Airports are essential to travel, but most people want to spend as little time in them as possible. Some of these spaces, however, are far more than just a means to an end – thanks to striking architecture, unique design or standout features like ice rinks, waterfalls and even indoor jungles. With that in mind, our well-travelled editorial team has (subjectively) ranked the world’s most beautiful airports.

Scroll through the gallery to discover the prettiest airports on the planet...

Some airports have artworks on display, others have gardens or waterfalls. This airport, though, has a life-size replica sequoia forest in the central lobby.

As the gateway airport to California’s Yosemite, Sequoia and Kings Canyon national parks, the airport’s leafy installation certainly sets the tone for exploring the region’s bountiful natural beauty. The giant trunks appear to grow through the roof of the building.

The airport in California’s Central Valley has regular flights to Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Portland, Salt Lake City, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, plus Guadalajara, Morelia and Mexico City. It also typically entertains passengers with regular 'Art at the Airport' exhibitions that feature the work of local artists.

Love this? Follow our Facebook page for more travel inspiration

Madrid’s Adolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas Airport is most certainly one for architecture lovers. It’s designed by architectural duo Antonio Lamela and Richard Rogers, who won the Royal Institute of British Architects Stirling Prize 2006 for the airport’s Terminal 4 design.

The light-filled terminal consists of colourful yellow beams, which support an environmentally friendly undulating bamboo ceiling. There are also plenty of opportunities to stock up on Iberian ham, Manchego cheese and Rioja in elegant surroundings before you fly too.

The airport is also touted as one of the best in the world thanks to its easy transport links to Madrid city centre.

Saudi Arabia is already home to the world's biggest airport, King Fahd International Airport in Dammam, but it's soon to gain another whopper. The King Salman International Airport, currently under construction in the capital, will have an impressive six parallel runways and will cover a total area of around 22 square miles (57sq km), making it one of the largest aviation hubs on the planet.

Designed by architecture firm Foster + Partners, the sprawling megaproject has been dubbed an 'aerotropolis'.

By 2030, the gargantuan facilities will accommodate up to 120 million passengers, which will increase to 185 million by 2050. It'll also have space for around 4.5 square miles (12sq km) of shops, residential and recreational facilities, while the terminal will 'connect passengers to the sensory experiences of the city, with natural elements, tempered light and state-of-the-art facilities', according to the firm. 

Architects also claim that the airport will be sustainable as it'll use renewable energy and will have an LEED Platinum certification. The only reason we're not ranking it higher is, well, the fact that it's not finished yet. 

One of the world's newest airports, Chengdu Tianfu International Airport began its operations on 27 June 2021 when an inaugural flight to Beijing took off. The £8 billion ($11bn) airport serves Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province, has an impressive three runways and is capable of handling 60 million passengers a year.

The perfectly symmetrical airport took five years to build and is at the start of a mega-expansion project.

The new airport features an array of cutting-edge technologies, such as smart security systems including facial recognition, self-boarding gates, artificial intelligence robot concierges and smart check-in kiosks. Travellers will also spot the many nods to pandas, from the subway station benches to the statue outside the airport – that's because the province is known as the home of these remarkable animals.

With its futuristic design the international terminal – the newest addition to Baku airport – is a pretty cool space to spend a couple of hours. Located just outside Azerbaijan's capital, the terminal was designed by Turkish architects' studio Autoban in 2015 and features an unusual triangular design. The building is filled with natural light and leads to a check-in area scattered with trees.

These striking wooden cocoons, found on the top floor of the terminal, are one of the airport's many distinctive design features. The spacious structures house cafés, bars and shopping kiosks, among other things.

Come night-time, it's not just the modern Terminal 1 that's striking to look at. Terminal 2, now mostly used for a small number of domestic flights and some international low-cost carriers, features a jaw-dropping central dome that rises up into the sky and is illuminated by thousands of lights.

See how we've ranked the world's most beautiful museums

Most airports tend to be concrete jungles, but the José Joaquín de Olmedo International Airport, named after the former president and poet José Joaquín de Olmedo, is filled with some of Ecuador’s most beautiful flora and fauna, providing a verdant escape for frazzled passengers in transit.

The departures terminal also has a tranquil botanical garden area, complete with trickling water features, pools full of fish and a variety of native plants and flowers. It's certainly a zen place to be before a long-haul flight.

Serenity, calm and nature are not commonly associated with airports, but Kuala Lumpur’s International Airport offers plenty of tranquillity. For nature enthusiasts – or jet-lagged passengers looking to unwind – there’s an indoor jungle, complete with birdsong, real trees and even an artificial waterfall in the centre of the main terminal. The entrance to the Jungle Boardwalk is free.

Pockets of green are dotted throughout and the airport even offers its own spa. True plane spotters will also find a home here as there's an outdoor plane observation deck with views of Runway 32 Left.

On top of offering non-stop flights around the world, Vancouver International Airport is home to not one but two strikingly beautiful aquariums. The largest, a 114,000-litre (311,036-gallon) tank, contains all manner of sea creatures native to British Columbia, including wolf eels, sea urchins and orange cup corals.

Vancouver Airport is notable for prominently displaying First Nations art, with two waterfalls integrated into the displays. Reflecting the diverse landscape and peoples of the Canadian province, the artworks include the striking Pacific Passage; the Musqueam Welcome Figures – a traditional Coast Salish welcome to travellers (pictured); and The River Monument, a tribute to the Columbia and Fraser Rivers, which hold deep significance in First Nations history.

South Korea’s Incheon International Airport is a sight to behold: the roof emulates a traditional Korean temple, there’s a cultural museum filled with ancient Korean artefacts, and the airport even has seven indoor eco-gardens.

