10 Sunrises We Can't Stop Thinking About

The alarm goes off at an ungodly hour of the morning and the world looks pitch-black out of your hotel window. Maybe you’re sighing or complaining or questioning the people who insisted that you just had to see the sunrise from this one spot.

But then the sun’s rays start to peak out from the horizon and everything goes quiet. You’re suddenly too hypnotized by the dancing colors in the sky to remember how tired you are. 

I’m not a morning person by any definition, but I’ve chased my fair share of sunrises around the world, from the beaches of Australia to the top of the Himalaya to the edge of the Grand Canyon. Each time, it gives me the chance to see the destinations I visit in a literally different light. Before the crowds can form or my brain can start buzzing with its typical worries, these sunrises give me the chance to just be present and grateful for the beginning of a new day. 

From Portugal to Zimbabwe to Laos, these are our team’s favorite sunrises from around the world. Maybe they’ll inspire you to set a 4am alarm on your next trip.

Northern Territory, Australia

In the Northern Territory in Australia, Uluru-Kata Tjuta formed over 500 millions years ago, and these formations have been sacred to the Aboriginal peoples for tens of thousands of years. After living in Australia for year, I never felt more connected to the country than when I watched the sunrise reflect off these magnificent formations. Uluru feels alive in the golden hour, shifting and transforming the landscape as it reflects the rays of the sun. At sunrise, it's even better because you can witness this in relative silence.

- Acacia Gabriel, Associate Editor

The Azores, Portugal

Miradouro da Barrosa on São Miguel in the Azores took me to a whole new dimension. The early wakeup was totally worth it when we found ourselves above the clouds, overlooking the endless miles of the Atlantic Ocean.

- Bridget FitzGibbons, Brand Marketing Director

The Grand Canyon, Arizona, USA

I’m really more of a sunset person than sunrise, but to hike Rim to Rim of the Grand Canyon in a single day, a tremendous 24-mile endurance challenge, you have to be up early to take advantage of the full day. I did the trek with friends in 2020, starting before dawn on the North Rim. The feeling of finally seeing the sunrise peek out over the evergreen trees as I continued to descend into the heart of the canyon is one of the standout memories I have of that trek, the other being finishing it under a blanket of stars.

- Melissa Yeager, Destination Editor for North America

Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe

My favorite sunrises were on my recent trip to Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe. Each morning, you wake up at dawn and eat breakfast before heading out for a game drive. Seeing the sunrise while elephants and zebras roam...there is nothing else like it.

- Chamidae Ford, Digital Editor

Siem Reap, Cambodia

Sunrise at Angkor Wat, Siem Reap in December, 2022 was during one of the most memorable tours I've ever been on. We walked through Angkor Wat in the darkness to then watch the sunrise at the northern pond in front of the main temple. The pond reflects the temple which makes an outstanding image. And the quiet of it all too. We watched this all happen in total silence, which was a humbling experience. Cambodia was a special time.

- Zara Sekhavati, Destination Editor for the Middle East and North Africa

Luang Prabang, Laos

I watched sunrise over the Mekong River in Luang Prabang, Laos. Most travelers opt for the sunset cruise so we were the only ones on the river. The absolute quiet, watching the skies turn from pink to purple, was nothing short of magical. Having a gourmet breakfast set up on the boat by the Sofitel Luang Prabang also didn't hurt.

- James Pham, Destination Editor for Southeast Asia

Parque Nacional Torres del Paine, Chile

On a solo trip to Chile and Patagonia in December a few years ago, I woke up at 4am to see the peaks of Torres del Paine, in Chilean Patagonia, at sunrise. It’s a 3-mile hike and of course at 4am it’s pitch dark but I had my headlamp. The plan was to go with some other hikers I’d met the day before. One guy said he knew the way so we followed along. Within 5 minutes I knew he was leading us in the wrong direction because I’d walked a few hundred meters from the site the evening before, when it was still light. This knowledge unfortunately then made me the de facto leader of the pack. An hour or so of hiking and scrambling up the side of what seemed like a cliff, in the dark, chilled to the bone despite wearing several layers of winter clothes, we reached the base of the peaks and saw the sun come up over the turquoise glacial lake, turning the granite mountain peaks a golden orange color. It was magnificent. And then the clouds came and it started to snow and we headed back down.

- Caroline Trefler, Destination Editor for North America

Ko Samui, Thailand

I was staying at Anantara Lawana Resort on Ko Samui last year, and the hotel manager met a group of us at the beach for a sunrise paddle. He took us to a small island owned by the hotel, from which we could see the sun rising on one side and the beach of the resort on the other. It wasn't particularly the most beautiful sunset in terms of color, but the moment was so serene, with the waves slowing rolling in their calm morning state.

- Ann Douglas Lott, Digital Editor

Fairbanks, Alaska, USA

On our last morning at Borealis Basecamp outside of Fairbanks, Alaska, my family and I were cuddled in bed watching what we thought was the last of that morning's northern lights display. Then, all of a sudden, they started to flare. We quickly pulled on our layers, boots, hats, snow pants and mittens and trudged outside. We walked up to the breakfast yurt where we could see 360-degree views of the horizon. The lights were there, green and purple, bursting then retreating, then bursting again. The sun started to come up over the eastern horizon turning the lower part of the sky slightly pink. As the sun slowly rose, the lights disappeared. We ate our waffles while watching the sky turn pink then yellow then cold pale blue and the snow glisten in the blazing winter sun.

- Sarah Stocking, Digital Editor

Zanzibar, Tanzania

Back in 2013, I married a snorer, and he is the reason I woke up ridiculously early one morning on our honeymoon in Zanzibar. Instead of lying there in a sulk, I grabbed his fancy-pants camera and headed to the beach to watch the sunrise. He later bought me a print of this photo on canvas by way of apology.

- Claire Naylor, Editor