Trip Planning for 2020? Get Inspired With These 20 Epic Hiking Adventures.

The end of 2019 is fast approaching, and that can only mean one thing: it's time to start trip planning for 2020! 

Maybe you have the time and resources for something big this year...really big. To help fuel your inspiration bank, I asked the team at MT Sobek to share the best hikes to do in 2020. With 50 years of leading adventure travel under their belts, they know a thing or two about putting together the trek of a lifetime.

Here's what they said.

Tour du Mont Blanc

MT Sobek has been leading trips in the Alps for over four decades, and the Tour du Mont Blanc is one of their favorite itineraries. This 12-day trip includes two nights in Chamonix and a classic 10-day trek of the Mont Blanc massif.

K2 Base Camp Trek with Sergio Fitch Watkins

Trek to K2's Advance Base Camp (ABC) with pro mountain guide Sergio Fitch Watkins on this 21-day adventure trek. The journey begins in Kashgar and follows the Silk Road before ascending to the 16,929-foot Advance Base Camp. This is a real bucket list journey and space is very limited.

Everest Base Camp Trek

Set foot on the most magnificent mountain in the Himalayas with this 19-day trekking adventure to the Everest Base Camp. MT Sobek has been leading this expedition since their founding 50 years ago, so you know you're in good hands with their experienced guides at the helm.

Hiker's Patagonia

Want to hike by day, but relax in comfort by night? Check out the Hiker's Patagonia trek, which includes some of the most incredible day hikes in Patagonia. Walk below the famous Torres del Paine, hike the cirque of the French Valley, and travel the famous "W" route on this 14-day trip through Argentina and Chile.

Summit Kilimanjaro

Start your journey in the rainforest at 6,400 feet, and climb through alpine scenery to the top of Kilimanjaro, the "roof of Africa." This 10-day trek combines smart scheduling with spectacular beauty, and you'll need to draw on your strength to meet the challenge of summiting the 19,340-foot peak.

El Camino de Santiago

Journey across northern Spain to the shrine of St. James the Great in Santiago de Compostela. This pilgrimage, which has been trodden for over a thousand years, is one of MT Sobek's most popular trips and an unforgettable adventure.

The Simien Mountains of Ethiopia

Simien Mountain National Park is a UNESCO-listed region with an unforgettable lodge-to-lodge hike through rugged escarpments and deep valleys. Try to catch a glimpse of the Gelada baboon, Simien fox, Walia ibex, and other rare wildlife on this 10-day journey.

England Coast to Coast

Traverse England on this classic 192-mile trek from the Irish Sea to the North Sea. Spend 16 days hiking through the dramatic landscapes of the Lake District, Yorkshire Dales, and North Northshire Moors.

The John Muir Trail

Set aside 13 (northbound) or 17 (southbound) days to trace the spine of the Sierra Nevada along the John Muir Trail in California.

Machu Picchu Inn-to-Inn Trek

MT Sobek's most popular inn-to-inn trek, this route along the Salkantay lets you experience some of Peru's most famous sites. Trek during the day, and stay in well-appointed lodges at night!

Chamolhari Trek in Bhutan

Visit the famous dzongs (citadels) of Bhutan on this 14-day journey along the Chomolhari Trek. Make this journey, and you'll never look at the world the same way again.

Across the Pyrenees

Travel from Bilbao to Barcelona, through Aragon and Catalonia, on a 9-day journey with expert MT Sobek guide Erik Perez. Hiking through the dramatic landscape of the Pyrenees, you'll have the chance to explore Ordesa National Park, which is known as the "Spanish Grand Canyon."

High Atlas Mountains of Morocco

Climb the imposing Mount M'goun, Morocco's second-highest peak, on a 9-day trek through the High Atlas mountains. Camp each night in comfortable mobile camps, and discover lush oases, age-old kasbahs, and traditional Berber villages.

Walking Japan

On the age-old Nakasendo trail, you'll walk on undulating forested paths through the misty landscapes of the Kiso Valley. Enjoy the serenity of the route as it weaves its way beside rice fields and through picturesque villages.

Wild Scotland

Explore the raw wildness of the Outer Hebrides on the windswept terrain of Cairngorms National Park. This trip is full of heart-pumping hikes in Scotland's wildest, most beautiful, and most far-flung corners. 

Chile's Lake District

The La Araucania region of Chile is a stunning yet off-the-radar wilderness area. Discover this adventure playground, full of freshwater lakes, temperate rainforests, active volcanoes, and ancient forests of 'monkey puzzle' conifers on a 9-day trek.

New Zealand's South Island

New Zealand's rugged South Island is a trekker's dream. This 13-day journey includes fjords, glaciers, mountains, lakes, rivers, and tracks that crisscross it all. Explore on foot, by helicopter, and by jetboat. You won't soon forget it.

Pamir Mountains of China

Travel to China's remote western corner for a 13-day trek through the Pamir Mountains in Xinjiang. You'll enjoy challenging high-altitude hikes and wilderness camping supported by a team of guides and camel drivers.

The Heart of Colombia

Get far off the beaten path with a 12-day journey from Bogota to the towering mountain peaks of Los Nevados National Park. The park is 37,000 square miles of alpine and tropical scenery and is also home to mountain tapirs, spectacled bears, and exotic birdlife.

Kakadu National Park in Australia

This journey is new to MT Sobek's lineup but is poised to be a stunner. Experience the magic of UNESCO-listed Kakadu National Park with sunset cruises along croc-filled billabongs, explorations of Aboriginal rock art, a meal with an Aboriginal elder, cooling off in natural swimming holes, and a two-day wilderness hike.

All photos courtesy of MT Sobek