The World’s 100 Best Archaeological Sites & Ruins

A Maya city ruin deep in the Calakmul Biosphere Reserve in Campeche, Mexico, reached by a long jungle road. Visitors walk forest paths between large stone pyramids and climb several of them for views over the canopy.

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A Nabataean rock-carved city in southwestern Jordan, its tombs and temples cut into pink sandstone cliffs. Visitors walk the Siq gorge to reach the Treasury, then continue to the Monastery and other monuments.

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An Inca citadel in the Andes above the Urubamba River valley, in the Cusco region of Peru. Visitors walk stone terraces, streets and houses set among cloud-covered mountain peaks.

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The Temple of Hathor at Dendera lies in Qena Governorate, about 60 kilometres north of Luxor on the west bank of the Nile. Visitors walk through the hypostyle hall with Hathor-headed columns, painted ceilings and reliefs, then the crypts and rooftop.

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Set on a hill near Téboursouk in Tunisia, the ruins of a Roman city with Punic and Numidian features cover wide slopes. Visitors walk paved streets past the Capitol temple, the theatre, baths, houses and cisterns.

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A cluster of 34 rock-cut caves in Maharashtra, India, carved into basalt cliffs. Visitors walk past Buddhist, Hindu and Jain caves, with the Kailasa Temple (Cave 16) at the centre.

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A Maya archaeological park in the Petén rainforest of northern Guatemala. Visitors walk forest paths between temples and pyramids rising above the jungle, with howler monkeys and other wildlife nearby.

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A Bronze Age stone tower near Torralba in northwestern Sardinia, built of basalt blocks. Visitors walk through its corridors, stairways and chambers and climb to the top for views over the plain.

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A Maya archaeological site in the Puuc region near Santa Elena, Yucatán, set in forest. Visitors walk among large restored structures and climb some of the ruins.

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A large Hellenistic city ruin in the mountains of Messinia, southern Greek Peloponnese. Visitors walk among its city walls, gates, theatre, stadium, gymnasium and Asklepieion, with the stadium and small theatre well preserved.

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Roman-era temple complex in Lebanon's Beqaa Valley, known in antiquity as Heliopolis, City of the Sun. Visitors walk among columns and stone blocks of the Temple of Jupiter, the Temple of Bacchus and the Temple of Venus.

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Persepolis, the ceremonial capital of the Achaemenid Persian Empire, lies on the Marvdasht Plain near Shiraz in Fars province, Iran. Visitors walk among stone palaces, tall columns, staircases and reliefs of delegations bringing tribute to the king.

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Mayan city in the jungle of Chiapas, Mexico, near the town of Palenque. Visitors walk among temples, palaces and pyramids, with howler monkeys calling from the forest.

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A pair of rock-cut temples in southern Egypt near the Sudan border, on the shore of Lake Nasser. Visitors walk to the façade with four colossal seated statues of Ramses II, then into the carved halls.

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A Roman city ruin in northern Jordan, about 48 kilometres north of Amman, with origins in the Neolithic period. Visitors walk the Cardo Maximus past colonnades, squares and the Oval Plaza, and see the Hadrian's Arch, the Temple of Artemis and the South Theatre.

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A large ancient city on the slopes of Akdağ in the Taurus Mountains near Ağlasun, Burdur, at 1450 to 1700 metres. Visitors walk among the theatre, baths, agora, and the Antonine Fountain, with mountain views.

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The Pyramids of Giza are ancient Egyptian tombs on the Giza plateau near Cairo. Visitors walk between the pyramids and the Sphinx by free shuttle buses, on foot, or by camel and horse.

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An ancient Maya city in the Lacandon jungle, on the Usumacinta River bordering Guatemala, reached only by boat. Visitors walk among temples, stelae and carved lintels, climbing steep stairs while howler monkeys call from the trees.

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A vast temple complex on the east bank of the Nile in Luxor, dedicated to the god Amun-Ra. Visitors walk along the avenue of ram-headed sphinxes, through the Great Hypostyle Hall with its 134 columns, past obelisks and the sacred lake.

