Tag: Destinations

A full slate of events honors the painter’s life in timing with the 50th anniversary of his death

Everyone wants to go to Venice, and who can blame them? A fairytale lagoon on which 118 islands float – linked by 400 bridges, covered in jaw-dropping palazzos and crammed with earth-shattering art whichever way you turn, this really is a place like no other. It’s also a place where all the stereotypes are true – to an extent. Yes, it’s spectacular – and yes, it’s just like the photos. But thanks to mass tourism, it’s also overcrowded and in precarious health.

Yet that’s not the whole story. Even in the busiest areas, step just one or two blocks away from the fray and you’ll find empty streets and local voices. Spend more time here – five days is a decent starter – and you’ll see that the real beauty of Venice isn’t in its blockbuster sights, like Piazza San Marco or the Rialto Bridge; it’s in the quieter spaces, where life goes on as it has done for centuries. And once you glimpse that life, you’ll want to protect it.

Overtourism is indeed devastating the city, but you don’t have to be part of it. Stay overnight in a hotel or B&B (not vacation rentals, which hollow out housing stock), eat in family-owned restaurants and buy souvenirs from Venice’s artisans who ply centuries-old trades. Then, not only are you helping the city stay alive, but you’re also ensuring a better trip. Because Venice done well is unforgettable – a trip to another world. Here are the 15 Best things to do in the city.

1. See what the fuss is about in Piazza San Marco

For many people, this waterfront square is Venice: the rolling domes of the basilica, the centuries-old cafes beneath the stately porticoes, the vast Campanile (belltower) throwing its shadow around the square, high tide occasionally sloshing around your feet. There’s so much to see around Piazza San Marco (or St Mark’s Square) that you could easily spend a day here.

Start in the Basilica di San Marco, the Byzantine basilica that glitters with golden mosaics inside. Then move on to the Campanile, where elevators whisk you up 98.6m (323ft) for jaw-dropper views of Venice and the lagoon. Spare a few hours for the Museo Correr, at the opposite end of the square from the basilica, which tells the story of the city through its objects. Need a break at any point? Stop for a coffee or a spritz at Quadri, our favorite of the 18^th-century cafes in the square.

Local tip: Keen to understand these icons better? Time for some reading. Family-run Libreria La Toletta in Dorsoduro is Venice’s best bookshop, with literally hundreds of volumes about the city. For kids, try Ponte dei Sogni in Castello, whose beautiful picture books tell the history of the city.

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2. Enter the seat of power at the Palazzo Ducale

If you only visit one museum in Venice, you need to make it this: the vast Palazzo Ducale (Doge’s Palace), the Republic of Venice’s seat of power for around 900 years. With its pink and white façade squaring off against the lagoon, it has everything: mindblowing art and architecture, plus a whole load of atmosphere.

There’s so much to see here – every single room is plastered with works by some of the greatest artists of all time – that you shouldn’t expect to take it all in. But it’s worth saving more time for the rooms and their art, and speeding across the famous Bridge of Sighs and through the grim prisons – although the latter is great for kids.

Planning tip: Queues can get long here so book your ticket in advance.

3. Sail down the Grand Canal

Venice may be a place for wandering, but its palazzos were built to be seen from the water. Take the number 1 Vaporetto (waterbus) which plies the Grand Canal, for one of the world’s greatest public transport routes.

You’ll find beauty every way you turn but heading south don’t miss: the Fondaco dei Turchi (once the headquarters for Arab and Muslim merchants, now the city’s natural history museum); Ca’ d’Oro, with its spectacular carved and marble-clad façade; Ca’ Foscari, the city’s beautiful university; and the bombastic octagonal Salute church, right before the Grand Canal meets the lagoon.

Local tip: Get off at Salute and walk down to Punta della Dogana, for the best lagoon views, and then up along the Zattere waterfront. From here you can pick up a number 2 Vaporetto which takes you to St. Mark’s Square from the other side.

4. Explore Rialto

Everyone who visits Venice wants to see the Rialto Bridge, the flouncy white bridge across the Grand Canal made of gleaming Istrian stone. Yet what the bridge leads to is more interesting. There’s been a market on the western side of the bridge for over 1000 years, and while it’s not the trading hub of centuries past, there’s still a lively fish market and a fruit and veg area too.

If you’re looking at the stalls, remember to buy something, and don’t get in the way of other shoppers – this is still a real market, even if many tourists treat it as an Instagram backdrop. Stop for a drink beside the Grand Canal on Campo Erbaria – Bancogiro is always a good bet for cicchetti (a small snack) – then lose yourselves in the surrounding alleyways, still full of food stores.

Planning tip: For a behind-the-scenes look at this most touristy of areas, take a tour with Go Guide, a local group of guides who focus on Rialto.

5. See the city’s best art at the Accademia

In Dorsoduro, sitting quietly at the end of the famous wooden Accademia Bridge, is one of Italy’s finest art museums, the Gallerie dell’Accademia. The meandering itinerary takes you through buildings packed with works that once hung from the city’s church walls, telling the story of Venetian art in the process. It starts with Paolo Veneziano, carries through to Carpaccio, Mantegna and Bellini, and then explodes into the finest works of Tintoretto, Titian and Veronese. If you only have two days in Venice, center your trip around these first five experiences.

Detour: Near the Accademia are two of Venice’s best artisans. At Cornici Trevisanello, the Trevisanello family has been making picture frames for the likes of Picasso for decades; they also make jewel-like smaller frames that make perfect souvenirs. Near Ca’ Foscari is bookbinder Paolo Olbi, who creates beautiful stationery with handprinted Venetian and Byzantine motifs. Further up towards Rialto, in Campiello dei Meloni, is Il Pavone, where Paolo Pelosin makes everything from stationery to earrings with exquisite marbled paper.

6. Eat cicchetti in a bacaro

Three essential words for your Venetian stay: ombra, cicchetti and bacaro. Ombra (shadow) is the local name given to a small glass of wine served in a bacaro – a traditional wine bar or tavern. It may only be a small glass but don’t forget to follow it with cicchetti – finger food-style bar snacks, rather like Spanish tapas. You’ll find bacari all over town – when you spot one that looks good, make sure you stop.

Local tip: These days most cicchetti are slices of baguette bread topped with anything from cheese to fish but don’t miss old-style ones like a hard-boiled egg with anchovies, or sarde in saor – sardines in a sweet-sour marinade with pine nuts and raisins.

7. Live the lagoon on Burano

Most visitors flock to Burano to photograph its gorgeous candy-colored cottages. Fair enough – but to do only that is to miss out on one of the most special places in the lagoon. A fishing community since medieval times, Burano’s relative isolation in the north lagoon – a 45-minute Vaporetto ride (or four-hour paddle) from Venice – has kept its culture intact. Or rather, it did until mass tourism hit.

