National Geographic Pictures of the Year 2025

These spectacular photographs were chosen from thousands of images made by National Geographic photographers all around the world.

Photograph by George Steinmetz

Every 144 years, India plays host to the world’s largest gathering, the Mahakumbh Mela, a religious festival held at the sacred confluence of the Ganges, Yamuna, and mythical Saraswati Rivers. More than 400 million Hindu pilgrims live in a temporary metropolis constructed for the occasion.

Photograph by Stephen Wilkes

Over the course of one action-packed day, photographer Stephen Wilkes watched animals charge toward a meager water hole at the height of extreme drought in Botswana’s Okavango Delta.

See many more: National Geographic