UNESCO World Heritage Sites

Originally published October 12, 2016

I was having a conversation with a few friends lately about UNESCO World Heritage Sites. And apparently, I’ve unknowingly visited quite a few of them. I’m sure you have too without knowing it. So here is a list of 101 UNESCO World Heritage sites I’ve visited and you’ve perhaps visited and did not know it.

You can Share this post on Pinterest using this image

But before I list them, let’s talk about what they are and why its a cool to visit them. A World Heritage Site is one that UNESCO has listed as a place of special significance and this can be for many reasons. At the time of this writing the UNESCO site shows 1,199 different properties all over the world. I know you’ve visited a few of them without knowing it too as many of them are National Parks in the U.S. such as Yellowstone, the Statue of Liberty, the Grand Canyon and places such as Westminster Abbey, Versailles and the Acropolis in Athens to name a few.

Oh and here’s what some of my fellow travelers/colleagues have written about their experiences at UNESCO World Heritage sites. Its part of a round up of editorial content about UNESCO World Heritage Sites:

• Betsy and Pete from PassingThru who visited The Suomenlinna in Helsinki, Finland – http://passingthru.com/2016/10/suomenlinna-unesco-helsinki/
• Mary Jo from Traveling with MJ who visited Malbork Castle in Poland – http://www.travelingwithmj.com/unesco-site-visiting-marlbork-castle-poland/
• Noel from Travel Photo Discovery who visited the Grand Canyon – http://travelphotodiscovery.com/grand-canyon-national-park-and-unesco-heritage-site/
• Suzanne from Boomeresque who visited the Maritime Museum at Greenwich – http://www.boomeresque.com/a-one-day-visit-to-maritime-greenwich-london-england-a-unesco-world-heritage-site/

You can check out the full list of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites here and in addition, I’ve documented below how you can visit the ones that I’ve visited over the years.

Here are some general tips.

• Check visa and health requirements before you go. For U.S. citizens, head over to the State Department’s Web site at https://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/country.html. And if you are not a U.S. citizens and visiting the U.S., check https://travel.state.gov/content/visas/en.html for visa requirements.
• Of course always check back up airports in case you get bumped
• You’ll more than like need to get ground transportation, so look into trains, buses and car rental opportunities
• If you need a hotel, head over to Hotels to book with our partner, or you can just use this handy map below, just enter the place you want to visit.

 

If you’re looking for an organized tour of these places, consider using my partner Viator.

Please leave a comment below and let me know which ones you’ve visited. I’d be very interested to know. Here’s the list of 101 sites I’ve visited and how to get there:

Antigua and Barbuda

• Antigua Naval Dockyard and Related Archaeological Sites

Argentina

• Iguazu National Park – there is an airport here (IGR) and you can fly into it from the Buenos Aires downtown airport – Jorge Newberry (AEP). You will then need to get a taxi or rent a car to take you to the Park. It’s a huge park and as its in a rain forest, you’ll get wet as you walk through certain parts of it. So bring proper gear. There’s a train that goes through a part of the Park as well. Its an absolutely beautiful area of the country.

Australia

• Great Barrier Reef – fly in Cairns (CNS) and then hire a local tour to take you out to the reef
• Greater Blue Mountains Area – fly into Sydney (SYD), then you can take the local train up to the Blue Mountains
• Sydney Opera House – fly into Sydney (SYD), then take the train from the airport into the city. Remember that a visa is required for Australia.

Austria

• Historic Center of Vienna – fly into the Austrian capital city Vienna (VIE), then take the airport train into the city

 Barbados

• Historic Bridgetown and its Garrisons – there’s a lone airport on this island called Grantley Adams International (BGI).

Belgium

• La Grand-Palace Brussels – The Palace is right in the heart of the city which is accessible by trains, buses and the international airport (BRU)
• Historic Centre of Brugge – Once in Brussels, take a train to Brugge.

Botswana

• Okavango Delta

Brazil

• Iguaçu National Park – the airport on this side of the Falls is IGU, Foz de Iguacu. You can fly into Sao Paolo (GRU) or Rio (GIG) and then take a local flight to IGU. Remember that a visa is required.
• Rio de Janeiro: Carioca Landscapes between the Mountain and the Sea

 Canada

• Historic District of Old Quebec – fly into Montreal-Dorval (YUL).

Croatia

• Old city of Dubrovnik – there is no airport in Dubrovnik; it is located in Močići which is about a 45 minutes or so drive away. You can actually head down to Cavstat and take the ferry across or take a local bus or hire a car and drive to the walled city of Dubrovnik. The airport code is DVD.

Curaçao

• Historic Area of Willemstad, Inner City and Harbour – fly into CUR which is just north of the South American continent.

