If you have plans to see the entire world in all its grandeur, UNESCO’s official list of World Heritage Sites is a good place to start.
This sacred collection consists of 1,052 locales across the globe ― historical and cultural, natural and manmade ― that meet some very lofty criteria, including this: They have to be “of outstanding value to humanity.”
This week, the World Heritage Committee’s annual meeting came to a close with a bevy of freshly-inscribed World Heritage Sites. And with the committee’s extreme standards, we can be sure that this impressively curated list includes places that are as diverse as they are breathtaking and significant.
From a chain of ancient, partially submerged volcanoes in the Pacific to deep caves where neanderthals once lived, say hello to UNESCO’s 21 newest members of the World Heritage List ― one of the most important travel bucket lists of our time.
While some of these wondrous spots are located in countries that the State Department has warned American travelers from visiting, you can take a virtual trip with the photos below.
The information and captions for the photos were provided by UNESCO’s World Heritage Center.