1. Hitachi Seaside Park, Hitachinaka, Japan
- Hitachi Seaside Park is a public park in Hitachinaka, Ibaraki, that features blooming flowers all year
- The park has become known for its baby blue-eyes flowers, with the blooming of 4.5 million of the translucent-petaled blue flowers in the spring
- In addition to the annual "Nemophila Harmony", the park features a million daffodils, 170 varieties of tulips, and many other flowers
- The park includes cycling trails and a small amusement park with a Ferris wheel
Featured in The Best of Japan
2. Kawachi Wisteria Garden, Kitakyushu, Japan
- Kawachi Wisteria Garden is a private garden located in Kitakyushu
- The garden contains over 22 kinds of wisterias
- It is particularly famous for its stunning 100-meter-long wisteria tunnels, blooming primarily from late April to early May, though exact timing can vary each year depending on weather conditions
Featured in The Best of Japan
3. Lower Lakes, Plitvice Lakes National Park, Croatia
Walk difficulty: moderate
- The Lower Lakes (Croatian: Donja jezera) are part of Plitvice Lakes National Park and consist of four lakes, situated in a canyon formed from permeable limestone
- This section includes the park's largest and tallest waterfall
- Visitors can explore the Lower Lakes through various hiking trails, which are part of the park's extensive network of routes, often including wooden bridges through the lakes and waterfalls
Featured in The Best of Croatia
4. Skatftafell, Vatnajökull National Park, Iceland
- Skaftafell Ice Caves are a natural feature located within Vatnajökull National Park, that form during the winter months when meltwater from glaciers creates tunnels and caverns within the blue ice formations
- Visitors can explore these caves through guided tours that often include adventurous glacier hikes
Featured in The Best of Iceland
5. Blue Lagoon, Grindavík, Iceland
- The Blue Lagoon is a geothermal spa in southwestern Iceland, located in a lava field 5 km (3.1 mi) from Grindavík
- It is in a location favorable for geothermal power, and is supplied by water used in the nearby Svartsengi geothermal power station
- The water's milky blue hue is due to its high silica content
- The silica forms soft white mud on the bottom of the lake which bathers rub on themselves for its skin-nourishing properties
Featured in The Best of Iceland
6. Keukenhof, Lisse, The Netherlands
- Keukenhof is one of the world's largest flower gardens, situated in the municipality of Lisse
- Keukenhof Park covers an area of approximately 7 million flower bulbs that are planted in the gardens annually
- While it is widely known for its tulips, Keukenhof also features numerous other flowers, including hyacinths, daffodils, lilies, roses, carnations and irises
- Keukenhof is only open to the general public for a world-renowned eight week tulip display from mid-March to mid-May, with peak viewing arriving near mid-April, depending on growing season weather, which varies annually
Featured in The Best of The Netherlands
7. Fingal's Cave, Staffa, Scotland, United Kingdom
- Fingal's Cave is a sea cave on the uninhabited island of Staffa, in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland, known for its natural acoustics
- It became known as Fingal's Cave after the eponymous hero of an epic poem by 18th-century Scots poet-historian James Macpherson
- Fingal's Cave is formed entirely from hexagonally jointed basalt columns within a Paleocene lava flow and is similar in structure to both the Giant's Causeway in Northern Ireland and Ulva
- Several sightseeing cruises organised by local companies pass the entrance to the cave
Featured in The Best of the United Kingdom
8. Njakajaure Nature Trail and Marmorbrottet Quarry, Abisko National Park, Sweden
Walk difficulty: easy
- The Njakajaure Nature Trail and Marmorbrottet Quarry are notable features within Abisko National Park, offering a variety of hiking experiences
- The trail is part of the Kungsleden, Sweden's oldest hiking trail, and provides a scenic route through diverse habitats, including birch forests, bogs, and open mountain heaths
- Hikers can enjoy views of Lake Njakajaure, and the area is also home to various wildlife, including protected orchids in the surrounding marshland
- The trail starts from Abisko and follows the Abiskojokk river, leading to a quarry before continuing to Lake Njakajaure
Featured in The Best of Sweden
9. Wave Rock, Hyden, Australia
- Wave Rock is a natural rock formation that is shaped like a tall breaking ocean wave
- It is about 15 m (50 ft) high and forms the north side of a solitary hill, which is known as "Hyden Rock"
- Wave Rock and Hyden Rock are part of a 160 ha (395-acre) nature reserve, Hyden Wildlife Park
Featured in The Best of Australia
10. Uluru, Northern Territory, Australia
- Uluru, also known as Ayers Rock, is a large sandstone monolith
- It crops out near the centre of Australia in the southern part of the Northern Territory
- Uluru is sacred to the Pitjantjatjara, the Aboriginal people of the area, known as the Aṉangu
- It is also one of the most important indigenous sites in Australia
- The area around the formation is home to an abundance of springs, waterholes, rock caves and ancient paintings
Featured in The Best of Australia
11. Lake Hillier, Goldfields–Esperance, Australia
- Lake Hillier is a saline lake located on Middle Island, which is the largest island in the Recherche Archipelago
- The lake is renowned for its bubblegum pink color, which is attributed to the presence of certain algae and bacteria in the water, although the exact cause remains somewhat unclear
- The lake is bordered by eucalyptus and paperbark trees, creating a contrast with the blue waters of the Southern Ocean
- Due to its location on an island, access to Lake Hillier typically involves boat tours or scenic flights
Featured in The Best of Australia
12. Whitehaven Beach, Whitsunday Island, Australia
