Absolute community home
Russia · Sochi, Krasnodar Krai, Russia
Krasnaya Polyana
The Caucasus an hour from the sea: trails to lakes and waterfalls in summer, ski resorts in winter.
Photo: Alexxx Malev · CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Places
All places in the atlas
133 places in 41 countries and Antarctica. Choose by region, season, access and what you want to see.
Absolute community home
World’s best
Russia · Irkutsk Oblast, Russia
Lake Baikal and Olkhon
The deepest lake in the world: the cliffs of Olkhon in summer, clear ice in February and March.
Photo: Vyacheslav Argenberg · CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Russia · Altai Republic, Russia
Altai Mountains
The turquoise Katun, the Chuysky Trakt and its passes — one of the most beautiful roads in Russia.
Photo: Ondřej Žváček · CC BY 2.5, Wikimedia Commons
Russia · Republic of Karelia, Russia
Karelia: Ruskeala and Kizhi
A marble canyon with turquoise water and the wooden churches of Kizhi — the North, half a day’s journey from St Petersburg.
Photo: Anders98en · CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Russia · Republic of Dagestan, Russia
Sulak Canyon and Highland Dagestan
One of the deepest canyons in the world, with a turquoise river below, and old villages on the cliffs.
Photo: Sobolev Alexander · CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
World’s best
Russia · Kamchatka Krai, Russia
Kamchatka: Volcanoes and the Valley of Geysers
A land of volcanoes: climbs, geysers, bears and the ocean — worth the flight across the whole country.
Photo: Kandukuru Nagarjun from Bangalore, India · CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Russia · Taymyr, Krasnoyarsk Krai, Russia
Putorana Plateau
Table mountains beyond the Arctic Circle, hundreds of waterfalls and fjord-like lakes — no roads and almost no people.
Photo: Vitaly Repin · CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Russia · Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia, Arctic Ocean
Franz Josef Land
The northernmost archipelago of Eurasia: glaciers, polar bears, walruses and the midnight sun.
Photo: Николай Гернет · CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
World’s best
Georgia · Stepantsminda, Georgia
Kazbegi and Gergeti Trinity Church
A 14th-century church on a hill beneath the 5,000-metre Kazbek — one of the most recognisable views of the Caucasus.
Photo: Braveheart · CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Georgia · Mestia, Georgia
Svaneti and Ushguli
Medieval stone towers in high mountain villages beneath the glaciers of Shkhara.
Photo: Florian Pinel · CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Armenia · Kotayk Province, Armenia
Garni and Geghard
An ancient temple above a basalt gorge and a monastery carved into the rock — an hour from Yerevan.
Photo: Matthias Süßen · CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Armenia · Gegharkunik Province, Armenia
Lake Sevan
A high mountain lake at almost 2,000 metres and Sevanavank Monastery on a peninsula.
Photo: Anastasiya Lvova · CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Kazakhstan · Almaty Region, Kazakhstan
Charyn Canyon
The Valley of Castles: red canyon walls and a river below — three to four hours from Almaty.
Photo: Bgag · CC0, Wikimedia Commons
Kazakhstan · Almaty Region, Kazakhstan
Kolsai Lakes and Kaindy
Mountain lakes in a spruce forest and the sunken forest of Lake Kaindy, where tree trunks rise straight out of the water.
Photo: Anna Powaska · CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Kazakhstan · Kazakhstan
Almaty and the Trans-Ili Alatau
A city at the foot of the mountains: Medeu, Shymbulak and Big Almaty Lake are half an hour to an hour from the centre.
Photo: Exxocette · CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Kyrgyzstan · Kyrgyzstan
Lake Issyk-Kul
A mountain lake that does not freeze, with beaches in the north and canyons in the south.
Photo: Vilya Shoni · CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Kyrgyzstan · Naryn Region, Kyrgyzstan
Lake Song-Kul
A high mountain lake among pastures: herders’ yurts, horses and a sky without a single light.
Photo: Thomas Holbach · CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Kyrgyzstan · Chuy Region, Kyrgyzstan
Ala Archa
A national park with glaciers and 4,000-metre peaks, 40 minutes from Bishkek.
