No time of the day seems to be more spectacular than either sunrise or sunset — whether you are on Sunrise Highway on Long Island in New York or Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles in California — as the sun tends to cast a different type of lighting on the landscape than at any other time during the day, which gives everything you see a special glow…
Best Places to See the Sunrise and Sunset Around the World
…but where are the best places in the world to view sunrises and sunsets?
To find out the answer to that question, Tripadvisor was used to gather data on the best places to watch a sunrise and sunset by searching Things To Do using keywords “sunset” and “sunrise” in each country of the world and each state in the United States.
Places with the highest number of mentions of — respectively — “sunset” and “sunrise” in their reviews were deemed the best places to watch sunset or sunrise.
Anywhere which included “sunrise” or “sunset” in the name was removed from the dataset. Attractions offering tours, adventures, excursions to various locations around them were also removed from the dataset.
The selection of places is limited to physical locations — public spaces, mountain peaks, beaches, buildings, and establishments as five of numerous examples.
The data was collected in November 2021.
I have been given express written permission to use the maps and the verbatim text from this article from Mornings.co.uk, which highlights the best places around the world to see sunrises and sunsets. This information is general in nature only and does not constitute personal advice. While Mornings.co.uk has endeavored to ensure the information provided is accurate and current, it cannot guarantee it. Neither Mornings.co.uk nor The Gate accept liability for the information which is presented in this article.
Where Are the Best Places to See the Sunrise and Sunset Around the World?
When the sun hits the sky like a red, smudgy pizza pie, that’s called Rayleigh Scattering.
As the sun hugs the horizon, its light has to pass through a thicker atmosphere on its way to the human eye. The blue in the sunlight scatters, leaving a red sunrise or sunset. For photographers, it’s time to get out the camera and capture some magic hour gold. For lovers, it’s time to sigh and admit you’re in too deep.
Either way, that orange-red glow is the most soul-affirming way to begin and end your day.
But the intensity of that glow, the angles and landmarks it illuminates, depend on where you’re sitting. Here at Mornings.co.uk we know how important a good night’s sleep is (and how hard it can be to get out of bed in the morning!) To make those early starts a little brighter, we’ve identified the best spots to wake up and watch the sunrise.
We gathered data from Tripadvisor reviews to find the places with the highest number of sunrise/sunset mentions around the world.
Angkor Wat Leads Spiritual List of Must-See Sunrises
Sunrise comes with its own Official Soundtrack: the dawn chorus of birds beginning the day’s singing. Mountains, lakes, and national parks make up many of the world’s most-reviewed sunrise locations – sun-up is not just for the early birds but the trekkers and explorers who set out to make a day of it. It is also for those seeking a spiritual experience.
One of the most esoteric sunrise views in the world is that of the UK, where the most-raved-about destination is the prehistoric monument of Stonehenge. “There is something truly spectacular and powerful about being at Stonehenge and being inside the henge is even more breathtaking,” reports one visitor. “Everything looks different as the sun rises and then starts to change colors once the sun has risen.”
10 Best Places to See the Sunrise in the World
“The walk through the trees to the east gate, and on to the main complex, is magical – often no one around at an early hour, with the birds singing as it grows light,” writes one reviewer of Angkor Wat. The Cambodian temple complex has two and a half times more mentions for its sunrise than any other attraction in the world.
Florida’s Mallory Square Hosts World’s Most Popular Sunset
“Red sky at night, tourist delight…” A pure red sky as you finish your dinner means clear air to the west – so there’s truth in the proverb, and you can expect good weather the following day. But where in the world are those reds (and pinks and golds) most dramatic?
Beaches, boardwalks, and bridges offer wide horizons. Angled to the west, you can expect to see them fill with red wonder when the conditions are good. And the day’s bookends offer an extra advantage in some locations: a quiet moment.
“By far the best time to visit is really early in the morning and on sunset,” writes one reviewer of the bridge at Mostar (literally ‘old bridge’), Bosnia & Herzegovina. “Most tourists have gone and the light is perfect.” Another calls it an “oil painting.” Rebuilt after Croat paramilitaries shelled it during the Bosnian War, the 16th-century Ottoman bridge offers its own vantage point, but you may prefer to photograph the bridge itself from another perspective.
