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50 UNESCO World Heritage Sites to see before you die

50 places · 33 countries

From Machu Picchu to Cappadocia, 50 World Heritage Sites: why they're famous, how best to see them and when not to go.

  1. Machu Picchu
    Cusco Region · PeruMachu Picchu15th-century Inca citadel above Urubamba Valley. UNESCO since 1983.
  2. Petra, Ad Deir (the Monastery)
    Ma'an · JordanPetraRose-red Nabataean city carved into sandstone cliffs. UNESCO 1985, one of the New 7 Wonders.
  3. Angkor Wat temple
    Siem Reap · CambodiaAngkorKhmer Empire capital (9th-15th c.). World's largest religious monument, UNESCO 1992.
  1. Great Wall of China
    Beijing · ChinaGreat Wall of China21,000+ km defensive wall built across dynasties from 7th c. BC. UNESCO 1987.
  2. Pyramids of Giza
    Giza · EgyptPyramids of GizaLast surviving Ancient Wonder. Pyramid of Khufu and Sphinx, c. 2560 BC. UNESCO 1979.
  3. Taj Mahal
    Agra · IndiaTaj MahalWhite-marble Mughal mausoleum built by Shah Jahan for Mumtaz Mahal (1632-53). UNESCO 1983.
  4. Acropolis of Athens
    Athens · GreeceAcropolis of Athens5th-c. BC citadel with the Parthenon, masterpiece of Classical Greek architecture. UNESCO 1987.
  5. Colosseum — part of the Historic Centre of Rome
    Rome · ItalyHistoric Centre of RomeColosseum, Forum, Pantheon — capital of an empire that shaped Western civilization. UNESCO 1980.
  6. Stonehenge
    Wiltshire · United KingdomStonehenge and AveburyNeolithic stone circle (~3000-2000 BC), aligned to solstices. UNESCO 1986.
  7. Mont-Saint-Michel
    Mont-Saint-Michel · FranceMont-Saint-Michel and its BayTidal-island abbey rising from Normandy bay, founded 8th c. UNESCO 1979.
  8. Ruins of Pompeii and Mount Vesuvius
    Pompeii · ItalyPompeii and HerculaneumRoman city frozen by Vesuvius eruption, 79 AD. UNESCO 1997.
  9. Galápagos Islands
    Puerto Ayora · EcuadorGalápagos IslandsVolcanic archipelago that inspired Darwin's evolution theory. First UNESCO site, 1978.
  10. Grand Prismatic Spring — Yellowstone
    Wyoming · USAYellowstone National ParkWorld's first national park (1872). Geysers, Old Faithful, supervolcano caldera. UNESCO 1978.
  11. Grand Canyon
    Arizona · USAGrand Canyon National Park446 km canyon carved by the Colorado River, up to 1,800 m deep. UNESCO 1979.
  12. Iguazú Falls
    Puerto Iguazú · ArgentinaIguazu National Park275 cascading waterfalls on the Argentina-Brazil border. UNESCO 1984.
  13. Great Barrier Reef (satellite image)
    Cairns · AustraliaGreat Barrier ReefWorld's largest coral reef system, 2,300 km long, visible from space. UNESCO 1981.
  14. Moai statues — Rapa Nui
    Hanga Roa · ChileRapa Nui National Park887 monumental moai statues carved by the Rapa Nui (10th-16th c.). UNESCO 1995.
  15. Borobudur temple
    Magelang · IndonesiaBorobudur Temple Compounds9th-c. Mahayana Buddhist temple, world's largest, with 504 Buddha statues. UNESCO 1991.
  16. Kinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion) — Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto
    Kyoto · JapanHistoric Monuments of Ancient Kyoto17 temples, shrines and gardens — heart of Japanese culture for 1,000 years. UNESCO 1994.
  17. Palace of Versailles
    Versailles · FrancePalace and Park of VersaillesLouis XIV's baroque palace, symbol of absolutism. Hall of Mirrors. UNESCO 1979.
  18. Alhambra
    Granada · SpainAlhambra and Albayzín, Granada13th-c. Nasrid palace, finest surviving example of Moorish architecture. UNESCO 1984.
  19. Sagrada Família — one of Gaudí's works
    Barcelona · SpainWorks of Antoni GaudíSagrada Família, Park Güell and other Gaudí masterpieces. UNESCO 1984/2005.
  20. Hagia Sophia — Historic Areas of Istanbul
    Istanbul · TürkiyeHistoric Areas of IstanbulHagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, Topkapı — 2,000+ years of Roman, Byzantine, Ottoman capitals. UNESCO 1985.
  21. Göreme National Park
    Göreme · TürkiyeGöreme and the Rock Sites of CappadociaVolcanic fairy chimneys, cave churches and underground cities. UNESCO 1985.
  22. Pamukkale travertines
