The World’s Most Beautiful Hikes

Exploring the great outdoors via one of the world’s many hiking trails is one of life’s simplest pleasures. All you need is a reliable pair of hiking shoes, a map and plenty of water - making it one of the most accessible ways to get fit, be among nature and see beautiful scenery all at the same time.

There are plenty of breathtaking hikes that earn a place on bucket lists for travellers and locals alike. But which ones are the most eye-catching of all?

To find out we conducted a global eye-tracking study, analysing which hiking scenery caught participants’ attention the quickest, as well as how long it held their attention. We then cross-referenced the two metrics to reveal which of the world’s trails are the most beautiful of all.

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Which Global Hiking Trails Are the Most Beautiful?

Topping the list of the world’s most breathtaking hikes is the Calanques de Marseille in France, with two more European hikes completing the top three. In second place is Croatia’s Plitvice Lakes Trail, where turquoise waterfalls sit against a backdrop of vibrant green forest, and Switzerland’s Lauterbrunnen Valley, the real-life inspiration for J.R.R. Tolkien's Elven realm, Rivendell, rounds out the top three.

The rest of the top 20 features a captivating array of hiking trails from North and South America and Oceania, but Europe dominates, taking over half of the spots. From the misty cloud forests of Peru’s Inca Trail to Germany’s Bastei Bridge and its panoramic views of the Elbe Valley - there’s something in the list for everyone.

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The World’s Top 20 Most Beautiful Hikes 

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1. Calanques de Marseille - Marseille, France
‘Eye-Catching’ Score: 94/100

The Calanques de Marseille, which is interestingly also the birthplace of scuba diving, is a series of fjord-like limestone inlets which you can find spread over a portion of France’s picturesque southern coast. Hiking through the area can offer breathtaking views of the Mediterranean Sea, rugged white cliffs and the sprawling city of Marseille below. To protect the ecosystem in the area, there are strictly no rubbish bins or toilets permitted, so come prepared and leave nothing behind.

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Photo by Clément Griffet on Unsplash

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2. Plitvice Lakes Trail - Plitvice Lakes National Park, Croatia
‘Eye-Catching’ Score: 93/100

Plitvice Lakes is Croatia’s oldest and largest national park, made up of an ethereal collection of lakes which are separated by naturally forming tufa (porous rock) barriers. The trail takes you to Veliki Slap, the country’s tallest waterfall, and the park itself is home to 30% of the flora found in Croatia, as well as European brown bears, wolves and lynx.
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Photo by Ilse on Unsplash
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3. Lauterbrunnen Valley - Bernese Oberland, Switzerland
‘Eye-Catching’ Score: 92/100

Hiking in Switzerland is on many an outdoors enthusiast’s bucket list, and for good reason. The scenery ranges from lush grassy meadows to dramatic snow-capped peaks, and the Lauterbrunnen Valley is no exception. Known as the “Valley of 72 Waterfalls”, it is often likened to the scenery in the USA’s world-famous Yosemite and Kauai. Halfway through the trail you’ll spot the Trümmelbach Falls, 10 hidden glacier-fed waterfalls which are carved inside the mountain and drain 20,000 litres of glacial meltwater per second.

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Photo by Michael Lammli on Unsplash
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4. Inca Trail to Machu Picchu - Cusco, Peru
‘Eye-Catching’ Score: 91/100

The Inca Trail takes four days to complete, with hikers ultimately reaching Machu Picchu’s Sun Gate, a route which ancient Incan messengers actually ran in just a day at a time. The altitude here is extremely tricky to manage, with the highest point of the trail sitting at 4,215m above sea level. If this hike is on your bucket list, you’ll trek through four distinct biomes including Andean peaks, cloud forests, dry forests and rainforests. Access is limited to 500 people per day, so make sure you plan and book well in advance.

