Mountain summits, lakeside forests, sculptural desert rock forms, luminous lagoons… the world is full of wonders to nourish the eye. But where to start? You could form a whole separate bucket list of the most beautiful places in the world, before you begin to break that beauty down by scenery, nature, manmade forms and wildlife. Some landscapes are just pleasing to the eye, and must be protected at all costs; tread lightly when visiting these exceptionally beautiful spots across the globe.

The Great Barrier Reef, Australia

Famously up there with the most beautiful places in the world, the world’s largest coral reef system gleams a neon turquoise. Sailing around and landing on its islands, you’ll see white sand beaches and spot turtles, clownfish and giant clams on snorkels. Visit on Luxury Gold’s Inspiring Australia tour.

The Great Barrier Reef, Australia

Machu Picchu, Peru

Set 7,972 feet above sea level in the Andes Mountains, this mysterious citadel is not just one of the most beautiful places in the world, it’s one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Reached at the end of an epic hike – or a scenic train ride – the classic view of the city is from the Guardian’s House. Take the train option on Luxury Gold’s Treasures of the Incas tour.

Machu Picchu, Peru

Pamukkale, Turkey

This western Turkish town is famous for its natural white travertine terraces, their scoops of natural pools filled by nourishing hot springs. Their gleaming white frame makes the pools an exquisite, luminous ice-blue. Visit on a day-trip from Marmaris or Dalaman on the coast.

Pamukkale’s travertine terraces, Turkey

Avenue of the Baobabs, Madagascar

Enormous and pillar-like, there’s something uncanny about these vast baobab trees, some of which are over 800 years old and over 98ft tall. Often photographed silhouetted against a fiery Madagascan sunset, they’re found on the road between Morondava and Belon’i Tsiribihina.

Avenue of the Baobabs, Madagascar

Fiordland, South Island, New Zealand

Another country that pops up on list of the most beautiful places in the world is New Zealand. Peaceful, uninterrupted nature sprawls across much of its South Island, but most famous is Milford Sound, a shimmering fiord backed by peaks and waterfalls in the Fiordland region. On Luxury Gold’s tour, you’ll visit lesser-known but just as ravishing neighbour, Doubtful Sound, on an overnight cruise.

Milford Sound, New Zealand

Bagan, Myanmar

This ancient city and Unesco World Heritage Site is an arresting mix of stupa-topped temples and dense forest, often seen in magical mists. There are more than 3,500 temples and pagodas here, some dating back 800 years and many eerily overgrown with mossy foliage.

Temples in Bagan, Myanmar

Redwood National and State Parks, California, USA

California’s towering redwood trees are one for the bucket list: this west coast state’s hiking trails and national parks are some of the most beautiful places in the world, let alone in North America. Home to the world’s tallest trees – some more than 370ft high – these forest dwarf their visitors and emphasize the sheer force of nature.

Redwood National and State Parks, California

Okavango Delta, Botswana

One of the few wetlands systems that does not flow into a sea or ocean, this complex inland waterway is a honeypot for incredible wildlife, with little human development to spoil the view. Visit during the dry season to see elephants, leopards, lions, buffalo and over 560 bird species.

Okavango Delta, Botswana

Arashiyama Bamboo Grove, Japan

Close to Kyoto, this dense forest of light-filtering bamboo is a restorative place to spend an afternoon. Hiking trails through the tall, thin stems, you’ll feel an immense sense of peace, before exploring the nearby Togetsukyo Bridge and temples in Sagano.

Arashiyama Bamboo Grove, Japan

Petra, Jordan

Rose-gold pillars and ornate panels carved into sheer rock face, this desert city in the ancient kingdom of Jordan is a must-see on your travels. Built by the Nabatean civilisation over 2,000 years ago, it looks like a scene from a sci-fi film set on another planet; visit at night to see it illuminated by hundreds of candles.

The ancient city of Petra, Jordan

Victoria Falls, Zambia/Zimbabwe

Known for the rainbows that float above their crashing mists, these vast waterfalls form a natural border between these two African countries on the Zambezi River. Take the path along the edge to be misted with spray and hear the roar which gave them the local name Mosi-oa-Tunya – “The Smoke that Thunders”.

Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe

Lençóis Maranhenses National Park, Maranhão, Brazil

A protected swathe of land in northeastern Brazil, this national park has surreal sand dunes cradling turquoise lagoons. A Unesco world heritage site and one of the less obvious of our most beautiful places in the world, its white sand against bright water has an otherworldly beauty to it.

