Even amateur photographers know that the best time to get snapping is during “golden hour” – but not all are created equal.
Some are far longer than an hour, others shorter; clouds can get in the way of the effect, as can rainfall; and light pollution can have an impact, too.
Luckily for us, travel company Kuoni has teamed up with meteorologist Jim Dale from British Weather Services to create a ranking for the world’s best spots for golden hour.
Having analysed 165 destinations against metrics including cloud cover, light pollution, rainfall, artificial brightness, wind speed and average sunset duration, 20 places made the final list.
Greece dominated the rankings, with four places making the cut – ahead of Namibia with three, and two each for the US, Australia and Botswana.
“There’s something about that soft, warm light of golden hour that makes a destination feel truly unforgettable, whether you’re watching the sun dip below the Acropolis in Lindos or over the dunes of the Namib Desert,” Marco Rocha, the product, commercial and operations director at Kuoni, said.
“What’s interesting is that the best golden hour locations aren’t always the most obvious ones – clear skies, low light pollution and a bit of local knowledge often matter more than a destination’s reputation.”
Golden hour destinations you need to know about
Jordan’s Wadi Rum came out on top overall, with little cloud cover and almost no rain, followed by Sossusvlei in Namibia, the desert landscape with no light pollution and sunsets that last an average of 27.9 minutes.
Namibia has three locations in the top six. As well as Sossusvlei, Damaraland placed third, with Etosha National Park in sixth.
Chile’s Atacama Desert came fourth, with Kuoni noting that wildlife like flamingos, alpacas and Andean foxes make a visit here even more special, while Wahiba Sands in Oman rounded out the top five.
As for Europe, Lindos Acropolis in Rhodes narrowly made it into the top 10, with Kuoni noting that its perch 116 metres above the sea gives you uninterrupted golden hour views most evenings.
Next up was Paphos in Cyprus, coming in 16th, followed by Rhodes Town (17th), Cape Sounion in Athens (19th), and Zante’s Navagio Shipwreck Beach (20th).
The world’s top 20 destinations for golden hour
1. Wadi Rum, Jordan
2. Sossusvlei, Namibia
3. Damaraland, Namibia
4. Atacama Desert, Chile
5. Wahiba Sands, Oman
6. Etosha National Park, Namibia
7. Okavango Delta, Botswana
8= San Joaquin Valley, California, US
8= Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National Park, Northern Territory, Australia
10. Lindos Acropolis, Rhodes, Greece
11. Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe
12. Ras Al Khaimah, UAE
13. Chobe River, Botswana
14. Flinders Ranges, South Australia, Australia
15. Sedona, Arizona, US
16. Paphos City Centre, Cyprus
17. Rhodes Town, Greece
18. Livingstone, Zambia
19. Cape Sounion, Athens, Greece
20. Navagio Shipwreck Beach, Zante, Greece