Seven of the world’s best new hikes from mountain tracks to coastal paths

Walks launching this year include a spiritual journey around Wales, an alternative Inca trek in the Peruvian Andes and a coast-to-coast route of South Korea. Across the following slides, you can see seven of the best. (Photo: Matt Horspool/Vagay Stu)

Teifi Valley Trail, Wales

Start/finish: Strata Florida, Ceredigion/Poppit Sands, Pembrokeshire. Distance: 134km/83 miles. The Teifi, one of the longest rivers in Wales, runs from its namesake pools in the Cambrian Mountains to spill out into Cardigan Bay. And the Teifi Valley Trail – opening on 25 April – follows it all the way, from source to sea. Created by Walkers are Welcome communities along the route, and developed by volunteers, it is hoped that the trail will deliver an economic boost to this rural region of rolling hills, raised bogs, woodland, nature reserves, ancient ruins and abandoned industrial heritage. At its ends lie two great ecclesiastical sites: the remains of the 12th-century abbeys of Strata Florida and St Dogmaels. Along the way, walkers will also pass the village of Llanddewi Brefi (where miracles allegedly occurred in the sixth century), the university town of Lampeter and the crumbling castles at Cilgerran and Newcastle Emlyn. The trail is divided into three stages, starting and finishing at points with public transport and accommodation where possible. GPX maps can be downloaded, waymarking is complete and a guidebook is on the way. (Photo: TVTA)

Ardennes Tour, France & Belgium

Start/finish: Sedan, Grand Est. Distance: 350km/218 miles. In Celtic mythology, boar-riding Arduinna was the protector-goddess of the Ardennes Forest. This year, she gets a trail in her name. The new Grande Randonnée de Pays (GRP) Ardenne Tour is subtitled “in the footsteps of Arduinna” and describes a mighty loop through the ancient woodlands that straddle the French and Belgian borders. The route partly follows existing GR and GRP trails, with new, equally high-quality sections now being waymarked. When finished, probably by autumn this year, it will be a 300km, 15-stage circuit taking in swathes of awesome arboreal scenery as well as historic spots. These include the citadel town of Rocroi, built around a star-shaped fortress; Signy-l’Abbaye, where you can quench your thirst with France’s first organic abbey beer; and unmissable Sedan, home to one of Europe’s greatest fortified castles. There is poignant First World War history, too. For instance, it was in Vrigne-Meuse, near Sedan, that Augustin Trébuchon became the last French soldier to be killed in the conflict, shot in November 1918, just 15 minutes prior to armistice being declared. (Photo: ADTA/David Truillard)

Alpina Antica Trail, Austria & Italy

Start/finish: Kössen/Adriatic Sea. Distance: TBC. This long-distance trail will be both mountain adventure and border-hopping history lesson. Launching later this year, it crosses the Alps in the footsteps of centuries-old traders who once carted wine, salt, furs and gold on mules between the ports of the Mediterranean and the markets of Central Europe. The trail begins in the Tyrolean town of Kössen, close to the German border, and wends via wild pastures, mule tracks, old commercial hubs (such as Mittersill and Kaprun), inns that offered respite to those travelling merchants and caves in which smugglers and highwaymen once hid. Surrounding it all is a spectacular unfurling of verdant valleys, flower-flecked meadows, icy glaciers and looming peaks, including Austria’s highest, the 3,798-metre Grossglockner. The Italian frontier is negotiated via the Plöckenpass, over the Carnic Alps; beyond lie the Friulian plains and, eventually, the waterways of Venice. The route will be divided into 30 stages, 21 of which are in Austria, with accommodation available in mountain huts and alpine villages.(Photo: Grossglockner Hochalpenstraen/AG_Michael Stabentheiner)