Dunes at Lençois Maranhenses National Park

Rocky Mountains, Canada/USA

These dramatic mountain peaks cut down through North America from Canada well into the United States, a series of craggy charcoal mountains swathed in handsome evergreen forest. Banff National Park is one of the most gorgeous spots; while the Rocky Mountaineer train, travelling through the area, is a bucket list favourite. See the best of the area on Luxury Gold’s Majesty of the Rockies tour.

Sunset in Banff National Park, Canada

Yuanyang Rice Terraces, China

There are around 17,000 hectares of gently shelving rice paddies in this area of Yunnan, China, prompting intrepid visitors to come from far and wide for the local hiking trails and photography opportunities. Part of the UNESCO-recognised Honghe Hani Rice Terraces area, they’re not just one of the most beautiful places in the world, they’re one of the oldest continually-farmed areas anywhere, using the same methods for centuries.

Mount Teide, Tenerife

The highest mountain in Spain sits on the dramatic, volcanic Canary Island of Tenerife. A striking, Mars-like terrain of crumbling black rock and lava forms, it’s also a great place to go stargazing, with some of the clearest skies in Europe. Take the challenging hike or catch the cable car up to the summit.

Blue Lagoon, Iceland

This Nordic country is home to more than 20 hot springs and geothermal pools, but this most famous turquoise lagoon is known for its luminous powder-blue waters, mystical clouds of steam and black rocky surrounds. Geothermal heat warms the water to a comfy 99-102 Fahrenheit, creating a natural hot tub with otherworldly views all around.

Sossusvlei, Namibia

A spectacular, barren landscape, Sossusvlei contains both enormous, rust-red sand dunes and flat, white salt pans that make it one of the most beautiful places in the world. It’s part of the Namib Desert, with curious plant and wildlife that have adapted to the extreme, arid conditions. You can camp at a luxury tented camp in the area, or fly over the landscape by hot air balloon.

The Pitons, St Lucia

These lush, emerald twin mountain peaks are the gateway to dense forest, cocoa plantations and exotic wildlife on this – perhaps the prettiest of all Caribbean islands. You can see their majesty from many a luxury resort or white sand beach in the area, but the brave choose to climb them at sunrise, or hike around their foot trails.

Trans-Bhutan Trail, Bhutan

Of all of the world’s most naturally-blessed hiking trails, this might be the ultimate. Winding through the cut-off-from-the-world Asian country of Bhutan, the 403km route dates back to the 16th century, but is only just opening up to global tourists. You’ll see rice paddies, huge Buddha statues, incredible mountainside temples and villages with fluttering prayer flags along the way.

St Moritz, Switzerland

Views of the Swiss Alps from the Alpine towns of St Moritz and Zermatt are unparalleled. Expect snow-capped mountain peaks, mirror-smooth lakes, fairytale evergreen forests and more from one of the most beautiful places in the world. To see these areas and ride the sought-after Glacier Express train, visit on Luxury’s Gold’s Majestic Switzerland tour.

St. Moritz at dusk

Ha Long Bay, Vietnam

With enormous limestone karsts rising up from tranquil waters like the humps of a sea monster, this bay in northeast Vietnam is one of the most sought-after sights in Southeast Asia. Vietnam’s traditional wooden junks and overnight tourist cruises ply the waters, passing white beaches and turquoise lagoon – visit on Luxury Gold’s Inspiring Indochina tour.

Serene Ha Long Bay, Vietnam

Geirangerfjord, Norway

Norway’s fjords are a soothing prospect: vast and unspoiled, their towering, mossy cliffs lead to pure forest and snow-capped heights. This Unesco World Heritage Site might be the most fairytale-perfect, with skyscraper-tall waterfalls and tiny, elfin cottages trimming its shores. Visit on Luxury Gold’s Timeless Scandinavia tour.

Geraingerfjord is Norway’s largest fjord

Monteverde Cloud Forest, Costa Rica

Costa Rica’s carefully protected interior is known for its complex ecosystems – in Monteverde, you’ll find over 2,500 species of plant and more than 500 types of orchid alone, not to mention 30 species of hummingbird and sloths, toucans and golden toads. Strolling along suspended walkways through the treetops is a magical experience.

Colorful toucan in Costa Rica

Table Mountain, South Africa

South Africa is packed with incredible vistas, from its wave-lashed coastline (where whales and sharks can be seen from above) to the dense green pastures of its Cape Winelands, and idyllic Garden Route beaches. Table Mountain is the must-see for visitors to Cape Town, with panoramic views over the city’s skirts and a “tablecloth” of mist and cloud often draped over its heights. Visit on Luxury Gold’s Spectacular South Africa tour.

