6. Grand Canyon
Stars shine brightly over the Grand Canyon, with a tree in the foreground
Night-time in the Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona, USA. Image: Alexey Suloev/Shutterstock.com.
This famous gorge in Arizona can be explored on foot with a day hike or overnight camping hike. For those with limited mobility, exploring the canyon on the back of a mule is a plausible option and one that visitors rave about.
The floor of the canyon can even be experienced with a white water rafting trip for experienced kayakers. The Seven Natural Wonders organisation says a helicopter tour is the best way to appreciate how vast the canyon really is, but you can see a lot of the canyon no matter which method you choose.
Did you know? At over 1.8km deep and 446km long, the Grand Canyon is neither the steepest nor the longest canyon in the world. It was chosen as a natural wonder for its overall scale, size, and beautifully coloured landscape.
When to visit: Debatable. In winter the North Rim roads are closed, cutting off some great views, and in summer it reaches Aussie summer temperatures. Spring and autumn may therefore be preferable. Over 5 million people have visited the Grand Canyon in some years, so be sure to book your travel early.
How to get there: Fly into Las Vegas, Phoenix, Flagstaff, or Los Angeles for a guided tour leaving from these destinations. You can also make your way to the town of Williams and take a historic steam locomotive on the Grand Canyon Railway to Grand Canyon Village.
Travel insurance: Canstar researches and rates travel insurance to visit the USA, and most of the insurance providers we rate offer cover for water sports, such as white water rafting and rock climbing.

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