Travelers' Choice Top 25 World Landmarks

1. Visit Machu Picchu PERU

Machu Picchu – "Old Mountain", pronounced – is a pre-Columbian Inca site located 2,430 metres (7,970 ft) above sea level. It is situated on a mountain ridge above the Urubamba Valley in Peru, which is 80 kilometres (50 mi) northwest of Cuzco and through which the Urubamba River flows. Most archaeologists believe that Machu Picchu was built as an estate for the Inca emperor Pachacuti (1438–1472).

Machu Picchu was rediscovered in 1911 by American explorer Hiram Bingham, who initially mistook it for the "Lost City of the Incas."

1485 people are doing this goal:

2. Visit Angkor Wat CAMBODIA

Angkor Wat is a Hindu temple complex at Angkor, Cambodia, built for the king Suryavarman II in the early 12th century as his state temple and part of his capital city. As the best-preserved temple at the site, it is the only one to have remained a significant religious centre since its foundation — first Hindu, dedicated to the god Vishnu, then Buddhist. The temple is at the top of the high classical style of Khmer architecture.

Angkor Wat is believed to have been built as a Hindu temple, but later transformed into a Buddhist temple complex.

557 people are doing this goal:

3. Visit the Taj Mahal INDIA

The Taj Mahal is a mausoleum located in Agra, India. It is one of the most recognizable structures in the world. It was built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal. It is widely considered as one of the most beautiful buildings in the world and stands as a symbol of eternal love. Taj Mahal is the finest example of Mughal architecture, a style that combines elements from Persian, Islamic and Indian architectural styles.

You will not be alone! An estimated 7-8 million visitors each year make this India's top destination.

1299 people are doing this goal:

4. Visit Petra JORDAN

Petra is a historic and archaeological city in the Jordanian governorate of Ma'an that is known for its rock cut architecture and water conduits system. Established sometime around the 6th century BC as the capital city of the Nabataeans, it is a symbol of Jordan as well as its most visited tourism attraction. It lies on the slope of Mount Hor in a basin among the mountains which form the eastern flank of Arabah (Wadi Araba), the large valley running from the Dead Sea to the Gulf of Aqaba.

Petra in Jordan is home to the iconic Treasury building, which was featured in the movie "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade."

675 people are doing this goal:

5. Visit the Bayon Temple in Siem Reap CAMBODIA

The Bayon is a well-known and richly decorated Khmer temple at Angkor in Cambodia. Built in the late 12th century or early 13th century as the official state temple of the Mahayana Buddhist King Jayavarman VII, the Bayon stands at the centre of Jayavarman's capital, Angkor Thom. Following Jayavarman's death, it was modified and augmented by later Hindu and Theravada Buddhist kings in accordance with their own religious preferences.

95 people are doing this goal:

6. Visit the Great Cathedral and Mosque in Cordoba SPAIN

Mosque–Cathedral of Córdoba, also called the Mezquita and the Great Mosque of Córdoba, is now a Catholic Christian cathedral and formerly a medieval Islamic mosque. It is located in the Spanish city of Córdoba, Andalusia. The Cathedral is regarded as the one of the most accomplished monuments of Renaissance and Moorish architecture. Since the early 2000s (decade), Spanish Muslims have lobbied the Roman Catholic Church to allow them to pray in the cathedral. The Muslim campaign has been rejected on multiple occasions, by both Spanish Catholic authorities, and the Vatican.

109 people are doing this goal:

7. Visit the Church of Our Savior on Spilled Blood RUSSIA

The Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood (Russian: ???? ????? ?? ?????) Khram Spasa na Krovi is one of the main sights of St. Petersburg, Russia. It is also variously called the Church on Spilt Blood and the Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ (Russian: ????? ??????????? ????????), its official name. "The preferred Russian name for this great church is [???? ????? ?? ?????] Khram Spasa na Krovi, but each English-language tourist publication seems to list it under a different name.

85 people are doing this goal:

8. Visit St Peter's Basilica VATICAN CITY

The Papal Basilica of Saint Peter, officially known in Italian as the Basilica Papale di San Pietro in Vaticano and commonly known as St. Peter's Basilica, is a Late Renaissance church located within the Vatican City. St. Peter's Basilica has the largest interior of any Christian church in the world, holding 60,000 people. It is regarded as one of the holiest Catholic sites.

