Top 10 countries on the world you should visit in your lifetime

Recently, I saw many questions on HubPages about the best and top countries on the world that are recommended by other to visit – at least once in your lifetime. I got interested in this topic and tried to search for some official data. It turned out this is a much harder challenge than I thought before, as most hits on the internet are created by local and/or partial people that badly want to advertise their country.

That’s why I decided to take the risk and try to create a list of countries that are most often mentioned in the Top 10 lists. Before you think I only created this list based on tourist numbers I have to tell you the truth - I tried to present a list that concentrates on many aspects related to countries, like:

• Most popular among tourists
• Most popular cities on the world
• The best beaches on the world
• The cleanest cities
• The friendliest locals
• Sexiest residents

As you can see I tried to include many things when I created this Top 10 list. Still, I know that not everyone will be content with my list, as even if you are aware or not you are always somewhat partial when it comes to the question of countries you like or have ever visited. So please bear in mind that this list is based on my research and my own work in which I tried not to be biased. Also, this list does not mean to provide an order of the countries, you can decide on your own which ones are your favourite and the attractions provided are listed without attempting to be comprehensive, I just tried to give you an overall idea about the beauties of the countries given.

So all in all, here comes the list of Top 10 countries on the world that you should see in your lifetime if you have the opportunity:

The capital of France, Paris, also known as the City of Lights gives the best opportunity to see many interesting venues without having to travel too much. It is a beautiful metropolis where you can see buildings such as the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre or the Notre Dame Cathedral. For families it is also a great program to visit Disneyland.

Finally everyone can enjoy some sunbathing on the beaches of St. Tropez that is probably one of the most popular seasides of the world.

Speaking of China, I bet the first thing that comes to the mind of the most of us is the Great Wall.

Yes, that is probably the best known attraction in the country, but still, there are many other great and beautiful places to visit: the Forbidden city, the Terracotta army in Beijing, the Potala Palace in Lhasa (UNESCO Heritage Site), the incredibly vibrant city of Hong Kong or the Nu River Valley, which is also a UNESCO heritage site since 2003.

Great places to visit, aren't they?

Like China, the United States of America is a huge country as well, so it is hard to list only a few of the best things to see there. Still, I believe the most known places are the best to visit, some films and series can give us ideas what to see, like: the Statue of Liberty or the Central Park in New York, the Golden Gate Bridge, the White House, the beaches of Florida, the Niagara Falls on the border to Canada, the Grand Canyon National Park in the state of Arizona or the Yellowstone National Park in Montana.

If you want to travel to the USA with your family, you can choose between Zoos, Adventure Parks, Sea Worlds and Safaris. Additionally, there are hundreds of other attractions mentioned here if you have found my list not broad enough.

The United Kingdom is a great place for vacations as well, as most of the time the temperature is around 15-22°C, so it is ideal for trips around the countryside. You can easily reach: Stonehenge, the National Space Centre in Leicester, the Castle of Nottingham and the forest, the Cadbury World in Birmingham, the Roman Baths in Bath, the Longleat Safari Park in Warminster or go for a river tour in Canterbury.

On the other hand, if you are unlucky and the weather is rainy you can also find some attractions to visit in the capital: the Natural History Museum in London, the London Eye or the Big Ben Clock Tower.

There are thousands of beautiful sights all over Italy; a whole day would be still short to look through all the things you better see in your lifetime. Still, I tried to choose the most beautiful places you can’t miss: Cinque Terre in Liguria, Sassi di Matera (an old city full of prehistoric cave dwellings), the ancient remains of Pompeii, the canals of Venice (or the Bridge of Sighs, the Grand Canal, etc), the blue caves of Capri (Blue Grotto), the Leaning Tower of Pisa or Mount Vesuvius.

We can’t miss the capital either of course, here are some things that you must visit in Rome: the Colosseum, the Roman Forum, the Trevi Fountain (make a wish!) or the Pantheon.

