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The World’s 100 Best Canyons & Gorges · 2026

The Best Gorge Walks in the World

48 of the 100 canyons in The World’s 100 Best Canyons & Gorges 2026 are gorge walks, in 20 countries. The highest placed is Höllentalklamm in Grainau, Germany, at number 3 in the world. Cares Gorge in Picos de Europa, Spain (number 4) and Seisenbergklamm in Weißbach bei Lofer, Austria (number 5) follow.

Höllentalklamm
N° 3 · Höllentalklamm, Grainau

Reaching the gorges

Several gorges require a long approach before the walk begins. The Cares Gorge runs 24 km round trip and takes 6 to 8 hours, and the car parks fill before 9 am. At Gorropu Gorge the hike down from Genna Silana takes about 1.5 to 2 hours, and the jeep return costs €18 per person. Panta Vrechi Gorge lies about 12 kilometers along a dirt road from Prodromos or Roska, where a high car or 4x4 is advised. Wolfsklamm is one-way uphill only, so the return follows a separate route. Seisenbergklamm takes 30 to 60 minutes on foot, or a circular route back by the regular path.

Fees and booking

Höllentalklamm charges €7 per adult in cash only, while Partnachklamm asks €10 per adult with tickets sold at a booth or machines. Liechtensteinklamm costs €15 to €16 per person, though online tickets are cheaper. Masca Gorge runs about €30 to €40 when booked online, plus €25 for the boat back to Los Gigantes. Fern Canyon requires a permit or timed reservation from May to September, and Eldorado Canyon needs a timed entry reservation on weekends and in summer. Flume Gorge tickets cost $18 online and $21 at the gate.

Footing and water levels

Most gorges have wet stone or slippery walkways. Hamersley Gorge has steep, slippery steps and asks for closed shoes, while Patuna Chasm requires grip shoes because its rocks are slippery. Panta Vrechi Gorge needs river shoes and a swimsuit, since the water reaches the waist. At Saklıkent Gorge water shoes are needed, and helmets are provided at the entrance. Tiger Leaping Gorge turns muddy during the rainy season from May to July. Boats at Wadi Shab run until 6 pm, and visitors leave Wadi Lajab by 3 pm.

