10 Breathtaking Destinations Every Photographer Needs To Visit
Photography isn't just a part of the journey — for many, it's the purpose. Imagine a voyage designed around the sole objective of capturing the world's most stunning vistas through your lens. We've curated a list of the most visually stunning destinations globally, essential on the itinerary of every photographer, whether you're a hobbyist, an artist seeking inspiration, or a professional with years of experience. These places aren't just locations but canvases that challenge your creativity and technical prowess, irrespective of whether you're shooting with a vintage Pentax K1000 or a high-tech Canon EOS.
The world is brimming with picturesque locales, but our selection criteria were stringent. We looked for places that offer a unique character, local charm, unparalleled natural beauty, and, undeniably, the potential to be the subject of awe-inspiring photographs. These destinations, rich in visual appeal and diverse in their landscapes, promise to ignite your creativity and could very well lead to the magnum opus of your portfolio.
Grand Canyon, USA
The Grand Canyon is so vast that it looks almost surreal. It's an ideal place for photographers to practice their art, as it's hard to get a bad shot. Grand Canyon National Park has some of the world's best natural rock formations that offer excellent hiking and backpacking opportunities. Visitors can even trek down into the canyon and stay at the world-famous Phantom Ranch cabins.
Deep within the canyon, visitors will experience an entirely different world. Temperatures vary substantially between the base and the rim. The area teems with wildlife like deer and other woodland creatures that are plentiful, making for dramatic wilderness shots. Photographers have plenty of sites to choose from, with numerous trails, each leading to its unique spectacle of serene lakes and cascading waterfalls.
Sightseers don't need to spend a fortune or a week on a trip down into the canyon, either. It's quite easy to hike around the rim, provided they don't try to go down into the canyon and back up in one day. For a tech twist, the North Rim's Sky Walk offers an unparalleled experience with a glass-floored bridge, enabling visitors to capture vertigo-inducing shots straight down into the canyon's depths — no drone or risky dangling required.
If one of the natural wonders of the world isn't enough to inspire you as a photographer, just an hour's drive away is Antelope Canyon, another photographer's haven known for its captivating colored rock formations. It's not just a side trip; it's a must-visit for anyone with a camera in search of that perfect shot.
Banff National Park, Canada
Banff National Park has the distinction of being Canada's first national park and one of its many UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Tourists and vacationers go for its natural beauty, excellent skiing, and quaint mountain village.
The park is a paradise for those with an eye for photography. Photographers will find a treasure trove of opportunities in Banff, with an abundance of locales to either replicate iconic images or discover new scenic vistas. The natural beauty of this area is untouched, pristine, and ideal for exploration.
Among the famed photography sites is the elusive "Secret Spot," which provides a spectacular view of the castle-like Banff Hotel set against the mountains. Additionally, the area includes panoramic views of Mount Rundle and hiking trails that reveal expansive vistas of Spray Valley.
Beyond photography, a trip to the Banff National Park offers more than just picture-perfect locations and photographic scenery. It's an adventurer's playground with activities like kayaking, canoeing, hiking, and luxury excursions, too.
Namib Desert, Namibia
Deserts often have a reputation as inhospitable wastelands, but desert landscapes are filled to the brim with natural beauty and life. The Namib Desert in Namibia is one of the most picturesque and oldest deserts in the world. It's teeming with wildlife, natural cliff formations, massive dunes, and unique photography opportunities.
The Namib Desert can be visited year-round and is home to unique types of wildlife like oryx, zebra, and elephants. Excursions into the desert can offer once-in-a-lifetime photography opportunities to capture shots of these animals. Hidden in the desert is also an assortment of resilient flora, including the centuries-old Quiver tree, each uniquely adapted to the harsh desert conditions.
For those wishing to explore the Namib Desert, a variety of safaris and tours are available, ranging from budget-friendly camping trips to more luxurious accommodation options. Several of these tours are designed with photographers in mind, offering excursions to outstanding locations at the best times for capturing the perfect shot under the most favorable lighting conditions. These organized journeys are an easy and comprehensive way to experience the desert's hidden treasures.
