Longest Trail in India: Top Hiking Routes and Trekking Destinations

When you think of the longest trail in India, a continuous, marked footpath stretching across diverse landscapes, often used for multi-day treks. Also known as India's longest hiking route, it’s not just about distance—it’s about endurance, scenery, and the raw beauty of crossing entire regions on foot. The most recognized contender is the Trans-Himalayan Trek, a network of ancient trade and pilgrimage paths that stretch from Ladakh to Arunachal Pradesh, covering over 1,800 kilometers. This isn’t one single marked path like the Appalachian Trail, but a connected web of routes used by locals, pilgrims, and adventurers for centuries. You’ll walk past monasteries perched on cliffs, through valleys where yaks graze, and across high-altitude passes where the air is thin and the silence is deafening.

What makes these trails special isn’t just their length—it’s what they connect. The K2 Base Camp trek, one of Asia’s toughest high-altitude routes, pulls you into the Karakoram Range, where the terrain is brutal and the rewards are unmatched. Meanwhile, the Hemkund Sahib to Valley of Flowers trail, a sacred and scenic route in Uttarakhand, blends spirituality with wildflowers, glacial streams, and snow-capped peaks. These aren’t just walks—they’re journeys through culture, climate, and history. You’ll find that many of India’s most famous treks, like those in the Western Ghats or the Nilgiris, are shorter but no less intense. But if you’re chasing distance, the Himalayan corridor is where the real challenge begins.

India’s trail system doesn’t stop at mountains. In the south, the Kudremukh to Agumbe trail, a lush, mist-covered path through rainforests and waterfalls, offers a completely different kind of endurance test—humid, muddy, and packed with biodiversity. And in the east, the Dzukou Valley to Jakhama trail, in Nagaland, winds through tribal villages and blooming meadows, connecting cultures as much as landscapes. These trails are rarely paved, rarely marked, and rarely crowded. That’s part of the appeal. You won’t find ticket booths or souvenir stalls. Just you, your boots, and the land.

Planning a trek on India’s longest trail means more than picking a route. You need to understand permits, seasons, altitude sickness, and local customs. Some paths require special clearances from forest departments. Others pass through restricted border zones. And while you might see Instagram posts of people hiking in flip-flops, the reality is that gear matters—especially when you’re crossing passes above 5,000 meters. The good news? You don’t need to be an elite athlete. You just need to be prepared. Many of the posts below break down exactly how to tackle these routes, from what to pack to which months to avoid monsoons or snow.

What you’ll find here isn’t just a list of trails. It’s a collection of real stories, practical tips, and hard-won advice from people who’ve walked these paths. Whether you’re dreaming of the Himalayas or curious about hidden trails in the Western Ghats, the posts below will help you choose your next step—literally.