The Seven Wonders Bucket List: Collect the World's Most Iconic Landmarks With PIB

In 2007, over 100 million people voted to select the New Seven Wonders of the World. The result: Machu Picchu, the Roman Colosseum, the Great Wall of China, Chichen Itza, the Taj Mahal, Christ the Redeemer, and Petra. Seven places on seven different continents. The ultimate lifetime travel bucket list — and the most coveted collection in PIB.

The Seven Wonders — And What Makes Each One Legendary

🏔️ Machu Picchu — Peru

Built by the Inca Empire in the 15th century at 7,970 feet above sea level in the Andes. The city sat largely unknown to the outside world until 1911. It's accessible only by train or a multi-day trek along the Inca Trail. The approach by train through the Sacred Valley — the mountains closing in, the river narrowing, and then suddenly this city on a ridge — is one of the great arrival experiences in travel.

🏛️ The Colosseum — Rome, Italy

Completed in 80 AD, the Colosseum held 50,000 spectators for gladiatorial contests and public spectacles. Two thousand years later, it's still standing in the center of one of the world's great cities. The scale of it — walking up and standing on the upper tier, looking down at the exposed hypogeum beneath the arena floor — is genuinely moving.

🧱 The Great Wall of China — China

The Wall stretches over 13,000 miles across northern China. The most visited and most photogenic section is at Mutianyu, about 90 minutes from Beijing — restored, less crowded than Badaling, and dramatically situated in forested hills. Standing on the Wall at dawn before the tour groups arrive is one of those travel moments that earns its cliché.

🌴 Chichen Itza — Yucatán, Mexico

El Castillo, the 98-foot pyramid, dominates the ancient Maya city of Chichen Itza. Twice a year — the spring and fall equinoxes — the setting sun casts a serpent shadow down the staircase. The site is 2.5 hours from Cancún, making it the most accessible of the Seven Wonders for Americans.

🕌 Taj Mahal — Agra, India

Built between 1631 and 1648 as a mausoleum for Emperor Shah Jahan's wife, the Taj Mahal is arguably the most beautiful building humans have ever constructed. The white marble changes color through the day — pink at sunrise, white at noon, golden at sunset. Arrive at opening. The early light is worth the alarm.

✝️ Christ the Redeemer — Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Standing 98 feet tall on the 2,300-foot Corcovado mountain, Christ the Redeemer overlooks Rio de Janeiro and Guanabara Bay. The panoramic view from the base of the statue — the city, the beaches, the harbor, the forest — is one of the great urban vistas on Earth.

🏺 Petra — Jordan

The ancient city of Petra was carved directly into rose-red sandstone cliffs by the Nabataean civilization around the 4th century BC. You enter through a narrow gorge called the Siq — a mile-long slot canyon that suddenly opens onto the Treasury, a 130-foot facade cut into the cliff face. It's one of the great reveal moments in all of travel. Jordan is safe, welcoming, and genuinely extraordinary.

The Realistic Strategy for All Seven

Completing all Seven Wonders takes years for most collectors, and that's fine. Here's how to think about it:

• Quick wins: Chichen Itza (Cancún trip), Colosseum (Rome weekend), Christ the Redeemer (Rio trip)
• Dedicated trips: Machu Picchu (Peru trip required), Taj Mahal (India trip required)
• Asia circuit: Great Wall pairs naturally with a China trip; combine with Japan, Korea, or Southeast Asia
• Middle East run: Petra + Jordan is doable as a 5-day trip, pairs well with Egypt (bonus: the Great Pyramid)

GPS Verification at the Wonders

PIB check-ins require GPS confirmation that you're physically at the site. At each Wonder, the check-in radius is set to cover the main entrance and viewing areas — so you need to actually be there, not just nearby. Every stamp in your Seven Wonders collection is real.

The collection is complete when all seven slots are filled. Until then, your passport shows exactly where you've been and what's left.

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