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The 25 greatest wonders of the world: ancient sites and great buildings

Dan in front of the Taj Mahal.

Some places you've seen in pictures your whole life, and they still stop you in your tracks when you get there. These are the greatest things people have ever built.

The ones I've been to come first, then the ones still on my list.

16 of 25 ticked off

  1. Machu Picchu ✓
  2. Petra ✓
  3. The Pyramids of Giza ✓
  4. The Taj Mahal ✓
  5. Chichen Itza ✓
  6. The Colosseum ✓
  7. Abu Simbel ✓
  8. The Valley of the Kings ✓
  9. The Pyramids of Meroë ✓
  10. The Acropolis ✓
  11. Pompeii ✓
  12. Borobudur ✓
  13. The Nazca Lines ✓
  14. The Old Bridge at Mostar ✓
  15. The Sydney Opera House ✓
  16. The Burj Khalifa ✓
  17. The Great Wall of China
  18. Angkor Wat
  19. The Terracotta Army
  20. The Moai of Easter Island
  21. Persepolis
  22. The Alhambra
  23. Samarkand
  24. Bagan
  25. The Potala Palace
  1. Machu Picchu
    Photo: Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    1 Machu Picchu

    Cusco region, Peru✓ Been: December 2015

    One of the New Seven Wonders, and best reached the old way, through the Sun Gate at the end of the Inca Trail.

    The scale
    An Inca city on a ridge at about 2,430 metres
    When to go
    May to September, the dry season.
    Getting there
    Hike the four-day Inca Trail (permits sell out), or take the train to Aguas Calientes.

    On my bucket listFind a tourFind a hotel

  2. Petra
    Photo: Ankur P, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    2 Petra

    Southern Jordan✓ Been: January 2010

    Walking through the narrow Siq and seeing the Treasury appear at the end is one of the great travel moments.

    The scale
    A city carved into rose-red rock, more than 2,000 years old
    When to go
    March to May and September to November.
    Getting there
    Stay in Wadi Musa, next to the entrance, and buy a two-day pass.

    On my bucket listFind a tourFind a hotel

  3. The Pyramids of Giza
    Photo: Ricardo Liberato, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    3 The Pyramids of Giza

    Giza, Egypt✓ Been: July 2009

    The only one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World still standing.

    The scale
    The Great Pyramid was the tallest building on Earth for nearly 4,000 years
    When to go
    October to April, the cooler months.
    Getting there
    Stay in Giza or Cairo and go at opening time.

    On my bucket listFind a tourFind a hotel

  4. The Taj Mahal
    Photo: Yann; edited by King of Hearts, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    4 The Taj Mahal

    Agra, India✓ Been: October 2022

    Often called the most beautiful building in the world, and the marble changes colour through the day.

    The scale
    A white marble mausoleum, finished in the 1650s
    When to go
    October to March. Closed on Fridays.
    Getting there
    Take the train from Delhi and be at the gate for sunrise.

    On my bucket listFind a tourFind a hotel

  5. Chichen Itza
    Photo: Daniel Schwen, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    5 Chichen Itza

    Yucatán, Mexico✓ Been: October 2009

    One of the New Seven Wonders, and the best-known Mayan site of all.

    The scale
    A Mayan city with the stepped pyramid of El Castillo
    When to go
    November to April, the dry season.
    Getting there
    A day trip from Mérida, Valladolid or Cancún; arrive at opening time.

    On my bucket listFind a tourFind a hotel

  6. The Colosseum
    Photo: Diliff, CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons

    6 The Colosseum

    Rome, Italy✓ Been: February 2015

    One of the New Seven Wonders, right in the middle of Rome.

    The scale
    The largest amphitheatre ever built, nearly 2,000 years old
    When to go
    Spring and autumn.
    Getting there
    Book a timed ticket online, which also covers the Forum.

    On my bucket listFind a tourFind a hotel

  7. Abu Simbel
    Photo: Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    7 Abu Simbel

    Near Lake Nasser, southern Egypt✓ Been: October 2019

    The whole temple was cut up and moved uphill in the 1960s to save it from the rising lake.

