Massive glaciers, staggering mountains, plains dotted with wild animals: Our planet sure is incredible. In fact, when looking at the most beautiful places in the world, it can feel impossible to decide where to visit next. The islands of Southeast Asia? The deserts of the Middle East? How about the countless travel-worthy sites right here in the United States?
While pinpointing all of Mother Nature’s greatest hits could take a lifetime, we think these 51 staggering landscapes and awe-inspiring wonders—from Antarctica to Zimbabwe—need to move to the very top of your travel list. Whether you’re looking for beaches, forests, or national parks, you’re sure to find you new favorite destination below.
This gallery has been updated with new information since its original publish date.
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The Azores, Portugal
Roughly 900 miles off the coast of Lisbon, this Portuguese archipelago can inspire wanderlust with a single photo. The verdant valleys, steep oceanside cliffs, rows of blue hydrangeas, and scattering of waterfalls make the Azores a paradise worth exploring. Just make sure you visit before everyone you know beats you to it.
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Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania
Africa’s highest peak seems more striking than a lot of other famous mountains, because it’s an ancient stratovolcano that’s not part of any mountain range. That means the 19,000-foot summit drops down to vast, flat plains on all sides, making it a mirage-like blip on Tanzania’s widespread topography. As an added bonus, the peak requires no technical mountaineering skills to summit, so even novice hikers can cross this item off their bucket list.
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Wulingyuan Scenic Area, China
“Scenic’ might be an understatement here: This 100-square-mile attraction in China’s Hunan Province contains thousands of sandstone pillars that are nature’s version of skyscrapers—some even stretch taller than the Empire State Building’s midpoint.
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Arashiyama Bamboo Grove, Japan
Every traveler should experience the ethereal glow and seemingly endless heights of this bamboo grove on the outskirts of Kyoto. The experience even extends beyond the visual realm: In 1996, Japan’s Ministry of the Environment included the sounds here—wood creaking, leaves rustling—as one of the top 100 Soundscapes of Japan.
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Antarctica
That’s right, we put an entire continent on here. Although 99 percent of Antarctica is covered with ice, the landscape still manages to be stunningly diverse—surreal blue glaciers, active volcanoes, the rough waterways of the Drake Passage, and 360-degree views of untouched snow. And those views are made even better when an emperor penguin or humpback whale makes an appearance.
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Na Pali Coast, Hawaii
Kauai has one of the world’s most gorgeous coastlines, with towering waterfalls and isolated crescent beaches. Just be prepared to put in a little effort to soak up its wonders: Na Pali can only be seen from a helicopter, catamaran, or a rather grueling hike.
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Namib Desert, Namibia
With its otherworldly landscapes and isolated luxury lodges—not to mention populations of rhinos, giraffes, and elephants—Namibia is like nowhere else on Earth. In fact, its red sand dunes and skeletal trees might make you think you’ve been transported to Mars instead of Southwest Africa.
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Reynisfjara, Iceland
If the moon had a shoreline, it would probably look something like Reynisfjara. Just a 20-minute drive from Vik in southern Iceland, jet-black sand and spectacularly shaped basalt columns make this beach one of the most impressive sites in an already impressive country.
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Capri, Italy
Few parts of the world can claim such a range of natural beauty as Italy, with craggy peaks and verdant hills to turquoise waters lined by white-sand beaches. But the island of Capri easily numbers among the most gorgeous (and most glamorous) spots in the country.
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Cappadocia, Turkey
Cappadocia, an area in Turkey where entire cities have been carved into rock, is pretty incredible on its own. But whenever hot air balloons pepper the sky—with many floating up right at sunrise—its beauty level literally skyrockets.
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Angel Falls, Venezuela
Venezuela overflows with natural wonders, including the world’s highest waterfall: the 3,212-foot cascades of Angel Falls, located in the UNESCO-protected Canaima National Park. Canaima is by far the country’s most popular attraction, and the falls stretch an astounding 19 times higher than Niagara Falls. Bonus: Pixar animators used the location as inspiration for Paradise Falls in Up—so you know it’s good.
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Galápagos Islands, Ecuador
Do we really have to explain the allure of the Galápagos? If you can, make it a priority to visit this of-another-time stretch of Ecuador, with dinosaur-like giant tortoises lumbering through the tall grass and real-life blue-footed boobies. (Pro tip: A cruise is definitely the preferred way to explore the islands; Celebrity Cruise’s Xpedition ferries just 100 passengers and holds nightly lectures by naturalists from Galápagos National Park.)
