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Top ecotourism destinations and sustainable travel hubs

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Harz National Park
Brocken peak, steam trains and wild forests
7.8
A steam train puffs up to Brocken, the Harz's highest peak at 1,141 meters. Fog often wraps the bare summit, which is tied to old witch legends. Each April 30 people dress as witches for Walpurgis Night festivals in Harz towns. Lynx roam the forests after a return program that began in 2000.
Highlights:
  • 🪨 Explore mystical rock formations in the Bode Gorge
  • 🚂 Ride the scenic Brocken Railway through mountain forests
  • 🥾 Hike to the Brocken summit, the park’s highest peak
Shiretoko National Park
Brown bears and drift ice in Hokkaido
8.3
Sea ice from the Sea of Okhotsk reaches this Hokkaido peninsula each winter. The ice feeds plankton that supports one of the richest marine food chains. Boat tours from Rausu offer a view of brown bears along the coast. UNESCO listed the peninsula as a World Heritage Site in 2005.
Highlights:
  • ♨️ Hike to Kamuiwakka Hot Falls and soak feet
  • 🛥️ Take a wildlife boat cruise to see bears
  • 🌲 Walk the scenic Shiretoko Five Lakes boardwalk
Kamikochi
Clear river valley beneath the Hotaka Range
8.5
Private cars are banned from this Japanese Alps valley. The Azusa River runs clear past Taisho Pond, which an eruption of Mount Yakedake created in 1915. Hikers can cross Kappa Bridge and follow flat trails toward the Hotaka peaks. Wild Japanese macaques often wander along the paths.
Highlights:
  • 🍂 Admire autumn foliage along Kamikochi’s forest trails
  • 🗻 Hike to Myojin Pond surrounded by sacred mountains
  • 🌉 Walk the scenic Kappa Bridge overlooking the Azusa River
Bhutan
Himalayan monasteries, dzongs and trekking trails
8.5
Bhutan runs on a constitutional mandate to keep at least 60 percent of its land forested. The country charges a daily sustainable development fee that funds conservation and healthcare. Visitors can trek through protected valleys closed to unrestricted mass tourism. Bhutan measures national progress through a Gross National Happiness index rather than GDP.
Highlights:
  • 🌄 Admire Himalayan panoramas from Dochula Pass’ 108 chortens
  • 🎉 Join a colorful Buddhist festival at Punakha Dzong
  • 🏔️ Hike to the cliffside Tiger’s Nest Monastery in Paro
Yakushima
Ancient cedars, mossy forest and waterfalls
8.8
Jomon Sugi is a giant cedar tree that may be thousands of years old. Cedars here older than 1,000 years are called yakusugi. A moss covered forest called Shiratani Unsuikyo helped inspire the film Princess Mononoke. The trail to Jomon Sugi follows old logging rail tracks through the forest.
Highlights:
  • 🐒 Spot Yakushima macaques and deer along forest trails
  • 🌳 See Jomon Sugi, Japan’s legendary 7,000-year-old cedar tree
  • 🌲 Hike through the ancient cedar forests of Shiratani Unsuikyo
Daisetsuzan National Park
Japan's largest national park, in Hokkaido
8.3
Daisetsuzan National Park protects Hokkaido's tallest peaks, ranking as Japan's largest national park. Autumn color arrives here earlier than almost anywhere else in the country, drawing hikers each September. Visitors can soak in remote hot springs reached only after a multi-day trek. Brown bears roam the backcountry, requiring hikers to carry bear bells on trails.
Highlights:
  • ♨️ Soak in natural hot springs at Asahidake Onsen
  • ⛰️ Hike to Mt. Asahi summit, Hokkaido's highest peak
  • 🚠 Ride Asahidake Ropeway to scenic Sugatami Plateau
Chūbu-Sangaku National Park
Northern Alps peaks, snow walls and onsen
8.5
The Yuki no Otani Snow Corridor has walls of snow up to 20 meters high. Buses drive on the road between the walls from mid April to June. Electric trolley buses carry passengers through a tunnel under the mountains. Kurobe Dam nearby has a large arch and wide water spray in summer.
Highlights:
  • ♨️ Soak in natural hot springs surrounded by mountain scenery
  • 🏔️ Climb Mount Hotaka or Mount Yari for panoramic views
  • 🥾 Hike through the dramatic alpine landscapes of Kamikōchi Valley
Nikko
Tokugawa shrines, waterfalls and hot springs
8.6
Kegon Falls plunges about 97 meters from Lake Chuzenji. The falls sit inside Nikko National Park in the mountains north of Tokyo. Visitors can walk the boardwalk across the Senjogahara marsh in early autumn. Toshogu Shrine, a UNESCO site, is covered in gold leaf and detailed carvings.
Highlights:
  • 💦 Admire the majestic Kegon Falls viewpoint
  • 🌉 Cross the striking vermilion Shinkyo Bridge
  • ⛩️ Visit the ornate Nikko Toshogu Shrine complex
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