The world has so many exciting places to visit that making a list of the best tourist sites is difficult, however, we did it.
The following are the 50 best tourist places in the world that are visited by millions of people annually, making them special and unique. Let’s get to know them.
1. Great Wall, China
This 212,000 km fortification, of which approximately 1/3 has been preserved, is the largest construction of its kind in the world and one of China’s tourist icons.
The work linked the Sino-Korean border with the Gobi desert and was built as a protection against hostile Chinese peoples and foreign enemies, between the 5th and 16th centuries BC.
Its height is between 6 and 7 meters and its maximum width is 5 meters, so it cannot be seen from the Moon, much less from Mars.
For its construction, the materials that were at hand throughout the long journey were used. It has sectors of limestone, crushed gravel, fired bricks and granite.
The watchtowers and barracks were located to take advantage of the strategic advantages of the topography.
The Great Wall of China was included among the New Seven Wonders of the Modern World and is a World Heritage Site.
2. Great Pyramid of Giza, Egypt
In the Giza Necropolis, 14 km southwest of Cairo, you will find the Menkaure, Khafre and Cheops pyramids, the latter the most attractive for tourists as it is the only one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World that remains standing. In addition, it is the largest of the Egyptian pyramids and was the tallest construction on the planet for almost 4 millennia.
Cheops has a height of 136.9 meters and each of its sides measures 230 meters and a fraction. It was built by the pharaoh, Cheops, around the year 2570 BC and the way in which the ancient Egyptians mined, transported, carved, lifted and assembled its more than 2 million stone blocks, in one of the most colossal engineering feats in human history.
Its chambers, galleries and interior passages are spaces full of mystery.
3. The Alhambra, Granada, Spain
The most visited Spanish monument after the Expiatory Temple of the Sagrada Familia.
This Andalusian citadel, a World Heritage Site and where the Nasrid king and his court lived, is made up of palaces, beautiful gardens and a fortress.
Among its buildings, the citadel, several palaces and Nasrid buildings (Palacio de Comares, Palace of the Lions, the Emperor’s rooms, El Partal and Paseo de las Torres), the Palace of Carlos V (Renaissance building), the Convent of San Francisco (former 14th century palace built by Muhammad III) and the Generalife, a resting village for Muslim kings.
The architectural ensemble was wisely inserted into the surrounding nature and the decoration of its interiors is one of the peaks of Hispano-Muslim art.
In the buildings there are about 10,000 inscriptions written in classical Arabic, most of them texts from the Koran, verses from poems of the time and sentences.
4. Eiffel Tower, Paris, France
The most famous tower in the world has an architectural height of 300 meters, rising to 324 meters when including its antenna. It has 3 floors located respectively at 57.6, 115.7 and 276.1 meters from the base, which you can reach by climbing its more than 1600 steps or by elevator.
The structure was erected for the Universal Exposition of 1889 and described by the French art community as an iron monstrosity, little suspecting that it would become the most visited paid-admission monument in the world.
At night it is illuminated with thousands of bulbs and flashes, to also be the nocturnal emblem of Paris.
Its most famous restaurant is Le Jules Verne, whose haute cuisine stoves are run by celebrity chef, Alain Ducasse.
Hardly anyone knows who Maurice Koechlin, Émile Nouguier and Stephen Sauvestre were, designers of the famous tower, but everyone has heard of its builder, Gustave Eiffel.
5. Hollywood Sign, Los Angeles, USA
What began in 1923 as a huge commercial advertisement promoting a real estate development, became the main tourist postcard for Los Angeles, California.
Real estate developer HJ Whitley, also known as the “Father of Hollywood,” used mules to climb the original 50-foot-tall, 30-foot-wide letters. Since 1978 they measure 13.7 meters high.
The Hollywood sign has been the scene of suicides, car accidents, acts of vandalism, and film and television filming. Few tourists, perhaps none, will have left Los Angeles without taking a photo.
The letters are on Mount Lee in Griffith Park. They have a perimeter fence with cameras and motion detectors to prevent acts of vandalism and unauthorized access.
The original letter H was semi-destroyed in 1940 by a drunk driver. In 2005 it was auctioned by ebay.
6. Expiatory Temple of the Sagrada Familia, Barcelona, Spain
The masterpiece of the 19th century Spanish architect, Antoni Gaudí, great master of modernism, is one of the most photographed cathedrals in the world.
The Catalan artist began the monumental church in 1882 and despite more than 130 years having passed, the most visited temple in Europe after Saint Peter’s Basilica in Rome, it is still unfinished.
Gaudí achieved with the Sagrada Familia a perfect harmony between the structural and decorative elements.
The cathedral is an artistic compendium of his experiences of works he carried out in Barcelona, among which Park Güell stands out.
The temple consists of 5 central naves and 3 facades dedicated to the Birth, the Passion and Death and the Resurrection of Jesus. When it is finished it will have 18 towers, one for each apostle, 4 for the evangelists, one for the Virgin and one for Jesus.
Before Gaudí’s death, run over by a tram, the façade dedicated to the Nativity (partially), the apse and the crypt had been completed.
7. Tower of Pisa, Italy
Among the tourist places in the world, this is the one that has demanded the most attention to avoid collapse.
