The Lonely Planet Ultimate Travelist does exactly what it says on the tin. It ranks the 500 Best Places on the Planet to visit.
The list has been compiled by listing out every highlight in every Lonely Planet guidebook and putting this list to a vote by the lonely planet community.
I use this as a guide when planning trips to figure out what places are worth a visit. Similar to the 501 Must Visit Natural Wonders, in my opinion, it’s not a perfect list, and it does miss out some places which I have personally found to be amazing. BUT, when there’s so much to see, and so little time, it’s a great guide for prioritising your time at each destination.
Here is a list of the places I have visited so far (listed in the order they are ranked in the book). 150 out of 500 visited, only 350 to go!
- No. 001 Temples of Angkor, Cambodia: Visited April 2023
- No. 003 Machu Picchu, Peru: Visited May 2023
- No. 004 Great Wall of China, Beijing, China: Visited November 2017
- No. 006 Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona, USA: Visited August 2014
- No. 007 Colosseum, Rome, Italy: Visited August 2009 & September 2018
- No. 008 Iguazu Falls, Brazil & Argentina: Visited February 2024
- No. 009 Alhambra, Granda, Spain: Visited March 2016
- No. 011 Fez Medina, Morocco: Visited January 2025
- No. 012 Petra, Jordan: Visited February 2023
- No. 015 British Museum: Visited July 2015
- No. 022 Dubrovnik Old City Walls, Croatia: Visited October 2018
- No. 025 Pyramids of Giza, Egypt: Visited December 2023
- No. 026 Piazza San Marco, Venice, Italy: Visited August 2009 & September 2018
- No. 028 Acropolis, Athens, Greece: Visited February 2019
- No. 029 Chateau De Versailles, Paris, France: Visited September 2018
- No. 030 Djemaa el-Fna, Marrakesh, Morocco: Visited February 2025
- No. 034 Charles Bridge, Prague, Czech Republic: Visited December 2015 and December 2017
- No. 036 Lake District National Park, Cumbria, England: Visited July 2012
- No. 037 The Louvre, Paris, France: Visited June 2002 & September 2018
- No. 040 Eiffel Tower, Paris, France: Visited June 2002 & September 2018
- No. 043 Table Mountain, Cape Town, South Africa: Visited September 2025
- No. 044 Prague’s Old Town Square, Prague, Czech Republic: Visited December 2015 and December 2017
- No. 046 Hermitage, St Petersburg, Russia: Visited August 2018
- No. 047 Bay of Kotor, Montenegro: Visited October 2018
- No. 050 Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, Japan: Visited October 2024
- No. 051 Pantheon, Rome, Italy: Visited September 2018
- No. 052 Tate Modern, London, England: Visited December 2016
- No. 055 Notre Dame, Paris, France: Visited June 2002
- No. 057 Sydney Opera House, Sydney, Australia: Visited October 1995
- No. 058 Edinburgh Castle, Edinburgh, Scotland: Visited July 2003 & May 2024
- No. 059 Anne Frank Huis, Amsterdam, Netherlands: Visited June 2002 & September 2018
- No. 062 Stonehenge, Salisbury, UK: Visited January 2019
- No. 063 Berlin Wall, Berlin, Germany: Visited December 2017
- No. 064 Isle of Skye, Scotland: Visited May 2018
- No. 072 Pao de Acucar (Sugarloaf Mountain): Visited February 2024
- No. 073 Mezquita, Cordoba, Spain: Visited March 2016
- No. 075 Arashiyama Bamboo Grove, Kyoto Japan: Visited October 2024
- No. 082 Valley of Kings, Egypt: Visited December 2023
- No. 085 St Peter’s Basilica, Vatican City: Visited August 2009 & September 2018
- No. 087 Red Square, Moscow, Russian: Visited August 2018
- No. 088 Forbidden City, Beijing, China: Visited November 2017
- No. 089 The Uffizi, Florence, Italy: Visited August 2009
