Komoot: Plan Hiking and Cycling Routes with Offline Turn-by-Turn Navigation

Komoot is a route-planning app built specifically for hikers, cyclists, and mountain bikers who want more control over their routes than apps like AllTrails provide. Rather than browsing a database of preset trails, Komoot lets you draw your own route on a map — and then it analyzes the terrain, surface types, and elevation to tell you what the route will actually be like. You can plan a route from your front door to a destination miles away and have turn-by-turn voice navigation guide you the whole way.

The app uses a European design philosophy that has made it enormously popular with touring cyclists and thru-hikers. It focuses on practical detail: how much of the route is paved versus gravel versus singletrack, which segments are suitable for which activity type, and whether the terrain matches your fitness and experience. Each route you plan comes with a difficulty rating and a "fitness score" that estimates how demanding it will be.

Komoot is free to download. The core app comes with one free regional map of your choice. You can purchase additional regional maps individually or buy a "World Pack" that unlocks all maps globally with a one-time fee. For most people starting out, one regional map covers all the trails and roads within a reasonable distance of home.

One feature that sets Komoot apart is its offline navigation. Once you have downloaded a regional map, navigation works without any cell service. Voice prompts guide you through turns, and the map displays your position using GPS even in areas with no connectivity. For backcountry hikes or remote cycling routes where cell signals are unreliable, this is a significant advantage.