Plitvice Lakes is the only European National Park to make it onto this top ten list, thanks to its crystal clear turquoise waters, magnificent waterfalls and impressive boardwalk trails. Located in the central region of Croatia, covering an incredible 73,000 acres and surrounded by 360 degrees of luscious forest, Plitvice truly boasts breathtaking views from end to end.

Plitvice is home to 16 mesmerising lakes, all gracefully and elegantly linked together by beautifully cascading falls. The mineral rich water found in Plitvice is some of the clearest water on the planet, with each lake boasting a different shade of turquoise, dependant on its particular mineral content. The area also attracts an abundance of stunning wildlife, allowing the National Park to continually thrive as a vibrant and rich ecosystem.

You can easily spend hours and hours roaming the beautiful boardwalks as they wind between the turquoise lakes and waterfalls. Plitvice Lakes National Park is perfect for a wide variety of ages and is easily accessible as a daytrip from the majority of cities across Croatia.

Kakadu National Park is located in Australia’s Northern Territory, covering an astonishing 20,000 square kilometres! This incredible region looks like something straight from the dinosaur era, boasting incredibly vast landscapes, stunning rock formations and vividly diverse wildlife. Kakadu is extremely sacred to the Indigenous people of Australia, the area has been home to Aboriginal tribes for over 65,000 years, with a handful still living in the national park to this day.

Kakadu is exceptionally rich in diversity, the National Park is home to a whopping 280 species of bird and over 2000 types of plant. Ranging from vast desolate plains to luscious watering holes and rivers, you’ll be spoilt for choice exploring this wonderful region. One of the best ways to truly soak up the wild atmosphere of Kakadu National Park is by sleeping under the stars in a traditional Aussie swag, just make sure you don’t forget your bug spray!

One of the main attractions at Kakadu is its incredible collection of 10,000 wild crocodiles living within the boundaries of the national park. Jump aboard an adrenaline fuelled crocodile cruise and head out in hopes of spotting a few of these magnificent creatures in their natural habitat. If you’re looking for a little less thrill and a bit more chill, try checking out some of the stunning, natural swimming areas dotted around the national park, perfect for escaping the perilous Aussie heat.

In northwest Arizona lies the magnificent Grand Canyon National Park, home to the world renowned Grand Canyon. The Grand Canyon is an outright natural phenomenon, spanning a mind boggling 277 miles in length, boasting a width of 18 miles at its widest point, and having an insane depth of over a mile! The canyon was formed over six million years ago and has been key location for extensive archaeological and fossil research, thanks to the canyon’s incredible geological formation.

There are tons of viewing platforms dotted along the canyon’s edge, accompanied by well equipped visitor centres, dishing up plenty of useful information and insights about the national park. You’ll also find plenty of excellent hiking trails throughout the national park, each with their own varying difficulty and length. If you’re feeling really adventurous, why not hike all the way down into the canyon, eventually leading to the stunning Colorado River.

The best way to truly understand and grasp the sheer scale and area of this incredible national park, is by heading to the skies. A number of different companies operate helicopter flights over the canyon, varying in flight time and experience style. The flight over the Grand Canyon is personally one of my all-time favourite travel experiences. The feeling you get as you soar over the rim of the canyon and watch the ground beneath you vanish, is a moment that will stay with me for the rest of my life.

Fiordland National Park is located in the southwest region of New Zealand’s South Island and boasts some of the world’s most extraordinary views. This area is an explorer’s paradise, truly showcasing the planet’s natural beauty with pristine alpine lakes, stunning glacial valleys and lusciously dense forests. There’s a huge range of activities on offer throughout the park, from sightseeing boat trips and organised kayak experiences to scenic helicopter flights and guided wildlife tours.

Fiordland National Park is most famous for its huge selection of spectacular hiking trails, ranging from short beginner hikes, all the way up to multi day advanced treks. Fiordland is the perfect location for those looking to take on a challenge, the national park is home to three of New Zealand’s Great Walks; the Kepler, Milford and Routeburn tracks. These fantastic hikes traverse the incredible landscape found in this beautiful corner of the world, taking you through breathtaking valleys, past cascading waterfalls and over magnificent mountains.

Located in northern Tanzania, the Serengeti National Park is home to some of the mightiest animals on planet Earth and is also the ultimate destination for an unforgettable African Safari. The plains of the Serengeti cover an astonishing 15,000 square kilometres and are situated on the route of the annual Great Migration, in which over two million wildebeest and zebra head North through Tanzania towards Kenya.

The Serengeti is home to a multitude of incredible animals, including the famous Big Five. Lions, leopards, buffalo, rhinos, elephants, zebras and wildebeest all choose to call the Serengeti their home. The Serengeti is also one of the best places in the world to get up close and personal with these magnificent creatures, join wildlife specialists and head out in a purpose built safari jeeps or opt to fly high over the vast landscape aboard a scenic hot air balloon. No matter which option you choose for exploring the mighty Serengeti, you can always guarantee it will be one hell of a remarkable experience.

