Ranking the top 100 tourist attractions in the world is always going to be problematic; there is always going to be a hint of personal preference attached to the selection. Some of the attractions have historical and cultural significance, while others are natural formations that are just as imposing or impressive.
Lovers of history may favor the ancient monuments, while lovers of nature may be inclined to think that natural phenomena are more attractive than those that were built by human hands.
In any case, while there many tourist attractions around the world; these are some of the most highly rated.
Top 100 Tourist Attractions In The World
1. The Pyramids Of Giza
The Pyramids of Giza are everything at once; imposing, everlasting, beautiful, and curious. One travel writer describes them as the most impressive piles of bricks you will ever see. The Pyramids are very old; they are so ancient that they were considered ancient even in ancient times!
In fact, reliable information confirms that The Pyramids were a famous tourist attraction for the wealthy in Rome; back when she ruled the world.
These beauties were built some 4500 years ago, and even now they continue to fascinate people all over the world- just as they have for ages.
2. The Great Wall China
The Great Wall is the most massive man made structure in the world. The wall stretches a total of about 20,00km, so it is quite a stretch if you want to see the whole thing. More impressively; it is more than just a wall; it is a battlement and can be seen as a narrow road.
The battlement is to help soldiers defend the wall; and the realm. As many as 6 people can easily walk across without obstructing each other.
The Great Wall was not built for beauty; it was built to keep invaders out. The wall was not built in one life time; but selective stretches were joined by Emperor Qin Shi Huang. The earliest portions were built around the 7th Century.
3. Pink Beach, Indonesia
Pink Beach, Indonesia is really pink- the beach sands that is! This strange color adds to the feeling of awe that visitors get when they visit. But its not just the pink sand; it is the greenery of the landscape, and the warmth of the weather, and the cool breeze blowing in from the sea.
This may actually be the most romantic location in the world; and aside from the joy of being with the person you love, you can enjoy the satisfaction of inundating your friend’s social media timelines with gorgeous photos from this location.
If you like to go scuba diving you can enjoy roaming around the corals, and enjoy watching the exotic fish swim by.
4. Yellowstone National Park
Yellowstone National Park is the most iconic national park in America; and the stones are really yellow. There are yellow sandstones on the banks of the Yellowstone River, although the exact source of the name is disputed.
Yellowstone National Park is a place of wonder; half of the world’s geothermal geysers are located here, and the unique ecosystem makes it a place to visit if you love birds, small mammals, and many other animals.
This is one place that America is lucky to have; and the country is also lucky to have had capable people with the foresight to keep it in pristine condition, for the enjoyment of future generations.
5. Cappadocia, Turkey
Cappadocia, Turkey is a unique place to behold; there are very few (if any) places like it. Cappadocia is a combination of nature and human ingenuity; nature produced the rocks and the landscape, while man built the homes into the rock formations.
Cappadocia, is famous for its rock face churches, which are actually huge caves carved into the rocks. They served as refuges for the early Christians in the region.
Before then, the city had been a refuge for the Hittites who lived there well before the 6th Century. Various conquests have taken place over the area over the years, but the people largely remained. Today, this is a favorite sight which people prefer to see floating by in hot air balloons.
6. To Sua Ocean Trench, Samoa
To Sua Ocean Trench is one of the best kept secrets of Samoa; but it shouldn’t be secret at all because of its sheer beauty. It is a natural trench or a system of trenches which are interconnected and which form an underground tunnel.
Words do not do this natural wonder the justice it deserves; there is no way to describe how beautiful the green waters are, or how they merge with the surrounding greenery of the area to form a lovely and palette which can only be truly enjoyed by going there.
7. Rainbow Mountains, China
Rainbow Mountains in China is one of the things you see a picture of and wonder if it is real. And it is! This is an unbelievable cacophony of colors that are etched into the mountains. There are too many big words that come with trying to explain how these colors were formed.
Nevertheless, the mountains are a beauty to behold; one of the world’s top tourist attractions. No one can claim to be a true wanderer unless he has seen these mountains first hand.
8. Amazon Rainforest, South America
The Amazon Rainforest is an area of mega-diversity; it is a merger of a forest and river systems that stretches across Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, and Surinam.
This is the largest rainforest in the world; its sheer size raises one’s sense of adventure. This is not the kind of holiday where you only spend a few days; people spend months in boats going around, and taking in the sights.
There are so many different types of plants and trees to see; and so many different types of animals that call this place home.
9. Hermitage Museum, Russia
In the interest of net neutrality and because it truly deserves the listing a list of the best tourist attractions in the world would hardly be complete without mentioning the Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg, which is the world’s largest museum by gallery space.
There are over 3 million items on display in this museum; and some of the items are not on permanent display. This is one of the most important galleries in the world; it gets almost 2 million visitors per year.
10. Stonehedge
Stonehedge is sometimes portrayed in the movies as a portal to the future, or to the past. Some movies even showcase it as a portal to another dimension where one can find aliens. The truth is; this is a prehistoric monument and no one is exactly sure what its purpose was.
It is a set of stones that are carefully set together in a circular fashion, and there are lintel stones set on top of some of them.
This is arguably the most famous landmark of Britain; and it is very significant culturally. Maybe the portal can even up when you go on a visit; and it may take you to another dimension.
