Best World Heritage Sites
Here're best World Heritage Sites. We released a ranking of reviews about World Heritage Sites posted by travel influencers who have actually been there.
Latest
Review Ranking
Shirakawago
21 Review10 min by car from Shirakawago IC. By bus, 50 min from Takayama Station. Ogi-machi Shirakawa-mura, Ono-gun, Gifu
Shirakawa Village is a heavy snowfall area, but it snowed not so much for us to visit here this winter. And we can enjoy the snowy landscape as much as we want! It will snow more during February, so you're still in time to see this scenery.
Nikko Toshogu Shrine
7 Review2301 Sannai, Nikko-shi, Tochigi
The most famous thing in Nikko Toshogu Shrine is this Yōmei-mon Arch. It's resistered as a world heritage. This Yomeimon gate has an Edo period architectural style, crafts, sculptures, paintings, and all of the cultures of this age.
From Gokayama IC by car: 1 min - Suganuma Area. 15 min - Ainokura Area. From Johana Station by bus: 25 min - Ainokura-guchi, then 5 min walk to Ainokura Area. 40 min - Suganuma, then 1 min walk to Suganuma Area. Gokayama, Nanto-shi, Toyama
Goyakama is an area of a world heritage with Shirakawago. Suganuma area and Ainokura area of Gokayama are smaller than Shirakawago, but there are full of the atmosphere of secret countryside with the mountains standing very close! You can see the peaceful country scene of gassho zukuri architectures (historical thatched steep roof).◎Suganuma and Ainokura both have parking lot. There're bus from JR Johana Sta. and Takaoka Sta. but you need to confirm the bus timetable. The illumination date changes every year, so check out the web beforehand.
Himeji Castle
9 Review68 Honmachi, Himeji-shi, Hyogo
Himeji Castle is the first site registered as a world heritage in Japan. In spring, as many as 1000 trees of Somei Yoshino Cherry bloom around the castle. The purely white Himeji Castle and pale pink cherry blossoms make so beautiful collaboration!
Glover Garden
5 Review7 min walk from Oura Tenshu-dou Station. 10 min by car or taxi from Nagasaki Station. Nearby toll parking area is available. 8-1 Minami-yamate-machi, Nagasaki-shi, Nagasaki
Glover Garden was registered as a world heritage in 2015. In Christmas season, it's lit up and has different atmosphere than usual! You can see the night Nagasaki city illumination.◎Parking area is available near here. But its better for you to go to Oura Tenshu-dou Shita Station, then walk to Glover Garden. I took these photos in 2012, it has become more gorgeous now for such as projection mapping.
Sagrada Familia
7 ReviewSoon, from Sagrada Familia Station Carrer de Lepant, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
Sagrada Familia scheduled to be completed in 2026. The moment I entered the shrine while listening to the audio guide, I felt the history of Gaudi in the mysterious and magnificent space and the sophisticated atmosphere that was too beautiful, and tears overflowed. It is one of the World Heritage Sites where you can see the details of the world that cannot be conveyed in the photographs while feeling it with all five senses.
Tenryu Temple
6 Review68 Sagatenryu-ji Susukinobaba-cho Ukyo-ku, Kyoto-shi, Kyoto
Here is not an ordinary Setsubun-kai, people walk around the pagodas of Zen Buddhism and gather the charms of the Seven Deities. There're many people with 'good luck bamboo grass' in their hands at the precinct. The sponsors throw roasted beans (mame-maki) and say 'in with fortune' (huku wa uchi). Let's take in lots of good fortune!
Itsukushima Shrine
16 ReviewGo to Miyajima-guchi Station of JR or Hiroden (streetcar), then walk to ferry terminal. There're two ferry terminals of Matsudai Kisen or JR, both of them go to Miyajima for 10 or 15 min. To Itsukushima Shrine, 10 min walk from Miyajima Port. 1-1 Miyajima-cho, Hatsukaichi-shi, Hiroshima
Many wild deer live in Miyajima, and they sometimes appear around Itsukushima Shrine. Not only deer, you see some wild birds such as herons and ducks. But, be careful not to be robbed your bag by deer!◎Ferry is available from a port near Miyajima-guchi Station. Most parking areas are located around Miyajima-guchi Station. But in the seasons of cherry blossoms and autumn leaves, Miyajima would be very crowded.
Byodoin Temple
9 Review10 min walk from Uji Station. By car, 40 min from Kyoto City. 116 Renge Uji, Uji-shi, Kyoto
A palace built in a small island on the lake. A unique world heritage of gorgeous building that symbolize Fujiwara Sekkan Era. You should see the shrine once that is famous for Japanese coin of 10 yen. Moreover it became brighter after the repair.
