Best Hikes

We have scoured the earth looking for the best hikes in the most beautiful places on earth. Here we share our favourite hikes from some of the most famous mountain areas on earth. From Yosemite to Banff to Chamonix to the Dolomites in the Italian Alps, we are here to help you find the best places to hike on earth.

Where are the best places to hike on earth? That’s a tough question, as there are simply so many great places to hike. We love hiking in Europe, as it combines great history, culture and food with stunning mountain hikes. Hiking in Europe is a luxurious way to hike, especially if you use the wonderful mountain huts, where you can get a bed and delicious food far away from the crowds.

North America is more rugged, and the system of National Parks mean that there is less development. The benefit of this is that the parks are pristine, with clean air, pristine water and abundant game. You can also easily get away from the crowds and have an entire valley to yourself for days on a backpacking trip! The downside is the facilities can leave a bit to be desired, with accommodation in some places limited to basic motels.

With so much choice, how do you choose the best places to hike on earth? We are here to help, and below we share our 10 favourite places to hike in North America.

Our top 10 places to hike on earth are:

1. Lake Louise in Banff National Park, Canada. We love the hiking near Lake Louise, including the stunning Moraine Lake. These exquisite lakes and their surrounding mountains offer a great variety of hiking opportunities. Nearby is Yoho National Park as well as the stunning Icefields Parkway, which make this our favourite place for a hiking holiday in North America.

2. Chamonix, France. The Chamonix Valley has great hiking and trekking combined with a joie de vivre that you can feel as you explore the Mont Blanc Massif and the town of Chamonix.

3. Zermatt, Switzerland. Is there a more perfect looking village that Zermatt? Situated at the base of the Matterhorn, the hiking here is sublime. The car-free village is perhaps the finest in the Alps.

4. The Dolomites, Italy. The Dolomites offer an enormous number of hiking options. A variety of charming villages, wonderful food and incredible scenery make hiking in the Dolomites a true joy.

5. Yosemite National Park, California. Yosemite is stunning. This National Park has some of the most epic scenery, and the Tioga Road allows you to access some of the hiking trails in North America.

6. Zion National Park, Utah. Zion is stunning, a place like no other. Get here early on a crisp spring or autumn day and hike through the amazing geography of this incredible National Park.

7. Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado. Wow! A trip to hike in Rocky Mountain National Park must be on every hikers’ bucket list. This stunning National Park has incredible hiking and is another reason we love Colorado.

8. Glacier National Park, Montana. Glacier National Park in Montana is probably the National Park experience you imagine if you haven’t been to the American West. Massive mountains, tiny roads and a whole lot of nature. The Going-to-the-Sun road opens up some of the best hiking in the Rocky Mountains.

9. The English Lake District, UK. Perhaps the best shoulder-season hiking on earth, a trip to the Lake District in late-spring is a true joy to the senses. Low crowds, wonderful hiking and charming villages means that a hiking holiday in the English Lake District is a winner.

10. Yoho National Park, BC. Yoho is an often-overlooked gem in the Canadian Rockies. Located west of Banff National Park, Yoho has less development. Yoho contains the incredible Takkakaw Falls, Lake O’Hara and the sublime Emerald Lake Lodge.