It is a jewel of Romanesque art that began to lean as soon as its construction began in 1173. Since then, it has leaned in micromovements, which warranted its closure and reinforcement in 1990.
It was reopened in 2011 after more than 20 years of work with which it is believed that it will stop moving for at least 200 years.
The tower has a length of 56.7 meters on its highest side and 55.9 meters on its shortest side, for an inclination of 4 degrees and 3.9 meters from the vertical. It weighs 14,700 tons and is located in the Duomo square in the Tuscan city of Pisa.
There is a legend that Galileo went up to the highest level to launch 2 cannonballs of different masses and thus demonstrate that the rate of descent was independent of them.
8. Grand Palace in Bangkok, Thailand
The most important architectural monument in Thailand was ordered to be built in the 1790s by the King of Siam, Rama I the Great. It is protected on one side by the Chao Phraya River and on the other by a channel built for defensive purposes, so it appears to be on an island.
The palace complex was the royal residence until the middle of the 20th century. It is now used for ceremonies such as coronations, weddings, state banquets, and royal funerals.
Its most famous site is the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, the most revered Buddha figure in the country. It was brought from Vientiane (now the capital of Laos) when this city was occupied by Rama I in 1779. Lao people claim that the true home of the Emerald Buddha is Vientiane.
The figure, which is not made of emerald but of green jade, measures 45 cm. It is believed to have been made in India in 43 BC.
9. Mount Fuji, Japan
The main Japanese geographic symbol visible from Tokyo in clear weather. Its 3,776 meters above sea level make it the highest peak in Japan, a sacred place and an entertainment center.
It is a volcano considered active but with low eruptive risk. Its last activity was recorded in 1707.
Along the way there are stations with shelters, Buddhist temples and other attractions.
The climb to Fuji is relatively comfortable since the trails have little slope. A road reaches 2,300 meters above sea level at the fifth station and there are 4 ascent routes. It is usual to go up one route and down another to learn more about the mountain and admire the landscape.
The most popular climbing season is July and August when there are more tourist services, including the opening of refuges and bus transportation to the fifth station.
10. Neuschwanstein Castle, Bavaria, Germany
The most photographed site in Germany was ordered to be built in 1869 by the feverish mind of King Ludwig II of Bavaria, when castles had lost their strategic utility as defense bulwarks.
It is a combination of towers, naves and courtyards in harmony with the mountains and lakes of the Bavarian Alps, conceived by the king as an idealized medieval castle.
It contains several allegories of the legendary characters from the operas of Richard Wagner, friend and confidant of the king.
The castle is a mix of styles with Romanesque, Gothic and Byzantine elements. Among its main rooms are the throne room and the singers’ room, beautifully decorated.
The royal chambers are located on the third floor of the eastern sector of the palace and are splendidly decorated with murals, tapestries and furniture.
The work served as Walt Disney’s model for his Sleeping Beauty castle at Disneyland Park in Anaheim.
11. Burj Khalifa, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
The 828 meters high of this stylized Dubai skyscraper make it the tallest building in the world and also the most expensive: 20 billion dollars.
It was designed by the American architect, Adrian Smith. Its base is inspired by the Hymenocallis, a 6-petal flower that grows in Dubai.
Part of an urban complex in downtown Dubai, the tower is cleverly designed to withstand the city’s strong winds and sandstorms.
The work consists of 163 floors that are accessed by 58 elevators. It is built in reinforced concrete and high resistance steel. Its interior design inspired by Dubai culture combines rock floors, polished stone, stainless steel, glass, stucco, handcrafted textures and over a thousand works of art.
The building has 700 luxury apartments, a viewpoint, an observatory and the world’s first Armani brand hotel.
12. Statue of Liberty, New York, USA
A metal statue, a gift from France to the United States on the first centenary of American independence, stands on Liberty Island, at the mouth of the Hudson River.
The most famous monument in New York is 93 meters high, including the torch. It was built in a copper-clad stainless steel frame, with the flame of the torch covered in gold foil.
Its design is the work of sculptor Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi, with an internal structure by the engineer, Gustave Eiffel, including the 354-step spiral staircase that reaches the crown.
In addition to being a symbol of freedom, the statue was the first sighting point for immigrants traveling from European ships to America in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
13. Cancun and the Riviera Maya, Mexico
The beaches of Mexico in the Caribbean are white and fine sand and waters of a wonderful turquoise blue. There are some with intense waves for surfing and others with calm waters for swimming.
In front of the sandbanks there are hotel areas with establishments for all budgets and that have made the all-inclusive service a specialty for the maximum pleasure and comfort of the visitor.
The archaeological sites of Tulum and Chichén Itzá are two of the most important of the Mayan culture, especially the second that houses dozens of buildings and monuments that show the artistic talent and advanced development in astronomy of this civilization.
In the Riviera Maya, near its main city, Playa del Carmen, are the most exciting ecological and adventure parks in Mexico and the Caribbean, such as Xplor, Xcaret and Xel-Há.
14. Colosseum, Rome, Italy
It is estimated that the Roman Empire had close to 60 million inhabitants during its heyday and Rome, its great metropolis, was very eager for shows.
