1. Sydney Opera House, Australia
Best time to visit: March-May, Sept-Nov
- The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue performing arts center, located on the foreshore of Sydney Harbour
- It is widely regarded as one of the world's most famous and distinctive buildings and a masterpiece of 20th-century architecture
- The building also houses a recording studio, retail shops, cafes, restaurants, and bars
- Guided tours are available, including a frequent tour of the front-of-house spaces, and a daily backstage tour that takes visitors backstage to see areas normally reserved for performers and crew members
Featured in The Best of Australia
2. Eiffel Tower, Paris, France
Best time to visit: June-Oct
- The Eiffel Tower is a wrought-iron lattice tower located on the Champ de Mars in Paris
- It was designed by engineer Gustave Eiffel and constructed between 1887 and 1889 as part of the preparations for the Exposition Universelle (World's Fair) held in Paris to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the French Revolution
- Originally intended as a temporary structure, it has become one of the most iconic landmarks in the world
- The tower stands approximately 1,083 feet (330 meters) tall, making it one of the tallest structures in Paris
- Every evening, the Eiffel Tower is illuminated with a golden light and sparkles for five minutes at the start of each hour, and also features a beacon that shines over the city
Featured in The Best of France
3. Mont-Saint-Michel, Normandy, France
Best time to visit: June-Aug
- Mont-Saint-Michel is a tidal island and commune located in Normandy, renowned for its medieval architecture, particularly the Abbey of Mont-Saint-Michel, which rises from the rocky islet
- It is surrounded by vast sandbanks and experiences some of the highest tides in the world, which can vary by up to 15 meters (about 49 feet)
- Mont-Saint-Michel has been a significant pilgrimage site since its founding as a religious sanctuary in 708 AD
- It was dedicated to St. Michael and became one of the most important pilgrimage destinations in medieval Europe
- The island features a village with narrow streets, shops, and residences, alongside the abbey and fortifications
Featured in The Best of France
4. Acropolis of Athens, Greece
Best time to visit: March-May, Sept-Nov
- The Acropolis of Athens is an ancient citadel located on a rocky outcrop above the city of Athens
- It contains the remains of several ancient buildings of great architectural and historical significance, the most famous being the Parthenon
- During ancient times the Acropolis of Athens was also more properly known as Cecropia, after the legendary serpent-man Cecrops, the supposed first Athenian king
Featured in The Best of Greece
5. Brandenburg Gate, Berlin, Germany
Best time to visit: May-Sept
- The Brandenburg Gate is an 18th-century neoclassical monument in Berlin
- One of the best-known landmarks of Germany, it was erected on the site of a former city gate that marked the start of the road from Berlin to Brandenburg an der Havel, the former capital of the Margraviate of Brandenburg
- After World War II and during the Cold War, until its fall in 1989, the gateway was obstructed by the Berlin Wall, and was for almost three decades a marker of the city's division
- Since German reunification in 1990, it has been considered not only a symbol of the tumultuous histories of Germany and Europe, but also of European unity and peace
Featured in The Best of Germany
6. Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco, California, United States
Best time to visit: Sept-Nov
- The Golden Gate Bridge is a suspension bridge spanning the Golden Gate, the one-mile-wide (1.6 km) strait connecting San Francisco Bay and the Pacific Ocean
- It also carries pedestrian and bicycle traffic
- At the time of its opening in 1937, it was both the longest and the tallest suspension bridge in the world, titles it held until 1964 and 1998 respectively
- Recognized by the American Society of Civil Engineers as one of the Wonders of the Modern World, the bridge is one of the most internationally recognized symbols of San Francisco and California
Featured in The Best of California
#36 in Best Attractions in the World
7. Neuschwanstein Castle, Hohenschwangau, Germany
- Neuschwanstein Castle is a 19th-century historicist palace on a rugged hill of the foothills of the Alps in the south of Germany
- Despite the main residence of the Bavarian monarchs at the time—the Munich Residenz—being one of the most extensive palace complexes in the world, King Ludwig II of Bavaria felt the need to escape from the constraints he saw himself exposed to in Munich, and commissioned Neuschwanstein Palace in the remote region as a retreat but also in honor of composer Richard Wagner, whom he greatly admired
- Construction began in 1869 but was never completed
- The castle was intended to serve as a private residence for the king but he died in 1886, and it was opened to the public shortly after his death
Featured in The Best of Germany
8. Leaning Tower of Pisa, Italy
- The Leaning Tower of Pisa is a freestanding bell tower located in Pisa, where it serves as a bell tower for the adjacent Pisa Cathedral
- The tower's construction began in 1173 and spanned nearly 200 years, completing in the 14th century
- The tower is famous for its unintended tilt, which is a result of unstable foundation soil. It leans at an angle of about 5.5 degrees due to settling and has undergone various stabilization efforts over the years
- The Leaning Tower is renowned for its Romanesque architectural style, characterized by its white and gray marble construction and intricate arcades
Featured in The Best of Italy
9. Buckingham Palace, London, England, United Kingdom
Best time to visit: March-May
- Buckingham Palace is a royal residence in London, and the administrative headquarters of the monarch of the United Kingdom
- Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is often at the center of state occasions and royal hospitality
- It has been a focal point for the British people at times of national rejoicing and mourning
