Must-see List of travelers

why did you pick those?

I've been to several of the places that you listed.

Here is my list:
1) Rome - much to see especially the Ancient places as well as the Vatican (Must see is Sistine Chapel)
2) Florence and Venice - Yes, I love Italy, but those places are special.
3) Athens, Greece- - The Acropolis and Parthenon is a must
4) Istanbul -- Especially Hagia Sophia, amazing building built by Emperor Justinian in the 6th Century.
5) Jerusalem- No place like it, sacred to three faiths.
6) Egypt- Pyramids etc. and Valley of the Kings.
7) Paris- a special place
8) Seville and Toledo, must sees in Spain.
9) London, York and Edinburgh and there is more to see in Great Britain.
10) Germany - Munich, Berlin and many places in the Rhineland and Bavaria.
11) Australia- Blue Mountains, Sydney, The Great Ocean Highway and Phillip Island Penguin Parade. Also, Great Barrier Reef.
12) New Zealand- many places there.
13) China- The Forbidden City, Great Wall, Terracotta Warriors in Xian, Hong Kong.
14) Japan- Kyoto
15) Hawaii- The Big Island
16) Peru- Cusco and Machu Picchu
17) Argentina and Chile -Cruise around the Horn.
18) Panama Canal
19) Russia, Moscow and St. Petersburg
20) Norway - Do a cruise to the North Cape
21) Switzerland - Lucerne, Zermatt or Yungfrau
22) Portugal- Douro River Valley
23) USA - Grand Canyon, Washington, DC, Alaska cruise and Denali,
24) Canada - Jasper, Banff, Lake Louise in the Rockies
25) Prague and Budapest
26) Ireland- Dingle Peninsula
27) Safari in Africa (they say Kenya and Tanzania have the best), we are going there next year.

I didn't put the Taj Mahal, since I haven't been there, but did visit four SW ports in India. Not sure that I really want to go back to India.

In order of preference:
1. Charleston-architecture, nature(the beach), food
2. Florence
3. Rome-Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel
4. Hawaii-Kuaui and the Big Island (the volcano!) , snorkeling
5. London-British Museum, Westminister Abbey, Tower of London
6. Boston-history and art and its near Cape Cod
7. stained glass-Sainte Chapelle and Chartres
8. and yes-Santorini-it's beautiful, despite the crowds

In no particular order except in the order they came into my head;
1. Sunrise at Carcassonne. Daytrippers complain about the crowds but nothing beats early morning. Wish I could post a photo.
2. Near my home. The drive on the Icefields Parkway between Lake Louise and Jasper, Alberta.
3. Driving along the Pacific Coast Highway from Santa Cruz to Santa Barbara.
4. Drive along the Amalfi Coast, Italy.
5. Drive the entire circumference of The Big Island, Hawaii.
6. Yankee Stadium. My lifelong bucket list has been to see every Major League baseball stadium, so far I've been to 13. I'd have been to more but I have an uncooperative wife when it comes to baseball...
7. Tower of London.
8. Burano, early morning before the crowds. I wanted to be more specific than just saying Venice.
9. Oradour Sur Glane, France. One of those Wow-I can't believe humans would do that to each other- moments in France.
10. And because it created so many memories with my kids when they were small-Walt Disney World

1. Yellowstone - thermal basins at dawn
2. Yellowstone - thermal basins at sunset
3. Yellowstone - the park in winter - Absolutely breathtaking
4. Paris
5. Lauterbrunnen area - Even as someone who lives near mountains I found this area gorgeous!
6. Brittany
7. Cornwall
8. Normandy Landing Beaches
9. For US travelers, one of the American Cemeteries on foreign soil
10. London

@Nigel #1 because of gorgeous architecture, good food and courteous friendly Turkish people.