To entertain the masses, the emperor Vespasian ordered the construction of a large amphitheater with a capacity for 65 thousand people in 70 AD: the coliseum.
The monumental work close to turning 2,000 years old is one of the most famous of classical Antiquity, a World Heritage Site that is part of the list of the New Seven Wonders of the Modern World.
The main shows were the fights between gladiators and their confrontations with wild beasts. It is known that at the coliseum inauguration festivities, which lasted 100 days, more than a hundred fighters died.
The greatest icon of imperial Rome was also the scene of naval battles, executions, hunting of animals brought from Africa and plays, for more than 500 years.
The Colosseum is currently the paid attraction in Rome with the most visitors.
15. Chichen Itza, Yucatan, Mexico
Archaeological city in the Yucatecan municipality of Tinum that was the maximum urban development of the Mayans in Mexico. Most of its buildings were erected during the late classical period (800-1100 AD).
Chichén Itzá was included in 2007 among the New Seven Wonders of the Modern World and has been a World Heritage Site since 1988.
The architecture of the complex has an evident Toltec influence and the main deity honored, Kukulkan, is clearly a representation of Quetzalcóatl, the fundamental god of the culture that developed in the Mexican highlands.
The most important monument in Chichén Itzá is the Temple of Kukulkan, a 24-meter-high pyramid with 4 facades of surprising construction and astronomical details.
The Sacred Cenote, one of the main pilgrimage sites in Mayan antiquity, was the scene of offerings and human sacrifices.
16. Hagia Sophia, Istanbul, Turkey
In its long history from the 4th century it was an Orthodox cathedral, a Catholic cathedral and a mosque, until its secularization and conversion into a museum in 1935.
It is famous for its enormous dome, considered the greatest architectural achievement of the Byzantine Empire and for more than a thousand years it was the largest church in the world, until the construction of the Seville Cathedral.
It was the scene of transcendental moments for Christianity such as the excommunication of the patriarch, Miguel Cerulario, in 1051, an event that triggered the Eastern Schism.
It was from 1453 the main mosque of Constantinople and the model to follow for the construction of other Islamic temples, such as the Blue Mosque and the Suleiman Mosque.
Its minarets and the dome that changed the history of architecture are worthy of admiration, as are its Byzantine mosaics, relics of saints, Christ Pantokrator over the emperor’s door, the altar with magnificent chandeliers, beautiful pavilions, huge alabaster cisterns and beautiful calligraphic medallions.
17. Forbidden City, Beijing, China
This majestic city of 980 buildings in an area of 72 hectares, was home to 24 Chinese emperors from its completion in 1420, until the last emperor, Puyi, abdicated in 1912.
It is built mainly of wood and marble and is a World Heritage Site. It is also the largest surviving ancient wooden architectural complex in the world.
It is called the Forbidden City because no one could enter or leave without authorization from the emperor.
It currently functions as a tourist attraction housing the Palace Museum with more than 1.8 million objects, including Chinese porcelain and other valuable ceramics, paintings, bronze objects, furniture, inscriptions, court documents, and one of the collections of the world’s largest ancient books and manuscripts.
A small part of the Forbidden City’s heritage was brought to Taiwan during the Chinese civil war in the mid-20th century and is now on display at the National Taipei Palace Museum.
A million workers participated in the construction of the city.
18. Buckingham Palace, London, England
Originally a hotel built in 1703 for the 1st Duke of Buckingham and Normanby, John Sheffield. King George III bought it in 1762 as a private residence and then entered a long period of additions and renovations, until Queen Victoria made it the official residence of the British monarchy.
The palace has 777 rooms, an artificial lake and the largest and most splendid private gardens in London.
Bombed during World War II, the permanence of the royal family in the compound was a symbol of the integrity of the nation.
The residence is partially open to the public, who can see the valuable art collection that includes works by Rembrandt, Vermeer, Van Dyck, Rubens and other masters of universal art.
The colorful changing of the guard ceremony is the most awaited moment by tourists during the summer and some days in winter.
19. Gyeongbokgung, Seoul, South Korea
This beautiful palace complex with more than 600 years of history was the seat of the Korean monarchy between 1395 and 1910, during the reign of the Joseon dynasty that ended with the annexation of Korea by the Japanese Empire.
It was built by Lee Seong-Gye, the first monarch of the dynasty, when he decided to move the capital to Seoul at the end of the 14th century. It has an area of 502,000 m2 and had separate apartments for the king, his court, the queen and the king’s mother.
It is famous for its gardens, its fireplace and its lotus ponds. The construction of the palace made excellent use of the topography around Mount Amisan, creating a harmonious and beautiful ensemble in which the property and the surrounding nature “blend”.
Gyeongbokgung is a magnificent example of traditional Korean palace architecture. Open daily except Tuesdays.
20. Sydney Opera House, Australia
Few people know that if the semi-domes of the Sydney Opera House were joined together, they would form a perfect hemisphere.
When the engineers and architects devoted themselves to the execution of the visionary project, one of the first computer-assisted, they found that the dome-by-dome construction would make the work so expensive that it would make it unfeasible.
