Good Morning Sunshine: The 20 Most Beautiful Spots To Catch A Sunrise
When The Horizon Steals Attention
Some start their day with coffee; others with the first light of dawn. There’s a quiet thrill in arriving early, watching the sky shift and blush before the world fully wakes. It’s not about capturing the perfect photo—it’s about being present, letting the horizon speak in those still, sacred moments before the day begins. If you're drawn to mornings like these, here are 20 places worth adding to your list.
1. Mount Hikurangi, New Zealand
Revered by the Ngāti Porou people, Hikurangi is sacred and scenic. Māori legends say Māui lassoed the sun up from here to slow it down. You can book a guided trek and catch it from a mountain hut. Glorious mornings are found here with fewer crowds.
Phillip Capper from Wellington, New Zealand on Wikimedia
2. Uluru, Australia
Uluru is the Outback's mood ring. This hallowed rock of the Anangu people pulses from gray to red to gold in sunrise light. The Mala Walk offers prime viewing without disturbing the spirit of the place. Watch it from the main sunrise viewing area within Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park while listening to the chatter of birds.
3. Jeju, South Korea
Locals call it Seongsan Ilchulbong, which means 'where the sun is born.' It's a volcanic tuff cone that's become Jeju Island's pride. At dawn, you'll likely see haenyeo—those famous free-diving grandmas—heading to sea while the summit glows peach.
4. Angkor Wat, Cambodia
Built in the 12th century, Angkor Wat aligns so perfectly with the sunrise that it feels like celestial architects planned it. Crowds gather before 5 AM, all facing the reflection pool. Then pink breaks past the stone through the hushed awe.
5. Mount Bromo, Indonesia
Java's favorite volcano sits inside an enormous crater, with a Hindu temple oddly placed at its base. Sunrise is best viewed from nearby Mount Penanjakan. Jeep tours crawl up in the dark, then vanish as the caldera blushes orange and silver.
6. The Great Wall, China
Everyone knows the Wall snakes across northern China, but fewer know how quiet it gets at dawn. Head to Jinshanling—not too rebuilt, not too broken. Built during the Ming dynasty, this stretch lets you see towers melt into morning fog while hawkers brew tea behind you.
Hao Wei from China on Wikimedia
7. Sigiriya, Sri Lanka
Sigiriya, the ancient rock fortress of a rebel king, Kashyapa I, pokes dramatically out of Sri Lanka's cultural triangle. As mist thins, the sun creeps up behind the stone lion's paws at the base. The best view is from Pidurangala Rock, north of the fortress, where monks sometimes meditate nearby.
8. Phu Chi Fa, Thailand
It means 'mountain that points to the sky." Located near Laos, it's still delightfully unknown. Thais camp overnight, grill skewers, and hum folk songs by firelight. Come morning, thick clouds roll like waves below while the ridge glows pink with the sunrise.
Pulperm Phungprachit on Wikimedia
9. Table Mountain, Cape Town
Hike up Platteklip Gorge or catch the first cable car to reach Table Mountain's top. Cape Town yawns awake below while dassies (tiny rock hyraxes) squeak from ledges. Clouds sometimes drape the top like a tablecloth, then drift off casually.
Tjeerd Wiersma from Amsterdam, The Netherlands on Wikimedia
10. Mount Sinai, Egypt
At 2,285 meters, Sinai holds spiritual weight as the place where Moses is said to have received the Ten Commandments. Pilgrims start the climb at midnight with flashlights and candles. When the sun breaks over the desert, the granite turns amber for you to view in silence.
alljengi from Edinburgh on Wikimedia
11. Brooklyn Bridge, USA
Finished in 1883, the Brooklyn Bridge is still a morning favorite for New Yorkers. Joggers zip by, street vendors set up, and the skyline slowly backlights the steel cables at sunrise. For iconic views, start from the Manhattan side and pause mid-span.
12. Mont-Saint-Michel, France
The Kingdom of Corona, seen in Tangled, was inspired by Mont-Saint-Michel, and it doesn't disappoint in real life. Dawn turns the abbey into a glowing island floating on a peachy tide. Walk the long causeway early, before tour buses arrive. Locals say the best views come during spring tides.
13. Trolltunga, Norway
Few sunrises require a commitment of a 22-kilometer rocky trail and sheer nerve. But Trolltunga rewards with sunrise over Lake Ringedalsvatnet, still and glassy. Norway's folklore says trolls fled the light. Ironically, the most magical shot is right on their tongue. Arrive before 5 AM to claim that edge.
14. Grand Canyon, USA
Indigenous Havasupai and Hopi tribes have stories of light dancing in these rocks. With the sunrise, the canyon blazes and blushes. Mather Point is the classic viewpoint, but try Lipan Point for layered views all the way to the Colorado River.
15. Giza, Egypt
Every morning, golden light creeps across the 4,500-year-old limestone of the pyramids. Watch from the dunes near the Sphinx—there are fewer crowds, and it's better for photos. Local camel guides usually light a fire, brewing tea as the city stirs behind them.
16. Wadi Rum, Jordan
Ridley Scott filmed The Martian here—and frankly, it fits. Wadi Rum's red rocks and dunes seem too perfectly alien. As sunrise spills in, Bedouin camps stir to life with the bleating of goats as kettles whistle and shadows stretch across the sand. Lawrence of Arabia is said to have once passed through.
MistoJordan (Mohammad Misto) on Wikimedia
17. Machu Picchu, Peru
Discovered by Hiram Bingham in 1911, the site remained hidden from the Spanish. Now, it appears at dawn, cutting through the mist. Sun Gate offers the classic reveal, but locals say the terraces above the Temple of the Sun are the real sweet spots.
18. Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa
In 1952, Hemingway's The Snows of Kilimanjaro immortalized this peak. But long before that, the Chagga people lived around its base, revering the mountain as sacred. At sunrise, climbers gather breathless at Uhuru Peak while Maasai herders below begin their day with the cattle.
19. Haleakalā, USA
Astronauts used Haleakalā's terrain in Hawaii to prepare for the moon. Now, locals perform mele oli chants before sunrise, honoring the legend of the demigod Māui lassoing the sun. Park reservations are required, but the silence at 10,000 feet is otherworldly.
20. Dolomites, Italy
Before World War I, battles were fought here; the Dolomites were sacred to shepherds. Known as 'enrosadira,' this light paints the cliffs for just a few minutes. When you are at the Seceda Ridge, you'll find hikers waiting for the dawn, wrapped in fleece while sipping thermoses of espresso.