Today, the Buranelli are assailed by crowds who come, photograph, and hit the boat back to town without spending a cent – but you can help them by practicing more sustainable tourism. Visit the Museo del Merletto which teaches you about the island’s lace-making tradition, and take a tour of the tranquil north lagoon with fisherman Andrea Rossi, who’ll sweep you past mudflats and islands in perfect peace, with birds overhead your only company. It’s definitely one of the top experiences in Venice to change everything you think about the city.

Local tip: Stop for lunch at the family-run Trattoria al Gatto Nero. Try the risotto di gò (goby fish risotto).

8. See the painful history behind the Jewish ghetto

The sinister word ghetto comes from the Venetian geto, or foundry – a clue to the past of this area, which was abandoned and undesirable when the Jewish community was forcibly settled here in 1516. Originally one tiny island, the area was expanded twice by the 17^th century, with residents gated in every night, and living in eight-story ‘skyscrapers’.

Despite the appalling conditions, the Jewish community flourished here, building no fewer than five synagogues that were as lavish as Venice’s churches. Guided tours of the area get you access to some of them, including the atmospheric Scola Levantina, with scarlet-swaddled walls and a dark carved ceiling, redesigned by Venice’s 17^th-century starchitect, Baldassare Longhena.

Planning tip: Note that the Museo Ebraico (Jewish Museum) is closed for renovation until further notice, but tours are ongoing. Book ahead.

9. Visit Venice’s Sistine Chapel

Forget Titian and Tiepolo – for many, Tintoretto is Venice’s greatest artist of all time. This is his finest work – filling two floors of a vast building with his paintings, including the ceiling. Once of Venice’s scuole – lay confraternities that did charity work in the community – the Scuola Grande di San Rocco was entirely decorated by Tintoretto to celebrate the end of the 1576 plague, which wiped out a third of the city.

There are more than 60 paintings of swirling Biblical scenes (Tintoretto revolutionized the depiction of movement and amped up the use of rich color), including on the roof of the main hall. It’s like Venice’s Sistine Chapel.

Planning tip: Many visitors see the Scuola and forget about the church of San Rocco, just outside. Don’t do that – there are yet more Tintorettos inside.

10. See the Grand Canal from Ca’ d’Oro

Nobody loved Venice like Baron Giorgio Franchetti. In 1894, he bought the 15^th-century Ca’ d’Oro, a Gothic palazzo on the Grand Canal so lavish that it was named the “Golden House”. It had fallen into disrepair by the time he bought it and Franchetti dedicated his life to giving the house back its own – rebuilding, repairing, and filling it with sublime art. His ashes are now buried in the courtyard. From December 2022 to 2024, it’s undergoing a major restoration, but the gallery will remain open throughout, with some parts closed, stage by stage. The views of the Grand Canal and Rialto market are spectacular from its balconies.

Planning tip: The best way to arrive at Ca’ d’Oro is by traghetto – a large gondola-style boat that acts as a shuttle across the Grand Canal. The Santa Sofia stop is right by Ca’ d’Oro, and connects with the Rialto market.

11. Get to know glass on Murano

Floating in the lagoon a 10-minute Vaporetto ride north of Cannaregio, elegant Murano is a mini Venice with opulent waterfront palazzos, knockout churches, and even its own Grand Canal. It is best known for its glass blowers, as it has been for centuries. Start at the Museo del Vetro, the island’s glass museum, where you’ll learn that the art of glass-making was perfected in the Middle East, before Venice’s medieval trade links with Syria allowed it to copy and take it to new heights.

A small, easily digestible museum with a jewel-like collection, it’ll give you the background you need to appreciate the often tacky-looking glass ornaments in the shops. Ready to buy? We like Lucevetro, where Cecilia Cenedese designs products and gets island maestri to craft them for her, while Wave Murano Glass offers furnace tours and even lessons.

Detour: You may be here for glass but don’t miss Murano’s churches. The Basilica dei Santi Maria e Donato has a knockout 12^th-century marble mosaic ‘carpet’, while the church of San Pietro Martire has works by Bellini, Tintoretto, and Veronese.

12. Go to church

You know that some of Venice’s best art lies in its churches but in a city that, legend used to say, had a church for every day of the year, how do you know where to start? Buying a Chorus pass is the way forward. Eighteen of Venice’s loveliest churches belong to this group – each is €3 to enter, but a pass for all of them, valid for one year, is just €12.

They’re dotted all around the city, so as you do your obligatory Venice wander, you can pop in for an art fix. They’re all worth seeing but the standouts are Santa Maria dei Miracoli (a marble-clad Renaissance jewel), and San Sebastiano, frescoed and painted almost entirely by Veronese.

Planning tip: Some of the churches have limited opening hours. When you get your pass, ask for the map of the churches – it also lists opening hours.

13. Visit the thoroughly modern Querini Stampalia museum

The Fondazione Querini Stampalia is a fascinating space in a 16^th-century palazzo, combining a museum, gallery, library archive, and a modernist wing and garden designed by Venice’s 20^th-century architect, Carlo Scarpa. The main gallery has works by the likes of Palma il Vecchio, Canaletto and Bellini, whose Presentation at the Temple is one of the city’s finest artworks.

It’s also a brilliant example of a modern museum: the information panels, redone in 2022, contextualize the art and teach you about Venetian life, from the poor conditions for house staff to arranged marriages and the banning of homosexuality.

Detour: In the square outside is the church of Santa Maria Formosa, one of the few true Renaissance buildings in Venice.

14. See Venice’s birthplace on Torcello

This island just across the water from Burano is where Venice began. The first island of the lagoon to be settled, and then a bustling early medieval boomtown, today Torcello is a haunting place of around a dozen inhabitants, and one big draw: the Basilica di Santa Maria Assunta, the vast church which dominated the north lagoon for centuries. Still visible from the airport, its interior sparkles with Byzantine-style mosaics from the 11^th century. It’s pure magic.

Planning tip: Visit Torcello before Burano – if you do it the other way round, you’ll be trying to board a packed Vaporetto back to Venice.

15. Pay your respects to Tintoretto

Peaceful Cannaregio is worth a stroll for its tranquil canals lined with grand palazzos, and for the church of Madonna dell’Orto. This big barn of a place was Tintoretto’s neighborhood church – today he’s buried here, along with his artist children Domenico and Marietta, and its walls are covered with his paintings, as well as works by Titian, Palma il Giovane, and Cima da Conegliano.

Detour: A short walk away is the church of Sant’Alvise, part of the Chorus association, and famous for its spectacular trompe l’oeil ceiling.

Looking to start planning your next adventure? We have a new reason for you to travel to Charleston, South Carolina in 2023. 

Although it’s one of the most charming places in the South – and maybe even in the entire USA – Charleston, South Carolina is also a city with a very complex past. 

