High Desert

Cacti, mountains, and desert parks in the Valley of the Sun.

Yazd Old City, Iran — adobe lanes, windcatcher towers, and courtyards at the edge of the desert.

Desert plateau of ancient rock art and sand dunes in the Sahara.

Dahab & Sinai Coast, Egypt — red Sea town of dive sites, windsurfing, and desert day trips into the mountains.

Mendoza Wine Valleys, Argentina — andes-backed vineyards and Malbec in the high desert.

Endless white salt crust and mirror-like water in rainy season. Uyuni is surreal horizon and cold high-desert air.

Giant red dunes and white pans under big skies. Sossusvlei is high-desert drama at sunrise and sunset.

Switchback roads, red rock walls, and villages tucked into a desert canyon. Dades is the high-desert road between oases.

Red and orange canyon nicknamed the Valley of Castles near Almaty.

Samarkand Registan, Uzbekistan — three madrasas facing a square on the Silk Road.

Monumental temples and royal tombs stretch along the Nile in one of Egypt's most historic landscapes.

Ancient rock art and bubbling mud volcanoes on a desert plateau near Baku.

Valley of the destroyed Buddha niches, with caves and new heritage efforts.

Leh & Ladakh, India — high desert of monasteries, passes, and turquoise lakes.

Red rock arches, canyons, and desert rivers in southeastern Utah.

Red rock buttes and canyon trails under desert light. Sedona is high-desert hiking with a spiritual side.

Tadrart Acacus, Libya — saharan massif with rock art and orange dunes.

Canyon-edge trail dubbed the Grand Canyon of Oman, with villages clinging to rock.

Almaty & Tian Shan Foothills, Kazakhstan — post-Soviet city backed by high mountains, lakes, and canyon day trips.

Rust-red rock formations, clear night skies, and remote farms. The Cederberg is camping and hiking country north of Cape Town.

Whitewashed hill towns, cork trees, and slow roads. The Alentejo interior is heat, open space, and locals-first cafés.

Cappadocia Balloons, Turkey — fairy chimneys and cave hotels with dawn balloon flights.

Dry forest and ranches in the vast Chaco Boreal.

Colossal Roman temples in the Bekaa Valley, among the largest in the world.