The most beautiful mountains in the world include the Matterhorn’s pointed pyramid in the Alps, Mount Everest at 8,849 metres and Japan’s snow-capped Mount Fuji. Photographers would add Iceland’s Kirkjufell, Peru’s striped Rainbow Mountain and China’s Huangshan, where granite peaks poke out of a sea of clouds.
For each of the 12 below you’ll find the height, the best months to go, hostels nearby and how to get there. We checked heights, access rules and fees in November 2026, because several have changed in the last few years.
The 12 most beautiful mountains at a glance
- Matterhorn, Switzerland/Italy
- Denali, USA
- Kirkjufell, Iceland
- Table Mountain, South Africa
- Vinicunca, Peru
- Mount Fuji, Japan
- Aoraki/Mount Cook, New Zealand
- Mount Everest, Nepal/Tibet
- Kilimanjaro, Tanzania, Africa
- Cradle Mountain, Tasmania, Australia
- Mount Huangshan (Yellow Mountain), China
- Castle Mountain, Canada
1 Matterhorn, Switzerland/Italy – The Perfect Pyramid of the Alps
📍 Location: Swiss-Italian border
⛰️ Elevation: 4,478 meters (14,692 ft)
🗓️Best Time to Visit: June – September: Best for hiking; December – April: Skiing season
🛏️Best Nearby Hostels: Hostel Matterhorn, Zermatt Youth Hostel
🚕How to Get There: Take a train to Zermatt and then use cable cars to access the mountain
The Alps’ most famous pointed peak
One of the most recognizable peaks in the world, famous for its dramatic pyramid shape and challenging climbs.
This Alpine peak spans the border between Switzerland and Italy. At 4,478 metres it’s smaller than the famed Mont Blanc (about 4,806 metres in the 2023 survey), but its striking pyramidal shape – not to mention its spot overlooking the cosy Swiss ski town of Zermatt – makes it the poster child for the Alps.
Matterhorn was first scaled in 1865, with Brit Edward Whymper credited as the initial person to reach the summit. His triumph was bitter sweet, though, since four climbers in Whymper’s seven-strong team plunged to their deaths during their descent.
Today, upwards of 2,000 hardy folks ascend the peak each year. If you’re determined to be one of them, the Hörnli ridge route is the most popular and is best attempted in summer. Don’t underestimate the challenge, listen to your guide and make sure you’re kitted out, crampons and all. Otherwise, take a funicular ride from Zermatt to Rothorn for jaw-dropping views without the climb. Our guide to the best hikes in Switzerland has more walks that keep the costs down.
2 Denali, USA – The Mighty Peak of North America
📍 Location: Alaska, USA
⛰️ Elevation: 6,190 meters (20,310 ft)
🗓️Best Time to Visit: Summer (June to August) for milder weather and longer days; December – April: skiing season
🛏️ Best Nearby Hostels: Billie’s Backpackers Hostel, Sven’s Basecamp Hostel
🚕How to Get There: Fly into Anchorage, Alaska, and then take a bus or drive to Denali National Park
North America’s highest mountain
North America’s tallest peak, known for its extreme conditions and pristine wilderness.
Mammoth Denali is the highest peak in all of North America. Craggy and snow-covered, it soars to more than 6,190 metres above sea level, rising from the stark valleys of Alaska’s Denali National Park. The mountain was once known as Mt McKinley, but after decades of controversy it was officially renamed Denali in 2015, a name long used by Alaska Native peoples. In January 2025 a US executive order changed the federal name back to Mount McKinley, though the national park is still called Denali.
The peak can be seen from the Denali Park Road, which spools out for some 92 miles. Though temperatures are bracing, you’ll likely get the best views of the mountain in winter, when the cloud cover is less. During summer you can drive the first fifteen miles of the road, which is studded with stop-offs offering postcard-worthy views of the mountain from around mile nine. Look out for grizzly bears too!
To get closer still, hop on one of the tour or transit buses that run inside the park. A landslide at Pretty Rocks closed the road in 2021, so in 2026 buses turned back at East Fork, around mile 43. A bridge over the slide opened in September 2026 and the National Park Service expects buses to reach the west end of the road again in 2027. Bus reservations for 2027 open on 1 December 2026.
Only experienced climbers should attempt to scale dizzying Denali. If that’s you, the West Buttress route is the most popular way to ascend.