And if the impressive architecture and gardens aren't enough, the airport offers every activity imaginable to keep passengers entertained, from an 18-hole putting golf course to a spa, casino and even an ice-skating rink. Feeling stiff after a flight? Don’t miss the free massage chairs, dotted around the airport’s upper level. 

The southernmost international airport in the world serving the southernmost city in the world, Ushuaia International Airport is a pretty special place. The airport sits right by the Beagle Channel, the strait in the Tierra del Fuego archipelago at the southern tip of South America.

From the air, the simple but striking timber-framed terminal building blends in seamlessly with its dramatic surroundings.

Surprisingly, the modern-looking single-terminal airport was opened in 1995, replacing the old airport building. And while the facilities here may be limited, it's all about the striking exterior and the landing, offering a taster of the breathtaking views travellers can expect to experience in this spectacular part of Patagonia.

One of India's busiest airports, Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport was struggling to serve ever-increasing passenger numbers in its dated and limited facilities. That is until 2014, when the new terminal, T2, opened to much critical acclaim.

Designed like a huge canopy that covers the airport, the roof rests on a number of supporting columns giving the building a mushroom-like look.

The tear-drop shape of the coffered panels covering both the interior and exterior of the building is a nod to the eye of the peacock – India's national bird. At the centre of each panel, there's a small opening, letting in ample natural light where possible. The light also changes colour, depending on the angle it's shining at, creating an illusion of a Rajasthan palace with stained glass.

With a truly luxurious feel, the terminals at Haneda International Airport in Tokyo seem a lot more like a 5-star hotel or perhaps even a cruise ship. All terminals are beautifully designed with thoughtful features and relaxing décor.

At the centre of Terminal 1 is a large-scale entertainment area with restaurants, shopping area, conference rooms and even a rooftop observation deck with a café.

Many design features at the airport include touches of traditional Japanese architecture, like Edo Market Place at the International Terminal. Designed to mimic an Edo townscape, it houses fashion retailers, restaurants and gift shops.

The airport even has an Ema: a Shinto wooden wishing tablet, with prayers handwritten at the back of airline tickets.

As part of the O'Hare 21 project, Chicago O’Hare International Airport is currently undergoing a massive, multi-dimensional transformation. The Terminal 5 (pictured) expansion, completed in 2023, is a key part of this modernisation project.

The extension's wing-shaped structure is clad in white metal and glass facade. Inside, a sleek white finish, a vaulted ceiling and natural light wells await. 

In September 2024, the timeline on finishing the expansion and rebuild of O'Hare was pushed back to 2034. Just because large sections of the airport are currently under construction, however, doesn't mean there isn't plenty of beauty to be found here.

Created by artist Michael Hayden and dubbed 'Sky's the Limit', the neon tunnel (pictured) which connects Concourses B and C in Terminal 1 is something truly special.

With its glass-domed ceilings and Moroccan geometric designs, Marrakesh Menara Airport, completed in 2008 and extended in 2016, fuses contemporary design and traditional architecture with impressive results. Its most elaborate feature is the façade, comprising of 24 rhombuses and three triangles that create a pattern native to the region. It's continued into floor tiles, interior columns and even on soft furnishings.

Made of white aluminium panels, this terminal’s intricately designed roof featuring stylised Islamic ornamental designs floods the airport with light. It's also designed to be as environmentally friendly as possible, generating solar energy.

Created by Swiss architects E2A Architecture, the airport's intricate design has earned a lot of acclaim since opening.

Opened in 2019, Beijing’s Daxing International Airport has already scooped industry awards in the beautiful airport department thanks to its highly unusual design, nicknamed the 'giant starfish'. Designed by the renowned firm Zaha Hadid Architects, it's one of the world’s largest terminals, covering an area of 7.5 million square feet (696,700sqm) – equal to 98 football fields.

Set to become the planet's busiest airport, with around 100 million passengers expected by 2040, the airport boasts an impressive list of facilities and cutting-edge technology. The hyper-modern airport has interactive LED art screens in corridors, interactive seating and five traditional Chinese courtyards that are modelled after classic Chinese gardens with wooden benches, pavilions and winding pathways.

The privately-owned airport on Koh Samui, which opened in 1989, may be small, but it’s a delight. As well as being elegantly designed to fit in with its gorgeous natural surroundings and incorporating Polynesian architecture, most of the airport is open-air and there's an outside play area for children as well as a number of scenic gardens.

The two terminal buildings are made from locally sourced wood and rattan, and boast thatched roofs and palm-tree pillars. Prior to the airport opening, visitors could only access the island by boat. 

Inside the airport, traditional decor abounds, with added modern touches such as an aquarium in the men's bathroom. Weary passengers will be happy to hear that Thai massages are also usually readily available. 

There's also an open-air shopping and dining area, called Samui Park Avenue, that's so popular on the island some tour operators include it on their island tours.

Any long-haul traveller will tell you that Changi Airport Singapore is a pretty awesome place to travel through. It's got it all, including a butterfly garden with around one thousand butterflies, a sunflower garden and a rooftop cactus garden with more than one hundred species of cacti and succulents.

The nature theme continues in Jewel Changi, a shopping and dining complex adjacent to the airport that's home to the world’s tallest indoor waterfall. It has canopy mazes, foggy clouds and sky nets for clambering through the treetops.

However, the impressive airport is about to get even bigger and better. Plans for the new Terminal 5 have been revealed in recent years, detailing the features of the building that officials are promising will be 'a social extension of Singapore rather than just another piece of transport infrastructure'.

The new facility is expected to welcome travellers in the mid-2030s and feature solar panels, smart building management systems and thermal energy storage.

Now discover more about what air travel will look like in 2030