- No. 093 Blue Lagoon, Grindavík, Iceland: Visited January 2014
- No. 095 Abu Simbel, Egypt: Visited December 2023
- No. 098 Matterhorn, Zermatt, Switzerland: Visited August 2018
- No. 099 Gamla Stan, Stockholm, Sweden: Visited May 2014
- No. 100 Okavango Delta, Botswana: Visited September 2025
- No. 101 Golden Gate Bridge, San Franciso, USA: Visited August 2014
- No. 103 Giant’s Causeway, Bushmills, Northern Ireland: Visited January 2017
- No. 104 Auschwitz-Birkenau, Oswiecim, Poland: Visited February 2018
- No. 106 Niagara Falls, USA/Canada: Visited June 2013
- No. 107 Potala Palace, Lhasa, Tibet: Visited April 2019
- No. 110 Budapest’s Thermal Baths, Budapest, Hungary: Visited December 2018
- No. 112 Tallinn Old Town, Tallin, Estonia: Visited December 2016
- No. 115 Vatican Museums, Vatican City, Rome, Italy: Visited September 2018
- No. 118 St Paul’s Cathedral, London England: Visited December 2016
- No. 128 Prinsengracht Canal, Amsterdam, Netherlands: Visited June 2002 & September 2018
- No. 132 Daibutsu (Great Buddha) of Nara, Japan: Visited October 2024
- No. 142 Sintra, Portugal: Visited April 2022
- No. 144 Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island: Visited May 2012
- No. 147 Gion District, Kyoto, Japan: Visited October 2025
- No. 148 Great Buddha, Leshan, China: Visited April 2019
- No. 151 Barirro of Ribeira, Porto, Portugal: Visited September 2024
- No. 152 Koya-san, Japan: Visited October 2024
- No. 154 Eiger, Jungfrau, Switzerland: Visited May 2015
- No. 157 Shibuya Crossing, Tokyo Japan: Visited September 2017 & October 2024
- No. 160 Terracotta Warriors, Xian, China: Visited November 2017
- No. 163 Moraine Lake, Canada: Visited June 2016
- No. 164 Roman Baths, Bath, UK: Visited March 2018
- No. 165 Chobe National Park, Botswana: Visited September 2025
- No. 169 Royal Mile, Edinburgh, Scotland: Visited 2008 & May 2024
- No. 170 Cristo Redentor, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: Visited February 2024
- No. 171 National Mall, Washington DC, USA: Visited June 2013 & July 2018
- No. 172 Prague Castle, Prague, Czech Republic: Visited December 2015
- No. 174 Brussels’ Grand Palace, Brussels, Belgium: Visited June 2002 & September 2018
- No. 175 Kinkaku-ji (the Golden Pavilion), Kyoto, Japan: Visited October 2024
- No. 176 Gullfoss, Iceland: Visited January 2014
- No. 178 Egyptian Museum, Cairo, Egypt: Visited December 2023
- No. 181 Snowdonia, Wales: Visited August 2010
- No. 184 Glencoe, Scotland: Visited May 2018
- No. 186 Karnak, Egypt: Visited December 2023
- No. 187 Gardens by the Bay, Singapore: Visited April 2023
- No. 189 York Minster, York: Visited June 2005
- No. 190 Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam, Netherlands: Visited September 2018
- No. 191 Sigiriya Rock: Visited August 2007
- No. 197 Rynek Glowny, Krakow, Poland: Visited February 2018 & June 2024
- No. 204 Erg Chebbi Dunes, Morocco: Visited January 2025
- No. 206 Vasamuseet, Stockholm, Sweden: Visited May 2014
- No. 208 Time Square, New York, USA: Visited May 2012
- No. 210 Robben Island, Cape Town, South Africa: Visited September 2025
- No. 213 Wieliczka Salt Mine, Krakow, Poland: Visited February 2018
- No. 217 Summer Palace, Beijing, China: Visited November 2017
- No. 221 Reichstag, Berlin, Germany: Visited December 2017
- No. 225 Museo del Prado, Madrid, Spain: Visited March 2016
- No. 232 The Bund, Shanghai China: Visited November 2017
- No. 233 Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, Netherlands: Visited June 2002
- No. 235 Real Alcazar, Seville, Spain: Visited March 2016
