How to open a GPX file in Google Earth

Steps

1. Open viewmygpx and drop the GPX file onto the viewer. Visit viewmygpx.com and drag the .gpx in. Verify the route looks correct on the 2D map first — Earth's 3D rendering will reflect the same line.
2. Click Download as KMZ to convert. The KMZ produces a single zipped KML file containing the route polyline and any waypoints. The conversion runs entirely in your browser.
3. Open earth.google.com/web/ in a new tab. Sign in with a Google account if you want to save the project; anonymous viewing also works.
4. Click the Projects icon in the left sidebar. The icon looks like a folder. Then click New Project and choose Import KML file from computer.
5. Select the downloaded .kmz file. Earth processes the file and the route appears in the project tree. Click the route name to fly the camera to it.
6. Tilt to 3D. Hold Shift and drag the view to tilt the camera off vertical. The route now drapes over the terrain — climbs, valleys, and alpine relief render in three dimensions.

What Earth shows that other Google products don't

Google has three products that read the same KMZ from viewmygpx, and each is useful for a different purpose. Earth's distinguishing capability is 3D terrain rendering.

• Climbs and valleys in profile. A flat 2D map hides what 3D shows: a 1,000 m climb up a single mountainside versus a 1,000 m climb spread over rolling hills, both with the same total elevation gain, look identical in 2D and completely different in 3D.
• Surrounding context. The mountainsides on either side of the route, the river you're paralleling, the ridge you're crossing — all visible in Earth's perspective view in a way they aren't on a topographic map.
• Aerial imagery overlay. Earth's base layer is high-resolution satellite/aerial imagery. The route renders against actual ground texture — useful for spotting landmarks visible from the air (parking lots, trail junctions, alpine cabins).
• Camera tours. Earth Pro's movie maker records a flythrough of the route as a video. Useful for briefings, route shares, or post-trip review where 3D perspective is more communicative than a static map.

Earth Web vs Earth Pro

Both products still exist, both read KMZ from viewmygpx, and the choice mostly comes down to how heavy a workflow you need.

• Earth Web (earth.google.com/web/) runs in the browser with no install. Imports KMZ via Projects → New Project → Import KML file from computer. Saves projects to Google Drive automatically. Best for one-off route visualization or quick screenshots.
• Earth Pro (downloadable desktop app, free since 2015). Imports KMZ via File → Open. Adds movie-recording, ruler measurements, polygon area calculation, historical imagery, and KML editing. Best for detailed analysis, presentations, or recorded flythroughs.

For most personal use, Earth Web is plenty. For media production or detailed terrain analysis, Earth Pro is worth the install.

Common pitfalls

Route line floats in the air above the terrain

The KMZ's altitudeMode is set to absolute (use the GPX's elevation values literally), and your file's elevation differs from Google's DEM. The fix: edit the KML inside the KMZ to set <altitudeMode>clampToGround</altitudeMode>, so Earth drapes the route on the terrain rather than floating it. viewmygpx's converter writes clampToGround by default; if you got a floating route, the converter that produced your KMZ wasn't viewmygpx, or the file was hand-edited.

Earth shows the route but no waypoints

Waypoint icons may be hidden by zoom level. Zoom in until individual waypoints become visible. If they're still missing, check the project tree — the waypoints layer may have been collapsed or hidden. Click the eye icon next to it to toggle visibility.

Project doesn't save

Earth Web saves to Google Drive; you have to be signed in. If you imported anonymously and the project disappears on reload, sign in and re-import. Earth Pro saves locally and is signed-in independent.

Performance lag with very large KMZ

A multi-day GPX with 50,000+ trackpoints produces a KMZ that Earth Web can struggle with. Decimate the trackpoints in the viewmygpx editor using elevation smoothing (which side-effect simplifies the polyline) before re-converting, or split the file into per-day segments for separate imports.

Alternatives

• Google My Maps for 2D editing and sharing. Earth shows terrain in 3D but doesn't edit; My Maps is the place to drag polyline vertices, drop additional pins, or embed the map on a website.
• The viewmygpx viewer for elevation profile. A chart of elevation versus distance — what Earth doesn't show. The viewer on viewmygpx.com has both the map and the profile side-by-side.
• Komoot for actually following the route in the field. Earth is a viewer, not a navigator — for turn-by-turn voice cues on a phone, Komoot is the right destination.