People look for the best places to celebrate and spend their holidays. The holiday celebrations are filled with anticipation as various traditions apply in different countries. Flexibility is key for a modern traveler in 2026. Looking for the most important volcanoes is a great reason to travel. Volcanoes are among the most visited tourist sites globally. People enjoy seeing the fantastic scenery and taking photographs. Watching beautiful sunsets from a summit is a unique experience.
There are about 1,350 active volcanoes in the world today. Many accessible peaks are becoming very popular for planning holidays. If you love nature’s majesty, this guide is for you. We have compiled the 15 most famous volcanoes in the world. Volcanoes are known for hiking trails and breathtaking views. They offer sheer size and an unforgettable adventure.
Index
Mount Fuji, Japan
Mount Fuji is located on the island of Honshū and is the highest mountain in Japan with a summit elevation of 12,389 ft. Considered a stratovolcano that last erupted from 1707 to 1708, it was added to the World Heritage List as a Cultural site in 2013.
With its graceful conical form, Mount Fuji has become famous worldwide, and the Japanese consider it sacred. The Japanese consider this mountain sacred. It is one of Japan’s “Three Holy Mountains.” It remains a cultural icon often depicted in art. You might visit this supervolcano during your next holiday.
Eyjafjallajökull, Iceland
Eyjafjallajökull is located north of Skógar and west of Mýrdalsjökull, in Iceland, and has a summit elevation of 5,417 ft. A massive glacier covers its caldera. This stratovolcano last had a major eruption in 2010. That event led to many flight cancellations worldwide. In 2026, air travel remains sensitive to volcanic ash.
This supervolcano has erupted frequently since the Last Glacial Period. The glacier is the sixth largest in Iceland. It is best for remote nature experiences and family stays. You can visit for physical activity or fascinating scenery.
Mauna Loa, Hawaii
Mauna Loa is among the five volcanoes that form the Island of Hawaii, in the Pacific Ocean, with a peak of about 125 ft high. Its most recent eruption occurred in late 2022. This was the first time it erupted since 1984. In Hawaii, Mauna Loa” means “Long Mountain”. It features non-explosive magma eruptions and shallow slopes. People drive around the summit when there is no flow. It is the largest subaerial volcano by mass and volume.
Historically, it has been considered the largest on Earth.
Pico de Fogo, Cape Verde
Pico de Fogo, located on the Island of Fogo, is a hotspot volcanic island in Cape Verde. The volcano’s peak rises 9,281 ft. above sea level.It is an active stratovolcano. The main cone last erupted in 1680. Recent eruptions occurred in 1951, 1995, and 2014. Residents must evacuate whenever the volcano threatens to erupt.The residents must evacuate whenever the volcano threatens to erupt.
Locals use the slopes to grow coffee. Magma is even used as a building material here. Near the peak sits the village of Chã das Caldeiras. This destination is perfect for hiking lovers and island explorers.
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Mount Teide, Tenerife, Spain
Mount Teide is located on the island of Tenerife. It is in the Canary Islands, Spain. Its summit rises to 12,188 ft. This is the highest point in all of Spain. Teide is an active volcano that last erupted in 1909. UNESCO and NASA describe it as a massive volcanic structure. Teide National Park became a World Heritage Site in 2007.
Pacaya, Guatemala
Pacaya volcano is located 30 kilometers southwest of Guatemala City and close to Antigua. It is an active complex volcano that rises 8,373 ft. Having been dormant for over 70 years until it began erupting vigorously in 1961 and has been frequent ever since. It has magnificent views and fascinating attractions.
People practice Volcano Boarding on the craters of Pacaya. A popular “Impact Marathon” uses a route across the magma fields.
Villarrica Volcano, Chile
The volcano is a stratovolcano that rises 9,383 ft. and is located 750 km south of Santiago. Villarrica is one of a small number in the world, known to have an active magma lake within its crater with its lava of basaltic-andesitic composition.
The volcano is protected within the Villarrica National Park. In 2025, it continued to show significant volcanic activity. Guided ascents are common during the summer months. Explorers love the contrast between glaciers and fire. However, volcanic gases can sometimes lead to trail closures.
Mount Etna, Italy
Mount Etna stands on the east coast of Sicily, Italy, in the Metropolitan City of Catania. It is among the tallest active volcanoes in Europe, with a height of 11,014 ft. Mount Etna’s activity remains very high. Significant eruptions occurred recently in late 2025. These events often change the height of its pinnacle.
