Known in local dialect as ‘the smoke that thunders’, the roar of this spectacular cascading curtain of water can be heard from miles away. It was this sound that told explorer, David Livingstone, where to head when he discovered the world’s biggest waterfall in 1855. The falls come from the enormous Zambezi River, which snakes between Zambia and troubled Zimbabwe. Angkor Wat, Cambodia
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An enthralling place rescued from the jungle, this ancient temple complex was built in the early 12th century for King Suryavarman II. Once Hindu, today it remains Buddhist. One of the Seven Wonders of the World, the temple formed part of the capital city of Angkor (‘Wat’ simply means monastery) that was abandoned during the 15th-century Thai invasion. Jungle soon overran the city, but the temple was so well-built that dedicated monks were able to keep it intact. Yosemite National Park, USA
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| One of the first national parks established in the US, the Yosemite National Park is nearly 3107 square km (1,200 square miles) of wilderness, replete with huge waterfalls, enormous sequoia trees, meadows, valleys, lakes and granite cliffs. The park is in California, about 241km (150 miles) along from San Francisco and was named a World Heritage site in 1984. |
The Amazon, Brazil
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| The immense Amazon comprises over half of the world's remaining rainforests, not to mention the fact that it’s also the planet’s most species-dense forest – home to no less than one in ten of the world’s known species. If that’s not enough for you, it encompasses no less than nine national borders and the Earth's biggest river basin. As such it’s a must for anybody intent on seeing the best the world has to offer. |
Petra, Jordan
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| In a basin within the mountains of Jordan, in the valley running from the Dead Sea to the Gulf of Aqaba, lies the ancient city of Petra, cut into the rock. The World Heritage site was discovered by Swiss explorer, John William Burgon, in 1812. One of the New Seven Wonders of the World, you’ll need to journey through desert to reach the site and the surrounding terrain includes waterfalls, canyons and amazing trekking paths. |
Golden Temple, India
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| A vision in gold, glistening white stone and glinting water, the Golden Temple (or Harmandir Sahib) in Amritsar, is Sikhism’s holiest shrine. Its earliest incarnation sat in a small lake in the middle of a forest, where Buddha is believed to have meditated. The founder of Sikhism, Guru Nanak, followed suit and the site is now one of the most sacred in India. |
Great Wall, China
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| The old line about being seen from space may sound tired, and it’s actually debatable, but it is an incredible feat that many of the series of long fortresses that were built from 6BC – construction continued well into the 16th century – are still standing. The 6,700km (4,163 mile) wall was built and maintained to protect the North of China from attack. |
Angel Falls, Venezuela
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| The world’s highest waterfall, Angel Falls, reaches just 21m short of a kilometre (3,211ft), from tip to tail. To put that in context, it’s roughly 16 times taller than Niagara. It is to be found in a remote region of Venezuela, where extraordinary tepui – table-topped, sheer-sided mountains – sprout up like something from the Lost World. The cascade itself falls from one such rockface. Unless you have the wherewithal to fly over the falls, you’ll need to reach them by canoe and camp in hammocks overnight. But that just adds to the experience – which is one you’ll treasure for the rest of your days. |
Machu Picchu, Peru
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| High in the remote Andes, beyond the sticky-fingered reach of the Conquistadores, this site astonishes on all levels: awe-inspiring scenery, fascinating ancient history and a healthy dose of mystery. Known as ‘The Lost City of the Incas’, Machu Picchu is dramatically perched on the edge of a mountain and is a wonder of the world and a World Heritage site. Built around 1450, the site contained mummies and temples from which artefacts were taken by explorer, Henry Bingham. Bingham is credited with finding the remote site and announcing it to the world in 1911. The artefacts have since been returned. |
Bora Bora, Tahiti and her Islands
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| Forget places to see before you die – this is the place to indulge yourself before it’s too late. Tahiti and her Islands (also known as French Polynesia) represent an idyll where your dreams of the perfect tropical island getaway become reality. Isolated in the middle of the ocean, thousands of miles from anywhere, the islands are home to emerald lagoons, trees dripping with fruit, coral reefs and gorgeous sun-washed beaches. And Bora Bora is the country’s signature island. |
Himalayas, Nepal/Tibet/India
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This rough-and-rocky mountain range in Asia boasts the world’s tallest mountain – Everest – and many of the runners-up too, including K2. Not for the fainthearted, climbing the miles-high peaks has stolen many explorers’ lives, but treks around the bases are also possible. Alaska, USA
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| Wilderness trips don’t come much more thrilling than back-of-beyond Alaska, which makes our list despite having few singular attractions to lure travellers. Rather it’s the combination of towering mountains, ice fields and glaciers as big as cities, fjords filled by rainforest, sky-blue icebergs and views that stretch for as far as the eye can see that leaves visitors in awe. Wildlife is another palpable draw: whales, moose, bears and bald eagles are all common sights. |
La Digue, Seychelles
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Then again, if you’d swap all the monuments, cities and mountains in the world for a stunning stretch of sugary sand and sizzling sun, then be sure the Seychelles makes your list of places to see before you die. Of all the 115 islands that make up the country, La Digue is one of the most luxuriant, tropical paradises – ringed by dazzling beaches and sky-blue waters. And back onshore you’ll find the rich rhythms, colours and flavours of Africa.