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A Roman-era ancient city near Geyre in Karacasu, Aydın, dedicated to Aphrodite and on the UNESCO list. Visitors walk among the stadium, theatre, pool, Tetrapylon, Sebasteion reliefs and temple ruins.

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A conservation area of sandstone hills and caatinga scrubland in Piauí, Brazil, holding prehistoric rock paintings and excavated shelter sites. Visitors walk marked trails through the canyons and see rock art, the pierced rock and panoramic viewpoints.

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Pisidian hilltop city on Mount Güllük in the Taurus Mountains, about 30 km northwest of Antalya. Visitors climb a steep stone path past cisterns, sarcophagi and rock tombs to a theatre overlooking the valley.

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The Roman amphitheatre of El Jem, the ancient Thysdrus, stands in the middle of a small Tunisian town. Visitors walk through the tiers, arena, underground chambers and upper levels with views over the medina.

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Roman theatre in Serik near Antalya, built in the 2nd century AD and still used for performances. Visitors walk up the semicircular seating to the stage building and, further up the hill, the ruins of houses, a basilica and an aqueduct.

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An 11th-century stepwell on the banks of the Saraswati River in Patan, Gujarat. Visitors descend several levels of steps past carved walls and pillars, with a garden around the entrance.

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A group of rock-cut Buddhist caves carved into a horseshoe-shaped basalt cliff in Maharashtra, India. Visitors walk through the caves to see wall paintings, sculptures, prayer halls and monk residences, with a waterfall nearby in the rainy season.

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A stepwell in Abhaneri village, Dausa district, Rajasthan, about 90 km from Jaipur. Visitors look down thousands of symmetrical steps across 13 levels to the water, with the Harshat Mata Temple next to it.

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A Roman villa of the 4th century in the centre of Sicily, near Piazza Armerina. Visitors walk elevated walkways over floors of mosaics showing hunting scenes, daily life, mythology and the women in bikinis.

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A Maya archaeological site in Temozón, Yucatán, about 20 minutes north of Valladolid. Visitors walk through plazas, a ball court and the Oval Palace, and climb the Acropolis for views over the jungle.

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Ancient Greek sanctuary on the slopes of the Parnassus mountains, home to the Oracle of Delphi. Visitors climb past the Temple of Apollo, treasuries, theatre and stadium, with views across the valley.

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A vast Khmer temple complex near Siem Reap, Cambodia, built in the 12th century and dedicated first to Vishnu. Visitors walk across the moat and causeway to reach towers, galleries and bas-reliefs, with sunrise and sunset views across the water.

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A 5th-century rock fortress and palace complex rising about 200 metres above the plains of central Sri Lanka. Visitors pass water gardens, the Lion's Paws and frescoes on the climb to ruins and a wide jungle view at the summit.

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A 4th-century Roman villa in Pedrosa de la Vega, Palencia, Spain, protected by a modern building. Covered walkways let visitors pass over rooms and corridors paved with mosaics.

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An ancient Greek theatre within the sanctuary of Asclepius on the Peloponnese, about 140 km from Athens. Visitors climb the stone rows of the theatre and walk among the ruins of the healing sanctuary and its museum.

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The Step Pyramid of Djoser lies in the Saqqara necropolis south of Giza, near Memphis. Visitors walk the walled funerary complex with its colonnaded entrance and Sed festival courtyard, and can enter the pyramid's interior.

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A 15th-century Vijayanagara complex in Hampi, Karnataka, dedicated to Vishnu. Visitors walk through courtyards and stone mandapas to see the Stone Chariot and the musical pillars of the Ranga Mantapa.

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A Maya site in the Edzná Valley, about an hour's drive from Campeche city, where visitors walk between temples and climb several structures, including the main acropolis. The grounds are large and mostly open to explore on foot.

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Mortuary temple of a female pharaoh, cut into limestone cliffs at Deir el-Bahari on the west bank near Luxor. Visitors climb ramps across terraces past columns, sphinxes and reliefs.

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An ancient city on a mountain slope in the Gölhisar district of Burdur. Visitors walk between two parking areas past a stadium, a theatre, an odeon with a Medusa mosaic, and a circular fountain.

