Top desert destinations and arid landscapes
Top desert destinations and arid landscapes
Arid landscapes and dramatic desert scenery
Desert travel offers some of the most visually arresting and physically demanding environments on earth, with the world's great sand seas, stone plateaus and salt flat systems producing landscapes of extraordinary scale and austere beauty. The most compelling destinations combine genuine remoteness with enough practical infrastructure to make extended stays viable without specialist expedition planning.
The range of desert environments is considerably wider than the sand dune archetype suggests, with cold deserts, coastal fog deserts and ancient eroded plateau systems each producing distinct landscapes and ecological communities. Wildlife, plant life and the human cultures adapted to extreme aridity reward slow and attentive travel over itineraries that prioritise covering distance.
Heat, dehydration and navigation present genuine risks and preparation and local knowledge are non-negotiable beyond established tourist circuits. Seasonal timing is critical as summer temperatures reach dangerous levels at lower altitude deserts. Guided access delivers considerably more ecological and cultural context than independent travel.
Lists by region
National Park in United States
Death Valley National Park
Otherworldly Extremes and Silent Beauty
Badwater Basin lies 86 metres below sea level, the lowest point in North America. Furnace Creek recorded 56.7 degrees Celsius in July 1913, among the hottest air temperatures measured. Visitors can walk out onto the white salt flats at sunrise. Mesquite Flat dunes ripple in soft golden light nearby.
Town in Namibia
Swakopmund
Coastal charm meets desert horizons
The Living Desert Tour follows tracks of small animals hiding in the dunes. Guides find chameleons, geckos and sidewinding adders in the sand. Visitors can also try sandboarding or quad biking on the steep dunes. Cool sea fog rolls over the coast in the early morning hours.
National Park in Namibia
Sossusvlei
Towering red dunes meet white clay
Big Daddy, a red dune about 325 metres tall, towers over a white clay pan. Climbers can reach the top in two hours for a wide view. Deadvlei below has black camelthorn trees dead for centuries. Sunrise turns the slopes orange and casts long shadows.
Desert in Mongolia
Gobi Desert
Endless dunes under starlit desert skies
The Flaming Cliffs glow deep red at sunset in the Mongolian Gobi Desert. Explorer Roy Chapman Andrews found dinosaur eggs here in 1923. Two humped Bactrian camels roam the gravel plains near herders' round tents. Khongoryn Els, a long line of tall dunes, sings with a low hum when sand slides.
Village in Morocco
Merzouga
Sahara Dunes, Starry Nights
Erg Chebbi, a sea of orange dunes up to 150 metres high, rises here. Camel caravans carry visitors into the dunes at sunset for an overnight stay. Guests sleep in tent camps and watch a thick spread of stars overhead. Gnawa musicians play drums and iron castanets around the campfire.
National Park in Namibia
Namib-Naukluft National Park
Endless Dunes and Desert Drama
Welwitschia plants grow here with two long ribbon leaves for over a thousand years. They drink fog that drifts in from the cold Atlantic. The Sesriem Canyon, carved by the Tsauchab River, is about 30 metres deep. Zebras and oryx walk the gravel plains near the Naukluft Mountains.
National Park in United States
Arches National Park
A Desert Wonderland of Stone Arches
More than 2,000 natural sandstone arches rise from the red Utah desert. Delicate Arch, a free standing arch about 16 metres tall, appears on Utah number plates. Visitors can hike about 3 miles round trip to stand beneath it at sunset. Landscape Arch, a thin ribbon of stone, spans nearly 90 metres.
Town in Spain
Maspalomas
Sunlit dunes meet turquoise waves in paradise
Golden dunes cover about 400 hectares beside the ocean on Gran Canaria's south coast. Wind shapes the sand into ridges that change from day to day. Visitors can ride camels or walk to a small palm oasis. A lighthouse from 1890 stands beside the beach.
