# HikeList

> HikeList is a curated directory of the world's best long-distance hikes, thru-hikes and long-distance walks: 974 waymarked routes across 29 countries. Every trail has verified distance, duration, difficulty, terrain, elevation and day-by-day route data, a 0–100 HikeList Score, and (where available) a "Useful Links" tab of official external resources. Built by hikers, for hikers.

## Start here
- [All long-distance hikes](https://hikelist.com/): browse and filter every route by distance, duration, difficulty and country
- [Search trails](https://hikelist.com/search/results)
- [Collections](https://hikelist.com/collections): curated themed lists of trails
- [Hiking by country](https://hikelist.com/countries)
- [Learning Centre](https://hikelist.com/learn): guides, glossaries and explainers for long-distance hikers
- [Top 100 long-distance hikes](https://hikelist.com/collections/top-100-long-distance-hikes): the highest-scoring routes

## Learning Centre (guides & reference)
- [The HikeList Difficulty Scale: Easy, Moderate, Hard, Strenuous & Expert Explained](https://hikelist.com/learn/hikelist-difficulty-scale): HikeList difficulty is about ascent, terrain and remoteness more than distance — here’s how to choose the right level for you.
- [How Much Elevation Gain Is Hard? A Hiker's Guide to Ascent & Descent](https://hikelist.com/learn/how-much-elevation-gain-is-hard): A practical guide to how much elevation gain is hard, how to read ascent per day, and why descents can wreck your legs.
- [How to Choose Your First Long-Distance Hike](https://hikelist.com/learn/how-to-choose-your-first-long-distance-hike): Choose a shorter, well-waymarked first long-distance hike with easy logistics, good support and plenty of places to step off.
- [The Biggest Long-Distance Hiking Mistakes Beginners Make](https://hikelist.com/learn/biggest-beginner-hiking-mistakes): Most beginner hiking mistakes come from doing too much, too soon. Here is what usually goes wrong, and how to avoid the worst of it.
- [How Many Kilometres Should You Walk Per Day on a Long-Distance Hike?](https://hikelist.com/learn/how-many-kilometres-should-you-walk-per-day): Plan honest daily hiking distances: real km and mile ranges for beginners, regular walkers and experienced long-distance hikers.
- [How Much Food to Carry on a Long-Distance Hike](https://hikelist.com/learn/how-much-food-to-carry-long-distance-hiking): Pack enough to walk strongly without hauling dead weight: here is the simple food maths for multi-day and long-distance hikes.
- [Long-Distance Hiking vs Thru-Hiking vs Trekking: What’s the Difference?](https://hikelist.com/learn/long-distance-hiking-vs-thru-hiking-vs-trekking): Long-distance hiking, thru-hiking and trekking overlap more than people admit. Here’s the plain-English difference, with real examples.
- [What Is a Long-Distance Hike?](https://hikelist.com/learn/what-is-a-long-distance-hike): A long-distance hike is a multi-day walk on a named route — learn what counts, how it feels, and how to start without overdoing it.
- [The Complete Long-Distance Hiking Glossary: 60+ Terms Explained](https://hikelist.com/learn/long-distance-hiking-glossary): A plain-English guide to 60+ long-distance hiking terms, from NoBo and zero days to bothies, cols, GR routes and base weight.
- [Pennine Way vs Coast to Coast: Which Should You Walk?](https://hikelist.com/learn/pennine-way-vs-coast-to-coast): Choosing between the Pennine Way and Coast to Coast? Here is the honest head-to-head on distance, difficulty, scenery and logistics.
- [Why the Camino de Santiago Didn’t Make Our Top 100](https://hikelist.com/learn/why-the-camino-didnt-make-the-top-100): The classic Camino Francés scores 79, but that number misses much of what makes the Camino matter so deeply to pilgrims.

