Back to grid

Best hiking destinations in Africa

Back to grid
Réunion
An Island of Adventure and Beauty
8.3
Reunion's volcanic terrain includes Piton de la Fournaise, one of the world's most active volcanoes. Hikers cross three natural amphitheatres carved into the island's extinct volcanic massif. A network of marked trails connects remote mountain villages accessible only on foot. Piton des Neiges, the island's highest peak, offers a popular overnight summit trek.
Highlights:
  • 🚁 Explore the Cirque de Mafate by air or on foot
  • 🏖️ Swim in turquoise waters at L’Ermitage Beach lagoon
  • 🌋 Hike the active Piton de la Fournaise volcano crater
Ukhahlamba Drakensberg Park
Barrier of spears touching sky
7.7
The Drakensberg range forms a rugged basalt escarpment stretching along South Africa's border with Lesotho. Multi-day hikes here cross high passes, waterfalls and ancient San rock art sites. The Amphitheatre, a towering rock wall, draws hikers on a popular chain-ladder route. San hunter-gatherers left thousands of rock paintings throughout the range's caves and shelters.
Highlights:
  • 🦅 Spot eland and bearded vultures soaring above valleys
  • 🖼️ Explore ancient San rock art at Giants Castle Reserve
  • 🥾 Hike the Giants Cup Trail through breathtaking mountain scenery
Simien National Park
Jagged peaks of ancient wilderness
7.4
Simien Mountains National Park protects a dramatic escarpment carved by erosion over millions of years. Multi-day treks cross rugged peaks, deep valleys and cliffs dropping over 1,000 metres. Gelada baboons, found only in Ethiopia's highlands, graze in large troops along the trails. Ras Dashen, Ethiopia's highest peak, draws trekkers attempting its multi-day summit route.
Highlights:
  • 🌄 Witness breathtaking sunrise views over the escarpments
  • 🐒 Spot Gelada monkeys grazing on the mountain plateaus
  • 🥾 Hike to the dramatic cliffs and peaks of Ras Dashen
Sossusvlei
Towering red dunes meet white clay
7.5
Towering red dunes surround Sossusvlei, some rising more than 300 metres above the desert floor. Hikers climb Dune 45 and Big Daddy for sunrise views over the clay pans. Deadvlei's blackened camel thorn trees stand within a stark white salt pan nearby. Wind and time have shaped these dunes over hundreds of thousands of years.
Highlights:
  • 🏜️ Marvel at the red dunes contrasting the deep blue sky
  • 📸 Visit Deadvlei and photograph the ancient camelthorn trees
  • 🌅 Climb Dune 45 at sunrise for breathtaking desert views
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Gorilla Encounters in Ancient Forest
8.3
Bwindi's dense forest shelters roughly half of the world's remaining mountain gorillas. Steep, muddy trails wind through tangled vegetation that gave the park its name. Trackers lead small hiking groups on guided treks to reach habituated gorilla families. Uganda established the park's gorilla trekking permit system in the early 1990s.
Highlights:
  • 🐦 Birdwatch over 350 species including rare Albertine endemics
  • 🥾 Join guided nature walks on scenic forest hiking trails
  • 🦍 Trek with endangered mountain gorillas in their habitat
Table Mountain National Park
Epic views and wild landscapes
7.7
Table Mountain National Park stretches along the Cape Peninsula from the city bowl to Cape Point. Hikers can walk the length of the peninsula across linked trail sections. Fynbos vegetation throughout the park includes thousands of plant species unique to the region. Baboon troops and small antelope are commonly seen along the park's coastal paths.
Highlights:
  • 🌊 Visit the Cape of Good Hope for rugged scenery
  • 🥾 Hike Lion’s Head for breathtaking city views
  • 🚠 Take the cable car to Table Mountain’s summit
Namib-Naukluft National Park
Endless Dunes and Desert Drama
8.2
Namib-Naukluft protects part of the Namib, among the oldest deserts on Earth. Hikers trek through towering red dunes and the stark white pans of Deadvlei. The Naukluft Mountains section offers multi-day trails through rugged canyons and natural springs. Petrified camel thorn trees still stand within the dry clay pan after centuries.
