50 Places You Need To Visit In Your Lifetime

More than 300 festivals are held in the Netherlands every year, and the vast majority of which are hosted in its capital, Amsterdam. These festivals celebrate Dutch art, culture, food and music, and the city is also known for its  picturesque network of canals as well as its museums, restaurants, bars, galleries, markets and diverse nightlife.

Home to the busiest airport in the world, Atlanta is one of the hottest cities in the South (both literally and metaphorically). Luckily, it's easy to cool off here. Check out the Coca-Cola headquarters, where a tour will provide you with plenty of both knowledge and samples, or the world's largest aquarium by volume of water. You can also take a tour of CNN's studio headquarters, visit the largest dinosaur ever excavated at the Fernbank Natural History Museum, and pay tribute to the civil rights movement with a visit to the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site, as well as the National Center for Civil and Human Rights.

Renowned for its beauty, the island of Bali is one of Indonesia's 33 provinces and home to more than 4 million people. Bali's beautiful beaches, gorgeously green jungles, stunning ancient temples and delicious cuisine have been drawing tourists from around the world since the 1980s. Relax at a world-class spa, peruse one of the island's bustling street markets or enjoy the Balinese arts scene, which includes notably unique traditional and modern dance as well as sculpture, painting, music and metalworking.

The cultural, political and educational center of China, Beijing is home to more than 21 million people, as well as the largest number of Fortune Global 500 companies in the world and the world's four biggest financial institutions. In addition to 91 universities and a growing skyline and technological scene, the city has multiple attractions of historic and cultural importance, such as the Forbidden City, Summer Palace, Temple of Heaven, Ming Tombs, and the Great Wall of China itself.

Known as the "Borough of Homes and Churches," Brooklyn is one of the more family-friendly boroughs of New York City, but it still gives Manhattan a run for its money. Home to 2.5 million people, Brooklyn is known for its artistic and culinary scene, with many an Instagram food fad coming out of here. Walk across the iconic Brooklyn Bridge, and make sure you also go for a stroll through Prospect Park, which lies next to the gorgeous Brooklyn Botanic Garden. Make sure you don't leave without taking a trip down the old-fashioned boardwalk on Coney Island or visiting the nearby New York Aquarium.

Copenhagen is one of those cities that's best enjoyed in the summer, as Denmark is chilly to freezing the rest of the year. Enjoy rides and open-air concerts at Tivoli Gardens, the second oldest amusement park in the world, and visit the statue of the Little Mermaid from the famous story written by Danish author Hans Christan Andersen who hailed from the nearby, picturesque island of Funen.

There's a reason Dubai has consistently been a top destination for the past decade-plus. Part of the United Arab Emirates, there are plenty of interesting things to do in Dubai, one of the world's best shopping destinations as well as a great place to watch camel races or go dune-bashing. In addition to its luxury and opulence, it's also one of the safest cities in the world.

Florence — or Firenze in Italian — is unmatched as a destination for Western art and architecture. Considered the birthplace of the European Renaissance, the city's historic center as a whole is a UNESCO-designated World Heritage Site. Explore numerous art galleries and museums, the most notable of which are the Uffizi Gallery and the Palazzo Pitti. Climb the 463 steps of the stunning Santa Maria del Fiore cathedral for a breathtaking view of the city from its famous dome built by Filippo Brunelleschi, see Michelangelo's statue of David, and if you have the time, visit the nearby city of Pisa.

Possibly the most cosmopolitan city in all of Asia, Hong Kong is known for its restaurants and nightlife. Hong Kong is a city full of expats, and so it is known for diverse cultural influences from around the world, turning it into a hybrid of East and West. Enjoy Cantonese and cosmopolitan cuisine, as well as great beaches and street markets. 

Istanbul may not be the official capital of Turkey, but it's definitely the cultural one. Delicious Turkish kebabs and teas await you, as well as gorgeous handcrafted jewelry and ceramics at the Grand Bazaar. Istanbul also has some of the most gorgeous mosques in the world, most notably the Hagia Sophia and the iconic Blue Mosque. Make sure you also stop by the Topkapı Palace, which houses relics that are said to have belonged to several figures important to the Abrahamic religions, including Abraham, Moses and David, among others.

