Outdoor activities have seen a ride in their popularity in India, and hiking happens to be one of them. More and more people are learning about, and exploring hiking trails around them, and aiming to get better with each experience. Often, it is limited to a weekend hike, which rejuvenates one after the same old boring week at work. That said, once you get used to the high of scaling a summit, it is impossible to go back to mundane life.
It is then natural to want bigger, better, more challenging, and as a result, more rewarding hikes. With proper training and planning, it is possible too. Depending on the time, and resources, one can opt for anything from a day long to a month long trail, each is unique and rewarding.
Here are 7 of the top hiking destinations in the world for you to explore
1. Laugavegur Trail, Iceland
One of the best trails in the world, Laugavegur Trail is also one of the most stunning. A 65 km trail that covers a wide variety of landscapes, Laugavegur, is best known for its multicolored rhyolite mountains. One of the best hiking holidays in the world, this is a self guided trail, and the entire route is dotted with beautiful simple huts. With an active volcano, and thermal pools enroute, this one is on the top hiking destinations in the world for a reason.
2. West Coast Trail, Canada
One of the most iconic and best places to go hiking in the world, the West Coast Trail in Canada is an 80 km hike, and known to be a hard one. Offering stunning views of the ocean and rugged terrain all around, this one requires you to plan ahead and well. A fun fact about this trail is that it was originally devised as an escape route for the ships that would wreck on the rather hostile coastline. Be prepared to shell out big bucks for this top hiking destination in the world, however, as the entry passes at priced at CAD 186 upwards.
3. Mt Kilimanjaro Trek, Tanzania
Tanzania is packed with adventure, like one of the best white water river rafting sites in the world, and Mt Kilimanjaro Trek is another in the list of adventure activities to experience in the beautiful African country. The trail, which is easily one of the best hiking holidays in the world, takes you through 5 different ecological zones. The 7 day trek is quite demanding mentally as well as physically but the views from the summit are worth everything.
4. Trek to Petra, Jordan
A little different from the other top hiking destinations in the world, the 9-day-long trek to Petra, rewards you with the best of the views and heritage at The Treasury where it ends. While the trekkers come for the trek expecting to see nothing but desert, this trek takes you through 4 different types of ecosystems and biospheres, making it one of the most unique and best places to go hiking in the world.
5. Great Himalayan Trail, Nepal
While others on the list are single-route treks, this top hiking destination in the world is quite literally a network of treks and hikes. Spanning over 4000 km, across the mighty Himalayas, Great Himalayan Trail is mostly Nepal but also covers parts of Bhutan, India, Pakistan, and what was once Tibet.
A trail that really tests your endurance, GHT isn’t for the faint-hearted but should you persevere through, you’re rewarded with what is easily one of the best hiking holidays in the world.
6. Grand Canyon, USA
If the months-long network of trails isn’t what you’re looking for, the Grand Canyon in the USA is a 30 km hike that you could cover in a single day. But if you’re on one of the best hiking vacations in the world, one that takes you through the deepest gorge on the planet earth, lets you experience the most stunning of rock formations, and soak in nature, why hurry? If you’re planning to go on this hiking adventure, do try to camp a night in the canyon for the most stunning night sky.
7. Fairy Pools Hike, Scotland
While this is not a stereotypical destination on the list of best hiking vacations in the world, Fairy Pools Hike in Scotland is a tiny, easy, and rewarding hike for absolute beginners. Really short at a mere 4 km, Fairy Pools Hike offers you the best of the views Scotland has to offer, and it is even considered one of the best places in the country for a wild swim. So if you get past the icy cold, enjoy the short scenic hike with a quick dip in the pools.