3 Kirkjufell, Iceland – A Photographer’s Dream
📍 Location: Grundarfjörður, Iceland
⛰️ Elevation: 463 meters (1,519 ft)
🗓️Best Time to Visit: September – March: Best for Northern Lights
🛏️Best Nearby Hostels: Grundarfjörður Hostel
🚕How to Get There: Drive or take a bus from Reykjavik to Grundarfjörður, then walk to the Kirkjufellsfoss viewpoint
Iceland’s most photographed mountain
One of Iceland’s most photographed mountains, especially in winter with the Northern Lights.
The strangely conical Kirkjufell, or “church mountain”, is often touted as Iceland’s most photographed sight. It’s not hard to see why. The yellow-green bluff looms over West Iceland’s Snæfellsnes peninsula, with pretty waterfall Kirkjufellsfoss and several sandy beaches in its wake. Such is its drama that the mountain even made a cameo in series seven of cult TV show Game of Thrones.
Base yourself in the little seaside town of Grundarfjörður, a few minutes from the mountain. Don’t plan on reaching the summit, though. In November 2022 the landowners banned climbing Kirkjufell after three deaths in four years (Reykjavik Grapevine), so check the rules locally before you go and only climb with a guide if it’s allowed again.
If you don’t have a head for heights, there’s a trail that loops around the mountain too. Time your trip for autumn or winter for a chance to catch the northern lights dancing over the mountain top, then add a few nights from our Iceland city breaks for chasing the northern lights.
4 Table Mountain, South Africa – The Flat-Topped Wonder
📍 Location: Cape Town, South Africa
⛰️ Elevation: 1,085 meters (3,559 ft)
🗓️Best Time to Visit: Autumn to Spring (March to May, September to November) for pleasant weather; October-March: best for hiking
🛏️Best Nearby Hostels: Zebra Crossing, Ashanti Lodge Gardens
🚕How to Get There: Take a cable car from Cape Town to the top of Table Mountain
A flat-topped peak above Cape Town
One of the New7Wonders of Nature, offering panoramic views of Cape Town.
One of the world’s most famous pinnacles, Table Mountain watches over the South African city of Cape Town from 1,085 metres at its highest point. As the name suggests, it’s known for its distinctive flat top and also for its diverse wildlife. Keep an eye out for endemic African species such as dassies: cute-as-a-button, furry mammals that look a little like plump meerkats.
You may not know that Table Mountain is among the planet’s oldest peaks too. It’s more than 200 million years old and the first recorded ascent was back in the early 16th century by a Portuguese explorer named António de Saldanha.
Today a cable car can take around 800 people to Table Mountain’s summit every hour in just five minutes. To save time on the day, book tickets in advance – that way you’ll have more time to enjoy panoramas of Cape Town from the top.
If you’d prefer to take the long way, follow the zigzagging Platteklip Gorge hiking trail, which should take between 2–3 hours depending on your fitness level. Summertime (November–February), when conditions are dry and sunny, is the best time to visit.
5 Vinicunca, Peru – The Rainbow Mountain
📍 Location: Cusco Region, Peru
⛰️ Elevation: 5,200 meters (17,060 ft)
🗓️Best Time to Visit:April to October: Dry season with clear skies; November to March: Rainy season with potential snow cover
🛏️Best Nearby Hostels: Loki Hostel, Wild Rover Hostel
🚕How to Get There: Take a bus or tour from Cusco to the trailhead near Vinicunca.
Stripes of colour above 5,000 metres
Vinicunca, known as Rainbow Mountain, gets its red, yellow and turquoise bands from layers of minerals in the rock.
Peru’s pink and yellow-streaked Vinicunca or “Rainbow Mountain” seems to belong on another planet. But it’s part of the Peruvian Andes, right here on Earth. The mountain, whose colours are caused by mineral deposits, is around a three-to-four-hour drive southeast of Cusco, a beautiful city filled with Spanish Colonial buildings.
Most people visit on a day trip from Cusco: about three hours by road to the trailhead, then roughly two hours’ walk each way to a viewpoint above 5,000 metres. The altitude is the hard part, so spend a few days in Cusco first, drink plenty of water and take regular breaks. Bring cash for the entrance fee, which you pay on the way in (Salkantay Trekking).
Trail conditions are at their best and driest through Peru’s winter months, April to November. For more trails to plan a trip around, see the hikes travellers ask about most in Hostelworld Chats.
