Mountains offer two amazing views. The mountains themselves, and the view climbers get when they turn around and look at what is below them. For this list, we are focusing on what climbers get to see when they reach the top of some of the best mountains around the world. Let’s preface by saying, you don’t need to go to the highest mountains in the world to get some amazing views, as even smaller mountains will take your breath away.

Mount climbers see this view as the reward for an amazing climb, and while they still have plenty of work to do to get themselves off the mountain again, for those few moments they are on top, they can take in some of the best views in the world that only a handful of people get to see. At least you get to see them through these photos and enjoy the best views from around the world.

In this list, you will see mountains that are alone and above the clouds, while others have had entire cities built around them, so it’s the perfect contrast of nature vs man-made when up high thousands of feet in the air. So admire these views from around the world and perhaps dream of taking them in yourself if you are ready to conquer the highest peaks in the world.

25 Mount Everest

When anyone speaks of the best views in the world, the first place they should think of is at the literal top of the world. Mount Everest, the highest point on Earth, is 29,029 feet high and offers an amazing view of the Himalayas, where many of the world’s tallest mountains are located. In this photo, you can also see the path climbers take to reach the summit, a trek many people take just to get a few minutes on top to see this amazing view.

24 Banff

The Canadian Rockies have plenty of amazing mountains to hike up, and the view looking back is definitely specular, especially when looking down at the city of Banff from thousands of feet up high. Banff is placed inside the Canadian Rockies mountain range and is one of the most beautiful places to live in Canada. According to Parks Canada, Banff is the most visited tourist spot in all of Canada, and with views like this, it’s obvious to see why people are heading there to climb these mountains.

23 Great Smoky Mountain

The Great Smoky Mountains look heavenly in this photo, as the sun peaks out behind a cloud and really brings the smoky feeling out of the mountains. The smoke is actually fog caused by the vegetation, and according to NASA, the chemicals they release have a high vapor pressure and easily form vapors at normal temperature and pressure, giving the mountain range the beautiful smoky look. This photo shows, however, that with the right sunlight, even smoky mountains can be breathtaking.

22 Gangtok

This beautiful Himalayan mountain is every climbers dream to climb. Gangtok is located is the lower Himalayan mountains between two rivers. According to Gangtok municipal corporations, the mountain generates $500 million from tourist each year. Many of these tourists are ecotourists and they have played an important role is economic activities in the region which includes trekking, mountaineering, river rafting and other oriented activities. Rivers divide the natural drainage into two parts, the eastern and western parts. Both streams do meet in Ranipool and eventually will join the Teesta River at Singtam.

21 Mount Kinabalu

For an amazing view in Malaysia, visit Mount Kinabalu, and you’ll get this stunning view if you make the trip up the mountain. According to Peaklist.org, Mount Kinabalu is the 20th most prominent mountain in the world, with an elevation of 13,435 feet. It’s the highest mountain in Malaysia, and it is considered one of the most important biological sites in the world with over 6,000 planet species. It was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the great part is, you don’t need to be an expert mountain climber to get this view, as a person in good physical shape can make the climb with a guide, without a bunch of equipment slowing you down.

20 The Matterhorn

The Matterhorn is one of the highest peaks in the Alps and in all of Europe, and this view from the summit is simply amazing. It perfectly shows off the other mountains beside it in the Alps region, and how high they are from the floor below. According to Climbing Magazine, the Matterhorn is 14,692 feet and straddles both Italy and Switzerland. There was a race to reach the summit back in 1865 and the two climbing from the Swiss side won by just a few hundred feet. About 3,000 summit the Matterhorn annually, and for this view, we see why.

19 Mount Olympus

Mount Olympus really does have a view of the gods. As the highest mountain in Greece, Mount Olympus is known in Greek mythology as being the home of the gods, and with this view, and the way the sun is parting the clouds, it’s easy to see why they would make this place their home. Mount Olympus has 52 peaks in total, with the highest peak rising over 9,500 feet. According to Peaklist, It is one of the highest peaks in Europe in terms of topographic prominence.

18 Rio de Janeiro

This view is from Sugarloaf Mountain in Brazil and below is the city of Rio de Janeiro. It’s an amazing view of the capital city of Brazil and shows that it tucked inside a vast mountain range that goes right up to the ocean coastline. If you even look at the very top of the picture in the mountains in the distance, you’ll see the famous Christ the Redeemer statue that overlooks the city. According to Brazi.com, Sugarloaf Mountain has an elevation of just 1,299 feet and is made up entirely of granite and quartz stone.

17 Les Houches

This view is of the small community of Les Houches which is located in the Alps region in France. No surprise here that these mountains are used for skiing, and with a view like this, mountaineering. The ski village extended from an altitude of 950 meters up to 1900 meters and is the host to many international skiing events. This view is more than likely from Mont Blanc, which translates to White Mountain, an appropriate name for a ski slope. According to the Sydney Morning Herald, Mont Blanc is over 15,700 feet high and is ranked 11th in the world in topographic prominence.

