Travel Bucket List The Prettiest Hiking Trails In The World

By Vicky Sidler

The famous mountaineer and explorer Sir Edmund Hillary once famously said that “It’s not the mountain we conquer, but ourselves.”

Hiking is about more than mere exercise, travel, or sightseeing – it offers hikers a special sense of connection to a place and its landscapes. It’s also truly an activity for everyone, whether you're young or old, an expert or an amateur – there's a trail out there to suit anyone.

From a multi-day trek through the so-called Yosemite Valley of Japan, to an unmarked, rugged clamber through the Long Range Mountains of Canada, here are some of the prettiest hiking trails in the world.

The Japanese Alps are often described as “The Yosemite Valley of Japan” because of the spectacular mountain scenery. Various scenic hiking routes are available depending, including very short day trips, and rock climbing options are available for the extra-adventurous as well.

The hike that will really take your breath away however, is the traverse from Tateyama to Kamikochi, which is considered the ultimate hike in Japan. Following an ancient pilgrimage route, hikers trek across the north-to-south spine of the Japanese Alps and take in breathtaking scenery and pass steaming hot springs.

• Difficulty rating: 6/10
• Technical rating: Although long, this trail is not especially hard and no technical skills or special gear is required.
• Duration: 6 days; 65km (40mi)
• When to go: Early summer (late June) to mid-autumn (late October) is the main season for hiking and trekking in the Japan Alps.

Te Araroa is New Zealand's Trail - taking in spectacular New Zealand landscapes from beaches to volcanoes to forests to cities. The lengthy route stretches along the length of the country's two main islands from Cape Reinga in the North of New Zealand to Bluff in the South.

It is made up of a mixture of older tracks and walkways, new tracks, and link sections alongside roads, and tramping the full length of the trail generally takes three to six months. Te Araroa can be walked in either direction – northbound or southbound – and a moderate level of fitness is required to make a realistic attempt at a through-tramp.

• Difficulty rating: 8/10
• Technical rating: Hikers need skills that include trip planning, navigation, and river crossing skills – all of which are prerequisites to good decision making capability in the field. They also need to know what survival equipment to carry and how to avoid getting hypothermia.
• Duration: 50-80 days; 3,000km (1,900mi)
• When to go: If heading southbound, a late September-December start is generally when people commence. If you wanted to head northbound, November to January are your best bets. Bear in mind these should only be considered broad guidelines as the weather in New Zealand can be very hard to predict.

El Caminito del Rey (The King's Little Path) is a walkway, pinned along the steep walls of a narrow gorge in El Chorro, near Ardales in the province of Malaga, Spain. It offers walkers the unique experience of strolling along walkways hanging over 100m (330ft) on a sheer cliff face.

The walkway had fallen into disrepair and was partially closed for over a decade and earned the nickname as the “world's most dangerous walkway” following five deaths in 1999 and 2000. After four years of extensive repairs and renovations, however, the walkway re-opened in 2015 with a much higher focus on safety.

By taking this path, you will be treated to a panoramic view of this natural canyon sculpted by the river along with views of the many plant and animal species living in the area, including mountain birds such as the Egyptian vulture, griffon vulture and golden eagle; Spanish ibex, foxes, and dormice.

• Difficulty rating: 3/10
• Technical rating: The route is fairly flat with some steep parts at the end. The suspension bridges are quite secure, but the walk does run 100m (330ft) above the gorge, so if you suffer from vertigo then this may not be the hike for you.
• Duration: 2.5 hours, 8km (5mi) When to go: Spring and summer (March to September) are the best times to visit Spain and to attempt the Caminito del Rey.

The Long Range Traverse is an unmarked and rugged backcountry route in Canada. There are no marked or maintained trails on the hike, requiring trekkers to rely on advanced, confident map-and-compass navigation and other backcountry skills.

Hikers face steep cliffs, dense “tuckamore” (alpine krummholz), swarming black flies, and roaming moose and caribou, but those who tackle this challenge are richly rewarded with a powerful sense of wildness and some of the most jaw-dropping landscapes to be found anywhere in the world.

• Difficulty rating: 9/10
• Technical rating: To hike this trail, you must pass a serious navigation test and get a full orientation by staff at the Gros Morne National Park Visitor Center. You will need to demonstrate that you understand declination and know how to take a compass bearing from the map.
• Duration: 3-4 days; 35km (22mi)
• When to go: September is the ideal month to do this hike, with warm temperatures, fewer bugs and less fog.

The Otter trail is officially the oldest and undoubtedly the most iconic hiking trail in South Africa. The trail, which runs along the spectacular coastline between the Storms River mouth and Nature’s Valley, was opened in 1968 and is considered one of the finest multi-day trails in the world.

It is named after the shy, mostly nocturnal, Cape Clawless Otter which inhabits the estuaries and streams of the South African coast, which lucky hikers may be able to spot, and the variety and splendour of the landscape makes it a truly mesmerising hike. Hikers can spend their days blissfully swimming in rivers and streams, walking through dense coastal forest, relaxing on beautiful beaches, enjoying the rich floral, insect and birdlife, and gazing at dolphins playing in the waves.

• Difficulty rating: 7/10: The Otter might not be as demanding as some other longer trails, like the Amatola or Outeniqua, but it should not be underestimated. It has some steep climbs and descents, as well as technical river crossings.
• Technical rating: Mostly standard trail walking interspersed with “walk-through” river crossings. However, the main technical difficulty of the trail is the Bloukrans River crossing which involves swimming across the river and climbing up steep terrain by use of a rope.
• Duration: 5 days; 45km (28mi)
• When to go: The trail is open all year, but December to March are the warmest months and less likely to be rainy.

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