Australia is a walking wonderland in terms of the variety of terrain, climate and landscape that can be found. Not to mention the fascinating cultures, histories and people you encounter along the way. Selecting the ten best hikes in Australia has been a challenge as there are so many beautiful and wonderful hiking trails that criss-cross the country. 

“Australia is blessed with a multitude of amazing hiking trails that criss-cross the country.”

In Australia, we are so fortunate to have countless beautiful places to go for a walk. Whether we live in a big city, small town or remote country, we are never far from wonderful walks in forests, gorges, mountain ranges and heathland, or along cliff tops and beaches. Walks that let us get into natural landscapes and get close to the creatures that live there. 

I’ve based this list of the ten best hikes in Australia on the most popular multi-day hiking trails in the country. I hope that the walks highlighted in this article will inspire you to reach for your boots and strike out into new territory.

Top 10 Best Hikes in Australia

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Traverse the highest ground in Tasmania, taking in wild alpine moors, craggy peaks and swathes of luxuriant rainforest on the most famous multi-day walk in Australia. 

Distance: 65 km / 40 miles one-way
Duration: 6 days
Difficulty: Moderate
Start: Cradle Valley
Finish: Lake St Clair
Best time to visit: October to May

This is the classic Tasmanian walk, through an area of alpine wilderness unlike any other in Australia. The six-day Overland Track links Dove Lake to Lake St Clair, and traverses a high plateau in the heart of the island, scoured and shaped by ice ages. In every direction lie distinctive and unusual mountain peaks and ranges, sheer columns and cliffs of dark dolerite. 

What to Expect?

The side trips on the walk rival the attractions on the main track, including a walk up Mt Ossa (1617m), Tasmania’s highest mountain, and exploring them can extend the trip by several days. The track winds through a varied landscape of open moorland, glacial tarns and rainforests of myrtle, deciduous beech and sassafras. There are also streams and waterfalls, stands of snow gums and native pines, and flowering heath. It’s one of the world’s great walks and an unforgettable experience. 

What You Need to Know?

Of course, in the mountains it can snow at any time of year so walkers must be prepared for all conditions. This walk can be done independently carrying all your own gear, or as a guided walk with tents or the luxurious way with comfortable huts, hot showers and gourmet meals. 

The track is arguably the best multi-day walk in Australia and justifiably popular, so much so that a booking system has been introduced in recent years, aiming to limit crowding and environmental damage. From 1 October to 31 May numbers are restricted, and you must walk north-south.

Buck and weave along the ridgeline of the West MacDonnell Ranges from one glorious canyon to the next on this outback epic Australian walk.

Distance: 230 km / 143 miles return
Duration: 12-15 days
Difficulty: Moderate
Start: Alice Springs Telegraph Station
Finish: Mt Sonder
Best time to visit: May to September

Created in 1989 to link shorter walking tracks in the West MacDonnell ranges, the Larapinta Trail has evolved into one of the world’s best arid-zone, long-distance walks, weaving through ancient songlines and spectacular range country. Running for 223 km along the spine of the West MacDonnell ranges, the track is divided into 12 sections of between 13 km and 31 km in length, each taking one or two days to walk. 

What to Expect?

Because the trail mostly follows the ridgelines of the Chewings and Heavitree Ranges, there are always striking views before you descend to camp, often by a dry riverbed under the stars. You may not encounter other people for hours or days at a time and it is this isolation and abiding beauty that makes the trail one that many walkers feel passionate about. 

What You Should Know?

Starting at Alice Springs Telegraph Station and ending at the summit of Mt Sonder (1380m), the full trail takes about two and a half weeks but every section has vehicle access so you can also do day or overnight walks. Several tour operators offer guided walks and this can be a good option. Carrying your own water, food and equipment on such a rugged and remote walk is very challenging. The quartzite rock you’ll traverse is sharp and even the best walking boot will take a hammering. 

This is a demanding walk but it’s magnificent and absolutely unmissable, however you tackle it.

Walk by day to the brink of Australia’s highest coastal cliffs and stay overnight on bespoke mattresses in hard-top accommodations: welcome to the Three Capes Track experience!