Table Mountain’s “tablecloth” of mist

Monument Valley, USA

There’s a lunar-like quality to this dry, nature-sculpted valley on the border of Arizona and Utah; but rendered in fierce Martian reds. Huge sandstone buttes and mesas are the “monuments” here, where hiking trails, sunset tours and Navajo heritage tours best showcase one of the most beautiful places in the world. 

Monument Valley, magical even at night

Iguassu Falls, Argentina

It’s hard to get your head around the sheer scale of these powerful, semicircular falls, thundering down from 80m at their highest. Dividing Argentina and Brazil, and visited in protected parks either side of the border, the area is also a honeypot of great wildlife: tapirs, howler monkeys, caimans and even jaguars. Visit on Luxury Gold’s Grand South America tour.

Iguassu Falls, on the Brazil/Argentina border

Scottish Highlands, UK

Not all beautiful locations are sun-soaked and tropical – many come in frostier, mistier forms. Take Scotland’s remote, rambling Highlands, where you might visit the enchanting Loch Lomond, see coastal castles crumbling into the sea, spot a stag on heathery heathland or visit a far-flung whisky distillery on a tiny island.

Glenfinnan Viaduct, Scottish Highlands

Jaipur, India

Known as the “Pink City”,  Rajasthan state’s rose-tinted capital is packed with some of India’s loveliest architecture. Alongside the ornately decorated, 18th-century City Palace, there are forts, temples and bazzars to explore – visit on Luxury Gold’s Essence of India tour.

The Pink Palace, Jaipur

Bora Bora, French Polynesia

This South Pacific nation is about as paradisiacal as paradise gets, but Bora Bora is the real pin-up. White sand beaches, thatched bungalows on stilts in neon bright lagoons, looming, forested island and some of the world’s best reefs to snorkel and dive mean it’s a magnet for super-luxurious resorts.

Palm trees on French Polynesia

Wulingyuan, China

Another Unesco World Heritage Site, this area of Hunan Province is famous for its natural sandstone pillars and slim mountain peaks, rising out of misty, remote countryside. It inspired film director James Cameron’s “floating islands” in the movie Avatar, and intrepid tourists still visit to see its dizzying cliffside walkways, local caves and waterfalls.

The limestone karst towers of Wulingyuan, China

Keen, cultured visitors to Stockholm will almost certainly have Fotografiska on their hit list. The museum, that is – one of the Swedish capital’s top sights, a temple to contemporary photography and an HQ for modern photographers and experts the world over. But not every visitor to the city knows that the building, a former Art Nouveau style customs house, also houses one of Sweden’s most sustainable restaurants. 

Known simply as “The Restaurant”, it’s helmed by the innovative, boundary-pushing Executive Chef Martin Wall. “My role here is as ‘planet keeper’,” says Wall. “I try to keep our philosophy forward-thinking and make sure we do as much as we can, sustainability wise”. Guests on Luxury Gold’s Timeless Scandinavia tour will visit this extraordinary sustainable restaurant during their time in Stockholm – in the meantime, we asked Martin to tell us a little about how he merges a luxury museum experience with a sustainable ethos.

“The Restaurant” Executive Chef Martin Wall

The Formula

“The Restaurant at Fotografiska is plant-forward,” explains Wall. “We try to push the boundaries and understand nature”. His team is on a mission, he says, to “prove that [sustainable restaurants] can be high-end gastronomy and sustainable at the same time”. With a firm zero-waste policy and seasonally-led ingredients, Wall’s team curates set menus of different sizes – three or five courses starting with an appetizer of the day, say – as well as sharp, unusual beverage pairings (one popular selection is “Nordic and funky”, featuring some excellent Scandinavan wines and ingredients). “We normally say that the farmers are the bosses of the restaurant. They decide what’s on the menu – we want the best, today, from nature,” adds Wall. Dishes might include blue mussels with seaweed and root vegetables, or lamb with cucumber, garlic and caramelised cream. It’s contemporary but appealing; the ingredients are the star of the show.

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A dish at The Restaurant at Fotografiska, Stockholm

The “S” Word

Though luxury travellers are more aware than ever before of the need to balance incredible travel experiences with an awareness of impact on the planet, Wall feels the very word “sustainability” has perhaps been overused, or lost some of its power in recent years. “Sustainable dining has been up and down since the pandemic,” he ponders. “I think the word [itself] is the big problem; it doesn’t have the same effect as before. So we’re more talking about ‘consciousness’: to be out there and to be aware of what’s going on, to try to keep pushing forward.”

