While beach holidays are the best way to relax and reset ones mind after a long period of work, most travellers travel to countries to see specific historical sites and sites of natural beauty. With so many to choose from, one may get analysis paralysis trying to pick the best one. Below are top 20 most beautiful places in the world.
While you are travelling to these exotic locations, make sure that you are using an international travel SIM card.
The Eiffel Tower, France
The symbol of Paris and one of the most photographed structures in the world, a visit to the Eiffel Tower is a must for all travellers. Few landmarks inspire such a passion for travel as this single iron structure.
Young travellers heading out on the road for the first time, couples looking for a special getaway, artists looking to spur their creativity, and romantics of all types are all drawn to Paris.
Make sure you know how to respond to an emergency when travelling abroad.
Further reading: travel emergency tips.
The Colosseum, Italy
The Colosseum is the largest ancient amphitheatre ever built, and is still the largest standing amphitheatre in the world today, despite its age.
The Colosseum was used for gladiatorial contests and public spectacles including animal hunts, executions, re-enactments of famous battles, and dramas based on Roman mythology, and briefly mock sea battles. The building ceased to be used for entertainment in the early medieval era.
Want to make the best of your trip abroad? Make sure you are using a top travel app.
Further reading: Top 110 Best travel apps.
The Statue of Liberty, USA
America is full of great sights and places to visit, but it’s the Statue of Liberty that represents the United States like no other place. This symbol of freedom in New York City was gifted by the French to the American people in 1896.
Of all the attractions in New York City, this is one every tourist must see. The best thing to do at the Statue of Liberty is to take a ride up to her crown and soak up the view over the city.
Planning a trip during winter?
Further reading: Top 10 Best places to visit in Winter.
Machu Picchu, Peru
Machu Picchu is a 15th-century Inca citadel located in the Eastern Cordillera of southern Peru on a 2 430-meter (7 970 ft) mountain ridge. It is located in the Machupicchu District within Urubamba Province above the Sacred Valley, which is 80 kilometres (50 miles) northwest of Cusco.
Its three primary structures are the Intihuatana, the Temple of the Sun, and the Room of the Three Windows. Most of the outlying buildings have been reconstructed in order to give visitors a better idea of how they originally appeared.
Planning a trip during fall?
Further reading: Top 10 Best places to visit in fall.
The Acropolis, Greece
Perched above present-day Athens, the Acropolis draws you up and in. You can follow in the footsteps of a millennia of visitors as you walk up the same steps that have been walked on since 438 BC – 2,500 years.
Views out over the city are incredible as you walk between the meticulously restored ancient buildings. Near the end of the day, you’ll want to linger and watch the sunset from the stairs near the entrance.
Are you planning a trip abroad for spiritual reasons?
Further reading: 6 Spiritual benefits of travelling to foreign countries.
The Taj Mahal, India
The Taj Mahal is an Islamic ivory-white marble mausoleum on the right bank of the river Yamuna in the Indian city of Agra. It was commissioned in 1632 by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan to house the tomb of his favourite wife, Mumtaz Mahal; it also houses the tomb of Shah Jahan himself.
The Taj Mahal was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983 for being “the jewel of Muslim art in India and one of the universally admired masterpieces of the world’s heritage”.
The Taj Mahal attracts more than 6 million visitors a year and in 2007, it was declared a winner of the New 7 Wonders of the World (2000–2007) initiative.
The Pyramids of Giza, Egypt
If you’ve visited places like the Colosseum in Rome or the Acropolis in Athens, built over 2 000 years ago, you may think you have a good handle on ancient sites. But the Pyramids of Giza take ancient to a whole other level. These were built over 4 500 years ago.
Located just outside Cairo, the pyramids, which is also where you’ll find the Sphinx, are easy to get to, and tours are easy to arrange. A sunset camel ride around the structures is a wonderful experience.
The Great Wall of China, China
The Great Wall of China is a series of fortifications that were built across the historical northern borders of ancient Chinese states and Imperial China as protection against various nomadic groups from the Eurasian Steppe. Several walls were built from as early as the 7th century BC, with selective stretches later joined together by Qin Shi Huang (220–206 BC), the first emperor of China.