St. Peter's Basilica is the largest church in the world and is built on top of a burial site believed to be the tomb of Saint Peter, one of the twelve apostles of Jesus.

438 people are doing this goal:

9. See the medieval walled city of Dubrovnik CROATIA

Dubrovnik, is a Croatian city on the Adriatic Sea coast in the extreme south of Dalmatia, positioned at the terminal end of the Isthmus of Dubrovnik. It is one of the most prominent tourist destinations on the Adriatic, a seaport and the center of Dubrovnik-Neretva county. Its population was 43,770 in 2001, down from 49,728 in 1991. In 1979, the city of Dubrovnik joined the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites. The prosperity of the city of Dubrovnik has always been based on maritime trade.

177 people are doing this goal:

10. Visit the Main Market Square (Rynek Glowny) in Krakow POLAND

Rynek Glówny is a spacious square surrounded by historical townhouses (kamienice), palaces and churches. The center of the square is dominated by the Sukiennice (the Cloth Hall or Drapers' Hall), rebuilt in 1555 in the Renaissance style, topped by a beautiful attic or Polish parapet decorated with carved masks. On one side of the Sukiennice is the Town Hall Tower (Wieza ratuszowa), on the other the 10th century Church of St. Wojciech (St. Adalbert's) and 1898 Adam Mickiewicz Monument. Rising above the square are the Gothic towers of St. Mary's Basilica (Kosciól Mariacki).

92 people are doing this goal:

11. Visit the Temple of Karnak EGYPT

The Karnak Temple Complex—usually called Karnak—comprises a vast mix of decayed temples, chapels, pylons, and other buildings. Building at the complex began in the reign of Sesostris I in the Middle Kingdom and continued into the Ptolemaic period, although most of the extant buildings date from the New Kingdom.

104 people are doing this goal:

12. See the Fountains at Bellagio NEVADA

Bellagio is a luxury, AAA Five Diamond award winning hotel and casino located on the Las Vegas Strip in the Paradise area of unincorporated Clark County, Nevada, USA and a member of The Leading Hotels of the World. It is owned by MGM Resorts International and was built on the site of the demolished Dunes hotel and casino. The resort serves as the seat of the corporate headquarters for MGM Resorts International and is considered the main flagship resort of the gaming company.

The Fountains at Bellagio use over 1,200 nozzles to create a mesmerizing water show that can shoot water up to 460 feet in the air.

321 people are doing this goal:

13. Visit Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque is located in Abu Dhabi, the capital city of the United Arab Emirates. Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque was initiated by the late President of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), HH Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. His final resting place is located on the grounds beside the same mosque. As the country’s grand mosque, it is the key place of worship for Friday gathering and Eid prayers.

47 people are doing this goal:

14. Visit the Alcázar of Seville SPAIN

The Alcázar of Seville is a royal palace in Seville, Spain, originally a Moorish fort. It is the oldest royal palace still in use in Europe, and it was registered in 1987 by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, along with the Seville Cathedral and the General Archive of the Indies.

93 people are doing this goal:

15. Visit the Gettysburg National Military Park PENNSYLVANIA

The Gettysburg National Military Park (GNMP) is an administrative unit of the National Park Service's northeast region and a subunit of federal properties of Adams County, Pennsylvania, with the same name, including the Gettysburg National Cemetery. The GNMP properties include most of the Gettysburg Battlefield, many of the battle's support areas during the battle.

The Gettysburg National Military Park is home to the largest collection of outdoor sculptures in the world.

138 people are doing this goal:

16. Visit Alhambra palace SPAIN

The Alhambra, the complete form of which was Calat Alhambra ("the red fortress"), is a palace and fortress complex constructed during the mid 14th century by the Moorish rulers of the Emirate of Granada in Al-Andalus, occupying the top of the hill of the Assabica on the southeastern border of the city of Granada in the Autonomous Community of Andalusia.

The Alhambra Palace in Spain is home to the stunning Court of Lions, featuring a fountain supported by twelve marble lions.

