Explore nature’s beauty on an international scale

Nestled in the Canadian Rocky Mountains, Canada’s first national park is also its most visited, attracting more than 4 million guests from around the globe each year. In addition to the towering, snow-capped mountains, its stunning scenery includes blue-green glacier-fed lakes, waterfalls, and exotic wildlife. Don’t be surprised if you spot grizzly bears, black bears, cougars, bighorn sheep, elk, or moose. Banff also has more than 1,000 miles (1,600 kilometers) of maintained hiking trails through the Rockies, with options for all experience levels.

Nothing captures the imagination quite like the enormous, step-like columns of this park, which features more than 40,000 hexagon-shaped pillars jutting from the sea surrounding the cliffs. Local legends tell of giants using the black basalt towers to cross the sea to Ireland. The nature reserve’s system of paths allows visitors to experience the extraordinary surroundings both from cliff-top lookouts and while traversing the causeway. Visitors can get to Giants Causeway by car, bus, or train, though car parking is limited to Visitor Experience pass holders (which must be booked in advance online).

Towering rock formations known as “fairy towers” formed in this park thanks to volcanic activity millions of years ago. As early as the 4th century AD, people carved homes into these stone columns, and many of these cave dwellings are still occupied today. The site is home to one of the world’s largest cave-dwelling complexes, consisting of both tunnels and underground cities. A valley hike through the formations or a hot air balloon ride over them provide stunning perspectives on the columns of stone and surrounding volcanic landscape for an unforgettable international national park visit.

Known as the greatest wildlife destination on earth, Serengeti National Park is a true feast for the senses. Its landscapes, which shift from savannahs to woodlands to riverine marshes, are the stage of the Great Migration, an annual journey of more than a million hooved mammals, including wildebeest, zebra, and Thomson’s gazelles. You’ll never forget the deep-in-your-bones vibration of thousands of animals thundering over the earth. Even if you aren’t able to visit during migration season, many of Africa’s iconic animals are bound to cross your path. Elephants, giraffes, rhinoceroses, lions, cheetahs, leopards, and a huge variety of birds all call the Serengeti home. Observe animals in their natural environment from the safety of a hot air balloon ride or get up-close and personal in a guided national park tour.

This remote national park in the center of Australia is best known for its massive sandstone monolith, Uluru, and group of rock domes, Kata Tjuta. These 984-foot (300-meter) tall formations come to life at sunrise and sunset in dazzling shades of red, orange, and violet. This park is an important spiritual and cultural place for its traditional owners, the Anangu Aboriginal people of Australia. Families can choose to explore the park on foot, by Segway, or bike. Guided tours that highlight the deep cultural significance of the park are also available.