Extraordinary natural wonders and scenic landscapes

Famous scenic landscapes and natural wonders

Natural wonders occupy a different category from other travel destinations. They are places where the scale, the geology, the light or the sheer improbability of what exists there produces an experience that is difficult to process in the moment and hard to adequately describe afterwards. The best of them tend to change how a place feels for the rest of a trip, and how the world looks for some time after.

The wonders on this list span an extraordinary range of natural phenomena. Ancient geological formations, active volcanic landscapes, vast cave systems, extraordinary water features and atmospheric optical phenomena all appear alongside more living wonders defined by the concentration and diversity of the life they support. No two are alike and no single region holds a monopoly.

Timing, crowd management and physical preparation all factor into how well a visit to a natural wonder lands. Some are best experienced at specific times of day or year. Others require a degree of fitness or logistical planning to reach properly. Going in informed and with realistic expectations about what the visit involves tends to make the experience significantly more rewarding.

Lists by region

Worldwide (348) Africa (33) Asia (79) Europe (99) North America (67) Oceania (36) South America (27)

Island in Japan

Ancient cedars, mossy forest and waterfalls

Jomon Sugi, an ancient cedar tree, may be over 2,000 years old on this Japanese island. Moss-covered forests here reportedly inspired the setting of a well-known animated film. Visitors can hike for hours through dense forest to reach the tree. Waterfalls and hot springs dot the island's mountainous, rain-soaked interior.

Explore Yakushima

Himalayan monasteries, dzongs and trekking trails

Bhutan's government says the country absorbs more carbon than it emits each year. Gangkhar Puensum here is considered the tallest unclimbed mountain on Earth. Bhutan bans mountaineering above 6,000 meters to respect local spiritual beliefs. Dense forest still covers more than 70 percent of the country.

Island in Japan

Reef beaches and Ryukyu Kingdom heritage

Coral reefs ring this southern Japanese island chain in shades of turquoise and blue. Kerama Islands nearby hold some of the clearest water in the region. Divers can spot sea turtles feeding along the shallow reef edges. Traditional Ryukyu culture still shapes the islands' food, music and architecture.

Explore Okinawa Island

National Park in Japan

Shiretoko National Park

Brown bears and drift ice in Hokkaido

Drift ice piles along this Hokkaido coastline each winter, carried down from the Sea of Okhotsk. Brown bears forage along the shoreline once the ice retreats in spring. Boat tours can cruise close to the ice-covered cliffs in February. Waterfalls along the peninsula's coast freeze solid through the coldest months.

Explore Shiretoko National P...

Coral atolls, lagoons and overwater villas

Bioluminescent plankton light up the shallows around Vaadhoo Island after dark. The glowing waves earned the beach the nickname Sea of Stars. Visitors can wade in at night to watch the water spark with each step. Coral atolls elsewhere in the chain draw divers to their drop-offs.

Explore Maldives

Mountain views, paper mills and fresh shirasu

Mount Fuji rises as a nearly perfect symmetrical volcanic cone above the surrounding plains. Its last eruption occurred more than 300 years ago, in the early 1700s. Thousands of pilgrims still climb its slopes during the short official summer season. Snow caps the summit for most of the year, framing classic postcard views.

National Park in Japan

Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park

Fuji, Hakone, Izu and volcanic islands

Fuji Hakone Izu National Park surrounds Mount Fuji with hot springs and volcanic lakes. Lake Ashi, formed inside an old volcanic crater, offers some of the clearest reflections of Fuji. Hakone's hot springs draw on the same volcanic activity that shaped the mountain. Boats and cable cars carry visitors between the park's scattered viewpoints.

Explore Fuji-Hakone-Izu Nati...

Island in Japan

Volcanoes, onsen and tonkotsu ramen

Kyushu holds some of Japan's most active volcanic terrain, including Sakurajima and Mount Aso. Mount Aso's caldera ranks among the largest in the world, spanning an entire town inside its rim. Steam rises constantly from hot spring towns scattered across the island. Subtropical beaches line the southern coast near Kagoshima and Miyazaki.