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Uluru, Australia
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| Just a big lump of red rock, right? Well, not according to anyone who has seen it. This vast bright red sandstone rock formation bewitches all who make the long-haul trip into Australia’s dry centre to see it. The rock spreads across the horizon standing 348m tall and its circumference spans 9.4km (5.8 miles). Named Uluru by the local Pitjantjatjara people, it was then renamed Ayers Rock by explorer, William Gosse, in honour of Sir Henry Ayers, then chief secretary of South Australia. This was contentious for many years, and it is now dual-named. |
Cape Town, South Africa
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| Few world cities can compete with the natural backdrop of Cape Town. This beautiful city sits below the immense bulk of Table Mountain, is fringed by gorgeous beaches and cushioned by productive vineyards. There are also the lively cosmopolitan culture and friendly locals to boast of. But really all it takes is a ride up the mountain in Cape Town’s iconic cable car and you’ll understand why the city is so high on our list of places to see before you die. |
Las Vegas strip, USA
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| Not for the fainthearted, ‘the strip’ is four miles of casinos, hotels and flashing neon. It’s the Las Vegas image, the scene for so many wise guy movies, an iconic eye-feast of brash colours, billboards and skyscrapers. In 2000, it was named an ‘All-American Road’ by the American Government – a little like becoming a National Trust site, but with strippers and Elvis wedding chapels. |
Red Square, Russia
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| It’s not red, and it’s not square. But everything else about this monumental plaza lives up to its incredible reputation. Russia’s symbolic heart does not disappoint in grandeur or sights. You could spend a week exploring the buildings that surround it: from Lenin's Mausoleum to the State History Museum, the GUM shopping centre to the stunning St Basil's Cathedral. |
The Acropolis, Greece
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| Some would say this ‘city of temples’ is the most important ancient site in the Western world. We content ourselves with saying it’s one of the most spectacular by far. Crowned by the unmistakable bulk of the Parthenon, it sits above the city of Athens, and its presence is felt throughout the city. Begun in 510BC, the temples are built of gleaming white marble that turns golden as the light fades. |
Venice canals, Italy
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| This beautiful northern Italian city, famous for its gondoliers, is made up of 118 small islands, connected by bridges. See the stunningly ornate Rialto Bridge and the Byron-named Bridge of Sighs, the iconic enclosed limestone bridge that famously connected the old prison with the interrogation rooms of the Doge’s Palace. From here, prisoners took in their last view of Venice before being banged up. |
Stonehenge, UK
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| This ancient ring of monolithic stones adorns a million t-shirts, tea towels, posters and pencil sharpeners. Its druidic following has lent it a surreal, comic reputation. But Stonehenge’s mystical appeal that has endured for the last 5,000 years lives on, only enhanced by its mysterious origins. If we hesitated about putting Stonehenge on a list of places to see before you die for even a moment, it was only because visitors can no longer walk among the huge stones themselves. For that’s where you can fully appreciate what an incredible feat their erection represents. |
Niagara Falls, Canada/USA
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| These huge waterfalls are infamous, but no matter how many times you have seen them on Superman II, in real life the true scale, not to mention the sound, of the falls is a breathtaking experience. They sit between two unique cities, both called Niagara Falls, one in Ontario, Canada; one in New York, USA. |
The Coliseum, Italy
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| When it comes to a city so jam-packed with imperial knock-outs and religious splendour, from the ancient pantheon to the overwhelming opulence of the Vatican, choosing one spot to see before you die is no easy task. However, few sights send so many shivers down the spine as the iconic Coliseum: both for its magnificent construction and the gory tales of its gladiator-mutilating and Christian-eating past. Even when overrun by hordes of tourists, this astonishingly well-preserved temple of bloodthirsty Roman life excites the imagination like nowhere else on earth. |
