The world’s 9 best treetop walks

Monteverde in Costa Rica is famous for its cloud forests. And what better way to immerse yourself in this lush tropical vegetation, often wreathed in mist, than on a rainforest canopy walk?

The Monteverde Skywalk spans several canyons and five bridges, at heights up to 70 metres. You’ll experience the breathtaking biodiversity at all levels of the forest, with a fully-trained naturalist on hand to point out the monkeys, toucans and other incredible flora and fauna lucky enough to call this piece of paradise home.

The trail ends in a beautiful hummingbird garden. Perfect.

More information: skyadventures.travel

Designed to immerse you in the forest and leave the eco system untouched, the Valley of the Giants treetop walk will lead you through stunning eucalyptus trees, 90 metres tall, in south-west corner of Western Australia.

Some of the trees are up to 400 years old. The walk takes you 40 metres into the tree canopy, leaving you suspended effortlessly in the air, the walkway moving gently just like the sway of the trees. An ideal place to stop, reflect, and connect with nature.

More information: treetopwalk.com.au

Known as Senda dil Dragun (‘Way of the Dragon’), this 1.5 kilometre walkway leads through thick forest, at eye level with the trees, and is the longest in the world. It connects the two villages of Laax Murschetg and Laax Dorf in the Grisons region of Switzerland and offers far-reaching views of the Alps as well.

The walkway is 28 metres high and offers viewing platforms dotted along the way. There are also interpretive panels about the forest's flora and fauna. At the end, the more adventurous can leave the walkway via a spiral slide.

More information: flimslaax.com

Deep in the rainforests of central Guyana, the Iwokrama Canopy Walkway looks like something straight out of an Indiana Jones movie. At 154 metres long, it’s short. But it packs in a lot of adventure into that short length.

This rickety walkway is not for the fainthearted. It features a series of suspension bridges linking tree-nestled platforms and a birds-eye view not just of the canopy, but of monkeys, sloths and over 800 species of birds.

More information: iwokramacanopywalkway.com

Kew Gardens is one of the world’s first and most important botanical gardens. Towering 18 metres above the ground, the Treetop Walkway is a chance to get closer to the garden’s incredible trees.

The distinctive walkway was designed by the same architects that created the London Eye and winds its way through a canopy sweet chestnut, oak and lime trees. It is particularly pretty in autumn.

Make sure you follow the path to the Rhizotron, an underground lab specially constructed to study the soil. 

More information: kew.org

Straddling a lush ravine in Rwanda’s Nyungwe National Park, this canopy walkway offers a birds-eye view of ancient treetops and abundant wildlife in one of the most bio-diverse spots on the planet. 70 metres high and 160 metres long, this spectacular suspension bridge was voted the world’s best canopy walk in 2019..

Getting to the walkway is an adventure in itself. The walk from the Uwinka Reception Centre along the Igishigishigi trail takes about an hour and is often muddy. But you’ll be accompanied by the colourful butterflies and birds endemic to the region. You may even spot one of the 13 primate species – including chimpanzees – that call this park home.

More information: visitrwanda.com

The 50-metre-tall Supertrees at Marina Bay may be more vertical gardens than trees but they are spectacular. They support more than 200 plant species, including vines, ferns, orchids and bromeliads, and have quickly become one of Singapore’s most iconic sights.

The steel Supertrees are linked by an elevated, curving walkway, 22 metres high and 128 metres long. The views of the gardens and across the city are magical, especially at night when a sound-and-light show baths Marina Bay in a myriad of colours.

More information: gardensbythebay.com.sg

The sinuous Centenary Tree Canopy Walkway in Cape Town's world-famous Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden was built in 2014 to celebrate the park’s centenary. Inspired by a snake’s skeleton, it winds and dips its way through and over the indigenous and exotic trees of the Arboretum.

The walkway rises from the forest floor into and through the trees before bursting out above the canopy, giving spectacular panoramic vistas of Table Mountain and the surrounding gardens. Information boards providing details of the exotic plant and bird species you’ll spot along the way.

More information: sanbi.org

There is no shortage of treetop walkways in the USA, but for the longest – and some would say the most beautiful – you need to head to Midland in Michigan. And in particular, the Whiting Forest of Dow Gardens.

The walkway here is 1,400 foot long and rises four-storeys high into red pines and a plethora of deciduous trees. The pathway has three arms. A Spruce Arm, with cargo nets visitors can jump into. A Pond Arm, offering tranquil views over an ornamental lake. And an Orchard Arm, with a glass floor for a unique perspective of the trees and gardens below.

More information: dowgardens.org

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Introducing the world’s longest treetop walk