149 people are doing this goal:

17. Visit the Great Wall of China CHINA

The Great Wall of China is a series of stone and earthen fortifications in northern China, built originally to protect the northern borders of the Chinese Empire against intrusions by various nomadic groups. Several walls have been built since the 5th century BC that are referred to collectively as the Great Wall, which has been rebuilt and maintained from the 5th century BC through the 16th century.

The Great Wall of China is not a single continuous wall, but a series of walls and fortifications built over different dynasties.

1313 people are doing this goal:

18. Visit the Shwedagon Pagoda MYANMAR

The Shwedagon Pagoda;; officially titled Shwedagon Zedi Daw, also known in English as the Great Dagon Pagoda and the Golden Pagoda, is a 99 metres (325 ft) gilded pagoda and stupa located in Yangon, Burma. The pagoda lies to the west of Kandawgyi Lake, on Singuttara Hill, thus dominating the skyline of the city.

44 people are doing this goal:

19. Visit the USS Arizona National Memorial on Oahu HAWAII

The USS Arizona Memorial, located at Pearl Harbor in Honolulu, Hawai?i, marks the resting place of 1,102 of the 1,177 sailors killed on the USS Arizona during the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 by Japanese imperial forces and commemorates the events of that day. The attack on Pearl Harbor and the island of O?ahu was the action that led to United States involvement in World War II. The memorial, dedicated in 1962, is visited by more than one million people annually.

The USS Arizona, a battleship sunk during the attack on Pearl Harbor, still leaks oil from its wreckage, known as the "tears of the Arizona," nearly 80 years after the tragic event.

96 people are doing this goal:

20. See 'Christ the Redeemer' statue in Brazil BRAZIL

Christ the Redeemer is a statue of Jesus Christ in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; considered the largest Art Deco statue in the world. The statue is 39.6 metres (130 ft) tall, including its 9.5 metre (31 feet) pedestal, and 30 metres (98 ft) wide. It weighs 635 tonnes, and is located at the peak of the 700-metre (2,300 ft) Corcovado mountain in the Tijuca Forest National Park overlooking the city.

Christ the Redeemer statue is considered one of the New Seven Wonders of the World and stands atop the Corcovado mountain in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, with its outstretched arms symbolizing peace.

263 people are doing this goal:

21. See the view from the 'Top of the Rock' observation deck NEW YORK

The GE Building is an Art Deco skyscraper that forms the centerpiece of Rockefeller Center in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, USA. Known as the RCA Building until 1988, it is most famous for housing the headquarters of the television network NBC. At 850 feet (259 m) tall, the 70-story building is the 10th tallest building in New York City and the 33rd tallest in the United States. Some of the building's nicknames include The Slab and 30 Rock.

95 people are doing this goal:

22. Visit the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela SPAIN

Santiago de Compostela Cathedral (Galician: Catedral de Santiago de Compostela) is a Roman Catholic cathedral of the archdiocese of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia, Spain. The cathedral is the reputed burial-place of Saint James the Greater, one of the apostles of Jesus Christ. It is the destination of the Way of St. James, a major historical pilgrimage route since the Middle Ages.

79 people are doing this goal:

23. See the Golden Gate Bridge SAN FRANCISCO

The Golden Gate Bridge is a suspension bridge spanning the Golden Gate, the opening of the San Francisco Bay into the Pacific Ocean. As part of both U.S. Route 101 and California State Route 1, it connects the city of San Francisco on the northern tip of the San Francisco Peninsula to Marin County.

The Golden Gate Bridge is painted in a distinctive orange-red color called "international orange" to increase visibility in foggy conditions and has become an iconic symbol of San Francisco.

475 people are doing this goal:

24. Visit the cathedral of St. John the Baptist GEORGIA

The Cathedral of St. John the Baptist is a Roman Catholic cathedral at 222 East Harris Street, Savannah, Georgia, in the United States. It is the Mother Church of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Savannah.

32 people are doing this goal:

25. Visit Siena Cathedral ITALY

The Cathedral of Siena (Italian: Duomo di Siena), dedicated from its earliest days as a Roman Catholic Marian church and now to Santa Maria Assunta (Most Holy Mary of Assumption), is a medieval church in Siena, central Italy. The cathedral itself was originally designed and completed between 1215 and 1263 on the site of an earlier structure. It has the form of a Latin cross with a slightly projecting transept, a dome and a bell tower.

93 people are doing this goal: