The fifty best walks in the world
1. Petra, Jordan Heroic walks through the exquisite ‘rose-red city’, one of the world’s finest archaeological and anthropological sites.
2. The Dolomites, Italy Europe’s most thrilling mountains, soaring dramatically above meadows and forests.
3. Drakensberg Escarpment, South Africa Walk along vast cliffs dividing the Kwazulu-natal plains from the mountain kingdom of Lesotho.
4. Source of the Ganges, India An atmospheric Hindu pilgrimage route, deep into the magnificent Himalayas.
5. Hajar Mountains, Oman The highest mountain range on the Arabian Peninsula, along Oman’s north-eastern seaboard, offering rich culture and vast desert views.
6. Grand Canyon, US Outstanding hikes in the world’s most famous canyon.
7. Torajaland, Sulawesi, Indonesia Extraordinary culture and customs experienced on this walk through unspoilt villages on this remote island.
8. Cappadocia, Turkey Fabulous, weird walks through a surreal landscape full of strange rock formations, narrow canyons and ancient troglodyte dwellings
9. Qadisha Valley, Lebanon A spiritual walk along this imposing, mysterious gorge, a centuries-old refuge for Christian monks.
10. Great Wall, China Inspiring walks along this historic monument, stretching thousands of miles along the ancient Chinese Empire’s northern border.
11. Hadrian’s Wall, England The Roman Empire’s British frontier, snaking through superb moorland and hills in northern England.
12. Lofoten Islands, Norway Explore fishing villages and extraordinary, ice-hewn, granite peaks protruding into the wild Atlantic.
13. Transylvania’s Saxon South, Romania Discover Transylvania’s traditionally farmed rolling grasslands and forests, with their historic fortified Saxon churches and crumbling villages.
14. Torres del Paine, Fitz Roy Massif, Patagonia Granite spires, glaciers and lakes, and thrilling discoveries to be made.
15. South-east Asian Hill Tribe
Walks Hillwalking to remarkably unsullied rural and tribal culture in Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia.
16. Taygetus and the Mani,
Peloponnese, Greece Follow ancient mule tracks, often through classical and Byzantine remains, along the wild backbone of the Peloponnese’s central southern peninsula.
17. The Pyrenees, France and Spain Some of Europe’s best walking, from the drama of the higher routes to the historic Sentier Cathare in the foothills.
18. Jebel Toubkal area, Morocco The High Atlas mountains are walking heaven, with magnificent views and intact, semi-fortified Berber villages.
19. Julian Alps, Slovenia These relatively undiscovered mountains offer unspoilt beauty and insights into a still traditional way of life.
20. Picos de Europa, Spain A network of trails in one of Europe’s last true wildernesses, full of unrivalled flora and fauna.
21. The Caucasus, Georgia Astonishingly green, rugged mountains, steep-sided valleys and tower-villages mark this remote, historic area.
22. Tibet’s Monastery Koras For those seeking spirituality, sacred walks with Tibetan pilgrims around the great monasteries of western China and Tibet.
23. Accursed Mountains,
Albania Tough but thrilling walking in an utterly unspoilt area, previously inaccessible because of Stalinist rule.
24. Huangshan, China Clamber along admittedly crowded clifftop paths in a landscape that inspired a whole genre of Chinese painting.
25. Japan’s Pilgrimage Routes Ancient sacred sites in forested, richly cultural landscape; enjoy unbelievable food. 26. The Lake District, UK The gorgeous landscape that inspired the Romantic poets
27. Utah’s Canyon Lands, US Zion, Bryce, Arches, Canyonlands: iconic views greet you at every turn. Cliffs, canyons, rock arches and much more.
28. The Amalfi Coast, Italy Delight in this extravagantly beautiful area, rich in culture and heritage, with phenomenal views of the Mediterranean and the hills behind.
29. Avenue of the Volcanoes, Ecuador Walking paradise in this double line of volcanoes, including mighty Cotapaxi, stretching sixty miles south of Quito.
30. Corsica Gentle strolls or long, challenging trails through this beautiful mountainous island with its remarkable maquis vegetation.
31. Canary Islands A stunning variety of contorted and crazy volcanic landscapes, with wildly varying vegetation.
32. Kangchenjunga/singalila, India Trek along the ravishing Singalila Ridge between India’s Sikkim state and Nepal, dominated by Kangchenjunga, the world’s third-highest mountain.
33. Ladakh, India Trek through high, dry, harshly beautiful Ladakh, exploring its ‘more Tibetan than Tibet’ Buddhist culture.
34. Mont Blanc area, French Alps Life-enhancing hikes, both day and long-distance, through this great walking region of soaring spires, glaciers and high, flowery meadows.
35. Pindos/vikos Circuit, Greece Explore the spectacular Vikos Gorge and the rugged Pindos Mountains of northwestern Greece for history, landscape and wildflowers.
36. Royal Trek, Nepal Named after Prince Charles’s 1980 trek, this is a moderate ridge walk with outstanding views of the Annapurna peaks.
37. The Cotswolds, UK Mellow walks through absurdly idyllic villages and medieval market towns embedded in green, rolling hills.
38. Via Francigena, Italy Just as good as, if not better than, the Camino de Santiago. Profound history, lovely landscape, towns and food – with no hair shirts.
39. Cairngorms, Scotland Bracing walks through this great, roadless area, teeming with wildlife, crags, ancient forests, glens and lochs.
40. Camino de Santiago, Spain Spiritual walks along the great Catholic pilgrims’ route.
41. Dogon Country, Mali Walks into the heart of rich and ancient Dogon culture and its extraordinary villages along the Bandiagara escarpment.
42. Eiger Trail, Switzerland A hike through high alpine pasture and the lakeland scenery of the Grindelwald.
43. Otavalo area, Ecuador Outstanding walks of all levels from this fascinating market town high in the northern Andes.
44. Simien Mountains, Ethiopia Exhilarating treks through rugged mountains, known for their wildlife – Walia ibex, Simien fox and Gelada baboon.
45. Hohe Tauern, Austria The grand peaks and glaciers of the mighty Glockner group dominate this magnificent area.
46. Mount Kilimanjaro, Mount Meru and Mount Kenya,
Tanzania and Kenya Only the manic will slog to the top of these ex-volcanoes, but some of the world’s best walking can be had on their slopes.
47. Kunisaki Peninsula, Japan This quiet, forgotten peninsula to the west of Japan’s Inland Sea is a walkers’ delight, with scenery, history and Buddhism.
48. Tash Rabat, Kyrgyzstan A fabulous day walk up a valley in the Pamirs above this ancient Silk Road caravanserai.
49. Assynt Peninsula, Scottish Highlands Devastatingly beautiful scenery; lonely mountains floating above wild and unrelenting harshness.
50. Walking safaris, Africa Encounter ‘nature red in tooth and claw’, sometimes queasily close-up, in Kenya, Tanzania and throughout southern Africa.