Island in Spain
Lanzarote
Volcanic Landscapes and Sunny Shores
Timanfaya's Fire Mountains formed in eruptions that ran from 1730 to 1736. Lava buried nearly a dozen villages on the island. At the visitor area guides pour water in a hole and it shoots up as steam. A restaurant grills chicken over the natural heat of the volcano.
National Park
Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
Where predators rule the Kalahari
Two national parks, one in South Africa and one in Botswana, were joined here in 2000. Red dunes and dry riverbeds like the Nossob run through the shared reserve. Gemsbok and springbok graze beside camelthorn trees. Sociable weavers build huge straw nests that hold many families of birds.
Town in Chile
San Pedro de Atacama
Mars-like Landscapes and Starry Nights
El Tatio geysers steam at dawn at 4,320 metres above sea level. The cold air turns the vents into tall white plumes. Valle de la Luna has salt ridges that glow pink at sunset. The town's clear skies also make it a top place for stargazing.
Region in South Africa
Namaqualand
Vibrant desert landscapes and wildlife wonders
Millions of orange and purple daisies carpet the ground each August and September. Winter rain wakes the seeds on this dry western coast of South Africa. Namaqua National Park has drives and short walks through the blooms. The flowers open in the morning sun and close at dusk.
National Park in United States
Great Basin National Park
Ancient trees, caves and starry skies
Ancient bristlecone pines cling to the slopes of Wheeler Peak. Some living trees are nearly 5,000 years old with twisted silver trunks. Wheeler Peak rises to 3,982 metres above the sandy desert valleys. At night the skies are dark enough to show the Milky Way clearly.
Region in Mexico
Baja California Sur
Desert meets ocean adventure land
Cardon cactus forests cover the hills between desert and sea. Grey whales gather in Ojo de Liebre lagoon each winter to give birth. Visitors can paddle out in small boats to meet curious calves. The Sea of Cortez, warm and calm, laps at empty beaches nearby.
Region in China
Xinjiang
Vibrant Silk Road crossroads of ancient cultures
Karez wells in Turpan carry snowmelt through underground channels to grape farms. The tunnels total thousands of kilometres under the hot desert. The Flaming Mountains glow red in the afternoon sun nearby. The Turpan basin lies far below sea level and has very hot summers.
Region in Iceland
Landmannalaugar
Colorful mountains and natural pools
The Laugahraun lava field, formed in 1477, lies black and rough beside the hills. Rhyolite mountains behind it glow pink, yellow and green. A warm stream feeds a natural pool where hikers soak after a long day. Very few plants grow on the barren volcanic ground.
Desert in Botswana
Kalahari Desert
Endless dunes whisper ancient desert secrets
Deception Valley is a dry riverbed in the Central Kalahari Game Reserve. Lions and cheetahs hunt springbok on its pale grassy plains. Brown hyenas and meerkats live in burrows among the grass and low dunes. San guides teach visitors how to track animals in the sand.
Town in China
Dunhuang
Desert Wonders and Ancient Art
The Mogao Caves hold about 490 painted Buddhist temples cut into a cliff. Monks and artists decorated them from the 4th to the 14th century. Visitors can also climb the Singing Sand Dunes and see Crescent Lake. The little lake has stayed in the desert for centuries.
City in United States
Moab
Red rock canyons echo adventure seekers' dreams
Dead Horse Point overlook drops about 600 metres to the Colorado River. Film crews shot the ending of Thelma and Louise near this cliff in 1991. Red rock arches and towers surround the town in every direction. Rafting trips on the Colorado River start just outside Moab.
National Park in Turkey
Göreme National Park
Fairy chimneys and cave wonders
Painted rock churches from the Byzantine era fill the Open Air Museum cliffs. Frescoes inside show saints and Bible scenes in deep red and blue. Many small hotels sleep guests in real cave rooms cut into soft rock. Hot air balloons drift over the valleys at dawn.
