Long distance walking map & highlights

Nepal is probably the best-known destination for long distance walks, but our map and highlights page will show you that there are plenty of other places where you can be put through your paces. Try a pilgrimage route, a bit of the Balkans in Europe, or challenge yourself with the mountainous reaches of the Kokoda Track in Papua New Guinea.

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Long distance walking map & highlights

Long distance walks tend to be that long for a purpose, whether they span or lap a geographical feature of interest or mark a historic route. So, the question is: do you fancy walking a circuit or a straight line? The Trans Bhutan trail, England’s Coast to Coast path and the Great Himalaya Trail cross Bhutan, England and Nepal respectively, whilst circuits of Mont Blanc or Annapurna will have you walking nearly all the way around the highest mountain in Europe’s Alps or the world’s tenth highest peak. Elsewhere, there are walks that follow historic routes, such as Papua New Guinea’s Kokoda Track, site of an intense battle in WWII, or the Camino de Santiago, which has led pilgrims into Spain for hundreds of years. Pick your path.

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1. Bhutan
2. England
3. Nepal
4. Pakistan
5. Papua New Guinea
6. Portugal
7. Spain

Bhutan

1. Bhutan

Mountainous Bhutan is home to one of the world’s newer long distance treks, the Trans Bhutan Trail which zigzags between temples along its 400km route across the country. For the bold, there’s the Snowman Trek, renowned for its remoteness, unforgiving terrain and weather – and for its stunning mountain scenery, which is awe-inspiring rather than abominable.

Bhutan

England

2. England

It’s likely that many English footpaths are hundreds of years old, though many were only officially recorded for the first time in the 1950s. Walking the Thames Path is a great way to take in picturesque countryside, before experiencing England’s capital on foot, whilst a pilgrimage walk can bring Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales to life.

Nepal

3. Nepal

The ultimate long distance trekking destination, which has more routes than many other countries combined, Nepal’s high altitude mountain walks are not for whistle-stop vacations. The longer you stay the higher you can go, and the more remote mountains you’ll face. The Annapurna Circuit, the Manaslu Circuit and Everest Base Camp are the popular routes to face in this Himalayan country.

Nepal

Pakistan

4. Pakistan

Pakistan’s long distance treks are for the adventurous. The Hindu Kush is awash with ambitious routes through the mountains, but the area is less developed than Nepal, so treks here feel more like a true adventure. The Karakoram range has some of the world’s highest mountains, and K2 is outstanding in its (very high) field. A trek to its basecamp is an incredible feat of trekking endurance, as you walk up the massive Baltoro glacier and camp at eye-watering altitudes.

Papua New Guinea

5. Papua New Guinea

Ah, the feeling of waking up, stumbling out of your tent at 4,000m above sea level and seeing clouds rolling into the valley below. Traveling through the challenging heights of the Owen Stanley Range, the Kokoda Track traces several battle sites fought between Australian and Japanese forces in WWII. Trekking the trail is a popular athletic feat for antipodeans looking to walk and camp in the footsteps of their forefathers.

Papua New Guinea

Portugal

6. Portugal

Spain’s famous Camino de Santiago is so long that it starts in different countries – one route, the Portuguese Way, follows along the Portuguese coast before sneaking up across the Spanish border. The beautiful Portuguese portion has a coastal and inland path – the former has fishing villages and beaches, the latter is popular because of the many vineyards you can stop at.

Spain

7. Spain

The most famous walk in Spain is the Camino de Santiago, a pilgrimage route originally undertaken by devout Catholics, but adopted the world over by those seeking a spiritual long distance walk with a celebratory end. The pilgrimage is a web of trails rather than a single track, but if you happen to pass the Irache Monastery on the French Way, keep one water bottle empty for the free wine fountain.

Spain

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Long distance walking distances

All times are rough guidelines, based on typical walking itineraries.

Bhutan

Trans-Bhutan trail: 403km, 35 days’ walking

Snowman Trek: 347 km, 23 days’ walking

England

Pilgrims’ Way: 227km, 15 days’ walking

Coast-to-Coast: 306 km, 14 days’ walking

Thames Path: 298km, 13 days’ walking

Nepal

Annapurna Circuit: from 160km, 12 days’ walking

Everest Base Camp: 130km, 14 days’ walking

Manaslu Circuit: 177km, 13 days’ walking

Great Himalaya Trail: 1,700km, 150 days’ walking

Pakistan

K2 Basecamp: 180km, 12 days’ walking

Papua New Guinea

Kokoda Track: 100km, 8 days’ walking

Portugal

The Portuguese Way, Oporto to Santiago de Compostela, Spain: 265km, 12 days’ walking

Spain

French Way of the Camino: 900km, 35 days’ walking

The French Way, Sarria to Santiago de Compostela, Spain: 110km, 7 days’ walking

Northern Way of the Camino: 800km, 35 days’ walking

The Northern Way, San Sebastian to Bilbao: 125km, 8 days’ walking

More about Long distance walking

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Start your journey towards more fulfilling vacations with the first step, our long distance walking guide.

The Annapurna Circuit trek

Should you join a small group tour or arrange something more bespoke and private? Staying in tea houses or camping along the way? The options for trekking the Annapurna Circuit are almost as varied as the scenery itself.

The Trans Bhutan Trail

Discover one of the world’s newest and most exciting long-distance paths with our guide to the Trans Bhutan Trail.

Mont Blanc Circuit

Read more about the Mont Blanc Circuit, also known as the Tour du Mont Blanc or TMB. It is considered by many to be Europe’s most magnificent long distance hiking trail.

The Kokoda Track in Papua New Guinea

The Kokoda Track follows the brutal route of Allied and Japanese forces during World War II, in the bid to take Port Moresby...

The French Way - Camino de Santiago

Camino novices tend to start with the French Way, the easiest and busiest of the Camino de Santiago’s many trails. All of human life is here.

The Thames Path

Walking the Thames Path is about more than the challenge of completing a linear trail. This historic hike stretches for nearly 300km from Central London to the river’s source in Gloucestershire.

Long distance walking in Nepal

The jagged national flag says it all: come long distance trekking in Nepal to see the world’s pointiest mountains.

Long distance walking in Pakistan

Massive glaciers, high-altitude campsites, and K2 basecamp: discover long distance trekking in Pakistan.

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Written by Eloise Barker

Long distance walking map & highlights