10 Most Beautiful Places in the World to Watch a Sunset
Three American attractions make the world’s top 10 sunsets. Mallory Square is a waterfront plaza in Key West, Florida, where the sunset is cause for a nightly party – a ritual that playwright Tennessee Williams may have kickstarted when he spontaneously applauded the spectacle.
Arizona’s Grand Canyon South Rim Leads ‘Best In State’ Sunrises/Sunsets
Wrote John Steinbeck: “A large drop of sun lingered on the horizon and then dripped over and was gone, and the sky was brilliant over the spot where it had gone, and a torn cloud, like a bloody rag, hung over the spot of its going.”
Wherever your road trip is going, here are the best places to see sunset and sunrise in every American state.
America’s top 8 ‘best in state’ sunrises are in places of natural beauty. The highest-rated sunrise on the built landscape is New York’s Empire State Building. A trip to the 86th floor offers astounding views of the ‘city that never sleeps’ waking up in the morning as the sun picks out every Manhattan building in its own way.
In some American states, you’ll need to move around to catch the best sunrise and sunset– but others offer both. Arizona’s Grand Canyon South Rim is in the nation’s top three for both categories. Those rock formations seem to move as the light plays out across them.
“We visited the south rim and spend several hours late in the day watching shadows began to shift into the canyon,” says one visitor. “We also stayed for sunset and saw the majesty of a sunset over the Grand Canyon.” But don’t forget to dress warm, as the temperature drops dramatically with the sun.
The Holiday Spectacular That Doesn’t Sell Tickets
Holiday entertainment can get pricey very quickly – but the greatest show on Earth (and just beyond) is absolutely free. Here’s our full data on the most popular destinations for watching the sun rise and set in every country and American state.
Bonus: The Best Sunrises and Sunsets in the United States
As the following sections were not included in the original article, the Haleakala Crater on the island of Maui in Hawaii is the only place in the United States which is both on the best sunrise list and the best sunset list — and that may be because it is one of the largest volcanic craters in the world — but Mallory Square in Key West in Florida takes the top spot in the United States for the best place to watch a sunset.
Bonus: The Best Sunrises and Sunsets in Canada
Moraine Lake is arguably a more scenic and breathtaking setting than Lake Louise — but at the very least, it tends to narrowly win that debate at sunrise by a small margin, as Lake Louise places third on that vaunted list.
Bonus: The Best Sunrises and Sunsets in the United Kingdom
Stonehenge is especially a magical place to see a sunrise or a sunset in the United Kingdom, as the mysteriously ancient formation is the stage for an amazing show — especially on the summer solstice when the sun rises behind the Heel Stone; and its rays shine directly into the heart of the famous monument.
Bonus: The Best Sunrises and Sunsets in Australia
That both Uluru — which was also known as Ayer’s Rock — and Kata Tjuta – The Olgas are high on both lists in Australia to see the best sunrises and sunsets should be of no surprise to anyone. Both locations are in Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, which is located in the Outback in the middle of the country. The dry air and mostly clear skies — combined with the vivid orange landscape with unusual formations — create the idyllic venue for both sunrises and sunsets.
Bonus: The Best Sunrises and Sunsets in New Zealand
The eastern parts of New Zealand become among the first areas of the world where the sunrise of a new day is seen. Combine that with the pristine landscape and blue waters, sunrises and sunsets in New Zealand are quiet yet brilliant performances of nature which are treats to the eyes to behold.
Final Boarding Call
I am amazed at how many places are mentioned in this article which I have been all over the world — especially at sunrise and at sunset.
Although the setting itself can matter towards successfully seeing an incredible sunrise or sunset, other factors can contribute to them as well: the amount of humidity in the air, where clouds are located in the sky, and yes — how much pollution is in the air.
Please view the photographs of sunrises and sunsets which I have taken all over the world over the years in this article — and the article does not even come close to featuring every photograph I have taken of sunrises and sunsets…
…and yes — I intend to take many more photographs of sunrises and sunsets around the world for years to come…
All photographs ©2016, ©2017, and ©2019 by Brian Cohen.
