8 Amazing Travel Spots to Visit at Least Once
Machu Picchu in Peru, Petra in Jordan and the Great Barrier Reef in Australia top this list of eight places worth a long-haul trip at least once. We picked destinations with real scale or history, then added the one fact that explains the pull.
| Spot | Country | Key fact |
|---|---|---|
| Machu Picchu | Peru | 15th-century Inca citadel at 2,430 m |
| Petra | Jordan | Rock-cut Nabataean city, a UNESCO site |
| Angkor Wat | Cambodia | Largest religious complex in the world |
| Santorini | Greece | Island ringed around a volcanic caldera |
| Iguazu Falls | Argentina and Brazil | Largest waterfall system in the world |
| Great Barrier Reef | Australia | Over 2,900 reefs across 2,300 km |
| Salar de Uyuni | Bolivia | Largest salt flat in the world |
| Banff National Park | Canada | Canada’s first national park, 1885 |
1. Machu Picchu, Peru
The “Lost City of the Incas” sits on a mountain ridge about 80 kilometers northwest of Cusco. It is believed to have been built around 1450 as an estate for the emperor Pachacuti and is known for its dry-stone walls, the Temple of the Sun and the Intihuatana ritual stone.
2. Petra, Jordan
Petra, the “Rose City”, is carved into sandstone in southern Jordan. It was the capital of the Nabataean Kingdom and is known for the rock-cut Al-Khazneh and its rainwater collection systems.
3. Angkor Wat, Cambodia
Built between 1113 and 1150 under King Suryavarman II, it covers a 162.6 hectare site near Siem Reap. It began as a Hindu temple to Vishnu and was later transformed into a Buddhist one.
4. Santorini, Greece
The largest island of a circular archipelago formed by a volcanic caldera, about 200 kilometers southeast of the Greek mainland. It is the southernmost of the Cyclades, with a 2021 population of 15,480.
5. Iguazu Falls, Argentina and Brazil
Most of the falls are on the Argentine side. The name comes from Guarani or Tupi words meaning “big water”, and the Spanish conquistador Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca first recorded the falls in 1541.
6. Great Barrier Reef, Australia
The world’s largest coral reef system has over 2,900 individual reefs and 900 islands off Queensland, and spans roughly 344,400 square kilometers.
7. Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia
At 10,582 square kilometers and 3,656 meters above sea level, it is the largest salt flat in the world. The crust is so flat that elevation varies by less than a meter across it.
8. Banff National Park, Canada
Established in 1885 in Alberta’s Rocky Mountains, it covers 6,641 square kilometers of mountains, glaciers and alpine landscapes.
Which one would you write down first?
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FAQ
Which spot on this list is the largest of its kind?
Angkor Wat is described as the largest religious complex in the world, Iguazu Falls as the largest waterfall system, and Salar de Uyuni as the largest salt flat.
Where is Machu Picchu?
In the Eastern Cordillera of southern Peru at 2,430 meters, about 80 kilometers northwest of Cusco.
How big is the Great Barrier Reef?
It has over 2,900 reefs and 900 islands across about 344,400 square kilometers off Queensland.
When was Banff National Park established?
In 1885, as Rocky Mountains Park. It was Canada’s first national park.
Is Petra a UNESCO site?
Yes. Petra is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in southern Jordan.
Last updated: October 2026.
