Mountain summits, lakeside forests, sculptural desert rock forms, luminous lagoons… the world is full of wonders to nourish the eye. But where to start? You could form a whole separate bucket list of the most beautiful places in the world, before you begin to break that beauty down by scenery, nature, manmade forms and wildlife. Some landscapes are just pleasing to the eye, and must be protected at all costs; tread lightly when visiting these exceptionally beautiful spots across the globe.
The Great Barrier Reef, Australia
Famously up there with the most beautiful places in the world, the world’s largest coral reef system gleams a neon turquoise. Sailing around and landing on its islands, you’ll see white sand beaches and spot turtles, clownfish and giant clams on snorkels. Visit on Luxury Gold’s Inspiring Australia tour.
The Great Barrier Reef, Australia
Machu Picchu, Peru
Set 7,972 feet above sea level in the Andes Mountains, this mysterious citadel is not just one of the most beautiful places in the world, it’s one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Reached at the end of an epic hike – or a scenic train ride – the classic view of the city is from the Guardian’s House. Take the train option on Luxury Gold’s Treasures of the Incas tour.
Machu Picchu, Peru
Pamukkale, Turkey
This western Turkish town is famous for its natural white travertine terraces, their scoops of natural pools filled by nourishing hot springs. Their gleaming white frame makes the pools an exquisite, luminous ice-blue. Visit on a day-trip from Marmaris or Dalaman on the coast.
Pamukkale’s travertine terraces, Turkey
Avenue of the Baobabs, Madagascar
Enormous and pillar-like, there’s something uncanny about these vast baobab trees, some of which are over 800 years old and over 98ft tall. Often photographed silhouetted against a fiery Madagascan sunset, they’re found on the road between Morondava and Belon’i Tsiribihina.
Avenue of the Baobabs, Madagascar
Fiordland, South Island, New Zealand
Another country that pops up on list of the most beautiful places in the world is New Zealand. Peaceful, uninterrupted nature sprawls across much of its South Island, but most famous is Milford Sound, a shimmering fiord backed by peaks and waterfalls in the Fiordland region. On Luxury Gold’s tour, you’ll visit lesser-known but just as ravishing neighbour, Doubtful Sound, on an overnight cruise.
Milford Sound, New Zealand
Bagan, Myanmar
This ancient city and Unesco World Heritage Site is an arresting mix of stupa-topped temples and dense forest, often seen in magical mists. There are more than 3,500 temples and pagodas here, some dating back 800 years and many eerily overgrown with mossy foliage.
Temples in Bagan, Myanmar
Redwood National and State Parks, California, USA
California’s towering redwood trees are one for the bucket list: this west coast state’s hiking trails and national parks are some of the most beautiful places in the world, let alone in North America. Home to the world’s tallest trees – some more than 370ft high – these forest dwarf their visitors and emphasize the sheer force of nature.
Redwood National and State Parks, California
Okavango Delta, Botswana
One of the few wetlands systems that does not flow into a sea or ocean, this complex inland waterway is a honeypot for incredible wildlife, with little human development to spoil the view. Visit during the dry season to see elephants, leopards, lions, buffalo and over 560 bird species.
Okavango Delta, Botswana
Arashiyama Bamboo Grove, Japan
Close to Kyoto, this dense forest of light-filtering bamboo is a restorative place to spend an afternoon. Hiking trails through the tall, thin stems, you’ll feel an immense sense of peace, before exploring the nearby Togetsukyo Bridge and temples in Sagano.
Arashiyama Bamboo Grove, Japan
Petra, Jordan
Rose-gold pillars and ornate panels carved into sheer rock face, this desert city in the ancient kingdom of Jordan is a must-see on your travels. Built by the Nabatean civilisation over 2,000 years ago, it looks like a scene from a sci-fi film set on another planet; visit at night to see it illuminated by hundreds of candles.
The ancient city of Petra, Jordan
Victoria Falls, Zambia/Zimbabwe
Known for the rainbows that float above their crashing mists, these vast waterfalls form a natural border between these two African countries on the Zambezi River. Take the path along the edge to be misted with spray and hear the roar which gave them the local name Mosi-oa-Tunya – “The Smoke that Thunders”.
Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe
Lençóis Maranhenses National Park, Maranhão, Brazil
A protected swathe of land in northeastern Brazil, this national park has surreal sand dunes cradling turquoise lagoons. A Unesco world heritage site and one of the less obvious of our most beautiful places in the world, its white sand against bright water has an otherworldly beauty to it.
Dunes at Lençois Maranhenses National Park
Rocky Mountains, Canada/USA
These dramatic mountain peaks cut down through North America from Canada well into the United States, a series of craggy charcoal mountains swathed in handsome evergreen forest. Banff National Park is one of the most gorgeous spots; while the Rocky Mountaineer train, travelling through the area, is a bucket list favourite. See the best of the area on Luxury Gold’s Majesty of the Rockies tour.
Sunset in Banff National Park, Canada
Yuanyang Rice Terraces, China
There are around 17,000 hectares of gently shelving rice paddies in this area of Yunnan, China, prompting intrepid visitors to come from far and wide for the local hiking trails and photography opportunities. Part of the UNESCO-recognised Honghe Hani Rice Terraces area, they’re not just one of the most beautiful places in the world, they’re one of the oldest continually-farmed areas anywhere, using the same methods for centuries.
Mount Teide, Tenerife
The highest mountain in Spain sits on the dramatic, volcanic Canary Island of Tenerife. A striking, Mars-like terrain of crumbling black rock and lava forms, it’s also a great place to go stargazing, with some of the clearest skies in Europe. Take the challenging hike or catch the cable car up to the summit.
