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1. Lion’s Head — Cape Town, South Africa
Stats: 2.2 mi / 3.5 km • 2–3 h round-trip • 669 m summit
Pre-work climb? Locals do it weekly. Spiral paths turn into mild scrambling ladders; the reward is a 360-degree view spanning Table Mountain and both oceans.
SANParks trail info
2. Vernal Fall Mist Trail — Yosemite, USA
Stats: 3 mi / 4.8 km out-and-back • 2 h • 300 m gain
Granite steps climb beside a roaring waterfall that sprays a natural air-conditioner. Start at 06:00; you’ll be back at Curry Village in time for cinnamon rolls.
NPS route guide
3. Pidurangala Rock — Sigiriya, Sri Lanka
Stats: 1 mi / 1.6 km • 45 min up • 200 m gain
Scramble past a reclining Buddha to a boulder plateau that perfectly frames neighbouring Sigiriya. Sunrise turns the jungle gold, entry is 3 USD—half its famous sibling.
Sri Lanka Tourism page
4. Diamond Head Crater — Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi
Stats: 1.6 mi / 2.6 km • 1.5 h • 170 m gain
Switchbacks, a tunnel and a WWII observation bunker spit you onto a rim with Waikiki skyscrapers on one side, endless Pacific on the other. Entry opens 06:00.
Hawaii State Parks info
5. Caminito del Rey — Andalusia, Spain
Stats: 4.8 mi / 7.7 km one-way (shuttle return) • 2.5 h • mostly level
Once dubbed “world’s most dangerous,” the rebuilt boardwalk feels Indiana-Jones-safe but still vertigo-cool. Book early slots to avoid the helmet queue.
Official booking site
6. Mount Batur Sunrise Trek — Bali, Indonesia
Stats: 3.7 mi / 6 km • 2 h up • 700 m gain
Flash-light start at 04:00; summit by 06:00, sip volcano-steam-boiled eggs while the caldera floods with cloud cotton. Back in Ubud for smoothie bowls by 09:30.
Official Indonesia Travel
7. Arthur’s Seat — Edinburgh, Scotland
Stats: 1.5 mi / 2.4 km • 1.5 h • 250 m gain
Extinct volcano in the city. Bag a summit selfie with medieval spires behind you, descend for a haggis roll at 10:00 and brag about “climbing a mountain before coffee.”
Historic Environment Scotland
8. Cathedral Rock Trail — Sedona, USA
Stats: 1.2 mi / 1.9 km • 2 h round-trip • 200 m gain
Red-rock fins, slickrock scrambles and a vortex legend or two. Sunrise lights the sandstone like embers; off trail by noon before the soles melt.
US Forest Service page
9. Mount Phousi — Luang Prabang, Laos
Stats: 0.8 mi / 1.3 km • 45 min return • 150 m gain
328 golden-tipped steps rise from old-town alleys to a stupa with 360-degree Mekong panoramas. Pair with the dawn alms-giving ceremony for a soul-soothing start.
Tourism Laos info
10. Sentinel Dome — Yosemite, USA
Stats: 2.2 mi / 3.5 km • 1.5 h • 135 m gain
Easiest big view in the park: a granite bubble with Half Dome, El Capitan and waterfalls like chess pieces below. Bring a thermos—no café rivals this panorama coffee shop.
NPS trail page
Challenge check: Nail all ten before noon and you’ve earned the rest of the day horizontal.
Related reads on travelleri.com:
• For equally photogenic rewards, see Five Places So Photogenic They Look Fake.
• Planning a national-park circuit? Don’t skip Seven National Parks No One’s Visiting—Yet.