Canyons

100. Gole dell’Alcantara 99. Hamersley Gorge 98. Enfield Glen 97. Boynton Canyon 96. Dismals Canyon 95. Marafa Hell’s Kitchen 92. Vero River Canyon 90. Wadi El Weshwash 89. Gola dell’Infernaccio 86. Meiringskloof 85. Wadi Lajab 84. Ausable Chasm 82. Indian Canyons 78. Garganta de los Infiernos 77. Teufelsschlucht 76. Eldorado Canyon 75. Saklıkent Gorge 72. Ehrbachklamm 69. Flume Gorge 68. Hornád Gorge 60. Valle delle Ferriere 58. Patuna Chasm 57. Wolfsklamm 50. Kitzlochklamm 49. Dunajec Gorge 48. Bílá Opava Valley 47. Tscheppaschlucht 44. Partnachklamm 43. Panta Vrechi Gorge 41. Suchá Belá 40. Gorges de la Carança 37. Masca Gorge 35. Gorropu Gorge 32. Aare Gorge 30. Tiger Leaping Gorge 28. Sunday Gulch 27. Fern Canyon 23. Wadi Shab 22. Chahkooh Canyon 21. Liechtensteinklamm 19. Garnitzenklamm 14. Rosenlaui Glacier Gorge 9. Gorges du Durnand 8. Watkins Glen Gorge 7. Horma Canyon 5. Seisenbergklamm 4. Cares Gorge 3. Höllentalklamm 3
100. Gole dell’Alcantara 99. Hamersley Gorge 98. Enfield Glen 97. Boynton Canyon 96. Dismals Canyon 95. Marafa Hell’s Kitchen 92. Vero River Canyon 90. Wadi El Weshwash 89. Gola dell’Infernaccio 86. Meiringskloof 85. Wadi Lajab 84. Ausable Chasm 82. Indian Canyons 78. Garganta de los Infiernos 77. Teufelsschlucht 76. Eldorado Canyon 75. Saklıkent Gorge 72. Ehrbachklamm 69. Flume Gorge 68. Hornád Gorge 60. Valle delle Ferriere 58. Patuna Chasm 57. Wolfsklamm 50. Kitzlochklamm 49. Dunajec Gorge 48. Bílá Opava Valley 47. Tscheppaschlucht 44. Partnachklamm 43. Panta Vrechi Gorge 41. Suchá Belá 40. Gorges de la Carança 37. Masca Gorge 35. Gorropu Gorge 32. Aare Gorge 30. Tiger Leaping Gorge 28. Sunday Gulch 27. Fern Canyon 23. Wadi Shab 22. Chahkooh Canyon 21. Liechtensteinklamm 19. Garnitzenklamm 14. Rosenlaui Glacier Gorge 9. Gorges du Durnand 8. Watkins Glen Gorge 7. Horma Canyon 5. Seisenbergklamm 4. Cares Gorge 3. Höllentalklamm 3
  1. Höllentalklamm N° 3 Höllentalklamm Grainau, Germany Gorge walk
  2. Cares Gorge N° 4 Cares Gorge Picos de Europa, Spain Gorge walk
  3. Seisenbergklamm N° 5 Seisenbergklamm Weißbach bei Lofer, Austria Gorge walk
  4. Horma Canyon N° 7 Horma Canyon Pınarbaşı, Turkey Gorge walk
  5. Watkins Glen Gorge N° 8 Watkins Glen Gorge Watkins Glen, United States Gorge walk
  6. Gorges du Durnand N° 9 Gorges du Durnand Bovernier, Switzerland Gorge walk
  7. Rosenlaui Glacier Gorge N° 14 Rosenlaui Glacier Gorge Rosenlaui, Switzerland Gorge walk
  8. Garnitzenklamm N° 19 Garnitzenklamm Hermagor, Austria Gorge walk
  9. Liechtensteinklamm N° 21 Liechtensteinklamm St. Johann im Pongau, Austria Gorge walk
  10. Chahkooh Canyon N° 22 Chahkooh Canyon Qeshm, Iran Gorge walk
  11. Wadi Shab N° 23 Wadi Shab Tiwi, Oman Gorge walk
  12. Fern Canyon N° 27 Fern Canyon Orick, United States Gorge walk
  13. Sunday Gulch N° 28 Sunday Gulch Custer State Park, United States Gorge walk
  14. Tiger Leaping Gorge N° 30 Tiger Leaping Gorge Yunnan, China Gorge walk
  15. Aare Gorge N° 32 Aare Gorge Meiringen, Switzerland Gorge walk
  16. Gorropu Gorge N° 35 Gorropu Gorge Sardinia, Italy Gorge walk
  17. Masca Gorge N° 37 Masca Gorge Tenerife, Spain Gorge walk
  18. Gorges de la Carança N° 40 Gorges de la Carança Thuès-Entre-Valls, France Gorge walk
  19. Suchá Belá N° 41 Suchá Belá Slovak Paradise, Slovakia Gorge walk
  20. Panta Vrechi Gorge N° 43 Panta Vrechi Gorge Evrytania, Greece Gorge walk
  21. Partnachklamm N° 44 Partnachklamm Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany Gorge walk
  22. Tscheppaschlucht N° 47 Tscheppaschlucht Ferlach, Austria Gorge walk
  23. Bílá Opava Valley N° 48 Bílá Opava Valley Karlova Studánka, Czechia Gorge walk
  24. Dunajec Gorge N° 49 Dunajec Gorge Pieniny, Slovakia Gorge walk
  25. Kitzlochklamm N° 50 Kitzlochklamm Taxenbach, Austria Gorge walk
  26. Wolfsklamm N° 57 Wolfsklamm Stans, Austria Gorge walk
  27. Patuna Chasm N° 58 Patuna Chasm Martinborough, New Zealand Gorge walk
  28. Valle delle Ferriere N° 60 Valle delle Ferriere Amalfi, Italy Gorge walk
  29. Hornád Gorge N° 68 Hornád Gorge Slovak Paradise, Slovakia Gorge walk
  30. Flume Gorge N° 69 Flume Gorge Lincoln, United States Gorge walk
  31. Ehrbachklamm N° 72 Ehrbachklamm Hunsrück, Germany Gorge walk
  32. Saklıkent Gorge N° 75 Saklıkent Gorge Fethiye, Turkey Gorge walk
  33. Eldorado Canyon N° 76 Eldorado Canyon Eldorado Springs, United States Gorge walk
  34. Teufelsschlucht N° 77 Teufelsschlucht Ernzen, Germany Gorge walk
  35. Garganta de los Infiernos N° 78 Garganta de los Infiernos Jerte, Spain Gorge walk
  36. Indian Canyons N° 82 Indian Canyons Palm Springs, United States Gorge walk
  37. Ausable Chasm N° 84 Ausable Chasm Keeseville, United States Gorge walk
  38. Wadi Lajab N° 85 Wadi Lajab Jazan, Saudi Arabia Gorge walk
  39. Meiringskloof N° 86 Meiringskloof Fouriesburg, South Africa Gorge walk
  40. Gola dell’Infernaccio N° 89 Gola dell’Infernaccio Montefortino, Italy Gorge walk
  41. Wadi El Weshwash N° 90 Wadi El Weshwash Nuweiba, Egypt Gorge walk
  42. Vero River Canyon N° 92 Vero River Canyon Alquézar, Spain Gorge walk
  43. Marafa Hell’s Kitchen N° 95 Marafa Hell’s Kitchen Marafa, Kenya Gorge walk
  44. Dismals Canyon N° 96 Dismals Canyon Phil Campbell, United States Gorge walk
  45. Boynton Canyon N° 97 Boynton Canyon Sedona, United States Gorge walk
  46. Enfield Glen N° 98 Enfield Glen Ithaca, United States Gorge walk
  47. Hamersley Gorge N° 99 Hamersley Gorge Karijini, Australia Gorge walk
  48. Gole dell’Alcantara N° 100 Gole dell’Alcantara Sicily, Italy Gorge walk

