First of all, I realize that this list is highly subjective. In fact, depending on the day, I may swap out one or two of these places add and add something else. But I think it will point you in the right direction. Whether you are thinking of a quick trip here in the U.S. or somewhere international, I think you'll enjoy these. You get to choose among spectacular mountain ranges, sparkling emerald lakes, thundering waterfalls, dreamy ancient towns perched on high cliffs, and parks that attract people from all over the world.
Best Places to Visit Around the World:
1. Hike to Maroon Bells, USA
Rating: ★★★★★
Located only about 10 miles from Aspen, Colorado, the Maroon Bells are two 14,000-foot peaks in the Elk Mountains that are reflected in crystal-clear Maroon Lake, snuggled in a glacial valley. I love that you get to stay and explore Aspen on your way there (plus, there are many great places to stay and dine nearby).
The Maroon Bells the crown jewels of the Rocky Mountains and by far one of the most photographed scenes in the country.
It is difficult to say when the timeless beauty of these two sentinels mirrored in the lake is more striking. In the summer, when every hiking trail takes you through fields of wild flowers? In the fall, when tall aspen trees dazzle with a rainbow of fall colors? Or in the winter, when snow and ice silence the world? I vote for summer because I prefer warm weather but you can visit when suits you best.
The best photo opportunities are from one of the many hiking trails because access by motor vehicles is limited. The lake is popular among fly-fishermen – even if they don’t catch anything, the beauty all around them is enough.
2. Tour the Grand Canyon, USA
I'm sure that The Grand Canyon needs no introduction but here's what I find most interesting. It's a steep, 1-mile-deep, and up to 18-mile-wide gash in the fabric of the world, an immense gorge carved by the Colorado River over the last 5,000 years.
Its sheer size is breathtaking and although you can see only a small portion of it even from the best vantage point, its geology and its age fire the imagination.
The layers of colorful rock show the passage of time and some of the rocks at the bottom are 1,8 billion years old.
There is a lot of life growing on the canyon’s steep sides – you can see more of it hiking the trails of the northern rim, where it is also less crowded. I wrote about my favorite adventures at the Grand Canyon here.
Most people limit their visit to the breathtaking views from the southern rim. Some of the most popular viewpoints are Yavapai Observation Station, Mary Colter’s Lookout Studio, and Mather Point.
3. Enjoy spectacular sunsets in the Blue Ridge Mountains, USA
Located in the eastern United States and part of the massive Appalachians, the Blue Ridge Mountains stretch from their southernmost end in Georgia all the way northward to Pennsylvania.
Between the Blue Ridge and the rest of the Appalachians lies the Great Appalachian Valley.
When seen from a distance, the Blue Ridge Mountains appear blue – the trees that release a gas called isoprene are responsible for the bluish color and thus the mountains’ name.
Within the Blue Ridge Mountains are two large national parks: The Shenandoah and the Great Smoky Mountains.
The best way to enjoy and get to know Blue Ridge is by taking the Blue Ridge Parkway, a 469-mile-long beautiful scenic highway that runs along the ridge together with the renowned Appalachian Trail and which connects the two parks.
4. Feel the magic of Oia, Santorini, Greece
Located on top of a cliff with a spectacular view of the Palea volcano, Nea Kameni, and the island of Thirassia, Oia is the most popular and arguably the most beautiful of all the picturesque villages of the Greek island of Santorini. If you are interested, I break down the best time to visit and my favorite Santorini beaches here.
Only about 11 km from Fira, on the north of the island, Oia will charm you with its traditional stone houses lining the narrow streets, breathtaking blue-domed churches, and sunbaked verandas.
While the village has its share of taverns, souvenir shops, and cafes, Oia is more quiet and laid-back than busy Fira and most people enjoy its quaint beauty by slowly exploring its narrow streets.
Stroll through the village’s small port of Ammoudi by descending 300 steps down the cliff, or visit colorful galleries showcasing art from the many artists who fell in love with the village and made it their home. Oia, Santorini is considered by many one of the prettiest places in the world.
5. Take photos of the stunning Plitvice Lakes, Croatia
I'm sure that everyone has seen photos of Plitvice Lakes by now. It's also the spot where my favorite childhood memory as a 5-year-old was made. Located about halfway between the Croatian capital Zagreb and Zadar on the coast of the Adriatic Sea, Plitvice Lakes (video) are a magical world of living, moving water surrounded by ancient forests, 16 lakes linked by waterfalls, bridges natural and man-made, and 300 square kilometers of wild beauty full of bears, wolves, boars, and birds.
