I don’t know about you guys, but one of my favorite activities when travelling has to be hiking! It’s such a great way to incorporate some exercise into your travels while exploring a new destination. Here are my favorite hikes from my travels:
The Great Wall of China, China
Back in 2014 I got a scholarship to study Chinese in Beijing over the summer, which was my first of hopefully many encounters with China. Obviously we had to climb the Great Wall, something that has been on my bucket list for years. We decided to go to the Mutianyu part of the wall, which is located about 70km from central Beijing. Mutianyu is the longest and best restored part of the wall and way less crowded than the crazy touristy Badaling. The hike up to the wall is 4,000+ steps of stairs, and takes about one hour to climb. Unfortunately the smog was crazy when I visited Beijing, so the views weren’t quite as amazing as they would on a clear day.
Dragon’s Back, Hong Kong
I have mentioned
Dragon’s Back several times here on the blog. When I lived in Hong Kong last year, this was without doubt the best and most accessible hike of all the hikes I did. This 9km hike is located only a few minutes by bus from the last MTR stop on the central line, and gives you beautiful views of Hong Kong Island. You do have to watch out for the giant golden orb spiders though, as they tend to like blocking the path.
Huangshan Mountain, China
Located a few hours from Shanghai and Hangzhou, this is without doubt a great getaway if you want to get away from civilisation. Huangshan Mountain is famous for its beautiful scenery, sunsets and sunrises, Huangshan pine trees, granite peaks, hot springs, and views of the clouds from above. The mountain is only accessible by cable car, but offers hikes enough for weeks. This is rather touristy, but there are still loads of chances to escape the crowds, such as by chasing the
Bridge of Immortals, where you aren’t likely to meet anyone for hours. It is usually very rainy and foggy in this area, so definitely go during spring or fall to be able to catch the best views.
Preikestolen, Norway
I went to
Preikestolen last May when I travelled around Norway and Denmark with my best friend from the US. This hike is about 8km long and quite accessible, even for someone as clumsy as me. When I was younger I was a scout and spent every single summer hiking in Norway and Sweden, and Preikestolen definitely has to be the most beautiful hike I’ve done.
Petit Jean, Arkansas
In 2013 I decided to go back to Arkansas to visit my school friends from when I studied abroad. Arkansas is probably the least popular and touristy state in the US, but it still has a very special place in my heart. The state is also called the Natural State, and with good reason. Arkansas is completely covered in beautiful mountains, state parks, hot springs, and even a few diamond mines. My absolute favorite hike in Arkansas has to be Petit Jean, which offers you beautiful views of the surrounding nature.
Bastille, France
Every single time that I visit Ollie in Grenoble, we hike up to the Bastille which offers the most beautiful views of the city and the surrounding mountains. This hike is only a few kilometres long, but still totally worth doing if you’re in the city. If you aren’t much of a hiker, you can also take the iconic cablecars up to the fortress.
What has your favorite hike been?
5 svar til “My 6 favorite hikes from around the world”
the great wall of china is a must for me one day! 🙂
Pam xo/ Pam Scalfi♥
It looks like you've been on some great hikes. I would love to visit The Great Wall of China. One of my favourite places to go hiking abroad that I've been to a few times is Montjuic in Barcelona. I love it there and the views of the city are fabulous.
Samio
http://www.samio.co.uk
Åh, jeg vil så gerne hike mere! Vi gjorde det lidt i Australien, og hold op, hvor bliver man altså bare belønnet ved at lade bilen stå og udforske naturen på egne ben.
Mine was definitely Mt Cook and Milford Track in New Zealand. Nothing was as stunning as that! The Great Wall was nice too 🙂
These all look amazing! I went to the Great Wall of China late last year and loved hiking there. I've been doing some beautiful hikes here in Guatemala. My favourite probably has been when I hiked to the highest point in Central America to watch the sunset/rise from above the clouds