National Geographic 50 Places of a Lifetime

1. Visit San Francisco CALIFORNIA

San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.6 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland. The only consolidated city-county in California, it encompasses a land area of about 46.9 square miles (121 km) on the northern end of the San Francisco Peninsula, giving it a density of about 17,179 people per square mile (6,632 people per km).

Exploring the iconic Golden Gate Bridge and enjoying breathtaking views of the city and the bay is a must-do in San Francisco.

962 people are doing this goal:

2. Visit Big Sur CALIFORNIA

Big Sur is a sparsely populated region of the Central Coast of California where the Santa Lucia Mountains rise abruptly from the Pacific Ocean. The name "Big Sur" is derived from the original Spanish-language "el sur grande", meaning "the big south", or from "el país grande del sur", "the big country of the south". The terrain offers stunning views, making Big Sur a popular tourist destination.

107 people are doing this goal:

3. Visit Mesa Verde National Park COLORADO

Mesa Verde National Park is a U.S. National Park and UNESCO World Heritage Site located in Montezuma County, Colorado, United States. The park occupies 81.4 square miles (211 km) (211 square kilometers) near the Four Corners and features numerous ruins of homes and villages built by the Ancestral Puebloan people, sometimes called the Anasazi.

Mesa Verde National Park is known for its well-preserved Ancestral Puebloan cliff dwellings, notably the huge Cliff Palace.

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4. Visit the Grand Canyon ARIZONA

The Grand Canyon is a steep-sided canyon carved by the Colorado River in the United States in the state of Arizona. It is largely contained within the Grand Canyon National Park, one of the first national parks in the United States. President Theodore Roosevelt was a major proponent of preservation of the Grand Canyon area, and visited it on numerous occasions to hunt and enjoy the scenery.

Some popular activities you might be interested in: Take a hike in the Grand Canyon, Camp at the bottom of the Grand Canyon, Go horseback riding in the Grand Canyon, and Go rafting down the Grand Canyon.

5873 people are doing this goal:

5. Visit Vermont UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd by land area, 9,250 square miles (24,000 km), and 45th by total area. It has a population of 621,270, making it the second least-populated state. The only New England state with no coastline along the Atlantic Ocean, Vermont is notable for Lake Champlain (which makes up 50% of Vermont's western border) and the Green Mountains, which run north to south.

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6. Visit New York UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east. The state has a maritime border with Rhode Island east of Long Island, as well as an international border with the Canadian provinces of Ontario to the north and west, and Quebec to the north.

937 people are doing this goal:

7. Visit the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness MINNESOTA

The Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW or BWCA), is a 1.09 million acre (4,410 km²) wilderness area within the Superior National Forest in northeastern Minnesota under the administration of the U.S. Forest Service. The BWCAW is renowned as a destination for both canoeing and fishing on its many lakes and is the most visited wilderness in the United States.

25 people are doing this goal:

8. Visit the Canadian Maritimes CANADA

The Maritime provinces, also called the Maritimes or the Canadian Maritimes, is a region of Eastern Canada consisting of three provinces, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island. On the Atlantic coast, the Maritimes are a subregion of Atlantic Canada, which also includes the northeastern province of Newfoundland & Labrador. The population of the Maritime provinces was 1,826,896 in 2008.

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9. Visit the Canadian Rockies CANADA

The Canadian Rockies comprise the Canadian segment of the North American Rocky Mountains range. They are the eastern part of the Canadian Cordillera, extending from the Interior Plains of Alberta to the Rocky Mountain Trench of British Columbia. The southern end borders Idaho and Montana of the USA. The northern end is at the Liard River in northern British Columbia. The Canadian Rockies have numerous high peaks and ranges, such as Mount Robson (3,954 metres) and Mount Columbia (3,747 metres).

72 people are doing this goal:

10. Visit Hawaii UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states, and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It occupies most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of Australia. Hawaii’s natural beauty, warm tropical climate, inviting waters and waves, and active volcanoes make it a popular destination for tourists, surfers, biologists, and volcanologists alike.

733 people are doing this goal:

11. Visit the British Virgin Islands

The Virgin Islands, often called the British Virgin Islands (BVI), is a British overseas territory located in the Caribbean to the east of Puerto Rico. The islands make up part of the Virgin Islands archipelago, the remaining islands constitute the U.S. Virgin Islands.