Aurora Borealis, Various Locations
The Northern Lights, or aurora borealis, are nothing short of magic in the sky. This dazzling show happens when particles from the sun play with Earth's magnetic fields, resulting in curtains of color dancing in the dark.
For photographers itching to capture this cosmic dance on film, there's no place like Norway and its Scandinavian neighbors. These countries roll out the natural red carpet for the best views of the Northern Lights with endless chances for photo ops.
If you're all about raw nature, there are spots so quiet and untouched that you'll hear the whispers of the universe while you focus on the auroras. For those who want a bit of the human touch, you can find places where the lights twinkle over cozy villages, adding a warm glow to your composition.
But it's not just about the lights in Norway. Picture rugged landscapes, lively local culture, and a palette of experiences that make it more than just a photography trip. It's a feast for the soul, with the Northern Lights as the main course. So, whether you're planning a laid-back photo vacation or a full-on shooting spree, Norway welcomes you with open arms and skies full of wonder.
Glacier Bay, Alaska
John Muir might have captured the essence of Glacier Bay best when he said, "Spend a whole summer, if possible, wandering here. You'll be drenched in thousands of God's wild blessings as if you were a sponge, and the enormous days will pass unnoticed."
Alaska remains one of the rare corners of the globe where civilization lightly brushes against the wild heart of nature. Glacier Bay, a masterpiece crafted by 10,000 years of glacial movement, is one of its most awe-inspiring treasures.
Step into this incredible part of the Alaskan wild, and you're encircled by panoramic vistas of majestic glaciers. The bay itself is a haven for marine life where whales swim through its waters, sea otters play, walruses laze, and puffins dive. Onshore, the wilderness is alive with the company of bears and the distant howls of wolf packs. For those who want to capture wildlife at its most raw and unfiltered, Glacier Bay is a dream location.
Access to this pristine sanctuary is limited to preserve its splendor. Only a select few cruise lines have the privilege of sailing these waters, and while their larger vessels offer a grand overview, they don't dock. However, smaller boats do allow for landing, giving visitors the option for hiking, kayaking, and a deeper, more personal photographic journey into the heart of Glacier Bay's wild beauty.
Great Barrier Reef, Australia
For underwater photography, nowhere in the world beats the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. The Great Barrier Reef consists of approximately 10% of the world's remaining reef ecosystems. It's home to some of the most impressive sea life in the world, including a wide variety of fish, coral, sea turtles, and sharks.
There are numerous tours that photographers can book to destinations like the Heart Reef, Hamilton Island, and Lady Musgrave Island. You'll need an underwater camera or waterproof casing to capture below the waves, but there's also enough natural beauty to photograph above water to last a lifetime as well.
It's no surprise that another of the world's natural wonders makes the list. In fact, you could probably simply list all of the natural wonders, and photographers would be lining up to take their shots. Coral reefs have taken some hits in recent years, with vast fields of coral dying due to human interaction, climate change, and pollution. That's why it's so important for photographers to capture these places, not only to capture their beauty but also to raise awareness and support to preserve these locations for generations to come.
A trip to the Great Barrier Reef for a photographer is a trip of a lifetime. Those fortunate enough to travel here will have access to beaches and island tours and are close to several major cities filled with photographic locations. Once you get dry, there are numerous tours into the Australian Outback as well, another nearby destination waiting to be captured on film.
Kyoto, Japan
Japan, a nation where history whispers and modernity shouts, offers endless fascination, especially for photographers. Yet, there's something uniquely captivating about Kyoto, the old capital. Here, nature's artistry and human-made wonders have been in a graceful dance for centuries.
