A Guide To Visiting All New 7 Wonders of the World

In January 2023, I finally completed my mission of traveling to all New 7 Wonders of the World… alone! It is up there with climbing Mount Kilimanjaro as one of my proudest travel accomplishments. Since I have now completed this feat, the least I could do is share exactly how I traveled to each one and what my personal experiences were, along with a few recommendations for smooth sailing at notoriously busy tourist spots. Check out my guide below, so you, too, can travel to all new 7 wonders of the world!

Note: I took all photos on my GoPro, which you can purchase here, since it is small and compact with a wide-angle lens. I used either a selfie stick or a tripod to take all of my own photos.

The Colosseum

Where: Rome, Italy

Nearest airport: Rome Fiumicino International Airport (FCO)

How to get there: The Colosseum is located in the city center of Rome. The Colosseum is about a 20-minute walk from the Trevi Fountain, and as the two most popular tourist spots in Italy, I’d highly recommend planning getting to the Trevi Fountain at 6am, and immediately going to the Colosseum right afterward.

Admission Price: 12 Euro, or about 12 USD

Book entry tickets to all of Rome’s major attractions here.

General Tips: If you want to avoid the crowds, arrive as early as possible. In high season, it opens at 8:30am, so get there by 8am to ensure you are one of the first people in. If you’re not concerned about avoiding crowds, go at anytime, and know that it does get extremely busy. For those who don’t want to physically go inside, which some travelers opt out of, you can climb to this viewpoint (as seen above). Simply go to the front of the Colosseum and then walk to the left (on the opposite side of the street of the Colosseum). Eventually, you’ll find a set of stairs, go all the way up, sit on the ledge, and snap a photo while taking in some incredible views of a world wonder. Rome’s major sights can surprisingly be done in one day, so plan accordingly if you’re tight on time.

Guide Recommended: No. The Colosseum is a hectic place, and I find it’s better to just get there early and get out quickly. Do some research ahead of time to better understand what you’re looking at.

If you want a guide and to skip the line, book it here.

My Experience: I have visited The Colosseum several times, my first time being in July 2017, where I did not go inside because it was so busy. I don’t find it completely necessary to physically go inside The Colosseum, though, when in Rome, and if you have the opportunity, you probably should. Italy is already a very popular tourist destination, and with Rome being the capital, and Colosseum being a world wonder, it can get really stressful visiting this part of the city. Men will walk around trying to sell you roses; simply ignore them.

Outfit Recommendation To Make Photos Pop: Wear a yellow jumpsuit like I did, and give it an extra pop of color with a scarf.

Taj Mahal

Where: Agra, India

Nearest Airport: Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL) or Jaipur International Airport (JAI)
*Note: There is a domestic airport in Agra, but with only about 35 flights a week operating.

How To Get There: From Jaipur, Agra is about an hour bus-ride. Take an overnight sleeper for the ultimate Indian experience. From Delhi, it’s a daunting three-and-a-half hour ride, and you can take a bus, The Violent Line train, or you can hire a private driver which will only cost around $30.

Some choose to base themselves out of Delhi or Jaipur, and simply book a day tour to the Taj Mahal.

Admission Price: 1100 Indian Rupees, or about 13.50 USD

General Tips: No drones, no tripods, no large bags. It opens at 6am, but they’ll let you in at 5am, which is highly recommended if you want to have it almost entirely to yourself. It’s closed on Fridays, so don’t plan your visit on a Friday! View a full list of tips here.

Guide Recommended: No. I didn’t use a guide and didn’t feel I missed anything. The Taj Mahal is a mausoleum, and though a guide will better help you navigate going inside the Taj itself, the real beauty is in the outside.

If you want a private tour and guide, book it here.

My Experience: There’s really nothing like the Taj Mahal, and getting it nearly to myself was a treat. I don’t think I would have had the same experience had I gone there later than I did. Have some coffee prepared, and get there at 5AM. I was surprised to see the place completely packed by 7AM. I stayed within walking distance at Joey’s Hostel Agra, which I highly recommend as well. For those who don’t want to stay at a hostel, try nearby budget-hotel Hotel Sheela. At the Taj Mahal itself, get your photos, and then take its intricate beauty in. It’s pretty magical.

Outfit Recommendation To Make Photos Pop: Buy a sari online here.

Petra

Where: Wadi Musa, Jordan

Nearest Airport: Queen Alia International Airport (AMM) (almost 4 hours away)

How To Get There: This is a tricky one, but you do have a few options. You can rent a car from Amman and drive. The roads are well-paved and it’s a straight shot, so it’s really no biggie to drive. Just know, the ride from Amman to Wadi Musa is pretty desolate.