Then they had the idea of making the domes with prefabricated pieces, starting from a “mother” sphere 150 meters in diameter. This avant-garde dome design makes the Australian building one of the most recognizable in the world.
The Sydney Opera House has a 2,679-seat concert hall, a 1,547-seat opera house, a 544-seat drama theater, a music hall, a theater studio, dressing rooms, offices, 2 restaurants and 6 bars.
Sydney’s architectural icon was completed in 1973.
21. Disneyland Park, Anaheim, USA
When the Disney brothers opened this park in 1955 they probably had no idea of the gold mine represented by a place of magical fairy tale entertainment, themed food, drink and souvenirs for a captive audience.
The Disney parks have been wise enough to periodically renew their high-quality shows, which take advantage of technological resources without losing their traditional family profile.
The pioneer park of the famous entertainment company is the most visited place in Anaheim, California. His iconic image is Sleeping Beauty’s castle, inspired by Neuschwanstein Castle.
Among the theme spaces in the Anaheim park, Mickey’s Toontown stands out, which the famous mouse shares with his friends Donald, Goofy and Minnie.
22. Mount Everest, Nepal and China
The “roof of the world” has not stopped summoning climbers eager to crown it since the New Zealander, Sir Edmund Hillary and the Nepalese Sherpa, Tenzing Norgay, made the first summit on May 29, 1953.
The highest peak on the planet with its summit at 8,848 meters above sea level, is in the Himalayas, on the border between Nepal and Tibet (China).
The mountain is called by the Tibetans, “Chomolungma”, which means “Mother of the Universe”. The Nepalis call it “Sagarmatha”, which means “Forehead of Heaven”.
Since Hilary and Norgay, Mount Everest has been climbed by more than 7,600 climbers, but has cost nearly 300 others their lives.
The Japanese, Yuichiro Miura, was the first to crown it at 70 and 80 years of age.
You can take an air tour from Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal which is 160 km west of Everest.
23. Petra, Jordan
Petra is a Jordanian archaeological city that the Nabataeans literally dug out and carved directly into the stone.
This ancient Ismaili people began their monumental work in the 6th century BC, bequeathing to humanity jewels such as Al Khazneh or “The Treasury”, the Deir or “Monastery”, the Roman Theatre, tombs, mosaics and sculptures, some inspired by Antiquity. classic and others in animals (lions, eagles, elephants).
Petra was rediscovered for the world in 1812 by the Islamist explorer and scholar, Jean Louis Burckhardt, who also rediscovered the temples of Ramses II and Nefertari in Egypt. He was also one of the first Europeans to visit Mecca and Medina.
The city, a World Heritage Site and included in the list of the New Seven Wonders of the Modern World in 2007, can be seen in just one day of excursion that begins at El Siq, the entrance to a narrow 1.2 km gorge that leads to the ruins.
24. Louvre Museum, Paris, France
It is the most visited museum in the world with more than 10 million visits a year, people who go to admire La Gioconda, as well as great works by Giotto, Cimabue, Van Eyck, Mantegna, Dürer, Da Vinci, Raphael, Veronese, Van Dyck , Ribera, Rembrandt, Vermeer, Goya, Corot, Delacorix and other luminaries of painting before Impressionism.
Classical Antiquity is represented by works such as the Venus de Milo and the Winged Victory of Samothrace. Another valuable piece is the Code of Hammurabi, the oldest surviving set of laws.
The Louvre opened in 1793 in full revolutionary effervescence, becoming the prototype of the national museum. It began with the large French private collections of the monarchy, the Church and the aristocracy, and was enriched by the Napoleonic campaigns and an aggressive acquisition program in the 19th century.
For all these reasons it is now one of the largest museums in the world.
25. Terracotta Warriors, Xi’an, China
It is a monumental set of more than 8,000 life-size figures of terracotta warriors and horses, found by chance in 1974 near the Chinese city of Xi’an, in the mausoleum of Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of unified China between 221 and 210 BC
The army in battle order was ordered to be built by the emperor himself, who dedicated nearly 38 years of his life to it, believing that after he died he would continue to lead the troops.
The set occupies 60 km2. It is estimated that 700,000 workers participated in its construction.
The mausoleum remained buried for more than 2,000 years, until it was discovered in 1974 during excavations to build an aqueduct.
The army is arranged in 3 pits between 4 and 8 meters deep. Each soldier carried a weapon (spear, sword, bow), although looting in ancient times stripped the figures of their weaponry.
26. Borobudur, Java, Indonesia
It is a Buddhist stupa (funerary monument), the largest in the world, built by the kings of the Sailendra dynasty between the 8th and 9th centuries. It was forgotten after being covered by scrub and volcanic ash, until its rediscovery in 1814 by the British occupying the island of Java.
The monument is currently a Buddhist shrine and pilgrimage site with 2,672 relief panels, decorated with 504 Buddha statues. The ascent through its 6 square platforms crowned by 3 circular ones is a journey through Buddhist cosmology.
It was restored between 1975 and 1982 with funds from Unesco and the Indonesian government, earning its declaration as a World Heritage Site.
It is the most visited tourist place in Indonesia and the place where Buddhists from the country and the world celebrate Vesak, the highest festival of Buddhism.
