Best hikes in the world for your average hiker

When you’re not a novice but not a pro-hiker (who’s apparently been scaling mountains in Salomons since scrambling out the womb) it can be difficult to judge whether a hike is right for you. The hikes below are personal recommendations from a self-proclaimed average hiker who doesn’t let athleticism (or lack of) hold me back from amazing experiences while still being safe and sensible (as sensible as hiking an active volcano in Central America can be..)

girl in front of Incan ruins — Inca Trail

girl in front of Machu Picchu — Inca Trail

Best hikes in South and Central America

Acatenango: I will start with by far the most difficult hike I have ever done but truly the most incredible. An overnight hike with 4,000m altitude but with the opportunity to witness the sister volcano (Fuego) erupt is in my top 3 life experiences. I would recommend fairly lengthy hikes in your resume before attempting this such as Snowdon, Scafell Pike, 2 day Incas Trail. It also improved my hiking confidence that if I could do this, I could do anything..
Inca Trail to Machu Picchu: I chose the 2 day option, which included a full day of hiking through Incan ruins and the “gringo killer” steps arriving at the Sun Gate, but bypassed Dead Woman’s Pass with altitude of over 4,000m.
Rainbow Mountain: Altitude is not my friend, on recommendation from a new friend at the hostel I was staying at I chose the ATV tour. Riding up a mountain in an ATV is a cool experience and much easier than trying to put one foot in front of the other at 5,000m. There is still a walk to the very top but it was Defintely made easier driving most of the way.
Colca Canyon: Rather than a steep descent into the canyon itself a walk along the top, paired with hot springs and cocktails, was a really fun day and got to see one of the largest birds in the world- Andean Condors (and feel them as they swooped over our heads).

atv in front of mountain with striped colours — Rainbow Mountain

girl in front of canyon — Rainbow Mountain

Best hikes in the UK

Snowdon– with different trails for different abilities you really can choose your own adventure. I did the Pug track up and Miner’s track down to get a bit of different scenery but with start and finish points at the same car park.
Four Waterfalls Trail– another Welsh track this is my favourite and most rewarding hike in the UK. To see so many beautiful and impressive waterfalls on a hike that takes less than half a day really is value for effort.
Thor’s Cave– a fairly short hike from the car park, the difficulty is in the scrambling into the cake itself which I imagine would be more difficult on a wet day. Very impressive views and a bit different to your average hike. Also right in the Peak District so you can pair with the Dove Dale Stepping Stones or Monsal Head Trail.

Best hikes in Australia

Cradle Mountain– iconic views and various tracks this hike was both rewarding and challenging (an extra reward being seeing wombats on the way back to the car park).
Wineglass Bay- another Tasmanian treasure! A trek through rainforest and being rewarded with one of my favourite beaches in Australia.
King’s Canyon Rim Walk- while Uluru is the highlight on any tour to the Red Centre I really enjoyed this walk. I would say this is not for a beginner due to the uneven terrain as well as the heat.