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An ancient Greek and Roman city near Selçuk in western Turkey, reached by a long marble-paved main street. Visitors walk past the Celsus Library, the Great Theatre seating about 25,000, and the remains of shops, houses and columns.

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A Maya archaeological site in western Honduras, a short walk from the town of Copán Ruinas, set in forest with macaws overhead. Visitors walk through plazas, stone stelae, the Hieroglyphic Stairway and a ball court, with tunnels beneath the pyramids.

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Roman theatre built at the end of the 1st century, set between two hills in the Old Town of Plovdiv, Bulgaria. Visitors climb to the marble seating that slopes towards the orchestra, with the two-tiered stage wall and Corinthian columns at the far end.

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The Western Group of Temples lies in Khajuraho, Madhya Pradesh, built by the Chandela dynasty with Nagara-style shikharas. Visitors walk on foot between sandstone temples set among lawns and view carvings of gods, apsaras, music, dance and daily life.

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A large pre-Hispanic city ruin near Tepeyahualco in Puebla, set in a dry semi-desert landscape with pines and volcanoes in view. Visitors walk a roughly 3 km stone trail past ball courts, plazas and pyramids, many of which can be climbed.

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A large Roman city ruin on the Libyan Mediterranean coast near Al-Khums, at the mouth of Wadi Lebda. Visitors walk among the arch of Septimius Severus, the theatre, baths, marketplace and columned streets.

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Geoglyphs etched into the desert floor near the town of Nazca in southern Peru. Visitors either fly low over the figures in a small plane or look down from a roadside viewing tower on the Pan-American Highway.

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An ancient city beside the Pamukkale travertine terraces in western Turkey, founded in the 2nd century BC. Visitors walk past the necropolis and ancient streets, reach the Roman theatre, and see the Cleopatra Pool among ruined columns.

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An ancient city about 18 km east of Antalya in the Aksu district, once the capital of Pamphylia. Visitors walk a long colonnaded street with a water channel down its middle, past city gates, baths, fountains and the stadium.

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Rapa Nui National Park covers nearly half of Easter Island in the Pacific. Visitors walk among moai statues at quarries, platforms by the beach and ceremonial sites.

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A Roman city buried by Vesuvius in 79 AD, lying near Naples in southern Italy. Visitors walk its preserved streets, houses, bakeries and amphitheatre, seeing frescoes, mosaics and plaster casts.

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Ruins of the first capital of the Sukhothai Kingdom in northern Thailand, spread across lawns, ponds and trees. Visitors walk or cycle between temple ruins, chedis and large Buddha statues.

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A rock-cut necropolis in Fars Province, about 6 to 12 kilometres from Persepolis. Visitors see four cross-shaped royal tombs carved into a cliff, and Sasanian reliefs lower on the rock face.

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The Sun Temple at Modhera, in Mehsana district of Gujarat, is an 11th-century temple complex built under King Bhima I of the Chaulukya dynasty. Visitors walk from the Surya Kund stepwell past the assembly hall to the sanctuary.

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A Greco-Roman temple in Esna on the west bank of the Nile, about 55 km south of Luxor. Visitors go down steps into the columned hall, where 24 sandstone columns and painted ceilings remain.

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The site of ancient Gadara in northern Jordan, overlooking the Sea of Galilee. Visitors walk among basalt columns, ruined streets, a black basalt amphitheatre and house walls.

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Ancient Greek temple of Apollo in Didim, Turkey, once an oracle center and never completed. Visitors walk among tall columns and carved stone blocks, past a Medusa head at the entrance.

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A rock fortress on a plateau above the Dead Sea in the Judean Desert, built by Herod the Great. Visitors reach the summit by cable car or by the Snake Path and Roman siege ramp, then see palace remains, mosaics and frescoes, and cisterns.

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Roman-period ancient city in Çavdarhisar district, Kütahya province, Turkey, about an hour from Kütahya city. Visitors walk past a Temple of Zeus, a theatre and stadium, baths and colonnaded streets while excavations continue.

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Desert necropolis about 40 km southwest of Cairo, built under Sneferu of the Fourth Dynasty. Visitors walk around the Red Pyramid, climb to its entrance and descend narrow passages to the inner chambers.