6 Mount Fuji, Japan – The Sacred Volcano of Japan
📍 Location: Honshu, Japan
⛰️ Elevation: 3,776 meters (12,389 ft)
🗓️Best Time to Visit: Climbing season, with the Yoshida Trail open from 1 July to 10 September
🛏️Best Nearby Hostels: Mt. Fuji Hostel Michael’s, K’s House Mt.Fuji
🚕How to Get There: Take a bus from Tokyo to the 5th Station, then start your ascent
A sacred volcano that hides in the clouds
Japan’s most famous mountain is a UNESCO World Heritage site and a pilgrimage spot for climbers and spiritual seekers alike.
Mount Fuji is the highest peak in Japan. It tops out at a whopping 3,776 metres, and is at its best when finished with a generous hood of snow. It has great cultural significance too. The mountain has long been considered sacred, attracting centuries’ worth of pilgrims of Buddhist, Shinto and other faiths.
Fuji is elusive, though, disappearing behind the clouds every chance it gets. But persevere and you’ll be rewarded.
Your instinct will probably be to get as close as possible to the legendary mountain, but it’s actually best viewed from afar. Weather permitting you can even see it from some of the Tokyo’s towering skyscrapers – Bunkyo Civic Center’s free observation deck has one of the best views.
If you’re down for the hike, choose between one of the four trails that lace the mountain. The Yoshida trail is the most popular choice and buses whisk you right from Tokyo to the trailhead.
Since 2025 every climber pays a ¥4,000 fee, whichever of the four trails they take. On the Yoshida Trail you also have to reserve online before you go, numbers are capped at 4,000 a day, and the trail closes overnight to anyone without a mountain hut booking. Check this season’s rules on the official Mount Fuji climbing site before you go.
7 Aoraki/Mount Cook, New Zealand – The Tallest Peak in NZ
📍 Location: South Island, New Zealand
⛰️ Elevation: 3,724 meters (12,218 ft)
🗓️Best Time to Visit: Summer (December to February) for warmer temperatures
🛏️Best Nearby Hostels: Haka House Aoraki Mt Cook
🚕How to Get There: Drive or take a bus to Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park
New Zealand’s highest peak, ringed by glaciers
Aoraki/Mount Cook is the highest peak in New Zealand, surrounded by glaciers.
New Zealand is renowned for its stunning scenery, and its highest mountain doesn’t disappoint. The vast bluff in the Southern Alps rises to more than 3,700 metres, reflecting in the glacial lakes at its feet.
The name Mount Cook was given to the peak by European settlers. But native peoples had always known it as Aoraki, after a young figure from Māori legend. Now it goes by both names.
Content yourself with hiking or biking one of the ten Alpine trails that leave from nearby Mount Cook Village, offering views of the mountain. Or, if you’ve got the experience, tackle a climb. Head here in summer (December–February), and book a local guide who knows the route. Caroline Hut is a popular spot in which to make your base and set out from.
If you’ve got some wiggle room in your budget, another incredible way to take in the peak is via a helicopter tour.
8 Mount Everest, Nepal/Tibet – The World’s Highest Peak
📍 Location: Nepal/Tibet border
⛰️ Elevation: 8,849 meters (29,032 ft)
🗓️Best Time to Visit: Pre-monsoon (April to May) and post-monsoon (September to October).
🛏️Best Nearby Hostels: Wanderthirst Hostels, Flock Hostel Kathmandu
🚕How to Get There: Fly to Lukla from Kathmandu, then trek to Everest Base Camp
Chomolungma, the mother of all mountains
Mount Everest, the highest mountain on Earth, draws trekkers and climbers from all over the world. The Everest Base Camp trek passes Sherpa villages, Buddhist monasteries and viewpoints like Kala Patthar, so you can see it up close without going for the summit.
No list of the world’s great peaks would be complete without Everest. Tibetans call it Chomolungma, usually translated as “Goddess Mother of the World”, which is why it’s known as the mother of all mountains. It rises to 8,849 metres, jutting out of the Himalayas on the Nepal-Tibet border.
The mountain is named after lauded British surveyor Sir George Everest, though the peak already had two local titles: Chomolungma on the Tibetan side and Sagarmatha in Nepal. The first confirmed ascent to Everest’s summit was in 1953, by Nepali-Indian and British mountaineers Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary, though other climbers had already perished in previous attempts.