What does that consciousness mean to him? “It’s important for us to be out there, to make people conscious of the world and to show them and guide them to a more sustainable way. It is possible to do it.” To be a thought leader among sustainable restaurants in the region, this could be through highlighting the best vegetables or foraged plants available that month on the menu, or getting creative with zero-waste principles. Initiatives involve using apple cores in desserts or converting onion peelings to compost to nurture future kitchen vegetables. 

The Restaurant at Fotografiska, Stockholm

Award-winning Dishes

The Restaurant at Fotografiska was awarded a Michelin Green Star in 2020, and has maintained it for every year since. “They introduced the Green Michelin star a few years ago,” says Wall. “It means we’re acknowledged for our sustainable work.” Venues are awarded these rare stamps of approval for having high ethical and environmental standards, from provenance to suppliers and employing locals, as well as combining culinary excellence with an eco ethos. The team’s forward thinking also won them three circles by the 360°Eat Guide. “The 360 Award is big here in the Nordic countries, but it’s all about social and planet-minded sustainability, so it’s a big award for us and we’re so proud to be in it.” While it’s a joy to receive accolades, says Wall, it can also place the burden on the team of keeping such a high standard. But he’s up for the challenge. “It’s a huge role to take on, to make sure you understand the planet the best to make the gastronomy line up with the future,” says Wall. “My plan is to [always] be a little bit better tomorrow than today.”

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The Experience

“When they come here, guests can expect to be ‘here and now’,” says Wall of the museum-restaurant space, which occupies a large-windowed, waterfront dining room with – naturally – great photography on the walls. “It’s not all about what’s on the plate – it’s why it’s on the plate.” Everything presented in sustainable restaurants like his, he says, should be centred around provenance, slow food, zero waste principles and great suppliers. It should represent how great cooking can be done in the age of sustainability.

It’s only when asked for his favourite dish of the moment that Wall pauses for thought. “That’s a tricky one. In Sweden right now, it’s been a long, hard winter, so the asparagus feels like the sun, and the future.” He wants guests to become more conscious of what sustainable restaurant can do, but in the moment, to rest and relax, and be completely present with the food in front of them. “We proudly present the way of the future, so you can calmly come here and wine and dine. We’ve been doing the thinking, so here’s the place where you can relax and enjoy – we’ve done the work for you,” he says.

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Some of us have bucket lists, others have “to eat” lists – and these fine dining restaurants are some of the most ravishing places around the globe to share a meal. From experimental Scandi venues to classic Italian cuisine, via restaurants drawing on the indigenous and native plants and techniques of their country, you can count these 10 stops as a cultural experience in themselves.

Le Monzù, Capri, Italy

Perched on a dramatic cliff with sunset views, Le Monzù is a showstopper. A hotel restaurant in the Le-Corbusier-designed Punta Tragara hotel, it attracted one Michelin star in 2019. Now, head chef Antonio Pedana’s dainty take on Neapolitan and Caprese cuisine includes octopus ragu served on mezzipaccheri pasta, cuttlefish with sea urchins and green apple, and “milk and cookies”, a deconstructed biscuit dessert with hot and cold creamy foams. The eight-course Labyrinth of Flavors tasting menu will take you through the best of Padana’s creations. Luxury Gold clients get to visit Le Monzù on Day four of our Ultimate Italy journey.

La Colombe, Cape Town

The drive to this restaurant, on the Silvermist wine estate in Constantia, hints at the fine dining experience that awaits: a minimalist white conservatory, views of forested mountainside, and imaginative plates served on smooth-edge, shell-like ceramics. Head chef James Gaag crafts little canapes inspired by snacks from South Africa’s Cape Malay culture, followed by the signature “Tuna la Colombe” dish, unfurled in a tuna tin but revealing high-end seared Bluefin tuna with king crab and caviar. Dishes are inspired by Gaag’s travels and the wine list, naturally, is ample and strong on South African vintages.

Food at Mayta restaurant, Lima, Peru

Alchemist, Copenhagen, Denmark

With two Michelin stars in one of Europe’s premier dining cities, Alchemist isn’t just a dinner, it’s a theatrical experience. Six hours, 50 bites, different locations around a labyrinthine industrial building, video screens on the ceiling… as fine dining restaurants go, it’s quite a head-spinner. You might eat freeze-dried butterflies (head chef Rasmus Munk is championing them as a future sustainable protein source) or what looks like a plate of plastic junk (but is actually grilled cod jaw with a “bag” made from dehydrated cod bouillon). There’s a strong sustainability message, but the performance trips through emotions, memory and even interpretive dance.

