Last updated October 15, 2026
The World Is Full of Trails. Find Yours.
Explore 30 extraordinary hiking regions, from Patagonia’s granite towers and the European Alps to Himalayan teahouses and New Zealand’s Great Walks. Start with the place, then choose the trek, season and trip style that fit you.
Torres del Paine · Chilean PatagoniaSeven Regions Worth Exploring First
Each photograph shows its actual hiking destination, and each link opens an existing Global Summit Guide regional guide. These are starting points—not a paid ranking or substitutes for the full directory below.
Sierra Nevada
John Muir Trail, Yosemite, Whitney and high-alpine lake basins.
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French Alps
Tour du Mont Blanc, alpine villages, refuges and accessible mountain transport.
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Nepal Himalaya
Everest and Annapurna routes, high passes and deep trekking culture.
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New Zealand South Island
Fiordland, Milford Track, mountain valleys and Southern Alps scenery.
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Morocco High Atlas
Toubkal, Amazigh mountain villages and multi-day Atlas circuits.
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Tanzania & Kenya
Kilimanjaro, Mount Kenya and rewarding high-altitude East African objectives.
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Chilean Patagonia
Torres del Paine’s W Trek, glacier country and challenging weather.
Explore regionChoose the Trip, Not Just the Photo.
The ideal region depends on season, altitude, accommodation, fitness and local access rules. Use the directory below to compare all 30, save up to three finalists, and continue into your existing My Climb planner.
Use the original search, geographic filters, save buttons, regional profiles and shortlist below.
Explore the Pilgrimage Trails of the World
Some of the greatest long walks on Earth are pilgrimages. Step into the dedicated collection – the Camino de Santiago, Kumano Kodo, the Via Francigena and more – a whole sub-collection within the world’s hiking regions.
The Best Hiking Region by Month
There is a great hiking region open in every month of the year – the trick is following the seasons around the planet. Use this month-by-month guide to match your trip dates to the regions at their best.
| Month | Best regions | Why |
|---|---|---|
| January | New Zealand, Patagonia | Peak southern-hemisphere summer – long days on the Great Walks and the Torres del Paine circuits. |
| February | Patagonia, New Zealand | Still high summer in the far south; the Andes and Fiordland are at their best. |
| March | Nepal (EBC), Morocco | Spring trekking opens in the Himalaya; clear, cold and quiet before the crowds. |
| April | Nepal, Camino de Santiago, Japan | Himalayan spring in full swing; the Camino warms up and Japan blooms. |
| May | Nepal, Camino, Scotland | The best Himalayan spring window, and the lower trails of Europe come alive. |
| June | French Alps, Dolomites, Norway, Iceland | The Alpine and Nordic season opens; long daylight and melting snowlines. |
| July | Tour du Mont Blanc, Dolomites, Sierra Nevada, Canadian Rockies | Peak Alpine season and the North American high country at its finest. |
| August | Swiss Alps, Canadian Rockies, Norway | Warmest and busiest in the north; book huts and refuges well ahead. |
| September | French Alps, Dolomites, Nepal, Kilimanjaro | Quieter, golden Alpine weeks – and the start of the Himalayan autumn. |
| October | Nepal, Kilimanjaro, Japan | The best autumn trekking in the Himalaya; clear skies and fall colour. |
| November | Nepal, Patagonia, New Zealand | Late Himalayan autumn as the southern-hemisphere season reopens. |
| December | Patagonia, New Zealand, Kilimanjaro | Southern summer begins – Patagonia, Fiordland and a short Kili dry spell. |
Find Your Hiking Region by the Kind of Trip You Want
The best region depends less on where than on how you want to walk – a day out, a hut-to-hut trek, a long-distance trail, a pilgrimage, or a wilderness expedition. Start with the style, then choose the place.
Day Hikes & Short Walks
Regions where a great day on the trail needs no overnight kit – lifts, huts and trailheads close to town.
Hut-to-Hut & Refuge Treks
Walk from mountain hut to mountain hut with a light pack – Europe’s great gift to trekkers.
Iconic Long Trails & Circuits
Multi-day and multi-week journeys, from Alpine tours to the great Patagonian circuits.
Pilgrimage Trails
The world’s great pilgrim routes – some of the oldest and most rewarding long walks on Earth.
High-Altitude Treks
The big-mountain approaches – walking into the thin air beneath the world’s great peaks.
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Global Summit Guide is an independent mountaineering resource founded in 2026. The team combines first-hand trekking and climbing experience with in-depth research and professional health and nutrition review to help climbers choose objectives, prepare properly, and stay safe.
Health, altitude, and nutrition content is reviewed by Taylor Ludlow (Registered Nurse) and Brigg Hoopes (Nutritionist).
What We Don't Know Yet
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