World Wonders
Best in April

March | May

Beware crowds, price rises and world wonders accommodation problems around Easter.

7 'New' Wonders | Best Wonders | Travel Pictures | World Maps | World Wonders Tour Operators

Machu Picchu, Peru ['Lost' Inca city], picture top left. Amazingly scenic and well and mysterious old city built by the Incas on a hilltop surrounded by virgin mountains. Best: April-June, Sept-Nov. OK July, Aug. [winter]. Avoid: Dec-March [rain]. Machu Picchu tourist information | Machu Picchu Pictures | Peru Travel Guide

Pyramids of Giza, Egypt. The Sphinx and three pyramids at Giza, on the desert's edge near Cairo, are a sensation - if you can survive the hawkers. Best: Oct-May. Giza Pyramid tourist information | Pyramid Pictures | Egypt Travel Guide

Luxor, Egypt, picture top left. The variety of spectacular temples, tombs and bizarre monuments astride the river Nile make this a tourist must-see. Best: Jan - April, Oct, Nov. Avoid: July, Aug. [heat]. Luxor Guide | Luxor Pictures

Petra, Jordan. An arid fairyland of temples and other monuments in multicoloured rock, unlike anything else on the planet. Best: March-June, Sept-Nov. Avoid: winter [cold] & summer [hot]. More Petra tourist information | Jordan Travel Guide | Petra Pictures.

Chichen Itza, Yucatan, Mexico, picture top right. This decayed but atmospheric, jungle enveloped Maya city, featuring the planet's most perfect pyramid and other fascinating structures. Best: Nov-Apr. Avoid: May-Oct [rains]. More Chichen Itza tourist information | Chichen Itza Photos | Mexico Travel Guide.

Rapa Nui [Easter Island], Chile. Rapa Nui, aka Easter Island, is a distant South Pacific island hosting few people but hundreds of huge, stone statues known as moai. Best: Sept - April but OK most of the year. Avoid: May [wet] and June-August. More Easter Island tourist information | Easter Island Pictures | Chile Travel Guide

Great Wall, China. A truly magnificent and timeless piece of engineering, offering terrific walks too if you have the time.
Best: April-July, Sept, Oct. Avoid: winter. Great Wall tourist information | Great Wall Pictures | China Travel Guide

Persepolis & Isfahan, Iran. Persepolis is packed with tombs, palaces, sculptures and friezes in a beautiful location near Shiraz while Isfahan contains an ebullient scattering of colourful architecture. Best: April-June, Sept, Oct. Avoid: winter. More Persepolis tourist information

Tikal, Guatemala. Tikal is the largest Mayan pyramid group, a wonderfully atmospheric place fighting off a screeching, buzzing jungle. Best: Nov-May. Avoid: June-Oct [rains]. More Tikal tourist information | Guatemala Pictures | Guatemala Travel Guide

Kyoto and Nara, Japan, picture top right. A large number of superb temples, Zen gardens and ancient tea houses surrounded by modern Japan. Best: March - May, Oct - Nov. Avoid: June-August. Kyoto tourist information | Kyoto Pictures | Japan Travel

Borobudur, Java, Indonesia. An intact and intricately carved 9thC Buddhist temple housing a thousand Buddhas.
Best: Apr-June, Sept, Oct. Avoid: Dec and Jan; July, Aug. Borobudur information | Indonesia Travel Guide | Borobudur Pictures

Palmyra, Syria. An ancient and ruined city in the middle of a deserted desert in a Syrian nowhere.
Best: March-May, Sept-Nov. Avoid winter and mid-summer. Palmyra tourist information | Syria Travel Guide | Palmyra Pictures

*Taj Mahal, Agra, India. The extraordinary marble tomb of Shah Jahan's wife, in a calm, rural setting around a river bend from Shah Jahan's Red Fort makes a sensational day's sightseeing. Best: Oct-March. Avoid: the summer [extreme heat]. More Taj Mahal tourist information | India Travel Guide | Taj Mahal Pictures

*Bhaktapur, Khatmandu, Nepal. A gorgeously restored medieval town, saturated with monuments and carvings, some very rude Nepal Pictures II [Bhaktapur].Best: Oct, Nov, Feb, March. Avoid: July-Sept [rains]. More Bhaktapur tourist information | Nepal Pictures [Khatmandu] | Nepal Travel Guide

*Cappadocia, Turkey. These fairy chimneys are more of a geological wonder than a man made one, although men have dug homes into many of them. Best: May-Sept. Avoid: Nov-March. More Cappadocia tourist information | Cappadocia Pictures | Turkey Travel Guide.

*Stonehenge, England. Enormous shaped stones dating from 2100 BC, Stonehenge is a short distance from London and near some other excellent ancient sites. Best: May-Sept. Avoid Oct - Feb. Stonehenge Pictures and information | England Pictures | England Travel Guide

World Wonders Tour Operators offering travel to the countries with the best ancient sites are here:
World Wonders Tour Operators

* Not the best month for these, but ok. Pictures: top left Machu Picchu, Peru; top right Kyoto, Japan.