Nature Reserve in Jordan
Wadi Rum
Valley of the moon's timeless magic
T E Lawrence camped in this red valley during the Arab Revolt of 1917. Movies such as Lawrence of Arabia and The Martian were filmed here. Bedouin guides drive visitors in jeeps or lead camels past tall sandstone cliffs. Guests sleep in tents under a sky full of stars.
National Park in Australia
Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National Park
Sacred Red Rock and Majestic Domes
Kata Tjuta is a group of 36 domed rock formations of red conglomerate. The Valley of the Winds walk loops about seven kilometres between them. Anangu people, the traditional owners, still share stories about the domes. Visitors can walk through narrow gorges beneath steep red walls.
Valley in United States
Monument Valley
Iconic red sandstone vistas echo timeless horizons
Sandstone buttes rise up to 300 metres above the flat red desert. Navajo guides lead visitors along a rough 17 mile dirt loop through the valley. Director John Ford filmed the classic western Stagecoach here in 1939. Sunset turns the tall towers deep orange and purple in minutes.
National Park in United States
Canyonlands National Park
Epic Canyons and Untamed Wilderness
Mesa Arch frames the sunrise over deep canyons at Island in the Sky. Its underside glows bright orange as morning light hits the rock. The Green and Colorado rivers meet far below in a maze of red cliffs. Rafters can float through Cataract Canyon beneath towering walls.
Desert in Oman
Wahiba Sands
Endless dunes whisper ancient Bedouin tales
Sand dunes up to 100 metres high stretch across eastern Oman. Bedouin families, called Bidu, still graze camels on the dune slopes. Visitors can sleep in desert camps and ride over the crests in 4x4 vehicles. Sunset paints the sand in shades of orange and gold.
Desert in Namibia
Namib
Endless dunes whisper ancient desert secrets
Fog rolling in off the cold Atlantic gives the Namib most of its water. Darkling beetles tilt their bodies on dune tops to drink the drops. Desert adapted elephants and lions roam the dry riverbeds farther north. The Skeleton Coast has shipwrecks half buried in the sand.
National Park in United States
Joshua Tree National Park
Desert dunes meet starry night skies
Two deserts, the Mojave and the Colorado, meet in this California park. Twisted Joshua trees grow in thick groves on the higher Mojave side. Climbers and hikers scramble over round granite boulders at Hidden Valley. The park is an International Dark Sky Park with vivid stars.
National Park in United States
Badlands National Park
Majestic badlands cliffs echo ancient stories
Eroded buttes striped in pink, tan and grey fill this South Dakota park. Fossils of ancient horses and rhinos, about 30 million years old, lie in the rock. Hikers can climb a log ladder on the Notch Trail for a wide view. Bison and prairie dogs graze on the grasslands nearby.
Region in Turkey
Cappadocia
A surreal land of fairy chimneys
Derinkuyu, an underground city, drops about 60 metres on many levels. Thousands of people once sheltered in its tunnels and stone rooms. Above ground, fairy chimneys of soft volcanic rock rise from the valleys. Visitors can walk narrow passages and see old wine cellars and chapels.
Desert in Egypt
White Desert
Starlit dunes whisper ancient desert secrets
Wind has carved white chalk rocks into shapes like mushrooms and chickens. The formations rise from golden sand in Egypt's Farafra region. Guests camp under the stars and light a fire at night. Small fennec foxes with huge ears creep near the camps at dawn.
Desert in Chile
Atacama Desert
Endless dunes under starlit desert skies
Once every few years rain turns the Atacama pink and purple with flowers. The event is called the desierto florido and lasts a few weeks. ALMA, a giant radio telescope array, sits at about 5,000 metres. Nights are so clear that astronomers place major observatories here.
