The 55 Most Beautiful Places in the World
May 26, 2021The world has a whole lot of jaw-dropping places—this you know. But have you ever thought of them all at the same time? We decided it needed to be done. Here, the 55 most beautiful places in the world. Though you should be warned: You’re about to be hit with an onslaught of wanderlust.
Tomas Sereda/Getty Images
1/55
1. Seljalandsfoss, Iceland
One of the most famous waterfalls in Iceland’s south region, Seljalandsfoss is a must-visit stop on any drive along the ring road.
alfnqn/Getty Images
2/55
2. Torres del Paine National Park, Chile
This protected land in the Patagonia region is a mix of mountains, glaciers, forests and lakes. Pro tip: Visit during Chile’s summer (our winter) since the sun doesn’t set on the soaring granite pillars until after 10 p.m.
Shujian123/Getty Images
3/55
3. Li River, China
Take a river cruise down the Li, which runs 85 kilometers through the region of Guangxi in southern China, for some of the country’s most incredible scenery.
Gehringj/Getty Images
4/55
4. Manarola, Italy
One of the quaint fishing villages that make up the colorful Cinque Terre, Manarola is rife with grapevines, lemon groves and medieval walls. You can only imagine the views from here.
Rob_Weir/Getty Images
5/55
5. Namib-Naukluft National Park, Namibia
This national park and nature reserve occupies part of the Namib Desert. Wild game like mountain zebras, ostriches and kudus roam over the red sand dunes.
DEA / C. DANI I. JESKE/ Getty Images
6/55
6. Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park, California
Possibly the most scenic stop along Big Sur, the McWay Falls plunge 80 feet over a gorgeous sandy shore and into the Pacific Ocean.
MarinM303/Getty Images
7/55
7. Na Pali Coast State Park, Hawaii
This state park comprises 17 miles of rugged Kauai coastline. Hikers can walk along the cliffs and valleys covered in lush forests while taking in panoramic views of the Pacific.
8/55
8. Pamukkale, Turkey
Pamukkale, which means “cotton castle,” is a stack of white travertine mineral pools in southwest Turkey. The UNESCO World Heritage Site looks over the Byzantine-Roman city of Denizli.
Chan Srithaweeporn/Getty Images
9/55
9. Antelope Canyon, Arizona
Visit in the early morning before the crowds pile in and you’ll see light beams gliding in and out of the slot canyon, making it seem like the walls are on fire.
Ranplett/Getty Images
10/55
10. Lake Louise, Canada
Set inside Banff National Park in the Canadian Rockies, Lake Louise is a year-round resort destination. On a sunny day, the impossibly blue lake reflects the surrounding snowcapped mountains.
IakovKalinin/Getty Images
11/55
11. Krabi, Thailand
If we ever want to go off the grid, you’ll find us in this tropical Thai paradise. We don’t need much more in life than these mangrove forests and majestic blue waters framed by limestone cliffs.
Stas Perov/Getty Images
12/55
12. Lake Lugano, Switzerland
This picture-perfect glacial lake is the Swiss equivalent of Italy’s Lake Como. Around it, the city of Lugano is a melting pot of Swiss and Mediterranean culture.
4FR/Getty Images
13/55
13. Table Mountain, South Africa
The most iconic landscape in South Africa, Table Mountain looks over Cape Town from 3,558 feet above the sea. You can see its flat peak from almost anywhere in the city, often surrounded by clouds.
Pabliscua/Getty Images
14/55
14. Uyuni Salt Flats, Bolivia
The result of a prehistoric lake that dried up, this area in southwest Bolivia is now covered by bright-white salt formations that give the illusion of walking in the clouds.
Simon Bradfield/Getty Images
15/55
15. Milford Sound, New Zealand
Within Fiordland National Park you’ll find Milford Sound, the poster for New Zealand’s South Island. (You might recognize the jaw-dropping landscape from The Lord of the Rings.)
Aphotostory/Getty Images
16/55
16. Zhangjiajie National Forest, China
This national park in China’s Hunan province was used as a model for the setting of the movie Avatar. It features dozens of pillar-like mountains reaching toward the sky.
Light-Lab/Getty Images
17/55
17. Douro Valley, Portugal
You’ve never seen a wine country like this before. Hundreds of vineyards—called quintas—grow grapes on the steep, undulating hills surrounding the Douro River.
Sumroeng/Getty Images
18/55
18. Mount Fuji, Japan
This active volcano just southwest of Tokyo has a reverent status in Japanese culture, as it is believed to be the country’s holiest mountain. During springtime, cherry blossoms light up the five lakes surrounding it.
