The chief reason for its popularity with travellers is its proximity to nature, being at once a winter sports centre and a base for outdoor activities in the Cairngorms national park.

The ski resort, which was one of the first to be opened in Scotland, is currently the most popular such in the entire UK. Skiing aside, the Cairngorms Mountains are well-suited to hiking, mountain climbing kayaking, canoeing and similar water sports.

The town of Aviemore itself is a collection of hotels, restaurants and other tourist amenities that holds little of interest in terms of cultural and historical sites. However the Aviemore Stone Circle, situated in a residential neighbourhood, is a notable exception. A remnant of prehistoric times, it is best described as a miniature Stonehenge. The free-grazing reindeer herd at Glen More is also worth seeing as it is the only one of its kind in the UK.