Rowboat gorge and shrines of Japanese myth

A narrow gorge cuts through basalt cliffs formed by ancient lava flows in Kyushu. Manai Falls drops nearly 17 meters into the gorge's green water below. Visitors can paddle rowboats along the gorge beneath the towering rock walls. Shrines nearby honor myths said to have originated in this valley.

Explore Takachiho

Steaming hot water field and bath hopping

Kusatsu produces more hot spring water than any other town in Japan. At its center, the Yubatake channels scalding volcanic water through wooden chutes to cool. Steam and a strong sulfur smell hang over the town's central square. Workers once stirred the water with long paddles in a ritual called yumomi.

Explore Kusatsu-Onsen

National Park in Japan

Kerama Shoto National Park

Kerama blue seas, coral and whales

Water here reaches such clarity that locals call it Kerama Blue, visible from the air. This Japanese park's coral reefs surround a scattered chain of small islands. Divers can explore reef walls just offshore from several of the beaches. Sea turtles nest on quieter stretches of sand within the park.

Explore Kerama Shoto Nationa...

Region in Germany

Alps, castles, beer gardens and old towns

Zugspitze, Germany's tallest peak, rises above the Bavarian Alps near the Austrian border. A cable car climbs nearly 2,000 meters to reach its glacier capped summit. Konigssee, a narrow alpine lake nearby, sits surrounded by sheer limestone cliffs. Its still, clear water is often compared to a Norwegian fjord.

Explore Bavaria

Lavender fields and powder snow in Hokkaido

Furano's lavender fields bloom into vivid purple rows each July. Farms here line the hills in neat, color coded strips of flowers. Nearby Biei adds a patchwork of wheat, potato and flower fields to the scenery. The same slopes turn into powder snow ski runs once winter arrives.

Village in Japan

Riverside bath hopping in a Kumamoto valley

Riverside hot spring baths sit tucked between thatched-roof ryokan in this Japanese mountain town. Steam rises from the outdoor pools even as snow falls in winter. Visitors can buy a pass allowing entry to several different baths in one visit. Wooden walkways link the inns along the narrow river gorge.

Explore Kurokawa Onsen

National Park in Japan

Aso-Kuju National Park

Giant caldera, active volcano and highlands

Mount Aso's caldera ranks among the largest in the world, spanning over 100 kilometers around. Active vents inside the crater still release steam and sulfur smoke today. Visitors can ride a cable car close to the crater's edge when conditions allow. Grasslands filling the wider caldera support cattle grazing much of the year.

Explore Aso-Kuju National Park

Volcano views, samurai history and black pork

Kagoshima sits directly across the bay from Sakurajima, one of Japan's most active volcanoes. Ash from regular eruptions occasionally dusts the city's streets. Ferries cross the bay constantly, connecting the mainland to the volcano's base. Hot sand baths near Ibusuki use heat drawn straight from the ground.

Explore Kagoshima

State/Prefecture in Japan

Volcanoes, powder snow and fresh seafood

Lake Mashu in eastern Hokkaido is often ranked among the clearest lakes on Earth. Thick fog frequently hides the crater lake from view for days at a time. Drift ice pushes down from the Sea of Okhotsk and blankets the Shiretoko coast each winter. Steep, forested peaks surround much of the region's undeveloped interior.

Explore Hokkaido

National Park in Japan

Clear river valley beneath the Hotaka Range

Kamikochi sits at roughly 1,500 meters inside Japan's Northern Alps. The Azusa River runs crystal clear beneath the valley's jagged peaks. Taisho Pond formed suddenly in 1915 when a volcanic eruption dammed the river. Private cars are banned, so buses carry visitors into this protected mountain valley.

Explore Kamikochi

Lakeside onsen town below Mount Yufu

Steam rises off Lake Kinrin's surface on cold mornings in this Japanese hot spring town. Mount Yufu's twin peaks stand behind the lake as a backdrop. Visitors can soak in outdoor baths with direct views of the mountain. Small shops and ryokan line the streets leading toward the lake.

Explore Yufuin Onsen

Mountain in Japan

Japan's highest peak and sacred volcano

This near-perfect cone rises 3,776 meters above the plains near Tokyo. Snow covers its upper slopes most of the year, framing classic photographs. Climbers can summit during the short official season from July to September. Lake Kawaguchiko nearby offers a mirrored view of the peak below.

