Can’t talk right now — we’re doing cartwheels in France’s fragrant lavender fields and running around futuristic, purple-hued parks in Singapore. It’s a lifestyle, ya know? But for real, once you see some of the world’s best purple places, you’ll want to switch that vacation responder on and bask in the magic of magenta. These flourishing florals and eggplant-colored attractions are stealing the show (and rainbow). Here are 8 colorful places that we just can’t get enough of.
8 Prettiest Purple Places in the World
Kawachi Fuji Garden in Japan
This one feels like a pastel portal straight into a freakin’ fairytale. Saunter into a periwinkle-colored tunnel made from over 150 flowering wisteria plants, with varying shades of light and dark during the blooming season. Kawachi Fuji Gardens are a bit of a hike from Tokyo, located about 5 hours away by train, but we think it’s worth the hype. Just be sure to visit between April and May, otherwise you’ll be greeted by an empty mass of twisted branches. And that’s just not the move.
Johannesburg in South Africa
Jacarandas in Joburg kinda sounds like some sweet indie band (we’d definitely listen to them) but alas, it’s a jacaranda tree sprawl in the city’s Pretoria suburb. Just 45 minutes from the city’s center, these suburban streets are a whole other world filled with lilac-colored beauties. It’s estimated that 17% of the trees in the area are jacarandas, which comes out to approximately 70,000 trees! It’s pretty ethereal when you see ‘em all from a viewpoint like Four Seasons The Westcliff, where they have a “jacaranda cocktail hour” and serve up fancy shmancy drinkable creations.
Harbin Ice Festival in Harbin, China
Alright, there’s a sh*tload of cool things to do in China, but Harbin Ice Festival definitely holds one of the top spots on the list. This downright sprawling snow and ice metropolis is made from 120,000 cubic meters of ice and 111,000 cubic meters of snow, and it’s s(no)w joke. While blindingly bleach-white under the sun, it transforms into a bluish-purple wonderland once the sun goes down thanks to creative lighting and colorful effects. It’s way up in the northeastern portion of the country, so please, don’t forget those toasty mittens.
Lavender Fields in Provence, France
You can have your lavender-infused ice cream and eat it too in Provence, France. That’s right, these folks took flowers and turned them into ice cream. And we’re starstruck, TBH. Softly undulating fields of purple are downright unreal for the senses here, and you’ll smell them just as strongly as you see ‘em. It’s all popping off in late June when the fields are in full bloom, so plan your trip to this purple place accordingly.
Takinoue Park in Japan
Teetering on the edge of violet pink, Takinoue Park blushes with magenta shades from the start of May through early June. This pink and purple hillside exists thanks to millions of shibazakura, or moss phlox, a flowering plant that apparently has a knack for taking over city parks (and human attention spans). Some patches are pink, others the brightest purple around. Either way, it’s an electrifying sight.
Antelope Canyon in Arizona, US
Technically it’s orange under direct sunlight, but hear us out: Antelope Canyon takes on a deep, earthy shade of purple when it’s in the shade or low lighting. And if we may say, it’s basically the definition of a Swirly Twirly Wonderland™. Here, beams of light flow through iconic slot canyons, unveiling a world in between the carved rock. While the entire scene is pretty much Instagram famous at this point, you can still run away from the selfie stick holders and “do it for the gram” bros if you venture off the beaten path a little bit.
Gardens by the Bay in Singapore
Self-described as an “urban nature park,” Singapore’s Gardens by the Bay are exactly what you’d expect from the already high tech city. We’re talking The Jetsons-level futuristic vibes here with “supertrees” — giant electronic trees — that illuminate with deep purples and blues after the sun goes down. A smattering of oooh and ahhh-worthy light displays across the park make it whimsically enticing, to say the least. And for something completely different, don’t forget to hop over to the city’s famous hawker stalls.
Wisteria season in London, UK
From Peckham Rye Park to the photography-famous backstreet of Kynance Mews, wisteria blooms erupt onto the city’s scene from the end of April through May, and it’s everything you could dream of in a London scene. And then some. Cobblestone streets lined by mews-style houses with colorful doors, all drenched in wisteria blooms, make it like a scene from your favorite romantic comedy. Explore to your heart’s content, but please, remember that people live in these homes before you set up an elaborate photoshoot plan. Avoid the awkwardness when someone comes down in their PJs to grab the mail.
Like this list of plum purple places? Don’t worry, there’s plenty more where that came from. Scroll through our list of robust red places, sherbert orange places, mellow yellow places, verdant green places, cool blue places, and pretty in pink places around the world. When you see a spot you like, click “Save to List” to add it to your bucket list.