The city, filled with gorgeous rainbow-colored row homes and palm-lined cobblestone streets, is a popular escape for anyone who loves blue crabs, horse-and-carriage rides and golden sands. However, for centuries the city’s Gadsden’s Wharf was a significant disembarkation site for enslaved men and women from across the Atlantic. It is said that more than 1000 cargos filled with men and women taken from West Africa were brought to the city’s harbor between 1670 and 1808 – a dark chapter often overlooked in favor of the award-winning restaurants, glossy boutiques and romantic bed-and-breakfasts that set the city apart today.

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Now, after more than 20 years of planning, the city will open the doors to the International African American Museum on that same waterfront land. Originally scheduled to open in January, the opening was delayed due to issues with the building’s temperature controls. A spokesperson for the museum now notes that it will open in late 2023.

When it opens, the 150,000-sq-ft IAAM will, its founders hope, not only bring to life African American history beginning with the journey from West Africa, but also honor the memory of the men and women who lost their lives along the way. The state-of-the-art building will be home to several exhibits, rotating shows as well as permanent displays. The museum’s ground level will feature the African Ancestors Memorial Garden, where visitors can quietly reflect on the powerful exhibitions or take in one of the many live performances on the schedule. There will also be family-friendly educational programs, allowing children to understand the history in a more digestible way.  

The Center for Family History will allow visitors to trace their genealogy with the help of the knowledgeable on-site staff, and through a unique collection of digitized sources and documents. And while there is a focus on genealogical research, this important institution of American history is set to become one that every American should endeavor to visit. This groundbreaking museum aims to help all of us learn, understand and ultimately empathize a bit more with one another.

Where to eat in Charleston

In sticking with the theme of immersing yourself in the area’s Black history, you’ll want to dine at Hannibal’s Kitchen for a helping of Charleston okra soup and red rice – both staple recipes among locals. Red rice typically consists of long-grain white rice cooked with garlic, onions, tomato and bacon – very similar to jollof rice, a staple dish of West Africa.  

Another local staple is the Charleston Chewie, a tasty dessert made with brown sugar that’s similar to a blondie but with a unique spin. You can pick up the sweet treat and several variations from family-owned Daddy’s Girls Bakery in North Charleston. 

Where to drink in Charleston

If you fancy a great glass of bubbly, consider a nightcap or even brunch just a few minutes from the museum at Bourbon N’ Bubbles in the Hyatt House Charleston–Historic District. The upscale Black-owned eatery and cocktail bar features an extensive list of some of the world’s best champagnes and sparkling wines, in addition to over 50 bourbons and whiskeys, and unique signature cocktails like the Charleston 75 (Four Roses bourbon, St Germain and citrus finished with a sparkling rosé). 

Also at the Hyatt is Mesu, an Asian-Mexican fusion spot with a fun drink menu to match. Whether you opt for one of the many tequila flights or a single tequila tasting, the possibilities are endless, with some 75 variations to choose from.

Where to stay in Charleston

A little more than a 10-minute walk away, the Courtyard Charleston Historic District is said to be the only full-service Black-owned hotel in town. Located on Calhoun St in the heart of downtown, the hotel lies not only in proximity to the museum, but also to the popular shopping area along King St, a must-visit stretch. At the hotel, you’ll find an on-site bistro, fitness center and pool.

On Meeting St is the luxurious Dewberry. Unwind with a signature Dewberry Daiquiri in hand and enjoy the view at from the 8th-floor Citrus Club, Charleston’s highest rooftop bar.

In our 5 Shops series, we’ll point you in the direction of our favorite independent shops across some of the world’s best cities. From food markets to bookshops, vintage and homegrown design, we’ve found a diverse and exciting mix of local retailers where you can pick up one-of-a-kind pieces.

When shopping in London, it’s easy to be overwhelmed by choice.

This world capital offers something for everyone – and a rather dizzying number of places to buy whatever you need. Whether you’re looking for a memorable souvenir, a great snack or a vintage gem you won’t find anywhere else, we’ve compiled our five favorite independent shops in London to ensure you don’t miss out.

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The London Transport Museum Shop is the best place to buy a souvenir

For something a little more special than a Union Jack pen or a royal-themed keyring, make a stop at the London Transport Museum in Covent Garden. You don’t need to buy an entry ticket to visit the shop, where you can find a huge selection of keepsakes inspired by the city’s iconic transport network. There’s plenty of Paddington Bear merch for the kids, while grown-ups can choose from vintage-inspired posters (£10), socks featuring red Routemasters (£12) or a set of four mugs bearing the unique moquette patterns as seen on the seats of London’s Tube and buses (£45).

Score the best vintage finds at Rellik

The neighborhood around Portobello Rd is the city’s top shopping destination for secondhand fashion, antiques and bric-a-brac, with the Saturday market proving especially busy. One boutique shines brightest: Rellik, just around the corner on Golborne Rd. It sells a dazzling array of vintage womenswear, jewelry and accessories, with budget-friendly buys like blouses and belts under £50, along with an impressive edit of designer pieces by British names, including a 1990s wool tartan skirt suit by Vivienne Westwood (£595), and international brands, such as a 1980s Yves Saint Laurent jacket and skirt set in metallic gold brocade (£385).

London’s best bookstore is Daunt Books Marylebone

There are bigger bookstores in the city, but what makes this beautiful Edwardian store a must-visit for tourists is its cataloging system. As it was originally a travel bookshop, the shelves in its long oak gallery are still organized geographically, which means you can browse guides, history and fiction by country or continent. Don’t leave without picking up one of the canvas tote bags illustrated with the store’s facade (£15), the most stylish way to hold your new purchases.

London’s best lifestyle boutique? Goodhood

This lifestyle store has become a staple of London’s East End, offering affordable and luxury menswear, womenswear, beauty and homewares from British and international makers, spread out across two floors. Local designers to look out for include YMC, Universal Works, Folk and luxury streetwear label Aries – check out its effortlessly cool logo tees and sweatshirts (from £70). We also love scented candles from Haeckels (£55), inspired by the skincare company’s coastal surroundings in Margate, and the timeless sneakers from East London brand Stepney Workers Club (from £70).

Visit Borough Market to enjoy the best food market in town

No visit to London is complete without a stop at the city’s oldest food market, packed with stalls selling everything from vegan cheese to delicate pastries to classic fish-and-chips. To narrow it down, try a delicious sandwich like the pulled pork on brioche with apple sauce from Hobbs Roast (£7.50), or a cheese toastie at Kappacasein Dairy (£7). Finish off with a treat well worth queuing for: Bread Ahead Bakery’s famous doughnut (£4), available in such flavors as sea salted caramel and honeycomb, chocolate or raspberry jam.

Unfurling for more than 1.5 million acres across South Florida, Everglades National Park is a wonderland of marshland, sawgrass and mangroves.

