Discover the Top 100 Wonders, some of the World’s best sights that will blow your mind. From the most fascinating places of the ancient world such as the Pyramids of Egypt and Chichen Itza to the most amazing structure of the recent years such as the Burj Khalifa, it has everything to impress the traveller. Each mentioned landmark comes with a short description as well as a photograph.
The Mont Saint-Michel, a rocky tidal island is one of the most visited attractions in Normandy, in the North of France. The island has been a strategic point holding fortifications since ancient times, and since the 8th century AD it became the seat of the Saint-Michel monastery, from which it draws the name. Today, the Mont-Saint-Michel and its bay are part of the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites, attracting more than 3,000,000 tourists each year.
The Great Wall of China is considered one of the World’s Seven Wonders. It is comprised of a series of fortifications built along an east-to-west line across the historical northern borders of China, mainly to protect the Chinese Empire against intrusions such as the Mongols. It was originally built in the 7th century BC, but reinforced many times over, and the most famous section was built between 220–206 BC by the first Emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang. Since then, the Great Wall has been rebuilt and enhanced, with the majority of the existing wall reconstructed during the Ming Dynasty. The Great Wall stretches from Shanhaiguan in the east, to Lop Lake in the west, along an arc that roughly delineates the southern edge of Inner Mongolia.
The Kashmir Valley also referred to as “Paradise on Earth” is a breathtaking valley between the Himalayas and the Pir Panjal Range, bordering North India, Pakistan and Western China. It was formed by the Jhelum River and is today around 135 km long and 32 km wide. Srinagar is considered the main city and the summer capital of the state, but other places in the valley such as Gulmarg, Dal Lake, Pahalgam, and the Amarnath Temple, are also popular tourist destinations.
The Topkapi Palace is a large and beautiful palace in Turkey’s capital city Istanbul. It was once that the primary residence of the Ottoman Sultans for some 400 years between 1465 and 1856. As well as a royal residence, the palace was a setting for state occasions and royal entertainments. It is now a major tourist attraction and contains important holy relics of the Muslim world including the Prophet Muhammad’s cloak and sword. The Topkapi Palace is among the monuments contained within the “Historic Areas of Istanbul”, which became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985, and is often described as one of the best example of ensembles of palaces of the Ottoman period.
The Taj Mahal proudly sitting next to the sacred Yamuna river is consider one of the 7 wonders of the modern world. It is a breathtaking mausoleum built over 20 years, between 1631 and 1648, from beautiful and rare white marble. It was constructed by the grandson of Akbar, Shah Jehan, one of the greatest Mughal emperors, as the mausoleum for his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal. The Taj Mahal is today a UNESCO World Heritage site, and it is one of the most photographed and easily recognisable Indian attractions. It is considered one of the country’s best preserved and architecturally interesting sites, putting India at the forefront of the world’s top cultural destinations.
The Nile is the most important north-flowing river in north-eastern Africa, as well as considered the longest river in the world, with its 6,650 km. It runs through no less than ten countries including Sudan, South Sudan, Burundi, Rwanda, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda and Egypt. The northern section of the river flows almost entirely through desert, from Sudan into Egypt, a country whose civilization has depended on the river since ancient times. Most of the population and cities of Egypt lie along those parts of the Nile valley north of Aswan, and nearly all the cultural and historical sites of Ancient Egypt are found along the riverbanks. The Nile ends in a large delta that empties into the Mediterranean Sea.
Prague Old Town or Staré Mesto is one of the best preserved medieval settlements in the Czech Republic as well as in the whole of Europe. Notable places in the Old Town include the Old New Synagogue, Old Town Square and the Astronomical Clock. Across the river Vltava is the Lesser Quarter, called Malá Strana in Czech connected by one of the city most famous landmark, the Charles Bridge.
The Serengeti Migration is one of the World’s greatest natural phenomenons, where great wildebeest migrate from the Ngorongoro area of the southern Serengeti to Tanzania. Determined by the availability of grazing, it usually takes place between January and March, where some 750,000 zebras, 1.2 million wildebeest and followed by hundreds of thousands of other plains game, move across the border.
Easter Island is a Polynesian island within the southeasternmost point of the Polynesian Triangle in the Pacific Ocean, and claimed to be the most remote inhabited island in the world. It is famous for its 887 extant monumental statues, called moai and created by the early Rapanui people. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site with much of the island protected within Rapa Nui National Park.
The Golden Temple, officially known as the Harmandir Sahib is a prominent Sikh gurdwara located in the city of Amritsar, in the Indian state of Punjab. It was originally built by Guru Ram Das, the fourth Sikh Guru, and completed by his successor, Guru Arjan Dev. In the early nineteenth century, Maharaja Ranjit Singh secured the Punjab region from outside attack and covered the upper floors of the gurdwara with gold, which gives it its distinctive appearance and English name of “Golden Temple”.
Stonehenge is one of the most renowned prehistoric monuments not only in England but in the World. It is located in the English county of Wiltshire, about 3.2 kilometres (2.0 mi) west of Amesbury and 13 kilometres (8.1 mi) north of Salisbury and is a 2 hours drive from London. Because of its history and remarkable features it is classed as a World Heritage Site. Archaeologists believe that it is about 5000 years old as some recent research shows that it was probably erected around 3000 BC.