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A Lycian, Roman and Byzantine port city in a forested valley on the Mediterranean coast near Çıralı. Visitors walk the streets beside a stream, past sarcophagi, a theatre, basilicas and villas, down to a pebble beach.

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A UNESCO-listed archaeological complex in West Azerbaijan Province, near Takab, built around a mineral lake. Visitors walk among Sasanian-era ruins, a fire temple and a stone porch, with the lake in the middle of the site.

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A large pre-Hispanic ceremonial city in San Juan Teotihuacán, about an hour from Mexico City. Visitors walk the Avenue of the Dead past the Pyramids of the Sun and the Moon and the Temple of Quetzalcoatl.

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High mountain sanctuary in Adıyaman province, Turkey, on the Taurus range, built for King Antiochus I of Commagene. Visitors climb stairs from a car park to the summit, passing a tumulus and colossal stone heads and statues on the eastern and western terraces.

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A Lycian and Roman port city on a pine-covered peninsula on the Mediterranean coast near Kemer. Visitors walk the ancient streets and harbours, passing bathhouses, aqueducts and the agora ruins, with swimming coves inside the site.

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A large ancient Greek city ruin on the Mediterranean coast in western Sicily. Visitors walk among temple ruins and remains of dwellings with the sea behind them, with the acropolis about 3 km from the entrance.

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An imperial Roman residence in Tivoli, outside Rome, built by Emperor Hadrian in the second century AD. Visitors walk a large, wooded site of palaces, baths, gardens and pools.

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Medieval city ruins on a plateau above the Arpaçay River, on the Turkey-Armenia border near Kars. Visitors walk past walls, churches, a cathedral, mosques and palace remains spread across grassy, unpaved ground.

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Archaeological site of the Totonac culture near Papantla in Veracruz, Mexico, set in jungle greenery. Visitors walk through plazas and causeways between pyramids and see carved stair steps.

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A 13th-century temple on the coast of Odisha, India, built in the shape of a stone chariot. Visitors walk around the complex to see the carved wheels, stone horses and wall reliefs of deities and daily life.

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An Iron Age Lydian capital near Sart in Salihli district, Manisa, with later Roman and Byzantine remains. Visitors walk past the gymnasium and bathhouse, the synagogue with its mosaic floors, and the Temple of Artemis nearby.

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An Inca archaeological site and living town in the Sacred Valley near Cusco, Peru. Visitors climb stone terraces and steps past the fortress, gates and walls toward the Temple of the Sun.

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A mountaintop Zapotec city in the Sierra Madre above Oaxaca City, with wide views over the valley. Visitors cross the Gran Plaza, climb stepped pyramids and platforms, and see temples set around the central square.

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An unrestored Khmer temple in Svay Leu district, Siem Reap province, about an hour's drive from the city. Wooden walkways run past collapsed sandstone galleries, walls and a central shrine overgrown with trees, roots and moss.

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The Temple of Seti I stands at Abydos near El Balyana in Sohag, Upper Egypt, and is a 19th Dynasty mortuary temple. Visitors climb ramps past a colonnade of square columns and walk through halls carved with hieroglyphs and reliefs.

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A Khmer Hindu temple complex stands on an extinct volcano in Buriram Province, Thailand. Visitors climb a processional stairway and stone gallery to reach the sanctuary and reflecting ponds.

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A group of rock-cut monuments in Mahabalipuram, a Pallava-period site on the Tamil Nadu coast near Chennai. Visitors walk among five monolithic structures and a life-sized stone elephant, carved from single granite blocks.

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A Greek city site in the Cilento region of southern Italy, with ruins set among green fields. Visitors walk the open-air park past the temples, forum, amphitheatre and town walls.

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An ancestral Puebloan site in a remote desert canyon in New Mexico. Visitors walk among preserved great houses such as Pueblo Bonito and Chetro Ketl, plus kivas and petroglyphs on a 9 mile loop.

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A Lycian hilltop city in Yaka, Seydikemer, overlooking the Eşen Plain. Visitors climb past carved rock tombs to the acropolis and walk among Roman theater, stadium and bath ruins.