Finally, we cannot forget about the beautiful islands and beaches of Italy or the stunning region of Tuscany – they are worth a visit, too.

In Germany everybody can find something that they won’t miss – this is a perfect place for an active vacation as well. You can either come alone, with your partner or with the whole family, I am sure you can choose some nice attractions to see from the following list.

If you like castles and walking or biking you can visit the Neuschwanstein in Bavaria, the Black Forest, the Castle of Wartburg, the Berchtesgaden National Park or the Rhine Valley.

In case you want to see some nice buildings: the Cathedral of Cologne, the Reichstag, the Potsdamer Platz, the Kölner Dome, or the Volkswagen factory in Wolfsburg is also an interesting daytrip for the whole family.

Or if you just want to visit the capital, Berlin: Brandenburg Gate, the local Zoo, the Museum Island, the Memorial of the Berlin Wall, the TV Tower or the Pergamon Museum.

Other, special attractions include the Octoberfest in Munich and the Christmas Market in Nuremberg that are both very famous.

When most of us think about Greece the first things that come to our mind are the nice beaches and the ancient culture they have (and sadly, the slump nowadays). But in reality, this country is much more than these, various travel agencies offer a huge variety of excursions all around the country.

Attractions that worth a visit: the Acropolis in Athens, the Palace of Knossos, the seaside of Paralia, the volcano of Santorini, the Meteoras, the island of Corfu and Crete, the Epidaurus Theatre, the ruins in Delphi or the Ancient port of Pythagoreion.

This great island, Australia lies on the southern hemisphere therefore the best to plan a trip to this place is around what the most of us call wintertime: daytime temperatures can rise even up to 30°C between December and February. So, if you want to have a really active Christmas, visit this fantastic country.

The best attractions you should not miss: the city of Sydney with the Opera House, the Great Barrier Reef, the Ayers Rock, the Kakadu National Park, the unspoiled Kangaroo Island, the Penguin Parade, the World Heritage Site of the Daintree Rainforest and finally, the Great Ocean Road with the Twelve Apostles rock formation.

Spain is an ideal vacation site loved by tourists, as it is very nice, warm and sunny on summers and there are plenty of things to visit and hundreds of activities to do. You can’t miss the capital or the best beaches either, here’s a small appetizer of this beautiful country: Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Balearic Islands (east of mainland), the Alhambra in Granada, the whole historic city of Toledo, Costa Del Sol in Malaga, Canary Islands (ideal place for honeymoons), Alcazar in Seville (World Heritage Site) and finally the Run of the bulls in Pamplona in each July.

Finally, the last country on my list is Turkey. Most of my relatives and friends who have been there say this is the most beautiful country they have ever seen, its perfect beaches and tourist resorts provide one of the best relaxation opportunities worldwide.

Still, if you want to do something else other than relaxing, here are a few nice attractions for you to visit: the Hagia Sophia Church/Museum (Blue Mosque) and the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul, the Pamukkale Thermal Pools, the Ruins of Ephesus, the Goreme National Park, the archeological site of ancient Troy, Lake Van and the Egyptian Spice Market also in Istanbul.

As I mentioned before, no one can be unbiased with their home country, no matter how hard they try – I can’t resist either - I would definitely add my birthplace, Hungary to this list.

As you have probably already read in my hubs this country is a place where all kinds of beauties unite: vibrant cities, old countrysides, great parks/gardens, beautiful lakes and rivers, nice weather, loads of interesting national holidays and programs, great food, vines and also, some of the sexiest women on the world (there’s even a Facebook group about this) – so this place totally worth a visit, too :).

Finally, I hope you have enjoyed this list and our virtual travel to the most beautiful countries on this planet. I also hope that everyone (including myself) will have the opportunity in their life to travel and visit these great destinations! Thank you for reading!

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© Copyright 2012-2014, Zsofia Koszegi-Nagy (zsobig)