Climbing Everest is an extreme and costly undertaking, but still hundreds of adventurous souls brave it each year. Nepal raised its spring climbing permit to US$15,000 from September 2025 (Kathmandu Post). Most set out from the little town Lukla in Nepal, having flown in from Kathmandu. From here the trek to the Everest Base Camp should take about 10 days.
If that all sounds a little too extreme, follow the shorter and slightly more accessible trek to Namche Bazaar, a breath-taking hillside village that offers fabulous views of Everest.
9 Kilimanjaro, Tanzania – The Roof of Africa
📍 Location: Tanzania, East Africa
⛰️ Elevation: 5,895 meters (19,341 ft)
🗓️Best Time to Visit: Dry seasons (January to March, June to October) for clear skies.
🛏️Best Nearby Hostels: Rafiki Backpackers & Guesthouse
🚕How to Get There:Fly into Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO), then take a taxi or shuttle to Moshi or Arusha, the main starting points for Kilimanjaro treks
Africa’s highest peak, no ropes needed
Kilimanjaro is Africa’s highest peak and the world’s tallest free-standing mountain. Unlike technical climbs, Kilimanjaro is a non-technical trek, making it a bucket-list adventure for hikers of all levels.
Another bucket-list-topping peak is volcanic Kilimanjaro, which you’ll find in north-eastern Tanzania, right in the centre of its namesake national park. The “Roof of Africa” is a fitting nickname for the mountain, which is 5,895m at its highest point.
Kilimanjaro is actually a volcano made up of a trio of peaks. Though if you’re planning a trip, you’ll be glad to hear it’s dormant – the last eruption happened some 360,000 years ago.
If you dream of standing at Kilimanjaro’s summit, looking out over the clouds, plan your trip for January through to March, or June through to October. The other months of the year bring with them rain and snow.
Most trekkers set their sights on the Marangu Route: expect six days’ worth of hiking over the craggy terrain and rest up in mountain huts along the way. If you’re content with seeing the peak from a distance, the Tanzanian town of Moshi is a great vantage point.
10 Cradle Mountain, Australia – Tasmania’s Iconic Peak
📍 Location: Tasmania, Australia
⛰️ Elevation: 1,545 meters (5,069 ft)
🗓️Best Time to Visit:Summer (December–March) for mild weather and ideal hiking conditions
🛏️Best Nearby Hostels: Discovery Parks Cradle Mountain, Cradle Mountain Wilderness Village
🚕How to Get There:Fly into Launceston or Hobart, then drive or take a bus to Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park
Tasmania’s jagged ridge above Dove Lake
Cradle Mountain is one of Australia’s best-known wilderness areas, with rugged peaks, alpine lakes and wildlife including wombats and Tasmanian devils. It’s also where the Overland Track begins.
At 1,545 m, this is not the tallest mountain in Australia – but what it lacks in size, it more than makes up for with beauty. Overlooking sapphire Dove Lake, the ridged scarp of Cradle Mountain is quite a sight. It dominates Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park, snow-freckled in winter, and rising from lush grass and forestland through summer.
Excavations of the area around the mountain have unearthed many native sites, but it was English surveyor Joseph Fossey who christened the peak “Cradle Mountain”, because of its curiously curved shape.
Now it’s one of Tasmania’s most popular tourist attractions and is around an hour-and-a-half drive from the busy city of Devonport. There are hikes for all abilities throughout the national park. They all reward the walker with awesome views of Cradle Mountain, and also take in glacial lakes, dense woodland and the occasional waterfall along the way.
The 6-kilometre Dove Lake Circuit is a favourite. If you’ve got your sights set on the summit, the main trail leaves from Dove Lake and will take 6–8 hours to complete (that’s the whole round-trip). Be prepared to scramble over some tricky boulders on the way.
Leave the car at the visitor centre. A shuttle bus runs from there to Dove Lake, and private cars can’t use the road while it’s running. You’ll need a Tasmanian parks pass, plus a shuttle ticket (A$15.50 for adults in November 2026) unless you have the Cradle Mountain Icon pass or an Overland Track pass, which include the bus (Parks and Wildlife Service Tasmania).
Views of the mountain are majestic in both winter and summer, but if you’re planning to make the ascent, best come in summer (November–April) when conditions are a little more predictable.
