10 Best Places Around The Globe To Watch Sunrises And Sunsets, According To New Research

The experts at UK travel agency Planet Cruise analysed TripAdvisor’s five-star review data to find out the best locations across the globe to watch sunrises and sunsets. The best place in the world to watch both, according to the research, is the Grand Canyon, Arizona, USA. With its dramatic cliffs and pristine lakes, it’s no wonder the Grand Canyon has been crowned the top spot in the world for watching the sunrise and sunset. To capture these gorgeous moments, photographer Richard Wilson shares his top tips for taking the perfect shots.

In second place is The Taj Mahal, located in Agra, India, for both best sunrise and sunset spot. Everyone who’s experienced watching the sunrise and sunset at The Taj Mahal describes it as a “magical experience.”

The third best sunrise and sunset spot is the seventh wonder of the world, Angkor Wat, one of Cambodia’s most famous sights. and the largest religious monument in the world. Get there early so you can secure one of the best spots by the pool and enjoy watching the reflection of purple, orange and yellow hues. Once you’ve experienced the sunrise over the largest religious monument in the world, there are other temples nearby you can visit too, including Prohm Kel, a small, sandstone temple just across the moat.

Haleakala National Park, Hawaii, in number four place to see the sunrise, is Maui’s highest peak. You need to book a reservation in advance and dress warmly.

Fifth for best sunrise is Borobudur Temple, Java, Indonesia, the largest Buddhist temple in the world. Head up the steps to the top tier to watch the sunrise over the surrounding rice fields and jungles.

For top places to see the sunset, The Grand Canyon, Taj Mahal, and Angkor Wat all make it into the top three again while two European landmarks also make the list.

The Eiffel Tower, Paris, France is number four. Time your visit to catch the elevator up to the top to watch the sunset and best views over the city.

The London Eye, on the banks of the River Thames is the fifth best place for sunsets. The giant ferris wheel’s glass pods make it one of the best ways to get a view of the UK’s capital, day or night. You’ll also see iconic monuments like Big Ben, the Shard and St. Paul’s Cathedral.

Top tips for taking the perfect sunset and sunrise photographs:

Photographer Richard Wilson shares his top tips for taking the perfect sunrise and sunset photos in the best locations in the world.

• Pick a feature of the images, building, landscape, or ocean and base the shot around that, using ‘leading lines’ or the rule of thirds.
• Sunsets are always to the west, so base your location and feature based on direction.
• Sunrises are east facing, so again, base your shot on this.
• Ideally, try and get a composition that isn’t too distracting so you don’t draw the eye away from the focal point.
• If on an iPhone, tap the screen to expose the image to how you like. Press the screen and drag it up and down to suit.
• Landscape is usually best for wider landscape style shots; city shots (like New York or Paris) can be shot in portrait too.
• Ensure you are out an hour before the sunrises and sets as the light constantly changes.

The top ten best places in the world to watch the sunrise:

1.Grand Canyon, Arizona, USA

2.Taj Mahal, Agra, India

3.Angkor Wat, Siam Reap, Cambodia

4.Haleakala National Park, Maui, USA

5.Borobudur Temple, Java, Indonesia

6.Mount Sinai, Egypt

7.Stonehenge, Wiltshire, England

8.Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania

9.Tanah Lot Temple, Bali, Indonesia

10.Eiffel Tower, Paris, France

The top ten best places in the world to watch the sunset:

1.Grand Canyon, Arizona, USA

2.Taj Mahal, Agra, India

3.Angkor Wat, Siam Reap, Cambodia

4.Eiffel Tower, Paris, France

5.London Eye, London, England

6.Mallory Square, Florida, USA

7.Tanah Lot Temple, Bali, Indonesia

8.Jimbaran Bay, Bali, Indonesia

9.Eagle Beach, Aruba

10.Haleakala National Park, Maui, USA

The research to determine which locations are the best for sunrises and sunsets involved collating the number of stars for each TripAdvisor review containing ‘sunrise’ and ‘sunset’, then calculating the average star rating for each location. The locations were then ranked by the total number of reviews containing either ‘sunrise’ or ‘sunset.’