7 Under the Radar Hikes and Treks
August 03, 2026Forget the well-trodden trails everyone else has already ticked off. Here are seven you probably won’t have heard of that don’t come with packed paths, summit selfies or other tourist trappings – just pristine, wild landscapes without another hiker in sight.
Take Tajikistan’s Wakhan Valley: ancient fortresses, hot springs, Zoroastrian shrines cut into cliff faces. Or Uganda’s Rwenzori range: five of Africa’s ten highest peaks, still overlooked in Kilimanjaro’s shadow. Or the incredible Transcaucasian Trail: 3,000km of ambition, built one volunteer-cut section at a time.
Some will take you a month. Others are a short detour off a longer route. All are a good way to escape the hordes; perfect for hikers who’d rather earn the view than queue for it.
1. Pamir Mountains, Tajikistan
Welcome to the world’s second most mountainous country [the small but mighty Bhutan takes top spot, in case you’re wondering]. Landlocked in the heart of central Asia, it’s home to three peaks over 7,000m. You’ll also find warm hospitality in remote villages, Silk Road routes, and a true sense of wilderness. If it’s vast open spaces you’re after – this is for you.
Walk through the remote Wakhan Valley and you’ll come across an ancient fortress, hot springs and a sprinkling of spirituality from Zoroastrian shrines embedded into the cliffs. Head to Murghab in the eastern Pamirs for otherworldly lunar-like landscapes, grazing yaks, high mountain passes, salt lakes and nomadic yurt camps.
Jizeu Valley is another gem for trekking and hiking. Easily accessible from a nearby main road, you’ll soon feel like you’ve stepped into another world. A world of pristine lakes, verdant vegetation and no lung-busting higher altitudes. Set aside two days to complete the 15km return trail, and stay in one of the stone homesteads in between for an authentic taste of Tajik life. Just don’t expect any phone signal.
2. Transcaucasian Trail, Armenia/Georgia/Azerbaijan
This epic trek has been in development since 2015, with 1,895km of trail now carved out by volunteers through the Greater and Lesser Caucasus Mountains. When complete, two connecting trails will weave their way for 3,000km through forests, canyons, mountains and rivers, with wild nature in abundance across seven distinct ecosystems.
Written guides, interactive maps and downloadable GPS data give the independent hiker everything they need to explore – whether they have a day or a month. You can thru-hike Armenia across 816km, or make your way across Georgia or Azerbaijan on paths that take only a handful of days to complete.
Highlights include the Upper Svaneti route in Georgia, Dilijan National Park in Armenia, and the Guba and Sheki trails of Azerbaijan. If you have plenty of time to spare, go for it!
3. Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park, Tasmania, Australia
The wildness of Tasmania is hard to beat for outdoor adventures, and so often overlooked by the 300,000+ folk who backpack around Australia every year. For mountain-lovers, a visit to the rugged peaks of this national park is a must, where seven of the island’s ten highest summits are to be found beside Australia’s deepest lake.
It’s an alpine landscape where you can wander alongside wombats, through primeval-feeling forest, and take in awe-inspiring views from the top of Cradle Mountain – well worth a scramble over giant boulders to the top. There’s a wealth of hikes and treks to choose from, including the multi-day Overland Track.
This is a six-day adventure covering around 65km through genuine wilderness, starting at Cradle Mountain. From here you’ll head south through highland terrain reminiscent of northwest Scotland, taking in ancient forests encrusted with mosses, low moorland, dazzling glacial lakes, eucalyptus woodland and mountain plateau. If the weather’s good, tackle Tassie’s highest peak, Mount Ossa at 1,617 metres, before returning to the finish line on the shores of Lake St Clair.
4. The Jordan Trail, Jordan
This historic trail follows routes taken by ancient Nabatean spice traders and uncovers a place of great mystique and beauty. While the full 650km trail won’t be completed by many, it offers up plenty of smaller-scale treks where you can still immerse yourself in the fascinating culture of the Kingdom of Jordan. Just avoid the scorching summer, and go spring or autumn to cover the most ground.
The trail is divided into eight stages of between 60 and 113km, which are then sub-divided into hikes/treks of 4 to 6 days. Beginning in Um Qais – the most fertile and northerly part of the country – you’ll wind through canyons and hills steeped in rich history. Ancient olive trees adorn the grassy valleys, while majestic oaks are to be found in the higher elevations. Look out for caves, mysterious monastic ruins, and the medieval mountaintop site of Ajloun Castle.
