Take a Hike With Cheapflights.com

Grab a Backpack and Hit the Trail With Top Hikes

Enjoy the fresh air, get some exercise and discover Mother Nature’s treasures with Cheapflights.com’s list of Top Hiking Trails Worldwide. Cheapflights.com, the online leader in publishing travel deals, is appealing to those adventure seekers looking for more than a jaunt around Central Park or to dawdle up the Eiffel Tower. Getting outdoors and hiking can be a great way to do more, see more and push oneself to limits never before reached. Whether it’s a single-day trip, a relaxed nature hike or a seven-month adventure-filled journey, Cheapflights.com’s list of the Top Hiking Trails Worldwide is sure to change your perspective on travel.

Below are five hiking trails offering everything ranging from 11 miles to 3,150 miles and everything in between.

Appalachian Trail – Springer Mountain, Georgia to Mount Katahdin, Maine, U.S.: The grandfather of mammoth hikes, the Appalachian Trail is over 2,150 miles long and passes through 14 states. While fewer than 500 people successfully hike the trail in its entirety each year, as many as 3 million people complete a portion of it. Not only does the Appalachian Trail fulfill a hiker’s desire to experience wildlife in its most wholesome state, the trail is a great way to bond with other passionate hikers, and test one’s ability to abandon civilization for significant amounts of time.

Camino Frances (El Camino de Santiago) – St. Jean Pied de Port, France to Compostela, Spain - More often than not, hiking entails high trees, rocks, poisonous plants, tents and the daunting task of cooking over a fire. If this sounds more like a nightmare than a vacation, consider the Camino Frances, one of the more popular routes in the famous pilgrimage known as El Camino de Santiago. What was once a popular religious expedition, this 484-mile trek has become a huge attraction for anyone – young, old, athletic, out-of-shape, religious or not – looking for a challenge. Spend your days winding through the quiet towns of France and Spain, and stay at a friendly Pilgrim Hostel, sleep in a comfy bed and enjoy a hot shower.

Tongariro Alpine Crossing – Tongariro National Park, New Zealand - New Zealand continuously tops adventure travel lists thanks to its collection of breathtaking terrain. Surprisingly, the bleak and cratered landscape of the Tongariro Alpine Crossing is no exception. Many hikers say it initially resembles the surface of the moon, but once underway, it’s evident that this 11-mile hike is anything but bleak. As a World Heritage Site, Tongariro Alpine Crossing encompasses two active volcanoes, piercing aquamarine lakes, mud pools, snowcapped peaks and alpine meadows. Not only has it become a popular spot for hikers and tourists alike, Tongariro plays a spiritual role to New Zealand’s indigenous Maori people. Getting to and from the Crossing is easy and all hikers complete the journey in seven to eight hours.

Paine Circuit Trek – Torres del Paine National Park, Patagonia, Chile - Patagonia has always been a destination sought after by adventure travelers and the like because of its dramatic and challenging terrain, breathtaking views and abundance of wildlife. The 62-mile Paine Circuit travels through the Torres del Paine National Park winding between Magellanic forests, glacial lakes, ice fields and the occasional makeshift bridge. The greatest reward of the trip is the view of the sun bouncing off the rare, pink granite peaks of the Torres del Paine, so cameras are a necessity. For those hikers who aren’t looking for the full 10-day adventure, a five-day trail knows as “the W” is a great alternative to the Paine Circuit.

West Coast Trail – Pacific Rim National Park, British Columbia, Canada - Easily accessible from Victoria and Vancouver, the West Coast Trail is considered one of the most exhilarating trails in North America. Running 47 miles long, this path was originally created to help shipwreck survivors find their way to safety. It now guides hikers through waterfalls, caves, covers and sandy beaches, not to mention the scattering of relics from old shipwrecks. Along the beaches, whales and sea lions can be spotted, while minks, bears and cougars prowl the forest trails. To get the most out of the beautiful surroundings, hikers typically spend four to five days completing the trail.

Rounding out Cheapflights.com’s list to Top Hiking Trails are Pembrokeshire Coast Path – Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, Wales; Mount Kilimanjaro – Tanzania; Zion Narrows – Zion National Park, Utah, U.S.; Tiger Leaping Gorge – Yunnan, China, and Inca Trail to Machu Picchu – Peru.