If you’re not comfortable driving, you can hire a private taxi. Jordan is not cheap, and the taxi will cost you around $250 roundtrip.

You can also base yourself out of Amman, and book a tour to take care of it.

You can book a 3-day tour to see all of the highlights of Jordan.

There is also the JETT Bus, which departs daily at 6:30AM from Amman, and takes approximately 3-4 hours to reach Wadi Musa. There is also a local bus which departs daily between 9AM-4PM, but the driver waits until the bus is full to depart, which can cause a long wait.

Finally, since Jordan is small, some choose to do a day trip from nearby Tel Aviv, Israel. Since there are some general tensions in the area, it is wisest to book a tour to do this properly.

Admission Price: 50 Jordanian Dinar, or about 70 USD

General Tips: Petra is huge. It’s not just the famous “Treasury,” but instead is a 5 mile loop. Give yourself approximately 4 hours total. Do not wear heels like I did, and instead wear comfortable hiking shoes, because it is indeed that: a hike. When you get to the infamous “Treasury,” about 30 minutes in, there’s an area where you can hike to the top to get the best views. You’ll need to tip a bedouin to help you up. It’s not a scam: it’s an extremely steep incline, and you’ll need help. For a few Jordanian dinar, it’s well worth it. At the entrance, they say you need a passport to enter, but I didn’t have one and no one checked. It can’t hurt to bring it, though! Jordan can surprisingly get very cold, so dress appropriately.

Guide Recommended: Maybe, it’s up to you. It could be helpful so you have a clue as to what you’re looking at. I did not hire one and instead did research before!

My Experience: I was only in Jordan for about a day on a long layover, and it was stressful trying to cram in Petra, but I was determined. I hired a driver from Amman, which I was annoyed about because it was so expensive. I would have taken the bus, but the time in which I landed did not align with it. I’d highly recommend the bus, or even renting a car. I hired a driver because “driving through the Middle East by myself felt unsafe,” but the roads are pretty anticlimactic, and driving there seemed quite easy. However, once in the town of Wadi Musa, the roads are extremely hilly and chaotic. I was surprised by how freezing the town was, and I was not properly prepared. Stay close by the entrance so you can walk there. I stayed at nearby Petra Plaza Hotel which had a great breakfast included. Petra Marriott Hotel is the best place to stay for those looking to redeem/receive rewards and points.

Outfit Recommendation To Make Photos Pop: I wore a royal blue outfit with a light white scarf.

Chichén Itzá

Where: Yucatán, Mexico

Nearest Airport: Cancun International (CUN) (about 2 hours away)

How To Get There: Rent a car from either Tulum, Playa del Carmen, or Cancun. Otherwise, your best option is to book a tour, even if it’s just for transportation to get there. Travelers can choose to take a private taxi, but from Tulum, a roundtrip will cost around $200.

Admission Price: 571 MXN, or approximately 31 USD

General Tips: As per usual, get there EARLY. I got there around 8:30AM and there was already a decent amount of people; by 10AM the place was packed. No tripods or drones. For those looking to take professional-style photography, you need a special permit, which you can purchase at the gate. I told them I had a GoPro and was required to buy one. Buy a ticket ahead of time online, as the line to enter is long.

Guide Recommended: Yes. There aren’t many descriptors about Chichén Itzá, and it’s much larger than the typically-photographed pyramid. If you want to know what you’re looking at, hire a guide. I did not hire one and felt like I wasn’t able to get much history out of it. I don’t always have the patience for guides, but if you’re interested in these Mayan ruins historically, a guide will be well worth it, and is something I wish I had done. You can hire a guide/pre-arrange a tour here.

My Experience: Chichén Itzá is quite stunning, but getting there was stressful. It’s far from any major cities, and though you can choose to stay nearby, there’s not a whole lot going on in the area. Stay at a hotel in Cancun, Playa del Carmen, or Tulum to help you book arrangements. I arrived around 8:30AM, and as mentioned above, it was already pretty busy. I didn’t buy a ticket ahead of time online and was mad at myself for not doing so. A tour like this would have saved me much hassle. The bus I was on stopped at a spot for lunch on the way out of Chichén Itzá, where we watched a Mayan ceremony. We also stopped at a cenote and had a tequila tasting, which was quite fun. As for Chichén Itzá itself, I was particularly amazed by how blue the skies were; it sounds silly, but paired against the pyramids and ruins, it was quite the sight to behold. It was busy, but not super difficult to get a photo without other people in it; simply wait for the area to clear (or go to an alternative side; not the front).