Highlights:
  • 🧗 Hike Sesriem Canyon’s narrow rock walls and riverbed
  • 🌵 Explore the eerie Dead Vlei clay pan and ancient trees
  • 🌅 Climb Big Daddy dune for sunrise and desert views
Madagascar
Unique biodiversity meets diverse landscapes
6.5
Madagascar's isolation for millions of years produced plants and animals found nowhere else on Earth. Andringitra National Park offers multi-day treks through granite peaks and forested valleys. Trails here pass through habitats ranging from rainforest to high-altitude grassland. Ring-tailed lemurs and other endemic species are frequently spotted along hiking routes.
Highlights:
  • 🤿 Dive the coral reefs of Nosy Be Island
  • 🦎 Spot lemurs and chameleons in Andasibe-Mantadia National Park
  • 🌳 Walk the Avenue of the Baobabs at sunset
Cape Town
Mountains, Beaches and a Vibrant Culture
7.6
Cape Town sits framed by Table Mountain, Lion's Head and Signal Hill, all laced with hiking trails. Lion's Head offers a sunrise and sunset route with chain-assisted sections near the summit. The Twelve Apostles range extends south along the Atlantic coastline from the city. Trail networks throughout the city connect directly from several urban neighbourhoods.
Highlights:
  • 🍽️ Explore the V&A Waterfront and dine by the sea
  • 🚡 Ride the cable car for breathtaking city views
  • 🥾 Hike to the top of Table Mountain
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Wild heart of Central Africa
5.9
Trekkers hike to the rim of Nyiragongo, an active volcano holding one of the world's largest lava lakes. The overnight climb passes through changing vegetation zones before reaching the crater's edge. Virunga National Park, home to the volcano, also shelters mountain gorillas nearby. Guided summit treks resumed after periods of closure tied to regional instability.
Highlights:
  • 🐒 Visit the Lola ya Bonobo Sanctuary near Kinshasa
  • 🦍 Go gorilla trekking in Virunga National Park
  • 🌋 Trek the active lava lake at Mount Nyiragongo
Lesotho
Mountain kingdom in the sky
6.1
Lesotho's mountainous terrain sits entirely above 1,000 metres, earning it a nickname as the Kingdom in the Sky. The Maloti Mountains offer multi-day treks between traditional Basotho villages. Sani Pass, a rugged mountain route, connects Lesotho to South Africa's Drakensberg range. Ponies remain a common way to reach remote trekking routes across the highlands.
Highlights:
  • 🏞️ Discover Thaba Bosiu, the birthplace of the Basotho nation
  • 🐎 Ride a Basotho pony through mountain villages and valleys
  • 💦 Visit the majestic Maletsunyane Falls in Semonkong
Uganda
Pearl of Africa's diverse landscapes
7.1
Uganda's Rwenzori Mountains rise into glaciated peaks despite sitting almost directly on the equator. Multi-day treks climb through swamp, bamboo forest and alpine zones before reaching high camps. Bwindi and Mgahinga forests elsewhere in the country offer separate gorilla trekking routes. Explorers once called the Rwenzoris the 'Mountains of the Moon' for their misty peaks.
Highlights:
  • 🦓 Take a safari across the vast savannas of Queen Elizabeth National Park
  • 🐘 Watch hippos and elephants along the Kazinga Channel
  • 🦍 Trek through Bwindi Impenetrable Forest to meet mountain gorillas
Kilimanjaro National Park
Africa's Rooftop Adventure
7.4
Tanzania established Kilimanjaro National Park in 1973 to protect the mountain's slopes above the tree line. The park's boundaries encompass rainforest, moorland, alpine desert and glaciated summit zones. Registered guides and porters accompany all trekking groups attempting the mountain's various routes. UNESCO recognised the park as a World Heritage site in 1987.
Highlights:
  • 🌅 Watch the sunrise above the clouds from Stella Point
  • 🌿 Hike through rainforest trails filled with colobus monkeys
  • 🏔️ Climb to Uhuru Peak, the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro
Chad
Land of diverse climate zones
4.9
Chad's Ennedi Plateau holds sandstone arches and canyons carved by wind and water over millennia. Trekkers hike among rock formations that also shelter ancient rock art sites. The Tibesti Mountains in the north include Emi Koussi, a dormant volcano and the country's highest peak. Nomadic Tubu communities still cross these same highlands with camel caravans.