Covering such a vast expanse, the park can intimidate first-timers as it is hard to know where to begin. How you explore the Everglades makes all the difference. You can hike, airboat, canoe, kayak, or even travel by tram here and each presents visitors with a different landscape. So whether strolling on a boardwalk above gator-filled waters or embarking on a backcountry camping adventure, here are the best things to do in Everglades National Park.

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1. Visit all four of the park’s entrances for different vibes 

There are four total entrances to the park each segueing to distinct terrains. To make the most of an Everglades trip, you should try to visit them all. The Shark Valley Visitor Center is approximately 40 miles west of Miami. It’s home to the quintessential, 15-mile paved Tram Road, a haven for bike rides, walks, and, yes, tram rides, always with gators lounging on the side of the road. The Gulf Coast Visitor Center in Everglades City is a hub for boating excursions, providing the perfect seaside jumping-off point for exploring the Ten Thousand Islands, a wildlife refuge for thousands of water birds.

Homestead is home to two visitor centers. Royal Palm Visitor Center provides access to a number of shorter hiking trails (less than a mile), ranging from strolls under canopy trees to walks on boardwalks over the marshland. The Flamingo Visitor Center is approximately 40 miles south of Royal Palm – a gateway to the mangrove-draped Florida Bay, canoe trails, and the 275-pitch Flamingo Campground.

2. See how many alligators you can spot along the Anhinga Trail

Fewer than 50ft from the Royal Palm Visitor Center is the park’s most popular hike. The Anhinga Trail is short – just an 0.8-mile round-trip – but it carries so much Everglades pizzazz. Along wooden boardwalks, which often hover above lily and sawgrass marsh,  and asphalt terrain, this is where you have a solid shot at seeing gators, turtles, and the trail’s namesake, the anhinga, a large water bird with a tail that resembles a turkey.

Detour: For a bonus short hike, the 0.4-mile Gumbo Limbo Trail is right by the Royal Palm Visitor Center, too.

3. Zip through water lily-covered water on an airboat

If the Everglades were to have an official vehicle, it would be the airboat. Not sure what one is? Cruise down the Tamiami Trail and you’ll be greeted with “AIRBOAT TOURS” signs aplenty – they are flat-bottomed boats with giant propeller fans on the back, designed to safely navigate the grass and lily-heavy waters. 

While there are oodles of airboat operators beyond the national park’s confines, there are only three that operate within the park: Gator Park, Everglades Safari Park, and Coopertown Airboats. Whichever you choose, just make sure to keep your hands inside when you coast by the inevitable gator (or ten).

4. Camp on a chickee 

What is a chickee, you ask? In Everglades National Park, it equates to a wooden platform positioned above the water where you can set up a tent. It’s like having your own little island. The bulk of the chickee sites are found near the Flamingo Visitor Center. You’ll need a few things in addition to your camping gear, including a backcountry camping permit (available from any park visitor center), bug repellant for the inevitable mosquitos, and a canoe (as you’ll need to venture to the sites via water). Canoes and kayaks can be rented from several spots around the park.

Off the Hell’s Bay Trail are a handful of chickee sites within a 5-mile canoe jaunt, including Lard Can and Pearl Bay Chickee.

5. Learn about The Everglades’ tribal roots at the Miccosukee’s museum

The Everglades have been inhabited by humans for upwards of 15,000 years. Long before European colonization began in the 19th century, tribes like the Seminoles and Miccosukees comprised the bulk of the population. 

Today, you can learn all about the Miccosukee tribe’s history and legacy at the Miccosukee Indian Village, nestled less than a half-mile from the park’s Shark Valley entrance. The village includes a 40-year-old museum with beadwork and photographs as well as regular and ethical alligator demonstrations, which demonstrate the importance of the gators to the tribe, so there are no wrestling elements to the show.

Detour: The Museum of the Everglades also has exhibits covering more than 2000 years of The Everglades’ history. Cruising through Everglades City, you can’t miss it – it’s a restored pink building that’s on the National Register of Historic Places.

6. Spot pelicans and storks on a pondside birdwatching adventure

Among the seemingly infinite number of waterways and ponds within the park’s confines, two spots remain supreme for birdwatching. Eco Pond is located across the street from the Flamingo Campground and features a half-mile paved trail around it. Year-round, you can stroll and witness ducks frolicking about and the spectrum of wading birds – storks, herons, and egrets – taking a dip or soaring above. 

Mrazek Pond is another bird lover’s paradise, particularly during the winter months when hordes of wood storks feast in the shallow waters. Ask a guide at the Flamingo Visitor Center – just three miles south – what’s in season and what to expect.

7. Zigzag through Nine Mile Pond’s mangrove islands via canoe or kayak

The ultimate yet approachable Everglades water excursion awaits at Nine Mile Pond. Located approximately 12 miles northwest of the Flamingo Visitor Center, you’ll find the roadside trailhead for this water course. Despite its name, it’s actually not a nine-mile paddle – it’s 5.2 miles. Along the way, you’ll swish through tree islands, curved mangrove tunnels, and open tranquil waters. Don’t worry, it’s all well-marked with the periodic white PVC pipe sign jutting out of the water with helpful arrows.

Planning tip: If you need to rent a canoe or kayak, head to the Flamingo Visitor Center. The team there will provide you with a key to unlock a canoe or kayak that’s waiting for you at the pond.

8. Tour the Ten Thousand Islands via boat

You’ll need a boat to navigate the majority of Everglades National Park as it consists primarily of swamps, lakes, and marshes. For a true, open-water experience, head to the Gulf Coast Visitor Center. The park itself offers 90-minute ranger-narrated boat tours aboard a large catamaran through Florida Bay where you’ll see island after island made of mangroves, sawgrass and other lush flora. You’ll want to book the excursion ahead of time via its partner, Everglades Florida Adventures.

Planning tip: If you seek an upper-body workout, there are four-hour, ranger-led kayak and canoe tours of Florida Bay available at the Gulf Coast Visitor Center, too.

While Everglades National Park is loaded with 1.5 million acres of canals, marshes and tropical critters, its hiking options are limited.

In fact, there are less than three dozen formal trails in the entirety of its South Florida confines, many of which are short interpretive trails less than a mile long. Plus, there are entrances to the park in three separate cities that are many miles apart, which means you need to go in with a plan pinpointing the experience you’re looking for.

Regardless of where your Everglades hiking adventure takes you, count on it being flat and a way to get up close and personal with the park’s nearly 400 bird species, lush flora and, yes, perhaps a gator or two. Just make sure to pack sun-protective clothing, sunscreen and bug repellant for any Everglades hike to mitigate sun- or mosquito-related headaches.

With the right goods, you’re ready to hit the trails – here are the five best hikes within Everglades National Park.

