Visit the world’s 7 most beautiful valleys

Connect with nature and drink in phenomenal views in seven of the world’s most beautiful valleys.

Barun Valley, Nepal

At the base of snowy Mount Makalu in Nepal, the fifth-highest mountain in the world, lies the Barun Valley. It’s a mystical place, with lime green moss, waterfalls, rhododendron forests and statuesque orchids floating amid the clouds. It’s also home to thousands of rare animal species, including the endangered snow leopard. This extraordinary biodiversity combined with the valley’s outstanding beauty earned it an important place in Buddhist folklore as a spiritual place where no one ages. And in the case of a cataclysm, it will be one of only seven places on Earth where life will remain. Take a trek through this remote terrain, following the Barun River (known locally as Chukchuwa), which becomes a glacier come winter. Stay at the highly rated B&B Thamel in Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal and a handy base for getting to Barun Valley.

Kalalau Valley, USA

The world-famous surf and pearly-white sand beaches aren’t the only reasons travellers never want to leave Hawaii; this tiny archipelago is a mountainous natural paradise. The island of Kauaʻi is known as the ‘Garden Isle’ as rainforest covers much of its surface. This is where you’ll find the amazing Kalalau Valley, which is only accessible on foot, by kayak or by helicopter. Hiking the Kalalau Trail is probably the most rewarding way to get there – emerging from tropical forest, you’ll catch your first glimpse of its steep, flower-covered cliffs that appear to be ridged like draped cloth as they run down to the royal-blue ocean. Hanalei Colony Resort is a beachfront property that’s close to some of the best snorkelling spots on the island and close to the Kalalau Trail.

Great Rift Valley, Kenya

Spanning from Jordan in the Middle East way down to Mozambique in southern Africa, the Great Rift Valley is a colossal geological wonder. It’s a series of connected rift valleys created by the movement of tectonic plates that dates back 30 million years and is 4,000 miles-long. Its volcanism has also produced Mount Kilimanjaro, Mount Kenya, hot springs and deep lakes but most importantly, is gradually splitting the horn of Africa from the continent. The scale of the rock formations and the openness of the plains stretching out beside them feels is like nothing you’ve ever seen before, and the diversity of fossils and flora and fauna (including several species found nowhere else on Earth) is incredible. The Valley stretches all the way from north to south Kenya, and the Great Rift Valley Lodge boasts panoramic views of flamingo-filled Lake Naivasha and the volcanic, ridged landscape.

Valley of the Ten Peaks, Canada

The scenery in this valley is so remarkable and the colours so lucid that at first glance it resembles a painting. The Moraine Lake fills the valley floor, reflecting the 10 peaks that stand above in its milky-blue, glacial water. Take the Rockpile Trail around the Lake, so named for the grey boulders that sit on the shoreline, before the slopes turn into pea-green pine forest; the view from the top of this trail is known as the ‘Twenty Dollar View’, as it was featured on the back of Canadian $20 bills between 1969 and 1979. Stay at the delightful Buffaloberry B&B in the nearby town of Banff.

Yosemite, USA

No photo can do justice to the Yosemite Valley. The incredibly sheer granite cliffs were licked smooth by glaciers over 30 million years, making them the ultimate challenge for rock climbers – particularly the vertical precipice of monolith, El Capitan, which rises nearly a thousand metres above the ground. Follow the Merced River through meadows along the Valley floor, with the Sierra Nevada mountains standing in the distance between Yosemite’s giant rock formations. Then hike up to Bridalveil or Yosemite Falls (the latter being the highest waterfall in the USA) through pine-scented forests to be rewarded with panoramas of the surrounding national park. When the sun lowers towards the end of a clear day, the rock faces turn icy blue in colour as they’re cast into the shadows and the golden light is extraordinary. Red Tail Ranch is a beautiful farmhouse located only 20 minutes from the entrance to Yosemite.

Romsdalen Valley, Norway

This beautiful, Norwegian valley winds around the Romsdalsalpene mountains following the Rauma – a salmon river – for 60 kilometres. Rock climbers gravitate towards the valley’s peaks and steep slopes, including Trollveggen, Europe’s tallest rock face and the 1,550 metre-high Romsdalshorn peak. But there’s plenty to enjoy for those who don’t want to scale a rock face; visit Slettafossen waterfall, whose white water thunders through a 40 metre-deep gorge and can be crossed by a bridge. Another amazing sight to behold awaits in parts of the valley that have been affected by rock slides, as enormous boulders have fallen from the mountains into the river and the forest. Just outside Åndalsnes, the nearest town to Romsdalen, the Grand Hotel Bellevue enjoys views out over the Romsdalsfjord.

Lauterbrunnen Valley, Switzerland

Lauterbrunnen Valley, deep in the Swiss Alps, is totally bewitching; so much so that, during a hike here in his youth, author J.R.R. Tolkien found inspiration for his Elven kingdom – Rivendell – in The Lord of the Rings. The valley was formed by three receding glaciers and has wooden, alpine chalet inns and 72 waterfalls cascading over the vertical limestone cliff faces. Not to mention the views of snow-capped mountains, being surrounded by the Eiger, Monch and Jungfrau peaks. Walking through wildflower meadows along the Valley floor, you’ll be breathing some of the freshest air imaginable and listening to the therapeutic sound of water tumbling over the rocks. Check into the Hotel-Restaurant Waldrand, a wooden chalet with lovely views of the valley.