10 Stunning National Parks to Visit Outside the U.S., According to Top Travel Advisors

When you’ve checked just a few of America’s favourite nationwide parks off your record and are on the lookout for an journey additional afield (and a few nice images for Instagram), set your sights on the beautiful protected lands exterior the U.S. We requested our trusted A-Listing of prime journey advisors for his or her picks of the very best nationwide parks on the planet, together with lush lakes in Croatia, wildlife-rich African landscapes, and biodiverse islands off the coast of South America.

Learn on to find the remainder of our consultants’ suggestions and why they can not get sufficient of those particular locations.

Galápagos Nationwide Park, Galápagos Islands

“This park is completely past examine and is a should for nationwide park fans. As one of the protected nationwide parks on the planet, the Galápagos Islands are filled with unimaginable wildlife that aren’t afraid of people and can are available nearer contact with you than is feasible in most different pure locations on the planet.

“You’ll be able to expertise quite a lot of landscapes in a small house, from lush highlands filled with tortoises to moon-like volcanic rock coated in piles of iguanas. And the marine life is bound to excite even probably the most well-traveled friends after they have the chance to snorkel with penguins, sharks, and playful sea lions, all whereas blue-footed boobies dive for meals within the distance.”—Erin Correia, Adventure Life

Mana Swimming pools Nationwide Park, Zimbabwe

“A UNESCO World Heritage web site, Mana Pools National Park in northern Zimbabwe is likely one of the most distant and least developed safari parks in Southern Africa. Given its location alongside the magnificent Zambezi River, the park is house to a tremendous array of animal and fowl species and, because of this, affords a plethora of thrilling journey actions, together with open-vehicle sport drives, distinctive guided strolling safaris, and thrilling canoeing excursions amongst large numbers of hippos and crocodiles.”—Julian Harrison, Premier Tours

Plitvice Lakes Nationwide Park, Croatia

“Croatia’s largest national park is likely one of the most original gems in Europe, with a mixture of forests and a series of 16 terraced lakes linked by waterfalls. Mountaineering, horseback using, and ATV and bike excursions make this one of the enjoyable and picturesque nationwide parks to discover. Good pairing to combine an itinerary with metropolis exploring in Dubrovnik, Cut up, Hvar, and Zagreb, and benefit from the nice outdoor with the very best of each worlds.”—Harlan deBell & Kara Bebell, The Travel Siblings

Killarney Nationwide Park, Eire

“Eire’s model of Grand Teton Nationwide Park: [Killarney National Park] has such nice mountaineering and advantages from a buzzing city close by, but additionally has lodges and residences which are in quieter areas too. One other lesser-known choice is Wicklow Mountains National Park simply south of Dublin, with lovely mountains and valleys that home Eire’s best ruined monastic metropolis, Glendalough, which predates Eire’s cities.”—Jonathan Epstein, Celebrated Experiences

Kaz Dağları, Turkey

“Designated as a nationwide park in 1994, Kaz Dağları (Mount Ida in antiquity) in Turkey is surrounded by the Aegean Sea on the south and Çanakkale Straits on the north, having fun with recent mountain and sea breezes , which makes the flora actually distinctive.

“The attractive villages on Kaz Dağları are a few of its most charming options. Camlibel Village is a well-liked one due to its attractive Aegean Sea vistas. One other favourite is Adatepe. Aside from its lovely historic stone homes (a few of which function boutique lodges), the village can be identified for its glorious olive oil; it even has an Olive Oil Museum. Yeşilyurt Village, positioned only a few kilometers from the ocean, can be price making a cease for its stone homes, slender cobblestone streets, historic mosques, cafés, outlets, and pleasant locals. Mount Ida owes a lot of its fame to the work of Homer and his epic poem, ‘The Iliad,’ the place the mountain is the setting for a number of legendary occasions.”—Engin Kadaster, Turkey At Its Best

Rishiri Rebun Sarobetsu Nationwide Park, Japan

“Among the greatest nationwide parks in Japan are in Hokkaido, the sparsely populated northernmost island of Japan, identified for its gentle summers and winters of powder. When you’re a hiker, summer time and fall are glorious choices. When you’re trying to get off the crushed path, I might suggest Rishiri Rebun Sarobetsu National Park off the northwest coast.

“There are two distinctive islands you’ll be able to attain in beneath two hours by ferry from the mainland, which provide some unimaginable mountaineering experiences—together with ascending a dormant volcano on Rishiri and having fun with the alpine flowers, fishing villages, and varied temperate zones of Rebun. If winter is your sport and also you’re on the lookout for memorable experiences on their very own or so as to add to a ski journey, you could see the intricate dances of the red-crowned cranes in Kushiro Shitsugen National Park in japanese Hokkaido. Within the winter, their marsh habitats are coated in snow, and it is a magical expertise to see them at dawn because the steam drifts up from the river.”—Amy Tadehara, InsideJapan

Altyn-Emel Nationwide Park, Kazakhstan

“Altyn-Emel National Park is positioned within the Ili River Valley of Kazakhstan. The attractive isolation of this space invitations guests to discover its archaeological, historic, and cultural monuments and wealthy biodiversity. The Bes-Shatyr burial mounds are the stays of a sixth-century B.C.E. necropolis. Right here, you will discover uncommon and endangered species like Przewalski’s horse and the elusive snow leopard, whereas Lake Kapchagai and the Sholak Mountains are prime bird-watching areas.

“Proper on the Ili river is the Singing Dune, offering a grand panorama of the realm from the highest. In dry climate, when the sand strikes, it could actually sound like an organ rumble or low jet engine. It is triggered by shifting sand avalanches.”—Zulya Rajabova, Silk Road Treasure Tours

Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve, India

“Positioned within the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, this can be a less-touristed national park and one which frequently grants its guests unimaginable sightings of the Bengal tiger. One can be fortunate sufficient to identify white tigers and leopards.”—Rebecca Mazzaro, ATJ

The Azores, Portugal

“The Azores are made up of a number of islands, and there are several national parks with 26 volcanoes, a few of that are underground. To your first go to we suggest exploring Mount Pico and its volcano. Sure, it is energetic! Additionally strive the recent springs at Furnas.”—Steven Vigor, Revigorate

Namib-Naukluft Nationwide Park, Namibia

“The breadth and depth of Africa’s national parks are super, from the magnificent large cats and rewardingly ample wildlife of the fertile Maasai Mara and Serengeti in East Africa. One I at all times suggest is the Namib-Naukluft National Park of Namibia (the realm extra generally known as Sossusvlei). The mesmerizing rust-hued dunes are a sight to behold.”—Liz Wheeler, Micato Safaris