Your knees will probably hate you. Let's just get that out of the way first. When people talk about the biggest steps in the world, they usually mean one of two things: the physical size of the individual slabs or the sheer, soul-crushing number of them in a single climb. Honestly, most travelers are looking for the latter—those massive, vertical marathons that make your quads scream for mercy while your eyes soak in some of the most ridiculous views on the planet.
It isn't just about fitness. These massive staircases are feats of engineering, or sometimes, just relics of ancient desperation. From the mist-covered peaks of China to the humid jungles of Colombia, humanity has a weird obsession with stacking stone and wood until it reaches the clouds.
Why Mount Niesen is the Absolute King of Verticality
If we are talking about pure numbers, the Niesenbahn funicular in Switzerland holds the undisputed crown. It’s official. The Guinness World Records folks say so. There are 11,674 steps running alongside the train tracks.
Imagine that for a second.
Eleven thousand.
It’s essentially a 3.4-kilometer staircase that gains 1,669 meters in altitude. The catch? You can’t actually hike it whenever you want. Because the stairs are narrow and run right next to the cable car, they are closed to the public for 364 days a year. If you try to sneak on there, you're going to have a very bad time with Swiss authorities. However, once a year, they open it up for the "Niesenlauf" staircase run. It’s brutal. The best athletes finish it in about an hour, which is frankly terrifying when you consider the average person would probably need a helicopter evacuation by step 5,000.
The Biggest Steps in the World You Can Actually Climb Today
So, if the Swiss giant is off-limits, where do you go for a real workout? You head to China. Specifically, the Tianmen Mountain "Heaven’s Gate" stairs in Zhangjiajie. This isn't just a staircase; it's a visual assault. There are 999 steps leading up to a natural rock arch that looks like a literal hole in the sky.
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Why 999? Because in Chinese culture, nine is a lucky number associated with eternity. Climbing these isn't just a tourist trap experience; it's a pilgrimage. The steps are steep—sometimes at a 45-degree angle—and the mist often rolls in so thick you can't see the person five feet in front of you.
Then you have the Haiku Stairs in Hawaii. Or, well, you had them.
Commonly known as the "Stairway to Heaven," this 3,922-step path was originally built for the Navy in the 1940s. It’s been "closed" since the 80s, but that didn't stop thousands of people from trespassing every year to get that perfect Instagram shot. As of 2024 and 2025, the local government finally started the removal process because of liability and neighborhood complaints. It's a tragedy for some, but a relief for others who were tired of seeing tourists get stuck on a crumbling metal ladder in the middle of a ridge line.
Don't Forget the Stone Monolith of Guatapé
In Colombia, there’s a giant rock sticking out of the ground called El Peñol. It’s a massive ten-million-ton monolith. Back in the day, the only way up was through cracks in the stone. Now, someone had the bright idea to build 708 concrete steps directly into a massive fissure in the side of the rock. It looks like a giant zipper from a distance.
The steps are numbered.
Every ten steps or so, you'll see a yellow painted number on the ground. It’s both a blessing and a curse. At step 300, you feel great. At step 600, you start questioning every life choice that led you to this specific Colombian hillside. But the view at the top—a 360-degree panorama of the Peñol-Guatapé reservoir—is arguably one of the best in South America.
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The Engineering Behind the World's Largest Physical Steps
Sometimes "biggest" refers to the dimensions of the steps themselves. Think about the Great Pyramids of Giza. If you’ve ever stood at the base of Khufu’s pyramid, you’ve noticed the blocks aren't exactly standard stair height.
- Ancient Scale: Some of these limestone blocks are over 1.5 meters tall.
- The Struggle: To climb them (which is now illegal, by the way), an average human has to use their hands and knees.
- Purpose: They weren't built for human feet; they were built as a permanent mountain for a dead king.
In modern architecture, the "Vessel" in New York’s Hudson Yards tried to reclaim the title of the most iconic staircase. It’s a honeycomb-like structure with 2,500 individual steps. While it doesn't have the raw height of the Niesen or Tianmen, the density of the stairs makes it feel like a M.C. Escher drawing come to life. Unfortunately, it has faced its own share of controversies and closures, proving that building the biggest steps in the world often comes with massive logistical and safety headaches.
Misconceptions About Staircase Safety
People think the biggest danger on these massive climbs is falling. It’s usually not.
The real danger is dehydration and "jelly legs." When you descend 2,000 steps, your eccentric muscle contractions—the ones that happen when you're braking—actually do more damage to your muscle fibers than the climb up. This is why people can't walk for three days after visiting the Batu Caves in Malaysia (272 bright, colorful, monkey-infested steps).
Speaking of Batu Caves, the monkeys are the real threat there. They don't care about the history of the Hindu shrine or your spiritual journey. They want your water bottle. And they will fight you for it.
Getting Ready for a Mega-Climb
If you're actually planning to tackle one of these, stop hitting the treadmill for five minutes and get on a StairMaster. There is no substitute for the vertical grind.
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But it's also about the gear. You see people trying to climb the 600+ steps of the Sagrada Familia towers in flip-flops. Don't be that person. Your ankles need support. Most of these old-world staircases are uneven. One step might be four inches deep, and the next might be twelve.
What to Pack
- Electrolytes: Water isn't enough when you're sweating through your shirt in the first ten minutes.
- Knee Braces: Especially if you're over 30. Your patellas will thank you on the way down.
- Patience: On popular routes like the Eiffel Tower (674 steps to the second floor), you’ll be stuck behind people who stop to take selfies every thirty seconds.
The Cultural Weight of the Climb
There is something deeply human about stairs. We could build elevators everywhere—and we often do—but the world's most famous steps remain popular because the struggle is the point. Climbing the 526 steps of St. Paul’s Cathedral in London or the 400 steps of the Duomo in Florence gives you a sense of the scale of these buildings that an elevator simply can't provide. You feel the thickness of the walls. You smell the old stone.
In many places, the biggest steps in the world serve as a barrier between the mundane and the sacred. By the time you reach the top of a temple staircase in Cambodia, you’ve "earned" the view. You’re out of breath, your heart is pounding, and you’re forced to slow down. That’s probably the real secret. These stairs aren't just for transport. They are for transition.
Practical Steps for Your Next Vertical Adventure
Before you book a flight to Switzerland or China, do a quick audit of your physical limits. If you have any history of heart issues or severe knee problems, some of these climbs—especially at high altitudes like in the Andes or the Himalayas—can be genuinely dangerous.
- Check the Season: Climbing 999 steps in a humid Chinese summer is a completely different beast than doing it in the cool autumn air.
- Verify Access: As we saw with the Haiku Stairs, these "attractions" close frequently for maintenance or legal reasons. Always check local government sites the week of your trip.
- Time Your Ascent: Aim for sunrise. Not only is the light better for photos, but you avoid the heat and the crushing crowds that arrive via tour bus at 10:00 AM.
- Descend with Care: Take it slow. Most accidents happen on the way down when muscles are tired and focus slips. Use the handrails, even if you think you look "cool" without them.
The world is full of these vertical challenges. Whether it’s a modern steel structure or a crumbling ancient path, the biggest steps on Earth offer a perspective you just can’t get from a drone shot or a postcard. Pack the ibuprofen, lace up your boots, and just keep moving upward. One step at a time. Seriously. Only one. Trying to skip steps on the Niesen is a recipe for a very long slide back down.