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1. Grand Canyon Rim to Rim
23.9 miles hiking North to South
Plan 3-4 days for a backpacking trip. This is a little difficult to get simply because you need a backcountry permit for camping and that’s only done by lottery.
2. Appalachian Trail
2,190 miles
This estimated 2,190 mile trail starts goes from Mt. Springer in Georgia to Mt. Katahdin in Maine. Because of the distance, expect to spend 6 months on this trail.
I’ve already attempted this one, but plan to go back and complete it!!
3. Pacific Crest Trail
2,650 miles
This 2,650 mile trail starts at the Mexican border in California, goes up the west coast and ends just over the Canadian border. Expect 5-6 months to complete this one.
4. Arctic Circle Trail
160 km
Explore this trail through Greenland “from ice sheet to sea.”
5. Camino de Santiago
Camino de Santiago is more known as a pilgrimage. There are multiple places where it begins but the ending in Santiago de Compostela in Galicia, Spain. The French route is the most popular and that’s probably the one that I would take, however, the North route seems like more of a challenge, but is less traveled.
6. Jordan Trail
This trail through Jordan is 675 km and travels through 75 villages and towns. On this trail, you’ll see incredible landscapes and wildlife, but also tons of historical relics! This hike should take about 40 days.
7. Hadrian’s Wall Path
This 84 mile trail should take about 8 days to complete. This is a mostly grassy trail which follows the wall built in the second century as part of Roman defenses. You will be starting at Bowness-on-Solway, England and ending at South Shields.
8. Inca Trail to Machu Pichu
This 26 mile trail makes way through the Andes Mountains, exploring developments over 2,000 years old, ending at iconic Machu Pichu. Because of the effect of so many travelers, the Peruvian government has placed a limit on how many people can hike during a season. Hiking with a guide is required and they sell out quickly so advanced booking is necessary.
9. La Ciudad Perdida
This 70 km hike takes you through the Colombian rainforest and ends with 1,200 steps to enter “The Lost City.” This hike is considered extremely difficult considering the heat, humidity, mosquitos and terrain. This trail requires a guide and prices are regulated, so you will pay a little over $300 US.
10. Laugavegur-Skogar Trail
This 34 mile trail starts in Landmannalaugar , Iceland and ends in Thorsmork. Hike over Icelandic mountains, with views of glaciers! This hike can be done in 3-4 days.
11. Mt. Kilimanjaro
Located in Tanzania and Kenya, Mt. Kilimanjaro has rainforest, bushland, alpine and artic zones. This is probably one of the most difficult because of the variety of terrains. It would definitely be a challenge!
12. Pacaya Volcano
Hike up this Guatemalan active volcano and roast marshmallows at the top!
13. Villarrica Volcano
This is another active volcano, located in Chile, that you can hike up! This hike is 5.6 miles. The best time to do this hike is in the summer when there is less snow coverage.
14. Monserrate
This mountain is located in Colombia. Similar to Camino de Santiago, this hike is considered a pilgrimage to the church at the top. If you don’t want to hike it, there are other ways to get there, including an aerial tram. This hike is 1.5 miles.
15. Painters’ Way
What if we Walked? did such a perfect job of describing this place and has made me want to go so bad! This German hike is a 110 km loop.
16. Great Ocean Walk
This amazing one way hike starts at Apollo Bay in Melbourne, Australia and ends at Twelve Apostles National Park. It’s a 110 km hike that takes you through forests and rocky shores with several water crossings.
17. Quilotoa Lagoon
This 6.4 mile hike, located in Ecuador, takes approximately 3-5 days to complete. Keep in mind that this is a hike through the Andes Mountains and will be a challenge. Don’t expect to do this in 1 day.
18. Pedra de Telegrafo
You’ve probably seen pictures all over Instagram of this location. People love taking pictures here! This 2.2 mile hike in Rio de Janeiro yields extraordinary views.
Where to go first?
As you can see, there are some seriously phenomenal bucket list locations on this list! Now to choose, where do I go first?
Where would you go first? Have you done any of these already? What did you think?