Mount Etna is by far the largest of the three active volcanoes in Italy. Only Mount Teide on Volcano Tenerife in the Canary Islands surpasses Etna in the rest of the European–North-African region west of the Black Sea. The top temperatures tend to drop considerably, hence, tourists should wear warm attire when intending to climb the alp.
Shishaldin, Alaska
The location of Shishaldin is on Unimak Island in the Aleutian Islands chain of Alaska. The volcano rises 9,373 ft. and is covered in ice. It is known for its nearly perfect circular shape. This makes it the most symmetrical glacier-clad mountain on Earth. The National Park Service named it a Natural Landmark in 1967. Shishaldin had significant eruptive activity as recently as 2023. Unrest continued throughout 2025 with steam and ash plumes.
Krakatoa, Indonesia
Krakatoa is a caldera in the Sunda Strait. It sits between the islands of Java and Sumatra. The famous “Anak Krakatoa” emerged in 1927. This “Child of Krakatoa” has been very active recently. Eruptions in late 2023 and 2024 reshaped the island. The area remains part of a sensitive volcanic group. Nearby, you can explore the 50,000-hectare Baluran National Park. Flight issues are common in Indonesia due to volcanic ash.
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Mount Ruapehu, New Zealand
Mount Ruapehu is located at the southern end of the Taupō Volcanic Zone and the North Island volcanic plateau in New Zealand. It is the largest active stratovolcano, with the highest point on the North Island, rising 9,177 ft. The deep active crater between the peaks fills with water between major eruptions, known as Crater Lake.
The volcano exists within Tongariro National Park. The North Island’s major ski resorts and only glaciers are located on Mount Ruapehu’s slopes. Self-explorers and those wishing to reach the summit can visit this fascinating site.
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Mount Vesuvius, Italy
Mount Vesuvius is located on the Gulf of Naples in Campania, Italy. It is among the several volcanoes forming the Campanian volcanic arc. The volcano is the only one on Europe’s mainland to have erupted within the last hundred years. This volcano is considered one of the most dangerous volcanoes in the world, because of the population of 3,000,000 people living near enough to be affected by an eruption. Among them, 600,000 live in the danger zone, making it the most densely populated volcanic region in the world.
It has a tendency towards violently explosive eruptions, which are now known as Plinian eruptions. In AD 79, the eruption of Mount Vesuvius destroyed the Roman cities of Pompeii and several other settlements.
Tajogaite Volcano, La Palma, Spain
Tajogaite Volcano is located in the municipality of El Paso on the island of La Palma, Canary Islands. It is an active volcano and also a monogenetic one, that originated in an eruption that began on September 19, 2021, the most recent on the island and in the national terrestrial geography. It stopped on December 13, 2021, after 85 days of activity, the longest historical eruption recorded on the island and the third in the archipelago.
The Tajogaite rock acts as a powerful thermal insulator. This keeps the lava beneath it hot for many years. In 2026, the island continues its impressive restoration efforts. Visitors can see the brand-new terrain created by the fire.
Taal Volcano, Philippines
In the province of Batangas, about 50 kilometers south of Manila, the capital of the Philippines, is Taal volcano. It is a caldera filled by Taal Lake and the second of the most active volcanoes in the country.
Taal Volcano has 38 recorded historical eruptions, all concentrated on Volcano Island, near the middle of Taal Lake. Its violent eruptions have caused deaths on the island and its surroundings. Because of its proximity to populated areas and its eruptive history, the volcano was designated a Decade Volcano, worthy of close study to prevent future natural disasters. All volcanoes in the Philippines are part of the Ring of Fire.
Mount St. Helens, Washington
Mount St. Helens is located in Skamania County, Washington. The active stratovolcano’s summit rises to 8,363 ft and is part of the Cascade Volcanic Arc, a Pacific Ring of Fire segment. The Mount St. Helens major May 18, 1980 eruption remains the deadliest and most economically destructive volcanic event in U.S. history.
In 1982, the volcano was established as the Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument. It is also a popular hiking spot that is climbed all year round.
Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania
Mount Kilimanjaro is a dormant volcano located in Tanzania. It is the highest mountain in Africa, the highest single free-standing mountain above sea level in the world: 19,341 ft., and the highest volcano in Africa and the Eastern Hemisphere. It has three volcanic cones: Kibo, Mawenzi, and Shira. Kilimanjaro is the fourth most topographically prominent peak on Earth.
The glaciers are still shrinking but remain a stunning sight. Scientists expect them to last until at least 2030 or 2035. It is a major destination for high-altitude hiking.
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