The 35 greatest views in the world, as named by the experts

Gazing out at a glorious view is one of the great joys of travel. Whether it be the Grand Canyon, the Swiss Alps, or the glories of Machu Picchu, more than a few of us have travelled halfway around the world just to soak up a particular vista.

We all have our favourite scenic spots, but what about those people for whom great views are a facet of their job? We asked some well-travelled travel professionals for their views on the world’s most supreme scene-stealers. Their varied choices – from street vistas in India to the volcanic landscapes of Chile – may surprise and even inspire you.

THE TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHER
Richard I’Anson

THE DESTINATION Bamurru Plains, Northern Territory, Australia

Bamurru Plains, Northern Territory.Credit: Richard I’Anson

THE VIEW It’s a really remarkable experience to head out in the airboat onto the flood plains in the late afternoon to photograph amid the melaleuca forests that are partly underwater. The trip back to the lodge takes us west towards the setting sun, and it’s the most beautiful time of day, often with these fantastic clouds overhead.

THE DESTINATION Salisbury Plain, South Georgia Island

Salisbury Plain, South Georgia Island.

THE VIEW There are three great sites on South Georgia Island but at this one you can climb a low hill, and you are looking out at one of the most remarkable wildlife views on the planet.

With 250,000 king penguins, it’s only the second-largest penguin colony on South Georgia, but it’s the ability to get up above it and have the view filling the entire frame that is so remarkable.

THE DESTINATION The Lemaire Channel, Antarctica

Lemaire Channel, Antarctica: spectacular from start to finish.Credit: Richard I’Anson

THE VIEW This 11-kilometre channel is only 600 metres wide at its narrowest point and engulfed by steep cliffs on both sides, but the entire 11 kilometres is spectacular from start to finish, particularly when you’ve got icebergs and brash ice in the channel. That gives you lots of variety and many different compositions.

THE DESTINATION Lower Zambezi National Park, Zambia

Dawn on the Zambezi.Credit: Richard I’Anson

THE VIEW If you head down the Zambezi River, you can get much deeper into the Lower Zambezi National Park than you can by Jeep. With my groups, we leave at first light heading straight into the rising sun. Once the sun pops up I get the team to cut the engine, and we sit there silently in the middle of one of the world’s great rivers and watch the wildlife. It is a great way to start a safari drive.

THE DESTINATION Gokyo Ri, Nepal

Mount Everest viewed from Gokyo Ri.Credit: Richard I’Anson

THE VIEW If you stay in Gokyo village in Gokyo Valley and walk up the hill behind the village – it takes somewhere between 1½ and three hours – you are looking at one of the most incredible views in the Himalayas. One way you’re looking down the entire valley, then you look up at the main Himalaya range and see four 8000-metre peaks, including Everest, behind you.

Richard I’Anson has been a travel photographer for 39 years and leads international photography tours. See richardianson.com

THE OCEAN CRUISE CAPTAIN
Captain Serena Melani, Explora Journeys

THE DESTINATION Lisbon, Portugal

Torre de Belem in Lisbon, Portugal,Credit: Alamy

THE VIEW Lisbon is one of my favourite ports in the entire world, and sailing in by ship is a unique way to arrive. The light is spectacular there – the ocean air makes the light very sharp and clear, and you dock downtown, so you can see the old town, the Tower of Belem and the rich history of this city.

THE DESTINATION Hubbard Glacier, Alaska, US

THE VIEW The Hubbard Glacier is the biggest tidewater glacier in North America and the first time [I saw it] there was a bit of a fog. Suddenly, the fog disappeared and there was clear sky and the sun hitting the ice of the glacier. I started to pirouette [the ship] to show the beauty of the glacier to each side of the ship and I didn’t stop for an hour. The strength and the power of nature made me so happy.

THE DESTINATION Amazon River, Brazil

The Amazon, Brazil.Credit: Alamy

THE VIEW What captured my attention my first time on the Amazon was that we sailed so deep into the heart of the continent, and it was still so wild. The view is never the same, it changes day after day. Sometimes you can see the riverbank, sometimes you can’t, sometimes an island appears that wasn’t there a month before. And the Meeting of the Waters near Manaus is amazing to see.