The Galápagos are one of the world’s best known volcanic islands located around the equator in the Pacific Ocean, some 972 km west of continental Ecuador. The Islands and its surrounding waters form an Ecuadorian province, a national park, and a biological marine reserve. The islands are geologically young and famed for their vast number of endemic species, which were studied by Charles Darwin during the voyage of the Beagle. His observations and collections contributed to the inception of Darwin’s theory of evolution by natural selection.
Cappadocia is a well known historical region in Central Anatolia, largely in Nevsehir Province. It comprises a splendid natural region packed with exceptional wonders, characterized by fairy chimneys and a unique historical and cultural heritage.
The Amalfi Coast or Costiera Amalfitana is it Italy’s most famous Riviera within the Province of Salerno in Southern Italy. This perfect stretch of coastline is one of the country most popular tourist destination attracting thousands of tourists annually. It is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its remarkable cultural landscape.
Angel Falls, also known as the waterfall of the deepest place are one of Venezuela’s most important natural landmarks and part of the UNESCO World Heritage sites. It is considered the world’s highest uninterrupted waterfall, with a height of 979 m (3,212 ft) and a plunge of 807 m (2,648 ft). The waterfall drops over the edge of the Auyantepui Mountain in the Canaima National Park.
The Grand Canyon is the US most recognised natural wonder and one of the World’s Seven Natural Wonders. Located in the state of Arizona, it is a steep-sided canyon carved by the Colorado River some 17 million years ago. The Grand Canyon is 277 miles (446 km) long, up to 18 miles (29 km) wide and attains a depth of over a mile (6,000 feet / 1,800 metres). It is part of the Grand Canyon National Park, as well as the Hualapai Tribal Nation and the Havasupai Tribe. For thousands of years, the area has been continuously inhabited by Native Americans who built settlements within the canyon and its many caves. The Grand Canyon is still today considered by the Pueblo people a holy site and made pilgrimages to it.
The Colosseum, originally named the Flavian Amphitheatre is perhaps the world’s greatest remain of the Roman era. This breathtaking elliptical amphitheatre in the heart of Italy’s capital Rome is considered one of the greatest works of Roman architecture and Roman engineering as well as the largest ever built in the Roman Empire. Its construction started in 72 AD and completed in 80 AD could once seat up to 50,000 spectators and became famous for its gladiatorial contests and public spectacles such as mock sea battles, animal hunts, executions, re-enactments of famous battles, and dramas based on Classical mythology. It is one of Rome’s most popular tourist attractions and perhaps the best iconic symbol of Imperial Rome.
Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple or Meenakshi Amman Temple is considered one of the most important religious and historic sites in the holy city of Madurai within the Southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The temple forms the heart and lifeline of the 2500 year old city of Madurai, with the entire complex housing14 gateway towers known as gopurams, each ranging from about 45 to 50m in height, as well as some 33,000 sculptures. The temple is a significant symbol for the Tamil people as well as international visitors, attracting 15,000 visitors a day, and up to 25,000 during sacred Fridays.
Machu Picchu, which can be translated to Old Peak, is considered one of the world’s seven wonders. This pre-Columbian 15th-century Inca site is located 2,430 metres (7,970 ft) above sea level within Peru’s Cusco Region in South America. It was unknown to the outside world before being brought to international attention in 1911 by the American historian Hiram Bingham. Since then, Machu Picchu has become an important tourist attraction, with many of the outlying buildings have been reconstructed, giving a better perspective of what the structures originally looked like. It is referred to as the “Lost City of the Incas” and often considered the most iconic landmark of the Inca World.
The Fjords of Norway are perhaps one of the most beautiful natural landscapes in the northern part of Europe. Those spectacularly long and narrow inlet with steep sides or cliffs, were created in a valley carved by glacial activity. Most of Norway fjords are deeper than the adjacent sea such as the grandiose Sognafjord, which reaches as much as 1,300 m (4,265 ft) below sea level. As for the Saltstraumen Fjord it is often described as the world’s strongest tidal current.
The Our Lady of Chartres or Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Chartres is one of France most remarkable medieval High Gothic architecture as well as part of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites. It was originally built between 1193 and 1250, and is still in an exceptional state of preservation with the majority of the original stained glass windows. Located only 80 kilometres (50 mi) southwest of Paris and has become an important destination for travellers, especially with Christian pilgrims.
Santorini is perhaps the Mediterranean Sea most remarkable island. It is located within the southern Aegean Sea some 200 km (120 mi) southeast from Greece’s mainland. It is the largest island of a small, circular archipelago which bears the same name and is the remnant of a volcanic caldera. It forms the southernmost member of the Cyclades group of islands. Santorini is essentially what remains after an enormous volcanic explosion that destroyed the earliest settlements, on a formerly single island, and created the current geological caldera.
Tourism in Antarctica started with sea tourism in the 1960s, followed by Private yacht trips and even sightseeing flights in the 1970s. The Antarctica Cruise have today become an increasingly popular experience with over 40, 000 people visiting those remote continent each year.