Photo: Nikolai Bulykin · CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
World’s best
Uzbekistan · Uzbekistan
Samarkand
The Registan, turquoise domes and the tilework of Shah-i-Zinda — the heart of the Great Silk Road.
Photo: Ekrem Canli · CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Uzbekistan · Uzbekistan
Bukhara
A living medieval city: the Kalyan Minaret, domed bazaars and the Lyabi-Hauz pool.
Photo: Maksimsokolov · CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Uzbekistan · Khorezm Region, Uzbekistan
Khiva
A museum city behind mud walls in an oasis in the middle of the desert.
Photo: Bosinus · CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
World’s best
Turkey · Nevşehir, Turkey
Cappadocia
Stone “fairy chimneys”, underground cities and hundreds of hot-air balloons at dawn.
Photo: Bernard Gagnon · CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Turkey · Denizli, Turkey
Pamukkale and Hierapolis
White travertine terraces of warm water next to the ruins of an ancient city.
Photo: Pvasiliadis · CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Turkey · Muğla and Antalya, Turkey
Lycian Way
Hundreds of kilometres along the Mediterranean: coves, ancient ruins and villages that no bus goes to.
Photo: Ezzeldin.Elbaksawy · CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
UAE · Abu Dhabi, UAE
Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque
A snow-white mosque with dozens of domes, marble courtyards and a huge hand-made carpet.
Photo: PotatoWitch · CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
UAE · Abu Dhabi, UAE
Liwa Oasis and the Rub’ al Khali
The edge of the Empty Quarter, one of the largest sand deserts in the world: dunes as tall as skyscrapers.
Photo: Clémence Jacqueri · CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
World’s best
Egypt · Cairo, Egypt
Pyramids of Giza
The last of the Seven Wonders of the World that you can still see with your own eyes, and the Great Sphinx.
Photo: Ricardo Liberato · CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Egypt · South Sinai, Egypt
Mount Sinai and Dahab
A night climb up Mount Sinai for the sunrise, and the Blue Hole near Dahab.
Photo: Dr. Ondřej Havelka (cestovatel) · CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Morocco · Rif, Morocco
Chefchaouen
The blue city of the Rif Mountains: blue walls, stairways and the quiet of the medina.
Photo: Buiobuione · CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Morocco · Sahara, Morocco
Merzouga and Erg Chebbi
Orange Sahara dunes, a camel caravan and a night in a camp under the stars.
Photo: Thomas Fuhrmann · CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Absolute community home
World’s best
Vietnam · Quang Ninh, Vietnam
Ha Long Bay
Thousands of limestone islands in emerald water — the signature landscape of Vietnam.
Photo: Thomas Hirsch / Ravn · CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Vietnam · Lao Cai, Vietnam
Sa Pa and Fansipan
Rice terraces in the Muong Hoa valley and the “roof of Indochina”, Mount Fansipan.
Photo: Christophe95 · CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Vietnam · Tuyen Quang, Vietnam
Ha Giang Loop
A mountain road along the Chinese border: the Ma Pi Leng Pass, karst mountains and the markets of the northern peoples.
Photo: Jaybeelarsay · CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Vietnam · Quang Tri, Vietnam
Phong Nha-Ke Bang
A national park of caves: underground rivers, Paradise Cave and jungle on limestone.
Photo: Andre Hospers · CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Vietnam · Phong Nha-Ke Bang, Vietnam
Son Doong Cave
The largest cave in the world, with its own jungle, clouds and river inside.
Photo: Trantuanviet · CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Thailand · Krabi, Thailand
Railay and Krabi
Beaches beneath limestone cliffs that you can reach only by boat.
Photo: Wendy Harman · CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Thailand · Northern Thailand
Chiang Mai
Old-town temples, mountains and the cool of the north — a different Thailand.
Photo: เทวประภาส มากคล้าย · CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
World’s best
Indonesia · Southwest Papua, Indonesia
Raja Ampat
Hundreds of green islands at the heart of the Coral Triangle — some of the richest reefs on Earth.
Photo: Rolandandika · CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Sri Lanka · Uva Province, Sri Lanka
Ella and the Tea Hills
Tea plantations on the slopes, the Nine Arches Bridge and one of the most beautiful railways in the world.