Czechia

• Historic Centre of Český Krumlov
• Historic Centre of Prague
• Kutná Hora: Historical Town Centre with the Church of St Barbara and the Cathedral of Our Lady at Sedlec

Dominican Republic

• Colonial City of Santo Domingo – SDQ is the airport code here, but you may also fly into the other airports (POP, PUJ) and take local transport to the island capital.

Ecuador

• City of Quito – fly into UIO. Your alternate airport is Guayaquil (GYE).

Estonia

• Historic Centre (Old Town) of Tallinn

Egypt

• Historic Cairo – fly into Cairo International (CAI).
• Memphis and its Necropolis – the Pyramid Fields from Giza to Dahshur

France

• Bordeaux, Port of the Moon
• Cathedral of Notre-Dame, Former Abbey of Saint-Rémi and Palace of Tau, Reims
• Chartres Cathedral – fly into Paris and take the train to Chartres
• Nice, Winter Resort Town of the Riviera – fly into Nice (NCE)
• Palace and Park of Versailles -fly into BVA, CDG or ORY then take a bus or train into the city. The RER C will go out to Versailles, then you can walk from the train station or take a taxi to the Palace gates.
• Paris, Banks of the Seine – fly into BVA, CDG or ORY then take a bus or train into the city

Germany

• Cologne Cathedral – fly into CGN. May also fly into Frankfurt-Main (FRA) and take the train into Koln.
• Museumsinsel (Museum Island), Berlin – fly into Berlin-Tegel (TXL) or Berlin-Schonefeld (SXF)
• Palaces and Parks of Berlin – fly into Berlin-Tegel (TXL) or Berlin-Schonefeld (SXF)
• Town Hall and Roland on the Marketplace of Bremen – fly into Bremen or take a train from FRA or DUS or CGN
• Upper Middle Rhine Valley – fly into FRA and take a train

Ghana

• Forts and Castles, Volta, Greater Accra, Central and Western Regions – fly into Accra (ACC)

Greece

• Acropolis in Athens – fly into ATH
• Medieval City of Rhodes – you can fly into ATH and then take a ferry to Rhodes. You may also fly into the local airport in Rhodes (RHO). The cool thing about taking the ferry is that you get deposited right on the shores of the fort.
• The Historic Centre (Chorá) with the Monastery of Saint-John the Theologian and the Cave of the Apocalypse on the Island of Pátmos – Take a ferry from neighboring Kos or from the larger Greek islands. Fly into Athens. The ferries will deposits you right on the shores. Then you can take a tour bus up the hill or hire a taxi. There are no airports on Patmos itself.

Guatemala

• Antigua – fly into Guatemala City (GUA) and then hire a local car for the drive to Antigua. This is beautiful country so be prepared to be wowwed.

Holy See

• Historic Centre of Rome, the Properties of the Holy See in that City Enjoying Extraterritorial Rights and San Paolo Fuori le Mura
• Vatican City – Fly into Rome (FCO), then take a train or bus into the city. Then make your way to Vatican City. You can take a tour like I did (highly recommended) with Walks of Italy.

Hungary

• Budapest, including the Banks of the Danube, the Buda Castle Quarter and Andrássy Avenue – fly into Budapest (BUD). This is a very beautiful city. You can choose to stay on the Buda or the Pest side of the city.

India

• Agra Fort – Fly into Delhi (DEL) and drive about four hours or take a train to Agra. Then local transportation to the Fort. I actually enjoyed my your of the Fort better than the Taj, but that’s just me.
• Taj Mahal – Fly inyo Delhi (DEL) and rent a driver for the about four hours drive to Agra, stay in Agra and then head to the Taj first thing in the morning. Ensure you get there early for the best photos. You may also take the train to Agra as well.

Israel

• Bahá’i Holy Places in Haifa and the Western Galilee
• Old City of Acre

Italy

• Archaeological Areas of Pompei, Herculaneum and Torre Annunziata – Fly into Naples (NAP)  

• Early Christian Monuments of Ravenna – Fly into BLQ and take a train
• Historic Centre of Florence – Fly into FLR
• Historic Centre of Naples – You can take a cruise that stops in Naples or Fly into Naples (NAP) or take a high speed or local train from Rome. You’ll love the Freccia rossa train; its really fast and very comfortable even in Economy class.
• Historic Centre of Rome, the Properties of the Holy See in that City Enjoying Extraterritorial Rights and San Paolo Fuori le Mura
• The Porticoes of Bologna – Fly into BLQ

Jamaica

• Blue and John Crow Mountains – Fly into Kingston (KIN) and then take local transportation to Papine then another transport to Mavis Bank. Start your hike there. You may also fly into Montego Bay (MBJ), then fly to KIN or take the Knutsford Express into Kingston, then take local transport to Papine to Mavis Bank. You can also rent a car if you desire, but driving in Jamaica is an adventure :-).