The Papal Basilica of Saint Peter is a Late Renaissance church located within the Vatican City. It has the largest interior of any Christian church in the world, and is often regarded as one of the holiest Catholic sites. It has been described as “holding a unique position in the Christian world” as well as “the greatest of all churches of Christendom”. The basilica is the burial site of its namesake Saint Peter, who was one of the twelve apostles of Jesus and, according to tradition, the first Bishop of Rome and therefore first in the line of the papal succession. St. Peter’s is also a famous place of pilgrimage. As a work of architecture, it is regarded as the greatest building of its age.
The Cathedral and former Great Mosque of Córdoba, is today a World Heritage Site and the cathedral of the Diocese of Córdoba. It is located in Andalusia’s city of Córdoba in South of Spain. The site was originally a pagan temple, then a Visigoth Christian church, before the Umayyad Moors at first converted the building into a mosque and then built a new mosque on the site. After the Spanish Reconquista, it once again became a Roman Catholic Church, with a plateresque cathedral later inserted into the centre of the large Moorish building. The Mezquita is regarded as the one of the most accomplished monuments of Islamic architecture.
The Matterhorn is a mountain in the Pennine Alps on the border between Switzerland and Italy. Its summit is 4,478 metres (14,690 ft) high, making it one of the highest peaks in the Alps. The four steep faces, rising above the surrounding glaciers, face the four compass points. The Matterhorn has become an iconic emblem of the Swiss Alps and the Alps in general. Since the end of the 19th century, when railways were built, it attracted more and more visitors and climbers. Each summer a large number of mountaineers try to climb the Matterhorn via the northeast Hörnli ridge, the most popular route to the summit.
The Iguazu Falls are the famous waterfalls of the Iguazu River, located on the border of the Brazilian State of Paraná and the Argentine Province of Misiones. The falls divide the river into the upper and lower Iguazu. The Iguazu River originates near the city of Curitiba. It flows through Brazil for most of its course. Below its confluence with the San Antonio River, the Iguazu River forms the boundary between Brazil and Argentina.
The Museum of Egyptian Antiquities, known commonly as the Egyptian Museum, located in Cairo, Egypt, is home to an extensive collection of ancient Egyptian antiquities. Indeed it offers over 120,000 items, with a representative amount on display, the remainder in storerooms.
Damascus is the capital and the second largest city of Syria after Aleppo. The Old City is considered one of the world’s oldest continuously inhabited cities, as well as being a major cultural and religious centre. It is strategically situated in south-western Syria, on the eastern foothills of the Anti-Lebanon mountain range. It was first settled in the 2nd millennium BC, and later chosen as the capital of the Umayyad Caliphate from 661 to 750. During Ottoman rule, the city decayed completely while maintaining a certain cultural prestige, and in 2008 has been the Arab Capital of Culture.
New York is the most populous city in the United States as well as global metropolis with a significant impact upon international commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and entertainment. It is home of the United Nations Headquarters, New York Stock Exchange considered the world’s largest stock exchange, as well as numerous of the world’s best colleges and universities. It is often being described as the cultural capital of the world, hosting a variety of museums and art gallery. It is located within the world’s largest natural harbours and its Skyline is one of the most recognisable in the world. It is especially impressive at night when all the skyscrapers are illuminated.
Borobudur is a 9th-century Mahayana Buddhist monument part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is located in Magelang within Central Java in Indonesia. The monument consists of six square platforms topped by three circular platforms, and is decorated with 2,672 relief panels and 504 Buddha statues. At its heart lies the main dome, which us surrounded by 72 Buddha statues.
Dubrovnik is by far one of the most unique destinations in Croatia and one of the most prominent tourist destinations on the Adriatic. The prosperity of the city of Dubrovnik has always been based on maritime trade, ever since the Middle Ages. Supported by its wealth and skilled diplomacy, the city achieved a high level of development, particularly during the 15th and 16th centuries. The beginning of tourism in Dubrovnik is often associated with the construction of the late 19th-century luxury hotels in Croatia, such as Grand Hotel (1890) in Opatija and the Hotel Imperial (1897) in Dubrovnik. It is today part of the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites.
Marrakech, known as the “Ochre City”, is the most important former imperial city in Morocco’s history. The city of Marrakech is the capital of the mid-south-western economic region of Marrakech-Tensift-Al Haouz, near the foothills of the snow-capped Atlas Mountains. The city of Marrakech comprises both an old fortified city (the médina) and modern neighbourhoods, the most prominent of which is Gueliz. Marrakech is famous for being home has the largest traditional market (souk) in Morocco and also has one of the busiest squares in Africa and the world, Djemaa el Fna. The square bustles with acrobats, story-tellers, water sellers, dancers and musicians. By night food stalls open in the square turning it into a huge busy open-air restaurant.
The Amazon Rainforest is a moist broadleaf forest that covers most of the Amazon Basin of South America. This basin encompasses seven million square kilometres (1.7 billion acres), of which five and a half million square kilometres (1.4 billion acres) are covered by the rainforest. This region includes territory belonging to nine nations. The majority of the forest is contained within Brazil, with 60% of the rainforest, followed by Peru with 13%, Colombia with 10%, and with minor amounts in, Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia, Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana. States or departments in four nations contain “Amazonas” in their names. The Amazon represents over half of the planet’s remaining rainforests, and it comprises the largest and most species-rich tract of tropical rainforest in the world.