Region in Ethiopia
Danakil Depression
Earth's Hottest, Most Alien Landscape
The Dallol hot springs paint the ground in bright yellow, green and orange. The area lies about 100 metres below sea level. Camel caravans still carry blocks of salt cut from nearby flats. Erta Ale, a nearby volcano, has a lava lake that glows at night.
Desert
Thar Desert
Endless dunes whisper ancient desert tales
Golden dunes at Sam near Jaisalmer glow orange at sunset in the Thar Desert. Camel safaris carry visitors out to tent camps for a night under the stars. Jaisalmer Fort, built in 1156, still has families living inside its sandstone walls. The Desert Festival each February has camel races and turban tying contests.
Archaeological Site in Peru
Nazca Lines
Mysterious geoglyphs etched across desert skies
Giant drawings called geoglyphs cover the desert plain near Nazca. One shows a hummingbird about 90 metres long in the pale gravel. Ancient people made the lines between about 500 BC and 500 AD by moving dark stones. Small plane flights show the shapes clearly from the air.
National Park in Brazil
Lençóis Maranhenses National Park
Otherworldly dunes with turquoise lagoons
White sand dunes stretch for many kilometres along the coast of northern Brazil. Rain fills the valleys between them with clear blue and green lagoons. The lagoons appear from about January to June each year. Visitors can swim in the warm fresh water after climbing a dune.
Desert
Rub' al Khali
Endless dunes whisper ancient desert secrets
Dunes in the Empty Quarter reach about 250 metres in height. The sand covers an area larger than France across Saudi Arabia, Oman and neighbouring lands. British explorer Bertram Thomas crossed it by camel in 1931. Now guided desert trips run from camps near the edge.
City in United States
Sedona
Red Rocks, Vortexes and Starry Skies
Cathedral Rock and Bell Rock rise in red sandstone above green juniper. Hikers reach their bases on short trails that start near town. Some visitors seek out spots called vortexes, such as Boynton Canyon, for calm. Oak Creek Canyon nearby has cool shaded swimming holes in summer.
Region
Patagonia
Untamed Beauty at the End of the World
Strong wind sweeps the dry steppe of Santa Cruz province almost every day. Fossil tree trunks about 150 million years old lie in the Petrified Forest. Visitors can walk marked paths between the ancient stone logs. Guanacos graze on the pale grass beside the fossil trees.
National Park in Brazil
Pantanal Matogrossense National Park
World's largest tropical wetland paradise
From June to September the wetlands shrink into cracked mud and small lagoons. Jaguars, caimans and capybaras gather at the remaining water. Boat trips on the Cuiaba River often find jaguars on the banks. Hyacinth macaws with bright blue feathers nest in tall palm trees.
Outer Territory in Norway
Svalbard
Arctic wilderness at Earth's edge
Longyearbyen gets only about 200 millimetres of precipitation a year. That is as dry as many hot deserts, making this a polar desert. Visitors can hike across bare rocky valleys with a guide carrying a rifle. Reindeer and Arctic foxes roam the sparse tundra and gravel plains.
Landmark in Australia
Uluru
Majestic sandstone monolith under endless skies
The huge red rock rises 348 metres above the flat desert. Its colour shifts from orange to red to purple between sunrise and dusk. Visitors can walk the 10 kilometre base track around the rock. Climbing has been banned since October 2019 at the request of Anangu owners.
Salt Flat in Bolivia
Salar de Uyuni
World's largest surreal salt mirror
This is the largest salt flat on Earth, covering about 10,000 square kilometres. From December to March a thin sheet of water turns it into a giant mirror. Jeep tours cross the white crust to Incahuasi Island with giant cacti. Old rusting trains sit at a nearby graveyard.
Desert
Sahara Desert
Endless dunes under starlit midnight skies
The Tassili n'Ajjer plateau near Djanet has thousands of ancient rock paintings. Some drawings show herds of cattle from when the Sahara was green. UNESCO listed the area in 1982 as a natural and cultural site. Guides lead walking trips among tall stone arches and rock towers.
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