Distance: 46 km / 29 miles return
Duration: 4 days
Difficulty: Easy to Moderate
Start: Denmans Cove
Finish: Fortescue Bay
Best time to visit: Year-round but spring wildflowers put on an unforgettable show

Here begins one of Tasmania’s newest and most alluring treks. The Three Capes Track is an accessible introduction to wilderness walking, somewhere between rufty-tufty camping trails and the gourmet lodge-to-lodge packages such as those on Maria Island and the Bay of Fires. Over 46 km (29 miles) and four days, walkers encounter sea cliffs, aromatic eucalypt forest and leech-infested rainforest, windswept heath and two of the three titular capes (the other, Cape Raoul, is visible but not visited, though it will be included in a mooted route extension). 

What to Expect?

Accommodation is in three custom-built cabin sites, with simple, comfy bunkrooms and well-equipped kitchen and toilet blocks – bring a sleeping bag and food, but none of the other paraphernalia required on a hardcore plunge into Tasmania’s more-remote wildernesses.  

What You Should Know?

The Three Capes Track has proved more popular than even its most enthusiastic proponents expected since opening in December 2015 and the 48-bed ‘cabins’ are often full over peak holiday times. The walk is unguided, however, so you set your start time – some hikers love early light, others prefer to sleep in – and pace yourself. You don’t have to walk in a group and there are countless places to enjoy the majesty of the scenery in solitude. 

The Three Capes Track must be booked via threecapestrack.com.au. 

At the other end of the scale is the luxurious four-day Three Capes Lodge Walk (taswalkingco.com.au/three-capes-lodge-walk), opened in September 2018. This guided, fully-catered day-pack walking experience has accommodation in private lodges.

See some of Australia’s finest forest and a remote slice of coast as you sample part of the great Bibbulmun Track that encompasses some of the best scenery in Western Australia.

Distance: 63 km / 39 miles one-way
Duration: 4 days
Difficulty: Moderate
Start: Walpole
Finish: Peaceful Bay
Best time to visit: November – for the great show of wildflowers and the driest of the Spring months

Anyone walking in Western Australia must attempt a section of the mighty Bibbulmun Track, stretching 1000 km from Kalamunda in the Perth Hills, to Albany on the south coast. Naturally the track offers landscapes for every taste and many ways to tackle it, from self-sufficient camping adventures to fully guided walks or relaxed day walks from a township base. 

More than any other part of the Bibbulmun Track, it is the section between Walpole and Peaceful Bay that highlights the track’s raison d’être – to showcase southern WA’s forest and coast. Out of Walpole the track heads into forests of tall karri and stout tingle trees, exiting a couple of days later to wander along an isolated and beautiful section of coast. 

What to Expect?

For most of the walk, you will be inside the Walpole-Nornalup National Park, established in 1911 and encompassing around 18,100 hectares of forest, heathland and coast. Nornalup is an Aboriginal word for ‘place of the tiger snake’, and it is pretty fair to assume that you will see a few; give them a wide berth. 

What You Should Know?

The track is marked throughout with yellow triangles and a black Waugal, or rainbow serpent, and it is quite feasible to walk it without a tent. The Bibbulmun Track’s three-sided shelters – the site of each night’s stop – have raised platforms for sleeping. 

See bibbulmantrack.org.au for more information. 

Ditch the car and pull on your hiking boots to venture beyond the tarmac and deep into the Great Ocean Road’s stunning natural surrounds, where rugged ocean meets serene rainforest.

Distance: 100 km / 62 miles one-way
Duration: 8 days
Difficulty: Moderate
Start: Apollo Bay
Finish: Twelve Apostles
Best time to visit: Spring and autumn

From clifftop vistas to surf-pounded beaches and eucalypt woodlands, this multi-day trek showcases the best of coastal Victoria. The walk starts at Apollo Bay, 150 km south-west of Melbourne. The track clings to the coast along the Otway Range, through patches of eucalypts and rainforest, then up over undulating clifftops and hills, and down to wind and wave-battered beaches. Everyone must walk in a westerly direction towards the walk’s iconic end point at the Twelve Apostles. 

What to Expect?

The beautiful and varied walk is notionally split in two – the ‘mild side’ in the east, from Apollo Bay to the Aire River campsite; and the more dramatic scenery of the ‘wild side’ in the west, from Aire River to the Twelve Apostles. The most spectacular views are found in these western sections, where walkers climb to some of Australia’s highest sea cliffs at Moonlight Head and spy remnants of the many ships sunk along this tract of the Shipwreck Coast at Wreck Beach. 