SBthegreenman/Getty Images
19/55
19. Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming
Visit Grand Teton National Park during any season and it will punch you in the gut (ya know, in the best way). The park includes the Teton mountain range and Jackson Hole valley.
Platongkoh/Getty Images
20/55
20. Bagan, Myanmar
This archeological area encompasses more than 2,000 Buddhist temples, pagodas and monuments that date back to the kingdom of Pagan in the ninth century.
Jason_YU/Getty Images
21/55
21. Zhangye National Geopark, China
No, these mountains haven’t been spray-painted. They’re made up of layers of different-colored sandstone and minerals that have been pressed together for over 24 million years.
IakovKalinin/Getty Images
22/55
22. Reine, Norway
This fishing village sits above the Arctic Circle in Norway’s Lofoten Islands and has a population of about 300. Just imagine the northern lights from here.
Robyn Mackenzie/Getty Images
23/55
23. Twelve Apostles, Australia
We’d drive the 150-mile Great Ocean Road in Victoria just for a glimpse of these dreamy limestone stacks. After several apostles collapsed, only nine remain off the coast of Port Campbell National Park (but, yes, that’s still the name).
Agustavop/Getty Images
24/55
24. Iguazu Falls, Argentina
One of the seven new natural wonders of the world, these incredible waterfalls frame the Argentina-Brazil border. Together they make up the largest system of waterfalls in the world, and you won’t be able to look without losing your breath.
FedevPhoto/Getty Images
25/55
25. Cliffs of Moher, Ireland
These famous cliffs in County Clare have made several big-screen appearances in movies like Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets and The Princess Bride.
Tororo/Getty Images
26/55
26. Arashiyama Bamboo Forest, Japan
On the outskirts of Kyoto, this giant bamboo grove is filled with thick, green towering stalks that sway and creek to the rhythm of the wind.
Javarman3/Getty Images
27/55
27. Socotra, Yemen
Often described as the most alien-looking place on earth, this small island in the Arabian Sea is known for its unique dragon blood trees. In fact, about a third of the plant life in Socotra exists nowhere else in the world.
Fazon1/Getty Images
28/55
28. Palawan, Philippines
Remote and sparsely populated, Palawan just might be the most beautiful island in the world. It’s basically a long sliver of villages surrounded by crystal-clear water, lagoons and lush forest.
Maximoangel/Getty Images
29/55
29. Chefchaouen, Morocco
Nicknamed the blue city, this locale in northern Morocco’s Rif Mountains is known for its blue-washed walls, serpentine cobblestone streets and Moorish architecture.
Ekaterina Belova/Getty Images
30/55
30. Ipanema Beach, Brazil
There’s a reason Rio de Janeiro’s famous coastline is one of the most photographed landscapes in the world. It’s always summer on the endless stretch of sand framed by the Two Brothers Mountain.
AlxPin/Getty Images
31/55
31. Champs lyses, France
Sure, gazing from the top of the Arc de Triomphe onto Paris’s main avenue is basically looking at a concrete jungle. But it’s the prettiest damn concrete jungle in the world.
Sean Pavone/Getty Images
32/55
32. Ronda, Spain
This Andalucían city stands atop El Tajo gorge, which the Guadalevín River flows through. A jaw-dropping bridge connects the 15th-century “new” town from the old city that dates back to Moorish rule.
Demerzel21/Getty Images
33/55
33. Reynisfjara Beach, Iceland
Iceland could basically be on another planet. Just look at this black sand beach framed by basalt columns near the village of Vik on the country’s south coast.
Mbbirdy/Getty Images
34/55
34. Oia, Greece
Santorini might be a cliché, but it’s a cliché for good reason. The island’s most famous village is Oia, where narrow, hilly streets lined with whitewashed houses and pink bougainvillea lead to the cobalt Aegean Sea.
Simon Dannhauer/Getty Images
35/55
35. Monteverde, Costa Rica
Haven’t you always wanted to walk on the canopy of the rain forest? Well, in this Costa Rican mountain town, suspension bridges span thick cloud forests, coffee plantations and volcano peaks.
Tonda/Getty Images
36/55
36. The Maroon Bells, Colorado
The most photographed spot in Colorado, the Maroon Bells are twin peaks in Aspen’s Elk Mountains, separated by a glacial lake and surrounded by national forest. Swoon.
Tobias Helbig/Getty Images
37/55
37. White Desert, Egypt
Sahra al-Beida (called the “White Desert” in English) is a barren stretch of white rock spires and chalk towers. It’s located in Farafra, an area inhabited mostly by bedouins.