Photo: Dilshan255 · CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Sri Lanka · Southern Province, Sri Lanka
Yala National Park
Safaris among elephants, buffalo and crocodiles in a park with many leopards.
Photo: Byrdyak · CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Maldives · Kaafu Atoll, Maldives
Local Islands of the Maldives
The Maldives without an expensive resort: guesthouses on islands where Maldivians live, and the same reefs.
Photo: Adam Jones from Kelowna, BC, Canada · CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Maldives · Baa Atoll, Maldives
Hanifaru and Baa Atoll
A bay where dozens of manta rays and whale sharks gather in season — a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.
Photo: Ahmed Abdul Rahman · CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Maldives · Southern Maldives
Fuvahmulah
A one-island atoll in the open ocean, where divers meet tiger sharks on almost every dive.
Photo: Asaymirus · CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
World’s best
Nepal · Nepal
Kathmandu Valley
The Boudhanath and Swayambhunath stupas, royal squares and temples — the whole valley is a UNESCO site.
Photo: Bernard Gagnon · CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
World’s best
Nepal · Khumbu, Nepal
Everest Base Camp Trek
Two weeks on foot past Sherpa villages and monasteries to the foot of the highest mountain in the world.
Photo: Nepal Trek Adventures · CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
World’s best
Bhutan · Paro, Bhutan
Taktsang — Tiger’s Nest
A monastery clinging to a sheer cliff 900 metres above the Paro valley.
Photo: Gerd Eichmann · CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Bhutan · Punakha, Bhutan
Punakha Dzong
A fortress-monastery where two rivers meet — the most beautiful dzong in Bhutan.
Photo: Bernard Gagnon · CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Bhutan · Wangdue Phodrang, Bhutan
Phobjikha Valley
A glacial valley where black-necked cranes come for the winter.
Photo: Richard Mortel · CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
China · Hunan, China
Zhangjiajie
A forest of sandstone pillars in the clouds — mountains that look like a set for a science-fiction film.
Photo: xiquinhosilva · CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
China · Guangxi, China
Guilin and Yangshuo
The Li River between karst peaks — the landscape on the 20-yuan note.
Photo: chensiyuan · CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
World’s best
China · Beijing, China
Great Wall of China
A wall along mountain ridges — from restored Mutianyu to the wild sections.
Photo: Velatrix · CC0, Wikimedia Commons
World’s best
Japan · Yamanashi and Shizuoka, Japan
Mount Fuji and the Five Lakes
Japan’s sacred mountain: views from the lakes and the Chureito Pagoda, and in summer a climb to meet the sunrise.
Photo: Alpsdake · CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Mongolia · Töv, Mongolia
Gorkhi-Terelj
Granite rocks, larch forests and yurts — steppe and mountains an hour and a half from Ulaanbaatar.
Photo: Dan Nevill from Seattle, WA, United States · CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Mongolia · Khövsgöl, Mongolia
Lake Khövsgöl
“Baikal’s younger brother”: a clear mountain lake near the border with Russia.
Photo: Bernard Gagnon · CC0, Wikimedia Commons
Mongolia · Ömnögovi, Mongolia
Gobi Desert
The singing dunes of Khongoryn Els, the Flaming Cliffs with their dinosaur bones and the icy Yolyn Am gorge.
Photo: Bernard Gagnon · CC0, Wikimedia Commons
Montenegro · Montenegro
Bay of Kotor
The fjord of the Adriatic: medieval Kotor, Perast and mountains that drop straight into the sea.
Photo: Ggia · CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Montenegro · Žabljak, Montenegro
Durmitor and the Tara Canyon
Mountains with glacial lakes and one of the deepest canyons in Europe.
Photo: Alexkom000 · CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Montenegro · Montenegro
Lake Skadar
The largest lake in the Balkans: water lilies, pelicans and island monasteries.
Photo: Diego Delso · CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
World’s best
Italy · Liguria, Italy
Cinque Terre
Five colourful villages above the sea, linked by trails and a train.
Photo: Flickr 150594450@N07 · CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Iceland · Iceland
Golden Circle
Geysers, the Gullfoss waterfall and a rift between continents — Iceland in a single day.
