Top 21 UNESCO World Heritage Sites to visit

From the Taj Mahal to Kilimanjaro National Park, the world is filled with historic wonders, either man-made like Chichen Itza or natural like the Grand Canyon. With over 1,000 stunning places to visit, you might feel a bit confused as to where to start? Well, here is our list of recommendations of the top 21 World Heritage sites to visit for your next adventure!

Do you know the different types of World Heritage sites?

Currently, the UNESCO World Heritage sites are mainly divided into two types: cultural and natural (exception to 39 sites which are categorised as 'mixed'). There are more than 800 cultural sites verses roughly 200 natural sites existing in the world today.

When is 'World Heritage Day'?

The International Day for Monuments and Sites is observed annually on 18 April. It was originally proposed by the International Council of Monuments and Sites, or ICOMOS, in 1982 and the following year, General Assembly of UNESCO approved and declared this special day as World Heritage Day.

When was the first set of World Heritage Sites chosen?

The very first World Heritage Sites were chosen on 5 September 1978 by the UNESCO in Washington DC and were originally only 12. Ever since then, new sites have been added every year, except in 2002, and the latest additions (as of 2019) are 29 new locations scattered around 26 countries.

Which countries have the most sites?

There are so many World Heritage Sites in the world, but which countries are blessed with the most of them? Well Italy and China are currently tied for the first place with 55 sites each, followed by Spain with 48 sites, then Germany with 46 sites and France with 45. It would seem Europe takes the lead!