Outfit Recommendation To Make Photos Pop: Teal was a great color to wear, and Mexico is really hot, so wear something light but comfortable.

Great Wall of China

Where: Beijing, China

Nearest Airport: Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK)

How To Get There: The Great Wall of China is HUGE, but most travelers choose to access it via Beijing. It is about 45 miles from Beijing City Center, so your best bet is to pre-arrange transportation. You can do this by either booking a bus ride ahead of time, or a complete tour.

I was in the unique situation to stay in Miyun, which required almost a two-hour ride from the airport, and it meant I missed out on all other Beijing attractions, but it granted me access to the Great Wall by a five-minute walk.

Admission Price: 40 Yuan, or about 6 USD

General Tips: The best way to get to The Great Wall of China is from the city of Beijing. There are tour offices all over the city, but you can also pre-arrange and book a tour ahead of time.

China has a very tricky visa process, where visitors from most countries can only visit on a 144-hour transit visa. The visa goes as this: Fly from City A –> Beijing (or other Chinese City) –> City B. City A and City B cannot be the same city, and they cannot be from the same country (so, you cannot fly from Osaka –> Beijing –> Tokyo, or Osaka –> Beijing –> Osaka). The overlapping time of your time in China must be under 144 hours (5 days), and you must stay within Beijing city limits. The visa process is done on arrival, and takes a long time, so be prepared to wait.

NOTE: I visited China pre-Covid era, and since then, China has had notoriously strict Covid-19 restrictions. For the most accurate updates, please check with your consulate and the Chinese government.

Guide Recommended: No. While a tour might be necessary if you’re staying in Beijing, simply as a means to get there, I did not believe a guide was necessary in the slightest bit at the Great Wall of China.

If you want a guide, book one here.

My Experience: The Great Wall of China is my favorite world wonder, but much of that is not only because of its massive size and sheer serenity, but because of my personal experience in China. I had been warned by many people that Beijing is a chaotic city, where personal space does not exist, but because I accidentally booked my flight to China during “May Day” (think Chinese Memorial Day), all major hotels were sold out in the city center. This forced me to book a place extremely far from the city center, which stressed me out, but ended up being the best way to experience The Great Wall of China. I stayed with a family at a B&B called ChengTao xiaozhu, and I cannot recommend this place enough. There were no other tourists around, and I had the Great Wall to myself. Who knew you could find peace in Beijing?

My biggest qualm with The Great Wall was it was full of trash along the entryway, which really bummed me out. Trash aside, the Great Wall is a sight to behold and immediately brought tears to my eyes. It’s a little scary because it’s a narrow walkway, and there are no barriers, so be careful as to not slip. You can stay as long or as little as you desire; there are really no bounds with a place as large as The Great Wall of China.

Outfit Recommendation To Make Photos Pop: Red was a perfect color to wear, to both match the China flag, and to contrast against the clear, blue skies.

Machu Picchu

Where: Nearest town is Aguas Calientes, Peru

Nearest Airport: Alejandro Velasco Astete International Airport (CUZ)

How To Get There: The most popular way is to hike the Inca Trail, which takes 4 days and ends in Machu Picchu. Another way is to fly into Cusco, and arrange transportation to Aguas Calientes to spend the night. Aguas Calientes has two types of accommodation: luxurious, and run-down. Obviously, if you’re looking to save money, go for run-down, as most people only need a single night here. If you’re in the mood to splurge, luxurious it is.

Once in town, there is a bus that runs frequently to the entry gate at Machu Picchu, and it takes about 30 minutes.

Aguas Calientes Tours can be booked here.

Cusco Day trips can be booked here.

Admission Price: 154 Peruvian soles, or about 40 USD

Admission tickets can be purchased in advanced here.

General Tips: This might surprise you that I’m recommending this, but, yes, get there early! Doors open at 6AM, and getting there right at opening guarantees less crowds. This is why I also recommend staying in Aguas Calientes instead of doing a day tour from Cusco. Tripods are not allowed, and food/beverage is also not allowed. You have to go through intense security to get into Machu Picchu, so be prepared for your bags to be thoroughly searched. Also, don’t try to touch the llamas.

Guide Recommended: Yes. Machu Picchu is HUGE. Go with a guide so you can learn about the agriculture of Peru, and its unique history. It really is a memorable experience to walk through Machu Picchu and learn about what you are witnessing as you go along. I used a guide and am very happy I did. I visited in 2017, and still remember much about my guided tour. Many travelers experience altitude sickness, so buy some local coca tea or leafs if you feel ill.