The Valley of the Kings is the best known valley in Egypt where, where for a period of nearly 500 years from the 16th to 11th century BC, tombs were constructed for the Pharaohs and powerful nobles of the New Kingdom. It is located on the west bank of the Nile, opposite Thebes (modern Luxor), within the heart of the Theban Necropolis. This area has been a focus of archaeological and egyptological exploration since the end of the eighteenth century, and its tombs and burials continue to stimulate research and interest. In modern times the valley has become famous for the discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun and is one of the most famous archaeological sites in the world. Along with the rest of the Theban Necropolis it has became a World Heritage Site.
The Uffizi Gallery is the best known museum in Florence and Italy. It is considered one of the oldest and most famous art museums of the Western world. It home to variety of well known artists including paintings collection of Leonardo da Vinci (The Annunciation, The Adoration of the Magi), Sandro Botticelli (Primavera, The Birth of Venus, The Adoration of the Magi and others), Giotto (The Ognissanti Madonna, Badia Polyptych), Titian (Flora, Venus of Urbino), Michelangelo (The Doni Tondo) and Raphael (Madonna of the Goldfinch, Pope Leo X with Cardinals Giulio de’ Medici and Luigi de’ Rossi).
The Eiffel Tower is Paris most iconic landmark, often in the establishing shot of films set in the city. It is Located on the Champ de Mars in Paris, on the bank of the Seine. It was built in 1889 as the entrance arch to the 1889 World’s Fair, and considered the world’s tallest man-made structure, until surpassed by the Chrysler Building in New York City in 1930. It has since become both a global cultural symbol of France and one of the most recognizable structures in the world. It is the tallest building in Paris standing at 320 metres and about the same height as an 81-story building. It is the world’s most-visited paid monument, attracting millions of visitors each year. It is named after the engineer Gustave Eiffel, whose company designed and built the tower.
The Ngorongoro Crater is a large, unbroken, unflooded volcanic caldera, which was formed when a giant volcano exploded and collapsed on itself some two to three million years ago. It is 610 m (2,000 ft) deep and its floor covers 260 km2 (100 sq mi). Although thought of as “a natural enclosure” for a very wide variety of wildlife, up to 20% or more of the wildebeest and half the zebra populations vacate the Crater in the wet season. The crater floor is mostly open grassland with two small wooded areas.
Hong Kong, along with Macau is one of two Special Administrative Regions (SARs) of the People’s Republic of China. Situated on China’s south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour. With a land mass of 1,104 km2 (426 sq mi) and a population of seven million people, Hong Kong is one of the most densely populated areas in the world. Its population is 95 percent ethnic Chinese and 5 percent from other groups. It has become a colony of the British Empire after the First Opium War, until 1997, when China resumed sovereignty. The region espoused minimum government intervention under the ethos of positive non-interventionism during the colonial era, which greatly influenced the current culture of Hong Kong, often described as East meets West.
Ladakh, which can be translated into land of high passes, is a region of Jammu and Kashmir within the northernmost state of India and Pakistan. It lies between the Kunlun mountain range in the north and the main Great Himalayas to the south, inhabited by people of Indo-Aryan and Tibetan descent. It is considered one of the most sparsely populated regions in Jammu and Kashmir.
The Great Barrier Reef is the world’s largest coral reef system composed of over 2,900 individual reefs and 900 islands stretching for over 2,600 kilometres (1,600 mi) over an area of approximately 344,400 square kilometres (133,000 sq mi). The reef is located in the Coral Sea, off the coast of Queensland in north-east Australia. The Great Barrier Reef can be seen from outer space and is the world’s biggest single structure made by living organisms. This reef structure is composed of and built by billions of tiny organisms, known as coral polyps and supports a wide diversity of life. It is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1981, and a large part of the reef is protected by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park.
Sistine Chapel is the best-known chapel in the Apostolic Palace, the official residence of the Pope in the Vatican City. It is famous for its architecture and its decoration that was frescoed throughout by Renaissance artists including Michelangelo, Sandro Botticelli, Pietro Perugino, Pinturicchio and others. Under the patronage of Pope Julius II, Michelangelo painted 1,100 m2 (12,000 sq ft) of the chapel ceiling between 1508 and 1512. The ceiling, and especially The Last Judgment (1535–1541), is widely believed to be Michelangelo’s crowning achievement in painting. Since the time of Sixtus IV, the chapel has served as a place of both religious and functionary papal activity. Today it is the site of the Papal conclave, the process by which a new Pope is selected.
The Temple of the Golden Pavilion officially known as the Kinkaku-ji is a Zen Buddhist temple in Kyoto, Japan. The garden complex is an excellent example of Muromachi period garden design, a period is considered to be a classical age of Japanese garden design. A minimalistic approach was brought to the garden design, by recreating larger landscapes in a smaller scale around a structure. It is designated as a National Special Historic Site and a National Special Landscape, and it is one of 17 locations comprising the Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto World Heritage Site. It is also one of the most popular buildings in Japan, attracting a large number of visitors annually.