2, 3 and 4 - because of breathtaking scenery
5 oh my God, have you seen the Taj Mahal???? Its a very special palace
6. San juan has clean deep sea air (great for allergy sufferers), great food and most of all a funloving culture. You are never too far from good music and always welcome to join a street party
7 and 8 beautiful cities

Interesting. I visited Dingle in May and it dropped off my list of ever recommending to anyone. It was 100 percent tourist trap. The only sights that merited a visit were the two Oratories. I had planned to stay for two nights but left after one, I was so disappointed. I think staying on the Kerry Peninsula offers better sights and few tourists in comparison (because most people drive the loop but don't stay overnight).

There are a lot of must sees in big cities. They're listed everywhere. I think people need suggestions for great things that most people don't see. Unfortunately, most of my travel so far has been the big city must sees. Here's some others I'd suggest:

Spain: Fire festival in Valencia (March), Holy Week (not in Seville, go to Valladolid or Zaragosa), April Faire in Seville.

Germany: Go to a beer fest other than Oktoberfest. I'd suggest Pützchens Markt in Bonn or similar. I also thought Wuerzburg had a lot to offer for a relatively small city.

France: A pardon in a smaller town in Brittany. I love Cairn Gavrinis and enjoyed Vannes, Auray, Locronan and Dinan. I'd suggest Ft. La Latte as a good castle visit. Anywhere in Languedoc area, Foix and Najac (both nice castles) were two of my favorites. I liked Cordes sur Ciel in June, but it may be swamped with tourists in the summer. In the Lot Valley, Pech Merle allows you to still see real cave art. I consider Conques to be head and shoulders above Rocamadour. I also enjoyed St. Cirque Lapopie. In Dordogne, I liked Domme and Sarlat the best (but those aren't necessarily off the beaten path). St. Emilion exceeded my expectations (again maybe not in mid summer?). In Burgundy, I'd recommend Semur en Auxois but it may be best to find your own little town that no one recommends to tourists. In Alsace, the Chateau du Haut Koenigsbourg is a good visit.

In Italy, steer clear of Lucca and (in summer) Cinque Terra. Neither is nice enough to justify the crowds they get. Instead try Siena and Orvieto. Nowhere I've visited (so far) in Italy seems immune to tourist crowds.

In Poland, I'd suggest Malbork (Marienburg) Castle near Gdansk.

In Ireland, the Antrim coast was what I expected and worth visiting. After that I'd focus on the Northwest (Sligo and Donegal areas) but only choose random towns that aren't in guidebooks so you can really experience Ireland.

Scandinavia. The nice thing about Scandinavia is it really isn't mobbed with tourists. I liked Copenhagen as the city with the most to see and do. Stockholm is probably the prettiest (be sure to arrive and/or leave by boat). Again, I still have a lot of exploring left to do.

I haven't been to Croatia, Slovenia, Montenegro or much in the eastern side of Central Europe. After Ireland, my current thinking is to avoid any of the "suggested" big name places and just explore smaller cities/towns to see what I find.

Pam - your list made me smile.

Mine so far:

1) Lake Moraine in Banff - the most beautiful aqua colored water surrounded by pristine mountains. Perfect at sunrise before it gets busy.
2) Glacier National Park - the most beautiful national park I've been to so far.
3) London - I've always loved British history, and I love the vibe in London
4) Paris - the most beautiful, ornate architecture I've seen. Every street is beautiful.
5) Varenna, Lake Como - the relaxed, Italian culture with delicious food and a jaw-droopingly beautiful setting
6) The Peloponnese, Greece - I haven't been to anywhere else in Greece, but I loved the picturesque towns, delicious food and warm people.
7) The Scottish Highlands - There is something that just tugs at my heart in this beautiful landscape
8) Keukenhoff Gardens in April - If you like flowers, this is like heaven on earth.

This is so tricky because there are so many places I have loved, and so many more that I have not yet been to that I assume I will love.

The Olive Garden

-->Tamara! When I posted I figured you and your DH would be laughing!

I seem to be unable to NOT visit Budapest every year—got to see my storks on Margit sziget—so it’s certainly a must-see in my book, followed by London; 2 visits in and it’s another annual visit worthy city to me.

@Dave -- finally a place that is within my budget!

