Multi-day hikes and scenic routes
From the Atlantic to the Mediterranean across the Pyrenees, around Mont Blanc through three countries, over the Thorung La at 5,416 m: treks and scenic roads, stage by stage.
- 2 hikes
- 2 countries
Tour du Mont Blanc : Rémih, CC BY-SA · West Highland Way : Dave souza, CC BY-SA
Hikes of several days, and roads built for the view
The hikes on this page take at least four days: 2 treks and scenic routes in 2 countries, from a 34 mi crossing of the Icelandic highlands to 573 mi along the Pyrenees, plus a road over the Alps. Each page is cut into stages, with the huts to book, the rules of each valley and the open months.
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Compare them by the four things that decide a trek: days, distance and ascent, the season, and how beds are booked. The figures table ranks every route by length; the sections below group them by duration and set out the booking calendars, from the Inca Trail quota to the Tour du Mont Blanc huts.
Treks
Where to stay
Hotels, guesthouses and rentals around the places most visited on this page.
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West Highland WayUnited KingdomSee hotels
Hikes by length: which one for how many days
Days are the first filter: a four-day trek fits a long weekend plus the journey, a 16-stage one is a holiday on its own, and the longest here is walked in sections over several years.
5 to 7 days
The West Highland Way, 96 mi from Milngavie to Fort William, 1,804 ft at the top of the Devil’s Staircase.
Hikes and scenic routes in figures
| Hike | Country | Distance | Duration | Ascent | Difficulty | Season |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tour du Mont Blanc | France | 106 mi | 7 to 12 days | 32,808 ft | Challenging | June to September |
| West Highland Way | United Kingdom | 96 mi | 5 to 7 days |
Huts, beds and booking calendars
On most of these hikes the bed decides the date. Prices are the operators’ own, with the year they apply to.
| Hike | Where you sleep | What to know | Booking |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tour du Mont Blanc | Huts, half-board dormitories | €65 to €95 a night | Bookings for 2027 open since 15 October 2026 |
| West Highland Way | Hotels, B&Bs, bunkhouses, campsites | Camping byelaws in the national park from 1 March to 30 September | Beds booked ahead in every season |
Season: when the passes open and the huts are staffed
Alps and Dolomites
The Tour du Mont Blanc from mid-June to mid-September, with névés still possible in June; Alta Via 1 from June to September; the GR 20 refuges staffed from 16 May to 4 October 2026.
Pyrenees
The GR 10 high passes from June to October, with snowfields until mid-July.
North
The Laugavegur open on average from 25 June to 15 September, at its best in July and August; the Kungsleden cabins from Midsummer to mid or late September.
Scotland
The West Highland Way walked all year, busiest in May, with winter conditions from November to March.
Andes and Himalaya
The Inca Trail closed every February for maintenance; the Annapurna Circuit at its clearest in October and November, with April and May as the second season.
Scenic routes: the same logic on wheels
The Route des Grandes Alpes runs 471 mi from Thonon-les-Bains to Nice with 64,304 ft of climbing, 6 to 8 days by bike, over the Iseran at 9,068 ft, the highest road pass in the Alps. It crosses three national parks, the Vanoise, the Écrins and the Mercantour, and is open in full from mid-June to the end of October; its official site advises against August for the traffic. The calendar shows which routes are open each month, and the map places every stage.
Frequently asked questions
How many days do you need for a multi-day hike?
Four days for the Laugavegur or the Inca Trail, five to seven for the West Highland Way, seven to twelve for the Tour du Mont Blanc, twelve for Alta Via 1, sixteen stages for the GR 20 and fifteen to twenty for the Annapurna Circuit. The GR 10 takes 50 to 60 days and is walked in sections by most people.
Do you need to book huts on long-distance trails?
On most of them, yes. The GR 20 requires a booking for every night, bivouac included; the Laugavegur huts are booked north to south before you start; the Tour du Mont Blanc huts are recommended for July and August and some fill months ahead, with 2027 bookings open since 15 October 2026. On the Kungsleden a booked bed is guaranteed if you arrive by 6 pm.
When is the best time for a hut-to-hut hike in the Alps?
From mid-June to mid-September on the Tour du Mont Blanc, from June to September on Alta Via 1. July and August are the busiest months; September has short, cool days and quieter paths and is the refuge wardens’ favourite on the Tour du Mont Blanc. In June, snow can still cover the high passes.
Can you wild camp on these hikes?
It depends on the valley, and each page gives the rule. The Aosta Valley bans any bivouac below 8,202 ft on the Tour du Mont Blanc; camping is forbidden along Alta Via 1 and on the Inca Trail; the GR 20 sells bivouac pitches at €12 next to its refuges. In Scotland and Sweden, wild camping is allowed under public access rights, except inside Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park from 1 March to 30 September on the West Highland Way.
Which multi-day hike is the easiest?
Alta Via 1 is called the easiest of the Dolomite high routes by Wikipedia, well marked and equipped in its hardest passages. The FFRandonnée describes the GR 10 as open to all levels of walker, with gîtes and refuges at regular intervals, and the West Highland Way builds from easier southern sections to harder northern ones. The GR 20 sits at the other end: the hardest trek in Europe, in the words of the park that runs it.
Do you need a guide for these treks?
On two of them. The Inca Trail is walked only on trips organised by an authorised agency, with an official guide; the Annapurna Circuit has required a licensed guide and a TIMS card since 31 March 2023. The others are waymarked and walked without a guide; the Tour du Mont Blanc needs no mountaineering gear, but a col to climb every day.