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Backpacking is often seen as a style of travel thats cheap, hard, and mainly suitable for the young.Travel + Leisurepeels back myth from reality, exploring backpacking trips for all ages and budgets.

If you want to walk all 2,650 miles of the Pacific Crest Trail, take a four-day hike up Perus Inca Trail to Machu Picchu, or bum around Southeast Asia for a month, just check that you sit down well in advance and tease out all the details, from visas to bus routes.

Read on for our tips, tricks, and guides to help you make that epic backpacking journey a reality.

Three photos from Thailand with the words Destination of the Year overlaid on top

Trip Ideas

Pair of photos from the Ovo Patagonia hotel in Argentina

composite of images of products tested by editors

A colorful illustration referencing retirement themes

Woman hiking at lake

Teens hike John Muir Trail

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park

Amazing hikes around the world

Reasons to Visit Peru