If you make it to the midway point, you leave Al-Karak and descend into valley villages with origins stretching back to the medieval period, when crusaders roamed these lands. You’ll encounter fertile orchards, Bedouin camps and atmospheric ruins along the way. The last stage heads south from Wadi Rum to the Red Sea, traversing sandstone mountains, dramatic cliffs and ancient shepherd paths that cut through granite and basalt, before the turquoise waters of the Red Sea come into view.
5. Nakahechi Route and Coastal Trail, Kumano Kodo, Japan
Set aside five days to immerse yourself in the Nakahechi route of the Kumano Kodo, a 70km pilgrim trail that forms one of six interconnecting treks that document over 1,200 years of Shinto and Buddhist history. The paths wind their way across the mountainous Kii Peninsula in southern Honshu, passing stunning pagodas, traditional farmhouses, lush mist-covered cedar and cypress forests and precipitous waterfalls.
Technically, it’s not a difficult hike, but there is a lot of up and down involved. If you’re reasonably fit, you’ll be fine. Take it slow and soak up the captivating culture and natural surroundings, making time to stop at the shrines and tea houses as you go. Accommodation comes in the form of isolated guesthouses and ryokans, and you’ll receive a warm welcome wherever you end up.
And if you want to discover a more underexplored – and quieter – section of the path network, set aside at least three days to get a true sense of the Ohechi coastal route. It stretches for over 100km along the peninsula, finishing at Nachi Taisha – one of the three grand shrines. You’ll get a good mix of ocean and forest views and the route overall is less strenuous than the more popular options. If it’s solitude on the trail that you seek, this one really delivers.
6. Arctic Circle Trail, Greenland
If fjords, glaciers, icebergs and midnight sun are your idea of heaven, the sheer scale of Greenland’s natural wonders will serve up a trip of a lifetime. It also has the lowest population density in the world, so it’s the ultimate destination for letting the silence of a mesmerising landscape wash over you. Hiking and trekking in Greenland can be as intense as you want it to be, with countless routes to choose from. Stick to the summer and bring a mosquito net, or take a chance in May or September to avoid the swarms.
The entire island is around the size of Western Europe, which means choosing where to go can be overwhelming, so let’s narrow it down a bit. In the south you’ll find a great network of trails linking villages and towns to the territory’s Viking past, with ruins of churches and farms dotted around between green hillsides. From there the land gets far more rugged, with steep, rocky climbs through bog at times. There are subtle markers, but they’re few and far between, so make sure you’ve done your navigational homework before setting off.
If you fancy a whole week off-grid working your way along a really well-marked path, consider the Arctic Circle Trail. It stretches from the edge of the ice sheet to the west coast, taking in one hundred lakes. It is wilderness in the truest sense of the word, and a place where you can really connect with nature while camping under awesome night skies devoid of light pollution. There are huts along the way, typically accommodating 4-6 folk. The entire 160km route takes 8-10 days to complete, beginning and ending at sea level with moderate climbing involved.
7. Rwenzori Mountains, Uganda
You would be forgiven for not having Uganda in your mind when it comes to epic hikes and treks, but this range is home to five of Africa’s ten highest mountains. The ‘Mountains of the Moon’ as they’re commonly known still reside in the touristic shadow of Kilimanjaro and Mount Kenya, and are all the better for it.
If you don’t have weeks to take it all in, opt for the Central Circuit, which gives you a rich cross-section of the area and access to the big summits. Allow seven days and make use of the huts. This looping route is known for its diversity of habitats, with each day bringing something new. You begin in riverside farmland before entering moist-laden tropical rainforest. By day three that has transitioned into heather moor. And by the time you reach the Elena Hut zone above 4,500m, you’re in a glacier-carved Afro-alpine environment.
This blend of ecosystems gives rise to tremendous biodiversity, including animals endemic to these mountains, such as the Rwenzori duiker – a small, elusive antelope. You’ll also brush past an astonishing array of plant life too, with almost 1,100 species recorded by science. Remoteness, fascinating ecology and majestic mountainscapes combine here to create an unforgettable adventure.