Classic Treks Around the World

Mt. Everest Base Camp Trek, Nepal

You may not have the stamina, skill, or $65,000 required to climb Mt. Everest, but most people in good shape can trek to Everest Base Camp in Nepal, the staging ground for most summit attempts. "An adventure in the human arena as much as in the natural one, the 35-mile walk to Mt. Everest may be the premier mountain journey of our time," writes Potterfield. "Everest is a worthy destination, but the day-by-day magic worked by the Khumbu region of Nepal and its Sherpa people is what makes the way so memorable."

You can trek on your own, but most people prefer to sign up with an outfitter, which usually includes porters, guides, and accommodations. Many outfitters run Everest treks. On the more affordable side, GAP Adventures offers 15-day treks for $915.

(Photo: iStockPhoto.com/weareadventurers)

White Mountain Traverse, New Hampshire

You might not have six months to spare to do the 2,168-mile-long Appalachian Trail (AT) from Georgia to Maine, but if you have about a week, you can hike the most rugged and inspiring part of the trail (in the opinion of this proud New Englander) through New Hampshire's White Mountains. Starting in Franconia Notch State Park, you'll climb a link trail up to the AT and follow it over the rocky Franconia and Garfield ridges, through Zealand and Crawford notches, and across the wild, windswept Presidential Range. The AT skirts some of the summits along the way, so you'll want to break away from the AT briefly to hit them all. "The real highlight of this 53-mile route is the vaunted Presidential Range Traverse, perhaps the most difficult and dangerous section of the [AT]," writes Potterfield. "The route climbs over a succession of peaks more than 5,000 feet high, and one over 6,000 feet."

You can stay in mountain huts along the way ($89 per night, including meals) or camp outside (fees may apply depending on location).

(Photo: Molly Feltner)

Routeburn Track, New Zealand

There are nine designated Great Walks in New Zealand, but of these, many prefer the 28-mile Routeburn Track, which connects Mount Aspiring National Park and Fiordland National Park on the South Island. "This historic alpine route penetrates the glacier-carved landscapes of New Zealand's Southern Alps—rain forests, high basins, and mountain peaks," wries Potterfield. "From classic U-shaped glacial valleys to snowy passes, the Routeburn traverses strikingly diverse mountain terrain while delivering botanical surprise, exotic bird song, and scenic payoff on a big scale."

You can complete the route in three or four days, staying in huts along the way. Rates range from $10 to $40 per person per night, depending on the season.

(Photo: Julian Apse/Tourism New Zealand)

Grand Canyon Rim to Rim, Arizona

"From within, the canyon's staggering architecture and sheer scale can be uplifting, exhilarating, and humbling," writes Potterfield of hiking inside the Grand Canyon. "The rocks at the bottom are two billion years old, at the top five million … To walk down through this epic historical record, strata by strata … is to take a foot journey unlike any other."

There are several options for hiking rim to rim (or rim to rim to rim as Potterfield suggests), but the 23.5-mile trek from the North Rim to the South Rim on the North Kaibab and Bright Angel trails is less demanding than other options. You can do it in three days, staying at designated campsites. You'll need to obtain a backcountry permit in advance, which costs $10 plus $5 per person per night for camping.

(Photo: iStockPhoto.com/Alessandro Contadini)

Kilimanjaro, Tanzania

"The trek on 'Kili' goes not to a base camp, nor around the mountain, but right to its summit, the highest in Africa," writes Potterfield. "Because the week-long journey to the top of this great peak is nontechnical … Kilimanjaro is that rarest of high mountains: It offers to any fit hiker, not just the skilled climber, both the rewards and the misery that come from an attempt on its glacier-clad summit."

There are several routes to the summit, and you'll find outfitters offering supported treks on each, but Potterfield suggest taking the Machame-Mweka Route, arguably the most scenic way up the mountain. Zara Tours, a local company, runs six-day trips for $1,305.

