You submitted your top photos to our Best of the World Your Shot Challenge—here are our favorites

National Geographic invited our social media audience and photography community to share their favorite travel destinations leading up to the Best of the World 2026 reveal, our list of 25 must-see destinations that offer one-of-a-kind experiences in the year ahead. 

For this Your Shot Hashtag Challenge, our global community of aspiring visual storytellers tagged their inspiring Instagram photos with the hashtag #NatGeoYourShotBOTW2026. We looked at more than 3,000 incredible pictures and selected 10 of our favorites, listed below in no particular order.

1. White Pass and Yukon Route Railway, Alaska

Take a look at the top of this article. Alex Edmunds snapped this cool shot of the White Pass and Yukon Route railway in Alaska. The railway, originally constructed to reach the gold fields of the interior Yukon, now serves as a historic civil engineering landmark and tourist attraction that runs between Skagway, Alaska, and White Pass Summit. Edmunds recalls, “I spent most of the ride leaning on the railings in the frigid cold with my camera, rather than staying in my warm train car, because it was just one scenic view after another. The trip resulted in some of my favorite shots from Alaska.”

2. Sunwapta River, Jasper National Park, Canada

This photo captures the rushing Sunwapta River as it cascades into the Sunwapta Falls in Jasper National Park. Photographer Ben Lauckner took this photo on the second day of his three-day Canadian Rockies expedition from Banff to Jasper. A woman recommended this area of the park after spotting them with their camera. 

3. The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Centre, Abu Dhabi, UAE

“The Sheik Zayed Grand Mosque Centre is a masterpiece of light, symmetry, and silence. Photographing it felt like stepping into a dream made of white marble and perfect geometry, with every line, dome, and reflection designed to capture purity,” says photographer Nina Znidersic. “The stillness, the symmetry, the brilliance of white meeting the blue desert sky … it’s one of the most peaceful and visually pure places I’ve ever photographed.”

4. Superior National Forest, Minnesota

Joe Seifert captured the brilliant fall colors of the Superior National Forest in the morning on the North Shore near Lutsen, Minnesota. 

5. Kirkjufell and Kirkjufellsfoss, Iceland

The iconic Kirkjufell peak and the powerful Kirkjufellsfoss waterfall often define Iceland’s Snæfellsnes Peninsula. This “cave” is an illusion created by Sebastián Tan, who slots the lens into a narrow opening beneath protruding basalt rocks, right next to the thundering water. “Stitched together into panoramic shot, the image juxtaposes the waterfall’s furious energy with Kirkjufell’s vast geological history, offering a unique, earned view of Iceland’s elemental landscape,” explains Tan.

6. Austrian National Library, Vienna, Austria

Thomas Walker took this photo of the Austrian National Library’s State Hall in Vienna, which features a prominent statue of Emperor Charles VI. This baroque library houses more than 12 million treasures, including rare manuscripts and maps, and serves as a living archive of Austria’s rich literary legacy. 

7. The Wave, Vermilion Cliffs National Monument, Arizona

“The Wave, in Arizona’s Vermilion Cliffs National Monument, is a masterpiece carved in sandstone,” says Etienne Babel. “It is an essential pilgrimage for landscape photographers and passionate hikers. But there’s a catch: Only a handful of lucky winners are granted access each day through a lottery system.”

8. Joshua Tree National Park, California

“While watching the sun go down behind the Coachella Valley from Keys View, in California’s Joshua Tree National Park, the whole landscape turned into a painting filled with the most surreal colors I’ve ever seen,” explains Estefania Villar Iriberri.  “I turned around to look at the Juniper Flats and San Bernardino Mountains, and that’s when I saw it: this twisted tree with its roots almost lifting out of the ground was standing there alone.” 

9. Galata Tower View, Istanbul, Turkey

Serena Rocchigiani says goodbye to summer atop the Galata Tower in Istanbul, Turkey. “Whether it’s the golden light of the ancient rooftops or the bustling streets below, there’s something undeniably special about this city.

10. Srednji Vrh, Slovenia

After sunrise in Srednji Vrh, Slovenia, the first light of the day shines on a small wooden house and part of the valley, while the surrounding mountains remains in shadow. Paolo Gabriele Maiero recalls, “I was drawn to the quiet contrast between light and shade—a simple, peaceful moment that captures the calm beauty of the morning in the Julian Alps.”

(See more incredible photography. Check out our 2025: The Pictures of the Year.)