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1. Anhinga Trail

Best hike for families
0.8 miles (1.3km) round trip, less than 1 hour, easy

Little did you know that so much Everglades wildlife wonder could be packed into a less-than-a-mile stretch? This pristinely paved trail – with portions of well-kept and railed wooden boardwalks hovering over the marshland – is perhaps your easiest and best chance to see turtles and a hearty selection of the Everglades’ bird species. To access the Anhinga Trail trailhead, venture to the Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center in Homestead and head approximately four miles south to the Royal Palm Visitors Center – the trailhead is around 50ft behind the building.

The bulk of this hike is in unshaded terrain and surrounded by standing water, so pack extra bug repellant. If this quick hike leaves you and yours wanting more, the 0.4-mile Gumbo Limbo Trail is a stone’s throw from the visitor center and is draped in massive hammock trees.

2. Christian Point Trail

Best hike through diverse Florida landscapes
3.6 miles (5.79km) round trip, 2–3 hours, difficult

Whereas you may get a singular vibe on some of the shorter trails in Everglades National Park, this one is multifaceted. You’ll find the trailhead to this difficult hike one mile north of the Flamingo Visitor Center in Homestead. What makes it difficult is the jagged terrain you’ll encounter, including thick mangrove patches and sporadic debris from hurricanes of yesteryear. A stretch of open prairie provides a nice reprieve on dry days.

If rain is in the forecast or the area has experienced recent downpours, prepare for a muddy experience. Even the flattest prairies are a slushy mud-fest, so bring the right pants and boots. And, yes, with standing water in the Everglades are mosquitos, so pack your bug repellant. 

3. Shark Valley Tram Road

Best hike for a gator encounter
15 miles (24.1km), round trip, 4–5 hours, easy

Tram may be in its name, but it is a hot spot for bikers and hikers. Tucked just south of the Tamiami Trail and 40 miles west of Downtown Miami, this trail is located south of the Shark Valley Visitor Center. It’s a paved route that looks like a narrow north-to-south oval. Along the way – and particularly toward the beginning of the trail – count on seeing some gators bathing in the sun in the adjacent canals. 

From there, a popular stop is its midpoint – the Shark Valley Observation Tower. With a winding ramp to its 70-foot-high pinnacle, this is the highest point accessible by foot in the park. While flat and paved, if you’re going to commit to walking this trail, come prepared. There is zero shade along the route, limited water opportunities and the sole bathroom facility (aside from Shark Valley Visitor Center) is at the observation tower.

4. Coastal Prairie Trail

Best hike for a camping adventure
7.5 miles (12km) one-way trip, 3–4 hours, difficult

Situated near the park’s southwesternmost edge, this hike is worth… the hike. It is situated within a quick stroll of the Flamingo Visitor Center in Homestead, which is also home to a drive-in campground with nearly 300 sites. The Flamingo Campground is well-equipped for those who don’t like to be disconnected – this is one of the few spots in the park where cell reception is typically reliable and there are solar-heated showers. Just make sure to book a reservation in advance, particularly during the area’s peak season of December through April.

As for the trail itself, it’s an east-to-west shot through a mix of open prairies and muddy terrain. You’ll want to wear long pants through the thicker forest sections as pesky mangrove roots, thorns, and debris from recent storms can persist. The trail culminates at the white sand-draped Clubhouse Beach, with plenty of space to plop a tent. If you decide to camp overnight, snag a backcountry permit at the Flamingo Visitor Center or online ahead of time.

5. Bear Lake Trail

Best hike with a little history
3.2 miles (5.1km) round trip, 1–2 hours, moderate

Trickling alongside the Bear Lake Trail, you’ll see the Homestead Canal. Constructed in 1922, the canal was originally designed to funnel freshwater from the marshland out to sea. The goal was to create a drier piece of land for future development. Instead, the opposite happened, and saltwater entered the ecosystem, taking over portions of the freshwater system, forever creating a hybrid system in that portion of the park.

The trail itself – located two miles north of the Flamingo Visitor Center in Homestead – is draped in more than 50 different tree species, with hardwood hammocks towering above, culminating in a sweeping vista of Bear Lake with dots of mangrove islands. Regular maintenance has ceased on Bear Lake Trail recently as the park prioritizes protecting the Cape Sable thoroughwort, a small purple-hued sunflower. So, wear sturdier hiking shoes to navigate the periodic thick grass patches and down branches.

With critters basking in the sun, boats whizzing by and educational opportunities aplenty, Everglades National Park is a kid’s paradise. Its marshy landscape begs for exploration, with mangrove islands, carved-out canoe paths and a handful of modern visitor centers with interactive exhibits to check out.

The nice thing about the Everglades is that you can traverse its landscape via many modes – airboat, hiking, kayaking, driving and even a tram – so when you or the little ones need a breather, it’s seamless to shift gears while still taking it all in. Make sure everyone is layered in sunscreen, bug repellant and sun-protective gear, like hats, sunglasses and, if needed, long sleeves. Once ready, these are the six best things to do with kids in Everglades National Park.

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1. Zip around on an airboat

Airboat rides are a quintessential Everglades experience, where you glide along the marsh landscape on a flat boat with a giant fan-like propeller. It’s refreshing and scenic for kids and adults alike.

Everglades National Park has three authorized airboat businesses: Coopertown Airboats, Everglades Safari Park and Gator Park. All three are located closest to the park’s Shark Valley / Miami entrance along the historic Tamiami Trail. Most operators within the national park and beyond offer a children’s discount. Coopertown Airboats, for example, has discounts for children ages 6 to 11 and free rides for those under 6. 

It can be incredibly tempting to reach out to pet wading birds and even friendly seeming alligators, so if you have a particularly hands-on little one, it’s wise to sit toward the middle of the vessel to mitigate temptation. Plus, airboats are typically covered, making the center seats less prone to the often-beaming Florida sun.

2. Hike the Gumbo Limbo or Anhinga trails

Florida is about as flat as a US state can get, so for those seeking non-strenuous hikes, the Everglades is bliss. However, this 1.5-million-acre park only has 30 hiking trails. The majority of the land is freshwater and saltwater habitats. 

For kid-friendly hikes, head to the Royal Palm Visitor Center in Homestead. Once you’ve parked, the Gumbo Limbo and Anhinga trails are within 50ft of the visitor center. Just less than a half-mile round trip, the Gumbo Limbo Trail is paved for the stroller crowd and guides you through ferns, royal palms and, yes, large-limbed gumbo limbos.

The Anhinga Trail is a bit longer – 0.8 miles – and often loaded with sunbathing critters, like gators, herons and turtles. When you and yours need a bathroom or diaper break, the Royal Palm Visitor Center is well-equipped.

3. Bike or tram the Shark Valley Tram Road

A 15-mile-long paved circular trail, the Shark Valley Tram Rd is surrounded by islands, with trees, tall grass and the sporadic bathing alligator. No matter how you tackle the trail – hiking, biking and tramming are all options – bring plenty of sunscreen and plan a pit stop at the midpoint: an observation tower with a ramp winding over a gator-dotted waterway.