    The scale
    Four colossal statues of Ramesses II, each about 20 metres tall
    When to go
    October to April.
    Getting there
    A day trip from Aswan by road or air.

    On my bucket listFind a tourFind a hotel

  8. The Valley of the Kings
    Photo: Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    8 The Valley of the Kings

    Luxor, Egypt✓ Been: October 2019

    Painted tombs that still look fresh after 3,000 years, including Tutankhamun's.

    The scale
    More than 60 royal tombs cut into the hills
    When to go
    October to April.
    Getting there
    Cross to the West Bank from Luxor and go early.

    On my bucket listFind a tourFind a hotel

  10. The Pyramids of Meroë
    Photo: Laurent de Walick, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    9 The Pyramids of Meroë

    Sudan✓ Been: 2019

    More pyramids than in all of Egypt, and often nobody else around.

    The scale
    Around 200 steep-sided pyramids
    When to go
    November to February.
    Getting there
    Check the current travel advice first.

    On my bucket list

  11. The Acropolis
    Photo: A.Savin, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    10 The Acropolis

    Athens, Greece✓ Been: December 2008

    The birthplace of so much of Western architecture, high above Athens.

    The scale
    The Parthenon, built in the 5th century BC
    When to go
    Spring and autumn; go at opening time in summer.
    Getting there
    Book a timed ticket online.

    On my bucket listFind a tourFind a hotel

  12. Pompeii
    Photo: Jebulon, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

    11 Pompeii

    Campania, Italy✓ Been: October 2011

    A whole Roman town frozen in time, with streets, houses and shops you can walk through.

    The scale
    A Roman town buried by Vesuvius in AD 79
    When to go
    Spring and autumn.
    Getting there
    A train from Naples or Sorrento.

    On my bucket listFind a tourFind a hotel

  13. The stepped stone terraces of Borobudur temple.

    12 Borobudur

    Central Java, Indonesia✓ Been: December 2022

    Thousands of carved stone panels climbing up a vast stepped monument in the Javanese countryside.

    The scale
    The largest temple of its kind in the world, from the 9th century
    When to go
    April to October, the dry season.
    Getting there
    Stay in Yogyakarta and go for sunrise.

    On my bucket listFind a tourFind a hotel

  14. The Nazca Lines
    Photo: Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    13 The Nazca Lines

    Southern Peru✓ Been: 2015-16

    You can only really see them from the air, and nobody is completely sure why they were made.

    The scale
    Giant figures etched into the desert more than 1,500 years ago
    When to go
    Year round.
    Getting there
    Take a light-aircraft flight from Nazca or Pisco.

    On my bucket listFind a tourFind a hotel

  15. The Old Bridge at Mostar
    Photo: BáthoryPéter (talk), CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    14 The Old Bridge at Mostar

    Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina✓ Been: July 2014

    Destroyed in the war in 1993 and rebuilt stone by stone, with divers still jumping off it.

    The scale
    A single stone arch from 1566
    When to go
    May to June and September.
    Getting there
    An easy day trip from Dubrovnik or Sarajevo.

    On my bucket listFind a hotel

  16. The Sydney Opera House
    Photo: Diliff, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    15 The Sydney Opera House

    Sydney, Australia✓ Been: March 2008

    One of the most famous buildings of the 20th century, right on the harbour.

    The scale
    Opened in 1973
    When to go
    September to November and March to May.
    Getting there
    Take a tour inside, or see a show.

    On my bucket listFind a tourFind a hotel

  17. The Burj Khalifa
    Photo: Tim Reckmann from Hamm, Deutschland, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    16 The Burj Khalifa

    Dubai, UAE✓ Been: December 2011

    The tallest building on Earth, with a view that goes on for miles over the city, the desert and the Gulf.

    The scale
    828 metres, the tallest building in the world
    When to go
    November to March.
    Getting there
    Book the observation deck online; sunset slots go first.