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12. Visit the Pacific Islands

The Pacific Islands comprise 20,000 to 30,000 islands in the Pacific Ocean. The islands are also sometimes collectively called Oceania, although Oceania is sometimes defined as also including Australasia and the Malay Archipelago. The Pacific Islands lying south of the tropic of Cancer are traditionally grouped into the three divisions of Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia: Melanesia means black islands.

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13. Visit the Galapagos Islands ECUADOR

The Galápagos Islands are an archipelago of volcanic islands distributed around the equator in the Pacific Ocean, 972 km (525 nmi) west of continental Ecuador, of which they are a part. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site: wildlife is its most notable feature. The Galápagos islands and its surrounding waters form an Ecuadorian province, a national park, and a biological marine reserve. The principal language on the islands is Spanish. The islands have a population of around 23,000.

The Galápagos Islands are home to giant tortoises that can live over 100 years.

170 people are doing this goal:

14. Visit the Amazon Rain Forest

The Amazon rainforest, also known as Amazonia or Amazon jungle, is a moist broadleaf forest that covers most of the Amazon Basin of South America. This basin encompasses seven million square kilometers, of which five and a half million square kilometers (1.4 billion acres) are covered by the rainforest. This region includes territory belonging to nine nations.

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15. Visit Rio de Janeiro BRAZIL

Rio de Janeiro, commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th largest in the Americas, and 26th in the world.

The most popular thing to do in Rio de Janeiro is to visit the iconic Christ the Redeemer statue and enjoy panoramic views of the city from the top of Corcovado Mountain.

142 people are doing this goal:

16. Visit Machu Picchu PERU

Machu Picchu – "Old Mountain", pronounced – is a pre-Columbian Inca site located 2,430 metres (7,970 ft) above sea level. It is situated on a mountain ridge above the Urubamba Valley in Peru, which is 80 kilometres (50 mi) northwest of Cuzco and through which the Urubamba River flows. Most archaeologists believe that Machu Picchu was built as an estate for the Inca emperor Pachacuti (1438–1472).

Machu Picchu was rediscovered in 1911 by American explorer Hiram Bingham, who initially mistook it for the "Lost City of the Incas."

1492 people are doing this goal:

17. Visit Torres del Paine CHILE

Torres del Paine is a Chilean commune located in the inland of Última Esperanza Province and Magallanes Region. The commune is administered by the municipality in Cerro Castillo, the major settlement in the commune. Torres del Paine National Park lies within the commune.

Torres del Paine National Park is home to the breathtaking "W" trek, offering stunning views of glaciers, lakes, and granite peaks.

37 people are doing this goal:

18. Visit Easter Island CHILE

Easter Island is a Polynesian island in the southeastern Pacific Ocean, at the southeastern most point of the Polynesian triangle. A special territory of Chile annexed in 1888, Easter Island is widely famous for its 887 extant monumental statues, called moai, created by the early Rapanui people. It is a World Heritage Site (as determined by UNESCO) with much of the island protected within the Rapa Nui National Park.

The Moai statues on Easter Island were carved out of a single quarry and transported across the island, with some weighing up to 75 tons.

184 people are doing this goal:

19. Visit the Tepuis in Venezuela VENEZUELA

A tepui, or tepuy, is a table-top mountain or mesa found in the Guiana Highlands of South America, especially in Venezuela. The word tepui means "house of the gods" in the native tongue of the Pemon, the indigenous people who inhabit the Gran Sabana. Tepuis tend to be found as isolated entities rather than in connected ranges, which makes them the host of a unique array of endemic plant and animal species. Some of the most outstanding tepuis are Neblina, Autana, Auyantepui and Mount Roraima.

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20. Visit the North Island NEW ZEALAND

The North Island is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, separated from the slightly larger but much less populous South Island by Cook Strait. The island is 113,729 square kilometres (43,911 sq mi) in area, making it the world's 14th-largest island. It has a population of 3,366,100 (June 2011 estimate).

68 people are doing this goal:

21. Visit the Australian Outback AUSTRALIA

The Outback is the vast, remote, arid area of Australia; the term colloquially can refer to any lands outside the main urban areas. The term "the outback" is generally used to refer to locations that are comparatively more remote than those areas named "the bush".

