“Nakameguro Cherry Blossoms”. “Illuminated cherry blossoms at night were fantastic and beautiful”. (Photo by Hiroki Inoue/National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year Contest)





“Geometry of the Sun”. “Teotihuacan means “the place where the gods were created,” and that’s the feeling you get when you visit this archaeological site in Mexico. This pyramid, the third-largest on Earth, was dedicated to the sun god, and its geometrical perfection can only inspire admiration for the civilization that built it. The grandeur of this behemoth is even greater compared with those tiny dots of humanity in the frame. Seemingly insignificant, but in the end also the makers of this wonder”. (Photo by Enrico Pescantini/National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year Contest)





“First Train in the Street”. “The Enoshima railway runs on a street in a shopping district in Japan. There are people and cars during the day. Few were out in the early morning, when the first train ran slowly and the rails were wet with rain and appeared to glow”. (Photo by Hideyuki Katagiri/National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year Contest)





“Grand Canyon Just After the Rain”. “Just at sunrise, a storm approached the South Rim, and I almost packed my gear. But it cleared temporarily, giving me this amazing view from Powell Point. My first trip to this magnificent landmark left me speechless while I was taking this shot”. (Photo by Naresh Balaguru/National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year Contest)





“Lava Falls”. “Lava falls into the sea. Explosions occurred, and there was warm smoke. My camera lens got fogged up”. (Photo by Tetsuya Nomura/National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year Contest)





“Dry Jamuna River”. “The Jamuna River has almost vanished during the dry season. This aerial photograph was taken from Prem Jamunar Ghat's point in Sariakandi upazila in Bogra, Bangladesh”. (Photo by MD Tanveer Hassan Rohan/National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year Contest)





“Sisters”. “These Rajasthani sisters were sitting inside their house relaxing and enjoying cups of masala chai”. (Photo by Firdaus Hadzri/National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year Contest)





“My Camel, My Shield”. “This was taken in Pushkar, in the Indian state of Rajasthan, during the famous camel fair held there every year. This fair also attracts many tourists from all over the world. Herders from across India gather to trade, buy and sell their camels. It is one of the biggest camel fairs in the world”. (Photo by Sabbyy Sg/National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year Contest)





“Shepherd and the Wolf”. “Shepherds and herd dogs lead their flock of sheep and goats. This family was returning after feasting on the lush meadows of the Himalayas, and moments later they crossed Rupin Pass. Most of the goats carry basic items the shepherds need to survive the journey.The shepherd dogs have spiked collars, which are designed to give them a chance of surviving an attack from a leopard or a bear”. (Photo by Nitish Thakur/National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year Contest)





“Life From Above Barcelona”. “Aerial imagery that I captured of one of my favorite cities. I focused on the beauty, the symmetry and the curiosity of scenes of everyday life that we take for granted when viewed from our usual perspective. The people walking the streets below are unaware of the bigger picture to which they are a part of”. (Photo by Richard Vandegriend/National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year Contest)





“Tricycles in the City”. “In the older areas in Bangladesh, these tricycles are brilliant landscapes”. (Photo by Hiu Wan Yeung/National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year Contest)





“Botanic Garden”. “The famous high Supertree Grove made by steel for tourists in Gardens by the Bay in Singapore from a drone”. (Photo by Son Tong/National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year Contest)





“Behind the Hollywood Sign”. “Sunset over the City of Angels, shot behind the Hollywood sign. I couldn’t use my tripod for this shot as the fences behind the sign were too high, so I had to hand-hold my camera above the fence,hoping to get the shot I wanted. After a few tries and a few seconds of good light, I got the shot”. (Photo by Luc Mena/National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year Contest)





“A Palace for the People”. “Architectural beauty doesn’t stop at the old awe-inspiring palaces in St. Petersburg. Going into the underground opens up a real feast for the eyes while walking through the marvelous metro stations”. (Photo by Christian Baumgartner/National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year Contest)





“Sugar and Gum Drops”. “The colorful streets of Bo Kaap in South Africa weren’t always this way. The facades were once mandated to be a drab, uniform color during Apartheid. Afterward, the residents painted their homes every color of the rainbow to celebrate their freedom from oppression”. (Photo by Stephanie Miller/National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year Contest)





“Village of Rainbow”. “Choi Hung estate, literally meaning “the Village of Rainbow” in Cantonese, is a neighborhood with a vivid paint job in Kowloon, Hong Kong. Look how the drying laundry resembled Emojis!”. (Photo by Haitong Yu/National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year Contest)





“Fog Taking Over a Town During Sunset”. “I decided to take a cross-country trip by myself, and it was one of the most amazing experiences I have had. Seeing our country and how much it has to offer was magical. This was Sausalito, Calif., being overwhelmed by fog. It was amazing to watch from above. This was taken with a drone”. (Photo by Ricky Batista /National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year Contest)





“Coordillera”. “After this shot, I have been traveling the same route several times. I could not see the landscape I saw when I shot this picture again. That morning the light and shadows over the coordillera were just perfect. The moment I had to shoot this series will remain in my memory as a special gift from nature”. (Photo by Karsten Hoenack/National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year Contest)





“Chasing Lunch”. “A baby black-tip reef shark swims through a swarm of silver sprats at lunchtime in the lagoon of Mirihi Island in Maldives”. (Photo by Mohamed Shareef/National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year Contest)





“Swimming Lessons”. “We spotted this mama and her two cubs swimming along the ice sheets in search of food”. (Photo by Karen larson/National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year Contest)





“Leopard Hunting a Stork”. “One-shot capture. I watched the leopard stalking the stork, I only had time to focus at 400mm, no time to change to high speed, I watched the stork, and as soon as it flapped its wings, I shot one shot”. (Photo by Paul Rifkin/National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year Contest)





“Peeking”. “A lizard hiding behind a large leaf”. (Photo by Limin Zhu/National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year Contest)





“Ordered vs. Disordered”. “Ordered vs. disordered in human-altered nature. I took this photo during a road trip across Victoria, Australia, in autumn”. (Photo by Amir Sezavar/National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year Contest)





“Sea of Clouds”. “Hiking in South Tyrol is a one-of-a-kind experience. It was the first time I was walking so close to the edge of a mountain, almost surrounded by clouds. Nature’s power in these situations reminds us that we’re only guests on this planet”. (Photo by Guillaume Flandre/National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year Contest)





“Formation”. “When we arrived at the Rio Tarcoles in Costa Rica and I saw what a fantastic formation the sharp-mouthed crocodiles are, I could not help myself. I started my drone and began to photograph them from the air. My heart was beating like crazy because I was incredibly excited. On the one hand, I was a bit scared for the drone, on the other hand I was so happy about the unique moment”. (Photo by Niklas Weber/National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year Contest)





“Next Generation”. “Nemobabies – some more days and they are coming out”. (Photo by Claudia Peyer/National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year Contest)





“Mermaid”. “This calf was always with mom. A curious calf sometimes came to us”. (Photo by Reiko Takahashi/National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year Contest)