Connect With Tracy's Travels

The Colosseum has been a symbol of Rome since 80 AD, and today it’s a top monument in Italy. Some 50,000 spectators once gathered in the amphitheater’s tiered seats to watch gladiator games. Though parts of the original marble facade were pilfered over the years to build the likes of St. Peter's Basilica, the Colosseum remains remarkably intact 2,000 years later.

The Eiffel Tower isn't just a symbol of Paris but a symbol for all of France. Gustave Eiffel designed the 1,050-foot (320-meter) Iron Lady to commemorate the centennial of the French Revolution, and it was once the world's tallest structure. Although the tower has since been dwarfed by Dubai's Burj Khalifa and The Shard in London, the Eiffel Tower remains one of the most recognizable landmarks on the planet. View the architectural icon from afar, or stop in at the three observation levels for stellar city views.

Home to some of Italy’s most important art collections—from paintings and sculptures to tapestries and classical antiquities—the Vatican Museums (Musei Vaticani) are among the country’s top attractions. Explore the Pinacoteca, Egyptian Museum, Gallery of Tapestries, Pius-Clementine Museum, and Gallery of Maps, before admiring the crown jewels in the Sistine Chapel (Cappella Sistina), famed for Michelangelo’s ceiling and The Last Judgment.

As one of the world’s most enigmatic tourist attractions, Stonehenge draws up to 1.3 million visitors annually. This UNESCO World Heritage Site consists of an inner and an outer circle of gigantic stones standing in the heart of the English countryside——is made even more impressive by its mysterious history. Although Stonehenge’s original purpose remains unknown, onlookers gather to admire the sarsen stone circles and ponder its astronomical, spiritual, or even supernatural meaning.

Primarily associated with the steady gaze of Leonardo Da Vinci's famous Mona Lisa, Paris' Louvre museum is home to a 35,000-strong collection of paintings and sculptures. This museum, considered one of the greatest in the world, was established during the French Revolution to preserve and showcase the nation’s finest artworks. Today, the contemporary glass Louvre Pyramid heralds the museum's entrance, which millions of tourists flock to every year to feast their eyes on masterpieces that span from antiquity to the 20th century.

The lost city of Machu Picchu is the most famous tourist attraction in Peru, if not all of South America. The UNESCO World Heritage–listed collection of temples, terraced hills, and plazas was once the mountaintop citadel of the ancient Inca empire. Although Machu Picchu is now world-famous, questions remain about the mysteries behind its construction, function, and eventual demise.

One of the New 7 Wonders of the World, Chichen Itza is among Mexico's most visited and iconic archaeological sites. Known for its main central pyramid, this impressive Maya site—once the ceremonial center of the Yucatán—also features temples, ball courts, and a cenote (freshwater sinkhole).