For at least 10 years we’ve hemmed and hawed trying to come up with a defendable list of the best day hikes around the world.
Here’s (finally) our first draft. Two from Norway!
Each is unique. Unforgettable. Each just might change your life.
top 10 day hikes
#1) Harder Ridge, Interlaken, Switzerland
#2) Besseggen Ridge, Norway
#3) Tongariro Alpine Crossing, New Zealand
#4) Zion Narrows Top-Down Route, Utah
#5) Reinebringen, Lofoten, Norway
#6) Alpine Circuit, Lake O’Hara, Canada
#7) Caminito del Rey, Spain
#8) The Wave, Arizona
#9) Puez-Odle Altopiano, Dolomites, Italy
10) Göreme, Cappadocia, Turkey
Leave a comment if you have any great day hikes to add.
Update:
Julia recommends the Dawson-Pitamakan Loop in Glacier National Park, Montana. And one of the many great day hikes out of El Chalten in Patagonia — perhaps Laguna de Los Tres.
besthike.com 
For me, I’d have to add the Dawson-Pitamakan Loop in Glacier National Park, US. Although it can be an overnighter it’s also more than possible as a long-ish day. Huge scenery and lots of wildlife potential too.
I’d also include something in Patagonia – and for day hikes you can’t go far wrong around El Chalten. My favourite would be Laguna de Los Tres for the postcard views of Mount Fitz Roy – in my opinion one of the most beautiful mountains in the world.
On the flip side, I’m not sure about the Tongariro Crossing. Although the landscape is fascinating, walking in a conga line all the way up the ascent – only to be surrounded by screaming groups and loud music blaring from speakers etc etc, completely took away from the experience for us! And this was in the ‘shoulder’ season… I personally preferred other day hikes in New Zealand: Hooker Valley, Key Summit, Avalanche Peak amongst others. But each to their own 🙂
Thanks Julia. I’m going to mention some of your recommendations in the original post.
One of my personal favorite is into the Haleakala Crater on Maui, specifically the Keonehe’ehe’e (Sliding Sands) Trail to Halemau’u Trailhead. I have a write up about it here having done it every time I visit Maui: https://travel2walk.com/2017/05/20/trip-report-maui-january-2017/#hale
My personal, completely biased, U.S.-centric top five list in no particular order:
1. Zion Narrows Top Down, Utah
2. Harding Icefield, Alaska
3. Panorama/Mist/Four Mile Trail Loop, California
4. Eagle Creek Trail, Oregon (sadly closed indefinitely due to fire)
5. Chesler Park/Joint Trail Loop, Utah
Never been hiking in New Zealand, Norway, or Switzerland but hiked all over Patagonia, and the above trails easily beat out my favorite hikes there!