On the lower-energy side, two-hour ranger-led tram tours start hourly from 9am to 4pm between mid-December and April. Otherwise, the tram has four departures daily, so check the schedule ahead.

For bike rentals, there is a shop attached to the Shark Valley Visitor Center with kids’ and adult bikes with child seats. The Shark Valley area of the park opens at 8:30am, and bike rentals can sell out quickly, so reserve ahead of time to prevent on-site disappointment. The shop also has helmets – it is Florida law for bicyclists under 16 to wear a helmet.  

4. Embark on a ranger-led journey (and have your kid become a junior ranger too)

Beyond the educational tram tour at Shark Valley, there are ranger-led adventures from the Royal Palm and Flamingo visitors’ centers in Homestead and the Gulf Coast Visitor Center in Everglades City. Keep an eye on scheduling, as most tours only occur during the dry season (November through April).

Popular programs include a wildlife-centric stroll along the Anhinga Trail, a “Hidden History” journey on the Guy Bradley Trail and narrated boat tours focused on the geography of the Gulf Coast’s 10,000-plus islands. 

Select national parks have junior ranger programs. Kids (and adults) can snag an interactive booklet at a visitor center, complete educational activities within the park and earn a badge. The Everglades is one of these parks and has recently provided a bingo sheet for kids to spot certain wildlife – pelicans, raccoons and even mosquitos – to earn their badge. 

5. Canoe or kayak and gawk at more than 350 bird species

Okay, perhaps the Everglades Wilderness Waterway – a 99-mile recreational route connecting Everglades City and Flamingo – may not be the most kid-friendly option for a kayaking excursion. But there are plenty of spots to canoe and kayak in the Everglades for the whole family.

The Flamingo Visitor Center – located 38 miles southwest of the park entrance in Homestead – has an adjacent marina with boat tours of backcountry waters and the Florida Bay. Admission is half-off for kids 12 and under ($20 per child). You can also rent kayaks and canoes at the marina, meaning you’ll receive keys to unlock rentals at nearby ponds and waterways. 

Among the most popular nearby destinations for kayaking and canoeing is the Nine Mile Pond loop, which takes you through mangrove islands and grassy landscapes (though it’s actually 3.5 to 5 miles depending on your route). If a do-it-yourself rental is too much to coordinate, Everglades National Park Institute also has guided tours.

6. Learn about Everglades’ history at local museums and visitor centers

Each of the Everglades’ four visitor centers is very much a museum in its own right, with snippets of park history and wildlife exhibits.

For history-loving young ones, the Miccosukee Indian Village has a museum dedicated to the eponymous tribe and their centuries-old roots in the Everglades. The village also has airboat rides and ethical alligator demonstrations, shedding light on the tribe’s relationship with the critters, which has gone from using them for food to conservation.

Perhaps the most comprehensive museum on the Everglades is in Everglades City. The Museum of the Everglades covers over 2000 years of area history, with puzzles, coloring activities and educational crossword puzzles to keep kids entertained.

As Everglades National Park primarily consists of an intricate network of wetlands and canals, roads within and leading to the Florida preserve are few and far between. In fact, amid its mammoth 1.5 million acres of swampy terrain, there are only four total entrances and two principal roads serving motor vehicles.

So beyond cruising on the 39-mile-long Main Park Rd (Florida Rte 9336), which connects the Ernest F Coe Visitor Center and Cape Sable, or spotting alligators along the Tamiami Trail (US 41), the question becomes: in which Florida city should I begin my trek to Everglades National Park? 

Fortunately, in Florida you have road-trip options that touch cosmopolitan cities, additional national parks and orange-grove-draped country roads. Here are the five best ways to get to Everglades National Park. 

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1. The Tamiami Trail

Best road trip for history lovers
Miami-Everglades National Park; 64km (40 miles)

The closest major airport to Everglades National Park is Miami International Airport, some 35 miles east of the Shark Valley Visitor Center. Spend some time in Miami taking in the turquoise Atlantic vistas in Miami Beach, watching the boats zip around Biscayne Bay and snacking on croquetas and cafecitos (Cuban coffee) along Calle Ocho, Little Havana‘s main thoroughfare.  

After Miami, head west along the Tamiami Trail. As you visibly transition from suburbia to swampland, note the numerous attractions that the Miccosukee tribe operates along the trail, including airboat rides and the Miccosukee Indian Village museum. Within the museum, you can see beadwork, patchwork and photography that sheds life on the tribal community, dating back to the early 19th century.

2. The Overseas Highway

Best road trip for water vistas
Key West-Everglades National Park; 216km (134 miles)

Start this three-hour road trip by exploring the coral-reef-surrounded and party-filled downtown of Key West, which is the southernmost city in the continental US. Mallory Square is known for its daily sunset celebrations, but it’s really a place to gather all day, with the raucous Hog’s Breath Saloon and a nearby Ron Jon Surf Shop outpost.

From there, you’ll find only one road leading through the Florida Keys to mainland Florida: the Overseas Highway, which weaves through numerous cozy, art-gallery-draped confines, including Marathon, Islamorada and Key Largo. Along your drive, snag a reservation at the Fish House in Key Largo for regional delights, like fresh mahi mahi and conch salad.

For a bonus park en route to the Everglades, Bahia Honda State Park has the clearest of waters and rentable snorkeling equipment on-site.

Detour: Dry Tortugas National Park and Biscayne National Park are both detour options with this road trip. Book reservations months in advance, and note that you’ll need a boat – or access to one – to make the most of them.

3. US Route 41

Best road trip for parks and wildlife in a small stretch
Naples-Everglades National Park; 117km (73 miles) 

It doesn’t get much easier than this. From Downtown Naples’ boutiques and upscale eateries, hop on US Rte 41 and take it directly to the Shark Valley Visitor Center for an Everglades adventure. But you’ll want to make some stops along the way.

Among them are the Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, which has a 110,000-acre waterway with boat and kayak rentals for navigating the lush mangroves. Fakahatchee Strand Preserve makes for a nice pause as well. Its Big Cypress Bend Boardwalk spans more than half a mile and winds through a swamp, culminating in an alligator pond.

Planning tip: The Gulf Coast Visitor Center – located in Everglades City – is the closest Everglades visitor access area to Naples. Keep an eye on its reopening schedule, following damage sustained from Hurricane Ian.

4. US Route 17

Best road trip for Central Florida charm
Tampa-Everglades National Park; 407km (253 miles)

With vast white-sand beaches and an increasingly hip bar and nightclub district in the form of Ybor City, Tampa is officially a place to be. After touring the Florida Aquarium or getting your thrills at Busch Gardens theme park, the easy way out of town and en route to Everglades National Park is the Interstate 75 straight-shot, but resist temptation and opt for a more rural trek south along US Route 17.