Banff National Park is a sight of pure natural beauty, located within the Rocky Mountains in the Canadian province of Alberta. Banff National Park is famous around the globe, due to its world renowned turquoise lakes and magnificent mountain peaks. Banff is an outdoor lover’s paradise and home to a ton of awesome and thrilling activities, hire some skis and head up the pristine mountain slopes, jump in a kayak and explore the flawless lakes or grab your walking boots and hit the area’s beautiful hiking trails.

Lake Louise, Moraine Lake and Lake Minnewanka are three of the most well-known lakes on the planet and they’re all situated within the boundaries of Banff National Park. All three lakes boast utterly mesmerising colours and dish up a ton of fantastic hiking opportunities, as well a range of awesome water based activities. Keep an eye out for some incredible wildlife in the park too, Banff National Park is home to a large number of wild bears and moose. If you’re lucky enough to spot one of these truly magnificent animals, you’ll be greeted with an utterly sensational spectacle.

The National Park is also home to the resort town of Banff, a perfect place to use as a base for exploring the surrounding areas. The town looks like something straight out of a fairy tale, with wooden log cabins housing roaring fires and welcoming locals.

Yellowstone National Park is predominately located in the US state of Wyoming, but also spans across the state borders of Montana and Idaho. Yellowstone was established as the world’s first National Park way back in the year 1872, helping to protect the area’s stunning wildlife and impressive geothermal features.

One of Yellowstone’s main highlights is its famous geothermal activity, originating from the supervolcano found deep underground, far beneath the surface of Yellowstone National Park. Old Faithful is arguably Yellowstone’s most famous geothermal feature, the geyser erupts around 20 times per day and sprays boiling water a staggering 180 feet into the air.

Yellowstone is also home to a huge variety of hiking trails, offering spectacular views of the park’s striking valleys and sensational landscape. There’s a wide range of hikes to choose from, each with their own individual length and difficulty, ensuring all ability levels are catered for. Another option for exploring Yellowstone is by opting to hire a bicycle and cycle along the winding paths that traverse Yellowstone’s majestic landscape.

The Galapagos National Park belongs to the country of Ecuador and is situated 1000 kilometres off the country’s western coast in the midst of the mighty Pacific Ocean. The national park covers 97% of the entire Galapagos Islands, with the remaining 3% belonging to the inhabited areas of the islands. The Galapagos National Park has some of the strictest regulations in the world, such as monitoring visitor numbers and controlling park activities. This allows the Galapagos’ extraordinary ecosystem to continuously thrive and helps the islands to remain in their naturally pristine condition for many centuries to come.

Some of the finest animals on the planet reside within the 19 Galapagos Islands, the majority of animals living on the islands can’t be found anywhere else in the world. The Giant Tortoise is arguably the most famous animal to grace the ground of the Galapagos Islands, these incredible animals can weigh up to a whopping 350kg and live for a remarkable 100 years. Marine Iguanas, Sea Lions, Penguins, Boobies, Lizards and Sea Turtles are just a few of the other incredible animals found residing within the fascinating Galapagos National Park.

Many scientists actually use the area as a place to study the theory of evolution, due to the ecosystem’s incredible remoteness and rare isolation from the rest of the world.

Narrowly missing out on the top spot is the wonderful Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, this magnificent wildlife haven is situated in the southwest region of Uganda and is home to a collection of over 400 wild Mountain Gorillas. The national park is famous for its incredible gorilla trekking opportunities, this once in a lifetime experience gives visitors the chance to get up close and personal with these fascinating and majestic animals in their natural habitat.

Bwindi also boasts one of the most diverse ecosystems on the planet, the area is home to a whopping 120 species of mammal, an astonishing 348 species of bird, an impressive 220 species of butterfly and an unbelievable 163 species of tree. The park’s diverse rainforest dates back over 25,000 years and is set upon a series of steep ridges and daunting valleys, justifying the national park’s term “impenetrable”.

Bwindi is also home to a variety of enjoyable activities, from mountain biking tours and bird watching excursions to guided hiking trails and local village experiences. A visit to Bwindi is guaranteed to totally take your breath away and leave you with memories to last a life time.

The title of best national park in the world goes to Torres Del Paine National Park, this breathtaking area is located down in the Patagonian region of southern Chile. Arguably the best hiking opportunities on the planet are located in Torres Del Paine, notably the world famous W Trek. This magnificent trek covers 46 miles of stunning terrain over a 4-5 day period and boasts some of the greatest scenery on planet Earth.

Torres Del Paine National Park is an outdoor adventurer’s paradise, from magnificent granite towers to pristine glacial valleys, the region is a truly incredible sight to behold. It’s not just all about hiking in Torres Del Paine though, there’s plenty of other activities to try out too, from mountain biking and kayaking to horse riding and ice climbing. The national park truly has it all, and thanks to its exceptionally isolated position, the park continues to be one of the most untouched regions of the globe, allowing the area to remain in its pristine and natural condition. Well, what are you waiting for? Go grab those hiking boots!