From villages and valleys to castles and cliffs, the planet is chock-full of beautiful places – but which country can lay claim to being the most gorgeous on the planet?
Rough Guides, the online trip-planning company, asked its readers to vote on where they thought were the world’s most beautiful countries, and the results are in.
Claiming the number one spot is (drum roll, please!) New Zealand. The island nation is loved particularly for ‘the contrast in scenery and beauty to be found in the people and culture’, according to Rough Guide’s readers.
The country is made up of around 600 islands, and boasts a huge variety when it comes to scenery, from knockout beaches like Maitai Bay in Northland to majestic peaks such as Mount Taranaki. And then there’s its roster of great cities, like Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch, which are all set in some pretty glorious surroundings.
In second place was Italy, which has everything from picturesque mountain ranges and pretty islands to lovely beaches and absolutely glorious cities. In third place was Canada, and in fourth it was Switzerland – have a look at the rest of the list below.
The 20 most beautiful countries in the world, according to Rough Guides
- New Zealand
- Italy
- Canada
- Switzerland
- France
- United Kingdom
- Norway
- Australia
- Greece
- South Africa
- USA
- Chile
- Iceland
- Argentina
- Croatia
- India
- Indonesia
- Portugal
- Slovenia
- Japan
You can read about why each country was selected by Rough Guides readers on their website here.
Picture-perfect travel spots
For more on the world’s most beautiful places, check out our round-ups of the world’s prettiest small towns, majestic mountains and stunning beaches.
Did you see that these are officially the world’s most crowded cities?
Plus: There could be an underwater tunnel linking Europe and Africa by 2030.
Stay in the loop: sign up to our free Time Out Travel newsletter for all the latest travel news.