World Wonders Worth Travelling For
Twenty sites that justify the flight on their own: ancient cities carved into rock, temple complexes swallowed by jungle, and landscapes that photographs never quite convey. Each entry is a real, visitable location rather than a region, so the list doubles as a long-term travel plan. Mark them off as you go and keep the rest as your someday list.
20 items
- 4
Great Wall of China (Mutianyu)
Place· ★ 9.6 - 5
Colosseum
Place· ★ 9.6Monumental 3-tiered Roman amphitheater once used for gladiatorial games, with guided tour option.
- 6
Chichén Itzá
Place· ★ 9.6Archaeological site with excavated ruins of the large Maya city, including an iconic step pyramid.
- 7
Angkor Wat
Place· ★ 9.6This iconic, sprawling temple complex is surrounded by a wide moat & features intricate carvings.
- 8
Pyramids of Giza
Place· ★ 9.4Largest of Egyptian pyramids in a complex also including temples & other Ancient artifacts.
- 9
Acropolis of Athens
Place· ★ 9.6Ruins of iconic 5th-century B.C. temple complex on Athens' rocky hilltop undergoing restoration.
- 10
Sagrada Família
Place· ★ 9.6Antoni Gaudí's renowned unfinished church, started in the 1880s, with museum and city views.
- 11
Alhambra
Place· ★ 9.6Medieval complex housing palaces, carved Moorish throne room & cloistered courtyards with fountains.
- 12
Christ the Redeemer
Place· ★ 9.6Giant, 30-m-tall mountaintop statue of Jesus Christ, accessed by train & offering city views.
- 13
Stonehenge
Place· ★ 9.0Legendary neolithic monument made using stones transported from Wales & built for unknown purposes.
- 14
Mount Fuji
Place· ★ 9.2Iconic snow-capped peak & volcano, the highest in Japan & the 7th highest island peak on earth.
- 15
Grand Canyon
Place· ★ 9.6Beyond its scenic overlooks, this mile-deep geologic wonder features hikes, mule rides & rafting.
- 16
Iguazú Falls
Place· ★ 9.8Massive, picturesque waterfalls surrounded by trails, with wildlife & a train through the jungle.
- 17
Oia, Santorini
Place - 18
Neuschwanstein Castle
Place· ★ 9.2Turreted, 19th-century, hilltop castle built for King Ludwig II, with tours of furnished rooms.
- 19
Borobudur
Place· ★ 9.4Dating from the 9th century, this site is renowned as the largest Buddhist temple in the world.
- 20
Uluru
Place· ★ 9.2This huge sandstone monolith in Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park is sacred to indigenous Australians.