On your way to Shark Valley Visitor Center, make a pit stop in Haines City at Ridge Island Groves for some farm-grown oranges and blueberries. Wauchula has a quaint downtown that’s home to a handful of antique shops, like Heritage Park. Once Rte 17 connects with Interstate 74, Fort Myers and Naples are both seamless detours within 10 minutes of the highway. 

5. Orlando to the Everglades

Best road trip for a bonus National Park experience 
Orlando-Everglades National Park; 410km (255 miles)

For those Walt Disney World–goers seeking a nature-infused reprieve, Everglades National Park is doable in approximately five hours. From Central Florida, the quickest route is Interstate 95 through West Palm Beach, Boca Raton and Fort Lauderdale. However, traffic on I-95 is totally unpredictable, and the road gets particularly congested during snowbird season (October through April).

You’ll find a quieter way south via US Route 98/27. Memorable stops include Immokalee, which is home to the Pioneer Museum at Roberts Ranch. The operation sheds light on the cowmen, ranchers and pioneers who settled the swamp-adjacent farmland in the late 1800s. Before arriving at Shark Valley Visitor Center, Big Cypress National Preserve is also on the way, and it has swamp tours and eight campgrounds.

Planning tip: As this trip can easily evolve into a multi-day affair, consider lodging well in advance. If all else fails, you can try your luck in Everglades City, but you’ll find fewer than a dozen hotel options there.

With each season, you’ll experience a new and magical side of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Whether popping with wildflowers in the springtime or exuding the most vivid shades of oranges and reds in September and October, you can embark on the same hike(s) year-round and always be left mesmerized by a different perspective.

The most visited national park in the United States, recent years have seen 14 million-plus annual visitors, with hiking being a quintessential experience. While a drive along Newfound Gap Road or The Foothills Parkway will inspire, hikes in the Smoky Mountains get you up close and personal with caves, critters (just don’t get too close to the black bears) and access to the park’s sole lodging option.

There are 150 trails within the park with varying degrees of difficulty, scenery and resources. Amid all the options, here are our top six hikes in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

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1. Mt. Sterling via Baxter Creek Trail

Best hike for hiking pros
11.7 miles (18.8km) roundtrip, 8-9 hours, strenuous

Soaring 5,842 feet, climbing this North Carolina mountain is considered one of the top experiences within Great Smoky Mountains National Park. To access the deep forest-filled Baxter Creek Trail, head to the Big Creek Ranger Station / Cataloochee Campground. From there, it is an unrelenting steady climb, where you’ll traverse a steel footbridge and pass a variety of towering champion trees – some of the largest in the park. 

At the top of Mt. Sterling, you’ll find a nearly 90-year-old fire tower that was once utilized to keep watch over the vast forest below. Fun fact: it has the highest elevation of any fire tower left standing in the eastern United States. And, yes, you can climb in it. It makes the perfect spot to eat whatever meal you’ve packed.

2. Low Gap Trail to Mount Cammerer

Best hike for panoramic mountain vistas
11.5 miles (18.6km) roundtrip, 7-8 hours, strenuous

With rigid switchbacks, towering hardwoods and a stretch of the Appalachian Trail, this strenuous hike has so much Smoky goodness packed into a single experience. The Low Gap Trail itself is situated near the park’s northeast corner near the town of Cosby. Count on traversing dirt-meets-rock ridges and valleys aplenty during this 3000-foot-plus jaunt. 

The final half-mile or so is steep and strenuous but is worth it in the end. At the peak of the trail is a historic stone fire tower dating back to the 1930s. From the tower – which is octagonal in shape – you can see the Big Creek hydro-electric plant, Mount Sterling, Snowbird Mountain and lines of smaller peaks aplenty.

3. Alum Cave Trail to Mount LeConte

Best hike for taking in the most Smoky Mountains landscapes
11 miles (17.7km) roundtrip, 7-8 hours, moderately strenuous

Arguably the most popular day hike in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, this easy-to-find trail has it all. Starting just off a large parking lot approximately seven miles south of Sugarlands Visitors Center, you’ll pass under Arch Rock en route to Inspiration Point, which absolutely lives up to its name with vistas of Little Duck Hawk Ridge and beyond. And, yes, there is a cave – Alum Cave itself makes for a nice reprieve and photo op.

Past the cave and en route to Mt LeConte, you’ll find LeConte Lodge, the only lodging option within park boundaries. The lodge – comprising a handful of wooden cottages – is open from mid-March through mid-November. You’ll want to book your reservation as early as possible (up to a year in advance) as it’s a popular spot!

4. Davenport Gap to Max Patch Road

Best hike for an overnight adventure
13.2 miles (21.2km) one-way, 2-3 days, moderately strenuous

Take a weekend for this lengthy and challenging jaunt. Among the highlights, you’ll trek up more than 2500 feet of Snowbird Mountain, navigate a set of towering stone stairs, duck below lengthy lines of canopy trees, coast through flat meadows and tiptoe along dirt roads with steep edges nearby. It has it all.

There is a campsite near the top of Max Patch but do keep an eye on local orders as it has been temporarily shuttered in recent years. There are two campsites nearby that operate seasonally as more reliable options, Harmon Den Horse Campground and Rocky Bluff Campground. However many days you plan for this hike, bring water as the streams can be scarce during drier times.

5. Laurel Falls Trail

Best hike for families
2.4 miles (3.9km) roundtrip, 1-2 hours, easy

With a trailhead that’s less than four miles from the Sugarlands Visitor Center, this asphalt trail is easy to get to and easy to navigate. Once you park, it’s a steady, windy 1.2-mile climb surrounded by rocky terrain and, toward the end, the Laurel Branch Stream trickling below. There are a few spots on the Laurel Falls trail where the asphalt is in rough shape, so bring your all-terrain stroller if you have one. At the end of the hike is a cement bridge splitting two unique falls. If you’re lucky, you’ll snag the sole wooden bench overlooking it all for a family photo or two. 

6. Gatlinburg Trail

Best hike to bring your dog, or bicycle, on
1.9 miles (3.1km) one-way, 1 hour, easy 

Unfortunately, dogs are not allowed within Great Smoky Mountains National Park… with the exception of two walking paths: the Oconaluftee River Trail and the Gatlinburg Trail. These are the only two paths you can bicycle on, too. While easy, Fido will surely get a workout and be entertained by this moderately hilly experience, including a pedestrian footbridge, adjacent river banks and even chimneys remaining from prior homesites.

A dramatic area crammed with goose-bump-inducing vistas, shimmering lakes, towering waterfalls, soaring striped granite boulders, and vast emerald-green forests, Yosemite National Park is a beacon for the world’s hiking community – some 4 million people come to explore its 750 miles of trails each year. 

