How many of these 25 top landmarks have you visited? Machu Picchu is No. 1
TripAdvisor travelers love Peru’s Machu Picchu and the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in Washington. The two sites were ranked, respectively, as the No. 1 landmarks in the world and in the U.S.
Machu Picchu draws just over a million visitors a year to the 15th century Inca ruins in a remote area near the town of Cuzco.
In contrast, the Lincoln Memorial drew almost 8 million visitors in 2015. Its reflecting pool -- located across the street from the famed statue of Abraham Lincoln -- made history several times, including August 1963 when Martin Luther King Jr. gave his “I Have a Dream” speech during the March on Washington.
For the rest of the list, you’d have to travel to 21 countries to see all 25 landmarks ranked the best in TripAdvisor’s 2016 Travelers’ Choice Awards.
The picks, which were released Tuesday, are based on data gathered over 12 months that reflect the “quantity and quality of reviews and ratings for landmarks worldwide,” a company statement says.
The selections are a mix of classic tourist stops -- who doesn’t love the Eiffel Tower? -- and up-and-coming places, like the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
1. Machu Picchu, Peru
2. Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Center in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
3. Angkor Wat in Siem Reap, Cambodia
4. St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City (Rome)
5. Taj Mahal in Agra, India
6. Mosque-Cathedral of Cordoba in Cordoba, Spain
7. Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood in St. Petersburg, Russia
8. The Alhambra in Granada, Spain
9. Lincoln Memorial and Reflecting Pool in Washington, the only U.S. landmark to make the top 10
10. Milan Cathedral (Duomo) in Milan, Italy
11. The Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco
12. Hagia Sophia Museum/Church (a.k.a. Ayasofya) in Istanbul, Turkey
13. The Grand Place in Brussels, Belgium
14. Eiffel Tower in Paris
15. Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris
16. Great Wall at Mutianyu in Beijing, China
17. The Acropolis in Athens, Greece
18. Christ the Redeemer statue on Mount Corcovado in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
19. Big Ben in London
20. Chichen Itza in Mexico
21. Temple of the Reclining Buddha (Wat Pho) in Bangkok, Thailand
22. Burj Khalifa in Dubai, United Arab Emirates
23. Australian War Memorial in Canberra, Australia
24. Sydney Opera House in Sydney, Australia
25. Fushimi Inari-taisha Shrine in Kyoto, Japan
TripAdvisor’s top 10 U.S. landmarks include two in California. You’d have to visit just five states to see them all. Tip: Go to Manhattan and you’ll bag five.
1. Lincoln Memorial and Reflecting Pool in Washington.
2. Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco
3. Alcatraz in San Francisco (which was No. 1 last year)
4. USS Arizona Memorial in Honolulu, Hawaii
5. Grand Central Terminal in New York City
6. Statue of Liberty in New York City
7. Empire State Building in New York City
8. Biltmore Estate in Asheville, N.C.
9. Brooklyn Bridge in New York City/Brooklyn
10. Rockefeller Center in New York City
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