The coldest and most miserable places on Earth are not necessarily the ones you’d think. For example, some of the warmest places in the world can be found in Canada, Russia, and Siberia.
In fact, because these countries are so vast it is hard to find a place that is consistently warm or cold across their entire territory. And even if you live in a place that seems like it would be too hot for comfort at first glance (like India), there might still be pockets of cooler temperatures available – just not where you happen to live!
The Hottest Places In The World: Overview
Let’s take a closer look at the top 10 warmest places on Earth. We will briefly go over their history, climate (average temperatures), and best times to visit them. All of these destinations are far from being the most beautiful or intriguing locations in the world – but they have one thing going for them: temperature. If you want to enjoy a summer vacation without having to sweat too much, then head north!
1) Death Valley, California/Nevada Border
Death Valley is so named because it is claimed that more people died there than anywhere else in North America due to its extreme conditions. The land here seems lifeless with little vegetation and very dry air. The nearby salt flats allow visitors to view the largest natural “lake” in North America, which is actually a dry lake bed. Death Valley holds the record for hottest temperature ever observed on Earth (134 degrees F – July 10, 1913). The average summer temperature here is 107°F and winter lows are below freezing.
How to Get There:
Fly into Las Vegas or Los Angeles, California, and take an hour-long drive in either direction. Death Valley National Park has maintained roads that cut across its desert floor (keep your car’s engine running so you have AC), but there are also hiking trails through the mountains that will eventually lead up to other parks like Yosemite.
Best Time To Visit:
June – mid-September when temperatures are at their highest.
2) Lucknow, India
Lucknow is a city in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. Its hot summers helped it earn its reputation as one of the hottest places on Earth – boasting a high temperature of 120 degrees F in 1868! The sultry weather here is due to two important factors: location and latitude. Being so far north means that days are long and hotter than most other parts of the world. And being right on the equator means that there is little time for nights to cool things off (luckily the monsoons come to visit during this season). Lucknow’s “summer” lasts about five months in total with temperatures hitting as high as 113°F from April – October. Rainfall is heavy (as in a lot) and the monsoon season will drench your clothes with about an inch of rain per day, but this gives way to cool breezy weather making it perfect for spending time outside.
How to Get There:
Lucknow is situated right next to Delhi so you can fly into either city and take a train or bus here. It’s about two hours away from both cities.
Best Time To Visit:
May – October when temperatures are highest, but Day 1-3 after the first rains come through around June – July as a break in between intense heat and humidity.
3) Cuibulco, Mexico
This tiny beach town which rests just west of Acapulco is one of the hottest places on Earth. The temperatures are reminiscent of those in the Sahara desert with highs reaching 119 degrees F in April. Cuibulco is home to “The Beach” which hosts a popular festival each July where locals and tourists come out en masse to let off steam by swimming in this river-fed, thermal-heated body of water.
How To Get There:
Fly into Acapulco International Airport and take a 15-minute ride south towards the Pipeline Road. , then take a left at that road and go east for another two miles until you reach Playa Costa Azul (site of The Beach).
Best Time To Visit:
One week around Easter – May when local celebrations make it relatively easy to get aquainted with the locals.
4) Tirat Zvi, Israel
Known for its hot springs and geysers, this desert town in southern Israel has been named one of the hottest places on Earth due to its location (on a ridge between two deserts), elevation (2,500 feet – 800 meters), and latitude (right near the equator). It’s no wonder that it was used as an ancient rest stop by camel caravans traveling through these lands. In fact, there is a famous scene in The Bible where Moses follows God’s direction and strikes a rock causing water to flow out… or at least that’s what they claim happened here anyway. Either way, these natural features are now used for recreation.
How to Get There:
Tirat Zvi is a good hour away from the Ashdod and Rehovot train stations, but it’s only two hours away from Tel Aviv by car so stop here on your way to or from Israel.
Best Time To Visit:
Anytime – except maybe during November – March when temperatures are freezing cold due to its high elevation (Remember? It’s right near the equator).
5) Saharan Oasis of Dakhla, Morocco
In Western Sahara, there is a small town known as Dakhla that sits in the Sahara Desert. The region around this town has been named one of the hottest places on Earth because of its location and latitude. It’s here that you will find the highest temperature ever recorded on Earth: 134°F. The wind, which originates from a geographic feature called “the great western desert” makes things feel even hotter!
How To Get There:
Fly into Laayoune or El Aaiun (LAH) Airport and take a bus to Dakhla. Once there, you can hire trucks for your safari into the Sahara as well as visit nearby towns like Smara.
Best Time To Visit:
March-May when temperatures are moderate. September – December is also good however if you are looking to go further into the desert then just around the town itself.
