Whether you’re keen to climb snowy peaks, walk in remote desert landscapes or hike along pristine coastal cliffs, Africa has you sorted! From technical summit treks to coastal hikes, you’re spoilt for choice in this magnificent and diverse continent. Here are our top picks of Africa’s best epic hikes to put on your bucket list.

1. Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania

• Location: Mount Kilimanjaro National Park, northern Tanzania
• Summit: Uhuru Peak (5,895 m / 19,341 ft)
• Duration: 5-9 days

Mount Kilimanjaro is a dormant volcano lying within the Great Rift Valley, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Significantly, it’s Africa’s highest mountain, the world’s tallest free-standing, and also the world’s tallest non-technical mountain. This means you can hike the entire way – no mountaineering experience or equipment is needed!

Excitingly, a Kilimanjaro climb leads you up through a variety of climates and landscapes en route to the top. You start in lush rainforest, then hike through otherworldly moorland often draped in mist, then walk through a cold Afro-alpine desert, and finally enter an arctic region that is home to glaciers and seasonal snow. When you reach Uhuru Peak and gaze out over the plains of Africa, you are in that moment the highest person in all of Africa!

2. Fish River Hiking Trail, Namibia

• Location: |Ai-|Ais-Richtersveld Transfrontier Park, South Africa–Namibia border
• Distance: ~ 86 km (53 miles)
• Duration: 3-6 days

Fish River Canyon is one of the world’s largest canyons, making it a thrilling hiking destination. It’s an exciting wildlife destination. While the landscape is arid and unforgiving, many adapted animals can be found here, including endemic mountain zebras, klipspringers (antelopes that can climb cliff faces), leopards, caracals, bat-eared foxes, and Verreaux’s and African fish eagles, among others.

At the start of the hiker, you descend nearly 500 m (1,500 ft) to the canyon floor. You then spend your days hiking alongside the Fish River, far from human settlements and modern amenities. Each night is spent in a tent somewhere new, with the names of the campsites helping to tell the story of the land: Palm Sulphur Springs, Zebra Pools, Bushy Corner, Bikini Beach and Fool’s Gold. As you can see, it’s the ideal trek for anyone wanting a truly remote wilderness experience.

3. Mount Kenya, Kenya

• Location: Mount Kenya National Park and Reserve, central Kenya
• Summit: Batian Peak (5,199 m / 17,057 ft)
• Duration: 3-6 days

Another Great Rift Valley volcanic peak, Mt Kenya in central Kenya is Africa’s second-tallest peak and a further UNESCO World Heritage Site. This craggy and multi-peak mountain is exceptionally beautiful. It’s also Africa’s tallest technical mountain, making it popular with mountaineers.

Mount Kenya’s lower slopes are covered in rainforest and bamboo, and you can find varied wildlife here, including big game like elephants and buffaloes. For this reason, all hikers must be accompanied by a ranger. Above the rainforest you encounter beautiful moorland, then Afro-alpine desert, and finally barren and icy peaks. If you’re keen to tackle Mt Kenya but don’t want to do any mountaineering, then you can join the many hikers who head to Point Lenana (4,985 m), a trekking peak that also offers incredibly rewarding views.

4. Drakensberg Grand Traverse, South Africa

• Location: uKhahlamba-Drakensberg Park, Lesotho–South Africa border
• Distance: 230-250 km (143–155 miles)
• Duration: 12-14 days

The Drakensberg mountain range is the tallest and biggest in Southern Africa. It’s a truly spectacular escarpment range that bridges the divide between the green foothills of eastern South Africa and the highland plateau of enclaved Lesotho.

One of the most epic and challenging hikes in all Africa is most certainly the Drakensberg Grand Traverse (DGT). The trail starts in the northern Drakensberg and runs south down the length of the range, leading trekkers from South Africa’s Witsiehoek in the foothills up into the highlands of Lesotho, along the escarpment edge, before ending at Bushman’s Nek Border Post.

It’s a truly challenging expedition only for experienced mountain trekkers, as you must carry absolutely everything you need for the two weeks of wild camping, and you need to navigate the way via map and GPS. To be allowed to boast of having completed the DGT, you should pass 12 checkpoints, which include Mafadi Peak (3,446 m / 11306 ft), the highest point in South Africa.

