Some people believe that the world will end this year . We ' re not so sure , but just in case , here are 20 places you MUST see before the world goes to heck in a hand basket , and even if it doesn ' t , believe us , they are well worth the trip ! The AmazonRegardless of which country you go to to see it - Brazil , Peru , Colombia , Venezuela , Ecuador , Bolivia , Guyana , Suriname , or French Guiana - considering it ' s the largest rain forest in the world and houses millions of unique creatures rarely found anywhere else , it ' s worth seeing for thousands of reasons . Antelope CanyonYou might think the Grand Canyon is the only canyon you need to see in the US , but really , consider Antelope Canyon , which is conveniently also located in Arizona . Antelope Canyon was created through rivers and streams eroding the sandstone , and it makes for a wholly awesome experience where you can just saunter through miles of them . Uluru ( Ayers Rock ) Located in the middle of the Australian Outback , you probably recognize this one from The Adventurers Down Under . In real life , though , it ' s even more amazing . However , you ' ll find that flying on an eagle ' s back makes it much easier to access , as it ' s actually more than 280 miles outside of any significant town ( Alice Springs ) . Bora BoraLocated in French Polynesia in the South Pacific , Bora Bora is well - known as one of the most beautiful islands in the world . With crystal clear waters and awesome accommodations , there ' s no way to avoid this one . Victoria FallsVictoria Falls , between Zambia and Zimbabwe , is ( debatably ) the largest waterfall in the world , with a width of 5604 ft ( 1708 m ) and a height of 354 ft ( 108 m ) , and a much better choice than Niagara Falls . Norwegian FjordsNorway has one of the longest coastlines in the world , but almost certainly the most interesting . Its eastern coast is riddled with hundreds of jagged inlets , jutting right into the inland of the country . The formations within them as well as the views from them are among the most mesmerizing around . SantoriniSantorini is an island off the coast of Greece , thousands of years ago the site of one of the largest volcanic explosions in history . Today it plays home to spectacular views , crazy architecture , and a storied history ( supposedly the same eruption that destroyed it led to the legend of Atlantis ) . IcelandIceland features some of the most alien landscapes in the world , from huge , partially frozen waterfalls , to the Northern Lights and insane sunsets and sunrises , to miles of barren tundra ; not to mention an outgoing population who ' s down to party . Moraine LakeYou ' d think a lake is a lake , but surely not . At least not Moraine Lake . Up in Alberta , Canada , Moraine is uniquely astounding because when it ' s full , the intensely light rock from the surrounding mountains refracts , creating a neon , mind - blowing shade of blue . Plus , you know , the whole area is pretty amazing in the first place . PetraBuilt around 1200 BC , Petra is an ancient city of Jordan , renowned not just for the fact that it ' s entirely built inside " towering rocks , " but for its intricacies therein . The city was able to constructed in the desert because its designers , the Nabataeans , redirected waterways , creating an artificial oasis -- the center of their caravan trade , and a fortress . Machu PicchuLocated almost eight thousand miles above sea level in Peru , Machu Picchu is one of the most amazing feats of architecture in the world . While you might think it ' s a pretty weird place to put a city , you ' d be wrong : most believe it was an estate for the Inca emperor Pachacuti , who really must ' ve need to take some time away from it all . PlitvicePlitvice is the oldest national park in Southeast Europe , and the largest in Croatia . Its views are something that few would expect in Europe at all , and the fact that it remains relatively untouched ( aside from a few walkways ) , makes it all the better . Great Barrier ReefComposed of over 2900 individual reefs , the Great Barrier Reef is the largest of its kind in the world - so large it can be seen from outer space - and also the biggest single structure made by living organisms . Due to coral bleaching from pollution , this is a site to see asap . Sistine ChapelHonestly , with some of the most prominent works by some of the most famous Renaissance artists - like Michelangelo , Sandro Botticelli , and Pietro Perugino - how could you not want to take a quick look at the Sistine Chapel ? I mean , it ' s in Vatican City , which is pretty worth checking out on its own . StonehengeConsidering all the theories surrounding Stonehenge , it seems pretty likely that it ' ll have to do with the apocalypse anyway , so you might as well see the harbinger in person before it all goes to heck . Taj MahalThe Taj Mahal is considered " the jewel of Muslim art in India and one of the universally admired masterpieces of the world ' s heritage , " which should be reason enough to visit its vaulted walls and beautiful gardens ; but what ' s more , it was built from 1632 - 1653 by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his third wife , Mumtaz Mahal . Now that is some serious devotion . Palace of VersaillesThe pinnacle of absolute monarchy and the indulgence of the ancien régime in France , Louis XIV transformed this former hunting lodge into one of the most expansive palaces in the world . So indulgent was it , in fact , that Louis had all records of how much it originally cost to build destroyed , though the estimates range from $ 2 billion up to almost $ 300 billion in today ' s dollars . Great Wall of ChinaConstruction of the Great Wall began in the 7 th century BC and continued for hundreds of years . It ' s the longest fortification ever built , constructed to thwart invasions of Mongolian and Manchu enemies . At its height ( well , length ) , it was more than 3700 miles ( 6000 km ) long . Angkor WatAngkor Wat is a temple complex surrounded by a moat , built by Cambodian king Suryavarman II in the early 12 th century to serve as the state temple and capital city . The symmetry and " harmony " of its design has been compared to the most famous architecture of ancient Greece and the Romans . Church of Our Virgin Mary of ZionLocated in Axum , Ethiopia , this site is important - like Stonehenge - when we ' re talking about the apocalypse . Contained within this tiny structure is supposedly the Ark of the Covenant , aka where the tablet with the Ten Commandments is supposed to be . Something crazy will probably go down here before the end of the world .