Hiking vs Trekking – What Are the Main Differences?

Choosing an outdoor leisure activity that is right for your capabilities and liking can be determined by what you know about the activities that interest you. Thinking about hiking or trekking but don’t know which one you should pursue? While both trekking and hiking mainly involves walking, the physical and psychological demands, and also the terrain are not the same for each activity.

Hiking

Hiking generally involves walking for prolonged periods of time for the purpose of enjoying nature and its beautiful scenery. The terrain can be relatively flat, a loop, or steep, and can take between 2 and 8 hours round trip normally. Not all hikes have the same start and end points, and some hikes can connect to other trails at certain points. Hiking can be a day trip or backpacking.

A day hike is perhaps the most common form of hike, which could be anything from an easy walk around your favorite lake, a gentle prairie walks, to a moderate or challenging hike up your local mountain, but completed within half-a-day to a day. Minimal planning and organizing goes into a trip, since it typically involves simply walking on a trail.

Combining hiking and camping characterizes what is known as backpacking, and requires a little preparation, so you may want to check out some hiking shoe reviews to get you ready for your trip. Food, shelter (tent), and sleeping bags all comes in handy when backpacking.

Trekking

Trekking is always a multi-day affair with substantial infrastructure on the trail, guest houses, small lodges, mountain huts and food stops, and trekkers can buy supplies needed as they travel. Treks tend to be more strenuous, with notable treks at high altitude, which makes them more physically taxing. Trekking can take away from the wilderness experience because trails aren’t typically immersed in nature, but are larger and well maintained.

Trails are more beginner friendly, with porters as a common feature, and reduced risk of accidents. Teahouse trek and camping trek are two types of trek. Teahouse trek is a relatively inexpensive way of trekking, wherein, a teahouse or guesthouse is available for accommodation and meals prepared by the teahouse staff. Teahouse is a prime feature on trails in Nepal.  Camping trek, on the other hand, can be called organized trekking, since it is organized and supported by a staff that serve as guides, cooks, sherpas (if trekking in Nepal) and porters, accompanying you. A small day pack may be all you need for a camping trek.

Hiking and trekking, while they are both activities that are characterized by walking, there are clear differences between the two. Hiking usually involves walking for enjoyment in nature, for a short period or a prolonged period. It can be a day hike or a backpacking trip, and doesn’t requires very little planning. Trekking, on the other hand, is done over a period of several days, and requires some planning and organizing. A porter is a key element on a trek, and teahouse trek and camping trek are two common forms of trekking. Now you know the difference between hiking and trekking, so you can start planning that trip. – Travel Feeder

For further reading on how to prepare and what precautions to take when you are on a trek, check out this guide: Health and Safety while Trekking

About The Author

Cecil Lee

The author is an avid traveler and photography hobbyist who loves to share with others his travel and photo-taking experience in many popular tourist destinations around Europe, Asia and Australasia. Read the exciting stories with many photos captured on his journeys.