Guide Topic
Best Classic Hiking Routes in the World for 2026
A curated 2026 guide to the world's classic hiking routes for trip planning, destination shortlisting, and building a serious trek bucket list.
Why this guide matters
If you want to plan a genuinely memorable hiking trip in 2026, the first step is not to obsess over one trail too early, but to build a strong shortlist. This guide prioritises routes with lasting reputation, highly recognisable scenery, and a consistent place in real trip planning conversations.
How to shortlist routes that actually matter
The strongest annual picks usually share three traits: they are internationally recognisable, visually distinctive, and repeatedly chosen when travellers compare major trekking trips. Everest Base Camp, Tour du Mont Blanc, Camino de Santiago, and the Torres del Paine W Trek all belong in that top tier.
The route categories that remain strongest in 2026
The most compelling 2026 routes still fall into three broad categories: globally famous names such as EBC, Camino, and TMB; landscape-led destination treks such as Patagonia and the New Zealand Great Walks; and more decision-heavy routes where altitude, difficulty, and season matter a great deal.
How to use this page
Use this page as a route pool if you have not yet fixed a country or budget. Once a region is clear, move into narrower guides such as Nepal, Patagonia, or beginner-friendly multi-day hikes to reduce the shortlist much faster.
Related Routes
Nepal
Everest Base Camp Trek
The Everest Base Camp trek is the world's most famous high-altitude trek. From Lukla, follow the Dudh Koshi valley deep into the Khumbu region to Everest Base Camp (5364m). Towering Himalayan peaks, Sherpa culture, and the sheer magnitude of the world's highest mountains make this a pilgrimage for trekkers.
France
Tour du Mont Blanc
The Tour du Mont Blanc (TMB) is Europe's most celebrated trek, circling Western Europe's highest peak (4810m) through France, Italy, and Switzerland. Glacial valleys, alpine meadows, and panoramic mountain passes make it a bucket-list trek for hikers worldwide.
Spain
Camino de Santiago (French Way Final 100km)
The Camino de Santiago is the world's most famous pilgrimage walk. The final 100km of the French Way (Sarria to Santiago) is its most popular section — through Galician countryside, eucalyptus forests, and medieval stone bridges, ending at Santiago Cathedral. Complete 100km on foot to earn the Compostela certificate.
Chile
Torres del Paine W Trek
The W Trek in Torres del Paine is Patagonia's most iconic hike, named after the W-shape of its route. Towering granite spires of the Torres, the immense Grey Glacier, and the French Valley make this one of the world's most stunning treks — a concentrated dose of Patagonian wilderness.
New Zealand
Milford Track
Often called one of the world's finest walks, the Milford Track crosses Fiordland National Park through mossy rainforest, hanging valleys, and glacially carved basins. It is short by thru-hike standards but exceptionally dense in scenery, with Mackinnon Pass, Sutherland Falls, and Milford Sound all packed into four days.