What's Your Wonder of the World?

12 July 2007


In 2000, a global public voting campaign was launched to choose the New Seven Wonders of the World. 21 nominees were shortlisted by a panel of experts and another public voting campaign was set up.

And the winners are...

The winners of the vote were announced on Saturday 7 July 2007 at a special ceremony in Lisbon. They are:

  • Chichen Itza - Mexico
  • Christ the Redeemer - Brazil
  • The Great Wall - China
  • Machu Picchu - Peru
  • Petra - Jordan
  • The Roman Colosseum - Italy
  • The Taj Mahal - India

We are delighted to confirm that all of these New Wonders can be 'wowed' at on a variety of our tours - often with an Explore 'twist' built in to make your experience truly memorable: the Taj at sunset or sunrise, the Great Wall in its many guises (gloriously restored, or a humble track through a pine forest), or Machu Picchu as the exhilarating culmination of the Inca Trail.

Visit the Wonders with Explore

The stretch betwen Jinshanling and Simatai offers some of the finest walking anywhere on the Great Wall: photogenic (with over 30 watchtowers), steep gradients and constantly changing views

The Great Wall at Simatai / Fabio Perselli

Chichen Itza, Mexico

Explore the land of the Aztecs and Maya on our Indian Mexico + Yucatan & Caribbean tour, or search for answers to unexplained mysteries of the Maya kingdom as you travel through rainforest, cruise along rivers and traverse the arid Yucatan peninsula.

Christ the Redeemer, Brazil

Journey from Santiago to Rio passing mountains and deserts on your way to one of the most beautifully situated cities on earth, or go Pure Brazil to explore cities and nature.

The Great Wall, China

Walk the Great Wall and enjoy the diverse landscapes of this magnificent man-made structure; and take in China's Highlights as you travel from the rural south to Beijing, experience the Great Wall and marvel at the Terracotta Warriors near Xian.

Machu Picchu, Peru

We offer several tours to this historical sanctuary. These include the famous Inca Trail, plus visits to Nazca, Lake Titicaca and the Altiplano, before trekking for 5 days along the trail to Machu Picchu. Also, for non-trekkers, the Sacred Land of the Incas, where you will take a boat out to Taquile Island and spend a night with the local Indian community and travel by train to Machu Picchu.

Petra, Jordan

The Taj Mahal

The Taj Mahal

Explore the antiquities of the Rose Red City on one of our many tours there, including: Lawrence's Arabia, where you can spend a night sleeping under the stars; Spice Trails of Petra, a one-week exploration on foot; and Crusader Castles & Desert Cities, which includes Krak des Chevaliers - surely a future contender as a Wonder of the World.

The Roman Colosseum, Italy

Discover the Best of Italy as you travel by train from Venice down to Sorrento, soaking in an intoxicating cocktail of history, art and architecture. Plus, a healthy dose of Dolce Vita, as you stop off at the 'Eternal City' itself.

The Taj Mahal, India

Take in the inspirational site of the Taj Mahal on our Moghul Highlights tour, which includes visits to Fatehpur Sikri, Jaipur and the national parks of Keoladeo Ghana and Sariska. The family can experience India on our Taj, Tigers & Palaces tour, with a chance to get the hump and go four-legged.

Best of the rest (and amazing they are)

The Alhambra Palace / Patrick Syder

The Alambra Palace / Patrick Syder

The other 14 finalists are virtually all on the Explore map too:

Acropolis, Greece - discover the celebrated temples of the Acropolis before heading off to wander around the Islands of Atlantis with your family; visit the classic sites of ancient Greece, including Olympia and Delphi, on our Peloponnese Explorer tour.

Alhambra, Spain - admire the Alhambra's decorative art whilst cycling around the Backroads of Andalucia or discovering the sites of Moorish Andalucia.

Hagia Sophia, Turkey - take the opportunity to visit this remarkable cathedral-turned-mosque on our Asia Minor Explorer or discovering the delights of Eastern Turkey.

Kremlin, Russia - if you want to imagine what it would have been like to live as a tsar in the Kremlin and admire the architecture of St Basil's cathedral, why not join us on Treasures of the Tsars, which also includes visits to Estonia and Finland; or wrap up warm for a Russian Winter exploration.

Giza, Egypt - discover the legends of the pyramids on one of our many tours to Egypt, including: Sinai Insight - visit the pyramids before setting off into this peninsula brimming with history, to explore the desert on a jeep safari and visit Biblical sites; Egypt in Depth, which also covers some of the lesser visited locations; and the Cairo to Karnak short break for those with only a few days to spare.

Timbuktu, Mali - explore Dogon country on foot, trekking amongst the villages and camping under the stars, as well as cruising along the Niger from Mopti to Timbuktu by motorized pinasse. We also offer a non-trekking route where you'll explore Dogon country by 4WD with short easy walks.

Sydney Opera House, Australia - join us on our Australian Adventure where you can whitewater raft, snorkel over coral reefs and stay on a working cattle station. On East Coast Experience see koalas and crocs, sail to the Whitsunday islands and hike through the Blue Mountains. Visit the prehistoric Palm Valley and learn about aboriginal culture in Kakadu on our Outback Adventure.

Easter Island, Chile - like Stonehenge, no-one really knows how these enormous monoliths were transported here. Come up with your own theory by visiting the statues on our Atacama to Paine & Easter Island Extension tour.

Angkor, Cambodia - we offer several tours to the world's largest sacred temple complex. These include Lost Cities of Angkor, which also incorporates the Killing Fields and the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum. The Jewels of Indochina travels through Laos and Vietnam before arriving in Cambodia.

Kiyomizu, Japan - the temple complex includes a pair of 'love stones' placed 18 metres apart: visitors looking for love attempt to walk from one stone to the other with their eyes closed and if they make it to the other stone without peeking they will find love. Hopefully you won't be looking for love on our Family Adventures' In Fuji's Shadow tour, but all you singletons can try your luck on the Shogun Trail.

Not on our list (but still great to visit)

Glacier Holgate Ann of Aialik Bay, Kenai

Glacier Holgate Ann of Aiailik Bay, Kenai

Although we don't have any itineraries that specifically include the following sites, we do run tours in their countries and if you make your own way ('Land Only') to join these trips you can always arrange to visit them yourself:

Eiffel Tower, France - try an activity holiday in the Dordogne, go hiking in Provence or cycle in the Loire valley to name but three.

Neuschwanstein, Germany - travel through Eastern Germany, or cycle along the Blue Danbue from Passau to Vienna or parts of the Elbe, starting and ending in Prague.

Statue of Liberty, USA - discover the great outdoors of Alaska, head Into the Wild West of Arizona and Utah, visit some of the national parks, including Yosemite and Yellowstone, or explore the highlights of the High Plains.

Unfortunately we don't offer any tours in the UK but if you're coming over to visit, why not drop into Stonehenge and marvel at Blighty's own mysterious candidate for the New Wonders of the World.

To find out more about the New Seven Wonders of the World, go to the New Seven Wonders of the World website.