What You Should Know?

Best in spring and autumn, this relatively easy track is suitable for hikers of different levels, from novices to experienced bushwalkers. You can do things solo – carrying your own food, water and gear, and staying at the basic campsites along the way – or you can go with one of the guided options and get dropped off at the track and then picked up each day, and driven to local accommodation. It’s also possible to choose a day walk at any point if you can car shuffle or book a taxi. 

Encounter fascinating wildlife, waterfalls and ancient rainforest on this three-day walk through two national parks in southern Queensland.

Distance: 54 km / 34 miles one-way
Duration: 3 days
Difficulty: Moderate
Start: Lamington National Park
Finish: Springbrook National Park
Best time to visit: June to August

Discover beauty, mystery and history along the 54km Gold Coast Hinterland Great Walk linking the species-rich Gondwana Rainforests of Australia World Heritage Area of Lamington and Springbrook plateaus via the scenic Numinbah Valley. This World Heritage Area protects the most extensive areas of subtropical rainforest in the world, large areas of warm temperate rainforest and nearly all of Australia’s remaining Antarctic beech cool temperate rainforest.

What to Expect?

Lamington National Park is the starting point for the 54-km (34-mile) Gold Coast Hinterland Great Walk, which descends through dense rainforest, airy eucalyptus woodlands and even grasslands to Springbrook National Park on Queensland’s border with New South Wales. 

Walk through the ancient volcanic landscape of the Tweed Volcano, which is still being eroded by rushing streams and plummeting waterfalls, and through lush rainforest with relics of Gondwana flora and fauna.

What You Should Know?

Allow three days to complete the 54km Gold Coast Hinterland Great Walk. It is recommended that you walk west to east, commencing the walk from Lamington National Park—Green Mountains section (O’Reilly) and ending at The Settlement camping area in Springbrook National Park.

Camping permits are required for camping in Queensland’s National Parks (npsr.qld.gov.au).

Follow along South Australia’s geological backbone to discover Australia’s longest (and arguably most diverse) marked hiking trail.

Distance: 1200 km / 746 miles one-way
Duration: 50-60 days
Difficulty: Difficult
Start: Parachilna Gorge
Finish: Cape Jervis
Best time to visit: May to June offers the best conditions for hikers heading north; August to September is better for walking south

Few hikes capture Australia’s remarkable natural diversity like the Heysen Trail. The arid outback gateway to the north; ancient ranges, fertile countryside and expansive forests through the center; and striking craggy coastline to the south – it’s an Australiana pilgrimage. 

Through 17 towns; 40 free walk-in campsites, shelters and reconditioned huts; 23 national and conservation parks; and the Country of seven Traditional Owners, a Heysen Trail through-hike should not be underestimated. 

The trek tests physical and mental fiber, demanding self-sufficiency, planning, training and unavoidable pain. But those who dare are generously compensated. 

What to Expect?

Named after Sir Hans Heysen (1877-1968), a renowned painter of the Flinders Ranges and Mt Lofty areas, the Heysen Trail stretches for 1200 km from Cape Jervis on the Fleurieu Peninsula to Parachilna Gorge in the Northern Flinders Ranges. It is one of the most daunting long-distance walks in the country. Even if you are able to walk 30km per day, you will be on the trail for 40 days, much of the time through semi-arid country. Most people take around 60 days to walk the trail. 

What You Should Know?

Sections of the trail that run through private property are closed from about November through to March, while trails through national and other parks close on days of Total Fire Ban. This is not a walk you want to tackle in summer anyhow – average January maximums in Hawker are around 34C. 

The Friends of the Heysen Trail should be your first stop if considering a walk along the Heysen Trail – its website has some excellent planning material. Pick up also the two dedicated guidebooks to the trail, Heysen Trail – Norther Guide and Heysen Trail – Southern Guide. They feature brief descriptions of each section, have excellent maps and are ring-bound for ease of use on the trail.  

Embark on this 160km (99-mile) expedition through the heart of the Grampians as you journey across their entire length to scale spectacular peaks, ancient bushscape and extraordinary views.

Distance: 160 km / 157 miles one-way
Duration: 13 days/12 nights
Difficulty: Moderate
Start: Mt Zero
Finish: Dunkeld
Best time to visit: September to November for wildflowers

Some 20 years in the making – and with many unforeseen setbacks along the way – finally Victoria’s most highly anticipated overland walk, the Grampians Peak Trail (GPT), is officially open for business. 