My Experience: Machu Picchu was my first world wonder, and I had no idea what to expect. I foolishly saved Machu Picchu for my very last day in Peru, and I was pretty exhausted by the time I visited. I’d recommend getting it out of the way first (I really wish I had done the Inca Trail, to be honest). Be prepared to experience altitude sickness, as mentioned above. I sipped a lot of coca tea and it did help, but be warned it might make you feel a little jittery. I did see a few llamas, and one person in my tour refused to leave them alone, and I had the honor of witnessing the llama spit on this person. Don’t mess with nature, folks. In total, I spent about 4 hours there, but some folks stay all day.

Outfit Recommendation To Make Photos Pop: I went to Machu Picchu before I got super dressed up on trips, but I’d recommend wearing a comfortable, dark, flowing dress like this one.

Christ the Redeemer

Where: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Nearest airport: RIOgaleão – Tom Jobim International Airport (GIG) or Rio de Janeiro Airport RJ Santos Dumont (SDU)

How To Get There: Take the Corcovado cog train or the official vans of the Paineiras-Corcovado Consortium. Your other option is Uber, since Brazil is already so cheap. Note that it is very difficult to get an Uber when leaving Christ the Redeemer, so you will likely have to rely on the bus. I took an Uber from Centro to the gate at Christ the Redeemer, and it cost me $4.50. I took a bus on the way out, and it cost me $2.91 (15 Brazilian real).

Admission Price: 78.50 Brazilian Reals, or about 15 USD

Buy a ticket here for Christ the Redeemer.

General Tips: If you can help it, don’t go in summer. Buy your ticket online in advanced, as the queue is often long. Like all of the others, it goes without saying to arrive early. Once you arrive to the gate at Christ the Redeemer, you will have to take about a 10-15 minute bus ride up the hill. From there, you then have the option to walk up the hill to the statue itself, or take an elevator or clog train up. Christ the Redeemer is by far the most difficult world wonder to photograph. At the top, there’s a church behind the actual statue that you can go into, but no photography is permitted inside. There’s also a bar/restaurant up there, and don’t be surprised if you see a monkey!

Guide Recommended: No. Out of all of the world wonders, this is the one I would least recommend a guide for. Christ the Redeemer is small, and is easy to navigate on your own terms. However, if you want to book one, book it here, and visit all of Rio’s major attractions in one day.

My Experience: Christ the Redeemer was my last world wonder, and let me tell ya; it was a royal pain in the butt to get to. I was hellbent on seeing it, but everything in the universe placed a hurdle in front of me. My first mistake was going in early January; Rio is a popular NYE destination, so going there in early January guarantees A LOT of crowds. I arrived right at 8AM, aka at opening, and after waiting over 30 minutes in line for a ticket, I was told it was completely sold out until 3PM. This is why I urge you to purchase your tickets in advanced. I purchased a ticket “for 3PM,” but the man selling tickets heard “for 3,” and gave me 3 tickets. I did not realize this until I left, and when I returned around 3PM, I had to wait in line AGAIN with a line that was just as long as before to get a refund before being permitted to get on the bus that takes you up (I asked if I could go up there, and process the refund afterward, but was told no). I was given a refund with no problem, and eventually I got on the bus.

I rode the bus up, excited to see my final world wonder, and though there’s an option once you’re up there to take a train/elevator up (Christ the Redeemer is extremely high up!), I chose to walk. I arrived to the top and cried immediately. I did it!!! I saw all new 7 wonders of the world by myself. It was such a proud moment, and worth all of the headaches trying to get there caused. I went inside the church, and shared a smile with an older woman. I still remember her sweet face. I wanted to stay for a bite or a drink, but the bar/restaurant, like the world wonder itself, was packed, so I chose to go back down. I saw a monkey as I walked back to the bus. The views at the top are incredible, by the way.

When I got back down, I could not get an Uber, as none were willing to come there. No yellow taxis were willing to take me either, so I lucked out by meeting a couple that spoke Portuguese and they helped me navigate the bus system (which was super easy).

Outfit Recommendations To Make Photos Pop: I loved my pink jumpsuit that I wore to the top of Christ the Redeemer. Since the statue is mainly neutral colors, a bright pop really helped me stand out.

DISCLAIMER: I might make a small commission from some of the links throughout this article, but the price is the same for you. This helps keep my business running so I can continue to provide free travel tips!