Apart from defence, other purposes of the Great Wall have included border controls, allowing the imposition of duties on goods transported along the Silk Road, regulation or encouragement of trade and the control of immigration and emigration.
Angkor Wat, Cambodia
Surrounded by jungle and, in some cases, overgrown with huge trees and roots, the ancient structures of the Angkor complex may look like a movie set to some visitors.
Wandering through Angkor Wat, the main centrepiece of the complex, it’s easy to feel like you’ve entered another era. This is without a doubt, one of the most impressive sites in Southeast Asia and the main reason many people visit Cambodia.
Petra, Jordan
Petra is a historic and archaeological city in southern Jordan. It is adjacent to the mountain of Jabal Al-Madbah, in a basin surrounded by mountains forming the eastern flank of the Arabah valley running from the Dead Sea to the Gulf of Aqaba.
It has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1985. UNESCO has described Petra as “one of the most precious cultural properties of man’s cultural heritage”. Tourist numbers peaked at 1.1 million in 2019, marking the first time that the figure rose above the 1 million mark. Tourism in the city was crippled by the COVID-19 pandemic, but soon after started to pick up again, reaching 260 000 visitors in 2021.
The Grand Canyon, USA
The greatest natural attraction in the United States, the Grand Canyon is a key sight for all travellers planning their lifetime of adventures. Standing on the rim of the Grand Canyon, looking out over the carved landscape, will awaken your senses.
Several hikes in the canyon and along the rim offer unique perspectives. Walk even a short distance down the Bright Angel trail to gain additional views and to experience what the canyon is like below the rim.
Stonehenge, England
Stonehenge is a prehistoric monument on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire, England, two miles (3 km) west of Amesbury. It consists of an outer ring of vertical sarsen standing stones, each around 13 feet (4.0 m) high, seven feet (2.1 m) wide, and weighing around 25 tons, topped by connecting horizontal lintel stones. Inside is a ring of smaller bluestones. Inside these are free-standing trilithons, two bulkier vertical sarsens joined by one lintel. The whole monument, now ruinous, is aligned towards the sunrise on the summer solstice.
One of the most famous landmarks in the United Kingdom, Stonehenge is regarded as a British cultural icon. It has been a legally protected Scheduled Ancient Monument since 1882, when legislation to protect historic monuments was first successfully introduced in Britain. The site and its surroundings were added to UNESCO’s list of World Heritage Sites in 1986.
Borobudur, Indonesia
Set in a steamy jungle with three volcanoes providing the backdrop, Borobudur is Indonesia’s top tourist attraction.
Borobudur dates from the 9th century and is one of the largest Buddhist temples in the world. It’s a fascinating place to wander about. Over 500 Buddhas are spread around the site, some of which sit under ornate stupas.
Niagara Falls, Canada & USA
Niagara Falls is a group of three waterfalls at the southern end of Niagara Gorge, spanning the border between the province of Ontario in Canada and the state of New York in the United States. The largest of the three is Horseshoe Falls, which straddles the international border of the two countries.
During peak daytime tourist hours, more than 168 000 m3 (5.9 million cu ft) of water goes over the crest of the falls every minute. Horseshoe Falls is the most powerful waterfall in North America, as measured by flow rate. Niagara Falls is famed for its beauty and is a valuable source of hydroelectric power. Balancing recreational, commercial, and industrial uses has been a challenge for the stewards of the falls since the 19th century.
Bagan, Myanmar
While this ancient site may not be on the average traveller’s radar, it’s another of Southeast Asia’s bucket-list attractions.
Spread out over a lush plain are more than 10 000 sacred structures dating from 1044 through to 1287. Hire a bicycle and pedal your way from one amazing structure to the next or take a tour. Some of the structures can be entered, but the real beauty is the sheer number that dot the landscape.
The Sydney Opera House, Australia
The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue performing arts centre in Sydney. Located on the banks 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 and its surrounds occupy the whole of Bennelong Point on Sydney Harbour, between Sydney Cove and Farm Cove, adjacent to the Sydney central business district and the Royal Botanic Gardens, and near to the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
As one of the most popular visitor attractions in Australia, the site is visited by more than eight million people annually, and approximately 350,000 visitors take a guided tour of the building each year.
Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania
The highest peak in all of Africa, this majestic mountain – a dormant volcano – is one of the most recognizable symbols of the continent. The snow-capped peak is an impressive 5,985 meters (19,340 feet) and is often the backdrop to photographs of the wild animals that roam Amboseli National Park and other areas.
You can see this beautiful sight from afar or tackle the multi-day hike to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro for the fantastic views over the land and to watch the sunrise.
The Louvre, Paris
The Louvre is the world’s most-visited museum, and a historic landmark in Paris, France. It is the home of some of the best-known works of art, including the Mona Lisa and the Venus de Milo. A central landmark of the city, it is located on the Right Bank of the Seine in the city’s 1st arrondissement (district or ward).
The museum is housed in the Louvre Palace, originally built in the late 12th to 13th century under Philip II. Remnants of the Medieval Louvre fortress are visible in the basement of the museum. Due to urban expansion, the fortress eventually lost its defensive function, and in 1546 Francis I converted it into the primary residence of the French Kings.
The Musée du Louvre contains more than 380 000 objects and displays 35,000 works of art in eight curatorial departments with more than 60 600 square metres (652 000 sq ft) dedicated to the permanent collection. The Louvre exhibits sculptures, objets d’art, paintings, drawings, and archaeological finds.
The Forbidden City, China
Like the Great Wall, the Forbidden City, also known as the Imperial Palace, in Beijing is one of the top places to visit in China. The sprawling complex dates from the 14th and 15th centuries and is a spectacular example of historical China.
Over the centuries, the palace has housed 24 Ming and Qing Emperors. Inside the city, the Palace Museum holds over 340,000 artifacts showcasing the treasures of China’s dynasties. In front of the Forbidden City is the massive Tiananmen square.
Prague Castle, Czech Republic
Sitting atop a hill across the river from the centre of the city, Prague Castle casts an imposing aura over its surroundings. The castle is an incredible collection of buildings constructed from the 9th to 14th century.
Stroll over the ornate 14th-century Charles Bridge spanning the Vltava River and head up the hill to wander the narrow, twisty streets in the castle complex. The castle is one of the largest in the world, and around almost every corner is a historical building, church, or open square.
Make sure that you are armed with a top tour guide app. These apps are available in a range of languages and offer guided tours of the sites that you are visiting. You will get much more out of the experience than simply snapping a few shots.
Further reading: Top 5 Best tour guide apps (2022 Travel guide).
Most beautiful places FAQ’s
- What is the most beautiful place on earth?
The most beautiful place on earth depends on what your definition of beauty is. For some it is natural landscapes and you wont have to travel further than Mount Kilimangaro to find this. For some it is architectural brilliance in which case the Taj Mahal is a top choice.
- What is the most beautiful natural place on earth?
The most beautiful place on earth is The Great Barrier Reef.
- Which is the most beautiful country in the world?
Again, the most beautiful country in the world depends on what your definition of beauty is. However, Indonesia is widely regarded by journalists as the most beautiful country in the world.
- Which city is the most beautiful in the world?
While there are a lot of parameters to measure this, most people feel that Venice (in Italy) is the most beautiful city in the world.
- What is the most beautiful place in Asia?
Asia is known for its rustic beauty. Indonesia is widely regarded by journalists as the most beautiful country in Asia.
- What is the most beautiful place in North America?
Featuring just above Alaska, Canada is widely regarded as the most beautiful place in North America.
- What is the most beautiful place in South America?
South America is known for its natural beauty. However, Brazil is widely regarded as the most beautiful place in South America.
- What is the most beautiful place in Europe?
While there are many beautiful and historically rich countries in Europe, Switzerland is regarded as the most beautiful place in Europe.
- What is the most beautiful place in Oceania?
Oceania is the region that includes Australia, New Zealand, Samoa, Tonga and Fiji. In terms of natural beauty, New Zealand is widely regarded as the most beautiful place in Oceania. In terms of architectural brilliance, Australia is regarded as the most beautiful place in Oceania.
- What is the most beautiful place in Africa?
While there are many beautiful places in Africa, Kenya is regarded by many as the most beautiful place in Africa.
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