Browse by what you will experience

Cities that once ruled or traded across wide regions and now survive as ruins you can walk through. The scale of the streets and temples shows how organised they were.

• Pompeii and HerculaneumItalyCultural
• PersepolisIranCultural
• Pre-Hispanic City of TeotihuacanMexicoCultural
• Great Zimbabwe National MonumentZimbabweCultural
• BaganMyanmarCultural

Places people have travelled to, built for and prayed at for centuries: rock-hewn churches, monasteries on cliff tops, holy mountains and pilgrim routes still walked today. Dress and behaviour rules apply, so read them before you go.

• Rock-Hewn Churches, LalibelaEthiopiaCultural
• Borobudur Temple CompoundsIndonesiaCultural
• Mount AthosGreeceMixed
• Mahabodhi Temple, Bodh GayaIndiaCultural
• MeteoraGreeceMixed

The homes and strongholds of rulers: baroque palaces, hilltop fortresses and walled citadels. Expect state rooms, defensive walls and guided tours, and book ahead for the best known.

• 
  Palace and Gardens of SchönbrunnAustriaCultural
• Alhambra, Generalife and AlbayzínSpainCultural
• Palace and Park of VersaillesFranceCultural
• Himeji-joJapanCultural
• Potala Palace, LhasaChinaCultural

Historic town centres that are still lived in, with markets, schools and shops among the monuments. They reward unhurried walking, early mornings and a base inside the old walls.

• PragueCzechiaCultural
• Old city (Dubrovnik)CroatiaCultural
• Town of Luang PrabangLaosCultural
• Medina of FezMoroccoCultural
• Old Town of LijiangChinaCultural

Stone circles, burial mounds and painted caves left by people who kept no written record. Many are fragile, so access is often by guided visit, and some caves are closed to protect the paintings.

• Vézère Valley Prehistoric SitesFranceCultural
• Stonehenge and AveburyUnited KingdomCultural
• TsodiloBotswanaCultural
• Rock Shelters of BhimbetkaIndiaCultural
• Heart of Neolithic OrkneyUnited KingdomCultural

Caravan towns, ports and roads where goods, faiths and ideas moved between continents. Their buildings show where the money came from and who it came from.

• Samarkand – Crossroad of CulturesUzbekistanCultural
• Land of FrankincenseOmanCultural
• Kilwa Kisiwani and Songo MnaraTanzaniaCultural
• Hanseatic town of VisbySwedenCultural
• Quebrada de HumahuacaArgentinaCultural

Mines, ironworks, canals, bridges and railways that changed how people lived and worked. Many have museums, underground tours and engineering you can still see in use.

• Ironbridge GorgeUnited KingdomCultural
• Zollverein Coal MineGermanyCultural
• Forth BridgeUnited KingdomCultural
• Rhaetian RailwaySwitzerland, ItalyCultural
• Wieliczka and Bochnia Salt MinesPolandCultural

Twentieth-century buildings and planned cities that changed how the world builds: a modernist capital, a school of design, houses and factories. Many are still lived in or worked in, so visits often need booking.

• BrasiliaBrazilCultural
• Bauhaus SitesGermanyCultural
• White City of Tel AvivIsraelCultural
• Luis Barragán House and StudioMexicoCultural
• Asmara: A Modernist African CityEritreaCultural

Reefs, atolls, bays and remote islands, many reached only by boat or small plane. Weather and sea conditions decide the trip, so keep days flexible and book boats early.

• Galápagos IslandsEcuadorNatural
• 
  Lord Howe Island GroupAustraliaNatural
• Ha Long BayVietnamNatural
• Aldabra AtollSeychellesNatural
• Ningaloo CoastAustraliaNatural

Peaks, glaciers and active volcanoes, many with guided climbs. Altitude, weather and safety rules shape what you can do, and some routes need a licensed guide.

• FujisanJapanCultural
• Kilimanjaro National ParkTanzaniaNatural
• Swiss Alps Jungfrau-AletschSwitzerlandNatural
• Tongariro National ParkNew ZealandMixed
• Volcanoes of KamchatkaRussiaNatural

Ancient forests, great rivers, deltas and wetlands, rich in birds, fish and wildlife. Boats, boardwalks and guided walks are the usual way in, and the wet season changes what you can reach.

• Białowieża ForestBelarus, PolandNatural
• Pantanal Conservation AreaBrazilNatural
• Okavango DeltaBotswanaNatural
• Iguazu National ParkArgentinaNatural
• Lake BaikalRussiaNatural

Sand seas, rock domes and dry lake basins, with some of the clearest night skies on the List. Go in the cooler months, carry more water than you expect, and use local guides.

• Wadi Rum Protected AreaJordanMixed
• Namib Sand SeaNamibiaNatural
• Tassili n'AjjerAlgeriaMixed
• Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National ParkAustraliaMixed
• Socotra ArchipelagoYemenNatural

National parks and reserves where large animals live in the open, from migrating herds to mountain gorillas. Guided drives and permits are the norm, and the best months depend on the rains.

• Serengeti National ParkTanzaniaNatural
• Ngorongoro Conservation AreaTanzaniaMixed
• Virunga National ParkDemocratic Republic of the CongoNatural
• Kaziranga National ParkIndiaNatural
• Bwindi Impenetrable National ParkUgandaNatural

Cliffs, canyons and quarries where the rock records millions of years of life and change: fossils, layers and lava formations you can see for yourself. Collecting rules vary, so check before you pick anything up.

• Jurassic CoastUnited KingdomNatural
• Messel Pit Fossil SiteGermanyNatural
• Grand Canyon National ParkUnited StatesNatural
• Dinosaur Provincial ParkCanadaNatural
• Giant's CausewayUnited KingdomNatural

Parks and gardens laid out on purpose, from scholars' courtyards to royal parterres and landscape parks. Each shows a different idea of nature, and the best season varies, so check bloom times and opening hours.

• Classical Gardens of SuzhouChinaCultural
• Kew GardensUnited KingdomCultural
• 
  Palace and Gardens of SchönbrunnAustriaCultural
• Garden Kingdom of Dessau-WörlitzGermanyCultural
• Fort and Shalamar Gardens in LahorePakistanCultural

Terraces, vineyards, pastures and villages shaped by generations of farming and still worked today. They are best seen on foot or by bike, and the harvest or planting season changes the view.

• Cordillera Rice TerracesPhilippinesCultural
• Lavaux, Vineyard TerracesSwitzerlandCultural
• Tokaj Wine RegionHungaryCultural
• Wachau Cultural LandscapeAustriaCultural
• Cinque Terre and PortovenereItalyCultural

Places that keep the memory of war, persecution, slavery and nuclear weapons, visited to learn and to reflect. Go quietly, follow the guidance at each site, and allow more time than you think you need.

• Hiroshima Peace MemorialJapanCultural
• Robben IslandSouth AfricaCultural
• Auschwitz BirkenauPolandCultural
• Old Bridge Area of MostarBosnia and HerzegovinaCultural
• Rwanda Genocide MemorialsRwandaCultural