Strolling through the Arashiyama Bamboo Grove, you're enveloped by these gentle giants, a green tranquility that seems miles away from the modern world. Then there are the shrines and temples, each a silent guardian of history. You can't miss the Fushimi Inari Shrine, with its iconic torii gates snaking through the mountainside, or the venerable Kiyomizu-dera, a UNESCO site where 1,200 years of history gently rests on its wooden pillars.
Perhaps the greatest time to see Kyoto is during cherry blossom season when the city itself seems to bloom with gorgeous pink flower buds. It's hard to find anything more iconically Japanese than this.
There's way more to explore and photograph in Kyoto than these, but if you somehow manage to find yourself looking for something new, the current capital, Tokyo, is only a short trip away. There, you can explore incredible back alleys and one of the most advanced cities in the world to capture cyberpunk-esque locations and visual delights.
Machu Picchu, Peru
While we've explored numerous natural wonders, Machu Picchu stands out as the first on this list that's also one of the Seven Wonders of the World. This ancient Incan citadel, nestled in the Peruvian mountains, dates back approximately 600 years, offering a glimpse into a civilization long past.
One of the reasons why Machu Picchu made this list over all of the other Wonders of the World is that it's still relatively untouched. Unlike the Pyramids of Giza, civilization has yet to encroach upon the site to the point where it ruins the natural beauty around it. There is a path up to Machu Picchu, and you'll need to hike up several switchbacks, but the view is worth it.
Once you've made it to the site, you can spend hours setting up a shot and taking the same photo at different hours throughout the day. Each shot will be completely different and wonderful. Morning and evening times are best for traditional photography, and some photographers curse their luck when fog or bad weather rolls in, which it often does in the mountains.
However, this also offers incredible opportunities to capture unique shots. Fog rolling through the ancient ruins of the city or storm clouds rolling over mountains in the background are some of the most interesting and unique photos of the site.
Ha Long Bay, Vietnam
Ha Long Bay, recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site, stands as one of Vietnam's most majestic natural wonders, characterized by its limestone karsts and unspoiled beaches. Access to this spectacular bay, with its secluded coves, necessitates a journey by boat, facilitated by numerous cruise services and private operators available in the region.
The bay's creation is steeped in local mythology, suggesting a dragon's descent to the earth, carving the landscape with luminous jewels. This allegorical tale has some truth as the bay does seem to shine in the mornings and evenings, and it was used in several defenses against the Mongol Empire invasions.
Photographers are afforded unparalleled opportunities in Ha Long Bay, from capturing the locations featured in the 2017 film "Kong: Skull Island" to navigating through limestone caverns and documenting the unique lifestyle of residents in floating villages.
Vietnam is full of natural splendor and historical richness, yet Ha Long Bay stands out as its most famous and beloved locale, presenting photographers with not just visually stunning prospects but a deeply immersive cultural experience.
New Zealand
New Zealand is filled with natural beauty of all varieties. It has an incredible coast, mountain ranges, volcanoes, and impressive cities. No matter what style of photography you're practicing, New Zealand has an abundance of photographic opportunities.
The islands have everything a photographer could want. For natural beauty, it has almost any feature you could possibly be interested in. Mount Cook is perhaps one of the most famous, with its stunning views and surrounding areas. The Waitomo Glowworm caves are home to a unique species that glows in the dark. The country's national parks, including the renowned Tongariro, present a myriad of landscapes, each with its distinct charm and challenge for photographers.
However, New Zealand's allure isn't just rooted in its landscapes; the cultural richness of the Maori people adds a profound historical and human element to any photographic endeavor. The indigenous people have a vibrant history that can easily capture the imagination and challenge photographers of all skill levels in their quest to document it for their personal or professional portfolios.
If you still have doubts about the breathtaking beauty of New Zealand, you can always rewatch Peter Jackson's "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy. While the films have jokingly been called 12-hour extended tourism commercials for New Zealand, they do emphasize the nation's scenic variety and magnificence. Some photographers and Tolkien fans have even made it their goal to revisit all of the filming locations to photograph these now-famous areas for themselves.