Where to go
Which countries are best for hiking? A comparison built on published facts
7 min read · Updated
Ask which country is best for hiking and you will get as many answers as there are boots in a hallway. The honest starting point is that nobody publishes a ranking. Hiking depends on the season, your fitness, how many days you have and whether you want a hut, a tent or a bed in a town each night.
This guide takes a narrower approach. It picks eight countries and compares them only on things that published pages state: how trails are managed, how large a network is, whether the law gives walkers access to open land, which long routes are recognised by UNESCO or national agencies, and what the best-known high treks involve. For the wider picture of where to travel, see our travel comparison. It gives no prices and no safety or medical advice.
Why no single list ranks hiking countries
Wikipedia defines a hike as a long, vigorous walk, usually on trails or footpaths in the countryside, and notes that hiking can also be off-trail. A day hike is finished in one day, a multi-day hike with an overnight stay is called backpacking, and trekking describes multi-day hiking in mountainous regions. The same activity has local names: Wikipedia says New Zealanders call it tramping, especially for overnight trips, and Australians call it bushwalking.
Those differences are the reason a league table would mislead. A country with a famous high trek may have a short season. A country with a vast network may have few places to sleep. So we state our own selection filter. A country appears here if a published source we could read describes at least one of four things: a managed national trail scheme, a large marked network, a legal right of access to open land, or a long recognised route. That is a filter for inclusion, not a verdict that these eight countries are better than every other.
What the filter leaves out matters too. We do not score weather, difficulty, crowding, safety or cost, because we have no consistent dataset for them. Read the official page for any trail you are serious about before booking anything.
“a long, vigorous walk, usually on trails or footpaths in the countryside”
New Zealand: managed trails with a booking system
New Zealand's Department of Conservation set up its Great Walks network in 1992. The Department of Conservation describes them as premier tracks that pass through diverse and spectacular scenery. Wikipedia lists 11 Great Walks. The eleventh, the Hump Ridge Track, opened on 25 October 2024.
The walks range from 32 km to 82 km and take 3 to 6 days. The exception is the Whanganui Journey, a canoe trip of 145 km over five days that is managed within the same system. Every Great Walk has a booking system to control visitor numbers, and Wikipedia says walking access is free while overnight hut or campsite stays are charged. The Department of Conservation page for the walks shows a booking window running to 30 June 2027 at the time we read it, so dates do open well ahead.
The practical point for planners is that the managed model removes some guesswork but adds lead time. You choose a walk, secure the nights, then build the rest of the trip around them.
| Walk | Length | What the source says |
|---|---|---|
| Heaphy Track | 82 km | The longest walking track in the network |
| Hump Ridge Track | 61 km | Became the 11th Great Walk when it opened on 25 October 2024 |
| Paparoa Track | 55 km | Listed with the Pike29 Memorial Track |
| Routeburn Track | 32 km | The shortest walking track in the network |
| Whanganui Journey | 145 km | A five-day canoe journey, not a walk, managed as a Great Walk |
Switzerland and Norway: big networks and mountain huts
Switzerland is the clearest example of scale. Wikipedia gives the hiking trail network as about 65,000 km and says hiking is often referred to as the national sport. It also says about one third of the population hikes regularly. A network that large is only useful if it is easy to follow, so check SwitzerlandMobility or the local tourist office for the route you choose rather than relying on general descriptions.
Norway's strength is its cabin network. The Visit Norway page on hiking says the Norwegian Trekking Association runs more than 550 affordable hiking cabins across the country, that most trails are marked according to difficulty, and that the busiest period is from mid-June to the end of August. The tourist board also describes almost unhindered access to the countryside, which leads to the next section.
Wikipedia adds that hut-to-hut walking is established in the mountains of Norway, Sweden, Austria, Slovenia, Switzerland, Germany, France and Italy. If you like the idea of carrying less and sleeping under a roof each night, that list is a useful starting point for your own research.
Walking where the law lets you roam
A legal right of access changes what a trip can be, because you are not limited to marked paths. Wikipedia's article on the freedom to roam lists the countries that have one. In the Nordic countries it is an old custom: Norway's allemannsrett, Sweden's allemansrätten, which the Swedish constitution refers to, and Finland's jokaisenoikeus. In Scotland the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 codified the tradition into law.
Estonia permits access to natural and cultural landscapes on foot, by bicycle, ski, boat or on horseback. Austria's right in forests and mountainous areas is called Wegefreiheit, and Wikipedia's Swiss section says forest and pasture are accessible to everyone as long as there is no excessive usage. The Scottish Outdoor Access Code site adds a reminder that access rights come with responsibilities, such as using stoves instead of open fires and protecting wildlife.