27. Kilimanjaro, Tanzania
This snowy mountain at 5,892 masl is the highest peak in Africa. It was discovered to the Western world in 1848 when the German explorer and missionary, Johannes Rebmann, astonished his contemporaries by announcing that he had found a snow-capped mountain in East Africa.
It is a set of 3 inactive volcanoes in the Great Rift Valley, in Tanzanian territory and is probably the best known image of the continent.
Its snow cover is rapidly disappearing due to global warming and deforestation caused by indigenous people to open up farmland and grazing land, a situation that has not been reversed despite the creation in 1973 of the Kilimanjaro National Park.
Kilimanjaro emerged during the Pliocene and is home to montane forests, dry forests, rain forests, and cloud forests, as well as heaths and maquis in the alpine zone.
Its fauna is varied and depends on the different climatic floors. It has several hiking and mountaineering routes.
28. Iguazu Falls, Argentina and Brazil
These waterfalls formed by the Iguazú River on the border between the Brazilian federal entity of Paraná and the province of Misiones in Argentina, are one of the most spectacular tourist places in the world.
They make up the list of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World and are inserted in protected areas such as the Iguacu National Park, on the Brazilian side, and the Iguazú National Park, in Argentine territory.
There are 275 jumps of different heights, the largest being the “Devil’s Throat”, with an 80-meter vertical drop located on the border line.
The falls were sighted in 1542 by the Spaniard, Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca, who named them Saltos de Santa María, although in the end its Guarani indigenous name, Iguazú, which means Big Water, prevailed.
The main tourist current comes from Argentina, in whose territory 80% of the waterfalls are located. They are a World Heritage Site.
29. Red Square, Moscow, Russia
It is an immense urban space of 23,100 m2 in the center of Moscow, separating the Kremlin fortress from the historic Kitay-górod quarter.
During communism it was the scene of the great parades and demonstrations of the power of the USSR and houses the famous Lenin mausoleum, with the embalmed body of the maximum leader of the Bolshevik Revolution.
Contrary to what many people believe, her name is not due to the color red traditionally associated with communism, but to an old Russian word meaning “pretty”.
On the Kremlin wall, facing the square, Stalin, Yuri Gagarin and other prominent figures of the former USSR are entombed. The Kremlin fortress has been the seat of Russian power since the time of the tsars.
Opposite Red Square is also St. Basil’s Cathedral, a Moscow architectural icon with its bulbous domes.
30. Christ the Redeemer, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
With its immense open arms, the Christ the Redeemer looks towards the Sugar Loaf, the port and the city of Rio de Janeiro.
Also called the Cristo del Corcovado after the name of the hill where it is located, it is the largest Art Deco sculpture in the world.
The symbol of the city of Rio measures 38.1 meters high, including 30.1 of the statue and 8 meters of the pedestal.
It was included among the New Seven Wonders of the Modern World, accompanying Chichén Itzá and Machu Picchu, as the American representatives.
Its inauguration in 1931 was expected to be a technological feat for the time. The radio pioneer, Guillermo Marconi, would send a radio signal from Naples, Italy, which would be picked up on the Corcovado hill and would activate the circuit to illuminate the monument, but bad weather did not allow it and the ignition was manual.
31. Disney World, Orlando, USA
30,000-acre theme park complex for family entertainment, hotels and other attractions, in Orlando, Florida.
Its first and most famous park, the Magic Kingdom, was inaugurated in 1971. Epcot was added later, referring to technological innovations and international culture; Disney-MGM Studios, which is themed film and television; and Animal Kingdom, dedicated to animals, which with 230 hectares is the largest theme park in the world.
Disney World is visited by more than 70 million people a year and its mechanical attractions are joined by more than 20 hotels, water parks, golf courses, shopping centers, restaurants and stores.
Among the main hotels are Disney’s Beach Club Resort, facing the lagoon between Epcot and Disney-MGM Studios, set in a beach theme; Disney’s All-Star Movies Resort, with a movie theme and Disney’s All-Star Sports Resort, with a sports theme.
32. The Strip, Las Vegas, USA
The 6.4 km strip of Las Vegas boulevard known as the Strip is the most famous concentration of casinos and entertainment clubs in the world, with an annual visit of more than 40 million tourists.
From its gigantic 168-meter Ferris wheel you will have spectacular views of the city. Its hotels present daytime and nighttime shows and the shopping malls, some of the most attractive in the world, attract even more people.
As night falls, the lights come on and the Strip shines, inviting you to try your luck at roulette, see shows and eat at its haute cuisine restaurants.
The fountains of the Bellagio Hotel seduce thousands of people who every night go to listen to musical pieces to the rhythm of 1,200 jets.
33. Taj Mahal, Agra, India
Mumtaz Mahal, whose name means “Chosen of the Palace”, was the fourth wife and favorite woman of the Mughal emperor, Sha Jahan. She accompanied the monarch in his military campaigns, was his main confidant, and supported him in a conflict against his own father.
Mumtaz Mahal died in 1631 in the middle of her fourteenth childbirth, prompting the heartbroken king to build her a beautiful mausoleum that went down in history as the ultimate monument to love.