- No. 237 Wadi Rum, Jordan: Visited February 2025
- No. 238 Luxor Temple: Visited December 2023
- No. 239 Natural History Museum: Visited November 2017
- No. 258 Itsukushima Jinja Gate, Miyajima Island, Japan: Visited October 2024
- No. 259 Lincoln Memorial, Washington DC, USA: Visited June 2013 & July 2018
- No. 263 National September 11 Museum & Memorial, New York, USA: Visited May 2012
- No. 266 Longji Rice Terraces, China: Visited April 2019
- No. 268 Athabasca Glacier, Rocky Mountains, Canada: Visited June 2016
- No. 278 Death Valley National Park, USA: Visited August 2014
- No. 281 Eden Project, Cornwall, England: Visited August 2022
- No. 295 Dead Sea, Jordan: Visited February 2023
- No. 297 Cologne Cathedral, Cologne, Germany: Visited December 2018
- No. 305 Lake Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland: Visited May 2015
- No. 311 Temppeliakio Kirkko, Helsinki, Finland: Visited December 2016
- No. 321 Reed Islands, Lake Titicaca, Peru: Visited May 2023
- No. 334 Jokhang Temple, Lhasa, Tibet: Visited April 2019
- No. 336 Lisbon’s Alfama, Portugal: Visited September 2024
- No. 338 MuseumsQuartier, Vienna, Austria: Visited December 2018
- No. 346 Glacier Skywalk, Jasper National Park, Canada: Visited June 2016
- No. 354 Ait Benhaddou, Morocco: Visited January 2025
- No. 359 Geysir, Iceland: Visited January 2014
- No. 372 Mosteiro dos Jerenimos, Belem, Lisbon, Portugal: Visited April 2022
- No. 378 Cliffs of Moher, Doolin, Ireland: Visited April 2017
- No. 382 Polonnaruwa, Sri Lanka: Visited a very long time ago!
- No. 385 Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum, Glasgow, Scotland: Visited April 2025
- No. 387 Hill of Crosses, Lithuania: Visited May 2025
- No. 390 Tsarskoe Selo, St Petersburg, Russia: visited August 2018
- No. 394 Loch Lomond, Scotland: Visited July 2012
- No. 399 Galle Fort, Galle, Sri Lanka: Visited June 2017
- No. 402 Tuol Sleng & the Killing Fields, Cambodia: Visited April 2023
- No. 403 Standing Stones of Callanish, Isle of Lewis and Harris, Scotland, UK: Visited May 2018
- No. 404 Avebury Stone Circle, Avebury, UK: Visited January 2019
- No. 407 Temple of the Tooth, Kandy, Sri Lanka: Visited October 2013
- No. 408 La Boca District, Buenos Aires, Argentina: Visited February 2024
- No. 417 Jungfraujoch, Jungfrau, Switzerland: Visited May 2015 & September 2018
- No. 424 Titanic Belfast, Belfast, Norther Ireland: Visited January 2017
- No. 427 Iona, Scotland: Visited May 2024
- No. 435 Brandenburg Gate, Berlin, Germany: Visited December 2017
- No. 440 Ipanema Beach, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: Visited February 2024
- No. 450 Church on the Spilled Blood, St Petersburg, Russia: visited August 2018
- No. 453 Horton Plains & World’s End, Sri Lanka: Visited April 2011
- No. 463 Trakai Castle, Lithuania: Visited May 2025
- No. 465 Schilthorn, Switzerland: Visited May 2015
- No. 467 Tower of London, London, England: Visited May 2024
- No. 468 Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland: Visited March 2017
- No. 469 Capital Castles, Luxembourg: Visited December 2024
- No. 474 Grouse Mountain, Vancouver, Canada: Visited May 2016
- No. 481 Canon del Colca, Peru: Visited May 2023
- No. 483 Aletsch Glacier, Jungfrau, Switzerland: Visited May 2015 & September 2018
- No. 487 Wawel Castle, Krakow, Poland: Visited February 2019 & June 2024
- No. 490 Fingal’s Cave, Scotland: Visited May 2024
- No. 491 Leaning Tower of Pisa, Pisa, Italy: Visited September 2018
- No. 497 Rock of Cashel, Cashel, Ireland: Visited March 2017