Japan

• Hiroshima Peace Memorial (Genbaku Dome) – There is an airport in Hiroshima (HIJ), but you can also fly into Tokyo (HND, NRT) and then take the high speed train into the city. This is quite moving so brance yourself. 

Jerusalem

• Old City of Jerusalem and its Walls

Jordan

• Petra – Fly into Amman (AMM), then hair a driver for the long drive down to Petra. Also give yourself some time

Latvia

• Historic Centre of Riga

Lithuania

• Vilnius Historic Centre

Luxembourg

• City of Luxembourg: its Old Quarters and Fortifications – Love this place. You can fly into the lone airport (LUX). Luxair is the local airline with flights all over Europe.

Malta

• City of Valletta – I first visited here on Air Malta (KM). I like Air Malta since its airline code is my initials :-). They fly into a few cities in Europe. I also visited on the MS Fantasia cruise ship, so you can chooe whivhever works best.

Mexico

• Historic Town of Guanajuato and Adjacent Mines – Fly into BJX
• Historical Center of Mexico City – MEX is the airport code, served by many European and a few European carriers. Aeromexico (AM), Interjet, VivaAerobus and Volaris are the local carriers.
• Islands and Protected Areas off the Gulf of California – You an fly into Loreto (LTO) on Alaska Airlines from LAX. Or fly in Cabo San Lucas (SJD) and then take local transportation
• Pre-Hispanic City of Teotihuacan – Fly into Mexico City (MEX)

Morocco

• Medina of Marrakesh – fly into Marrakesh (RAK) or Casablanca (CMN) and take the train down

Panama

• Archaeological Site of Panamá Viejo and Historic District of Panamá – fly in Panama City (PTY)

People’s Republic of China

• Imperial Palaces of the Ming and Qing Dynasties in Beijing and Shenyang
• Summer Palace, an Imperial Garden in Beijing
• The Great Wall

Peru

• City of Cuzco
• Historic Center of Lima
• Historic Sanctuary of Machu Picchu

Poland

• Historic Center of Warsaw

Portugal

• Alto Douro Wine Region
• Historic Centre of Oporto, Luiz I Bridge and Monastery of Serra do Pilar
• Monastery of the Hieronymites and Tower of Belém in Lisbon

Romania

• Historic Centre of Sighişoara
• Villages with Fortified Churches in Transylvania

Russia

• Kremlin and Red Square, Moscow – fly into any of the three airports in Moscow

St. Lucia

• Pitons Management Area

San Marino

• San Marino Historic Centre and Mount Titano

Saudi Arabia

• At-Turaif District in ad-Dir’iyah

Spain

• Burgos Cathedral
• Old City of Salamanca
• Old Town of Ávila with its Extra-Muros Churches

Sri Lanka

• Ancient City of Polonnaruwa
• Ancient City of Sigiriya
• Old Town of Galle and its Fortifications
• Rangiri Dambulla Cave Temple
• Sacred City of Kandy

Thailand

• Historic city of Ayutthaya – I wrote a piece on this fine city here. You would fly into Bangkok, Thailand (BKK) and arrange transportation via train or bus heading north.

Türkiye

• Ephesus – I visited Ephesus back in 2014; its an amazing place. This was on a cruise of the Greek Isles and Turkey, so that’s one way to get there. Another is to fly into Izmir (ADB). you can get flights from Istanbul (IST).
• Historic Areas of Istanbul – fly into Istanbul (IST), the home of Turkish Airlines (TK) and then take the local train into the city.
•  

United Kingdom

• Maritime Greenwich
• Palace of Westminster and Westminster Abbey including Saint Margaret’s Church
• Stonehenge, Avebury and Associated Sites
• Tower of London

United States

• Statue of Liberty – fly into the New York area airports (EWR, HPN, ISP, JFK and LGA) and then take the ferry out to the island

Uruguay

• Historic Quarter of the City of Colonia del Sacramento – fly into Buenos Aires (AEP or EZE) and then take the Buquebus ferry across to Uruguay. Visa in Uruguay is on arrival for a nominal fee.

Zambia

• Mosi-oa-Tunya / Victoria Falls

Zimbabwe

• Mosi-oa-Tunya / Victoria Falls

So what do you think? I’m sure you’ve been to a few of these. Let me know by leaving a comment below. And also let me know if you have any tips as well.

Tagged as: travel, UNESCO, World Heritage, World Heritage Sites