Best Long Distance Hikes in October
30 trails ranked for October — by monthly climate and walking season
October rewards flexible walkers: heat eases across southern Europe and Japan, autumn colours lift lower hills, and crowds thin. It is less reliable in high mountains and Atlantic-facing regions, where early snow, shorter days and stronger fronts make conservative planning and escape options essential.
Pictured: GR30 (Tour of Auvergne Volcanoes) — a top pick for October Conditions in October
- ▸ Alps and Pyrenees: high routes turn uncertain; many huts close and snow can arrive.
- ▸ Iberia and Mediterranean Europe: cooler walking returns, though drought, storms and limited water matter.
- ▸ UK and Ireland: Atlantic fronts strengthen; bogs saturate and daylight becomes a planning constraint.
- ▸ Scandinavia: brief daylight, cold nights and wet ground; southern lowlands are most realistic.
- ▸ Japan and central Europe: autumn forests shine; typhoons or early frosts can disrupt plans.
Planning tips
- ✓ Check hut, ferry and mountain accommodation closures before fixing stages.
- ✓ Build shorter days and bad-weather exits into every high or exposed section.
- ✓ Carry capacity for dry southern stretches and wet northern ground.
Amber Trail
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Poland · 247 km · 10-14 days · Moderate Typical October weather: 9°C average (-5–25°C), moderate rainfall. Best months: Mar–May & Oct–Nov.
GR30 (Tour of Auvergne Volcanoes)
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France · 198 km · 9 days · Moderate Typical October weather: 12°C average (-3–29°C), moderate rainfall. Best months: Sep–Oct & May.
RheinBurgenWeg (Rhine Castle Trail)
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Germany · 195 km · 13 days · Moderate Typical October weather: 9°C average (-5–25°C), moderate rainfall. Best months: Mar–May & Sep–Nov.
GR 57 (Ourthe Valley Trail)
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Belgium · 265 km · 10-12 days · Moderate Typical October weather: 10°C average (-5–25°C), moderate rainfall. Best months: Mar–Jun & Oct–Nov.
Staffordshire Way
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United Kingdom, England · 148 km · 7 days · Moderate Typical October weather: 10°C average (-2–24°C), moderate rainfall. Best months: Mar–Nov.
Severn Way
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United Kingdom, England, Wales · 344 km · 14 days · Moderate Typical October weather: 11°C average (-2–27°C), moderate rainfall. Best months: Apr–Nov.
Glasriket Trail (Kingdom of Crystal)
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Sweden · 130 km · 7 days · Moderate Typical October weather: 9°C average (-2–19°C), moderate rainfall. Best months: Mar–Nov.
Speyside Way
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United Kingdom, Scotland · 137 km · 6 days · Moderate Typical October weather: 8°C average (-1–18°C), moderate rainfall. Best months: Mar–Nov.
Monte Amiata Trails
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Italy · 8 km · 1 days · Moderate Typical October weather: 15°C average (1–29°C), moderate rainfall. Best months: Apr–Jun & Sep–Oct.
Moselsteig
View trail → Germany · 365 km · 24 days · Moderate Typical October weather: 10°C average (-5–26°C), moderate rainfall. Best months: Mar–May & Oct–Nov.
Glyndŵr’s Way
View trail → United Kingdom, Wales · 217 km · 9 days · Moderate Typical October weather: 10°C average (-3–24°C), moderate rainfall. Best months: Mar–Nov.
Śniardwy Lake Trail
View trail → Poland · 85 km · 3 days · Moderate Typical October weather: 9°C average (-5–25°C), moderate rainfall. Best months: Mar–May & Oct–Nov.
Cleveland Way
View trail → United Kingdom, England · 175 km · 8-9 days · Moderate Typical October weather: 10°C average (-2–26°C), moderate rainfall. Best months: Mar–Nov.
Weerribben-Wieden Trail
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Netherlands · 150 km · 8-10 days · Moderate Typical October weather: 11°C average (-2–24°C), moderate rainfall. Best months: Mar–Jun & Aug–Nov.
Ribble Way
View trail → United Kingdom, England · 116 km · 6-7 days · Moderate Typical October weather: 10°C average (-2–26°C), moderate rainfall. Best months: Mar–Nov.
The Dales Way
View trail → United Kingdom, England · 129 km · 6-8 days · Moderate Typical October weather: 9°C average (-3–23°C), wet. Best months: Mar–Nov.
Wye Valley Walk
View trail → United Kingdom, England · 219 km · 10-12 days · Moderate Typical October weather: 12°C average (2–25°C), moderate rainfall. Best months: Mar–Nov.
Rennsteig Trail
View trail → Germany · 169.3 km · 6-8 days · Moderate Typical October weather: 9°C average (-6–26°C), moderate rainfall. Best months: Apr–Jun & Sep–Oct.
GR 5 (North Sea to the Alps)
View trail → Belgium · 270 km · 14 days · Hard Typical October weather: 11°C average (-4–25°C), moderate rainfall. Best months: Mar–Jun & Sep–Nov.
GR70 (Stevenson Trail)
View trail → France · 272 km · 12 days · Moderate Typical October weather: 9°C average (-8–25°C), moderate rainfall. Best months: Apr–Jul & Sep–Oct.
King Ludwig Way (König-Ludwig-Weg)
View trail → Germany · 120.7 km · 6-7 days · Moderate Typical October weather: 9°C average (-5–25°C), moderate rainfall. Best months: Apr–Jun & Sep–Oct.
Green Velo Trail
View trail → Poland · 1885 km · 14-21 days · Moderate Typical October weather: 8°C average (-4–23°C), moderate rainfall. Best months: Mar–May & Sep–Nov.
Golden Trail of the Czech Paradise (Zlatá stezka Českého ráje)
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Czechia · 119 km · 5-7 days · Moderate Typical October weather: 8°C average (-9–25°C), moderate rainfall. Best months: Apr–May & Sep–Oct.
Sussex Border Path
View trail → United Kingdom, England · 240 km · 12 days · Moderate Typical October weather: 12°C average (2–25°C), moderate rainfall. Best months: Mar–Nov.
GR441 (Clermont-Ferrand Circuit)
View trail → France · 115 km · 6 days · Moderate Typical October weather: 11°C average (-5–29°C), moderate rainfall. Best months: Apr–May & Sep–Oct.
Mount Parnassus Traverse
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Greece · 16.5 km · 1 days · Hard Typical October weather: 17°C average (5–31°C), moderate rainfall. Best months: Aug–Oct & May.
Harzer BaudenSteig
View trail → Germany · 97 km · 6 days · Moderate Typical October weather: 9°C average (-5–26°C), moderate rainfall. Best months: Apr–Jun & Aug–Oct.
Lüneburger Heide Path
View trail → Germany · 223 km · 13 days · Moderate Typical October weather: 10°C average (-4–25°C), moderate rainfall. Best months: Mar–Jun & Aug–Nov.
Maas Valley Trail (Maasroute)
View trail → Belgium · 137 km · 6 days · Moderate Typical October weather: 11°C average (-4–25°C), moderate rainfall. Best months: Mar–Jun & Sep–Nov.
Rhodope Mountains Trail
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Bulgaria · 150 km · 7 days · Moderate Typical October weather: 11°C average (-5–30°C), moderate rainfall. Best months: Aug–Oct & May.
How this list is ranked: each trail's monthly climate normals (average, minimum and maximum temperature plus rainfall, from NASA POWER satellite-era data, adjusted for the trail's altitude) are combined with its published walking season and its overall HikeList Score. Rankings refresh as trails are added. Always check current conditions before travelling.