To ask what tourist sites you’ve visited that met or exceeded expectations?

The Daereungwon Tomb Complex in Gyeongju, South Korea. Absolutely stunning, trees reminded me of Sycamore Gap. Green, clean, beautiful and quiet.

The Forbidden City in Beijing is absolutely breathtaking in its sheer size and history.
I also loved the walled city of Pingyao in China.

Not a far flung exotic location but for me I was blown away by The Royal Society in London. Went there through work and whilst I am not scientifically minded at all, I was blown away by the interior and the history of it, knowing that some of the UK's greatest minds were in those rooms and what they achieved.

That's such a shame - I loved Luxor - though it was nearly 30 years ago I visited!

Agree, the salt mines in Krakow were more amazing than I imagined. We’d like to go back one day with the DCs. I think they would love it.

I loved Top Of The Rock, NYC. We went up late afternoon in the winter, it was really clear and the sun was starting to set, not many people up there, the city lights twinkling, the colours of the sky, the views, I felt in awe tbh. Most things in NY had me starstruck though. I loved Brooklyn Bridge too and the views from Dumbo at night were magic.

Many places in Vancouver. The Capilano suspension bridge and Grouse mountain - wow!

Oh gosh yes I forgot about Matera - stunning 😍

As a side note, is anyone else googling all of the places they've not heard of / been to and adding them to a bucket list?? Or just me?! 😂

Grand Canyon and the Colosseum

Thank you. I used to live in Cairo but never made it to Luxor or Aswan!!

Pembroke Castle!

The Pantheon in Rome. Absolutely perfect piece of architecture. You used to be able to walk in and out for free but they've now started charging a fiver for entrance. Well worth it, but the real beauty of the building is sitting in the piazza outside and watching how it changes with the light.

Petra and Wadi Rum in Jordan were incredible places to visit. In fact all of Jordan was amazing and because of the Israel/Gaza situation there were very few tourists. The people were so pleased to see us and we were upgraded nearly everywhere we went because of so few tourists. I felt sorry for the Jordanians being stuck in the middle of the conflict.

Rome was out of this world but I went at the wrong time of year for me and was way too hot to fully enjoy it.
Glencoe in Scotland is astonishing and literally a must-see.
Edinburgh is the best city on earth.
I loved seeing the Mona Lisa. The buzz around it and entering the room where it's displayed was electric.
Chatsworth House is an incredible stately home.

Came here to say Florence. I think about it all the time. David is breathtaking but my personal highlight was Boticelli's The Birth of Venus and Spring in the Uffizi. They just glow in a way that I can't even describe. We went really early in the morning, when it's less crowded.

Tintern Abbey is just beautiful, for one in the UK. It's so vast, and because its a ruin, the silhouette of the building against the sky is majestic.

We went to Japan and spent a night near Mount Fuji; it had been cloudy the day before and we couldn't see it, but I woke early and looked out the window and it was just there in the morning sunlight. Breathtaking.

This was a lovely thread! So much I want to see now.

Manhattan - I almost cried as our taxi (yellow, obviously!) from JFK emerged from the other end of the tunnel and I could see the NY skyline ahead of me. All my years of watching American romcoms came to life!

Glencoe - like being in another world.

Milford and Doubtful Sounds - New Zealand. Just unreal.

Great Barrier Reef.

Ones I haven't visited but would love to - Taj Mahal, The Alhambra, Auschwitz and the Salt Mines.

The Grand Canyon was even more spectacular than I imagined. Spent the money to fly down into it and take a boat down the Colorado and it was worth every penny.

Avenue of the Sphinx is different from the Sphinx that is Cairo.

Avenue of Sphinxes - Wikipedia

The Alhambra in Granada - such a beautiful place

St Patrick’s Cathedral New York
Taj Mahal
Both were busy but there was a serene atmosphere.

Blist Hill Victorian museum near Iron Bridge
Huge site
Lots to see & do

Definitely Venice - exceeded any images I’d seen - so much so that we’re taking our kids back there this October after 20 years.

Velazquez´s room in the Prado Museum, there used to be a bench in front of Las Meninas, I sat there for ages looking at the painting, it seems you can walk up some steps and walk into it.
Burgos cathedral and Seville Cathedral
My first glimpse of the Parthenon in 1991, when you could buy a ticket after standing in a queue of 3 and walk up, just to spend some time on an idle afternoon.
Cape Sounion and it´s temple at sunset, also in the early 90s, you could roam about freely.
Toledo, Granada and Caceres´s old towns.

Wells Cathedral is spectacular

I saw Guernica for the first time this year.
The painting is still relevant today & bigger than I imagined.

I always think cathedrals and churches are the most awe inspiring paces to visit. There’s so much of our history and culture in them. You can feel the spirits of all the people, all the events they have witnessed.

The one which took my breath away recently was in Santiago de compostela. All the gold - I can only imagine how it has impacted pilgrims over the centuries arriving there after their long journeys

Stunning!!!

The Alhambra in Granada and La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona. As well as Park Guell. All stunning.