Niagara Falls is the collective name for the Horseshoe Falls and the adjacent American Falls along with the comparatively small Bridal Veil Falls. Horseshoe Falls is the most powerful waterfall in North America, measured by the vertical height along with the flow rate. It stands on the international border between the Canadian province of Ontario and the U.S. state of New York, also forming the southern end of the Niagara Gorge.
Located only a few kilometres north of Siem Reap, Angkor Wat which can be translated to “City Temple” is perhaps the mostly know of all the Angkor archaeological sites. It is considered as one of the most inspiring wonders of the world, because of its grandeur, Khmer architectural balance and numerous sculptures adorning its walls. It is not only the most important tourist attraction of the country but also a very symbolic monument for Cambodian, even appearing on the national flag. It was built in 12 century for king Suryavarman II as part of the capital city of the Khmer Empire, first as a Hindu temple and then as a Buddhist Wat.
Burj Khalifa, known as Burj Dubai prior to its inauguration, is a skyscraper in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and is the tallest manmade structure in the world, at 829.84 m (2,723 ft). It was completed on 1 October 2009 and officially opened on 4 January 2010 as part of the new 2 km2 (490-acre) flagship development called Downtown Dubai at the First Interchange along Sheikh Zayed Road, near Dubai’s main business district. The tower’s architecture and engineering were performed by Skidmore, Owings and Merrill of Chicago. The total cost for the project was about US$1.5 billion; and for the entire “Downtown Dubai” development, US$20 billion.
Delphi is both an archaeological site and a modern town in Greece on the south-western spur of Mount Parnassus in the valley of Phocis. In Greek mythology, Delphi was the site of the Delphic oracle, the most important oracle in the classical Greek world, and a major site for the worship of the god Apollo after he slew the Python, a dragon who lived there and protected the navel of the Earth.
The Victoria Falls also known as the Smoke that Thunders is one of the world’s most spectacular waterfalls. It is located in southern Africa on the Zambezi River between the countries of Zambia and Zimbabwe. While it is neither the highest nor the widest waterfall in the world, it is claimed to be the largest. This claim is based on a width of 1,708 metres (5,604 ft) and height of 108 metres (354 ft), forming the largest sheet of falling water in the world.
Alhambra is a palace and fortress complex located in Granada, within the Spanish region of Andalusia. It was constructed during the mid 14th century by the Berber rulers on the top of the hill of the Assabica on the south-eastern border of the city. After the Reconquista by the Catholic Monarchs in 1492, some portions were used by the Christian rulers. After being allowed to fall into disrepair for centuries, the Alhambra was “discovered” in the 19th century by European scholars and travellers, with restorations commencing. It is now one of Spain’s major tourist attractions, exhibiting the country’s most significant and well known Berber Islamic architecture, together with 16th-century and later Christian building and garden interventions. The Alhambra is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the inspiration for many songs and stories.
The Cathedral of the Protection of Most Holy Theotokos on the Moat commonly known as Saint Basil’s Cathedral is a Russian Orthodox Church erected on Moscow’s Red Square. It was built in 1555–61 on orders from Ivan the Terrible, to commemorate the capture of Kazan and Astrakhan. St. Basil’s marks the geometric centre of Moscow, being the hub of the city’s growth since the 14th century. It was once the city’s tallest building until the completion of the Ivan the Great Bell Tower in 1600. It is unique as there are no analogues in Russian architecture, with a design shaped as a flame of a bonfire rising into the sky.
Burj Al Arab is considered the world’s only seven-Star hotel as well as one of the symbols of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. It stands remarkably on an artificial island out from Jumeirah beach, connected to the mainland by a private curving bridge. It is currently the fourth tallest hotel in the world with a total height of 321 m (1,053 ft) and is uniquely shaped to remind of the sail of a ship.
The Forbidden City located in the heart of Beijing is one of China’s most iconic landmarks. It was the Chinese imperial palace for some 500 years, between the Ming Dynasty to the end of the Qing Dynasty. The huge complex with over 980 buildings is home to the Palace Museum since 1925, offering an extensive collection of artwork and artefacts built upon the imperial collections of the Ming and Qing dynasties. It is listed as UNESCO World Heritage Site with the world’s largest collection of preserved ancient wooden structures.
The Louvre or Musée du Louvre is the world’s most visited art museum, as well as being one of the biggest and more respected art complexes. Located on the Right Bank of the Seine in the splendid 1st district, it is one of the most important landmarks of Paris. It offers no less than 35,000 objects on display, from prehistory to the 19th century, covering an area of 60,600 square metres (652,300 square feet).The collection can be divided among eight curatorial departments including Egyptian Antiquities, Near Eastern Antiquities, Greek, Etruscan, Roman Antiquities, Islamic Art, Sculpture, Decorative Arts, Paintings, Prints and Drawings.
The Abu Simbel temples are two massive rock temples in Abu Simbel in Nubia, southern Egypt. They are situated on the western bank of Lake Nasser, about 230 km southwest of Aswan (about 300 km by road). The complex is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site known as the Nubian Monuments, which run from Abu Simbel downriver to Philae. The twin temples were originally carved out of the mountainside during the reign of Pharaoh Ramses II in the 13th century BC, as a lasting monument to himself and his queen Nefertari, to commemorate his alleged victory at the Battle of Kadesh, and to intimidate his Nubian neighbours. However, the complex was relocated in its entirety in 1968, on an artificial hill made from a domed structure, high above the Aswan High Dam reservoir.