11 Mount Huangshan (Yellow Mountain), China
📍 Location: Southern Anhui Province, Eastern China
⛰️ Elevation: 1,864 meters (6,115 ft)
🗓️Best Time to Visit: Spring (April–May) and Autumn (September–October) for mild temperatures and stunning views
🛏️Best Nearby Hostels: Kunlun International Youth Hostel, HuiJiYunGe
🚕 How to Get There: Take a bus from Huangshan North Railway Station (1 hour) or a taxi from Huangshan Airport (1.5 hours). Direct high-speed trains from Shanghai take ~4 hours.
Granite peaks above a sea of clouds
Huangshan is famous for its dramatic peaks, ancient pines, and mystical sea of clouds, inspiring poets and painters for centuries.
Mount Huangshan thoroughly deserves its nickname: “the loveliest mountain in China”. As if plucked straight from Avatar, the huge rock formations are made even more mysterious by a perpetual layer of mist.
It was given the name Yellow Mountain under the Tang Dynasty way back in 747. The otherworldly views have since inspired many Chinese artistic works, especially the shan shui style of painting, which focuses on landscapes
Still today visitors are in awe of Huangshan’s beauty. To see it for yourself, you’ll need to make your way into Huangshan City in China’s Anhui province (it’s easiest to fly or it’s around a 5-hour drive from Shanghai).
Once you’re here, it’s pretty easy to explore. Three cable cars travel to the mountain top and the many stone steps that wind throughout the peaks make trekking simple too (if not a little hard on the calf muscles).
You can hike Huangshan year-round but high season is from April through to October. Off season will be delightfully quiet, but be aware that some trails may be closed for maintenance.
For the sea of clouds, go between November and May and aim for the day after rain or snow, when mist settles in the valleys below the peaks (China Highlights).
12 Castle Mountain, Canada
📍 Location: Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada
⛰️ Elevation: 2,766 meters (9,075 feet)
🗓️Best Time to Visit: Summer (June to August) for hiking and outdoor activities.
🛏️Best Nearby Hostels: HI Banff Alpine Centre
🚕How to Get There: Drive along the Trans-Canada Highway to reach Castle Mountain
A peak shaped like a fortress
Castle Mountain’s turreted cliffs make it one of Banff’s best-known landmarks, with good hikes and wide views over the Bow Valley.
Banff National Park has plenty of peaks, but Castle Mountain is the most unique. And it’s easy to see how it got its name. The mountain resembles a turreted fortress, perched ominously above the spruce and fir trees in the Canadian Rockies.
Head to Castle Junction, where the Banff-Windermere Highway and the Trans-Canada Highway meet in the park. Here you’ll get glorious views of the mountain, especially beautiful in the early morning light.
Then take the Castle Lookout trail, which starts 5 km west of Castle Junction on the Bow Valley Parkway. It’s 3.7 km each way with 520 m of climbing, so allow 3 to 4 hours to reach the viewpoint and come back down (Parks Canada). Tackle it in spring, summer or autumn to avoid slippery winter conditions.
Which mountains look coolest in photos?
If you’re after the classic pointy mountain, the Matterhorn is the one people picture, a near-perfect pyramid that looks different from every side of Zermatt. Kirkjufell is easier to frame than to climb: stand by the Kirkjufellsfoss waterfall and the cone lines up behind it, best of all under winter skies.
For a mountain with clouds, Huangshan is hard to beat when its granite peaks rise out of the mist. Vinicunca gives you colour instead, with its bands of red and yellow at their sharpest on a dry-season morning. Mount Fuji often hides in cloud, so give yourself a few days and look for it from a distance, even from the free observation deck at Bunkyo Civic Center in Tokyo.
Match the mountain to the month
Use the best times above to pick your trip:
- December to March is summer in the south, so head for Aoraki/Mount Cook, Cradle Mountain or Kilimanjaro’s January to March window, or ski below the Matterhorn.
- April and May suit Everest Base Camp and Huangshan, and the dry season begins at Vinicunca.
- June to August is the time for Denali, Castle Mountain and hiking around Zermatt, and Fuji’s Yoshida Trail opens on 1 July.
- September to November brings Everest’s second season, autumn on Huangshan, spring weather on Table Mountain and the start of northern lights season at Kirkjufell.
Once you’ve picked your mountain, book your first nights early if you’re going in its peak months. Then use Linkups in the Hostelworld app to find other travellers heading for the same hike.
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