The Taj Mahal is an imposing ensemble in which its onion dome, guldastas, arcades, lotus flower-shaped decorations and other structural and ornamental elements stand out.
It is said that the emperor ordered the amputation of the hands of the 20,000 men who built the building so that they did not build a superior work.
The Taj Mahal is a World Heritage Site and one of the New Seven Wonders of the Modern World.
34. Meiji Shrine, Tokyo, Japan
Mutsuhito, posthumously named Meiji Tenno, was the 122nd Japanese emperor. After he died in 1912, the National Diet decided to honor him with a Shinto shrine built in a Tokyo lily field, which he liked to visit together with the empress, Shoken .
The beautiful building made of copper and cypress wood was completed in 1926, but was destroyed during the bombing of Tokyo in the final months of World War II. The current building is from 1958.
The sanctuary is in the middle of a 70-hectare forest that has 120,000 trees of 365 different species, coming from all over Japan. This forest is one of the favorite green areas of Tokyoites.
The gaien or outer enclosure of the sanctuary houses 80 mural paintings that illustrate the life of the royal couple and in the inner enclosure or naien, there is a Treasury Museum with valuable objects that belonged to the emperor and empress.
35. Berlin Wall, Germany
The main symbol of the Cold War was hastily built in 1961, to prevent the inhabitants of communist East Germany from escaping to capitalist West or Federal Germany.
Demolished by the German people in 1989 in tremendous days, in its 28-year existence it was the scene of legendary escapes and the deaths of more than 200 people who tried to cross it.
One of the most memorable scenes from the fall of the wall was that of the famous exiled Russian musician, Mstislav Rostropovich, playing his cello while Berliners listened and demolished the structure with hammers, picks and whatever tools came to hand.
A sector of the wall was taken as a concrete canvas by painters, works of urban art that are now tourist attractions.
The open-air art gallery called, East Side Gallery, is on Muhlenstrabe street.
36. Table Mountain, Cape Town, South Africa
Flat-topped mountain in front of Cape Town, the main geographical emblem and natural viewpoint of the South African city, at the Cape of Good Hope.
The plateau is at 1,086 masl and is accessible on foot or by cable car that departs from the Tafelberg highway, at 302 masl. On the ascent and from the plateau there are spectacular views of the city, Mesa Bay, Robben Island and the Atlantic coast. At the top there is a restaurant and souvenir shops.
To reach the summit there are several paths of different degrees of difficulty. The ascent can be done between 1 and 3 hours, depending on the chosen route and physical fitness.
The mountain faces are a popular climbing and rappelling site without the use of nails and screws.
37. Niagara Falls, New York and Ontario, USA and Canada
The waters of these majestic waterfalls helped to mark a milestone in the industrial history of humanity, when at the end of the 19th century they were used to verify on a large scale the operation of the alternating current motor invented by Nikola Tesla, which laid the foundations for the transmission of electricity over long distances.
Its height of 64 meters is not the most impressive, but its wide curtains of water constitute one of the great tourist attractions on the eastern border between the United States and Canada.
The falls are formed by the Niagara River, a current that serves as the boundary between the two countries. The word “Niagara” is a native Iroquois word meaning “water thunder.”
A particularity of these imposing waterfalls is the attraction that they have exerted on daring people to trespass them, despite the fact that it is prohibited. Some have survived unharmed, others have ended up dead or seriously injured.
38. Zocalo, Mexico City, Mexico
The Zócalo in Mexico City is the largest square in Latin America and the heart of the historic center of the Mexican capital.
The place is surrounded by symbolic buildings such as the National Palace, the Metropolitan Cathedral, the Templo Mayor de Tenochtitlán, the Government Building and the Old City Hall Palace.
The National Palace is the seat of the federal government and houses the colossal work, Epopeya del Pueblo Mexicano, and other famous murals by the painter, Diego Rivera.
The Metropolitan Cathedral of Mexico City on the north side of the zócalo was built between 1573 and 1813, a period that allowed the work of builders and artists from 4 different centuries and gave the building elements of various architectural styles, including Gothic, Baroque, Churrigueresque and neoclassical.
The zócalo is a “microcosm” in which you can admire details of Mexico City’s pre-Hispanic, viceregal or republican past, meet a political, civic or patriotic demonstration, or enjoy a sandwich offered by a street vendor.
39. Angkor Wat, Siem Reap, Cambodia
This Cambodian Hindu temple is the largest religious complex in the world and one of the most valuable archaeological treasures of humanity. It was built near the city of Siem Reap during the heyday of the Khmer empire, between the 9th and 15th centuries.
It covers an area of 200 km2. It was dedicated to Vishnu, one of the three great gods of Hinduism along with Brahma and Shiva.
The main temple is Bakan, which has 3 enclosures and remarkable reliefs dedicated to Suryavarman II, the Khmer king who built it.
Angkor Wat stands out artistically for its bas-reliefs dedicated to mythological and historical episodes of Cambodian antiquity.
After the end of the bloody regime of the Khmer Rouge and the relative political normalization of the country, a tourist trend developed towards Angkor Wat that today exceeds 2.5 million visitors a year.