The Yangtze, Yangzi or Cháng Jiang is the longest river in Asia, and the third longest in the world. It flows for 6,418 kilometres (3,988 mi) from the glaciers on the Tibetan Plateau in Qinghai eastward across southwest, central and eastern China before emptying into the East China Sea at Shanghai. It is also one of the biggest rivers by discharge volume in the world. The Yangtze drains one-fifth of the land area of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and its river basin is home to one-third of the PRC’s population.
Venice is by far one of the world’s most unique destinations, often described as Europe’s most romantic cities or even as the most beautiful city built by man. It is located on the northeast part of Italy and is composed of 118 small islands separated by canals and linked by bridges. It is best beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks, especially in the history of symphonic and operatic music. The city was historically the capital of the Venetian Republic and is today listed as World Heritage Site.
The Patriarchal Cathedral Basilica of Saint Mark commonly known as Saint Mark’s Basilica is the cathedral church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Venice in northern Italy. It is the most famous of the city’s churches and one of the best known examples of Byzantine architecture. It lies at the eastern end of the Piazza San Marco, adjacent and connected to the Doge’s Palace. Originally it was the chapel of the Doge, and has only been the city’s cathedral since 1807, when it became the seat of the Patriarch of Venice, archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Venice. It is nickname the Chiesa d’Oro or Church of gold, mainly because of its opulent design, gilded Byzantine mosaics, and its status as a symbol of Venetian wealth and power.
Yosemite National Park is one of the US most visited attractions with over 3.7 million people visitors each year. It is located within the Sierra Nevada mountain chain in the central eastern portion of California. Covers an area of 761,268 acres (3,080.74 km2) it is considered one of the world’s biggest parks. It was designated a World Heritage Site in 1984, being recognized for its spectacular granite cliffs, waterfalls, clear streams, Giant Sequoia groves, and biological diversity, with some 95% of the park is designated wilderness.
The Karnak Temple Complex or simply referred to as Karnak, is comprised of a mix of decayed temples, chapels, pylons, and other buildings. It makes part of the monumental city of Thebes and its name is taken from the nearby modern village of el-Karnak, some 2.5 km north of Luxor. It was originally built during the reign of Sesostris I in the Middle Kingdom but continued into the Ptolemaic and New Kingdom period. The area around Karnak was the ancient Egyptian Ipet-isut, known as the Most Selected of Places, being the main place of worship.
Château de Versailles or simply Versailles is perhaps the France’s most iconic Palace. It is located some 20 kilometres southwest of the French capital, in a once country village, now a city suburb. The court of Versailles was the centre of political power in France from 1682, when Louis XIV moved from Paris, until the royal family was forced to return to the capital in October 1789 after the beginning of the French Revolution. Versailles is therefore famous not only as a building, but as a symbol of the system of absolute monarchy of the Ancient Régime.
Uluru, also known as Ayers Rock, is an incredibly large sandstone rock formation, listed as a World Heritage Site. It is located within the southern part of the Northern Territory in the heart of Australia. It is a pretty remote destination, lying 335 km (208 mi) of Alice Springs, the nearest large town. It is a sacred place for the Aboriginal people of the area. It is part of a National Park, home to a variety of springs, waterholes, rock caves and ancient paintings.
Teotihuacan is an enormous archaeological site, established around 100 BC, and perhaps the largest city in the pre-Columbian Americas. It was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987 and is today the most visited archaeological site in Mexico. It is located in the Basin of Mexico some 30 miles (48 km) northeast of Mexico City, and contains some of the largest pyramidal structures built in the pre-Columbian Americas. Apart from the pyramidal structures, Teotihuacan is also known for its large residential complexes, the Avenue of the Dead, and numerous colourful, well-preserved murals.
Carlsbad Caverns is a beautiful National Park located within the Guadalupe Mountains in the US south-eastern New Mexico state. Its cavern is the park’s primary tourist attraction, which can be entered via the natural entrance, or take the elevator directly to the Underground Lunchroom some 750 feet (230 m) below. It includes one of the world’s largest natural limestone chamber, known as the Big Room, which is almost 4,000 feet (1,220 m) long, 625 feet (191 m) wide, and 255 feet (78 m) high at the highest point.
The Moscow Kremlin, simply referred to as the Kremlin, is a historic fortified complex at the heart of Moscow, which serves as the official residence of the President of the Russian Federation. It overlooks some of the capital most famous sights including the Moskva River, Saint Basil’s Cathedral and the Red Square. It is the best known of all the Russian citadels, composed of four palaces, four cathedrals and the enclosing Kremlin Wall with Kremlin towers.
The State Hermitage is one of Russia’s most famous museums, as well as being one of the world’s oldest and largest. It is located Saint Petersburg and was founded in 1764 by Catherine the Great and has been open to the public since 1852. Its collections, of which only a small part is on permanent display, comprise nearly 3 million items, making it the largest collection of paintings in the world. The collections occupy a large complex of six historic buildings along Palace Embankment, including the Menshikov Palace, the Museum of Porcelain and the Winter Palace, a former residence of Russian emperors.
