For some, a holiday looks like cocktails by the pool – for others, it involves throwing on a backpack, tying up your shoes and seeing sights only accessible by foot. If you fall into the latter camp, consider taking on one of these bucket-list hikes on your next expedition.
We can’t think of a better endpoint for a four-day hike than ancient Machu Picchu, which is why the Inca Trail has earned the top spot on our list. Tracing the original paths used by the Incas, the trail grants you access to some of the most breathtaking Incan ruins. From places of worship to forgotten cities, cloud forests to valleys, no day on the Inca Trail is the same. It may only be 42 kilometres in total, but don’t let that fool you – most of it is uphill, taking you to elevations of more than 4000 metres. Visit between May and November, plan for altitude sickness and pack toilet paper.
More of a walk than a mountainous hike, the Cotswold Way is an unforgettable way to experience one of England’s most picturesque regions. Stretching 164 kilometres from Chipping Campden to Bath, the Cotswold Way winds over hills, through woods and meadows and between storybook villages. Most walkers complete it in a week, but why rush? Take the time to enjoy a pub lunch, take in the views and enjoy all that the Cotswolds have to offer.
Choosing a hike in North America is *almost* as difficult as actually doing one, but it doesn’t get much more iconic than California’s Yosemite National Park. There are plenty of one-dayers in Yosemite, but if you’re after a bucket-list-worthy challenge, you’ve got to take on Half Dome. Accessible by Mist Trail and John Muir Trail, two of the park’s most popular hikes, Half Dome is a mountain-sized body of quartz monzonite rock, formed by exfoliation and erosion over millions of years. The final ascent sees you scale the rounded top (a cable staircase helps you up), rewarding you with the views of the valley over the sheer cliff-face.
For many, ‘Euro summer’ means sipping wine beneath the Eiffel Tower and reading on the rocky beaches of the Amalfi coast. But there’s a growing contingent of travellers looking for something a little more adventurous – and they’re finding it in the Dolomites. The Italian national park offers a hike for all ages, but the most popular loop is the Tre Cime di Lavaredo (or the ‘Three Peaks of Lavaredo’). Approximately 11.3 kilometres and 597 metres of elevation, it takes around four hours and is suitable for moderately skilled hikers.
World-renowned among adventure-seekers, the Annapurna Circuit Trek is among the best of Nepalese hiking. Beyond the thrill factor – Annapurna is home to some of the highest Himalayan peaks – this circuit is beloved for its diversity. Over two weeks and more than 160 kilometres, you’ll walk through ancient villages, alpine meadows and mountainous deserts, meet Tibetan monks, enjoy Nepalese hospitality and experience varying climates. Preparation isn’t just key – it’s vital. Pack well, train properly and plan for a real adventure.
Most people know the Camino Francés – the classic 780-kilometre pilgrimage route from the French Pyrenees to Santiago de Compostela. But for something a little less crowded, the Camino del Norte is worth the detour. Running roughly 800 kilometres along Spain’s northern coast, from Irún to Santiago, it swaps the Francés’ crowds for cliff-top paths, quiet beaches and food cities like San Sebastián and Bilbao. It’s tougher underfoot, but far fewer walkers make the trip. Most take five to six weeks end to end, though it breaks easily into shorter stretches.
Australia’s premier alpine walk winds 65 kilometres through the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area, tracing a six-day path from Cradle Mountain to Lake St Clair. Along the way you’ll cross exposed alpine plateaus and glacial valleys, with the option to summit Tasmania’s highest peak, Mount Ossa, as a side trip. Watch out for wombats!
Running 223 kilometres along the spine of the West MacDonnell Ranges, the Larapinta Trail is the ultimate Red Centre trek, taking most walkers 12 to 16 days to complete end to end across its 12 sections. Expect jagged quartzite ridgelines, hidden waterholes and a rising sense of anticipation as Mount Sonder looms into view.
This coastal classic is usually walked over eight days, stretching 104 kilometres from Apollo Bay to the Twelve Apostles through the Great Otway and Port Campbell National Parks. It’s less about covering ground fast and more about enjoying the shift from tall eucalypt forests to windswept clifftops – and the koalas and echidnas that keep you company along the way.
Less than two hours from the Gold Coast, this 47-kilometre, four-day trail through Main Range National Park is Queensland’s only Great Walk of Australia, running from Thornton View to Cunninghams Gap. It’s a serious climb through ancient Gondwana rainforest, but the payoff is ridge-top camps and sweeping views over the Scenic Rim most visitors never see. Learn more here.
This is the big one. Spanning 655 kilometres from Walhalla in Victoria to Tharwa near Canberra, this five-to-eight-week walk passes the highest peaks in three states, including Mount Kosciuszko and Mount Bogong. It’s remote enough that food drops are essential, but it rewards with some of the most spectacular high-country scenery on the continent.