The best way to experience it all is to lace up your boots and head out on two feet. There are hikes for a range of abilities, from short punch-packing walks with staggering scenery to heart-racing overnight backcountry hikes for solitude and nature spotting (more than 400 species of animals reside in the park). Here are the six best hikes in Yosemite National Park.

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1. Half Dome

Best hike for adventurers
17 miles (27km) round trip, 12-16 hours, strenuous

Half Dome has become the trail for thrill-seeking day-trippers visiting Yosemite National Park. The 4900ft climb is one the most challenging and rewarding hikes in the US. It takes in the crowd-pleasing Vernal and Nevada waterfalls, before going through tranquil sequoia forests and above the timber blankets to a vertiginous 200ft cable-assisted nerve-testing granite climb to the 8844ft Half Dome peak. 

The cables are only up between late May and October, and to prevent crowding, permits are required to climb the sub-dome and Half Dome; around 300 are awarded by lottery per day via recreation.gov.

Reach Half Dome via the immensely popular – and steep – Mist Trail, which can be completed as a shorter day hike (see below). It’s also possible to break the hike up over two days and camp on the way to Half Dome, climbing up 4.8 miles from Yosemite Valley to Little Yosemite Valley Campground.

2. Mist Trail

Best hike for waterfalls
5.4 miles (8.6km) round trip, 5-6 hours, moderate to strenuous

This belter of a hike climbs a long, slippery granite staircase, which winds along the Merced River as the towering falls spray mist on hikers. Many choose to start at Happy Isles in Yosemite Valley and just climb the 1000ft, 2.4-mile round trip to the plunging 317ft Vernal Falls. On many days rainbows can be viewed in the frothy cascade from the top. Continue on a little to view the fast-flowing Emerald Pool. 

Those with strength left in their knees can ascend the switchbacks a further 2000ft to the powerful and thunderous 594ft-high Nevada Fall. Climb above it for awesome views of the valley, then descend via the John Muir Trail for soaring views of the Liberty Cap granite dome and Nevada Fall beside it.

11 stunning waterfalls at Yosemite National Park

3. Yosemite Valley Loop

Best hike for major attractions
11.5 mi (18.5 km) full loop, 5-7 hours, easy

Don’t walk this trail for the wow factor, but to soak up some understated Yosemite charm – and find a surprising amount of solitude. With little altitude change, the trail follows some of the first wagon roads in the area and is a great way to get acquainted with the park’s meadows, granite cliffs, and natural water features.

Ramblers will see the iconic vertical rock formation El Capitan – a 3000ft granite monolith immortalized by Alex Honnold in the Oscar-winning movie Free Solo – and one of the tallest waterfalls in the world, Yosemite Falls, tumbling 2425ft from top to bottom. There are also views of the Three Brothers rock formation, named for the three sons of Chief Tenaya, head of the Ahwahneechee tribe, plus meandering sections of the 145-mile Merced River. 

The route is best completed in spring when the wildflowers are in bloom, or in the fall when the trees turn red and golden. Near dusk, there’s a good chance of spotting mule deer. Keep a lookout too for hawks, woodpeckers, and elusive black bears. The relatively flat path is, in places, wheelchair- and stroller-friendly. The loop can be broken into segments or walked in its entirety and is open year-round.

4. Four Mile Trail

Best high hike 
9.6 miles (15.4km) round trip, 6-8 hours, strenuous

This trail is the whole package, connecting two of Yosemite’s big draws – Yosemite Valley and Glacier Point – and boasting magnificent views. Climbing 3200ft from the valley floor to heights of 7200ft, along forest paths, up switchbacks, and along wide rocky ledges, it shows off the park’s most prized landmarks: Yosemite Falls, Cathedral Rocks, El Capitan, Sentinel Dome, Mirror Lake, Tenaya Canyon, Half Dome, Clouds Rest, North Dome and the Royal Arches. 

Retrace your steps to return to the starting point, or make it a loop hike by continuing on a further 8.5 miles on the Panorama Trail to Nevada Fall, following the Mist Trail to Happy Isles in Yosemite Valley. The trail is closed in winter.

How to spend your first visit to Yosemite National Park

5. Mirror Lake 

Best hike for families
2-5 miles round trip, around 2 hours, easy

Get up close to the base of Half Dome on this relaxing hike through peaceful forests, crossing Tenaya Creek to Mirror Lake – one of the few swimming holes in the park. Mirror Lake’s teardrop-shaped bowl formed as a result of landslides in the area, thought to be caused by a historic earthquake; it refills each year when the Tenaya Creek floods, trapping water in the basin. 

The Ahwahneechee indigenous peoples enjoyed the place too, naming it Ahwiyah, meaning “quiet water.” But these relaxing pools won’t be here forever – sand from Tenaya Creek is building, and the accumulation of sediment means the area will eventually become a meadow. Note that the pool itself is seasonal and gets crowded in early summer, though it’s too dry for swimming during the peak of summer. 

Hikers in spring, however, are rewarded with dogwoods in bloom and reflections of Half Dome and Mt Watkins on the water’s surface – a photo opportunity too irresistible to miss. Go in winter if you’re in search of isolation. 

6. Yosemite Falls

Best hard hike 
6.8 miles (10.9km) round trip, 5-6 hours, strenuous

Built between 1873 and 1877, this switchback-heavy, thigh-burning, sweat-inducing 3000ft elevation-gain hike leads you up stone steps to the tallest waterfall in North America, which drops some 2425ft. The epic views on this historic trail start from 1000ft, around a mile in, at 5031ft-high Columbia Rock, where you can see Half Dome in the distance. 

The path snakes through oaks to Lower Yosemite Fall, where the mist cools you down in spring whether you want it to or not. At 6936ft-high Yosemite Point, you’ll get “it was all worth it” views of Half Dome, North Dome, Clouds Rest, Glacier Point, Cathedral Rocks and the Lost Arrow formation.

Tips for hiking in Yosemite National Park

• Pick up a park map at the entrance and drop by the visitor center for up-to-date trail information – weather, landslides, river flows, fallen trees, fires and more can make hikes inaccessible.
• Be bear-aware, especially in the backcountry. Use a bell on hikes so bears know you are approaching, bring bear canisters if camping in the wild and use bear lockers in campsites. Don’t leave food in your car overnight.
• Don’t forget to enter the permit lottery if you hope to climb Half Dome or leave the park via the John Muir Trail. You’ll likely need a permit for backcountry treks as well, so check your route’s regulations in advance.
• Use the shuttles when possible to help reduce traffic in the park.
• Hike early for fewer crowds. Book campsites in advance where possible.
• If you’re doing multi-day hikes, plan your water consumption: check where you can fill up your water bottles on the route, and use sterilizing tablets or a water filter when filling up from a river.
• Don’t rely on your cell phone – the signal is patchy and almost non-existent in the backcountry. Instead, download offline maps before you enter the park.