65 people are doing this goal:

22. Visit Papua New Guinea

Papua New Guinea (PNG), officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands (the western portion of the island is a part of the Indonesian provinces of Papua and West Papua). It is located in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, in a region defined since the early 19th century as Melanesia. The capital is Port Moresby.

54 people are doing this goal:

23. Visit Hong Kong CHINA

Hong Kong is one of two special administrative regions (SARs) of the People's Republic of China (PRC), the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is known for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour. With a land mass of 1,104 km (426 sq mi) and a population of seven million people, Hong Kong is one of the most densely populated areas in the world.

The most popular thing to do in Hong Kong is to visit Victoria Peak for stunning panoramic views of the city skyline and harbor.

260 people are doing this goal:

24. Visit the Great Wall of China CHINA

The Great Wall of China is a series of stone and earthen fortifications in northern China, built originally to protect the northern borders of the Chinese Empire against intrusions by various nomadic groups. Several walls have been built since the 5th century BC that are referred to collectively as the Great Wall, which has been rebuilt and maintained from the 5th century BC through the 16th century.

The Great Wall of China is not a single continuous wall, but a series of walls and fortifications built over different dynasties.

1316 people are doing this goal:

25. Visit Angkor Wat CAMBODIA

Angkor Wat is a Hindu temple complex at Angkor, Cambodia, built for the king Suryavarman II in the early 12th century as his state temple and part of his capital city. As the best-preserved temple at the site, it is the only one to have remained a significant religious centre since its foundation — first Hindu, dedicated to the god Vishnu, then Buddhist. The temple is at the top of the high classical style of Khmer architecture.

Angkor Wat is believed to have been built as a Hindu temple, but later transformed into a Buddhist temple complex.

564 people are doing this goal:

26. Visit Da Nang VIETNAM

This article is about the city. For the Vietnam War era air base, see Da Nang Air Base or Da Nang International Airport. Ðà N?ng is a major port city in the South Central Coast of Vietnam, on the coast of the South China Sea at the mouth of the Hàn River. It is the commercial and educational center of Central Vietnam; its well-sheltered, easily accessible port and its location on the path of National Route 1A and the North-South Railway make it a hub for transportation.

31 people are doing this goal:

27. Visit a Japanese Ryokan JAPAN

A ryokan is a type of traditional Japanese inn that originated in the Edo period (1603–1868), when such inns served travelers along Japan's highways. They typically feature tatami-matted rooms, communal baths, and other public areas where visitors may wear yukata and talk with the owner. Ryokan are difficult to find in Tokyo and other large cities because many are expensive compared to hotels, and Japanese people increasingly use hotels for urban tourism.

76 people are doing this goal:

28. Visit the Taj Mahal INDIA

The Taj Mahal is a mausoleum located in Agra, India. It is one of the most recognizable structures in the world. It was built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal. It is widely considered as one of the most beautiful buildings in the world and stands as a symbol of eternal love. Taj Mahal is the finest example of Mughal architecture, a style that combines elements from Persian, Islamic and Indian architectural styles.

You will not be alone! An estimated 7-8 million visitors each year make this India's top destination.

1303 people are doing this goal:

29. Visit Kerala INDIA

Kerala or Keralam /'k?r?l?/ is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was formed on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions. The state has an area of 38,863 km (15,005 sq mi) and is bordered by Karnataka to the north and northeast, Tamil Nadu to the east and south, and the Arabian Sea on the west. Thiruvananthapuram is the state capital. Kochi and Kozhikode are other major cities.

40 people are doing this goal:

30. Visit Seychelles

Seychelles, officially the Republic of Seychelles, is an island country spanning an archipelago of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean, some 1,500 kilometres (932 mi) east of mainland Africa, northeast of the island of Madagascar. Other nearby island countries and territories include Zanzibar to the west, Mauritius and Réunion to the south, Comoros and Mayotte to the southwest. Seychelles, with an estimated population of 84,000, has the smallest population of any African state.