Highlights:
  • 🎨 Explore the ancient rock art of Ennedi Plateau
  • 🚤 Take a boat trip along the Chari River in Douguia
  • 🌊 Visit the Lakes of Ounianga, Sahara’s UNESCO site
Mauritania
Desert landscapes with coastal charm
5.5
Mauritania's Adrar Plateau holds ancient caravan towns built along former trans-Saharan trade routes. Hikers trek among sand dunes, rock formations and palm-filled oases scattered across the desert. Chinguetti, a historic trading town, sits amid some of the routes explored on foot. Guides familiar with the terrain remain essential given the region's remoteness and shifting sands.
Highlights:
  • ⚓ Visit the historic port city of Nouadhibou
  • 🐫 Ride a camel across vast desert dunes near Atar
  • 🏜️ Explore the ancient trading city of Chinguetti in the Sahara
Rwanda
Land of a thousand hills
7.7
Volcanoes National Park protects part of the Virunga range, home to endangered mountain gorillas. Trekkers hike through bamboo forest and volcanic terrain to reach habituated gorilla groups. Dian Fossey conducted her gorilla research within these same mountains starting in the 1960s. A separate trek leads hikers to golden monkeys living at lower forest elevations.
Highlights:
  • 🏖️ Relax on the beaches of scenic Lake Kivu
  • 🌳 Explore Nyungwe Forest and walk the canopy trail
  • 🦍 Trek mountain gorillas in Volcanoes National Park
Mali
Ancient wonders meet natural landscapes
5.1
Dogon Country's sandstone cliffs hold centuries-old villages built directly into the rock face. Hikers trek between cliffside settlements along paths used by Dogon communities for generations. Carved granaries and masks found throughout the region reflect distinct Dogon spiritual traditions. The Bandiagara Escarpment stretches for roughly 150 kilometres, forming the region's dramatic hiking terrain.
Highlights:
  • 📜 Explore Timbuktu’s ancient manuscripts and desert heritage
  • 🚤 Cruise the Niger River past traditional villages and markets
  • 🏯 Marvel at the Great Mosque of Djenné, a mud-brick masterpiece
Niger
Saharan landscapes with ancient cultures
5.1
Niger's Air Mountains rise abruptly from the Sahara, dotted with ancient volcanic peaks. Tuareg guides lead trekkers along routes once used for trans-Saharan camel caravans. Prehistoric rock art found throughout the range depicts animals no longer found in the region. The nearby Tenere desert offers stark, dune-covered terrain for extended desert trekking.
Highlights:
  • ⛰️ Hike through the dramatic landscapes of the Air Mountains
  • 🏜️ Explore the ancient mud-brick city of Agadez
  • 🐪 Ride across the vast dunes of the Sahara Desert
Table Mountain
Cape Town’s Iconic Flat-Topped Wonder
Table Mountain rises over 1,000 metres above Cape Town, capped by a flat sandstone plateau. Platteklip Gorge climbs directly up the mountain's face, following an early ascent route. Fynbos vegetation covers its slopes, home to thousands of plant species found nowhere else. A cableway offers a return option for hikers who prefer walking one direction.
Highlights:
  • 🌿 Explore Table Mountain’s unique flora on free guided walks
  • 🥾 Hike to Maclear's Beacon, the highest point on Table Mountain
  • 🚡 Take the rotating cable car for 360° views of Cape Town
Mount Kilimanjaro
Africa's Roof, World's Highest Freestanding Volcano
Kilimanjaro rises to 5,895 metres at its summit, the tallest peak on the continent. Several established routes, including Machame and Marangu, lead trekkers to the top over multiple days. Climbers pass through five distinct climate zones between the base and its glaciated summit. No technical climbing skill is required, though the altitude challenges many trekkers.
Highlights:
  • 🌅 Watch sunrise over the Serengeti plains from above the clouds
  • 🥾 Hike through rainforest and alpine desert zones on the ascent
  • 🏔️ Climb to Uhuru Peak, the summit of Africa’s highest mountain
Mount Kenya
Majestic peaks echo ancient African horizons
Mount Kenya, an extinct volcano, ranks as Africa's second-highest peak after Kilimanjaro. Several routes, including Sirimon and Chogoria, lead trekkers through forest, moorland and alpine zones. Glacial lakes and sharp rock spires mark the upper reaches near the peak's technical summits. The Kikuyu people traditionally regard the mountain as the home of their god Ngai.
Highlights:
  • 🐪 Explore Maasai villages surrounding Mount Kenya
  • 🌄 Spot wildlife in park during dawn safari
  • 🏔️ Trek Mount Kenya summit via Sirimon trail
Feedback