(Photo: iStockPhoto.com/Liz Leyden)

Kalalau Trail, Kauai, Hawaii

Although this trek is on the coast, it's hardly a walk on the beach. Kauai's challenging 11-mile Kalalau Trail follows the edge of the Na Pali Coast's fluted pali cliffs, traversing up and down thickly vegetated valleys and gullies, and ending at the long, sandy Kalalau Beach. "The foot journey from lovely Ke'e Lagoon, at the trailhead, to the secluded valley of Kalalau cuts through the heart of Na Pali Coast's rugged terrain," writes Potterfield. "It's an intoxicating landscape but a tough walk."

You will need to obtain hiking and camping permits in advance through the Hawaii State Parks office. Camping costs $10 per person, per night. Some people try to do the round-trip in two days, but it's saner to budget more.

(Photo: iStockPhoto.com/photo75)

Torres del Paine circuit, Chile

On the 52-mile Torres del Paine circuit in Chilean Patagonia, you'll circumnavigate some of the world's most iconic peaks, the 9,184-foot torres (towers)—three salmon-colored spires that jut up like crocodile teeth—and the 8,530-foot cuernos (horns; pictured above)—God's gift to Ansel Adams postulants. "Winding through ancient stands of beech forests, passing lakes tinged an unearthly milky turquoise, and following giant tongues of ice spilling off the Patagonian ice cap, the trail around these mountains reveals a world so unfamiliar that the sight of flightless birds [rheas] as big as ponies dashing around in flocks hardly seems surprising," writes Potterfield.

You can plan the trip yourself or go with a guide. The outfitter KE Adventure Travel runs 12-day Torres del Paine circuit treks for $3,690 per person.

(Photo: John Snelgrove/iStockPhoto.com)

John Muir Trail, California

From Yosemite Valley, which naturalist John Muir described as "the grandest of all the special temples of Nature," to the top of Mt. Whitney, the highest mountain in the lower 48, the 211-mile-long John Muir Trail crosses what many hikers believe is the most stunning wilderness in the U.S. "In the long course of its winding route, the trail flanks granite peaks over 13,000 and even 14,000 feet high, skirts mountain lakes large and small, traverses high, rugged basins, and passes over verdant meadows and through forested valleys," writes Potterfield, who recommends budgeting 18 to 24 days for the journey.

You'll need to obtain wilderness permits in advance. To learn more, go to the Pacific Crest Trail Association website. Camping is permitted along much of the trail.

(Photo: iStockPhoto.com/Paige Falk)

West Highland Way, Scotland

"This classic walk passes through some of Scotland's most spectacular scenery as it follows ancient drove roads Highlanders traditionally used," writes Potterfield. "Don't be fooled by the urban beginnings near Glasgow; the trail is a veritable tour of Scottish superlatives. Hiking the length of the route takes you past the wild shores of Loch Lomond, Scotland's largest, through the wilds of Rannoch Moor, Scotland's biggest, and eventually 4,077-foot Ben Nevis, Scotland's tallest.

Wilderness camping is not permitted along the 95-mile route, so most hikers stay at hotels, inns, and private campsites in the towns through which the trail passes. You can try to book accommodations on your own ahead of time, but figuring out where and when to stay can be challenging. Potterfield suggests that you may find it easier to use a booking service such as Easyways.com, which can arrange lodging for your whole journey. For one person planning to stay eight nights along the Way, prices start at £130 per person, plus a £37 booking fee. (about $335 US dollars; for current conversion rates, go to XE.com).

(Photo: britainonview/ Dennis Hardley)

Tour de la Vanoise Glaciers, France

Much less frequented than other trekking routes in the Alps, the Tour de la Vanoise Glaciers' dearth of tourists, cable cars, and St. Bernards dressed up for photo ops allows for a real wilderness experience. The 31-mile route encircles the high peaks and glaciers of France's Vanoise National Park, a protected area home to about 2,000 Alpine ibex, a species once on the brink of extinction.

"This is about as wild as it gets in the Alps," writes Potterfield. "Despite its mountainous character, the terrain here is well suited to hiking … Long-established huts, which supply bedding and meals (even picnic lunches in some cases), mean that the hike can be done in superlight fashion. There's no better introduction to the spectacular landscape of the Alps."

You can find descriptions and contact information for mountain huts along the trail on the Vanoise National Park website.

(Photo: iStockPhoto.com/Henri Faure)