The World’s 15 Best Walking and Hiking Trips

1.Camel Ride and Flamingo Trek

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 371 reviews · from $19Our pick

You’ll be collected from your Agadir hotel and driven to the Souss-Massa area for a roughly 1 to 1.5-hour camel ride through forest, river edges, dunes, and coastal scenery. Flamingos may appear far off, not up close. An English, French, or Arabic-speaking guide leads the ride, then serves mint tea and biscuits.

“great value for money. not an exotic trip in the desert but a lovely camel trek experience. camels all seemed very well looked after.it was very rural and a small walk down the souss river where we seen flamingos in the distance. the camel tour guide was lovely. he gave a little bit of history and took photos. photos were taken at the start and were printed when the trip had finished. these cost 50 dirham.. hand washing facilities and Moroccan tea and biscuits were provided. over all of you just want a camel ride in morocco this is a great trip to help the locals earn some pennysRead more”

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2.Full-Day Mindo Cloud Forest Tour Birdwatching Waterfalls and Hike

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 84 reviews · 10 hours (approx.) · from $189Best reviewed

Spend about 10 hours with a private guide from Quito to Mindo, visiting Pululahua Volcano, San Tadeo’s hummingbird feeders, a butterfly farm, Nambillo Waterfall, and a chocolate workshop. Guides Kathy and Pato are praised for clear explanations and flexible pacing. Lunch is not included, and the waterfall walk requires steady footing.

“If there were 10 stars, he would have 10! Pato was absolutely wonderful. He explained the full day’s itinerary as we headed to our first stop, so we had an idea of his general timing of our day. He was very knowledgeable about the history, animals, and plants we saw which made what we were seeing extra special. He was also great about going with the flow. We saw a billboard for air biking (yes, it’s real!), so we took a pit stop for that. He rode as well! :) I highly recommend Pato for your Quito and Mindo tours.”

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3.Private Birding Hike in Rocky Mountain National Park

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 58 reviews · 9 hours (approx.)

Join Ryan of Birding Man Wildlife Tours for a private nine-hour birding and wildlife outing from the Denver area to Rocky Mountain National Park. Travel by Jeep Wrangler, hike with a naturalist guide, and look for elk, moose, eagles, jays, woodpeckers, and other mountain species. Lunch, snacks, and bottled water are included.

“This is an amazing tour! Ryan is a superb guide - knowledgeable, engaging and passionate about his field. He tailored the tour to our interests and showed us so many fabulous sights. Each tour will be different, and I am excited to discover what wonders await me the next time I visit Denver and take a tour with Ryan.”

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4.Trekking, wineries, birdwatching, local gastronomy, etc.

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 25 reviews · from $809

Choose a custom six-hour Tenerife experience focused on trekking, wineries, local food, birdwatching, or volcanic geology. Felix organizes the outing, while guides such as volcanologist David Calvo and birding leader Felipe may lead specialist routes. Your group needs at least six adults, and the final price depends on the plan and meeting point.

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5.Small Tour (8 ppl) Phillip Island Hike & Penguin Parade Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 18 reviews · from $200

Join Hike & Seek for a 12-hour Phillip Island outing limited to eight people. You’ll hike 6.8km at Cape Woolamai, visit the Koala Conservation Reserve and The Nobbies, then watch the Penguin Parade at sunset. Guides such as Shane and Michael lead the day, with transport, entry fees, snacks, ponchos, and first aid provided.

“A very full day covering several enjoyable experiences culminating with the amazing Penguin Parade. Shane is an excellent and knowledgable guide.”

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6.Mount Doi Inthanon Hiking & Bird Watching

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 14 reviews · from $152

Leave Chiang Mai at 5:00 am for Doi Inthanon with bird guide Joe or Ming. Spend about two hours seeking rare mountain birds, then hike with local Karen guide Nee past rice fields, gardens, bamboo bridges, and a waterfall. The 10-hour private tour includes transport, breakfast, lunch, park fees, and local coffee.

“This tour was a lot of fun. The day started early with over two hours of bird watching at two locations at the park. It was a windy, wet day, so there were not as many birds out. I would recommend bringing a light jacket or hoodie as it can be Read more”

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7.Whales & Humboldt Penguins: Chañaral or Damas island hiking

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 10 reviews · 10 hours · from $280

Travel from La Serena through fishing villages, desert scenery, and old coastal settlements to Punta de Choros. After a safety briefing, sail near Choros and Damas islands for penguins, sea lions, seabirds, dolphins, and possible whales, then enjoy a guided island walk and lunch in Los Choros. Christopher and Martin have received especially warm praise as guides.

