Across your adventures throughWorld of Warcraft, Azeroth has shown you hundreds of zones. Dungeons, instances, scenarios, and the open world all have the power to stop you in your steps and make you turn your camera to take in the beauty. There truly are some gorgeous zones to get lost in throughout Azeroth.
Of course, beauty is in the eye of the beholder and all that, so don’t take our word as the definitive list. We’ve limited our choices to the overworld - no instances or hard-to-reach spots in here. This is the top ten of the prettiest zones in World of Warcraft.
10Quel’Thalas
Quel’Thalas itself could comprise several spots in the top ten. However, there are some issues with this zone that come as a result of how dated it is, though even the questing still feels modern. Some flat trees, weak textures, and other signs of dating knock the beauty factor down.
But the beauty of the trees, the lush color palette, and the somberly haunting music come together to make all of Quel’Thalas a showstopper. Eversong and Ghostlands both hold their own magic, and even the Dead Scar has a sense of tragic decor to it. Here’s to hoping it retains the beauty in Midnight.
Eversong has seen almost no updates since its release in Burning Crusade. If you end up not liking its modern version, you’re able to get the same experience in Classic.
9Jade Forest
Jade Forest is one of the prettiest zones in Pandaria. By today’s standards, some people don’t think it’s much to look at. But when Pandaria was released, the Jade Forest was an unspeakably stunning zone. It’s still a great place tostart your journeyif you’re leveling through Pandaria.
The detailed skybox that changes with the weather system and the rising pillars around the Jade Serpent temple are both iconic bits of this idyllic zone. Coastal fishing huts and quaint towns make for some of the game’s best RP spots, as well as a lovely place to do some sightseeing.
During Brewfest, some consumables are sold that replace your sky box with a Pandaria skybox. These will help you get the Jade Forest feeling no matter where you are.
8Shadowmoon Valley (Warlords Of Draenor)
Shadowmoon Valley comes in two flavors because of the Warlords of Draenor expansion. The base version from BC isn’t much to look at, but WoD’s version is a stunning leap in graphical fidelity.
The endless fields of flowers and grasslands pair well with the wisteria-style trees and babbling brooks. This is where Alliance folks make their garrison, and that alone is enough to make you take one look at the Horde garrison and sigh. Combined with the deep blue vibe of a color scheme, this zone is a favorite of plenty of Alliance mains.
Horde members can still journey to this zone.
7Vashj’ir
While Vashj’ir is not great as a content zone, it is a favorite to sightsee in. Objectively, it’s a wonderful zone,once you get past the abyssal shelves and thalassophobia-inducing monsters.
This zone’s unique underwater vibe is only matched by the later Nazjatar. You’ll get to travel deeper than ever before to see nigh-Lovecraftian creatures, gorgeous coral reefs, and more. The towering kelp forests alone earn this zone a spot on this list.
Vashj’ir rewards you with a Subdued Seahorse mount. This is one of the very few underwater mounts in the game, so it’s worth going to grab.
6Nagrand (Outland)
By modern standards, the dated look of this zone takes some points off. But you probably have formative memories of those floating islands, the sight of Oshu’gun in the distance, and the rolling grasslands of Nagrand that have earned a permanent spot on these sorts of lists.
True, there are some texture issues. The static, unmoving islands are a bit less than stunning. But one visit to the Throne of the Elements or a flying mount’s trip up to one of those islands still presents a view that takes us right back to the Burning Crusade.
Nagrand is important for achievement hunters due to its Ring of Blood questline and some Halaa activities.
5Hallowfall
Hallowfall is the newest zone on this list, released with The War Within. The first visit to this zone automatically solidified it as one of the game’s most beautiful locales.
The daunting, ever-present sight of Beledar is one of the main reasons for that. Paired with it is the haunting and ominous view of the endless oceans on the ‘shore’ of Hallowfall. Both of these are massive enough to make us forget we’re underground. The Arathi architecture is also something to write home about. Massive zeppelins, cliff-dominating churches, and entire townships all leave us with an everlasting impression.
Hallowfall is packed with treasures, rare spawns, and unique drops. you’re able to farm these while you admire the zone.
4The Waking Shores
The Waking Shores comes to us from the Dragonflight expansion. Launched in 2022, this expansion showed a pretty significant jump in the feel of zones. That’s mostly because of how the implementation of Dragon Riding forced zones to be larger, more expansive, and all-around more interesting.
Waking Shores drops you onto a volcanic, hostile shore where you help bat back the wildlife before restoring an embassy. From there, you explore deep valleys, see the ruins of an ancient civilization, and help some frogs. The lush landscape pairs well with the ongoing destruction, unable to stop the beauty from shining through.
If you’ve seen enough and have already leveled through Dragonflight, the Waking Shores are no longer necessary. There’s a lot of expository dialogue and cinematics, so re-leveling here can be a bit of a drag.
3Val’sharah
Val’sharah came out back in Legion and has remained one of the most beautiful zones since. Up until now,druid-themed areasand Night Elf zones - and thisisa Night Elf zone - had existed mostly off vibes. Deep colors, a thick forest canopy, but graphical fidelity wasn’t always there.
Val’sharah changed that. Even the Nightmare-corrupted forests are beautiful, with Shaladrassil’s desiccated form towering over the zone. The dense forestry and worn-out cobblestone roads all sell an image of a forest that remembers as far as time goes back.
Druids have an Order Hall here. It’s a good way to teleport and travel around quickly, but non-Druids will be excommunicated.
2Grizzly Hills
When it comes to corrupt World Trees, Grizzly Hills keeps the title. This is easily one of the fan favorite zones across all time, coming to us from Wrath of the Lich King.
The huge waterfalls, the coursing rivers, the towering trees - all of it just feels like home to so many players after so long. No matter what zones are put into the game, it’s unlikely Grizzly Hills will be unseated. Once the music kicks in, even Grizzly Hills haters can’t help but feel the prestige. It’s enough to make you forget anOld Godalmost corrupted the whole thing.
If you aren’t in a rush, try to limit your flying mount usage. Grizzly Hills was designed for an on-the-ground perspective, which helps you get the full beauty.
1Ardenweald
Shadowlands wasn’t the most popular installment, but one thing no one can deny is the appeal of some of the zones. Isolated and self-contained, these zones are fully focused on their aesthetic. None do it half as well as Ardenweald, our prettiest zone in World of Warcraft.
With forests that border on esoteric and comforting to mysterious trickster inhabitants who are always just abittoo happy to see you, this zone perfected the forest aesthetic. That first flight path into the zone, flashing you with deep-blue beauty after suffering through Maldraxxus, will stay locked in my mind forever. It also has the best transmogs from Shadowlands.
Joining the Night Fae will give you access to the enormous encampment in the center of Ardenweald.