6) Lut Desert, Iran
The Lut Desert, also known as the Dasht-e Loot, is situated in Iran and has been named one of the hottest places on Earth. It’s a plateau rising 1,700 feet above sea level that experiences temperatures between 122°F and 152°F during summertime where only the hardiest plants like wild sagebrush can survive. Only small oases are scattered throughout this immense desert.
How To Get There:
Fly into Tehran’s Mehrabad International Airport (THR) and take a connecting flight to Esfahan International Airport (IFN). From there you will need to drive north for about seven hours before reaching the Sefid Saj road which leads right into this region. If you prefer you can take a faster route by driving into the desert from Shiraz (SYZ) International Airport via Isfahan Iran.
Best Time To Visit:
If you’re traveling to this region in mid-summer, bringing with you lots of water is recommended. Make sure that your car has working air conditioning as well. The temperatures are extreme between June and September. In fact, it’s so hot during these months that it can be dangerous to visit anywhere near the region!
7) Erg Chebbi Dunes, Morocco
This region consists of a few different places but reaches temperatures as high as 128°F. It’s known for being in close proximity to the Sahara Desert and is popular among backpackers who spend days hiking from one place to the next. It also plays hosts several music festivals each year which attract travelers from all over the world.
Best Time To Visit:
During the summer months (June through September) you can expect average temperatures ranging from 60 – 100°F. During this time it rains less so travel becomes easier without having to worry about flash floods, mudslides, or anything of that sort! 12) Guelta d’Archei valley, Algeria This valley in southern Algeria is located on the edge of a small mountain range. Due to this geology, you’ll find several natural springs with lush vegetation around them which keeps the area cooler than surrounding places but still hotter than most other regions worldwide!
How To Get There:
Fly into Algiers Intl. Airport (ALG) and then drive less than 3 hours to reach your destination.
Best Time To Visit: June through September are said to be the ideal months to visit here with an average temperature range of 70 – 90°F, although it does get quite hot during summer so be sure to stock up on plenty of water supplies and some good sunblock for those days when travel within this region becomes too hot!
8) Ahaggar Desert, Algeria
The Ahaggar is situated in the Sahara desert in north-central Africa. It’s often combined with other nearby deserts to create an even larger region known as the Sahara which is a little over 3,000 miles across. This particular part of the desert has been named one of the hottest places on Earth because of its high temperatures and low levels of rainfall which cause large areas to be dry lake beds accessible only by camel or 4-wheel drive vehicles. The highest temperature ever recorded here was 132°F.
How To Get There:
Fly into Minna Regional Airport (MNN) and drive east towards this desert. When you reach Gusau it’s a smooth 2 hours drive to Birnin Gwari before reaching your final destination of Katsina-Ala Dam National Park. This region is full of great natural splendor, wildlife, cultural heritage sites, and more!
Best Time To Visit:
May to October is ideal months. During June and July, these places experience significant rainfall which can make traveling around more difficult during these two months.
9) Dasht-e Loot, Iran
This place is located in the southern part of the Iranian plateau and the eastern edge of the Lut Desert. It’s plain that sits over 1,000 feet above sea level that gets particularly hot during the summer months with temperatures reaching as high as 129°F. This makes it one of the hottest places on Earth!
How To Get There:
Fly into Shiraz (SYZ) Airport and then drive 4 hours to reach Dasht-e Loot. From there you can travel to other nearby attractions including Kaluts Range National Park, Pasargadae, Persepolis, Meybod, and more! If you’d like to take an even faster route, fly into Esfahan International Airport (IFH) and drive about 2 hours to reach Dasht-e Loot.
Best Time To Visit:
June through September are the best months to come for this region. During these months there is less rainfall so you can enjoy hiking or traveling between other nearby attractions without having to worry about flash floods, mudslides, or anything of that sort.
10) Death Valley, Australia
This valley in Southern Australia was once completely covered by a shallow sea hundreds of millions of years ago when the continent was surrounded by water. As it dried up and became home to living organisms it eventually evolved into its present-day form which includes one of the earth’s most unique ecosystems – spinifex grasslands! It also has the hottest temperatures of any place in Australia, reaching a record high of 129.9°F
How To Get There:
Fly into Adelaide Airport and then drive about 9 hours north to reach your destination. If you’d like to save some time on that driving you can fly into Perth International Airport (PER) instead and drive about 4 and half hours west, towards this place.
Best Time To Visit:
October is best for these hot places with an average temperature range from 60 – 90°F . But even if this area doesn’t get as hot as other areas on this list, it still gets very dry during parts of summer so be sure to stock up on water! You should also note that access to the more remote areas of this region is limited during the wet season.