Best by region

  1. The NordicsFjaðrárgljúfurKirkjubæjarklaustur, IcelandN° 91
  2. EuropeHöllentalklammGrainau, GermanyN° 3
  3. AsiaTiger Leaping GorgeYunnan, ChinaN° 30
  4. The Middle EastHorma CanyonPınarbaşı, TurkeyN° 7
  5. North AmericaAntelope CanyonPage, United StatesN° 1
  6. Latin AmericaGüejar CanyonMesetas, ColombiaN° 17
  7. AfricaBlyde River CanyonMpumalanga, South AfricaN° 11
  8. OceaniaPatuna ChasmMartinborough, New ZealandN° 58

Best by kind

  1. Rim canyonsGrand CanyonArizona, United StatesN° 2
  2. Gorge walksHöllentalklammGrainau, GermanyN° 3
  3. Slot canyonsAntelope CanyonPage, United StatesN° 1
  4. River canyonsKaranlık CanyonKemaliye, TurkeyN° 12

Best by country

  1. United StatesAntelope CanyonPageN° 1
  2. SpainCares GorgePicos de EuropaN° 4
  3. AustriaSeisenbergklammWeißbach bei LoferN° 5
  4. TurkeyHorma CanyonPınarbaşıN° 7
  5. BrazilItaimbezinho CanyonCambará do SulN° 25