“Helt fantastisk dagstur! Vi fik en masse information på turen hen til havnen og spændene stop hvor vi bl.a. så lamaer. Bådturen var magisk, med både søløver, pingviner, oddere, rovfugle og ikke mindst hvaler! Bagefter fik vi lækker frokost og fik besvaret alle vores spørgsmål. Guiden var virkelig dygtig og meget engageret i at vi fik en god tur. Kan varmt anbefales.”

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8.From Antigua Guatemala: Birdwatching and Scenic Hiking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.2 · 9 reviews · 3h 30m · from $95

From Antigua, a bilingual guide takes you into Finca El Pilar for birdwatching and a forest hike. Use provided binoculars to search for hummingbirds, toucanets, trogons, motmots, and quail, then climb through pine-oak woods toward volcano views. Monica has led especially well-liked outings, though steep steps and changing bird activity require a bit of stamina and patience.

“Absolutely loved this tour, this spot is such a hidden gem that I hadn’t seen mention by other travelers, blogs, etc. If you love nature (and a nice workout lol) you will love this tour. Monica was a fantastic guide and helped me spot so many different birds. I had a great time and highly recommend”

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9.Birding Hike: Day Birdwatching in Kathmandu

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 7 reviews · from $220

Join Samsara Trekking for a private birding hike near Kathmandu, led by a local bird guide such as Krishna Thapa or Prem when available. Choose from Shivapuri, Nagarjun, Phulchoki, Champadevi, Sankhu, Sundarijal, Suryabinayak, or Manohara. Expect forest walks, mountain views, local culture, and possible sightings of Nepal's endemic Spiny Babbler.

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10.Guided Birdwatching Hike

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 6 reviews · 6 hours · from $169

Meet early in Cancún or arrange pickup details with the operator, then follow a local birding guide such as Carlos into the Ruta de los Cenotes jungle. Spend about three hours looking for native and migratory birds, with coffee, fruit, snacks, drinks, transport, and entrance fees included.

“Birding with Carlos was great! We saw many species & Carlos was nothing but helpful, knowledgeable & enthusiastic. This tour couldn’t have been better.”

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11.Salento: hike to learn about Birds

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 6 reviews · 2 - 5 hours · from $60

Meet near Brunch de Salento for breakfast and a short birding introduction, then head to a nearby nature area with guide Jorge. Binoculars, fruit, and 1 liter of water are included. Expect an easy, focused hike of about 3 hours, with English, Spanish, or French guiding and groups capped at eight.

“Jorge was a very good guide, professional and knowledgeable. On our walk we saw over 50 birds, 14 of those were new to us. A great morning out.”

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12.Big Island: Native Bird Watching & Hiking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 5 reviews · 12 hours · from $287

Travel from Kona or Waikoloa to Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge with a professional birding guide such as Gary, whose storytelling and sharp eyes help you find rare Hawaiian species. The day includes up to four miles of hiking, 4WD access, binoculars, snacks, lunch, and close looks at native birds, plants, and conservation work.

“Excellent day of birding for endemic species on the Big Island. Our guide, Gary, was a great birder and story teller. A very successful and enjoyable day.”

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13.Mogle Mountain Hiking For Birding, Natures From Addis Ababa

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 5 reviews · from $130

Leave Addis Ababa after breakfast for Sebeta and a full-day hike up Mogle Mountain with an English-speaking guide, often led by Dagim. Expect a two-hour climb, 360-degree views of Addis Ababa and Menagesha Suba Forest, Ethiopian birds, a mountain lunch, a waterfall, and a village coffee and Tella experience.

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14.Hike and Penguin Parade – 8 pax Small Tour

★★★★★★★★★★3.8 · 5 reviews

Join a maximum of eight participants for a 12-hour Phillip Island outing from Melbourne. Hike 6.8 km around Cape Woolamai, visit the Koala Reserve and Nobbies, then watch little penguins come ashore at sunset. The day includes park entry, transport, a live English-speaking guide, and a stop for lunch or dinner.

“Our guide was warm, charming and knowledgeable. The locations were stunning. Lots of care and attention had been given to the details to keep us comfortable throughout the day.”

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15.Hiking Cape of Good hope, Cape Point & Penguins Private Full Day

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 5 reviews · from $190

Spend about eight hours exploring the Cape Peninsula with a private guide such as Patrick. The day can include Maiden’s Cove, Chapman’s Peak, a two-hour coastal hike, Cape Point, the Cape of Good Hope, Boulders Beach penguins, and scenic False Bay roads. Hotel pickup, transport, and Chapman’s Peak tolls are included, while entry fees are extra.

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