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Ancient Roman city of Scythopolis in northern Israel's Jordan Valley, with a Canaanite tel above it. Visitors walk colonnaded streets, a large theatre, bathhouses and mosaic floors, and can climb the hill for views.

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A Ptolemaic temple dedicated to Horus on the west bank of the Nile in Edfu, Upper Egypt. Visitors pass through the massive entrance pylon into courtyards and roofed halls covered in carved reliefs and hieroglyphs.

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A Neolithic stone circle and henge in Wiltshire, England, with a village built inside its banks and ditch. Visitors walk among the large standing stones, earthworks, and the surrounding countryside, with sheep grazing around the monument.

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An excavated ancient city on the Lycian coast of Kaş district in Antalya, near a long sandy beach. Visitors walk through a large site of ruins including a theatre, the Lycian League assembly building, colonnaded streets and the harbour street.

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A Mayan city on the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico, with ruins set among trees. Visitors walk along paths past the stepped Temple of Kukulcán pyramid, the ball court and other ruins.

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A 12th-century rock temple in the ancient city of Polonnaruwa, North Central Province, Sri Lanka. Visitors walk among four Buddha statues carved from a single granite rock face.

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A Maya walled city on a limestone cliff above the Caribbean Sea on the Yucatán coast. Visitors walk a short path among temples and watch the sea below.

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Ptolemaic temple complex on Agilkia Island in the Nile near Aswan, rebuilt there after the dam works. Visitors walk among columns, gateways and reliefs of the Temple of Isis, with the Hathor temple and Trajan's Kiosk nearby.

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A Hindu temple complex on a cliff in the Dangrek Mountains of northern Cambodia, overlooking the plain below. Visitors walk an 800-metre axis of sanctuaries linked by pavements and staircases, with views south over the plain.

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A hilltop citadel of ancient ruins above central Athens, Greece. Visitors climb worn marble paths and steps past the Parthenon and temples to viewpoints over the city.

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A prehistoric circle of massive sarsen stones stands in an open field on Salisbury Plain near Amesbury. Visitors follow a path around the stones, and guided tours allow walking inside the circle.

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Ancestral Puebloan cliff dwellings in southwest Colorado, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, set on a mesa above canyons. Visitors take ranger-led tours through cliff houses such as Cliff Palace and Balcony House, climbing ladders and walking the mesa-top loop.

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A Greek theatre rebuilt by the Romans, carved into the slopes of Monte Tauro above the town. Visitors walk up the stone tiers and among the ruins, with views of the Ionian Sea and Mount Etna.

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A Greco-Roman colonnaded temple on a basalt cliff above the Azat River gorge in Armenia. Visitors walk around the temple grounds and the adjacent Roman bathhouse, with mountain and gorge views.

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An excavated Roman port city at the mouth of the Tiber, reached from Rome by train. Visitors walk the paved Decumanus Maximus past baths, houses, shops, warehouses and a theatre, with mosaics and information boards along the way.

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A Greek Ionian city ruin on the southern slope of Mount Mykale, near Güllübahçe in Söke. Visitors climb past the theatre and Temple of Athena and walk the grid-planned streets, with views over the Söke plain.

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The Terracotta Army lies near Xi'an in Lintong District, where clay soldiers, horses and chariots are displayed in covered pits. Visitors walk along raised corridors above the excavations, with Pit 1 the most seen.

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An ancient Hellenistic theatre and city site on the edge of Kaş, Türkiye, a short walk from the town centre. Visitors climb the stone rows of the theatre, which faces the sea, and watch the sunset over the bay.

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A Nuragic megalithic complex of basalt towers on a plateau in the interior of Sardinia, near Orroli. Visitors walk through the partly reconstructed site and its inner courtyard, with the central tower and surrounding towers in view.

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A Roman amphitheatre in the centre of Pula, Croatia, close to the sea, with outer walls of local limestone. Visitors walk around the outside for free, then go inside to the arena, the seating and an underground museum.

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A complex of 13 water structures in the city of Shushtar, Khuzestan Province, Iran. Visitors walk among bridges, dams, watermills, waterfalls and water tunnels fed by the Karun River.

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