Revealed: The breathtaking winners of the 2025 National Geographic Traveller Photography Competition
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From a 'chance encounter' between an eagle and a fox to an 'untouched' glacial lake, these incredible images showcase the best of global travel photorgapher in 2025.
National Geographic Traveller has announced the winners of this year's Photography Competition which sees both amateur and professional photographers submit incredible travel shots.
Pat Riddell, editor of National Geographic Traveller (UK), said: 'Our competition goes from strength to strength, with this year’s easily one of the strongest yet. World-class photography remains at the heart of the National Geographic brand, and the winners happily sit in that category.
'Capturing everything from the dramatic landscapes of Iceland and Italy to incredible wildlife shots in Spain and Canada, the 18 finalists - who made the cut from thousands of entries - have really elevated the level of travel photography with their ingenuity and skill.'
This year's winner is Justin Cliffe for his incredible portrait of a woman and her great granddaughter doing embroidery together in Vietnam.
The judging panel says: 'This is such an intimate moment between generations that captures so much beauty and humanity.
'The colours, light and textures work really well.'
Read on to see a selection of this year's breathtaking entries and scroll down to the very bottom to see Justin's amazing winning shot...
In this striking photo taken by Hari Kumar Prasannakumar in Spain, an endangered female lynx is snapped while drinking from a pond. The photographer says: 'A curious honey bee buzzes near her ear, adding a playful twist to the serene moment'
Solomon Islanders are photographed as they sell their 'fresh fruit and vegetables' from dugout canoes in this spellbinding image taken by Mark Carwardine
Photographer Jo Kearney took this cheerful photo at the Chilam Joshi Spring Festival in Pakistan. She explains that the festival is both 'spiritual' and 'social' where 'people pray for crops and animals' but also 'search for potential marital partners'
Jordan Banks took this colourful photo on a rainy day in Nantes, France. The photographer snapped the shot from under an umbrella but says it was 'definitely worth getting a little wet for'
LEFT: Photographer Bianca Goldman took this powerful image of a member of the Suli Muli tribe in Papua New Guinea. She says she was driven to take the photo as 'part of a personal journey to capture the textures, expressions, and the stillness of time in this community'. RIGHT: Joshua Mallett took this striking photo on a journey that took him from Nepal to France and wins the Portfolio category. He says his photography is designed to 'capture moments where time seems to pause'
The winner of the 'Landscape' category, Pawel Zygmunt took this impressive aerial photo at the Hveravellir geothermal area in Iceland. The photographer explains: 'The camera hovers over a geothermal pool that mimics the form of a dragon's eye'
Taken in Italy, this incredible photo is of Ra Gusela, one of photographer Christopher West's 'favourite peaks' in the Dolomites. To take the shot, Christopher had to hike up to the viewpoint in the cold on a -14 degree winter night
This enchanting shot was taken by Dylan McBurney in China as part of a ten image portfolio depicting the photographer's experience of travelling in Changsha and Zhangjiajie
Winner of the City Life category, Scott Antcliffe took this captivating photo in Singapore. He explains: 'I want to demonstrate the juxtaposition of old and new [in Singapore]. I was keen to capture its more unassuming areas of natural beauty'
Taken in Alberta, Canada, this cute image shows snow bunting birds in flight. Photographer Jo Noon reveals that 'upwards of three hundred bunting were congregating on this patch of snowy hillside'
The winner of the Wildlife category, Victoria Andrews snapped this incredible photo 'during one of the hottest summers in Toledo, Spain'. She watched the Bonelli's Eagle and fox as the two animals came 'almost nose to nose' in a 'chance encounter'
Dylan McBurney captured this haunting image while travelling in China. The whole portfolio of 10 images is designed to 'encapsulate everything China has to offer for travellers'
LEFT: Andrew Nelson took this photo in Tokyo's Shinjuku district. He explains: 'The abstraction is intended, and there is a lot of subject in the scene, depicting the chaos, beauty and complexity of Tokyo city life'. RIGHT: Joshua Mallett, winner of the Portfolio category, snapped this photo as part of his mission to 'form a visual narrative of places shaped by nature and history, where past and present meet in striking harmony'
This incredible photo taken by Prabir Kumar Mitra in Lhasa is the winner of the 'Food' category. It was taken in a 'family run restaurant' that served 'authentic Tibetan food' including locally produced 'yak meat, noodles, and cheese'
Taken in Kyrgyzstan by Lauren Winslow Llewellyn, this image is titled 'Feeling Small' and depicts a glacial fed lake. Lauren reveals: 'It was a wild place, untouched by tourism, with just us and our driver admiring the view'
James Maloney took this incredible photo in the Shimbashi district of Tokyo. He says: 'The bustling streets are alive with the sizzle of fresh ingredients, the inviting aromas wafting through the air, and the vibrant colours of beautifully plated dishes'
Winner of the National Geographic Traveller Photography Competition, Justin Cliffe took this powerful photo in Lao Cai Province in Vietnam. He says: 'A woman from the Red Dao minority is doing some embroidery at the door of her property, with her great-grandaughter alongsider her'
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