There are so many breathtaking sights to see all around the world in many ways, but most of us don’t know where to start or how to find some nice ones. Hiking is a great way to combine seeing the sights of your area with exercise and enrichment so there’s no surprise it’s a favorite for ideas like this. But what hikes are the best? Here are some of the best hiking trails in the world to give you some starting ideas.
Wonderland Trail in Washington
To start off with a hiking trail in the United States, Wonderland Trail in Mount Rainier National Park is a beautiful and diverse option. This one is an incredibly long trip being a 93-mile loop and should be taken across 10 to 14 days to get the most out of what you see. It’s best to apply for a permit in time to manage a slot sometime in July through September since that’s the best time to see the area. The hike includes 18 wilderness camps to aid your journey and through it, you can see forests, valleys, and meadows as well as the glaciers on Mount Rainier.
Lares Trek in Peru
Travel to Lares, Peru for a steep but fairly short trek that involves a walk through the Urubamba mountain range from the village of Lares. The trail is 22 miles for one way travel and ends in a small town where you can find a train to travel elsewhere afterward. You’ll see stunning mountain ranges as well as glimpses of the Andean culture that exists here in this little area of Peru. For this hike, you won’t need a permit but you certainly should take it with a guide alongside you due to how steep and dangerous some of the trails can be.
Basho Wayfarer in Japan
Japan hosts many beautiful trails that connect multiple areas of beauty as well as roots in the country. The Basho Wayfarer is considered to be about a six-day walk and is supposedly the walking trail of a poet named Matsuo Basho who walked that way 300 plus years ago. This trek goes through the Tohoko region where it passes through a World Heritage Site called Hiraizumi then along an ancient path that has stunning beech and cherry forests then through the Natagiri-toge mountains and finally ending at a temple. There are accommodations available for the trek.
Old Rag in Virginia
For those that need a shorter hike option that still has great sights to see, this 9.2-mile loop in Shenandoah National Park in Virginia can be something to look into. The site was named Old Rag after the granite that lays under it. The area is still traveled quite often by many, so you could choose to hike here later in the season or in winter to avoid the other hikers some. But the vision of the trail in spring, summer, and fall is well worth the crowd to many hikers. At the summit, you can see the majority of this massive national park too.
Whether these are nearby where you live already or can be added to a travel bucket list for future hopes, they’re an amazing way to see something new in a new place while getting outdoors and keeping your body healthy. You can spend time on hiking trails more than once each too, sometimes seeing it again in a new season or a new day to see how the weather can change the atmosphere or what you see along the walk.