Unless you’ve been sleeping under a rock, you’ll know that Australia is home to some of the most jaw-dropping hikes in the world. From hot girl walks along the coast to breathtaking multi-day treks through ancient rainforests and vast red deserts, the hikes Down Under are bloody brilliant. And it’s not just us who think so. New research has revealed the world’s ten most incredible hiking destinations, and Australia has beaten Switzerland and Italy to claim the fifth spot.
Our fellow adventure addicts at Titan Travel determined these rankings by analysing the number of hiking trails, walking tours and percentage of protected land in the world’s top 50 adventure countries.
With such an enormous amount of trails in every state, it’s no shock that the USA came out on top as the best hiking destination on the planet. In second place was the UK, followed by Canada, France and Australia in fifth place. Our Great Southern Land is home to an impressive 24,048 hiking trails – though that’s a fraction of the 250,000-plus trails in the USA – with 20.4 per cent of its terrestrial land marked as protected.
If you’re lacing up to hit the trails this year, we’ve got you covered with this guide to the best hikes and walks to do in Australia. Our Travel and News Editor Melissa Woodley's top pick is Tasmania's Three Capes Track, famed for its sweeping coastal views along the Southern Ocean. She's also eyeing two bucket-list Aussie hikes: the achingly beautiful Larapinta Trail through the red desert of the Northern Territory and Western Australia's beautiful week-long Coast to Coast Walk.
Australia is good for more than just a walk through the bush. On top of hiking, the researchers looked at the best destinations for canoeing and kayaking, with Australia ranking fourth in the world for the highest number of water adventures. After combining all the scores (amount of hiking trails, canoe and kayak trails, walking tours and total protected land), Titan Travel also unveiled a ranking of the overall best destinations for outdoor holidays, with Australia coming in seventh place.
Here are the ten best hiking destinations in the world:
- USA
- UK
- Canada
- France
- Australia
- Spain
- Italy
- Switzerland
- Norway
- Netherlands