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Cliffs of Moher, Ireland
Few places exemplify the raw, untamed beauty of Ireland’s west coast like this natural wonder, which tops 702 feet at the highest point. And while you might know them better as the Cliffs of Insanity from The Princess Bride, in reality, the cliffs are located just south of Galway.
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The Great Barrier Reef, Australia
Although the Great Barrier Reef (aka the largest living thing on Earth) can be seen from space, the best vantage point belongs to the avid snorkelers and scuba divers who visit each year. If you must resurface, do it at the Whitsundays—namely Whitehaven Beach, often considered to be one of the world’s most beautiful beaches.
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The Grand Canyon, Arizona
Grand Canyon National Park, often called one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World, is on most travelers’ lists for a reason. Plan to hike some of the park’s most scenic loops—like Horseshoe Bend and the South Rim Trail—to get views of the rocky badlands of the Painted Desert, Navajo Nation, and even a waterfall or two.
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Machu Picchu, Peru
While the intricate stone ruins of Machu Picchu are the work of 15th-century Incans, the site’s natural setting makes it even more alluring. Perched atop the flattened peak of a mountain, the ancient Wonder of the World benefits from the famous backdrop of Huayna Picchu, lush green surfaces, and a barrier of Andean peaks that, despite the landmark’s fame, makes you feel like you've stumbled upon a secret.
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Mount Fuji, Japan
It’s hard to pick the single most beautiful place in Japan, but 12,388-foot Mount Fuji just might take the prize. Visit Lake Kawaguchiko in the spring for some of the best views of the mountain and cherry blossom trees—a postcard-worthy sight if we ever saw one. Or if you’re an avid hiker, plan a trip for mid-July until the end of August, when the snow melts enough to allow access to Fuji’s summit.
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The Amazon
Covering roughly 40 percent of South America, including parts of Brazil, Peru, and Colombia, the Amazon is the largest rainforest on the planet, and home to more than 40,000 plant species and 1,300 bird species alone. But be sure to visit the winding rivers and diverse wildlife while you can—climate change (along with man-made fires) is increasingly whittling away the habitat every day.
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Serengeti National Park, Tanzania
Tanzania’s portion of the Serengeti is the ideal location for an African adventure. Visit between January and March to witness the wonder that is the Great Migration, an iconic phenomenon that sees 1.5 million wildebeest sweep through East Africa on an annual, 1,200-mile cycle.
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Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia
Southwest Bolivia’s Salar de Uyuni is the largest salt flat in the world, and is about as surreal as landscapes come. When dry, the flat is a sheet of blindingly white salt tiles. During the wet season, the shallow lake mirrors the sky, creating a dreamy illusion of infinity.
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Sequoia National Park, California
This central-Californian park is home to some 8,000 colossal sequoia trees—the gentle giants of the tree world. “General Sherman,” a tree named for the Civil War general, is the hero of these treasured acres: It stands 275 feet tall and 25 feet wide, making it the largest known single-stem tree on the planet.
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Torres del Paine National Park, Chile
With its granite pillars, azure lakes, and steppes spotted with grazing guanacos, Torres del Paine is one of the most impressive sites in the entire Southern Hemisphere. It also happens to be an extremely popular destination for hikers: The ultra-ambitious can travel the Full Circuit—crossing the entire park—in nine days.
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Socotra, Yemen
Nearly 350 miles off the southern coast of Yemen, Socotra has both the remoteness and surrealism of a distant planet. The UFO-like dragon’s blood trees are the island’s most notable feature—we dare you to find those in your neighborhood park.
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Palawan, Philippines
With its blue lagoons and limestone cliffs, it’s easy to see why Palawan was voted one of the best islands in the world by our readers. It is also home to the otherworldly Puerto Princesa Subterranean River, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that travels five miles through an underground cave system.
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Victoria Falls, Zambia and Zimbabwe
Nothing compares to standing in front of the world’s largest waterfall, which stretches in length for a full mile. Visit between February and May (after the region’s rainy season) for the clearest views of the 500 million liters of water that pour over the falls every 60 seconds.