Explore Mount Fuji

National Park in Japan

Daisetsuzan National Park

Japan's largest national park, in Hokkaido

Daisetsuzan is Japan's largest national park, covering a wide volcanic plateau. Locals sometimes call it the roof of Hokkaido for its high central peaks. Autumn color here tends to arrive earlier than almost anywhere else in Japan. Hot springs dot the base of the mountains, fed by ongoing volcanic activity.

Explore Daisetsuzan National...

Steaming hell valley and nine spring types

Jigokudani (Hell Valley) steams with sulfurous vents across this Hokkaido hot spring town. Volcanic activity below feeds dozens of onsen baths throughout the area. Visitors can walk boardwalks close to the bubbling, mineral-stained ground. Snow monkeys sometimes soak in nearby hot pools during the coldest months.

Explore Noboribetsu

National Park in Japan

Chūbu-Sangaku National Park

Northern Alps peaks, snow walls and onsen

The Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route crosses this Japanese park through a famous snow corridor. Walls of plowed snow rise over 15 meters on either side of the road each spring. Visitors can walk between the towering white walls before they melt away. Cable cars and trolley buses carry travelers across the mountain pass.

Explore Chūbu-Sangaku Natio...

Tokugawa shrines, waterfalls and hot springs

Toshogu Shrine holds the elaborate mausoleum of a founding Japanese shogun in the mountains. Carved details cover the shrine's gates, including the well-known sleeping cat and monkeys. Visitors can walk the cedar-lined approach before reaching the main halls. Kegon Falls nearby drops close to 100 meters into a volcanic lake.

Island in Japan

Japan's olive island with a tidal sandbar

Angel Road, a sandbar, appears twice daily between this Japanese island and a smaller islet. Couples walk across at low tide, believing it grants good luck. Olive groves cover much of the island's hillsides, a rarity in Japan. A cable car climbs Mount Kankakei for views over the Seto Inland Sea.

Explore Shodoshima

Region in Japan

Vine bridges, deep gorges and mountain hot springs

The Iya Valley cuts a steep, V shaped gorge through the mountains of Shikoku. Vine bridges, woven from local vines and reinforced steel, once provided the main crossing over the river. Legend says defeated warriors fled here after a 12th century civil war. Thatched roof farmhouses still dot the remote hillsides today.

Explore Iya Valley

Steaming hot springs and colorful Hells

Beppu produces more hot spring water than anywhere else across all of Japan. Its famous jigoku (hells) are boiling ponds colored by different mineral deposits. One pond glows a striking cobalt blue from dissolved silica. Steam rises constantly from vents scattered across the city's hillsides.

Whirlpools, bridge walks and ceramic art

The Naruto Strait churns into some of the largest tidal whirlpools on Earth. Currents here can spin at speeds up to 20 kilometers per hour. Sightseeing boats can pass close to the swirling water for a full view. The Onaruto Bridge above offers a glass-floored walkway looking straight down at the strait.

Cool highland resort at the foot of Asama

Karuizawa sits at a cool, high elevation beneath the volcanic peak of Mount Asama. Japanese nobility and foreign missionaries turned it into a mountain retreat in the 1880s. Thick forest and quiet lakeshores still define much of the surrounding countryside. Shiraito Falls nearby spreads water thinly across a wide, curved rock face.

Explore Karuizawa

Hokkaido powder snow and four linked resorts

Powder snow falls here in some of the heaviest volumes recorded in Japan. Cold air crossing the Sea of Japan drops fine, dry snow through winter. Skiers can ride multiple linked resorts across the same mountain range. Onsen baths nearby offer a hot soak after a day on the slopes.

Shuzenji hot springs, wasabi and Amagi hikes

The Izu Peninsula juts into the Pacific south of Tokyo, shaped by volcanic activity. Hot springs bubble up across the region, feeding hundreds of traditional bathhouses. Jagged sea cliffs and rock formations line much of its rugged coastline. On clear days, Mount Fuji is visible rising beyond Suruga Bay.

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