THE DESTINATION Sorrento, Italy

The dramatic cliffs of Sorrento, Italy.Credit: Alamy

THE VIEW Sorrento is a town on the Amalfi coast, with its dramatic cliffs. It is one of the most beautiful places to admire the sunset because it faces directly west. When you depart at sunset, all the little houses light up, and the smell of the vegetation, the pine trees and the lemon trees, it’s coming out all the way to the sea.

THE DESTINATION Cartagena de Indias, Colombia

Cartagena de Indias’s Old Town.Credit: iStock

THE VIEW The old town of Cartagena de Indias is really beautiful. It’s a really well-preserved colonial city – it was the setting for the movie The Mission, back in the ’80s. Plus you have the spice and the colourful ambience of the Caribbean mixed with South American flavour.

Captain Serena Melani is the first female cruise ship master to launch three new-build ships, including Explora I and Explora II. See explorajourneys.com

THE TRAIN TRAVEL TRAGIC
Scott McGregor, Railway Adventures

THE DESTINATION The Belgrade to Bar railway from Serbia to Montenegro

Belgrade to Bar is one of the world’s most dramatic railway journeys.Credit: Alamy

THE VIEW One of the world’s most dramatic railways crosses the vast limestone mountains in the southern Balkans and features one of the world’s highest bridges. For each view that makes your head turn, the train rounds a bend to reveal an even more dramatic view. Our own private train, the Continental Classic Express, has large scenic windows that can be opened up all the way for uninterrupted views.

THE DESTINATION The Hai Van Pass, Vietnam

The Hai Van Pass, one of the most scenic journeys in Asia.Credit: iStock

THE VIEW As Paul Theroux wrote in his famous book The Great Railway Bazaar, this is one of the most scenic railways in Asia, built at huge financial and human cost by the colonial French in the early 20th century. The railway between Danang and Hue was the final section of the Great Reunification Railway to be built linking Saigon and Hanoi.

THE DESTINATION The West Coast Wilderness Railway, Tasmania

The West Coast Wilderness Railway, Tasmania.

THE VIEW Formerly a mining railway, built in the late 19th century using the intriguing ABT cog rail system to assist the trains up and over the steep lines on the ranges. Wild virgin temperate rainforest and raging rivers give way to sweeping views of the steep wooded mountains and valleys of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage-listed region.

THE DESTINATION The Kalka-Shimla narrow gauge railway, India

The Kalka-Shimla Railway is a narrow-gauge line built in 1898 and famous for its scenery and improbable construction.Credit: Getty Images

THE VIEW In 2008 this railway was designated by UNESCO as the first World Heritage-listed railway. Over its 96 kilometres it crosses several bridges and rises to more than 2000 metres, with changing vegetation and topography along the way. The destination is the old British Hill station of Shimla with its views of the lower Himalayas.

THE DESTINATION The Kuranda Scenic Railway, Far North Queensland

The Kuranda Scenic Railway was one of Australia’s most difficult railway constructions.Credit: Tourism Tropical North Queensland

THE VIEW From the tropical coastal plain out of Cairns the train climbs steeply up the ranges following the Barron Gorge on what was one of the most difficult railway constructions in Australia’s history. As the train climbs, the view out to sea and over the canefields is astounding.

Scott McGregor founded Railway Adventures in 2012, and the company has hosted travellers on more than 120 tours since then. See railwayadventures.travel

THE RIVER CRUISE CAPTAIN
Tamas Mezzo, APT Luxury Travel

THE DESTINATION The Rhine Gorge, Germany

The Rhine is a highway.Credit: iStock

THE VIEW Passengers love this route because you are sailing between mountains that are full of castles, but I enjoy it because the Rhine is like a highway – it is one of the most important trading routes in Europe and it is full of ships, so for Australians in particular it is something really different.

THE DESTINATION Budapest, Hungary

Arriving in Budapest by ship lets you see the city’s highlights before you’ve even stepped ashore.Credit: iStock

THE VIEW If you arrive in Budapest by ship you will see most of the city highlights before you disembark because we sail in from the north and go through the heart of the city to our mooring in the south. You get to see all the bridges, the castle and Matthias Church high above, and the parliament, which is a great view.

THE DESTINATION Durstein to Wachau, Austria

Durstein to Wachau is one of the parts of Austria where the river feels untouched.

