Hiking has never been more popular. Participation in the wholesome pastime has nearly doubled in the last decade – in 2024, hiking was declared the most popular outdoor activity in the US, with more than 63 million Americans putting their boots on and hitting the trails.
But with popularity comes a problem: a large part of the appeal of hiking is getting away from everyone and everything else. It becomes increasingly difficult to find peace and quiet when the trail is full of other people trying to do exactly the same thing.
So for this list, we’re looking further afield to the best luxury hiking trips where that sense of escape is still intact. That might mean a hotel with acres of private trails to explore and access to little-known routes, or properties that come with the handy use of a helicopter, that can transport walkers to completely untouched terrain.
Related article: Step by Step on the Camino de Santiago
The best luxury hiking trips around the world
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South Island, New Zealand
“New Zealand is a hiking mecca,” says travel writer and avid adventurer Jen Murphy. The two-island country is covered in impressive walking trails – safe, well-maintained, and suitable for all fitness levels – ranging from the Great Walks, 11 multi-day hiking trails, to short walks and day hikes.
For South Island hiking, Murphy says you can’t beat a stay at Minaret Station – what she calls “the ultimate South Island base.” Perfectly remote, the hotel can only be reached by helicopter, and is flanked by two large rivers, Mount Aspiring National Park, and the country’s fourth largest lake.
The property specializes in heli-hiking, providing hikers exclusive access to terrain where no one has stepped before. Take the helicopter north towards Aoraki Mount Cook, New Zealand’s tallest peak, or land amongst the crevasses of the Tasman Glacier and explore the glacier’s seracs, icefalls, and blue caves with an expert guide.
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Colorado, USA
There’s little debate that the hiking in Colorado is some of the best in the US. The state is home to alpine lakes, wildflower meadows, and, crucially, some truly majestic mountain ranges, all of which you can explore via 39,000 miles of trails.
Hotels statewide take advantage of this epic landscape, but none quite as much as Trinchera Reserve & Lodge, in southern Colorado, which describes itself as a ‘high alpine safari,’ where each day’s personalized itinerary is guided by the landscape, season, weather, and your appetite for adventure.
Spanning 172,000 acres in Colorado’s Sangre de Cristo Mountains, it is one of the largest private conservation landscapes in the US – “it feels like your own private park, with endless trails,” says Murphy – encompassing a scale found only in the country’s national parks. “You can hike to remote huts to overnight, and the property has access to 3 of Colorado's legendary 14ers, which means you can reach the summit without battling any crowds,“ says Murphy.
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Utah, USA
The state of Utah is home to some of America’s most spectacular and adventurous trails. It’s an easy landscape to love, spanning red-rock mesas, mighty rivers, vertiginous ridges, and tracks leading into skinny slot canyons. And to explore the amazing landscapes of the American Southwest, the ultimate luxury stay is, of course, Amangiri.
The design-forward hotel blends into untouched red-rock country, with grounds extending over 900 private acres, with 12 miles of trails directly on property. The location also serves as a gateway to some of the region’s most iconic landscapes, including Buckskin Gulch, Vermilion Cliffs, The Wave, Bryce Canyon, and the Grand Canyon, and the hiking program ranges from two-hour walks to full-day expeditions, each tailored to different ability levels.
Decidedly remote, the hotel offers welcome seclusion from the outside world, with only 34 suites. For the top stay, and a touch more privacy, book the Amangiri Suite to enjoy post-hike respite on a spacious private sundeck, with a lap pool and fire pit.
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Patagonia, Chile
Patagonia is a hiker's dream, home to some of the world’s most famous treks and National Parks, and a seemingly endless number of hikes. Though it is stunningly beautiful, it is also extremely popular with visitors worldwide, so it is worth checking in somewhere that takes you off the beaten track.
Eleven Rio Palena Lodge does just that. Set in a remote Andean valley in Northern Chilean Patagonia, the hotel has just seven guest rooms. Guests have access to rivers, waterfalls, and old-growth forest hikes from trails that leave right from the lodge’s front doors, and every traveler is served by a hands-on team committed to Eleven Experience’s brand mission to create ‘best-day-ever’ memories through personalized adventure activities.
The hotel has its own helicopter, too, which takes guests to heli-accessible glaciers, remote lakes, and wild rivers. Upon return, rest sore legs and retreat to the hotel’s wood-fired hot tubs and sauna that overlook the river.
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Dolomites, Italy
The Dolomites are a mountainous region that straddles three regions of northeastern Italy and is designated a UNESCO World Heritage site for its exceptional natural beauty. Famed for snow-capped jagged mountains in the winter and bright spring wildflower fields, keen adventurers can navigate the region’s azure lakes and quaint Alpine towns on foot.
Couple this with some excellent fine dining (there are 14 Michelin-starred restaurants in the Dolomites) and local delicacies, and there’s a lot to love. “The fang-like peaks of the Italian Dolomites offer it all: nature, culture, cuisine, and history,” says Murphy. “As you hike village to village, you experience different foods, traditions, and even dialects.” And for accommodation? “Skip the rustic refugios and let Dolomite Mountains coordinate a trip that connects the area's top hotels,” she says.
Hiker favorites include Como Alpina Dolomites, which sits at the highest Alpine plateau in Europe, with direct access to the South Tyrol’s network of hiking trails, or Lefay Resort & Spa, which offers guided hikes through Val di Genova, via dense woodland, waterfalls, and glacial canyons (keen outdoorsy types can even stop mid-hike for a cold water swim).