Gunkanjima Island
3 ReviewTour from Tokiwa Terminal (reservation required). Access to Tokiwa Terminal: 6 min by taxi, or 20 min by streetcar from Nagasaki Station. By car, 120 min from Fukuoka city, and nearby toll parking area is available. 2 Takashima-cho, Nagasaki-shi, Nagasaki
The Hashima Island looks like a military ship. The ruins were the first apartments constructed of concrete in Japan and look weird now. But just the scenery of this World Heritage can recall worker's sprit in the coal mine at that time.
Tomioka Silk Mill
2 Review10 min by car from Tomioka IC. 15 min walk from Joshu Tomioka Sration (15 km). 1-1 Tomioka, Tomioka-shi, Gunma
The utmost of 'Made In Japan'. Tomioka silk mill that had pushed forward the modernization of Japan has a strong power!
Katsuren Castle
2 Review90 min by car form Naha Airport 3908 Katsuen Haebaru, Uruma-shi, Okinawa
Even its decent figure standing on the mountain top is nice, the superb view from the 100meters high fascinates the traveler's hearts more than anything. In the castle site, you can enjoy virtual trip going back 600 years.
Danjo Garan
5 Review152 Koyasan Koya-cho, Ito-gun, Wakayama
Koya-san is a world heritage and the sacred place for Japan's esoteric Buddhism. Kompon Daito is a beautiful symbol as high as 50m. It stands in the site of Danjo Garan and lightened up at night. The silhouetted figure against the darkness was very impressive.◎The daytime was crowded with many people but we could enjoy the illumination without haste at night. It'll be good for you to stay at an accommodation of temple and walk around Koya-san at night.
Houki-ji Temple
2 ReviewBy bus, 50 min from Kintetsu Nara Station to Houkiji, then 3 min walk. Or 15 min from Ouji Station to Houkiji Guchi, then 10 min walk. By car, 25 min from Nara city, 50 min from Osaka city, or 80 min from Kyoto city. 1873 Okamoto Ikaruga-cho, Ikoma-gun, Nara
Houki-ji (or Hokki-ji) Temple is a famous cosmos spot in Nara. The cosmos spreading at 20 thousand square meters site is very impressive.
Onigajō Cliff
3 Review1 min by car from Kumano Odomari IC. 5 min by bus from Kumano-shi Station to Onigajo Higashi-guchi (east gate). Kinomoto Cho, Kumano-shi, Mie
In Kumano, Mie Prefecture, a world's heritage site 'Onigajō' is a great cliff created by rough seas. It's very interesting place of the ragged rocky stretch. What's more, it's an excellent place to observe the Milky Way, because the Pacific Ocean stretching from east to south.
Canterbury Cathedral
2 Review10 min walk, from Canterbury East Station 11 The Precincts, Canterbury, Kent, England
Canterbury, a rural town located in Kent, southeastern England. Canterbury Cathedral, a World Heritage Site, represents Canterbury. In particular, the corridor inside the cathedral is also used as a location for Harry Potter's magic school Hogwarts, which makes you feel as if you were in the world of Harry Potter.
Mont Saint Michel
7 Review7 min by car, from Mont Saint Michel Station BP 18 Grande Rue, Le Mont Saint Michel, France
Mont Saint Michel is probably the No. 1 world heritage site in France. It was a rain forecast yesterday, but there was a little blue sky on my way home. It's usually a place full of people, but this time it's a rare Mont Saint Michel in a monopoly.
Kinkakuji Temple
6 ReviewBy car, 25 min from Kyoto Higashi IC, 30 min from Kyoto Minami IC. By bus, 30 min from Kyoto Station to Kinkakuji Michi, then walk 5 min. 1 Kinkakuji-cho Kita-ku, Kyoto-shi, Kyoto
After it snows in Kyoto City, shrines and temples of world heritages can change completely. Especially, winter Kinkaku-ji is so beautiful like this pics! Many people from all over the world come to see this golden pavilion, and sometimes there're a line of people for the snowscape worth visiting in spite of a cold weather!◎If the cold wave comes in Kyoto City and the snow clouds comes at the same time, it's a chance to see Kinkakuji in the snow. (I took these pics on snowy day in 2011 and 2017, I decided to visit by the weather forecast two days before.) You need to leave before the snow melts. Bus is available from Kyoto Station. Leave with time to spare on snowy days.
Shuri Castle
1 Review1-2 Surikinjo-cho, Naha-shi, Okinawa
Ryukyu Kingdom's symbolic building. Its deep red gives a strong impression against the background of the blue sky in Okinawa. You must-see spot in Okinawa.