THE VIEW There are no locks along this stretch, which is the only part in Austria where the river still feels like an untouched river. You can also ride a bike along here, looking at the forest on one side and the vineyards on the other.

THE DESTINATION The Main River, Germany

The locks are tight on Germany’s Main River.Credit: iStock

THE VIEW The whole river is unbelievable to sail through because some of the locks are so narrow, you only have a 20-centimetre clearance. You have to pay attention, which I like. Anyone can do the easy things. And because the river is quite narrow you get to see the scenery up close.

THE DESTINATION Passau to Linz, Germany and Austria

Passau to Linz, Germany and Austria. Credit: iStock

THE VIEW On this route you pass through a 60-kilometre valley with higher hills on both sides and untouched forest. Sometimes I sail through here every three weeks or so, but you don’t catch the same scenery twice – it changes with the seasons. This is also a very sharp curve where you turn 180 degrees and then 90 degrees, and the passengers really enjoy that.

Tamas Mezzo captains cruises on some of Europe’s most scenic rivers for APT Luxury Travel. See aptouring.com

THE MOUNTAINEER
Lydia Bradey

THE DESTINATION Ojos del Salado, Chile

Ojos del Salado, Chile.

THE VIEW The altiplano of Chile is volcano land. I love leading expeditions here: it is quite easy to climb and the higher you go, the more volcanoes you see, every one a different colour and a different shape. There are huge orange monoliths, dark red lava flows that busted out the side something like 50 million years ago, a lava wave frozen in mid-air.

THE DESTINATION Lewis Pass, Aotearoa/New Zealand

Lewis Pass, Aeotearoa/New Zealand.

Aotearoa has lots of mountains, including some that are really just big hills, many with these amazing alpine lakes on top – that’s what really drew me into mountaineering. The Lewis Pass north of Christchurch is really accessible and has so many alpine tarns. There are no marked trails, but you don’t need a trail if you can read a map.

THE DESTINATION Kun Peak, Ladakh, India

Kun Peak: stunning.

THE VIEW This has got to be one of the best 7000-metre peaks to be guided on. It’s not hard, it’s not crowded, every stage has different landscapes and they are all stunning. Base camp is set among these beautiful wildflowers. There is no Wi-Fi up here, and I like that too – instead of sitting there looking at their phones, people sit around and tell stories.

THE DESTINATION Gondogoro La, Pakistan

Gondogoro La: like a fairytale.Credit: iStock

THE VIEW I love this mountain pass but anywhere in the mountains in Pakistan is gorgeous. They are like a fairy tale. Unlike the mountains in Nepal, which are rounded, these are beautiful pillar towers. It’s a much wilder experience than trekking in Nepal, another step up in the visual drama.

THE DESTINATION Mount Everest, Nepal

Among the highest people on Earth: atop Mount Everest.

THE VIEW On summit day at Everest it’s not just what you’re looking at that is so dramatic, although you can see the curve of the Earth and the big mountains around you. It’s the knowledge that you are among the highest people in the world.

Lydia Bradey, the first woman to summit Mount Everest without supplementary oxygen, leads mountaineering trips for World Expeditions. See worldexpeditions.com

THE AIRLINE PILOT
Lynda Prior, pilot, Air New Zealand

THE DESTINATION Greenland

THE VIEW Flying from London to LA and vice versa, you pass over Greenland, and on a clear day you see these really incredible ice caps. At night, you are looking down and occasionally, you see this random light, and you wonder, “Who lives down there?”

THE DESTINATION Papua New Guinea

Inspiring: Papua New Guinea from the air.Credit: Alamy

THE VIEW Flying up over the spine of New Guinea I’ll be stuck to my side window, looking down at all these airstrips built into the side of mountains in the jungle, trying to figure out how the pilots could approach. Flying over New Guinea inspired me to do the Kokoda Track last year. Instead of looking down on it, I wanted to get in there among it.

THE DESTINATION Auckland, Aotearoa/New Zealand

Mount Taranaki on approach to Auckland.Credit: iStock

THE VIEW Arriving in Auckland on a clear day, if you look out the left-hand side, you can see right down the west coast as far as Mount Taranaki, and then to the north. That’s the first sight of New Zealand and our passengers get excited, but for us up front, the feeling is that we’re home.

THE DESTINATION The equator

Lightning in the Philippines.Credit: iStock

THE VIEW In tropical areas around the equator such as the Philippines and Indonesia, at night you are often flying around areas of active thunderstorms. The lightning display can be spectacular, particularly when there is continuous lighting within the cloud.

THE DESTINATION In transit

Planes passing each other will flash their lights.Credit: iStock

THE VIEW Passing another aircraft head on is pretty spectacular, and it happens daily. We’ve always got a minimum of 1000 feet between us, but when we’re doing over 500 knots, and so are they, it looks pretty close. Quite often when you’re passing they’ll put their landing lights on, then you put yours on: it’s like a truckies’ hand-wave.

Lynda Prior has been a pilot with Air New Zealand since 2001. See airnewzealand.com.au

THE ESCORTED JOURNEY GURU
Debra Fox, Abercrombie & Kent Travel Group

THE DESTINATION Hokkaido, Japan

Focused on nature: Hokkaido, Japan.Credit: iStock

THE VIEW Hokkaido is the Tasmania of Japan – the nature there blew me away. I have been cross-country skiing through the beautiful deep forests and the stillness of these trees heavy with snow is amazing. People there love their nature, and it shows up in the food too: they really focus on where the food is sourced.

THE DESTINATION Varanasi, India

Varanasi, India: A feast for the senses.Credit: Getty Images

THE VIEW The sight of the nightly Aarti ceremony performed beside the Ganges was mesmerising but in the back streets of Varanasi you see life unaffected by outsiders. You see pilgrims coming back from the Ganges with their little containers of Ganga water that they’re going to take back home to their local temple. I found it deeply moving.

THE DESTINATION New York City

Arriving in New York at dawn is incredible.Credit: iStock

THE VIEW Cruising into New York at dawn is incredible. You enter the mouth of the river just as the light starts to lift. The bright lights of all those high-rise buildings become more muted as the sun rises, the oranges and pinks come through, and you can watch New York waking up.

THE DESTINATION Antarctica

The stillness of Antarctica is incredible.Credit: Abercrombie & Kent

THE VIEW It’s the stillness of Antarctica that is incredible, the immersion in the landscape and the wildlife. We went out on a Zodiac in the late afternoon and a whale sidled up beside us with her calf, the two of them right next to the Zodiac. I was brought to tears at the gentleness, the lack of fear and the magnificence of the whole setting.

THE DESTINATION Mumbai, India

A dabba wallah, lunch delivery man, in Mumbai.Credit: Alamy

THE VIEW Back in India, another thing I really enjoyed was watching the spectacle of the dabba wallahs, lunch delivery men, as they were preparing to distribute their food. Each day 5000 men deliver 200,000 meals to office workers with an accuracy of 99.9 per cent – it’s one of the most studied logistical operations in the world. The lunches are prepared in the slums and that connection, bringing the slums together with the corporate world.

Debra Fox is managing director UK and Asia-Pacific for Abercrombie & Kent Travel Group. She has been to 70 countries and counting. See abercrombiekent.com

LOOK AWAY: FIVE NOT-SO-FABULOUS VIEWS

Venice, Italy
It’s ironic that the flight path to Italy’s famed floating city goes right over an ugly industrial district. (However, the water taxi’s dazzling trip from the airport to your hotel will make up for it.)

Sao Paulo, Brazil
A few towering skyscrapers on the skyline always look dramatic. When skyscrapers are all you can see, no matter which direction you look, the effect is overwhelming.

Las Vegas, Nevada
Opinion is divided on whether The Strip’s neon-lit nights are glamorous or just tacky, but one thing everyone can agree on: during the day, the whole area just looks sad.

Male, The Maldives
Fly almost anywhere in the Maldives and you can’t tear your eyes away from that thrillingly blue water. Fly over the capital city, Male, and it is the crammed-looking city streets that capture your attention.

Mumbai, India
For many, the defining memory of Mumbai is not the temples of Elephanta Island or the extraordinary Victoria Terminus railway station, but the slums sprawling in the shadow of luxury high-rises.

The Traveller team would love to hear from our readers about the single best view from their own travels and why it so inspired them. The writers of the seven most interesting letters will receive a copy of Lonely Planet’s Wonders of the World coffee table book, valued at $44.99. See shop.lonelyplanet.com To be the the running write to us at [e-mail] and be sure to include your full address and phone number. You can also leave a comment below.