127 people are doing this goal:

31. Witness the Serengeti Migration

The Serengeti ecosystem is a geographical region located in north-western Tanzania and extends to south-western Kenya between latitudes 1 and 3 S and longitudes 34 and 36 E. It spans some 30,000 km (12,000 sq mi). The Serengeti hosts the largest and longest migration in the world, which is one of the ten natural travel wonders of the world. The region contains several national parks and game reserves.

36 people are doing this goal:

32. Visit the Sahara Desert

The Sahara is the world's largest hot desert and second largest desert, after Antarctica. At over 9,400,000 square kilometres (3,600,000 sq mi), it covers most of Northern Africa, making it almost as large as China or the United States. The Sahara stretches from the Red Sea, including parts of the Mediterranean coasts, to the outskirts of the Atlantic Ocean.

70 people are doing this goal:

33. Visit the Pyramids EGYPT

The Egyptian pyramids are ancient pyramid-shaped masonry structures located in Egypt. There are 138 pyramids discovered in Egypt as of 2008. Most were built as tombs for the country's Pharaohs and their consorts during the Old and Middle Kingdom periods. The earliest known Egyptian pyramids are found at Saqqara, northwest of Memphis. The earliest among these is the Pyramid of Djoser (constructed 2630 BCE–2611 BCE) which was built during the third dynasty.

The Great Pyramid of Giza is the oldest of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World and is the only one still standing today.

138 people are doing this goal:

34. Visit Jerusalem ISRAEL

Jerusalem is home to the Western Wall, an ancient limestone wall that is considered one of the most sacred sites in Judaism.

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35. Visit Petra JORDAN

Petra is a historic and archaeological city in the Jordanian governorate of Ma'an that is known for its rock cut architecture and water conduits system. Established sometime around the 6th century BC as the capital city of the Nabataeans, it is a symbol of Jordan as well as its most visited tourism attraction. It lies on the slope of Mount Hor in a basin among the mountains which form the eastern flank of Arabah (Wadi Araba), the large valley running from the Dead Sea to the Gulf of Aqaba.

Petra in Jordan is home to the iconic Treasury building, which was featured in the movie "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade."

679 people are doing this goal:

36. Visit Istanbul TURKEY

Istanbul is the largest city in Turkey, forming the country's economic, cultural, and historical heart. With a population of 13.4 million, the city is at the center of the second-largest urban area in Europe after Moscow, and among the world's largest cities by population within city limits. Istanbul's vast area of 5,343 square kilometers (2,063 sq mi) is coterminous with Istanbul Province, of which the city is considered capital.

Istanbul is the only city in the world that straddles two continents, Europe and Asia, offering a unique blend of cultures, architecture, and history.

256 people are doing this goal:

37. Visit the Greek Islands GREECE

Greece has a large number of islands, with estimates ranging from somewhere around 1,200 to 6,000, depending on the minimum size to take into account. The number of inhabited islands is variously cited as between 166 and 227. Only 78 of them have more than 100 inhabitants. The largest Greek island by area is Crete, located at the southern edge of the Aegean Sea.

135 people are doing this goal:

38. Visit the Acropolis GREECE

The Acropolis of Athens or Citadel of Athens is the best known acropolis (Gr. akros, akron, edge, extremity + polis, city, pl. acropoleis) in the world. Although there are many other acropoleis in Greece, the significance of the Acropolis of Athens is such that it is commonly known as The Acropolis without qualification. The Acropolis was formally proclaimed as the pre-eminent monument on the European Cultural Heritage list of monuments on 26 March 2007.

The Acropolis of Athens is home to the iconic Parthenon, a temple dedicated to the goddess Athena, which is considered one of the greatest architectural achievements in history.

100 people are doing this goal:

39. Visit Vatican City

Vatican City /'væt?k?n 's?ti/ or Vatican City State, officially Stato della Città del Vaticano, which translates literally as "State of the City of the Vatican", is a landlocked sovereign city-state whose territory consists of a walled enclave within the city of Rome, the capital city of Italy. It has an area of approximately 44 hectares, and a population of just over 800.

230 people are doing this goal:

40. Visit the Amalfi Coast ITALY

The Amalfi Coast is a stretch of coastline on the southern coast of the Sorrentine Peninsula in the Province of Salerno in Southern Italy. The Amalfi Coast is a popular tourist destination for the region and Italy as a whole, attracting thousands of tourists annually. During the 10th–11th centuries, the Duchy of Amalfi existed on the territory of the Amalfi Coast, centered in the town of Amalfi, until it was sacked by the Republic of Pisa in 1137.

The Amalfi Coast is home to the famous Limoncello liqueur, made from locally grown lemons.

112 people are doing this goal:

41. Visit Tuscany ITALY

Tuscany is a region in Italy. It has an area of about 23,000 square kilometres (8,900 sq mi) and a population of about 3.75 million inhabitants. The regional capital is Florence. Tuscany is known for its gorgeous landscapes, its rich artistic legacy and its influence on high culture.

241 people are doing this goal:

42. Visit Venice ITALY

Venice is a city in northern Italy known both for tourism and for industry, and is the capital of the region Veneto, with a population of about 272,000 (census estimate 1 January 2004). Together with Padua, the city is included in the Padua-Venice Metropolitan Area (population 1,600,000). The name is derived from the ancient tribe of Veneti that inhabited the region in Roman times. The city historically was the capital of an independent city-state.

The most popular thing to do in Venice, Italy is to take a gondola ride through the city's famous canals.

1434 people are doing this goal:

43. Visit the Alps

The Alps is one of the great mountain range systems of Europe, stretching from Austria and Slovenia in the east through Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Germany, France and Monaco in the west. The highest mountain in the Alps is Mont Blanc, at 4,810.45 m (15,782 ft), on the Italian–French border. All the main peaks of the Alps can be found in the list of mountains of the Alps and list of Alpine peaks by prominence.

100 people are doing this goal:

44. Visit Barcelona SPAIN

Barcelona is the capital and the most populous city of the Autonomous Community of Catalonia and the second largest city in Spain, after Madrid, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of 101.4 km (39 sq mi).

Exploring the iconic architectural wonders of Antoni Gaudí, such as the breathtaking Sagrada Família and Park Güell, tops the list of must-do activities in Barcelona.

862 people are doing this goal:

45. Visit Paris FRANCE

Paris is the capital and largest city in France. It is situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region . The city of Paris, within its administrative limits largely unchanged since 1860, has an estimated population of 2,193,031 (January 2007), but the Paris metropolitan area has a population of 11,836,970 (January 2007), and is one of the most populated metropolitan areas in Europe.

Visiting the iconic Eiffel Tower is the most popular thing to do in Paris, offering breathtaking views of the city and a chance to immerse in its rich history and culture.

1785 people are doing this goal:

46. Visit the Loire Valley FRANCE

The Loire Valley, spanning 280 kilometres (170 mi), is located in the middle stretch of the Loire River in central France. Its area comprises approximately 800 square kilometres (310 sq mi). It is referred to as the Cradle of the French Language, and the Garden of France due to the abundance of vineyards, fruit orchards, and artichoke and asparagus fields, which line the banks of the river.

67 people are doing this goal:

47. Visit London ENGLAND

London is the capital city of England and the United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its founding by the Romans, who named it Londinium. London's ancient core, the City of London, largely retains its square-mile mediaeval boundaries.

The most popular thing to do in London is to visit iconic landmarks such as the Tower of London, Buckingham Palace, and the British Museum.

1283 people are doing this goal:

48. Visit the Lake District UNITED KINGDOM

The Lake District, also known as The Lakes or Lakeland, is a mountainous region in North West England. A popular holiday destination, it is famous for its lakes and its mountains (or fells), and its associations with the early 19th century poetry and writings of William Wordsworth and the Lake Poets. The central, and most visited, part of the area is contained in the Lake District National Park, the largest of thirteen National Parks in England and Wales, and second largest in the UK.

296 people are doing this goal:

49. Visit the Norway Fjords NORWAY

This list of Norwegian fjords shows many of the fjords in Norway. In total, there are about 1,190 fjords in Norway and the Svalbard islands. The sortable list includes the lengths and locations of those fjords.

120 people are doing this goal:

50. Visit Antarctica

Antarctica is Earth's southernmost continent, underlying the South Pole. It is situated in the Antarctic region of the southern hemisphere, almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle, and is surrounded by the Southern Ocean.

535 people are doing this goal: