--- title: "Hiking & Trekking, the 10 best trails | Wimup" description: "The world’s great hikes and treks (from day classics to multi-day legends) ranked with length and season." url: https://wimup.com/hiking type: Themed list updated: 2026-08-31 publisher: Wimup (https://wimup.com) --- # Hiking & trekking, the great walks. By Wimup desk · 10 picks · 1 vlog · ≈ 7 min read From half-day classics to multi-day legends, the trails worth flying for, ranked, with length and the season that makes them sing. A great trail is a destination in itself. We ranked the world’s finest walks by scenery and payoff, and tell you how long each takes and when to go. ## Hiking & trekking, the great walks. ### 1. Inca Trail, Peru Cusco region · Peru · rated 4.9/5 Four days over Andean passes and cloud-forest ruins to a sunrise arrival at Machu Picchu. Permits sell out months ahead and the trail closes every February. Book the trek before the flights. - **Best for:** Ruins - **Length:** 4 days - **Season:** May–Sep Links: [View the Top 10](https://wimup.com/city/cusco.md) · [Watch the Cusco vlog](https://wimup.com/watch/cusco.md) ### 2. Tour du Mont Blanc France · Italy · Switzerland · rated 4.8/5 A 170km loop around the Mont Blanc massif, hut to hut through three countries. Reserve the refuges in winter for a summer walk. Anticlockwise is the classic direction and Italy is the quiet half. - **Best for:** Alps - **Length:** 7–11 days - **Season:** Jul–Sep Links: [France guide](https://wimup.com/country/france.md) ### 3. Everest Base Camp, Nepal Khumbu · Nepal · rated 4.8/5 The classic teahouse trek beneath the world’s highest peaks to the foot of Everest. Altitude is what makes it hard, not distance. Keep the acclimatisation days at Namche and Dingboche. - **Best for:** Big mountains - **Length:** 12 days - **Season:** Mar–May · Oct Links: [Nepal guide](https://wimup.com/country/nepal.md) ### 4. Torres del Paine (W) Patagonia · Chile · rated 4.8/5 Granite towers, hanging glaciers and wind-whipped lakes on the famous W circuit. Refugios book out months ahead and the Patagonian wind is relentless. Go up to the towers for sunrise. - **Best for:** Scenery - **Length:** 4–5 days - **Season:** Nov–Mar Links: [Chile guide](https://wimup.com/country/chile.md) ### 5. Tongariro Crossing, NZ North Island · NZ · rated 4.7/5 A single epic day across volcanic craters and steaming emerald lakes. It is one way, so the shuttle is not optional. Turn back if the summit is clouded: this is an alpine crossing. - **Best for:** Day hike - **Length:** 1 day - **Season:** Nov–Apr Links: [New Zealand guide](https://wimup.com/country/new-zealand.md) ### 6. Kungsleden, Sweden Lapland · Sweden · rated 4.6/5 The Arctic ‘King’s Trail’ through Sweden’s wild, empty far north. Abisko to Nikkaluokta is the week most people walk. Go in September, when the birch turns and the mosquitoes have gone. - **Best for:** Arctic - **Length:** 1–7 days - **Season:** Jul–Sep Links: [Sweden guide](https://wimup.com/country/sweden.md) ### 7. Kalalau Trail, Hawaii Kauai · USA · rated 4.7/5 A cliff-edge path along the emerald, fluted Nā Pali coast. The first stretch to Hanakapiai is a day trip; the full trail needs a permit, dry weather and a head for exposure. - **Best for:** Coast - **Length:** 2 days - **Season:** May–Sep Links: [United States guide](https://wimup.com/country/united-states.md) ### 8. Laugavegur, Iceland Highlands · Iceland · rated 4.7/5 Rhyolite mountains, hot springs and black-sand deserts over four otherworldly days. Huts are booked by January for a July walk, and the river crossings are unbridged and cold. - **Best for:** Volcanic - **Length:** 4 days - **Season:** Jul–Aug Links: [Iceland guide](https://wimup.com/country/iceland.md) ### 9. Annapurna Circuit, Nepal Annapurna · Nepal · rated 4.7/5 A wonderfully varied classic crossing the 5,416m Thorong La pass. Road building has shortened the old route, so most walkers now start at Chame. Cross the pass before dawn. - **Best for:** Variety - **Length:** 12–16 days - **Season:** Oct–Nov Links: [Nepal guide](https://wimup.com/country/nepal.md) ### 10. Cinque Terre, Italy Liguria · Italy · rated 4.5/5 Cliffside paths linking five pastel fishing villages above the sea. The low coastal path needs a Cinque Terre card and closes after rain. The high trails are harder and emptier. - **Best for:** Easy · coast - **Length:** 1–2 days - **Season:** Apr–Jun · Sep Links: [Italy guide](https://wimup.com/country/italy.md) ## FAQs ### Which trek needs the most planning? The Inca Trail. Permits are capped daily, sell out months ahead, and the trail closes every February for maintenance. ### What is the best multi-day trek for a first-timer? The Tour du Mont Blanc, which is hut to hut with no camping and no real altitude. The W in Torres del Paine is the shorter alternative. ### Do I need to be used to altitude? For Everest Base Camp and the Annapurna Circuit, yes, and the schedule matters more than the fitness. Both need their acclimatisation days kept in. ### Which is the best single day hike? The Tongariro Alpine Crossing, one volcanic day in New Zealand. Cinque Terre is the gentle alternative, spread over a day or two. ### When is trekking season? July to September in the Alps and the Arctic, May to September on the Inca Trail, and November to March in Patagonia, whose seasons run the other way. ## Sources - Rankings are Wimup editorial picks. Prices, durations and budgets are editorial estimates, not live quotes; check the official site before you go.