The Banaue Rice Terraces, also known as Payo, are 2000-year old terraces that were carved into the mountains of Ifugao in the Philippines by ancestors of the indigenous people. The Rice Terraces are commonly referred to by Filipinos as the “Eighth Wonder of the World”, as it is commonly thought that those terraces were built with minimal equipment, largely by hand. The terraces are located approximately 1500 meters (5000 ft) above sea level and cover 10,360 square kilometres (about 4000 square miles) of mountainside, and said that if the steps are put end to end it would encircle half the globe. They are fed by an ancient irrigation system from the rainforests above the terraces.
Varanasi, often referred to as Benares or Kashi the city of light, is considered India’s most holiest destination by Hindus, Jains and Buddhist believers. This charming place lying on the banks of the celebrated River Ganges is also considered the world’s oldest continuously inhabited cities. Indeed for thousands of years, its attracted some of the most important philosophers and philosophers, as well as being a key artistic magnet, especially with classical music. It has today a variety of beautiful temples, ashrams and plenty of museums and is a key centre for education. Perhaps the city main attraction is its Ghats, those set of stairs leading to the holly Ganges river, where pilgrims and believers from all over India to cremate those that left or simply clean themselves of their sins. Varanasi is by all mean one of India’s most colourful, spiritual and unique destination, for many the gateway to the other world, and for other a captivating place offering a memorable experience.
The royal Château de Chambord is one of France most recognizable palaces with its very distinct French Renaissance architecture which blends of traditional French medieval forms. The building, which was never completed and considered the largest château in the Loire Valley, was constructed by King François I in part to be near to his mistress the Comtesse de Thoury.
Bora Bora is one of the world’s most sought after tropical paradises famous for its aqua-centric luxury resorts. It is a remote island part of the Leeward group within French Polynesia in the Pacific Ocean. It is surrounded by a lagoon and a barrier reef and has at its heart the remnants of an extinct volcano rising to two peaks, Mount Pahia and Mount Otemanu, with the highest point at 727 metres (2,385 ft). In recent years Bora Bora has become a major international tourist destination.
The amazing Kathmandu Valley lies at the crossroads of Asia’s ancient civilizations and offers over 130 important monuments, including several places of pilgrimage for the Hindus and the Buddhists, some of which are listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The Valley is located in Nepal and known as the capital of their empire.
The Li River or Lijiang River offers is considered one of China’s most famous scenic areas, featured in many scroll paintings and with the top classification by the China National Tourism Administration. It offers some 100-kilometer stretch of water, surrounded by mountain peaks rise into the sky such as the Mountain of Splendid Hues, as well as limestone caves such as the Reed-Flute Rock with its cave corals.
The Old Town of Lijiang is one of the most remarkable destinations in China, with a unique architecture, history and culture influenced by the traditional residents known as the Nakhi people. Located in Lijiang City with the Yunnan region, it has over 800 years history, one being at the heart the old tea horse road. It is famous for its orderly system of waterways and bridges and is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The Acropolis is perhaps one of the most recognizable icons of the ancient World. It is located in the heart of Athens at the top of a hill which rises 150 m (490 ft) above sea level. The citadel was originally built for defence purposes, but has become the nuclei of the city.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art commonly known as The Met is New York City most important art gallery. Its permanent collection offers more than two million works, divided among nineteen curatorial departments from Ancient Egypt and classical antiquity to well known paintings and sculptures from nearly all the European masters, passing by an extensive collection of American and modern art. The Museum occupies more than 2,000,000 square feet (190,000 m2), measures almost 1/4-mile (400 m) long and is located on the eastern edge of Central Park within Manhattan’s Museum Mile.
The Shwedagon Pagoda officially known as the Shwedagon Zedi Daw is a spectacular 99 metres (325 ft) gilded pagoda and stupa located in Yangon, Burma. It is located to the west of Kandawgyi Lake, on top of the Singuttara Hill and offering amazing views of the city skyline. It is considered the most sacred Buddhist pagoda for the Burmese with relics of the past four Buddha’s enshrined within, namely the staff of Kakusandha, a piece of the robe of Kassapa and eight strands of hair of Gautama, the historical Buddha. A same-sized replica of Shwedagon Pagoda, known as the Uppatasanti Pagoda is located within the new capital of Burma, Naypyidaw.
The Potala Palace, which sits on top of the Marpo Ri or Red Hill, some than 300 m (1,000 ft) above the valley floor, is one of the most important places within Tibet Autonomous Region of China. It is best known as the once chief residence of the Dalai Lama and is today a museum. The building measures 400 metres east-west and 350 metres north-south, with sloping stone walls averaging 3 m. thick, and 5 m. (more than 16 ft) thick at the base, and with copper poured into the foundations to help proof it against earthquakes. It has thirteen stories of buildings with over 1,000 rooms, 10,000 shrines and about 200,000 statues.
Mount Everest is the world’s highest mountain, with a peak at 8,848 metres (29,029 ft) above sea level. It is located in the Mahalangur section of the Himalayas, in between the border of China and Nepal. The mountain attracts many well-experienced mountaineers as well as capable climbers willing to hire professional guides. While not posing substantial technical climbing challenges on the standard route, Everest presents dangers such as altitude sickness, weather and wind.