40. Galapagos Islands, Ecuador
A 26-year-old Charles Darwin visited the Galapagos Islands in 1835 and the observation of its prodigious biodiversity served to formulate his theory of evolution.
The Galapagos are 1,000 km from the continental coast on the equator and make up the second most volcanically active archipelago on the planet after the Hawaiian Islands.
The islands are populated by such a number of endemic species that a visit seems like a trip to a remote geological era.
Lizards, iguanas, turtles, sharks, cormorants, frigates, sea lions, dolphins, penguins, whales and albatross are the main representatives of the amazing fauna of the Galapagos Islands.
The archipelago is made up of 13 large islands (the largest is Isabela, with 4,588 km2), 9 small ones and more than 100 islets and rocks.
Baltra and San Cristóbal islands have an airport. Most of the flights depart from Quito and Guayaquil, the main Ecuadorian cities.
41. Machu Picchu, Peru
Archaeological citadel in the Sacred Valley of the Incas 80 km from Cusco, another of the New Seven Wonders of the Modern World.
It was built during the 15th century as a rest complex for Pachacútec, an Inca whose attributes as a warrior and statesman allowed him to develop the most important pre-Hispanic empire in South America.
Machu Picchu is located at 2,438 meters above sea level and two areas are visible in its structure, one urban and the other agricultural. The first one includes the Temple of the Sun, the Royal Residence, the Sacred Plaza, the Sacred Rock, the Stairway of the Fountains, as well as kitchens, workshops and residences for servants.
The Agricultural Zone is made up of terraces that look like large steps on the mountainside and that had an efficient drainage system that prevented the retention of rainwater. They were used for crops until the 1910s.
42. Acropolis, Athens, Greece
Almost every Greek city had an acropolis, which in Greek means “upper city”, but the most famous is that of Athens. It is located on a hill at 156 meters above sea level, offering magnificent views of the city and the Athenian coast.
Among its main components are the Parthenon, the Erechtheion, the Theater of Dionysus and the Temple of Athena Nike. Nike comes from an ancient Greek expression meaning “victorious.”
The Parthenon is the most frequent postcard of the Acropolis, a beautiful white marble Doric temple completed in 432 BC, being the oldest monument in the complex.
The Erechtheum is an Ionic temple named after Erechtheus, the mythical king of Athens. Great figures of Greek drama, such as Sophocles, Aeschylus and Aristophanes, premiered their works at the Theater of Dionysus.
43. Tower of London, England
This thousand-year-old London fortress on the banks of the Thames retains its morbidity as the prison and the place of executions that it was, although most of these were carried out outside the palace, on Tower Hill.
Some of the famous people beheaded on the hill or in the tower itself were William Hastings, Baron Hastings; Queens Jane Gray and Anne Boleyn, Saint Thomas More, and the 2nd Earl of Essex, Robert Devereux.
The site is now one of London’s top attractions for tourists, including fans of the paranormal who believe they see the ghost of Anne Boleyn wandering around carrying her head under one arm and that of Saint Thomas Becket, Governor of the Tower and Archbishop of Canterbury, assassinated in the temple court in 1170.
Another attraction of the Tower of London are its beefeaters or halberdiers, who wear their period costumes, act as tour guides and perform the colorful ceremony of the keys to close the tower at night, where the Crown jewels are exposed to the public. British.
44. Vatican City
The Holy See or Vatican City forms the smallest sovereign state in the world, with an area of 0.44 km2, of which 20% is occupied by the square and the Basilica of Saint Peter.
It is the residence of the Pope, the highest hierarch of the Catholic Church, with one of the greatest artistic treasures of humanity. The basilica covers 2.3 hectares, with the largest interior space in the world among Christian churches.
The basilica stands out for its dome, the highest of all with 136.6 meters, a masterpiece by Michelangelo. It houses the supposed tomb of Saint Peter, apostle and first Pope of Christianity.
The Vatican museums and archives have a monumental collection of works and documents, which includes valuable artistic pieces from classical antiquity, books and the records of notorious trials carried out by the Church, such as the trial of Galileo.
On the walls and ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, where the conclave to elect the Pope is held, The Last Judgement, another Michelangelo masterpiece, is painted.
45. Yellowstone National Park, USA
If you want to be on top of the largest volcanic caldera in America, a monster that if it erupted would wipe out a large part of the planet, you should go to this American park shared by the states of Wyoming, Idaho and Montana.
Yellowstone National Park has an area of 8,983 km2 and was created in 1872 by President Ulysses S. Grant, being considered the first protected area in the world.
It has geysers, lakes, rivers, mountain ranges, canyons, and a rich fauna that has benefited from more than a century and a half of hunting bans.
Its most popular geyser is the Old Faithful (Old Faithful), which sends its jet of hot water 75 meters high.
Bison herds date back to scenes of centuries past, and the grizzly bear population has rebounded, leaving it off the endangered species list.
The park receives more than 4 million visitors annually, people who go to admire the geysers and fumaroles, to practice hiking, canoeing, sport fishing and to observe the wildlife.
46. Blue Lagoon, Grindavik, Iceland
Iceland is famous for its cold, its splendid northern lights and its geothermal springs.
The Blue Lagoon is the best-known geothermal spa in the country and its 40-degree water temperatures provide the relief of a warm home.