Photo: Jakub Hałun · CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Iceland · Vatnajökull, Iceland
Jökulsárlón
A glacier lagoon full of icebergs and the black “Diamond Beach”, where ice glitters on the sand.
Photo: Giles Laurent · CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Iceland · Highlands of Iceland
Landmannalaugar
Colourful rhyolite mountains, lava fields and a hot stream in the middle of the highlands.
Photo: Borvan53 · CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
World’s best
Norway · Nordland, Norway
Lofoten Islands
Sharp peaks rising straight from the sea, red fishing cabins and the northern lights in winter.
Photo: Ximonic (Simo Räsänen) · CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Norway · Rogaland, Norway
Preikestolen
A flat, pulpit-shaped rock above the Lysefjord — a sheer 600-metre wall beneath your feet.
Photo: Svein Magne Tunli · CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
World’s best
Tanzania · Northern Tanzania
Serengeti and Ngorongoro
The Great Migration of millions of wildebeest and a crater that is home to all of the Big Five.
Photo: Bjørn Christian Tørrissen · CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Tanzania · Tanzania
Kilimanjaro
The highest mountain in Africa, which you can climb without mountaineering experience — but not without preparation.
Photo: Kyle Taylor · CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
World’s best
Namibia · Namib-Naukluft, Namibia
Sossusvlei and Deadvlei
The red dunes of the Namib Desert and dead trees on white clay.
Photo: Diego Delso · CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Namibia · Namibia
Skeleton Coast
A foggy Atlantic coast: shipwrecks, dunes running down to the ocean and fur seal colonies.
Photo: Sonse · CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
South Africa · Western Cape, South Africa
Cape Town and the Cape of Good Hope
Table Mountain above the city, the Cape of Good Hope and penguins on the beach.
Photo: Danie van der Merwe from Cape Town, South Africa · CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
South Africa · Mpumalanga and Limpopo, South Africa
Kruger National Park
One of the largest parks in Africa: the Big Five and safaris in your own car.
Photo: Dietmar Rabich · CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
South Africa · KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
Drakensberg
The Amphitheatre, a five-kilometre wall of basalt, and Tugela Falls.
Photo: Doc James · CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
World’s best
Madagascar · Menabe, Madagascar
Avenue of the Baobabs
Giant baobabs along a dirt road — best of all at sunset.
Photo: Gavinevans · CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Madagascar · Melaky, Madagascar
Tsingy de Bemaraha
A stone forest of sharp limestone needles, crossed on bridges and ladders.
Photo: ASMaloney at English Wikipedia · Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
Madagascar · Diana, Madagascar
Nosy Be
An island of beaches and ylang-ylang: lemurs, turtles and whale sharks off the coast.
Photo: Diego Delso · CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Mexico · Yucatán, Mexico
Chichen Itza
A Maya city with the Pyramid of Kukulcán — one of the New Seven Wonders of the World.
Photo: Daniel Schwen · CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Mexico · Yucatán and Quintana Roo, Mexico
Cenotes of the Yucatán
Underground wells of clear turquoise water where you can swim and dive.
Photo: dronepicr · CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Mexico · Chihuahua, Mexico
Copper Canyon
A canyon system deeper than the Grand Canyon and the El Chepe train through the Sierra Madre.
Photo: Comisión Mexicana de Filmaciones from México D. F., mÉXICO · CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Cuba · Cuba
Old Havana
Colonial squares, old American cars and the Malecón at sunset.
Photo: Fraganda · CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Cuba · Pinar del Río, Cuba
Viñales Valley
Rounded mogote hills above tobacco fields — the most Cuban of villages.
Photo: Ivan2010 · CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
World’s best
Peru · Cusco, Peru
Machu Picchu
An Inca city on a saddle between peaks, above the clouds and the Urubamba River.
Photo: Diego Delso · CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Peru · Cusco, Peru
Vinicunca Rainbow Mountain
Slopes striped in every colour at more than 5,000 metres.
Photo: José Carlos Rozas Carazas · CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Peru · Puno, Peru
Lake Titicaca
The high-altitude lake of the Incas, with the floating reed islands of the Uros.