    On my bucket listFind a tourFind a hotel

  18. The Great Wall of China
    Photo: CEphoto, Uwe Aranas, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    17 The Great Wall of China

    Northern ChinaOn my list

    Why it's on my list: One of the New Seven Wonders, and the best way to take in the scale of it is to walk it.

    The scale
    Thousands of kilometres of walls and watchtowers
    When to go
    April to May and September to October.
    Getting there
    From Beijing, go to Mutianyu or Jinshanling rather than the busiest section.

    On my bucket listFind a tourFind a hotel

  19. Angkor Wat
    Photo: Reinhard Onasch, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    18 Angkor Wat

    Siem Reap, CambodiaOn my list

    Why it's on my list: The main temple at sunrise, then jungle ruins wrapped in tree roots, over several days.

    The scale
    The largest monument of its kind in the world
    When to go
    November to March.
    Getting there
    Stay in Siem Reap and buy a multi-day pass.

    On my bucket listFind a tourFind a hotel

  20. The Terracotta Army
    Photo: Gary Todd, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

    19 The Terracotta Army

    Xi'an, ChinaOn my list

    Why it's on my list: One of the greatest archaeological finds ever, with every soldier's face different.

    The scale
    Thousands of life-sized clay warriors
    When to go
    March to May and September to November.
    Getting there
    Stay in Xi'an and go early to beat the tour groups.

    On my bucket listFind a tourFind a hotel

  21. The Moai of Easter Island
    Photo: Javier Ramos Pinochet, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    20 The Moai of Easter Island

    Rapa Nui, ChileOn my list

    Why it's on my list: Giant statues on one of the most remote inhabited islands on Earth.

    The scale
    Nearly 1,000 stone statues
    When to go
    October to April.
    Getting there
    Fly from Santiago; a park pass and a local guide are required.

    On my bucket listFind a hotel

  22. Persepolis
    Photo: Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    21 Persepolis

    Near Shiraz, IranOn my list

    Why it's on my list: Carvings of tribute-bearers from across an ancient empire, still sharp after 2,500 years.

    The scale
    The ceremonial capital of the Persian Empire, from about 515 BC
    When to go
    March to May and September to November.
    Getting there
    Check the current travel advice first.

    On my bucket list

  23. The Alhambra
    Photo: Jebulon, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

    22 The Alhambra

    Granada, SpainOn my list

    Why it's on my list: The detail in the carved stucco and tiles is like nothing else in Europe.

    The scale
    A palace and fortress complex, mostly from the 13th and 14th centuries
    When to go
    March to May and September to November.
    Getting there
    Book tickets well ahead; they sell out weeks in advance.

    On my bucket listFind a tourFind a hotel

  24. Samarkand
    Photo: Bernard Gagnon, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

    23 Samarkand

    UzbekistanOn my list

    Why it's on my list: The jewel of the Silk Road, covered in blue tiles.

    The scale
    The Registan: three tiled madrasas around one square
    When to go
    April to May and September to October.
    Getting there
    The fast train from Tashkent takes about two hours.

    On my bucket listFind a tourFind a hotel

  25. Bagan
    Photo: kallerna, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    24 Bagan

    MyanmarOn my list

    Why it's on my list: Seen from a balloon at sunrise, it's one of the most beautiful views in Asia.

    The scale
    More than 2,000 temples and pagodas across a plain
    When to go
    November to February.
    Getting there
    Check the current travel advice first.

    On my bucket list

  26. The Potala Palace
    Photo: Hiroki Ogawa, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    25 The Potala Palace

    Lhasa, TibetOn my list

    Why it's on my list: One of the most striking buildings anywhere, high on the Tibetan plateau.

    The scale
    Thirteen storeys on a hill above the city
    When to go
    April to October.
    Getting there
    Visitors need a Tibet permit, arranged through a licensed tour.

    On my bucket list

Go early, before the crowds, and give yourself time. Then tell me which wonder I should see next.

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