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Photo by Tom Cleary on Unsplash

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5. Bastei Rock Formation - Saxon Switzerland National Park, Germany
‘Eye-Catching’ Score: 90/100

The Bastei Rock Formation is the most iconic part of Germany’s Saxon Switzerland National Park. Sitting 194 metres above the Elbe River, it was formed over a million years ago - but the star of the show is the 76.5-meter long Bastei Bridge which at just 200 years old is young in comparison. When hiking around the area you can actually visit what used to be a fortress built directly into the rock crevices, and you’ll be treated to views of iconic landmarks like the Lilienstein Mountain and Königstein Fortress.
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Photo by Niklas Bischop on Unsplash

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6. The Narrows - Zion National Park, USA
‘Eye-Catching’ Score: 87/100

On any list of bucket-list treks, you’d expect to see one like Utah's Narrows. Hikers walk directly through the North Fork of the Virgin River, inside a slot canyon which looks like it could be situated on another planet. 60-70% of the hike takes place in the water, meaning it can be incredibly dangerous should a flash flood hit. Hikers are required to check official weather forecasts before they depart on any trek here and adequate research and preparation is highly recommended.
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Photo by Dave Babler on Unsplash
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7. Étretat Cliff Walk - Étretat, France
‘Eye-Catching’ Score: 85/100

This four-to-five-kilometre trail takes adventurous ramblers out and back along a section of Normandy’s Alabaster Coast. Hiking along it will serve up incredible ocean views from the 90m chalk cliffs, and you can even visit a shipwreck survival cave below the Aval cliff. Known as the Trou à l’Homme, you can only visit it two hours before and one hour after low tide so make sure to plan your visit accordingly.
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Photo by Alin Gavriliuc on Unsplash
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8. The Loop - Kalbarri, Australia
‘Eye-Catching’ Score: 84/100

Kalbarri National Park’s Loop trail is a challenging outback hike with hundreds of millions of years of geological history. You’ll walk along the rim of the gorge before descending to the riverbed and departing on around eight to nine kilometres of steep drops, rock scrambling and walking along sandy riverbeds. The temperature can reach 50°C in the height of summer, and as such the trail is closed after 7am from November to March. Visitors might be lucky enough to spot kangaroos, emus and even black-flanked rock wallabies, as well as over 100 different bird species.

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Photo by Elliot Cullen on Unsplash
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9. Seven Sisters Cliffs Walk - East Sussex, England
‘Eye-Catching’ Score: 83/100

East Sussex is home to one of the UK’s most popular trails, with many hikers travelling to this part of England’s coastline to walk across the “sisters”, seven distinct peaks in the dramatic white chalk cliffs that offer up beautiful views of the English Channel. The Seven Sisters have been featured in blockbuster films like Atonement and Harry Potter, and most people choose to start it in Seaford and end in Eastbourne, where you can catch the train back (after enjoying a fish and chips on the beach).
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Photo by Vsevolod Belousov on Unsplash

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10. Causeway Coast Way - County Antrim, Northern Ireland

‘Eye-Catching’ Score: 82/100

The Causeway Coast Way is a 52km trail of rugged cliffs and golden beaches and takes two to three days to complete. The highlight of the trail for many people is the iconic Giant’s Causeway, which is an impressive formation of 40,000 interlocking hexagonal basalt columns formed by volcanic activity. Numerous scenes from Game of Thrones were filmed in the area, so fans of the show will certainly enjoy the scenery.

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Photo by K. Mitch Hodge on Unsplash

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Feeling inspired to visit one of the hikes on your bucket list this summer? Make sure you’re kitted out with all the hiking gear you need for a safe day out on the trails and be sure to always let someone know where you’re going and when you hope to be back.

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Methodology:

We compiled a list of 64 popular hiking trails worldwide and selected a representative image from each, focusing on the most recognisable viewpoint or most photographed section of the trail. 200 participants from around the world then took part in an eye-tracking study, measuring the average time each person spent looking at each image, as well as the average time taken to their first ‘fixation’.

The two data points were indexed to create a score out of 100, with the highest-scoring location deemed the most "eye-catching" and therefore the most beautiful.

Data correct as of June 2026.

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Check out our Trails and Inspirational category to discover the most amazing trails and hikes in the world, as recommended by our athletes, ambassadors and loyal customers.