- Whitehaven Beach is a renowned beach located on Whitsunday Island, which is part of the Whitsunday Islands group in Queensland
- It is often listed among the world's best beaches and is part of the Whitsunday Islands National Park
- Visitors can enjoy various activities, including swimming, sunbathing, and exploring the nearby Hill Inlet Lookout, which offers views of the beach and surrounding waters
- Whitehaven Beach can be accessed by boat, seaplane, or helicopter from nearby locations like Airlie Beach
Featured in The Best of Australia
13. The Pinnacles, Nambung National Park, Australia
- The Pinnacles are weathered limestone formations within Nambung National Park
- The Pinnacles remained unknown to most Australians until 1967 when the area was gazetted as a reserve
- The raw material for the limestone of the Pinnacles came from seashells in an earlier era that was rich in marine life
- No lodging or camping areas are available within Nambung National Park but accommodations can be found in Cervantes
Featured in The Best of Australia
14. Bungle Bungle Range, Purnululu National Park, Australia
Walk difficulty: moderate
- The Bungle Bungle Range is a major landform and the main feature of the Purnululu National Park
- The distinctive beehive-shaped towers are made up of sandstones and rocks composed mainly of pebbles and boulders and cemented together by finer material
- The combined effects of wind from the Tanami Desert and rainfall over millions of years shaped the domes
Featured in The Best of Australia
15. Twelve Apostles Marine National Park, Victoria, Australia
- The Twelve Apostles are a collection of limestone stacks off the shore of Port Campbell National Park, by the Great Ocean Road in Victoria
- The marine park is named after the scenic Twelve Apostles rock stacks, and contains the wreck of the clipper Loch Ard, wrecked on Mutton Bird Island in 1878
- Though the view never included twelve stacks, additional stacks—not considered part of the Apostles group—are located to the west within the national park
- Eight of the original nine stacks remain standing at the Twelve Apostles' viewpoint, after one collapsed in 2005
Featured in The Best of Australia
16. Sutherland Falls, Fiordland, New Zealand
- Sutherland Falls is a waterfall near Milford Sound in New Zealand's South Island
- At 580 metres (1,904 feet) the falls are the tallest waterfall in New Zealand
- The base of Sutherland Falls is a 90-minute (return) walk from Quintin Public Shelter on the famous Milford Track
Featured in The Best of New Zealand
17. Nugget Point Lighthouse, New Zealand
- Nugget Point Lighthouse is a lighthouse at Nugget Point in the Otago region of the South Island of New Zealand
- The lighthouse was built from 1869 to 1870 and first lit in 1870
- The lighthouse was solarized in May 2020 and now has no mains power
- A 20 minute return walking track leads from the car park at the end of The Nuggets Road to a viewing platform right next to the lighthouse overlooking "The Nuggets", however the lighthouse itself is fenced off
Featured in The Best of New Zealand
18. Waitomo Glowworm Caves, New Zealand
- The Waitomo Glowworm Caves attraction is a cave at Waitomo on the North Island of New Zealand
- It is known for its population of a glowworm species found exclusively in New Zealand
- This cave is part of the waitomo streamway system that includes the Ruakuri Cave, Lucky Strike, and Tumutumu Cave
- The attraction has a modern visitor center, and there are organized tours that include a boat ride under the glowworms
Featured in The Best of New Zealand
19. Mount John University Observatory, Mackenzie District, New Zealand
- Mount John University Observatory (UCMJO) is New Zealand's largest professional research observatory, located at an elevation of 1,029 meters (3,376 feet) on Mount John, near Lake Tekapo in the South Island
- The observatory offers daytime and nighttime tours, allowing visitors to experience stargazing and learn about astronomy
- It also features a café with views of the surrounding lakes and mountains
Featured in The Best of New Zealand
20. Taranaki Falls Walk, Tongariro National Park, New Zealand
Walk difficulty: moderate
- The Taranaki Falls Walk is a scenic 6 km loop track located in Tongariro National Park
- The walk leads to the Taranaki Falls, which cascades down 20 meters and is surrounded by volcanic rock formations
- Along the trail, hikers can enjoy views of Mount Tongariro and Mount Ngauruhoe, as well as diverse landscapes that include forests, tussock, and alpine shrublands
Featured in The Best of New Zealand
21. Spotted Lake, Osoyoos, British Columbia, Canada
- Spotted Lake is a saline endorheic alkali lake located northwest of Osoyoos in the eastern Similkameen Valley, accessed via Highway 3
- The lake was for centuries and still remains revered as a sacred site thought to provide therapeutic waters to the Syilx First Nation of the Okanagan Valley
- Today, there is a roadside sign telling visitors that the lake is a cultural and ecologically sensitive area, and a traditional medicine lake for the Okanagan Syilx people
- The lake can be viewed from the fence that has been erected for protection from the liabilities of public access
Featured in The Best of British Columbia
22. Emerald Lake, Yoho National Park, British Columbia, Canada
Walk difficulty: easy
- Emerald Lake is a freshwater lake located in Yoho National Park, along the boundary of British Columbia and Alberta Provinces
- Emerald Lake Lodge, a high-end lodge or hotel, is on a peninsula jutting into the lake, and was founded in the 1920s
- A hiking trail circuits the lake, with many other more advanced hiking trails going in different directions up into the mountains
- Many wild animals live in the area and are protected by Park Law, Brown (Grizzly) Bears and Black Bears are fairly common, as well as Mountain Goats and Bighorn Sheep, which are seen at higher altitudes
Featured in The Best of British Columbia