Blue Lagoon, Iceland
This Nordic country is home to more than 20 hot springs and geothermal pools, but this most famous turquoise lagoon is known for its luminous powder-blue waters, mystical clouds of steam and black rocky surrounds. Geothermal heat warms the water to a comfy 99-102 Fahrenheit, creating a natural hot tub with otherworldly views all around.
Sossusvlei, Namibia
A spectacular, barren landscape, Sossusvlei contains both enormous, rust-red sand dunes and flat, white salt pans that make it one of the most beautiful places in the world. It’s part of the Namib Desert, with curious plant and wildlife that have adapted to the extreme, arid conditions. You can camp at a luxury tented camp in the area, or fly over the landscape by hot air balloon.
The Pitons, St Lucia
These lush, emerald twin mountain peaks are the gateway to dense forest, cocoa plantations and exotic wildlife on this – perhaps the prettiest of all Caribbean islands. You can see their majesty from many a luxury resort or white sand beach in the area, but the brave choose to climb them at sunrise, or hike around their foot trails.
Trans-Bhutan Trail, Bhutan
Of all of the world’s most naturally-blessed hiking trails, this might be the ultimate. Winding through the cut-off-from-the-world Asian country of Bhutan, the 403km route dates back to the 16th century, but is only just opening up to global tourists. You’ll see rice paddies, huge Buddha statues, incredible mountainside temples and villages with fluttering prayer flags along the way.
St Moritz, Switzerland
Views of the Swiss Alps from the Alpine towns of St Moritz and Zermatt are unparalleled. Expect snow-capped mountain peaks, mirror-smooth lakes, fairytale evergreen forests and more from one of the most beautiful places in the world. To see these areas and ride the sought-after Glacier Express train, visit on Luxury’s Gold’s Majestic Switzerland tour.
St. Moritz at dusk
Ha Long Bay, Vietnam
With enormous limestone karsts rising up from tranquil waters like the humps of a sea monster, this bay in northeast Vietnam is one of the most sought-after sights in Southeast Asia. Vietnam’s traditional wooden junks and overnight tourist cruises ply the waters, passing white beaches and turquoise lagoon – visit on Luxury Gold’s Inspiring Indochina tour.
Serene Ha Long Bay, Vietnam
Geirangerfjord, Norway
Norway’s fjords are a soothing prospect: vast and unspoiled, their towering, mossy cliffs lead to pure forest and snow-capped heights. This Unesco World Heritage Site might be the most fairytale-perfect, with skyscraper-tall waterfalls and tiny, elfin cottages trimming its shores. Visit on Luxury Gold’s Timeless Scandinavia tour.
Geraingerfjord is Norway’s largest fjord
Monteverde Cloud Forest, Costa Rica
Costa Rica’s carefully protected interior is known for its complex ecosystems – in Monteverde, you’ll find over 2,500 species of plant and more than 500 types of orchid alone, not to mention 30 species of hummingbird and sloths, toucans and golden toads. Strolling along suspended walkways through the treetops is a magical experience.
Colorful toucan in Costa Rica
Table Mountain, South Africa
South Africa is packed with incredible vistas, from its wave-lashed coastline (where whales and sharks can be seen from above) to the dense green pastures of its Cape Winelands, and idyllic Garden Route beaches. Table Mountain is the must-see for visitors to Cape Town, with panoramic views over the city’s skirts and a “tablecloth” of mist and cloud often draped over its heights. Visit on Luxury Gold’s Spectacular South Africa tour.
Table Mountain’s “tablecloth” of mist
Monument Valley, USA
There’s a lunar-like quality to this dry, nature-sculpted valley on the border of Arizona and Utah; but rendered in fierce Martian reds. Huge sandstone buttes and mesas are the “monuments” here, where hiking trails, sunset tours and Navajo heritage tours best showcase one of the most beautiful places in the world.
Monument Valley, magical even at night
Iguassu Falls, Argentina
It’s hard to get your head around the sheer scale of these powerful, semicircular falls, thundering down from 80m at their highest. Dividing Argentina and Brazil, and visited in protected parks either side of the border, the area is also a honeypot of great wildlife: tapirs, howler monkeys, caimans and even jaguars. Visit on Luxury Gold’s Grand South America tour.
Iguassu Falls, on the Brazil/Argentina border
Scottish Highlands, UK
Not all beautiful locations are sun-soaked and tropical – many come in frostier, mistier forms. Take Scotland’s remote, rambling Highlands, where you might visit the enchanting Loch Lomond, see coastal castles crumbling into the sea, spot a stag on heathery heathland or visit a far-flung whisky distillery on a tiny island.
Glenfinnan Viaduct, Scottish Highlands
Jaipur, India
Known as the “Pink City”, Rajasthan state’s rose-tinted capital is packed with some of India’s loveliest architecture. Alongside the ornately decorated, 18th-century City Palace, there are forts, temples and bazzars to explore – visit on Luxury Gold’s Essence of India tour.
The Pink Palace, Jaipur
Bora Bora, French Polynesia
This South Pacific nation is about as paradisiacal as paradise gets, but Bora Bora is the real pin-up. White sand beaches, thatched bungalows on stilts in neon bright lagoons, looming, forested island and some of the world’s best reefs to snorkel and dive mean it’s a magnet for super-luxurious resorts.
Palm trees on French Polynesia
Wulingyuan, China
Another Unesco World Heritage Site, this area of Hunan Province is famous for its natural sandstone pillars and slim mountain peaks, rising out of misty, remote countryside. It inspired film director James Cameron’s “floating islands” in the movie Avatar, and intrepid tourists still visit to see its dizzying cliffside walkways, local caves and waterfalls.
The limestone karst towers of Wulingyuan, China