These rights are not a licence to do anything. They sit alongside rules on private gardens, farm animals, protected areas and camping, and each country words them differently. Treat the table below as a map of where to start reading, and then read the national code.
| Country | Name or basis | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Norway | Allemannsrett (the everyman's right) | Right of access to uncultivated land |
| Sweden | Allemansrätten | Referred to in the Swedish constitution |
| Finland | Jokaisenoikeus (everyone's right) | Not codified in any specific law |
| Scotland | Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 | Codified the tradition of universal access to land |
| Estonia | Access to natural and cultural landscapes | On foot, by bicycle, ski, boat or horseback |
| Austria | Wegefreiheit | Particularly in forests and mountainous areas |
| Switzerland | Forest and pasture access | Forest and pasture accessible to everyone, if no excessive usage |
“almost unhindered access to the countryside as long as you tread lightly and leave no trace”
Pilgrim routes: the Camino and the Kumano Kodo
Long walking routes with a pilgrimage history are well documented. Wikipedia says the Camino Francés from Roncesvalles to Santiago de Compostela via León is about 800 km. The Camino encompasses several routes in Spain, France and Portugal and was declared the first Cultural Route of the Council of Europe in 1987. UNESCO inscribed the Camino Francés and the Routes of Northern Spain in 1993, and the French routes followed in 1998. To receive the Compostela certificate, walkers must walk a minimum of 100 km or cycle at least 200 km. Wikipedia's statistics table lists 446,035 pilgrims in 2023 and 499,239 in 2024.
Japan's Kumano Kodo is smaller in scale. The routes were registered by UNESCO in July 2004 as part of the Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range. Wikipedia says the Nakahechi route was the most popular for pilgrims from the old capital, Kyoto. The Nakahechi walk starts at Takijiri-oji, with about 37 km of mountainous trail before Kumano Hongū Taisha, and most pilgrims divide it into two days with a stop at Chikatsuyu. Galicia and Wakayama Prefecture twinned their pilgrim roads in 1998, and walkers who complete both can receive a dual-pilgrimage certificate.
What these routes share is infrastructure built around villages, so a night in a town is normal. That is a different rhythm from the huts of Norway or the Great Walks, and it suits people who would rather walk with a lighter pack.
High treks: the Annapurna Circuit and Torres del Paine
Nepal's Annapurna Circuit is the classic high-altitude trek. Wikipedia's infobox gives 131 km, while the text says the full route varies between 160 and 230 km depending on where motor transport is used. It usually takes about 15 to 20 days, starting and ending in Kathmandu with a stop in Pokhara, and its high point is the Thorong La pass at 5,416 m, with 4,107 m of elevation gain and loss. October and November are the busiest period and teahouses book up quickly. Altitude and weather are real constraints, so follow official guidance and local advice, and do not use this page for planning safety.
Chile's Torres del Paine National Park is in the Magallanes Region of southern Patagonia, about 112 km north of Puerto Natales. It was designated a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 1978. The W Trek is a popular multi-day hike of about three to five days, while the O Circuit loops the whole massif in typically seven to nine days. The infobox lists 304,947 visitors in 2019, although the article's text gives an average of about 252,000 a year, so treat visitor numbers as approximate.
Both treks reward planning more than improvisation. Permits, lodging and transport differ by season and change over time, and we do not state them here.
Turning a hike into a stay: kitchens, laundry and base towns
Hiking and apartment-style stays fit together in one honest way: multi-day trips involve food and wet kit. A kitchen makes it easier to prepare lunches and early breakfasts, and a washing machine or airer helps with muddy clothes. Cooking in an aparthotel kitchen and laundry in aparthotels explain what to expect, and the aparthotel packing list covers what to bring.
For trips of a week or more, a base can also be simpler to organise than moving every night, and weekly serviced apartments describe how that works. Our hub pages list aparthotels in towns such as Queenstown, Zermatt and Tromsø, and you can narrow them with the with kitchen filter in Queenstown. We do not state distances to trailheads, so check the map before you book.
If your plans lean towards snow instead, the sister comparison on countries for skiing covers resorts and Olympic records, and countries for backpacking looks at the longer-journey end of travel.
Frequently asked questions
Which country is best for hiking?
There is no official ranking. New Zealand, Switzerland, Norway, Scotland, Spain, Japan, Nepal and Chile all have well-documented hiking, but they offer different things. Choose by season, number of days and whether you want huts, villages or open land.
Do you need to book New Zealand's Great Walks in advance?
Wikipedia says every Great Walk has a booking system to manage visitor numbers, and the Department of Conservation page showed a booking window to 30 June 2027 when we read it. Check the department's page for the walk you want.
Which countries let you walk on open land?
Wikipedia lists freedom-to-roam traditions or laws in the Nordic countries, Scotland, Estonia, Austria and Switzerland, among others. The rules differ by country, so read the official access code before you go.
How long is the Camino de Santiago?
Wikipedia gives about 800 km for the Camino Francés from Roncesvalles to Santiago via León. For the Compostela certificate, walkers must walk a minimum of 100 km. Other routes in Spain, France and Portugal vary in length.
How long does the Annapurna Circuit take?
Wikipedia says the trek usually takes about 15 to 20 days, with the Thorong La pass at 5,416 m as the high point. October and November are the busiest months. Use official guidance for permits and conditions.
Can I plan a hiking trip from a serviced apartment?
Often, if the town is close enough to your trailheads. A kitchen and laundry help on multi-day trips. See weekly serviced apartments and check each listing for what is included.
Stays and pages mentioned in this guide
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Sources
- Wikipedia: Hiking
- Wikipedia: Great Walks
- Department of Conservation: Great Walks
- Wikipedia: Hiking in Switzerland
- Visit Norway: Hiking in Norway
- Wikipedia: Freedom to roam
- Scottish Outdoor Access Code
- Wikipedia: Camino de Santiago
- Wikipedia: Kumano Kodō
- Wikipedia: Annapurna Circuit
- Wikipedia: Torres del Paine National Park
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