- Rome, Italy. All those paintings and monuments you studied in history class? Seeing the Coliseum in person should be on everyone’s bucket list. Eat McDonald’s fries on the portico of the Pantheon (there is a McD’s across the piazza from it!) and imagine the great Roman leaders turning in their graves. View life and culture the way only Romans know how.
- New York City, New York. Especially if you live in the US, this is an inexpensive trip you have no excuse not to make. Make it to the MOMA for great art and Times Square (avoid it New Years, it is not nearly as much fun as it looks on TV ie: little to no bathroom access!). Flights from most major cities to the Big Apple are as low as $125. If you have not been there, what are you waiting for?
- Beijing, China. The Great Wall, The Forbidden City, temples, and tombs. China has it all, and Beijing is it’s grand capital. Explore the history of this unique country that has the highest population in the world. Get out of your western comfort zone and visit the Orient.
- Bali, Indonesia. All those neat hand crafted items you see in hippie stores? Those usually come from Bali. A weak economy (while bad for them) means your money will go farther! Spend a few weeks and enjoy the slow pace of local life.
- Amsterdam, Netherlands. The original city of sin where pot and prostitution are legal. Not your cup of (marijuana infused) tea? Well, there are plenty of sites to see that make Amsterdam worth the trip! You can still visit the house Anne Frank lived in when she wrote her diary, the Amstel factory and several awesome museums. Which puts this old city on the must visit list.
We simply cannot pass on to the next life without experiencing the wonders of this life. If you do not have time to visit all the places that are considered marvelous, at the very least, visit these top five cities.