The waters are rich in minerals such as sulfur and silica, suitable for treating skin conditions.
The Blue Lagoon is in a lava field in Grindavík, Reykjanes peninsula, 25 km south of Reykjavík International Airport, the capital of the island country.
Boiling water emanating from deep within the earth is first turbined in a plant to produce electricity. Afterwards it is taken to a system of heat exchangers to keep the water from the municipal aqueduct warm and finally it is sent to the lagoon for recreational and medicinal use. A complete use of the heat by the efficient Icelanders.
47. Stonehenge, Amesbury, England
It is one of the most famous megalithic monuments in the world built between the end of the Neolithic period and the beginning of the Bronze Age. It is 11 km west of the English town of Amesbury.
Its oldest components have been dated to approximately 3100 BC, which means that they are over 5,000 years old.
It is made up of huge blocks of rock arranged in concentric circles, with a micaceous slab inside known as El Altar. Stonehenge is believed to have been an astronomical observatory.
In the area of the monument, the remains of about 300 cremated people have been found, dated between 3030 and 2340 BC. c.
The nearby town of Amesbury has several tourist attractions. One is her convent where Guinevere would have taken refuge after the death of her husband, King Arthur.
Another is a Bronze Age burial ground discovered in 2002, the most lavish prehistoric burial ground found in Britain.
48. Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba, Spain
Córdoba is a beautiful Andalusian city of 325,000 inhabitants, which during its Muslim heyday, at the end of the first millennium, was the second largest European city, shining for its culture and opulence.
It is estimated that it had 450,000 inhabitants, being surpassed in population only by Constantinople (present-day Istanbul).
The mosque was started in the year 786 and at 23,400 m2, it was the largest Islamic temple in the world after the Mecca mosque.
The construction was ordered by the first Umayyad emir of Córdoba, being located on the property occupied by the Visigothic Christian temple of San Vicente Mártir. After the Reconquest, it was consecrated as a cathedral.
Together with the Alhambra in Granada, it integrates the two greatest achievements of Hispano-Muslim art in the Iberian Peninsula, it is a World Heritage Site and is part of the list with the 12 Treasures of Spain.
The popular travel portal Tripadvisor ranked the Cathedral-Mosque of Córdoba as the best place of tourist interest in Europe.
49. Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood, Saint Petersburg, Russia
It is a precious architectural jewel on the banks of the Griboyedova canal, near the famous Nevsky Avenue. It was erected on the site where Tsar Alexander II was killed by a bomb thrown inside his carriage in 1881.
The so-called Church of the Resurrection of Christ is a work of eclectic style with notable elements of Russian national architecture, standing out for its vibrant composition and multicolored decorations.
Its 5 central domes plated in copper and colorful enamels stand out, reminiscent of those of Saint Basil’s Cathedral (Moscow).
It was also a pioneer in the architecture of the city, being the first work with cement foundations and not traditional stakes. It was also equipped with an innovative hydraulic insulation to protect it from the waters of the canal.
50. Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, Florence, Italy
This Gothic and early Renaissance masterpiece was the symbol of the power and wealth of the Tuscan city and of the famous Medici family.
The cathedral dome, 114.5 meters high and 45.5 meters in diameter, (external measurements) marked a transcendental milestone in the history of architecture, while Giotto’s Campanile is another remarkable achievement of universal art.
The dome that astounded 15th-century Florentines was a magnum opus by Filippo Brunelleschi, a pioneer in ingenious architectural and construction solutions, such as the octagonal drum, iron and stone structural reinforcements, and innovative lifting machines and cranes.
The campanile with a quadrangular base and 84.7 meters high is a separate bell tower of the church that was left unfinished by Giotto.
The complex located in Piazza del Duomo is completed by the Baptistery of Saint John, whose doors with reliefs molded in bronze were an admirable and painstaking work of 21 years by Lorenzo Ghiberti.
What countries or regions of the world are the most visited places?
According to the 2017 figures from the World Tourism Organization, the country that received the most foreign tourists was France, with 89.9 million people who mainly visited Paris.
Spain, with 81.8 million, and the United States, with 75.9 million, complete the top 3 most visited countries.
Mexico is the Spanish-American country with the highest foreign tourism with 39.3 million foreign tourists, ranking sixth in the world ranking. Fourth and fifth place goes to China and Italy, respectively.
What places to visit before dying?
It depends on your interests. If you like classical architectural tourism you have to visit London, Rome, Paris, Venice, Florence, Barcelona and Saint Petersburg.
If avant-garde architecture is your thing, you should go to Dubai, Shanghai and other rich Asian cities.
If you prefer archaeological tourism, Giza, Chichén Itzá, Machu Picchu and Petra cannot be missing from your list.
If you are interested in natural spaces you should go to Iguazú, Niagara, Yellowstone, the Caribbean, the Amazon, Patagonia and the great peaks like Everest and Aconcagua.
Tourist places of the world for young people
Cancun and the Riviera Maya are fantastic places for young people due to their spectacular beaches and adventure parks.
China, Japan, Thailand and Vietnam are attractive destinations for their exoticism. The United States is another great destination with its formidable theme parks and global cities.