One of the oldest cities in the world, Jerusalem holds a great amount of importance in the Abrahamic religions and is the site of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Dome of the Rock, Al-Aqsa Mosque, Temple Mount and Western Wall. Also referred to as Al-Quds in Arabic, Jerusalem's Old City — which made up the entire city of Jerusalem until 1860 — has been continuously inhabited since approximately 2800 B.C., and the city has a long and fascinating history during which it was destroyed at least twice, attacked 52 times, besieged 23 times and captured and recaptured 44 times.

The most famous of the Florida Keys, Key West is a tropical getaway you can visit without even having to grab your passport. Popular for its mild, semi-tropical climate, it's said to be the only city in the lower 48 states to have never had a frost. The island's food is legendary, with dishes like conch fritters and Key lime pie brightening up the restaurant scene. Key West is known for its ghost lore, and visitors can take informative and historic walking ghost tours, as well as explore the famous Key West City Cemetery, known for its funny and interesting gravestones. The island city is also known for being the home of famed American writer Ernest Hemingway, and visitors can see where he wrote and lived for a decade of his life with a trip to Ernest Hemingway House.

Since the 1930s, legalized gambling has made Las Vegas one of the most popular tourist destinations in America. While you could definitely spend an entire weekend trying your luck at the city's many impressive casinos, Las Vegas is so much more than "Sin City." You can invest your money in fine dining instead of gaming, or you can drive a race car on an actual race track, go indoor skydiving, or learn some risqué moves from local exotic dancers. The Adventuredome at Circus Circus is the country's largest theme park, and the city also has a huge aquarium, an impressive classic car showroom in the form of the Auto Collections, multiple gardens, and museums dedicated to art, neon signs and even the mob.

Capital of England and the United Kingdom, London's legendary status is well-earned. The city is home to top sights such as the Tower of London, Tower Bridge, Buckingham Palace, the London Eye, the Palace of Westminster, Trafalgar Square and Piccadilly Circus, as well as some of the top British Museums. Catch a show on the West End or at the Royal Opera House, enjoy a game of soccer (or football, as it's known locally) or cricket and explore the city's global food scene representing cultures from around the world. And be sure you stop into some of the many legendary pubs for a pint or two.

The most famous and iconic of New York City's five boroughs, Manhattan is a great weekend getaway, although just three days won't be enough. Broadway is the world's leading theater district, while Wall Street makes this city the financial capital of the world. The borough is home to the iconic Central Park, which should be on your bucket list along with other world-famous landmarks such as One World Trade Center, the Empire State Building, the New York Public Library, Grand Central Terminal, the Chrysler Building, Rockefeller Center and the United Nations Headquarters. Times Square is usually the first stop for most tourists, but other must-sees are neighborhoods such as Harlem, Greenwich Village, the Upper East Side, Chinatown and SoHo. Manhattan is brimming with museums, but we recommend you do your best to take a trip to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Guggenheim Museum, the American Museum of Natural History and the Museum of Modern Art, also known as MoMa.

Morocco is a seriously hot destination — figuratively as well as literally. Offering the best of Middle Eastern beauty in terms of architecture and natural scenery, this country has plenty of must-visit stops. The city of Marrakesh is full of palaces and street markets to explore, and it's home to the newly opened Yves Saint Laurent Museum, where fashion lovers can visit the famous designer's Marrakesh studio and home. Less than a mile from there lie the Atlas Mountains, perfect for hiking and taking on Kasbah Toubkal, the country's highest peak. Visit Tétouan, known for its carpets and World Heritage Site medina and the site of a burgeoning modern Moroccan art movement, the colorful streets of Chefchaouen, or Essaouira, a resort town with great beaches for windsurfing and kitesurfing, as well as a colorful and busy medina.