The Pyramids, Egypt
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| The subject of so very many conspiracy theories, in truth the origin of the pyramids is fairly straightforward – they were built as monuments to the men they entombed. There are still over 100 pyramids, the huge Giza pyramids on the outskirts of Cairo, being the most famous. The Great Pyramid is the only remaining member of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World |
Eiffel Tower, France
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| Like Buckingham Palace and Beefeaters to London, this tower has come to be shorthand for France and Frenchness. A testament to modern architecture, the 319m-high iron structure was the tallest in the world from 1989 until the 1930s Chrysler Building in New York. The design, the view and the food at Le Jules Verne restaurant make this an ever-special place to visit. |
Mt Cook National Park, New Zealand
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New Zealand was always a top contender in this list: a country of such astounding seismic beauty, with every natural attraction to boast of. Glacial mountains, vast lakes, steaming geysers, remote beaches and thick forests are just the beginning. The range of outdoor activities – from rafting to bungy jumping – is just as wide. And if there’s one place in New Zealand most worthy of this list, it’s the South Island, and in particular, the stunning Mt Cook National Park. No less than 22 of the country’s 27 highest mountains reside here. Mt Cook, itself, reaches 3,755m (12,391ft).
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Canadian Rockies, Canada
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| Glacial lakes, bright white powder snow, the occasional grizzly bear and enormous mountains that contain some of the most death-defying ski slopes in the world. The Rockies are the Canadian stretch of the Rocky Mountain range that kiss both Canada and New Mexico in the United States. |
Taj Mahal, India
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| Patrons of any side street curry house will know the shape of the famous mausoleum in Agra, India, but nothing can compare to the experience of seeing it in all its marbled glory. The bauble-shaped building is crafted from impossibly glossy white stone and tiles, and became a World Heritage site in 1983 – so it should be protected for the rest of our lifetimes. |
The Grand Canyon, USA
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| One of the only landmarks you can spot from outer space, this vibrant red canyon was born out of rock by the huge, rumbling Colorado River over millions of years. The canyon itself sits within the Grand Canyon National Park, and there’s now a glass ‘Skywalk’ rising 1220m (4,000ft) above the floor of the canyon, to really test your metal. |
Great Barrier Reef, Australia
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| Some of the most spectacular diving imaginable is on offer at this, the largest coral reef system in the world. A kaleidoscopic spectacle of flitting fish and swaying coral, it is the only living thing you can see from space, and is also a World Heritage site. Climate change, over-fishing and aggressive tourism all threaten it, so time is running out to see the reef in all its glory. |
Hawaii, USA
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| Think of a tropical idyll and you’ll conjure up a vision much like Hawaii, famous for its fine sands, surf, stunning scenery and active volcano. Technically a state of the USA, the cluster of beautiful, tropical islands is actually southwest of the rest of the country. The capital, Honolulu, is on the main island, Oahu, but there are hundreds of tiny islands formed from volcanic mass. With active lava still flowing, the size and shape of the island chain is always changing. |
Bangkok, Thailand
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| The city of Bangkok as a whole deserves inclusion on this list for its overpowering sights, smells and frenetic energy. Glittering mirrored temples muscle in alongside bustling markets and manic street scenes. If you could narrow Bangkok’s marvellous sights down to just two locations, they would be the temple known as Wat Pho and the Grand Palace: a wonderful East-meets-West royal building built by the first Thai monarch to visit Europe. The extraordinary throne hall is not to be missed. |
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