Do you remember studying the classic Seven Wonders of the Ancient World?:

• Great Pyramid of Giza
• Hanging Gardens of Babylon
• Statue of Zeus at Olympia
• Temple of Artemis at Ephesus
• Mausoleum at Halicarnassus
• Colossus of Rhodes
• Lighthouse of Alexandria

The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World is the first known list of the most remarkable creations in the world created by Hellenic sightseers and only included works located around the Mediterranean rim. It is believed the number seven was chosen because the Greeks believed it represented perfection and plenty, and because it was the number of the five planets known anciently, plus the sun and moon.

There are several different lists of the modern 7 Wonders,including the 1994 list presented by American Society of Civil Engineers:

• Channel Tunnel
• CN TowerToronto, Ontario, Canada
• Empire State Building New York, NYGolden
• Gate Bridge Golden Gate Strait, north of San Francisco, California, U.S.
• Itaipu Dam Paraná River, between Brazil and Paraguay
• Delta Works/ Zuiderzee Netherlands
• Panama Canal Isthmus of Panama

However back in 2007 The Official New 7 Wonders of the World have been elected by more than 100 million votes to represent global heritage throughout history:

• Great Wall of China Since 7th century BC[20] China
• Petra c. 100 BC Jordan
• Christ the Redeemer Opened October 12, 1931 Brazil
• Machu Picchu c. AD 1450 Peru
• Chichen Itza c. AD 600 Mexico (main image)
• Colosseum Completed AD 80 Italy
• Taj Mahal Completed c. AD 1648 India
Plus:
• Great Pyramid of Giza (Honorary Candidate) Completed c. 2560 BC Egypt

Wouldn’t this be a wonderful bucket list for the more adventurous traveler? Below we’ve listed a few suggestions:

1.Petra Jordan

I remember seeing Petra more from a Hollywood movie (Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade) than from any reference books. Petra is an archaeological site in southwestern Jordan, lying on the slope of Mount Hor in a basin among the mountains which form the eastern flank of Arabah, the large valley running from the Dead Sea to the Gulf of Aqaba. It is famous for having many stone structures carved into the rock.

The long-hidden site was revealed to the Western world by the Swiss explorer Johann Ludwig Burckhardt in 1812 and is entered by The narrow passage (Siq) that leads to Petra is carved into the rock, the moment you round the corner and catch your first glimpse of Al Khazneh / The Treasury at Petra is truly momentous. Petra was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985 when it was described as “one of the most precious cultural properties of man’s cultural heritage.

2.Machu Picchu Peru

Machu Picchu set in humid subtropical forests is a fifteenth century Inca site found 2,430 meters (7,970 ft) above sea level. Situated in the Cusco Region, Urubamba Province, Machupicchu District in Peru.

Arguably the most famous panorama and archaeological site on the planet many archeologists trust that Machu Picchu was worked as a domain for the Inca head Pachacuti it is the most natural symbol of Inca human advancement.

The Incas constructed the domain around 1450, yet left it a century later during the Spanish Conquest. Machu Picchu stood forgotten for hundreds of years ‘til Hiram Bingham brought it to the world’s attention in 1911. The Incas kept the secret of its existence closely guarded from the Spanish invaders and no written records exist. To this day, nobody truly knows why it was built.

Crowds vary, often arriving later in the day is a sound tactic, for those of you with a head for heights (and the energy!) why not join the 500 climbers a day who scale Machu Picchu’s 8,923ft-high neighbour, Huayna Picchu (“Young Mountain”),

Machu Picchu was proclaimed a Peruvian Historical Sanctuary in 1981 and an UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983.

3.Chichen Itza Mexico

About 125 kilometres west of Cancun and Cozumel you’ll discover not only one of Mexicos most important areas but the worlds too; Chichen Itza. Recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage area of immense cultural significance the Yucatan’s most important archaeological site is a journey to add to any ‘bucket list’.

The site is a marvel of temples, pyramids and archaeological treasures. Chichen Itza, the most famous Mayan temple city, served as the political and economic centre of the Mayan civilization. Its various structures – the pyramid of Kukulkan, the Temple of Chac Mool, the Hall of the Thousand Pillars, and the Playing Field of the Prisoners – can still be seen today and are demonstrative of an extraordinary commitment to architectural space and composition. The pyramid itself was the last, and arguably the greatest, of all Mayan temples. The ancient city is the jewel in the crown of the Yucatan Penninsula.