The key facts

  • The Kuoni and meteorologist Jim Dale ranking covered 165 destinations, with 20 making the final list
  • The leader is Wadi Rum (Jordan); Namibia has three locations in the top six
  • Greece is represented by four spots, including the Lindos Acropolis at No. 10

How the Ranking Was Compiled

Tour company Kuoni, together with meteorologist Jim Dale of British Weather Services, compiled a ranking of the world's best places to watch the 'golden hour' — the period of soft warm light prized by photographers. The specialists analyzed 165 destinations across six parameters: cloud cover, level of light pollution, amount of precipitation, artificial lighting, wind speed and average sunset duration. The final list included 20 places. The authors note that the 'golden hour' does not always last exactly an hour: somewhere it is longer, somewhere shorter, and the effect is influenced by clouds, rain and light pollution.

Leaders of the Ranking

First place went to the Wadi Rum valley in Jordan, where clouds and rain are almost never seen. Second place went to Sossusvlei in Namibia: a desert landscape free of light pollution, where the sunset lasts an average of 27.9 minutes. Namibia is represented by three locations in the top six: besides Sossusvlei, these are Damaraland (3rd place) and Etosha National Park (6th). Fourth place went to the Atacama Desert in Chile — Kuoni notes that flamingos, alpacas and Andean foxes make the trip there even more special. Rounding out the top five are the Wahiba Sands in Oman.

European Locations

The best European spot was the Lindos Acropolis on Rhodes, which took 10th place: according to Kuoni, its location at 116 meters above sea level provides virtually unobstructed sunset views on most evenings. Further down the list are the center of Paphos in Cyprus (16th place), the city of Rhodes (17th), Cape Sounion near Athens (19th) and the Navagio shipwreck beach on Zakynthos (20th). In total, Greece received four places in the top 20 — more than any other; Namibia has three locations, while the US, Australia and Botswana have two each.

Full Top 20

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. 8–9 (tied places): San Joaquin Valley, California, USA, and Uluru-Kata Tjuta 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. 15. Sedona, Arizona, USA. 16. Paphos center, Cyprus. 17. City of Rhodes, Greece. 18. Livingstone, Zambia. 19. Cape Sounion, Athens, Greece. 20. Navagio shipwreck beach, Zakynthos, Greece.

Comment from Kuoni

'There is something special about this soft, warm golden hour light: it makes any place truly unforgettable, whether it's a sunset over the Acropolis in Lindos or over the dunes of the Namib Desert,' said Marco Rocha, Director of Product, Commercial and Operations at Kuoni. According to him, the best places for the 'golden hour' are not always the most obvious ones: clear skies, low light pollution and knowledge of the area often matter more than a destination's reputation.