Also known by its earlier colonial name of Bombay, Mumbai is the largest city in India. A melting pot of the nation's many different cultures and ethnicities, you'll find all kinds of restaurants to represent those cultures, serving delicious South Asian cuisine from across the subcontinent as well as around the world. The city is also home to all sorts of religious sites important to all of India's religious minorities, as well as its majority Hindu population. Catch a movie in the hometown of Bollywood— or even see if you can watch one being shot in its streets.

New Zealand is home to diversity both geographically and culturally, with natural attractions from glaciers and fjords to glowing caves and geothermal lakes. Summer in the Northern Hemisphere, of course, means winter in the Southern Hemisphere, and New Zealand is a fantastic destination for winter sports — plus the lengthy flight is much cheaper in the off-season. Visit Auckland for some casual sophistication and Queenstown for a truly exciting destination full of extreme sports, and make sure you experience some of the country's indigenous Maori culture too.

One of the most romantic cities in the world, Paris is home to some of Europe's most famous landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, Notre-Dame Cathedral and the nearby, breathtakingly opulent Versailles. Visit the largest art museum in the world in the Louvre Palace, home to iconic works such as the Mona Lisa, the Code of Hammurabi and the Winged Victory of Samothrace, and enjoy fine dining unlike anywhere else in the world.

The capital of Italy is an absolute must-see for any traveler. Home of the Colosseum, Trevi Fountain and Pantheon, it's just asking to be on your Instagram feed. Make sure you get a taste of the local gelato (outside of the main tourist spots, so you don't get overcharged) and a slice of thin-crusted Roman pizza before you leave. Rome also holds Vatican City within its borders, where you can find St. Peter's Basilica and some of the greatest art in the Vatican Museums.

The capital of New Mexico is the oldest and — at an elevation of 7,000 feet — highest state capital in the country, as well as possibly the trendiest. The beauty of the city comes not only from the natural scenery but also the native-influenced architecture, Southwestern culture and mouthwatering cuisine. Festivals celebrating religious holidays, arts and crafts, wine, music, film and more occur throughout the year, and with the city situated between both mountains and desert, there are also plenty of more active adventures. It's not hard to see why Santa Fe is known as the City Different, particularly when you take a look at its amazing Southwestern cuisine (a mix of Mexican, Hispano Spanish, French, Mediterranean and Portuguese flavors) as well as its diverse population.

Seoul is a city full of cutting-edge technology, Korean pop culture, centuries-old traditions and impressive skyscrapers as well as temples and palaces. Check out one of Seoul's amusement parks or arts centers, and take a load off at a sauna or spa. Seoul also has plenty of culinary schools just for tourists, so you can learn how to make South Korean specialties such as tteokbokki (rice cakes in a spicy sauce) or pajeon (a type of Korean pancake made with scallions).

South Africa offers everything from safaris to cosmopolitan city life to beaches to historical sites. Enjoy iconic street food like bunny chow, hit world-class beaches like Camps Bay Beach, and stay in affluent hotels in the Western Cape. Hotel rates aren't bad at all, particularly in the summer when it's wintertime here, and safaris and tours won't drain your wallet either.

Filled with breathtaking mountain scenery, stunning lakes and rolling hills, Switzerland is a magically picturesque destination. Quaint castles, churches and abbeys dot the countryside, as do storybook villages influenced by the cultures of nearby France, Germany and Italy. Enjoy the locally-made, world-famous chocolate as you visit the Swiss Alps and great shopping in the cities of Zurich, Basel and Geneva. And if you like to ski, Switzerland is heaven.

Vietnam is a vastly overlooked and fascinating destination, with a tumultuous history and beautiful East Asian culture with French influences. Check out the museums and monuments, many of which chronicle the Vietnam War, in Ho Chi Minh City, and catch a cultural show, especially at the Saigon Opera House. Hanoi is growing fast as a top destination, and it also has great museums, as well as gorgeous parks and temples plus street food that you can check out with a guided tour. In the northeastern part of the country, the stunning limestone islands of Ha Long Bay are a sight to see, perfect for kayaking past.