    Pamukkale · TürkiyeHierapolis-PamukkaleWhite travertine terraces above ancient Hierapolis spa city. UNESCO 1988.
  23. Ephesus, Library of Celsus
    Selçuk · TürkiyeEphesusGreco-Roman city with Library of Celsus and Temple of Artemis ruins. UNESCO 2015.
  24. Temples of Bagan
    Bagan · MyanmarBagan2,200 surviving Buddhist temples on a plain, built 11th-13th c. UNESCO 2019.
  25. Ha Long Bay
    Quang Ninh · VietnamHa Long Bay1,600 limestone karst islands rising from emerald water. UNESCO 1994.
  26. Plitvice Lakes
    Plitvička Jezera · CroatiaPlitvice Lakes National Park16 cascading turquoise lakes connected by waterfalls and wooden walkways. UNESCO 1979.
  27. Old City of Dubrovnik
    Dubrovnik · CroatiaOld City of DubrovnikWalled medieval port, Adriatic 'Pearl', filming site of King's Landing. UNESCO 1979.
  28. Historic Centre of Salzburg
    Salzburg · AustriaHistoric Centre of the City of SalzburgBaroque old town, Mozart's birthplace, hilltop fortress. UNESCO 1996.
  29. Historic Centre of Prague
    Prague · CzechiaHistoric Centre of PragueGothic Charles Bridge, Astronomical Clock, Prague Castle skyline. UNESCO 1992.
  30. Venice
    Venice · ItalyVenice and its LagoonCity of canals built on 118 islands, Byzantine St. Mark's Basilica. UNESCO 1987.
  31. Florence Cathedral — part of the Historic Centre of Florence
    Florence · ItalyHistoric Centre of FlorenceCradle of the Renaissance — Brunelleschi's Dome, Uffizi, Michelangelo's David. UNESCO 1982.
  32. Pena Palace — Sintra
    Sintra · PortugalCultural Landscape of SintraRomantic 19th-c. palaces in Atlantic forest hills near Lisbon. UNESCO 1995.
  33. Church of St. George — Lalibela
    Lalibela · EthiopiaRock-Hewn Churches, Lalibela11 monolithic churches carved into bedrock in the 12th-13th c. UNESCO 1978.
  34. Serengeti National Park
    Arusha · TanzaniaSerengeti National ParkAnnual migration of 1.5M wildebeest and zebra across endless plains. UNESCO 1981.
  35. Victoria Falls
    Livingstone · ZambiaVictoria Falls1,708 m wide curtain of water on Zambezi River, 'Smoke that Thunders'. UNESCO 1989.
  36. Great Mosque of Djenné
    Djenné · MaliOld Towns of DjennéGreat Mosque of Djenné — world's largest mud-brick building (rebuilt 1907). UNESCO 1988.
  37. Jemaa el-Fnaa square — Medina of Marrakesh
    Marrakesh · MoroccoMedina of Marrakesh11th-c. walled imperial city with Jemaa el-Fnaa square and souks. UNESCO 1985.
  38. Historic Cairo, Mosque of Sultan Hassan
    Cairo · EgyptHistoric CairoOne of the world's oldest Islamic cities — mosques, madrasas, Khan el-Khalili. UNESCO 1979.
  39. Tikal
    Petén · GuatemalaTikal National ParkMaya city (4th c. BC-10th c. AD) with pyramids rising above jungle canopy. UNESCO 1979.
  40. Chichén Itzá, El Castillo
    Yucatán · MexicoChichén ItzáMaya-Toltec city with El Castillo pyramid; equinox serpent shadow. UNESCO 1988.
  41. Cusco
    Cusco · PeruCity of CuzcoInca capital with Spanish colonial overlay; gateway to Machu Picchu. UNESCO 1983.
  42. Sagarmatha National Park — Everest region
    Solukhumbu · NepalSagarmatha National ParkHome of Mt. Everest (8,849 m) and Sherpa culture. UNESCO 1979.
  43. Khajuraho temples
    Khajuraho · IndiaKhajuraho Group of Monuments10th-12th c. Hindu and Jain temples famous for sensual sculptures. UNESCO 1986.
  44. Hampi
    Hampi · IndiaGroup of Monuments at HampiRuins of 14th-c. Vijayanagara Empire capital among boulder landscape. UNESCO 1986.
  45. Uluru
    Yulara · AustraliaUluru-Kata Tjuta National ParkSacred Anangu monolith (348 m) glowing red at sunset. UNESCO 1987.
  46. Sydney Opera House
    Sydney · AustraliaSydney Opera HouseJørn Utzon's 1973 sail-shell architectural icon on Sydney Harbour. UNESCO 2007.
  47. Meteora monasteries
    Kalambaka · GreeceMeteoraSix Eastern Orthodox monasteries perched atop sandstone pillars. UNESCO 1988.

Source: UNESCO World Heritage List. This is not a ranking; the selection of 50 sites and their order are by the TripWalkers team. Photos from Wikimedia Commons under open licences; places without a photo show a location map (Natural Earth).

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