Pilgrim Path Läckö Hjo, Sweden

Start/finish: Läckö Castle/Hjo. Distance: 155km/96 miles. Pilgrimage continues to be on-trend in 2026 – the mindful walking practice hasn’t been this popular since the Middle Ages. And one of the latest routes to launch is west Sweden’s Pilgrim Path Läckö Hjo, opening this summer. Combining existing trails and new linking pathways to create a longer spiritual stroll, this 14-stage trail will join the cute, timber-built town of Hjo, on Lake Vättern, and the beautiful baroque castle of Läckö on Lake Vänern. There are sacred sites en route, including twin-towered Skara Cathedral, built in the 1150s and seat of Sweden’s oldest diocese; St Sigfrid’s well, said to be where Sweden’s first Christian king was baptised; and the ruins of Varnhem Abbey and Varnhem Abbey Church, where five Swedish monarchs were buried. There is plenty of time and space for revelling in divine nature, too, as the trail leads along lake shores (with opportunities for wild swims) across the area’s ancient plateau mountains and via the meadows, woodlands and wetlands of Hornborga Nature Reserve. (Photo: Roger Borgelid/Westsweden.com)

The Great Northern Inca Trail, Peru

Start/finish: Chavín de Huántar/Huánuco Pampa. Distance: 70km/44 miles. There is some trailblazing going on in Peru’s Inca heartlands. New for 2026 is a quicker way to trek to the remote hillside ruins of Choquequirao, taking just eight hours rather than two days. It is hoped that making Choquequirao more accessible might entice people to visit this alternative “sister city”, easing pressure on over-loved Machu Picchu. Even more exciting has been the development of alternative Inca trails in Peru’s far north. In the past few years, parts of the historic Great Inca Trail that once connected Cusco with Tomebamba (modern-day Cuenca, Ecuador) have been remapped, with the best-preserved sections now open for hikers. KE Adventure is running its first trips on it this year. This includes the Great Northern Trail, which starts at Chavín de Huántar, a mystery-shrouded temple far older than the Inca, dating back more than 3,000 years. From here, the route follows old stone paths, crosses llama-grazed slopes, tops 4,000m-plus passes and runs via Inca tambo (wayside shelters) to finish near the Inca admin centre of Huánuco Pampa. (Photo: DanielPrudek/Getty)

Dongseo Trail, South Korea

Start/finish: Anmyeon Island/Uljin. Distance: 850km/528 miles. Fully opening this year, the Dongseo Trail will be South Korea’s first peninsula-spanning coast-to-coast hike – dong meaning east, seo meaning west. It will offer a varied, long-distance journey through a country that is still relatively undiscovered for multi-day trekking – but slowly making its name. “We’re seeing a new type of hiker emerging – people who love long-distance walking but are actively looking beyond Europe’s well-trodden routes,” says Selective Asia’s Nick Pulley. “Asia is increasingly filling that gap, not by copying the Camino or the Alps, but by offering trails where culture, daily life and landscape are completely intertwined.” South Korea has quietly had the infrastructure for great hiking for decades, adds Pulley, but until now it hasn’t joined the dots. “A coast-to-coast trail reframes the country entirely – not as a place for individual mountain hikes, but as a journey you move through slowly, village by village. We are always drawn to trails that disperse travellers rather than concentrate them. Routes like the Dongseo Trail naturally spread economic benefit across rural areas.” (Photo: Thomas McComb/Getty/Korea by Bike)

Ngaro Track, Australia

Start/finish: South Whitehaven Beach/Tongue Point. Distance: 32km/20 miles. Think Great Barrier Reef, think great diving – it isn’t the obvious place for a great walk. But this new three-day hike across Whitsunday Island – the largest outcrop in the paradisiacal Whitsunday archipelago – offers a unique perspective on this watery wonderland. Created in partnership with the First Nations Ngaro People, the route explores the island’s beaches, bluffs, biodiverse rainforests, palm groves, eucalypts and mangroves. Look out for two-metre-long monitor lizards basking in the sun, rock wallabies on the outcrops and sulphur-crested cockatoos in the trees. The rich Indigenous heritage is brought to the fore, too – totem posts telling Ngaro family stories are dotted along the route. Only 15 hikers are permitted to start each day, adding a real sense of adventure and exclusivity. Accommodation is at two purpose-built, low-impact campsites, which have tent platforms composting loos, rainwater tanks and communal cooking areas with incredible views. You can walk independently (advance booking essential) or, to travel with a lighter load, join a supported group trip with World Expeditions. (Photo: Matt Horspool/Vagay Stu)