What to Expect?

Launched in late 2021, this 160-km (99-mile) trail leads hikers deep into the remote wilderness of the Grampians (Gariwerd) National Park. Constructed in consultation with the Djab Wurrung and the Jardwadjali Traditional Owners, this 13-day/12-night adventure starts from Mt Zero in the north, and traverses the park’s majestic plateaus and mountain summits before finishing up in Dunkeld in the southern Grampians. 

What You Should Know?

Though it’s more suitable for the fit and seasoned, self-sufficient walkers, there are alternatives for everyday walkers. And that’s where Grampians Peaks Walking Company steps in to make the walk accessible for all by offering guides, gear hire and hiker support – from transfers to food/water drops. 

If the prospect of 13 days sounds a little daunting, the trail’s designed to be broken into individual sections – from overnight walks to multi-day hikes. 

Book campsites ahead at parks.vic.gov.au

Incredible scenery, terrible weather and huge exposure will challenge even the most experienced on this epic wilderness trek to South West Tasmania’s Holy Grail.

Distance: 61 km / 38 miles one-way
Duration: 7-9 days (weather depending)
Difficulty: Moderate
Start: Scotts Peak Dam
Finish: Farmhouse Creek
Best time to visit: February to April

Federation Peak’s (1224 m/4016 ft) remoteness and difficulty has long been a beacon for hardcore bushwalkers. Several access routes exist though the most satisfying is the full Eastern Arthurs traverse, and despite track upgrades it still requires many grueling days and a dollop of luck to reach the peak. 

Check with Parks Tasmania for track updates. A Parks Pass is mandatory. Check the long range weather forecast.

Explore an island jewel over four fabulous days, hiking from broad white-sand beach to hilltop vantage point, paperbark swamp to rainforest, and crocodile hangout to pristine waterfall.

Distance: 32 km / 20 miles one-way
Duration: 3-5 days
Difficulty: Moderate to Hard
Start: Ramsay Bay
Finish: George Point
Best time to visit: May to September

Thorsborne Trail on Hinchinbrook Island is one of Australia’s great multi-day walks, providing walkers with a real wilderness experience. Curved sandy bays, cool tropical rainforests, idyllic rock pools, cascading waterfalls and stunning vistas conspire to create an unforgettable island experience. It’s no wonder this trail is included in most short lists of the world’s ‘best treks’. 

What to Expect?

The Thorsborne stretches 32 km along the eastern coast of the island, from Ramsay Bay in the north to George Point on the south-eastern tip, and can be walked in either direction. The trail passes through incredibly diverse landscapes, traversing mangrove swamps, sweeping beaches and rocky headlands on the Coral Sea, heath-covered mountains, melaleuca and palm wetlands, eucalypt and casuarina woodlands, and lush, tropical rainforests. 

What You Should Know?

Only 40 people are permitted on the track at a time so you can enjoy the solitude of a relatively untouched landscape. There are few traces of human interference here. Apart from track markers, fixed to trees at eye height in the scrubland and rainforest sections, there is very little signage. 

Most people walk the trail from north to south (orange arrows), but you can walk it in reverse (yellow arrows). Side trails are marked with blue arrows. Walking north to south allows a side trip to Nina Peak for spectacular views on Day 1, while you’re still fresh, and finishes with an easy walk along the beach on Day 4. Add a swim in plunge pools at Zoe and Mulligan Falls on Days 2 and 3 and you have a recipe for a memorable walk. 

Although daily distances are short, it’s a challenging walk thanks to the humidity, the need to camp and be entirely self-sufficient, tidal creek crossings and the danger of saltwater crocodiles and marine stingers. Nevertheless, the island’s wild and pristine beauty is hard to resist and you’ll soon see why people come from all over the world to walk the Thorsborne Trail.

Camping permits must be obtained from QPWS. Plan well ahead as this is a popular walk.

In Conclusion

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These ten hikes are just some of the best hikes in Australia. There are so many more wonderful and amazing hikes ranging from day walks to multi-day hikes throughout the country. 

Which is your favourite hike in Australia? Is there a hike that’s not on this list that you think should be in the list of best hikes in Australia? 

As always, I love to hear from my readers so please leave your comments below.