Benjamin Howell/Getty Images
38/55
38. The Pitons, Saint Lucia
Sure, there are plenty of stunning Caribbean destinations, but the view of the Piton Mountains overlooking the colorful town of Soufrière is something you’ve gotta see for yourself.
StevenZZ/Getty Images
39/55
39. Cliffs of Etretat, France
They were stunning enough for Monet to paint…so that’s reason enough for us.
Javarman3/Getty Images
40/55
40. Tea Plantations of Munnar, India
This town in India’s Kerala state sits at the intersection of three mountain streams. It’s best known for its sweeping hills covered in tea plantations and verdant forests.
Nikpal/Getty images
41/55
41. Plitvice Lakes National Park, Croatia
There’s a reason Croatia is such a hotbed for tourism these days. It’s drop-dead gorgeous. Just look at this national park, complete with cascading waterfalls, cerulean lakes, hiking trails and limestone canyons.
Nevereverro/Getty Images
42/55
42. Nuuk, Greenland
Humpback whales! Fjords! Icebergs! The northern lights! Those are just a few of the things you’ll find in Greenland’s tiny capital city. The waterfront, made up of brightly painted houses, is the perfect contrast to the freezing arctic weather.
FedevPhoto/Getty Images
43/55
43. The Storr, Scotland
Isle of Skye, an island just off Scotland’s northwest coast, is pretty much a dream world. But no landscape is more iconic here than the Storr cliffs, a series of rocky pinnacles set before a backdrop of rolling green hills and coastline.
McBrugg/Getty Images
44/55
44. Skeleton Coast, Namibia
Dotted with shipwrecks and whale bones, Namibia’s Skeleton Coast is a graveyard of sorts. But the barren stretch of land, where green sea meets sand dunes, is so stark it’s an eerie type of beautiful.
Chotaniaman/Getty Images
45/55
45. Varanasi, India
Considered to be the spiritual capital of India, this colorful city on the banks of the Ganges River dates back to the 11th century B.C. One of Hinduism’s seven holiest cities in the world, it contains more than 2,000 temples.
tbradford/Getty Images
46/55
46. Machu Picchu, Peru
Stand at the top of this 15th-century Incan citadel (almost 8,000 feet above sea level) and look at the river valley beneath you. You’re basically walking in the clouds.
Cheechew/Getty Images
47/55
47. Tiger's Nest, Bhutan
Taktsang Palphug Monastery, nicknamed Tiger’s Nest, is a Buddhist temple and the most sacred site in Bhutan. It’s built into a steep cliff 3,000 feet above a valley in the Himalayas.
IngerEriksen/Getty Images
48/55
48. Grand Prismatic Spring, Wyoming
Of all of nature’s incredible work, this rainbow-ringed natural hot spring in Yellowstone National Park still manages to blow our minds.
Michel Porro/ Getty Images
49/55
49. Keukenhof Park, the Netherlands
Located in Lisse in South Holland, Keukenhof is one of the world's largest flower gardens, featuring millions of tulips, daffodils and hyacinths. For the most colorful (and perfumed) experience, make sure to visit in the early spring.
Huy Thoai/Getty Images
50/55
50. Sa Pa, Vietnam
This stunning mountain town sits just below the Chinese border. And the view? Those are the vertical rice terraces of the Muong Hoa Valley.
seng chye teo/Getty Images
51/55
51. Venice, Italy
The best way to explore this floating city is to hop on a gondola and glide along the complex series of canals. There is a ton of Renaissance art, architecture and history to be found here...in addition to lots of delicious authentic Italian dining.
Marina Tarasova/Getty Images
52/55
52. St. Basil's Cathedral, Moscow, Russia
Moscow has lots of beautiful must-see attractions, like the numerous stunning subway stations more akin to the fanciest hotels than any NYC subway stop. But St. Basil’s stands out from everything else with its intricate multi-colored facade and complex architecture.
Francesco Riccardo Iacomino/Getty Images
53/55
53. Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona
They don’t call it grand for nothing. This jaw-dropping natural beauty feels both familiar and otherworldly, evoking images of classic Westerns and movies based on Mars all at once.
powerofforever/getty Images
54/55
54. Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India
Fans of the film The Fall may recognize this blue city and the impressive fort above it. There is a lot to explore in Jodhpur, the historical capital of the Kingdom of Marwar, including many palaces, temples, forts and, of course, the winding paths of blue buildings set within the Thar Desert.
Jorg Greuel/Getty Images
55/55