## Collections
- [3-Day Hikes](https://hikelist.com/collections/3-day-hikes): Hand-picked 3 day hikes for long weekends, from hut-to-hut loops to coastal and mountain traverses across Europe and Japan.
- [Best of British](https://hikelist.com/collections/best-of-british): Explore 15 of the best long-distance walks across England, Scotland and Wales, with distances, difficulty and a clear reason each route stands out here.
- [Camino de Santiago Routes](https://hikelist.com/collections/camino-de-santiago-routes): Compare Camino de Santiago routes in Spain, Portugal and France, from classic full caminos to shorter segments, with distance, difficulty and terrain.
- [Circular & Loop Trails](https://hikelist.com/collections/circular-and-loop-trails): Explore circular walks from easy day loops to demanding alpine circuits, with hand-picked trails that start and finish in the same place, no shuttle needed.
- [Coastal Walks & Coast Paths](https://hikelist.com/collections/coastal-walks-and-coast-paths): Explore 14 hand-picked coastal walks, from cliff-top day hikes to long-distance coast paths in the UK, Europe and Japan.
- [Epic Thru-Hikes](https://hikelist.com/collections/epic-thru-hikes): Compare iconic long thru-hikes over 300 km, from Arctic crossings to coastal paths, with distances, durations and difficulty to choose your next epic.
- [Family-Friendly Walking Holidays](https://hikelist.com/collections/family-friendly-walking-holidays): Hand-picked family walking holidays on easy greenways, towpaths, rail trails and coastal routes with gentle terrain and manageable stages.
- [Forest & Woodland Trails](https://hikelist.com/collections/forest-and-woodland-trails): Compare shaded forest walks across Europe and Japan, from Black Forest traverses to Caledonian pinewoods, boreal trails and easy woodland day loops.
- [GR Trails (Grande Randonnée)](https://hikelist.com/collections/gr-trails): Explore curated GR trails from the GR20 and GR10 to Brittany’s GR34, the Alps, Pyrenees, Mallorca and the Canaries, with distances and difficulty.
- [Hiking in the Alps](https://hikelist.com/collections/hiking-in-the-alps): Compare classic Alpine hut-to-hut hikes across Switzerland, France, Italy, Austria and Slovenia, from Mont Blanc to the Dolomites and beyond.
- [Hiking in the Dolomites](https://hikelist.com/collections/hiking-in-the-dolomites): Explore Dolomites hiking routes in Italy, from Alta Via hut-to-hut treks to Tre Cime, Seceda, Sassolungo, Lago di Braies and Brenta via ferrata for hikers.
- [Hiking in the Pyrenees](https://hikelist.com/collections/hiking-in-the-pyrenees): Compare GR10, GR11, HRP and classic Pyrenean loops, with distances, difficulty and reasons to choose each France or Spain trek, from traverses to day hikes.
- [Hiking the Jura](https://hikelist.com/collections/jura-trails): Explore Jura hiking with curated Swiss crest trails, forest loops and long thru-hikes, from Creux du Van day walks to the 310 km Jura Crest Trail.
- [Hut-to-Hut Treks](https://hikelist.com/collections/hut-to-hut-treks): Compare hand-picked hut-to-hut treks in the Alps and Pyrenees, from Dolomites classics to Tyrolean traverses, with distance, days and difficulty.
- [Island Hiking Trails](https://hikelist.com/collections/island-hiking-trails): Explore curated island hikes: coastal loops, traverses and ridge walks from Corsica, the Canaries, Greek isles, Scotland, Wales and beyond.
- [Lake & Lakeside Trails](https://hikelist.com/collections/lake-and-lakeside-trails): Find lakeside walks across Europe, from Plitvice waterfalls and Scottish lochs to Alpine lakes, with day hikes, hard circuits and multi-day loop routes.
- [Long-Distance Hikes for Beginners](https://hikelist.com/collections/long-distance-hikes-for-beginners): Find beginner-friendly long-distance hikes: easy towpaths, greenways and lowland trails with manageable stages for first multi-day walks.
- [Mountain & Summit Treks](https://hikelist.com/collections/mountain-and-summit-treks): Compare hand-picked mountain treks, from Mont Blanc and the Matterhorn to Triglav, Rysy and Etna, with distances, difficulty, route styles and terrain.
- [One-Week Thru-Hikes](https://hikelist.com/collections/one-week-thru-hikes): One week hikes: compare 16 classic 6–9 day thru-hikes across the UK, Ireland and Europe, with distances, difficulty and why each route fits your week off.
- [Pilgrimage Trails](https://hikelist.com/collections/pilgrimage-trails): Explore pilgrimage hikes beyond the Camino, from Via Francigena and St Olav’s Way to Kumano Kodo, Shikoku, abbey trails and holy mountains.
- [River & Canal Walks](https://hikelist.com/collections/river-and-canal-walks): Find easy canal walks and river trails across Europe, from short family day walks to flat multi-day towpaths in France, Ireland, the UK and beyond.
- [Short Walking Breaks](https://hikelist.com/collections/short-walking-breaks): Find short walking breaks you can finish in under a week, from Iceland and Japan to UK National Trails, with hand-picked 4–6 day routes for a proper journey.
- [The High Tatras](https://hikelist.com/collections/high-tatras-trails): Plan High Tatras hiking with 12 curated Slovakia and Poland routes: summit days, Orla Perć, glacial lakes, huts and Western Tatras ridges to suit your trip.
- [The Lake District](https://hikelist.com/collections/lake-district-trails): Find Lake District walks and wider Cumbria routes, from Windermere loops and valley trails to the Cumbria Way and Coast to Coast.
- [The Scottish Highlands](https://hikelist.com/collections/scottish-highlands-trails): Compare iconic Scottish Highlands walks, from the West Highland Way to Cape Wrath, with distances, difficulty and terrain to choose your next big route.
- [The Top 100 Long Distance Hikes](https://hikelist.com/collections/top-100-long-distance-hikes): The 100 best long-distance hikes, ranked 0–100 by the HikeList Score — measuring length, challenge, scenery, terrain, accommodation, support and path quality.
- [Toughest Thru-Hikes](https://hikelist.com/collections/toughest-thru-hikes): Compare 15 of the hardest hikes: expert thru-hikes with alpine terrain, glaciers, bogs, long distances and remote point-to-point routes for experts.
- [Volcano Hikes](https://hikelist.com/collections/volcano-hikes): Explore curated volcano hikes on Etna, Fuji, Iceland, the Azores and Canaries, from crater loops and lava fields to hard summit climbs and multi-day treks.
- [Weekend Hikes](https://hikelist.com/collections/weekend-hikes): Find weekend hikes across Europe: 14 hand-picked 2-3 day trails with moderate stages, coastal paths, islands, forests and mountain villages to compare.
- [Wine Country Walking Routes](https://hikelist.com/collections/wine-country-walking-routes): Explore wine country hikes through Lavaux, Chianti, Rioja, Alsace, the Mosel, Wachau and more, from easy vineyard day walks to multi-day trails across Europe.