16 K2

For the second highest point on Earth, you would need to visit the mountain known as K2, located on the China-Pakistan border. At 28,251 feet, it’s just behind Mount Everest but K2 still offers an amazing view, as shown here by these climbers who made it to the top and are taking a few moments to call people to tell them they made it. You only have to look at the background to see all the mountain tops that don’t come near the top of K2 to realize how high up the mountain goes, and how much a challenge it is to get this view.

15 Jasper

Located in the Canadian Rockies, Jasper National Park has plenty of amazing mountains to climb, but it’s this view looking back at the city of Jasper that one of the best views in the entire range. The city has a distinctive shape, looking like a boot or ‘J’ as it settles against a hillside. According to Parks Canada, Jasper National Park is the largest national park in the Canadian Rockies, and in 1984, they were declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

14 Mount Denali

As of today, it is known as Mount Denali, though some still call it Mount McKinley, which is what it was called before its name was changed. Either way, this view is really above the clouds, and it should be, considering Mount Denali is the highest peak in North America. According to the National Park Service, the mountain has an elevation of 20,301 feet. What is truly amazing about this mountain view in this photo is that it is the only one. No other mountains peak out above the clouds, leaving Denali alone by itself. Denali is the third most prominent and third most isolated peak on Earth, after Mount Everest and Aconcagua.

13 Mount Elbert

This view is from the highest summit of the Rocky Mountain range in North America, from the top of Mount Elbert. It’s easy to see how tall it is above the rest of the mountains in the range, as it looks down upon all that are nearby. According to the National Park Service, it has an elevation of 14,440 feet, making it the second-highest peak in the contiguous United States. With three main routes to take up the mountain, it’s easy to see why climbers who would to reach the summit and take a look back at this beautiful, basically untouched landscape.

12 Aconcagua

Aconcagua has the distinction of being the highest mountain in both the Southern and Western Hemisphere, at an elevation of 22,837 feet. It can also add this amazing view to its list of accomplishments, as these two hikers are definitely facing the wrong way and should take a look at this top of the world view on Aconcagua. According to Climbing Magazine, it’s an easy mountain to climb from the North side and is called the highest, non-technical mountain the world. So that means nearly anyone can climb to the top and enjoy this amazing view.

11 Mauritius

When you look at this photo, you begin to ask yourself some questions on why the mountains are shaped the way that they are and why is one peak taller than the other. Those questions make you appreciate the view even more with this mountain. Mauritius Island is solely protected by lagoons and sandy beaches in the Indian Ocean just off the African coastline. According to Mauritius Meteorological Service, the island is surrounded by the third largest coral reef in the world.

10 Bora Bora

This stunning mountaintop view demonstrates how beautiful Bora Bora truly is. The bright blue turquoise water brings out the breathtaking landscapes that this country has to offer. According to travel agent central, Bora Bora highly relies on tourism to boost their economy. Most of the tourist destinations on the islands are aqua-centric; however, it is possible to visit attractions on land such as World War two cannons. Although this beautiful island is surrounded by clear blue water, public transportation is non-existence but you can rent a car and bicycles to get yourself around.

9 La Plagne

This mysterious but yet breathtaking view from Frances largest mountain La Plagne is one to take in before heading down the slopes. According to the Telegraph UK, La Plagne gets over 2.5 million visitors each season. This popular skiing destination lies at altitudes between 4,000 to 10,000 feet high. In 1992, this gorgeous mountain hosted the 1992 Winter Olympics and featured several popular main events such as bobsleigh, downhill skill, luge, and skeleton. La Plagne generated a great deal of success after the 1992 Winter Olympic games that its now the host to French competition Interneiges.

8 The Great Dividing Range

This flat but yet lower plains brings out the characteristics to this mountain. The Great Dividing Range is the third longest land-based range in the world. According to the Torres Strait Island Region Local government, the mountain stretches more than 3,500 kilometers from Dauan Island off the northeastern tip of Queensland to New South Wales. This gorgeous mountain preserves Australia's alpine areas including Mount Kosciuszko and the main range. Although the Great Dividing Range runs through the Australian Alps, The central core of the range is dotted with hundreds of peaks and surrounded by much smaller, maintain rages and spurs.

7 North Moat

This breathtaking view will make you appreciate what we have in our own backyard. The North Moat is located in New Hampshire and is flanked to the south by Middle Moat Mountains. The North Moat stands with the watershed of the upper Saco River which drains into the Gulf of Maine. According to the town of Saco, the Gulf of Maine is the largest gulf of the Atlantic Ocean that is bounded by Cape Cod. The mountain has an elevation of 974 feet high and prominence of 1,050 feet.

6 The Grand Teton

This bright and colorful Mountain view will make anyone take a moment and just admire its beauty. The dark green pine trees hugging the sun-kissed mountaintop of the Grand Teton make it the highest point of the Teton Range. According to the US National Parks, the mountain has been skied by five routes and each route does require at least one rappel. This famous mountain is 14,000 feet high and it is the second highest peak in the US State of Wyoming. The mountain is also entirely within the Snake River drainage basin and feeds several local creeks and glaciers.