International Hiking Countries Favorites and Wish Lists!
We are back with a new article on five countries that I LOVE hiking in and five that I WOULD LOVE to hike in and explore more!
Hiking in the USA is a blast but there are epic trails all over the globe and I jump into a small snippet of what’s possible in this article.
Hello again from the forests, oceans, jungles, deserts, and mountains my friends! If and when you can hike again safely around the world here’s a list of some of our favorite hiking countries from around Planet Earth!
It’s my hope that this article tingles your hiking taste buds and that you are finding it years from when we published it during the pandemic!
FIVE Countries not named the United States THAT I LOVE to hike in:
Iceland:
Three of my friends and I rented a campervan and drove and hiked around the entire Ring Road of Iceland over a week and a half. We hiked between 8 and 20 miles a day and witnessed some of the most beautiful waterfalls (or FOSS as they are called in Iceland), volcanoes, geysers, glaciers, and boiling mud pits once can ever see. If you ever have the opportunity to go hiking in Iceland please take advantage. It’s basically one HUGE US National Park minus dangerous wildlife. All you will run into there is sheep, reindeer, and a whale :). The Hike above and beyond the Skogafoss Waterfall in Southern Iceland is one of the best day hikes I have ever done.Costa Rica:
Costa Rica has it all. From hiking trails and blue sky waterfalls in Tenorio Volcano National Park to the deep impenetrable jungles of Corcovado National Park to gorgeous beach trails Manuel Antonio National Park to treks up or around Arenal Volcano National Park Costa Rica has hikes of every shape and size. The wildlife is everything that Iceland isn’t. From howler monkeys to toucans to fer-de-lance snakes the Pura Vida country is alive and well when it comes to its ecotourism, National Parks, and hiking trails. And if you want to know whether or not Waterfall Wednesday should be a thing make sure you hike to Rio Celeste.Peru:
Sure. Everyone knows about Machu Picchu in Peru. If you ask me it’s about the most famous tourist destination in the world. But how about the entire Sacred Valley of equally spectacular lost worlds that dot the whole Cusco region. Hike for several days along the Salkantay or Lares Trek, sleep at 14,000 feet before descending into rainforests and jungles, and finish it off with a summit of Huayna Picchu instead of just hitching a bus ride to this world heritage site. Or maybe instead you take a several day journey on foot from Cusco to the Sacred Valley instead of hailing a driver.
You can also visit the Grand Canyon of South America: Colca Canyon. Colca is TWICE as deep as the Grand Canyon. Yep you read that right. TWICE as deep as the Grand Canyon. You won’t run out of ways to explore the footpaths and mountains of Peru. Or how about the journey from Moray to the Maras Salt Flats that will have you feeling like you arrived in Death Valley. Peru is a hiking lover’s dream and a place you could spend your whole lifetime discovering one trail at a time.Tanzania:
The Roof of Africa is only the start in Tanzania. Mt Meru hovers above 4,500 meters itself and these two alone could lead to one epic two week hiking trip in this country. Olmoti Crater lies near the famous safari destinations and the “Mountain of God” otherwise known as Ol Doinyo Lengai will have you working up a sweat! If that’s not enough to wet your whistle well you are an even wilder hiker than myself! Making it to the summit of Kilimanjaro, aka the Roof of Africa, was a moment in my life that I will NEVER forget but it’s just the beginning of exploration in Tanzania.Japan:
Yes, the bullet trains are fast and on time and the food is world renowned but they have an outside adventure side to it as well! Jungles, forests, mountains, and more! They also have a Mt Meru there on Miyajima Island. You could take a ski lift to the top or you could trail run it to the summit like I did. A buddhist monastery sits on the top of this mountain and has a flame that has been lit for over 700 years and that same flame was used to kindle the flame at Hiroshima’s Peace Memorial. The peace memorial hosts a flame that will stay lit until the last nuclear weapon in the world has been destroyed. Want more? Mt Fuji and ice climbing in Hokkaido’s region amongst Grizzly Bears should have any adventurer worn down by the time the trip is coming to a close.
FIVE COUNTRIES THAT I WANT TO EXPLORE and HIKE in MORE:
New Zealand:
Now this is a country that I want to visit when possible! In fact New Zealand, Nepal, & Chile are probably the top three countries I want to visit. And hiking is a big reason why in all of them, but especially New Zealand. New Zealand has a bit of an “Iceland” feel to it I have heard. Epic waterfalls, a feeling as though you are on a different planet, and a lot of people renting campervans too. New Zealand, for such a small country, has just about every outdoor adventure you could imagine. They even have a park named “Mount Aspiring National Park” which just sounds mesmerizing when it comes off the tongue.Ecuador:
Sure the turtles are as big as humans on the Galapagos but Ecuador sports more world class hiking than most realize.
The Avenue of Volcanoes, the Quilotoa Loop, Cajas National Park, and Guinea Pig Lake, aka Lake Cuicocha, are just amongst a few treks that will make you wish that you hadn’t overlooked Ecuador when heading to South America for an epic hiking trek. While not as world renown in name as Patagonia or Machu Picchu the hiking in this South American country would fit in well with any adventure seeker!Nepal:
The tallest and biggest mountains in the world. I’m not interested in the traffic jam, and bankruptcy that could ensue, for putting myself and sherpas in danger on Mt Everest. But there are BEAUTIFUL Nepalese Hiking Treks that will still put you above 6,000 meters in elevation and knock your socks off. Just to come near the Himalayas and be able to see them in person is a dream that I have. While Base Camp at Everest is rumored to be a bit of a trash filled mess I still feel that visiting it would be a journey that would never be forgotten. There are dozens of ways to explore Nepal but I have longed for a three to four week trek up to, and around, the base of the Himalayas.Guatemala:
I've been to, and hiked, in Guatemala. But this small Central American country has mountains up to 4,000 meters high, dormant volcanoes, ruins that will make you feel like you unearthed the lost city of Z, and so much more.
If you live in the US it’s SO CLOSE comparably speaking to some of the other spots on this list and it’s currently one that you can visit with a negative covid19 test and vaccination. Guatemala is an underrated hiking country that I am leaning towards another adventure to in the not far off future.Kenya:
Known for big cities, world class safari’s, and gorgeous beaches on the Indian Ocean most people head straight to a connecting flight to its next door neighbor Tanzania without even considering Kenya for a hike.
Mt Kenya is a multi-day trek, the Nairobi Safari walk is one of the few places you can hike while on safari, and with other spots like Hell’s Gate, Mt. Longonot, and the second largest crater in Africa it should not be skipped over when considering what mountains to traverse in East Africa. I ran out of time in East Africa to do much hiking in Kenya but I loved the country and next time will make sure that I have additional time to layer in a mountain trek or two with my beaches and cultural experiences that made me fall in love with the people and the beauty of Kenya.
All this hiking and travel to foreign countries has me feeling a bit of wanderlust.
It’s fun to dream out loud at times and I hope this article gave you a few different spots to begin doing some hiking research of your own!
What’s your favorite country to hike in? What’s one that you haven’t hiked in much but you want to hike in more when you can? Leave your comments below!
Because Adventure Feeds the Soul,
Mike R