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The Lofoten Islands, Norway
Located 800 miles from Oslo and 95 miles north of the Arctic Circle, the Lofoten archipelago is known for its remote, rugged beauty. Here you’ll find clear blue waters that rival the Mediterranean, craggy mountains that rival Iceland, and enough edgy museums and fishing villages to rival...well, just about anywhere in Scandinavia.
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Avenue of the Baobabs, Madagascar
Separated from continental Africa by 250 miles of water, Madagascar is adventure personified. The island nation’s secrets include giant moths, bug-eyed lemurs, and places like the surreal Avenue of the Baobabs, where the centuries-old trees reach heights of nearly 100 feet.
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Ha Long Bay, Vietnam
Ha Long Bay, located in northeast Vietnam, is beloved for its blue waters and spread of limestone islands, all occupied by tropical trees and wildlife. Board a Chinese junk boat to experience the beauty (and associated myths and stories) of the mist-shrouded emerald basin for yourself.
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Laguna Colorada, Bolivia
About a three-hour drive north of Chile’s San Pedro de Atacama, this salt lake in the shadow of the Andes is known for its blood-red waters—the result of algae that thrive in extreme heat. Flamingos (and the lake) look their best from December to April: That’s when the lake is full of water, making it more reflective for photos, and the birds are breeding. Be sure to try and catch the lake at sunset, when it’s at its reddest.
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Banff National Park, Canada
Easily one of the most beautiful spots in Canada, Banff National Park overwhelms with views of the Canadian Rockies and a regular cast of animals. The park is also known for its abundance of beautiful lakes, including Lake Louise, Moraine Lake, and glacial Lake Minnewanka—each more pristine than the last.
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Namaqualand, South Africa
Namaqualand, a region spanning South Africa’s Northern Cape Province and the Namibian border, is known for its wildflowers, which usually bloom in the desert around August and September. Even if you miss that colorful window, the evergreen plants and mountains looming in the distance—not to mention the occasional antelope sighting—make Namaqualand a year-round destination.
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Monteverde Cloud Forest, Costa Rica
Costa Rica is known for its biodiversity, and the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve alone acts as proof. Reptiles, migratory birds, and bats, plus the highest diversity of orchids in the world (more than 500 known species) fill this nearly 26,000-acre region northwest of the capital of San José.
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Las Salinas de Torrevieja, Spain
Pink sand beaches are reason enough to hop on a plane to the Caribbean—but in Spain, you can swim in pink water. This rose-tinted lake located in Valencia is part of the gorgeous Las Salinas de Torrevieja National Park. It’s home to thousands of flamingos during breeding season, but most locals prefer to think of it as their natural spa—thanks to its high salt content, a quick float is both detoxing and exfoliating.
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Caucasus Mountains, Georgia
For adventurous travelers who have grown tired of the crowded mountain trails in the Alps or or reservation-only vineyards in France, Georgia has everything you need and then some (yes, including wine). The best way to witness the diversity of the country’s terrain is on its hiking trails, which wind through the Greater Caucasus mountain range dividing Europe from Asia.
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Zakynthos, Greece
Far less crowded than sister islands Mykonos and Santorini, Zakynthos has some of the most beautiful beaches in the Greek Isles—namely, Navagio Beach. Sheltered by cliffs, Navagio is only accessible by boat, and draws its name (“Shipwreck”) from a freighter that ran aground, was abandoned, and still rests in the beach’s white sands today.
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The Dark Hedges, Northern Ireland
This tree-lined road in Northern Ireland (which famously appeared in Season 1 of Game of Thrones) looks like the perfect place for a storybook villain to set up their lair—and we mean that as a compliment. Local legend has it that the Grey Lady (a ghost, not the New York Times) haunts the road at dusk.
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Lake Tekapo, New Zealand
While purple, pink, and blue-hued lupin flowers may not be native to New Zealand (they hail from North America), they really do seem to bloom most vibrantly on the Oceanian nation’s South Island. At Lake Tekapo, in particular, the flowers juxtapose against the backdrop of the crystal clear water to create one of the country’s most stunning vistas.
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Cameron Highlands, Malaysia
It’s hard to pick just one beautiful spot in geographically diverse Malaysia, but the Cameron Highlands might be the winner. Located in the state of Pahang, the 275-square-mile region is home to the largest tea plantations in the country—a place of fuzzy green hills rolling into the distance, where you can also explore butterfly gardens and strawberry farms.