The following is an extensive list of the top 100 tourist attractions in the world.
| Position | Place | Country |
| 1 | The Pyramids Of Giza | Egypt |
| 2 | The Great Wall | China |
| 3 | Pink Beach | Indonesia |
| 4 | Yellowstone National Park | United States |
| 5 | Cappadocia | Turkey |
| 6 | To Sua Ocean Trench | Samoa |
| 7 | Rainbow Mountains | China |
| 8 | Amazon Rainforest | South America |
| 9 | Hermitage Museum | Russia |
| 10 | Stonehedge | United Kingdom |
| 11 | Abu Simbel | Egypt |
| 12 | Chernobyl | Ukraine |
| 13 | Gyeongbokgung Palace, | Seoul, Korea |
| 14 | Grand Canyon | Arizona, USA |
| 15 | Batu Caves | Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia |
| 16 | Leaning Tower Of Pisa | Italy |
| 17 | Taj Mahal | India |
| 18 | Baobabs Alley | Madagascar |
| 19 | Iguazu Falls | South America |
| 20 | Giant’S Causeway | Ireland |
| 21 | Rapa Nui | (Easter Island), Chilean Polynesia |
| 22 | Benagil Cave | Portugal |
| 23 | Niagara Falls | United States/Canada |
| 24 | Arashiyama Bamboo Forest | Japan |
| 25 | Colosseum | Rome, Italy |
| 26 | Hobbiton | New Zealand |
| 27 | Neuschwanstein Castle | Germany |
| 28 | Statue Of Liberty | New York City, USA |
| 29 | Sydney Opera House | Australia |
| 30 | Reynisfjara Beach | Iceland |
| 31 | Bastei Bridge | Germany |
| 32 | Victoria Falls | Zambia and Zimbabwe |
| 33 | Ait Benhaddou | Morocco |
| 34 | Danakil Depression | Ethiopia |
| 35 | Salar De Uyuni | Bolivia |
| 36 | The White Desert | Egypt |
| 37 | Christ The Redeemer | Rio De Janeiro |
| 38 | The Lourve | Paris, France |
| 39 | Registan Square | Uzbekistan |
| 40 | Golden Bridge | Vietnam |
| 41 | Buckingham Palace | London, England |
| 42 | Reichstag Dome | Berlin, Germany |
| 43 | Guggenheim Bilbao | Spain |
| 44 | London Eye | London, England |
| 45 | Acropolis | Athens, Greece |
| 46 | Gardens By The Bay | Singapore |
| 47 | Disneyland | California, USA |
| 48 | Abba Museum | Stockholm, Sweden |
| 49 | Pamukkale | Turkey |
| 50 | Great Blue Hole | Belize |
| 51 | Karijini National Park | Australia |
| 52 | Mona | Tasmania, Australia |
| 53 | Grand Canal | Venice, Italy |
| 54 | Uluru, Northern Territory | Australia |
| 55 | The Louvre | Abu Dhabi |
| 56 | Naoshima Island | Japan |
| 57 | Bellagio Fountain | Las Vegas, USA |
| 58 | Banzai Pipeline | Hawaii |
| 59 | The Blue Mosque | Istanbul, Turkey |
| 60 | Matterhorn | Switzerland |
| 61 | Golden Gate Bridge | San Francisco, USA |
| 62 | Burj Khalifa | Dubai |
| 63 | Borobudar Temple | Indonesia |
| 64 | Hollywood Sign | Los Angeles, USA |
| 65 | Red Square | Moscow, Russia |
| 66 | Mt Fuji | Japan |
| 67 | Ha Long Bay | Vietnam |
| 68 | Mount Rushmore | USA |
| 69 | Milford Sound | New Zealand |
| 70 | Machu Picchu | Peru |
| 71 | Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque | Abu Dhabi |
| 72 | Moraine Lake | Canada |
| 73 | Kata Tjuta | Northern Territory, Australia |
| 74 | Eiffel Tower | Paris, France |
| 75 | Angkor Temples | Cambodia |
| 76 | Central Park | New York City, USA |
| 77 | Berlin Wall | Germany |
| 78 | Ik-Kil Cenote | Mexico |
| 79 | St Peters Basilica | Vatican City, Italy |
| 80 | Sistine Chapel | Vatican City, Italy |
| 81 | Tai Kwun | Hong Kong |
| 82 | Terracotta Army | China |
| 83 | Sagrada Familia | Spain |
| 84 | Great Barrier Reef | Queensland, Australia |
| 85 | Tianjin Binhai Library | China |
| 86 | Heart Of Voh | New Caledonia |
| 87 | Times Square | New York City, USA |
| 88 | Forbidden City | Beijing, China |
| 89 | Darvaza Gas Crater | Turkmenistan |
| 90 | Pompeii | Italy |
| 91 | Grey Glacier | Patagonia |
| 92 | Seljalandsfoss Waterfall | Iceland |
| 93 | Petra | Jordan |
| 94 | Alcatraz, San Francisco Bay | USA |
| 95 | Cherry Blossoms | Japan |
| 96 | Freedom Tower | New York City, USA |
| 97 | Serengeti National Park | Tanzania |
| 98 | Chefchaouen | Morocco |
| 99 | Northern Lights | Norway |
| 100 | Havana | Cuba |
Related:
- Top 100 Languages In The World
- Top 100 Busiest Airports In The World
- Top 100 Poorest Countries In The World
Closing
The top tourist attractions seem to be quite evenly distributed across the globe; in every corner that you look you can find something of an attraction which brings satisfaction to the eyes, and curiosity to the mind.