point. At the trek’s end at Bushman’s Nek, arrange a pick­up or take local trans­port back to Dur­ban or Johan­nes­burg.

Bud­get Esti­mate:

• - Park entry per­mits: ~$20–$30 USD

• - Trans­port (car rental/shuttle): $50–$200 USD

• - Camp­ing gear & sup­plies: $300–$600 USD

• - Food & resup­plies for 10–14 days: $100–$200 USD

• - Guide (option­al but rec­om­mend­ed for first-timers): $500–$1,000 USD

• - Total esti­mat­ed bud­get: $500–$1,500 USD

Best View Spot: The Amphithe­atre Escarp­ment, near the start of the trek, offers jaw-drop­ping views over the Roy­al Natal Nation­al Park. Anoth­er icon­ic view­point is Mafa­di Sum­mit, where the rugged peaks of Lesotho and the Drak­ens­berg stretch end­less­ly in all direc­tions.

Pho­tog­ra­phy Tips: Cap­tur­ing the vast, untamed beau­ty of the Drak­ens­berg Grand Tra­verse requires patience and the right gear. Sun­rise and sun­set cre­ate stun­ning gold­en light on the tow­er­ing cliffs and rolling grass­lands. The Tugela Falls (one of the world’s high­est water­falls) near the begin­ning of the trek is a must-pho­to­graph fea­ture. Bring a wide-angle lens to cap­ture the scale of the moun­tains and a light­weight tri­pod for night shots—Drakensberg’s remote loca­tion offers some of the best stargaz­ing in Africa.

Best Time to Go: The best sea­sons for the Drak­ens­berg Grand Tra­verse are spring (September–November) and autumn (March–May) when tem­per­a­tures are mod­er­ate, and con­di­tions are rel­a­tive­ly sta­ble.

• - Sum­mer (December–February): Warm days, but fre­quent thun­der­storms and heavy rains make riv­er cross­ings risky.

• - Win­ter (June–August): Cold tem­per­a­tures and pos­si­ble snow­fall, requir­ing spe­cial­ized win­ter gear.

Expect­ed Weath­er

• - Day­time: 10°C–25°C (50°F–77°F) in sum­mer; 0°C–15°C (32°F–59°F) in win­ter

• - Night­time: 0°C–10°C (32°F–50°F) in sum­mer; ‑5°C to ‑15°C (23°F–5°F) in win­ter

• - Fre­quent weath­er changes: Expect sud­den rain, high winds, and extreme tem­per­a­ture fluc­tu­a­tions.

Rec­om­mend­ed Gear

• - GPS device and maps (essen­tial for nav­i­ga­tion)

• - Light­weight but durable tent and sleep­ing bag (4‑season rec­om­mend­ed in win­ter)

• - Water fil­tra­tion sys­tem or purifi­ca­tion tablets (streams are avail­able but may be con­t­a­m­i­nat­ed)

• - Lay­ered cloth­ing for extreme weath­er shifts

• - High-ener­gy food and snacks for self-suf­fi­cien­cy

• - Stur­dy hik­ing boots with good ankle sup­port

• - Trekking poles for steep ascents and descents

• - Satel­lite phone or emer­gency bea­con (due to remote ter­rain)

Top Tips for Com­plet­ing the Hike: Since the Drak­ens­berg Grand Tra­verse is unmarked, it requires strong nav­i­ga­tion skills—hikers should be com­fort­able using GPS, maps, and com­pass­es. Water sources are lim­it­ed, so plan refills at known streams and car­ry ade­quate purifi­ca­tion meth­ods. The ter­rain is rugged, so train with a loaded pack before attempt­ing the trek. Wild camp­ing is nec­es­sary, so be pre­pared for com­plete self-suf­fi­cien­cy. Final­ly, watch out for extreme weath­er, as sud­den storms and freez­ing tem­per­a­tures can be life-threat­en­ing.

14.) The West Coast Trail (Canada, British Columbia): A Legendary Coastal Trek

Overview: The West Coast Trail (WCT) is one of the most icon­ic and chal­leng­ing mul­ti-day hikes in the world, stretch­ing 75 km (47 miles) along the rugged coast­line of Van­cou­ver Island, British Colum­bia. Orig­i­nal­ly estab­lished as a life­sav­ing route for ship­wreck sur­vivors, the trail now attracts adven­tur­ous hik­ers eager to expe­ri­ence its dense rain­forests, dra­mat­ic sea cliffs, tidal pools, water­falls, and remote beach­es.

This phys­i­cal­ly demand­ing trek fea­tures riv­er cross­ings, sus­pen­sion bridges, wood­en lad­ders, and sec­tions of deep mud, mak­ing it an exhil­a­rat­ing chal­lenge for those pre­pared for the ele­ments. Despite the dif­fi­cul­ty, the rewards are immense—stunning ocean views, rich wildlife (bald eagles, sea lions, whales, and black bears), and the unique oppor­tu­ni­ty to camp on pris­tine beach­es beneath the stars.

Dura­tion: Most hik­ers com­plete the West Coast Trail in 5–7 days, depend­ing on fit­ness lev­el, weath­er con­di­tions, and whether they hike north to south or vice ver­sa.

Loca­tion: The trail runs between Gor­don Riv­er (Port Ren­frew) in the south and Pachena Bay (Bam­field) in the north, pass­ing through Pacif­ic Rim Nation­al Park Reserve on Van­cou­ver Island’s remote west coast.

How to Get There: The two main trail­heads are Gor­don Riv­er (south) and Pachena Bay (north). The clos­est major city is Vic­to­ria, BC. To get to the trail, fly into Vic­to­ria Inter­na­tion­al Air­port (YYJ) or Van­cou­ver Inter­na­tion­al Air­port (YVR) and take a bus or dri­ve to Port Ren­frew or Bam­field. A shut­tle ser­vice oper­ates between the trail­heads for those fin­ish­ing at the oppo­site end from where they start­ed.

Bud­get Esti­mate:

• - Per­mit Fee: ~$150–$200 CAD per per­son

• - Fer­ry cross­ings on the trail: ~$20 CAD

• - Trans­porta­tion (shuttle/bus): ~$100–$150 CAD

• - Camp­ing gear & food: ~$300–$600 CAD

• - Total esti­mat­ed cost: $500–$1,000 CAD

Best View Spot: Tsu­si­at Falls, a breath­tak­ing water­fall cas­cad­ing onto the beach, is one of the most pho­to­genic and refresh­ing stops along the trek. Oth­er unfor­get­table spots include Owen Point’s sea caves, the lad­ders at Logan Creek, and the stun­ning views from Car­manah Light­house.

Pho­tog­ra­phy Tips: Cap­tur­ing the beau­ty of the West Coast Trail requires care­ful plan­ning. Gold­en hour on the beach camp­sites pro­vides mag­i­cal light­ing, while long expo­sure shots of water­falls and ocean waves can cre­ate dreamy effects. A water­proof bag is essen­tial to pro­tect your cam­era from the fre­quent rain and mist. Wildlife pho­tog­ra­phy is also a highlight—keep your cam­era ready for whales, bears, and bald eagles.

Best Time to Go: The best time to hike the West Coast Trail is from May to Sep­tem­ber, when the trail is open and main­tained. June to August offers the best weath­er and longest day­light hours, but it’s also the busiest time. May and Sep­tem­ber pro­vide a qui­eter expe­ri­ence, but trails may be wet­ter and more chal­leng­ing.

Expect­ed Weath­er:

• - Sum­mer (June–August): 10°C–20°C (50°F–68°F), with fre­quent rain show­ers

• - Spring/Fall (May, Sep­tem­ber): 5°C–15°C (41°F–59°F), cold­er nights, more rain

• - Rain is com­mon year-round, so be pre­pared for mud­dy and slip­pery con­di­tions.

Rec­om­mend­ed Gear:

• - Water­proof hik­ing boots and gaiters (essen­tial for mud­dy sec­tions)

• - Quick-dry cloth­ing and rain gear (rain is almost guar­an­teed)

• - Trekking poles for bal­ance on slip­pery ter­rain

• - Bear spray and prop­er food stor­age (bears and cougars inhab­it the area)

• - Dry bags to pro­tect elec­tron­ics and food

• - Light­weight tent and sleep­ing bag for beach camp­ing

• - Water purifi­ca­tion sys­tem (rivers and streams are your main water sources)

Top Tips for Com­plet­ing the Hike: The West Coast Trail is as much about prepa­ra­tion as it is about endurance. Train with a heavy pack before­hand, as the lad­ders, riv­er cross­ings, and mud can be exhaust­ing. Start ear­ly each day to nav­i­gate tide-depen­dent sec­tions safe­ly. Study tide charts care­ful­ly, as some parts of the trail are impass­able at high tide. Expect wet con­di­tions, even in summer—embrace the rain and mud rather than try­ing to avoid them. Last­ly, book your per­mits ear­ly, as spaces fill up fast due to the trail’s pop­u­lar­i­ty.

15.) Kungsleden (Sweden, Lapland): A Journey Through the Arctic Wilderness

Overview: Kungsle­den, or “The King’s Trail,” is Sweden’s most famous long-dis­tance hike, stretch­ing 440 km (270 miles) through the stun­ning wilder­ness of Swedish Lap­land. This leg­endary trek takes hik­ers through a pris­tine Arc­tic land­scape of glacial val­leys, dra­mat­ic moun­tains, birch forests, and expan­sive tun­dra, pass­ing through four nation­al parks and some of Europe’s most untouched scenery.

While the full route takes about a month, most hik­ers choose to com­plete short­er sec­tions, with the 110 km (68-mile) stretch from Abisko to Nikkalu­ok­ta being the most pop­u­lar. Along the way, trekkers stay in moun­tain huts, cross sus­pen­sion bridges, and—if lucky—witness the North­ern Lights in autumn or the Mid­night Sun in sum­mer.

Dura­tion: The full 440 km (270-mile) Kungsle­den takes around 3–4 weeks to com­plete, while the most pop­u­lar Abisko to Nikkalu­ok­ta sec­tion typ­i­cal­ly takes 5–7 days.

Loca­tion: Kungsle­den runs from Abisko in the north to Hema­van in the south, cut­ting through Swedish Lap­land and Sarek Nation­al Park, one of Europe’s last true wilder­ness areas.

How to Get There: Most hik­ers begin in Abisko, acces­si­ble via train from Stock­holm (18–20 hours) or a flight to Kiruna Air­port (KRN), fol­lowed by a train or bus to Abisko. If fin­ish­ing at Nikkalu­ok­ta, a bus ser­vice con­nects hik­ers to Kiruna. For those start­ing in the south, Hema­van is reach­able by domes­tic flights or long-dis­tance bus­es from Stock­holm.

Bud­get Esti­mate:

• - Moun­tain huts: ~$40–$60 USD per night (option­al)

• - Camp­ing: Free (except in nation­al park rest areas)

• - Food & sup­plies: ~$15–$30 USD per day

• - Trans­port (flights/trains/buses): ~$150–$300 USD

• - Total esti­mat­ed cost: $400–$1,000 USD, depend­ing on accom­mo­da­tion choic­es

Best View Spot: The Tjäk­t­ja Pass (1,150 m / 3,770 ft), the high­est point on the trail, offers breath­tak­ing panoram­ic views of the Arc­tic val­leys and sur­round­ing peaks. Ammarnäs and Kvikkjokk also offer stun­ning view­points, espe­cial­ly in autumn when the land­scape turns fiery red and gold.

Pho­tog­ra­phy Tips: Kungsle­den offers a photographer’s par­adise with dra­mat­ic moun­tain land­scapes, expan­sive val­leys, and end­less skies. The gold­en hues of autumn (Sep­tem­ber) pro­vide strik­ing con­trast, while summer’s Mid­night Sun cre­ates unique light­ing con­di­tions. Bring a wide-angle lens for cap­tur­ing vast land­scapes and a tele­pho­to lens for Arc­tic wildlife like rein­deer and moose. If hik­ing in autumn, a tri­pod is essen­tial for cap­tur­ing the North­ern Lights.

Best Time to Go: The best time to hike Kungsle­den is late June to ear­ly Sep­tem­ber. July and August offer the best weath­er, long day­light hours, and open huts, while Sep­tem­ber brings few­er crowds, autumn col­ors, and a chance to see the North­ern Lights. Win­ter hik­ing is pos­si­ble but requires ski tour­ing expe­ri­ence.

Expect­ed Weath­er:

• - Sum­mer (June–August): 5°C–20°C (41°F–68°F), most­ly dry but occa­sion­al rain

• - Autumn (Sep­tem­ber): 0°C–10°C (32°F–50°F), cold­er nights, stun­ning foliage

• - Win­ter (October–May): ‑10°C to ‑30°C (14°F to ‑22°F), deep snow and extreme con­di­tions

Rec­om­mend­ed Gear

• - Water­proof hik­ing boots (essen­tial for riv­er cross­ings and mud­dy trails)

• - Light­weight but warm lay­ers (tem­per­a­tures fluc­tu­ate wide­ly)

• - Rain jack­et and pants (rain and wind are com­mon)

• - Mos­qui­to repel­lent (sum­mer months can be bug­gy)

• - Tent and sleep­ing bag (if not stay­ing in huts)

• - Portable stove and food sup­plies (huts sell some food, but options are lim­it­ed)

Top Tips for Com­plet­ing the Hike: Kungsle­den is well-marked and rel­a­tive­ly easy in terms of nav­i­ga­tion, but prepa­ra­tion is key. Book huts in advance dur­ing peak sea­son if you don’t plan to camp. Car­ry a mos­qui­to net and repel­lent in sum­mer, as the Arc­tic mos­qui­toes can be relent­less. Be pre­pared for rapid­ly chang­ing weath­er, even in summer—storms, high winds, and sud­den tem­per­a­ture drops are com­mon. If you’re look­ing for a true Arc­tic adven­ture, con­sid­er hik­ing in Sep­tem­ber for few­er crowds and the chance to see the North­ern Lights.

Hap­py Mul­ti-Day Tramp­ing ! — and whilst being sure to stay safe and healthy, enjoy­ing these incred­i­ble mul­ti-day treks !