The difference in altitude between 1,280 meters at the highest point and 280 meters at the lowest creates a seemingly endless number of falls, big and small, that permanently fill the air with spray and fog. Don't worry, you don't have to hike up to enjoy it! It can easily be admired from below.
Wooden and natural walkways and hiking trails spin around and across the lake and a ferry on Lake Kozjak shuttles people between the upper and lower lakes. Plitvice Lakes are beautiful all year round, but especially when mirroring magical fall colors or the lacy frozen branches of the surrounding trees.
Romantic Places Around the World:
6. Take in the coastal beauty of the Amalfi Coast, Italy
I lived in Italy for three years as a teenager (yes, I can still speak Italian!) so I had to include at least one destination here. The Amalfi Coast is an extravagantly beautiful stretch of rugged coast in Campania, Italy, at the edge of the Sorrentine Peninsula.
For about 50 kilometers, the coast looks like something a romantic artist might have conjured – sheer cliffs plunging into the azure sea, tiny golden beaches hidden in secluded coves, pastel sun-washed villages hugging the steep slopes of Mount Ravello, and fragrant orange groves competing for attention with ancient vineyards.
You can take a typical Mediterranean coastal road between the port of Salerno, famous Positano and Amalfi, and lovely Sorrento perched on the clifftop to enjoy the landscape in all its majesty, or you can take one of the many hiking trails that will take you past old villages, offer spectacular views, and introduce you to some fantastic quaint local restaurants and tavernas.
If you are looking for famous places to visit around the world, Amalfi Coast is an amazing destination.
7. Dive into the Great Barrier Reef, Australia
The only living thing on Earth that can be seen from space, the Great Barrier Reef is immense.
Located in northeastern Australia off the coast of Queensland, this 2,300-km-long complex ecosystem comprises more than 3,000 individual reef systems, coral cays, and hundreds of islands, big and small, with sparkling white sandy beaches. This is my son's favorite place on the planet. He talks about the marine animals that live there all the time.
While immensely beautiful on the surface, the true beauty of the reef is underwater, where there is a living world composed of more than 600 types of soft and hard coral, creating a colorful and mesmerizing home to endless numbers of species of tropical fish, sea stars, mollusks, turtles, sharks, and dolphins.
This divers’ paradise can also be enjoyed snorkeling, in a glass-bottomed boat, sailing, from semi-submersibles, and just by plain swimming. Getting there by air is already half the fun because of the spectacular view!
8. Discover stunning mountain views of Torres del Paine National Park, Chile
At the southern tip of the Andes in Chile’s Patagonia lies Torres del Paine National Park, a place with more than its fair share of nature’s majesty:
It has soaring mountains, cold blue icebergs cleaving from ancient glaciers, bottomless lakes, spectacular geological formations, narrow fjords, deep rivers, ancient forests, and endless golden pampas covered with wild flowers and providing home to such rare wildlife as pumas and the llama-like guanacos.
The best way to see Torres del Paine is on foot following one of many famous tracks, but if you have to limit yourself to just a few iconic sites, visit the three majestic granite towers, or torres del paine, Los Cuernos, Grey Glacier, and French Valley.
9. Capture the breathtaking mountain scenery of the Garden of the Gods, Colorado, USA
A short drive from Colorado Springs, Garden of the Gods is a public city park that does not need any attractions – nature took care of that.
Hundreds of immense red sandstone spires, bridges, and other precariously balanced rock formations are intersected by 15 miles of well-managed trails.
As expected in a park with so many interesting rocks, rock climbing is very popular.
The park formations were formed out of bedded sandstone, limestone, and conglomerates by the forces that built nearby Pikes Peak massif, tilting it into a vertical position.
It is easy to spot the remnants of marine fossils and even the fossils of dinosaurs. The largest rock formation is the 320-feet-tall Gateway Rock.
Many animals have made the park their home – it is easy to see bighorn sheep, mule deer, and foxes as well as more than 130 species of birds.
10. Take photos of Moraine Lake, Canada
Located in the remote Valley of the Ten Peaks in the Canadian Rockies, Moraine Lake is an emerald beauty, a small, cold glacier-fed jewel surrounded by towering mountains, immense waterfalls, and ancient rock piles, so beautiful it takes breath away.
As the glaciers melt, the water in the lake rises and changes its color.
It might take away some of its magic to know that the color is affected by the sediment brought by the glacial waters.
The whole area is crossed by scenic hiking trails that offer different perspectives of the lake depending on your elevation or location.
You can also enjoy its beauty from a kayak or canoe, or just by sitting on a rock at its bank. Take it all in, no photograph will ever give it justice.
Plan Your Trip