The Sahara is the world’s largest hot desert and second largest desert, after Antarctica, with some of its sand dunes reaching over 180 metres (590 ft) in height. It covers most of Northern Africa, with over 9,400,000 square kilometres (3,600,000 sq mi), making it almost as large as China or the United States. The Sahara Desert stretches from the Red Sea, including parts of the Mediterranean coasts, to the outskirts of the Atlantic Ocean. To the south, it is delimited by the Sahel, a belt of semi-arid tropical savannah that composes the northern region of central and western Sub-Saharan Africa.
The Banff National Park located within the splendid Canadian Rocky Mountains is the country’s oldest national park (established in 1885 in). It offers 6,641 km2 (2,564 sq mi) of mountainous terrain, with numerous glaciers and ice fields, dense coniferous forest, and alpine landscapes. The park, located some 150 km (90mi) west of Calgary in the province of Alberta, is famous for its luxury retreats, such as the Banff Springs Hotel and Chateau Lake Louise. The park is today one of the world’s most visited national parks.
The Old City of Jerusalem is one of the world’s most important religious destinations. The 0.9 square kilometres (0.35 sq mi) walled area, inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage Site Lists is located within the modern city of Jerusalem. It is home to several sites of key religious importance including the Temple Mount and its Western Wall for Jews, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre for Christians, and the Dome of the Rock and al-Aqsa Mosque for Muslims. The Old City can be divided into four quarters including the Muslim Quarter, the Christian Quarter, the Jewish Quarter and the Armenian Quarter.
The Temple Emerald Buddha officially known as the Wat Phra Kaew is regarded as the most sacred Buddhist temple (wat) in Thailand. It is located within the precincts of the Grand Palace in Bangkok historic centre of Phra Nakhon. The Emerald Buddha is a dark green standing statue, about 66 centimetres (26 in) tall, carved from a single jade stone.
The Leaning Tower of Pisa is freestanding bell tower, famous at leaning at about 3.99 degrees. It has become one of Italy’s most visited attractions, attracting millions of visitors each year. It is located behind the Cathedral and is the third oldest structure in Pisa’s Cathedral Square. Its height is 55.86 m (183.27 ft) from the ground on the low side and 56.70 m (186.02 ft) on the high side.
San Francisco is one of the world’s most sought after tourist destinations, ranked on top position on top most visited cities lists. It is best known for its chilly summer fog, steep rolling hills, eclectic mix of architecture, and its famous landmarks, including the Golden Gate Bridge, cable cars, and Chinatown. It is also considered the financial, cultural, and transportation centre of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.5 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland. It is the most densely settled large city in the state of California and the second-most densely populated large city in the United States after New York City. The city is also a principal banking and finance centre, and the home to more than 30 international financial institutions, helping to make San Francisco rank 18th in the world’s top producing cities, eighth in the United States, and twelfth place in the top twenty global financial centres.
The Terracotta Army or the “Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses”, is a collection of sculptures depicting the armies of Qin Shi Huang, the first Emperor of China. It is a form of funerary art buried with the emperor in 210–209 BC and whose purpose was to protect the emperor in his afterlife, and to make sure that he had people to rule over. The figures, dating from 3rd century BC, were discovered in 1974 by some local farmers in Lintong District, Xi’an, Shaanxi province, near the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor. Current estimates are that in the three pits containing the Terracotta Army there were over 8,000 soldiers, 130 chariots with 520 horses and 150 cavalry horses, the majority of which are still buried in the pits. The figures vary in height according to their roles, with the tallest being the generals and include warriors, chariots, horses as well as non-military figures such as officials, acrobats, strongmen and musicians.
Hagia Sophia is a former Orthodox patriarchal basilica, later a mosque, and now a museum in Istanbul, Turkey. From the date of its dedication in 360 until 1453, it served as the Greek Patriarchal cathedral of Constantinople, except between 1204 and 1261, when it was converted to a Roman Catholic cathedral under the Latin Patriarch of Constantinople of the Western Crusader established Latin Empire. It was the largest cathedral in the world for nearly a thousand years, until Seville Cathedral was completed in 1520. From 1453 until 1931 Hagia Sophia became a Mosque and for nearly 500 years it was the principal mosque of Istanbul, and served as a model for many other Ottoman mosques. Finally since 1935 it opened as a museum and is today famous for its massive dome and is considered the epitome of Byzantine architecture, said to have “changed the history of architecture.
Baalbek is a charming town in the Beqaa Valley of Lebanon. Located east of the Litani River, it is famous for its exquisitely detailed yet monumentally scaled temple ruins of the Roman period, when Baalbek, then known as Heliopolis, was one of the largest sanctuaries in the empire. It is Lebanon’s greatest Roman treasure, and it can be counted among the wonders of the ancient world, containing some of the largest and best preserved Roman ruins. Baalbek is today home to the annual Baalbeck International Festival.
Portofino is a small Italian fishing village and tourist resort located in the province of Genoa on the Italian Riviera. The town is crowded round its small harbour and is closely associated with the lovely Paraggi Beach, which is a few minutes up the coast. Portofino is also at the heart of other charming beaches including Camogli, Chiavari, Lavagna and Sestri Levante.