5. Mount Toubkal, Morocco

• Location: Toubkal National Park, Atlas Mountains
• Summit: 4,167 m (13,671 ft)
• Duration: 2-4 days

The highest peak in North Africa is Mount Toubkal (or Jebel Toubkal in Arabic) in the Atlas Mountains. It’s a non-technical climb that can be completed in as little as two days, so it draws trekkers from all over the world. It’s a great mountain climb for newer trekkers as you can see how your body copes at high altitude without pushing it too high. You also don’t need much equipment as you overnight in dormitory-style accommodation.

Anyone tackling Toubkal can look forward to seeing varied landscapes and epic views, but also learning about its rich cultural history. The trek starts in Imlil, a grouping of small, traditional Berber villages in the mountain’s northern foothills. After walking past orchards and olive groves, you ascend into forest, where you find Sidi Chamharouch Shrine, a pre-Islamic shrine purported to have healing powers. Next comes alpine desert, and snow in season. Trekkers who reach the summit are rewarded with two contrasting views: one of the fertile plains to the north and one of the sweep of the Sahara Desert to the south!

6. Simien Mountains, Ethiopia

• Location: Simien Mountains National Park, Ethiopian Highlands
• Highest point: Ras Dejen (4,533 m)
• Duration: Varies

A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Simien Mountains are a beautiful escarpment range consisting of windswept plateaux, deep valleys and gorges, waterfalls, cloud-wrapped hills and sharp pinnacles, some of which soar above 4,000 m (13,000 ft). The endemic and rare wildlife of the Simiens is another huge drawcard. You have the striking gelada baboon, for instance, which has hairless red patches on its chest. There’s also the Ethiopian wolf, the most endangered canid on the planet.

Far, far from the beaten tourist track, the Simien Mountains offer hikers an immersive cultural experience as well as a natural one. Firstly, you should only hike in the company of a local guide to avoid becoming lost, and this is a great chance to learn about the various local languages and cultures. You can also choose, in certain locations, to be hosted by families instead of camping.

7. The Otter Trail, South Africa

• Location: Tsitsikamma National Park, Eastern Cape
• Distance: 42 km (26 miles)
• Duration: 5 days

The Otter Trail is one of South Africa’s most enduringly popular hikes. Hikers usually have to book their place a year in advance, as only 12 hikers are permitted to enter the trail per day. This tight control has helped to maintain the integrity of this exceptionally beautiful coastal ecosystem, as there’s no easy access from anywhere else besides the ocean.

The trail runs parallel to the southern coast in an area where otters can often be seen bobbing in the waters, hence its name. Yet while a coastal hike, don’t let that fool you into thinking it’s easy – quite the opposite! The trail is rarely flat, as it requires rock jumping along beachless shorelines, steep cliff climbs and descents, and river crossings that should be timed for low tide. And all this must be done with a heavy backpack, as all food and cooking equipment must be carried on your backs.

Yet the rewards are endless: dramatic shorelines, clear mountain streams, beautiful forests, fynbos and wildflowers, and the quiet that only comes from being far, far from all other human beings.

8. Naukluft Hiking Trail, Namibia

• Location: Namib-Naukluft National Park, central Namibia
• Distance: 120 km (75 miles)
• Duration: 8 days

The immense Namib-Naukluft National Park conserves a large tract of the Namib Desert, one of the oldest deserts in the world. Much of the park is inaccessible to visitors, but in its eastern section is the Naukluft Hiking Trail, a circular route within the austerely beautiful Naukluft Mountains.

The trail exposes you to varied and rugged scenery that includes steep gorges, high plateaus, dry riverbeds, spring-fed valleys and enchanting quiver tree forests.  There are also waterfalls where you can take a dip to cool down. Be sure to keep your eyes open in case you’re fortunate enough to spot rare Hartmann’s mountain zebras.

Trekkers stay in a mix of campsites and huts. Evenings on the Naukluft Hiking Trail are particularly special, as they’re spent looking upwards since the desert climate and remote location make this one of the best regions in the world for stargazing!

Inspired to go tackle one of these hikes? Browse our budget African overlanding tours to Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa, Namibia and Malawi to start planning your trip.