Some buildings, art pieces, natural features, and ruins are so well known, their images immediately identifiable to people all over the world, that they have become icons of place. Here are 82 examples, in alphabetical order by country.
Perito Moreno Glacier – Patagonia, Argentina
Check out photos on traveling Patagonia by bike.
Sydney Opera House – Sydney, Australia
Uluru / Ayers Rock – Northern Territory, Australia
There’s more to the Outback than this massive slab of sandstone.
Schloss Schönbrunn – Vienna, Austria
Swarovski Crystal World – Innsbruck, Austria
Manneken Pis – Brussels, Belgium
This little guy draws a big crowd. See what else Brussels has to offer.
Tiger’s Nest Monastery – Paro Valley, Bhutan
Salar de Uyuni – Potosí and Oruro Departments, Bolivia
Here’s Matador’s recommendation on how to visit the Salar.
Cristo Redentor – Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Museum of Contemporary Art – Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin Mosque – Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei
St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral – Sofia, Bulgaria
Angkor Wat – Angkor, Siem Reap Province, Cambodia
Parliament Hill – Ottawa, Canada
CN Tower – Toronto, Canada
Niagara Falls – Canada & USA
Church of Our Lady before Týn – Prague, Czech Republic
Dancing House – Prague, Czech Republic
Mano del Desierto – Atacama Desert, Chile
Great Wall of China, Mutianyu section – Huairou County, China
Tiananmen Square (& Gate of Heavenly Peace) – Beijing, China
Check out 6 unusual things to do in Beijing.
Oriental Pearl Radio & TV Tower – Shanghai, China
Ruins of St. Paul’s – Macau, China
Moai – Easter Island, Chile
Las Lajas Sanctuary – Ipiales, Colombia
Great Pyramids – Giza, Egypt
Find out what NOT to do in Egypt.
Palace of Westminster – London, United Kingdom
Eiffel Tower – Paris, France
Your green guide to Paris starts here.
Cologne Cathedral – Cologne, Germany
Brandenburg Gate – Berlin, Germany
Neuschwanstein Castle – Schwangau, Germany
Hannover Rathaus – Hannover, Germany
Gehry Buildings at Medienhafen – Düsseldorf, Germany
Acropolis – Athens, Greece
Blue domes – Santorini, Greece
Hungarian Parliament Building – Budapest, Hungary
Szechenyi Chain Bridge – Budapest, Hungary
Hallgrimskirkja – Reykjavik, Iceland
The Golden Temple – Amritsar, India
Taj Mahal – Agra, India
Borobudur Temple – Magelang, Indonesia
Azadi Tower – Tehran, Iran
Dome of the Rock – Old City of Jerusalem, Israel
Colosseum – Rome, Italy
Grand Canal – Venice, Italy
It’s possible to kayak the Grand Canal.
Trevi Fountain – Rome, Italy
Duomo – Milan, Italy
Leaning Tower of Pisa – Pisa, Italy
Duomo – Florence, Italy
Temple of the Golden Pavilion – Kyoto, Japan
Petra – Ma’an Governorate, Jordan
Bayterek – Astana, Kazakhstan
Petronas Towers – Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Crystal Mosque – Terengganu, Malaysia
Lord Murugan Statue & Batu Caves – Gombak, Malaysia
Great Mosque of Djenné – Djenné, Mali
Choijin Lama Temple Museum – Ulan Bator, Mongolia
Oslo Opera House – Oslo, Norway
Machu Picchu – Cusco Region, Peru
Budget travel guide: Machu Picchu on the cheap
Belém Tower – Lisbon, Portugal
Palácio Nacional da Pena – Sintra, Portugal
Museum of Islamic Art – Doha, Qatar
St. Basil’s Cathedral – Moscow, Russia
African Renaissance Monument – Dakar, Senegal
Buddha Tooth Relic Temple & Museum – Singapore
Combs of the Winds – San Sebastian, Spain
Dona i Ocell – Barcelona, Spain
Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias – Valencia, Spain
Guggenheim Museum – Bilbao, Spain
Changdeokgung Palace – Seoul, South Korea
National Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall – Taipei, Taiwan
Potala Palace – Lhasa, Tibet Autonomous Region, China
Rock houses – near Göreme, Cappadocia, Turkey
Check out the fairy chimneys from a hot air balloon.
Basilica Cistern – Istanbul, Turkey
Blue Mosque – Istanbul, Turkey
Burj Al-Arab – Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque – Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Lincoln Memorial – Washington D.C., United States of America
Angel Falls – Canaima National Park, Venezuela
Cao Dai Temple – Tay Ninh, Vietnam
Victoria Falls – Borders Zambia & Zimbabwe
Check out some of the wildlife you could encounter in Zimbabwe.