- Originally known as Buckingham House, the building at the core of today's palace was a large townhouse built for the Duke of Buckingham in 1703 on a site that had been in private ownership for at least 150 years
Featured in The Best of the United Kingdom
10. Sagrada Família, Barcelona, Spain
Best time to visit: May-June
- Sagrada Família, is a church under construction in the Eixample district of Barcelona, Catalonia
- It is the largest unfinished Catholic church in the world
- Sagrada Família was designed by Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí (1852–1926)
- In 2010, Pope Benedict XVI consecrated the church and proclaimed it a minor basilica
- The style of Sagrada Família is variously likened to Spanish Late Gothic, Catalan Modernism or Art Nouveau
- In 2024, an updated forecast reconfirmed a likely completion of the building in 2026, though the announcement stated that work on sculptures, decorative details and a controversial proposed stairway leading to what will eventually be the main entrance is expected to continue until 2034
- Visitors can access the Nave, Crypt, Museum, Shop, and the Passion and Nativity steeples
Featured in The Best of Spain
11. Colosseum, Rome, Italy
Best time to visit: Jan-April, Oct-Dec
- The Colosseum is a monumental amphitheater located in the center of Rome
- The Colosseum was built as a demonstration of the power and grandeur of Rome, commissioned by Emperor Vespasian around AD 70-80
- It could accommodate tens of thousands of spectators, making it the largest amphitheater in the Roman world
- It was the venue for various public spectacles, including gladiatorial contests, animal hunts, mock naval battles, and was even a site for executions
- The Colosseum is an elliptical structure made primarily of stone and concrete, utilizing a complex system of vaults, which was innovative for its time
Featured in The Best of Italy
12. Statue of Liberty, New York City, New York, United States
Best time to visit: Jan-Dec
- The Statue of Liberty is a colossal neoclassical sculpture on Liberty Island in New York Harbor, within New York City
- The copper-clad statue, a gift to the United States from the people of France, was designed by French sculptor Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi and its metal framework was built by Gustave Eiffel
- The statue is a figure of a classically draped woman, likely inspired by the Roman goddess of liberty Libertas
- She holds a torch above her head with her right hand, and in her left hand carries a tabula ansata inscribed JULY IV MDCCLXXVI (July 4, 1776, in Roman numerals), the date of the U.S. Declaration of Independence
- With her left foot she steps on a broken chain and shackle, commemorating the national abolition of slavery following the American Civil War
- After its dedication in 1886, the statue became an icon of freedom and of the United States, being subsequently seen as a symbol of welcome to immigrants arriving by sea
Featured in The Best of New York
#12 in Best Attractions in the World
#47 in Best Attractions in the USA
13. Stonehenge, Wiltshire, England, United Kingdom
- Stonehenge is a prehistoric megalithic structure on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire, England
- It consists of an outer ring of vertical sarsen standing stones, weighing around 25 tons, topped by connecting horizontal lintel stones
- The whole monument, now ruinous, is aligned towards the sunrise on the summer solstice and sunset on the winter solstice
- The stones are set within earthworks in the middle of the densest complex of Neolithic and Bronze Age monuments in England, including several hundred tumuli (burial mounds)
- Stonehenge was constructed in several phases beginning about 3100 BC and continuing until about 1600 BC
Featured in The Best of the United Kingdom
14. Oia, Santorini, Greece
Best time to visit: April-May, Sept-Oct
- Oia is a small village and former community in the South Aegean on the islands of Thira (Santorini) and Therasia, in the Cyclades
- Oia typifies the white-painted houses of the Cyclades, in many cases built directly into niches which are cave houses used by crew of the ships, on the lip of the volcanic crater, between which are narrow alleys and blue-roofed churches with cupolas
- The wealthy ship captains of the late 19th century built neo-classical mansions, each built in succession one above the other
Featured in The Best of Greece
15. Mount Fuji, Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park, Japan
- Mount Fuji is an active stratovolcano that is the highest mountain in Japan, and seventh-highest peak of an island on Earth
- Mount Fuji last erupted from 1707 to 1708
- The mountain is visible from the Japanese capital on clear days - Mount Fuji's exceptionally symmetrical cone, which is covered in snow for about five months of the year, is commonly used as a cultural icon of Japan and is frequently depicted in art and photography, as well as visited by sightseers, hikers and mountain climbers
Featured in The Best of Japan
16. Lake Louise, Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada
Best time to visit: June-Aug
- Lake Louise is a glacial lake located within Banff National Park, in the Canadian Rockies
- It is renowned for its turquoise waters, which are fed by glacial melt, and is surrounded by mountains and the Victoria Glacier
- Lake Louise offers various outdoor activities, including hiking, skiing, and photography
- It features one of North America's largest ski resorts
Featured in The Best of Alberta
17. Grand Canyon South Rim, Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona, United States
Best time to visit: March-May, Sept-Nov
- Grand Canyon South Rim is the highway enters the park through the South Entrance, near Tusayan, Arizona, and heads eastward, leaving the park through the East Entrance
- It averages about 7,000 feet (approximately 2,134 meters) above sea level, providing stunning viewpoints
- The South Rim features Grand Canyon Village, which has campgrounds, lodges, restaurants, and visitor centers, and a shuttle system to help visitors navigate the area
- Overall, some 30 miles of the South Rim are accessible by road
Featured in The Best of Arizona