LOL Dave. In fact, Olive Garden is a must-see every time I visit my "adopted" family in Chicago

I love reading other peoples lists!
1. Uganda-amazing people, some of the most beautiful scenery I have ever seen, and animals! (mainly gorillas, lions and chimps)
2. Varanasi- Taj Mahal was beautiful but Varanasi was magical
3. Cambodia-everyone raved about Thailand, I like Cambodia better-nice scenery, so cheap, history, friendly people, nice beaches
4. Transylvania area, Romania- I kept wondering where all the tourists were as I found it just as much charming as Prague if not more. Maybe there are more now as I was there 10 years ago.
5. Forests, lakes and rivers of Eastern Manitoba and Northwestern Ontario-got to love being close to home. Can go days without seeing people when on a canoe trip. The most beautiful, peaceful and pristine environment.
6. Rhine river- I am a castle nerd. Burg Eltz ( nearby on the Moselle River) was a castle cut above the rest...Loved the town of Bacharach
7. Paris-I was told you either love it or hate it....never trust someone who hates it. Do they have a soul? haha
8. Turkey- Love love love Turkey...Istanbul is my favourite city. People are the friendliest. Be prepared to drink so much tea
9. Cape Town-most beautiful city I have been to.
10. Soussesvlei (sp?), Namibia- Bizarre landscapes, so surreal.
11. Colombia-Outside of Bogota (could not get into it). One of the coolest landscapes I have ever seen was the Corcora Valley

Places high up on my list that I would like to go to and really hope my expectations are not too high that it is a disappointment:
Jordan, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Greece, Ukraine (will see it this September!), Russia (trans Mongolian Railway is a dream of mine), Japan, Georgia (the country not the state)

But really, I am happy to go anywhere (except the Olive Garden haha)

So many of the places already mentioned! New Zealand, Australia, Italy, Greece, Sicily, France, Portugal Spain, Slovenia, Croatia.
1. Most memorable: Cook Islands- The beauty of Roratonga and Aitutaki. "Heaven on Earth." The amazing culture and friendly people.
2. Sailing a 50 ft. sailboat in the Grenadines- St. Lucia to Grenada and the BVI's. It was an adventure of a lifetime.
3. Maui, no ka oi! The sunsets, and view from Thompson Rd. in Kula. Annual visit.
Upcoming: Central Europe and Amsterdam.
4. Edit: I am adding Sedona. Magical and stunning.

@kateyb23, I have always wanted to go to Cape Town. Is it safe?

In Capetown we were very careful to listen to the advise that the staff in the hotel gave us. We walked around all the touristy areas during the day no problem. We were told to take cabs everywhere else. There is security everywhere. We never had any issues or feeling unsafe, but we were extremely vigilant (more than I would be in a European city).

I'm surprised this post didn't get more responses. I'm adding this comment to get it back to the top.

I wouldn't call these 'must-sees' (b/c everyone has different tastes, and b/c I don't want my absolute favorite spots to get overrun with visitors lol), but here are some of my personal favorites:

in no particular order:

Big Sur/Point Lobos/Monterey/Carmel

Yosemite

Cornwall

Korea: Seoraksan mountains; DMZ; Gyeongju; Cheonggyecheon & palaces & markets in Seoul

biking along the Vltava / Moldau in Czechia/ Czech Republic

many small villages and valleys in Switzerland – e.g., the lovely medieval walled town of Morat/Murten and the Roman ruins at Avenches

although I love love love London, Paris, Prague, Budapest, Seoul, etc. I can see from my list that I'm more of an outdoorsy, small-town person ... hmmm, interesting!

I have spent only a bit of time in Romania and Bulgaria but I really want to go back and see more!

beaches of Cambodia/ Thailand/ Bali
temples of Kyoto Japan
Halong Bay in Vietnam
Cesky Krumluv a stunning small town in Eastern Europe
ANY and ALL islands in Greece...
under rated SLOVENIA/ small islands off the Croatian coast staying in family airbnb rentals
Acadia N- Park in Maine /USA
Japan away from Tokyo using Japan Rail Pass
In August I am heading to Malaysia (1st time) in 2020 UKRAINE (1st time)