## Hiking by country
- [Austria](https://hikelist.com/country/austria)
- [Belgium](https://hikelist.com/country/belgium)
- [Bulgaria](https://hikelist.com/country/bulgaria)
- [Croatia](https://hikelist.com/country/croatia)
- [Czechia](https://hikelist.com/country/czechia)
- [England](https://hikelist.com/country/england)
- [Finland](https://hikelist.com/country/finland)
- [France](https://hikelist.com/country/france)
- [Germany](https://hikelist.com/country/germany)
- [Greece](https://hikelist.com/country/greece)
- [Hungary](https://hikelist.com/country/hungary)
- [Iceland](https://hikelist.com/country/iceland)
- [Ireland](https://hikelist.com/country/ireland)
- [Italy](https://hikelist.com/country/italy)
- [Japan](https://hikelist.com/country/japan)
- [Montenegro](https://hikelist.com/country/montenegro)
- [Netherlands](https://hikelist.com/country/netherlands)
- [Norway](https://hikelist.com/country/norway)
- [Poland](https://hikelist.com/country/poland)
- [Portugal](https://hikelist.com/country/portugal)
- [Romania](https://hikelist.com/country/romania)
- [Scotland](https://hikelist.com/country/scotland)
- [Slovakia](https://hikelist.com/country/slovakia)
- [Slovenia](https://hikelist.com/country/slovenia)
- [Spain](https://hikelist.com/country/spain)
- [Sweden](https://hikelist.com/country/sweden)
- [Switzerland](https://hikelist.com/country/switzerland)
- [United Kingdom](https://hikelist.com/country/united-kingdom)
- [Wales](https://hikelist.com/country/wales)

## Full index
- [XML sitemap](https://hikelist.com/sitemap-index.xml): every one of the 974 individual hike pages
- [HTML sitemap](https://hikelist.com/sitemap): human-readable index