Photo: Diego Delso · CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
World’s best
Bolivia · Potosí, Bolivia
Salar de Uyuni
The largest salt flat in the world: a white desert to the horizon, and in the rainy season a mirror of the sky.
Photo: Diego Delso · CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Bolivia · Potosí, Bolivia
Eduardo Avaroa Lagoons
A red lagoon with flamingos, a green lake below a volcano and geysers at 5,000 metres.
Photo: Havardtl · CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Chile · Antofagasta, Chile
Atacama Desert
The driest desert in the world: the Valley of the Moon, the El Tatio geysers and the stars above the observatories.
Photo: Thomas Fuhrmann · CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
World’s best
Chile · Magallanes, Chile
Torres del Paine
The granite towers of Patagonia above turquoise lakes and glaciers.
Photo: Thomas Fuhrmann · CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Chile · Rapa Nui, Chile
Easter Island
The most remote inhabited island: hundreds of stone moai in the middle of the Pacific.
Photo: TravelingOtter · CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
World’s best
Argentina · Misiones, Argentina
Iguazu Falls
Hundreds of waterfalls in the jungle and the Devil’s Throat, right by the water.
Photo: Acediscovery · CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Argentina · Santa Cruz, Argentina
Perito Moreno Glacier
A wall of ice as tall as a twenty-storey building, from which icebergs break off with a roar.
Photo: Diego Delso · CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Argentina · Tierra del Fuego, Argentina
Ushuaia and Tierra del Fuego
The southernmost city in the world: the Beagle Channel, penguins and the gateway to Antarctica.
Photo: Liam Quinn from Canada · CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Brazil · Brazil
Rio de Janeiro
Sugarloaf Mountain, the statue of Christ and the beaches of Copacabana between mountains and ocean.
Photo: Donatas Dabravolskas · CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Brazil · Maranhão, Brazil
Lençóis Maranhenses
White dunes to the horizon and thousands of turquoise rainwater lagoons between them.
Photo: Julius Dadalti · CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Brazil · Amazonas, Brazil
The Amazon near Manaus
The Meeting of Waters, flooded forest and a night in the jungle on the largest river in the world.
Photo: Immelman284 · CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
World’s best
Ecuador · Ecuador
Galápagos Islands
Islands where animals are not afraid of people: giant tortoises, marine iguanas and blue-footed boobies.
Photo: kuhnmi · CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
World’s best
USA · Arizona, USA
Grand Canyon
Two billion years of Earth’s history in the walls of a canyon more than one and a half kilometres deep.
Photo: Dietmar Rabich · CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
World’s best
Australia · Queensland, Australia
Great Barrier Reef
The largest coral reef system on Earth and the snow-white Whitehaven Beach.
Photo: Ayanadak123 · CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Australia · Northern Territory, Australia
Uluru and Kata Tjuta
A red rock in the middle of the desert, sacred to the Anangu people.
Photo: Dietmar Rabich · CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Australia · Western Australia
Purnululu — Bungle Bungle Range
Striped sandstone domes that look like beehives, deep in the Kimberley.
Photo: BriMiDra · CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
World’s best
New Zealand · Fiordland, New Zealand
Milford Sound
A fiord with Mitre Peak and waterfalls that fall straight into the sea.
Photo: W. Bulach · CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
New Zealand · North Island, New Zealand
Tongariro
A crossing over volcanoes past the Emerald Lakes — the best one-day trek in New Zealand.
Photo: Julien Carnot · CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
New Zealand · Canterbury, New Zealand
Aoraki / Mount Cook
The highest peak in New Zealand above turquoise Lake Pukaki, and the Hooker Valley Track.
Photo: Krzysztof Golik · CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
World’s best
Antarctica · Antarctica
Antarctic Peninsula
The frozen continent: icebergs, penguin colonies, whales and the silence of the white edge of the world.
Photo: Liam Quinn from Canada · CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Antarctica · South Atlantic
South Georgia
Hundreds of thousands of king penguins on a single beach, and Shackleton’s grave.
Photo: Pismire · CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
No places match these filters. Try removing one of them.
Months show when a place is at its best: weather, wildlife season, open trails. Access is the journey to the place, not counting visas.