Pick a sight

Every page covers the official tickets and how far ahead to book, what skips which line, guided tours, honest deals, local tips and the scams to watch for. Hidden gems are marked.

Europe

63 sights as a list12 gems as a list

The Americas

11 sights as a list1 gem as a list

Alcatraz Island
San Francisco, United States
The Rock: a federal prison in the middle of San Francisco Bay, told by its guards and inmates.
From
$47.95 adult Day Tour, $29.15 child 5–11, $45.15 senior 62+, under 5 free
Time needed
2.5–3 hours including the 15-minute crossing each way; Night Tour about 3 hours
Chichén Itzá
Chichén Itzá, Mexico
The great Maya city of Yucatán, with the stepped Temple of Kukulcán at its heart.
From
MX$697 foreign adult, one combined federal and state ticket(€34)
Time needed
2.5–4 hours for the main groups; half a day with the museum and Chichén Viejo
Golden Gate Bridge
San Francisco, United States
San Francisco's orange suspension bridge: free to walk, best seen from the cliffs at either end.
From
Free to walk or cycle; car toll $10.25–$11.25 southbound only
Time needed
1–2 hours to walk across and back (3.4 miles round trip); half a day with Fort Point and a viewpoint
Grand Canyon National Park
Grand Canyon Village, Arizona, United States
The Colorado River's mile-deep gorge, seen from rim viewpoints a free shuttle ride apart.
From
$35 per car, $20 per person on foot or bike
Time needed
One full day for the South Rim; two days for sunset, sunrise and a short hike below the rim
Machu Picchu
Aguas Calientes, Peru
The 15th-century Inca citadel on a ridge above the Urubamba, reached by train and bus.
From
S/ 152 foreign adult, S/ 200 with a mountain route(€40 · €52)
Time needed
2.5–4 hours on one route; a full day if you add Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain
Hidden gem
Mesa Verde National Park
Mesa Verde National Park, United States
Ancestral Pueblo villages built into cliff alcoves, entered by ladder with a park ranger.
From
$30 per car
Time needed
One full day for Chapin Mesa and one or two tours; a second day for Wetherill Mesa and Long House
Nazca Lines
Nazca, Peru
Giant desert drawings made 2,000 years ago, best seen from a small plane.
From
$90
Time needed
Half a day in Nazca for the flight (allow 2–3 hours at the airport); 1 hour for the roadside tower
Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island
New York, United States
New York's copper giant and the island 12 million immigrants passed through, on one ferry.
From
$26 adult, $23 senior 62+, $17 child 4–12, under 4 free
Time needed
4–5 hours for both islands; 90 minutes–2 hours for Liberty Island alone
Teotihuacan
San Juan Teotihuacán, Mexico
The vast ancient city of the Pyramids of the Sun and Moon, an hour north of Mexico City
From
MX$210 for foreign visitors; MX$105 for Mexicans and residents; free on Sundays for them(€10 · €5)
Time needed
3–5 hours on site; a full day from Mexico City
Tulum archaeological zone
Tulum, Mexico
A walled Maya port city on a cliff above the Caribbean, with a beach right below it.
From
MX$265 for foreign visitors(€13)
Time needed
1.5–2 hours for the ruins; add an hour or two for the beach below and the museum
Yellowstone National Park
Yellowstone National Park, United States
Old Faithful, Grand Prismatic and Lamar Valley wolves in the world's first national park.
From
$35 per car, $20 per person on foot or bike
Time needed
One long day for the Lower Loop geysers and canyon; 3–4 days to add Lamar Valley and Mammoth

Asia

16 sights as a list3 gems as a list

Middle East and Africa

12 sights as a list2 gems as a list

Australia and the Pacific

2 sights as a list0 gems as a list