Advertiser & Editorial Disclosure: The Bulkhead Seat earns an affiliate commission for anyone approved through the links below. This compensation may impact how and where links appear on this site. We work to provide the best publicly available offers to our readers. We frequently update them, but this site does not include all available offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any of these entities.
TripAdvisor runs its Travelers’ Choice Awards Best of the Best each year. There are various categories broken into regions and activity types (food & drink, cultural & historic, etc.). The Top Attractions in the World awards are given to those places that receive a high volume of above-and-beyond reviews and opinions from the TripAdvisor community. Out of the review site’s eight million listings, fewer than 1% achieve an award. I’ve been to 19 of the 25 for 2024 and here are my thoughts.
2024 Top Attractions (World)
- The Empire State Building: If you can brave the crowds and get a clear day, it’s an okay way to spend some time in NYC. The building is iconic, but the lines are tiring.
- Eiffel Tower: I’ve been to the top twice and that’s enough. I love to glance at this monument while in Paris (and especially when it’s twinkling at night), but after visiting twice, I’m good.
- Anne Frank House: The space is a somber reminder of the Nazi impact on Europe and the Jewish community that once thrived in Amsterdam. It’s worth visiting and learning about the family that hid here.
- Basílica de la Sagrada Familia: This Gaudi-designed mega church is a place I never grow tired of visiting and that’s likely because it’s still under construction and has something new to see each time I’m there.
- Cayman Crystal Caves: While I have been to the Cayman Islands several times, I have never visited these caves.
- Colosseum: Another place that is iconic and well worth a trip. After you’ve done a tour (I’ve done several), it loses a bit of its luster. It’s amazing how it was constructed and does still make me smile when I pass by in Rome.
- Louvre Museum: It’s home to Mona Lisa and so much more. The Louvre is a great place to spend hours viewing some of the classic works you learned about in art history class.
- Gardens by the Bay: I love this space and it’s a must when I’m in Singapore. It provides great views and combines gardens with urban life in a futuristic way.
- Duomo di Milano: I have not been to the Duomo in years, but I found it to be an impressive structure and I loved that you could go outside on the roof.
- Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Center: I’ve never been.
- Vasa Museum: The warship showcased and preserved here is impressive. I enjoyed this museum, but loved the ABBA one more.
- Angkor Wat: We took a helicopter ride over this incredible complex before exploring it on foot. I’d go back some day.
- Acropolis: The best ways to see this Greek landmark is from the rooftop restaurant of the Grand Bretagne Hotel or by dining in the sky.
- Musée d’Orsay: This former train station is one of my favorite museums in Paris. I love the space and the collections displayed here.
- Pompeii Archaeological Park: Well worth the trek from Naples. It’s amazing how life stopped in an instant when the volcano erupted.
- Jardin Majorelle: I’ve never been to Marrakech.
- Iolani Palace: This was a great spot to learn about Hawaii’s history.
- Central Park: I’ve walked through the park, but feel I often overlooked it when I lived and worked in NYC.
- Mutianyu Great Wall: It’s on my bucket list, but I have not been to the Great Wall yet.
- Chichen Itza: While worth a visit, Machu Picchu in Peru was more impressive.
- Iguazu Falls: The falls are beautiful. We did a trip from Buenos Aires years ago and had a great day out.
- Taj Mahal: This is another iconic monument that I want to see some day.
- Petra: Another on my list.
- Fushimi Inari-taisha Shrine: Kyoto was a great city to explore and this was the highlight.
- Christ the Redeemer: Here’s another spot on the list for a future trip.
Anthony’s Take: I’ve seen 19 of the 25 listed above (and want to hit the last six). Do you agree with these picks? What’s missing from the list?
(Image Credits: Annie Spratt and TripAdvisor.)
User Generated Content Disclosure: The Bulkhead Seat encourages constructive discussions, comments, and questions. Responses are not provided by or commissioned by any bank advertisers. These responses have not been reviewed, approved, or endorsed by the bank advertiser. It is not the responsibility of the bank advertiser to respond to comments.
Advertiser & Editorial Disclosure: The Bulkhead Seat earns an affiliate commission for anyone approved through the links above This compensation may impact how and where links appear on this site. We work to provide the best publicly available offers to our readers. We frequently update them, but this site does not include all available offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any of these entities.
1 comment
Seems a bit skewed, like a group of editors were trying to find something to please everybody and in doing so missed out on a lot. Central Park made the list but not The Great Pyramid?