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Mayta, Lima, Peru

A contemporary Peruvian restaurant in the country’s capital, Mayta takes plenty of inspiration from nature. Weaving native leaves, moss, rocks bark and flowers into the restaurant’s dish presentations, chef Jaime Pesaque conjures up dishes like scallop with leche de tigre, grilled eggplant in a smoky broth or Amazonian paiche fish cheeks in a rich glaze. This fine dining restaurant’s name means “Noble Land” in the indigenous Aymara language of the Andes, so it’s Peru’s heritage and character that’s being celebrated in its fine dining experience – all among nature-inspired interiors of plants and hanging baskets.

Belcanto, Lisbon

Portugal’s capital is an underrated fine-dining treasure trove, and this restaurant in the Bairro Alto district has the two Michelin stars to prove it. Helmed by chef José Avillez, the space itself is all wood-paneled, parquet-floored, mirrored grandeur, while the tasting menu reinvents several Portuguese classics. Among them are pot-au-feu, with meats, sausages and potatoes in a slow-simmered dish, and Avillez’s grandmother’s rice pudding. But also expect intriguing bites like crunchy seaweed with barnacles, or partridge escabeche.

A “heartbeat” themed interior at Alchemist restaurant, Copenhagen

Oteque, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Atmospherically set in a 1930s house in Rio, this restaurant from Japanese-Brazilian chef Alberto Landgraf is all about fish and seafood. Oysters with brazil-nut milk and green apple, monkfish with burrata, glazed turbot, sea urchin with mussel cream… let’s just say you have to love the fruits of the sea to get on board with this one. Styled with Japanese flair and the star of the show might be the venue’s playlist: a grunge-rock riot of Smashing Pumpkins, Pink Floyd and Judas Priest you won’t find in most fine dining restaurants.

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DiverXO, Madrid, Spain

With ice-white interiors, dramatic curtained tables and wacky art, this avant-garde Madrid restaurant has no less than three Michelin stars. The dining room feels like a blank canvas for the colourful cuisine that emerges from the kitchen: head chef Dabiz Muñoz spins stories across a 26-course menu that might include mini caviar curries with sauces in miniature pans, beef rib soup dumplings or coconut ganache with black garlic. Quirky animal sculptures and figurines from flying pigs to chrome ants set the tone for something weird but wonderful.

Frantzen, Stockholm, Sweden

Frantzen’s head chef, Bjorn Frantzen, was a chef in the Swedish army before taking on the fine dining world. Here he creates New Nordic cuisine with Japanese and French elements across a three-floor dining room of dreams: canapes are served in a comfy lounge before you’re shown to a chilled counter, with all the ingredients that will be used in your tasting menu on display. One of the more expensive menus on this list, it’s not for the faint hearted, but whimsical dishes include a truffled French toast, pumpkin macaron with foie gras and pork chawanmushi (a Japanese egg custard). Wine list connoisseurs will also appreciate the thousand or so wines on offer.

@restaurantfrantzen / Instagram

Den, Tokyo, Japan

One of the best restaurants in Tokyo, this creative spot recently earned a Michelin Green Star for its sustainability efforts, on top of the two Michelin stars it already held. The “Dentucky Fried Chicken” is probably the most famous dish, a deep-fried chicken-wing dumpling with sticky rice and chicken ginseng soup, served in a faux takeaway carton. But there’s plenty more to this modern update on the traditional Japanese kaiseki form, including clay-pot-cooked rice and bamboo shoots cooked two ways. The dining room is small and minimalist, with a counter facing the open kitchen. Chef Zaiyu Hasegawa says his main goal is “to make others happy”, and you’re sure to leave with a smile on your face.

Don Julio, Buenos Aires, Argentina

Not all fine dining restaurants are futuristic spaceships of white and chrome: this traditional Buenos Aires parrilla (steakhouse) has a classic green-striped canopy and a cosy, brick-lined dining room trimmed with wine bottles. It’s all about the meat here: different cuts of steak, morcilla blood sausage, provoleta cheese and even vegetables cooked on the vast, smoky parrilla grill. The wine list draws on a 60,000-strong cellar and owner-chef Pablo Rivero has done great work when it comes to sourcing sustainable beef and working with the Argentinian cattle farming world. The olde-worlde looks mean it has atmosphere in spades. All of this adds up to one Michelin star, well deserved.

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