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Vaadhoo Island, Maldives
The beaches at Vaadhoo Island in the Maldives have received their fair share of online swooning, and for good reason. The bioluminescent phytoplankton in the water’s reefs emanate a dazzling blue glow, making it look as though the stars have somehow found their way down to earth for the night—a phenomenon that has aptly become known as the “Sea of Stars.”
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Denali National Park, Alaska
Despite controversies over name changes and a shrinking elevation, Denali’s beauty is worth braving the extreme low temperatures. Make a road trip out of your visit, seeing as much of the 6 million acres of shimmering lakes and jagged mountains as you can.
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The Dead Sea, Israel and Jordan
Don’t let the name fool you. The Dead Sea is, in fact, a saline lake with palm tree-lined mountains and white, serpentine salt formations. The amount of salt in the electric-blue water makes swimming difficult (not to mention, inadvisable), but floating is a breeze.
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Plitvice Lakes National Park, Croatia
If you can make it through the crowds of selfie-taking tourists, you’ll discover that Plitvice Lakes National Park more than lives up to the hype. The 16 terraced lakes of Croatia’s most popular site are connected by waterfalls and vary in shades of blue, creating an infinitely dazzling result.
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Finnish Lapland
If your travel fantasies aren’t complete without a snowy setting, be sure to add Finnish Lapland to your list. While this northern region of Finland is lovely during the warmer months, try to plan your visit between November and March, when the trees are covered in thick layers of snow, huskies are eager to pull you around on a sled, and the Northern Lights are most likely to make an appearance.
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Isle of Skye, Scotland
With fairy pools and endless undulations of hills, the magical Isle of Skye is the stuff dreams are made of. While the nature here is timeless, the island also has a food scene that’s totally modern—we can’t think of a more beautiful place to sample Michelin-starred cuisine.
Francesco Riccardo Iacomino
Provence, France
The vast stretches of lavender fields make Provence one of the prettiest (and best-smelling) places in France. Distilleries—where the essential oil from the flowers are bottled and used to make soaps, lotions, and creams—dot the area, but the multitude of fields featuring unreal violet views are the real pride of the region.
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Raja Ampat, Indonesia
Raja Ampat is a chain of some 1,500 islands off the western coast of West Papua. The views here are downright prehistoric: think jagged lava peaks clad in green jungle, palms sprouting out of sheer cliff walls, and mist drifting in and out of deep canyons.
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Wadi Rum, Jordan
With its cliffs, caverns, natural arches, and Mars-like red sand, it’s no wonder Wadi Rum is so beloved by both tourists and directors. (Lawrence of Arabia, The Martian, and Rogue One are just some of the many movies that have been filmed here.) The site is just as stunning at night, when the sky transforms into an incomparable blanket of stars.
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Valle de Cocora, Colombia
Valle de Cocora is one of the most beautiful landscapes in Colombia—and that’s saying something. The park (about a 7-hour drive west of Bogotá) is filled with the tallest palm trees in the world at nearly 200 feet, which look even more incredible set against the backdrop of misty green hills and craggy mountains.
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Trolltunga, Norway
Any Pinterest or Instagram user has probably seen a photo of Trolltunga (“Troll’s Tongue”), Norway’s undeniable photography darling. The protruding rock sits about 2,300 feet above Lake Ringedalsvatnet, tempting travelers to inch out to the edge. Unfortunately, Trolltunga has fallen prey to “death by popularity” and local organizations have called for tourist caps to protect the site. But even if you don’t get your once-in-a-lifetime profile picture on the rock’s edge, you can still soak up some epic fjord views from the surrounding mountain area.
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Rakotzbrücke, Germany
Hidden in Kromlau’s Azalea and Rhododendron Park, just a two-hour drive southeast of Berlin, Rakotzsee (Rakotz Lake) is home to one of the most fairytale-like scenes you’ll ever see: Rakotzbrücke, a 19th-century stone bridge that creates a perfect circle when reflected in the waters below. It’s often referred to as “Devil's Bridge,” since the dramatic structure seems so impossible that it must have been built by an otherworldly force.
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The Baths, British Virgin Islands
Virgin Gorda is the third largest of the British Virgin Islands, with natural beauty covering virtually all of its 8.5 square miles. The island offers quiet beaches and coves and flora-filled national parks. Perhaps the prettiest (and most popular attraction), though, is the Baths, a seaside area where huge granite boulders form scenic saltwater pools and grottos.