149 Fun Facts About Travel

The Eiffel Tower was built as the centrepiece of a World's Fair held in which year?

1889's fair also marked the centenary of the French Revolution; Gustave Eiffel's company built the wrought-iron tower in just over two years.

What is the largest airport in the United States by area?

Denver International Airport covers 33,531 acres (about 53 square miles), making it the largest airport in the US and one of the largest in the world.

Which country received the most international tourist arrivals in 2019?

France led the world with roughly 90 million international tourist arrivals in 2019, ahead of Spain (about 84 million) and the United States (about 79 million).

The ancient city of Machu Picchu is located in which country?

Machu Picchu is a 15th-century Inca citadel located in the Andes Mountains of Peru, about 2,430 meters above sea level.

Which airline is the flag carrier based at Dubai International Airport?

Emirates, founded in 1985, is the Dubai government-owned flag carrier hubbed at Dubai International Airport; the UAE's other national airline, Etihad Airways, flies from Abu Dhabi.

Route 66 in the United States runs from Chicago to which city?

Route 66's western terminus was extended from downtown Los Angeles to Santa Monica in 1936; the highway covered about 2,448 miles from Chicago across eight states.

What is the currency used in Japan?

The Japanese yen (¥) is the official currency of Japan. It is one of the most traded currencies in the foreign exchange market.

Which UNESCO World Heritage Site is a massive sandstone temple complex in Cambodia?

Angkor Wat in Cambodia is the largest religious monument in the world. Originally built as a Hindu temple in the early 12th century, it gradually transformed into a Buddhist temple.

Which island nation in the Indian Ocean is famous for its overwater bungalows and coral reefs?

The Maldives is renowned for its luxury overwater bungalows and pristine coral reefs. The country consists of 26 atolls with over 1,000 coral islands.

Who completed the first solo nonstop transatlantic flight in 1927?

Charles Lindbergh made the first solo nonstop transatlantic flight on May 20-21, 1927, flying from New York to Paris in the Spirit of St. Louis in 33.5 hours.

What national dish of Spain consists of saffron-flavored rice with seafood, chicken, or rabbit?

Paella originated in Valencia, Spain. Traditional Valencian paella includes rice, green beans, rabbit, chicken, and snails, seasoned with saffron and rosemary.

The Great Barrier Reef, the world's largest coral reef system, is located off the coast of which country?

The Great Barrier Reef stretches over 2,300 kilometers along the northeast coast of Australia. It is the world's largest coral reef system and is visible from space.

What is the IATA airport code for London Heathrow?

LHR is the IATA code for London Heathrow Airport, one of the busiest airports in the world. The code derives from London HeathRow.

Which ancient trade route connected China to the Mediterranean, spanning over 4,000 miles?

The Silk Road was a network of trade routes connecting East Asia to the Mediterranean from the 2nd century BCE. It was named for the lucrative silk trade that was carried along its length.

Which cruise line operates the world's largest cruise ships, including Symphony of the Seas?

Royal Caribbean International's Oasis-class Symphony of the Seas (2018, about 228,000 gross tons) held the largest-cruise-ship title until sister ship Wonder of the Seas in 2022, followed by Icon of the Seas in 2024.

In which city would you find the Colosseum, an ancient amphitheater built in 80 AD?

The Colosseum (Flavian Amphitheatre) is located in Rome, Italy. It could hold between 50,000 and 80,000 spectators and was used for gladiatorial contests and public spectacles.

What is the official language of Brazil?

Portuguese is the official language of Brazil, making it the largest Portuguese-speaking country in the world. Brazil was colonized by Portugal beginning in 1500.

Which country is home to Santorini, the volcanic island famous for its blue domes?

Santorini is one of the Cyclades islands in the Aegean Sea, Greece. Its iconic blue-domed churches and white buildings overlooking the caldera make it one of the most photographed destinations in the world.

Ferdinand Magellan's expedition was the first to do what, completing the journey in 1522?

Magellan's expedition (1519-1522) was the first to circumnavigate the globe, though Magellan himself died in the Philippines in 1521. Juan Sebastián Elcano completed the voyage.

Which Southeast Asian country moved its capital from Yangon to the purpose-built city of Naypyidaw?

Myanmar moved its government in November 2005 but only revealed the new capital's name on Armed Forces Day in March 2006; the planned city sits outside any state or region.

Which building was the tallest in the world in 2025?

The Burj Khalifa in Dubai, UAE stands at 828 meters (2,717 feet) and held the title of world's tallest building from its completion in 2010 through 2025.

Which African country is home to the ancient pyramids of Meroe?

Meroë lies in Sudan, about 200 km northeast of Khartoum. Kushite rulers built roughly 255 steep-sided pyramids in Nubia, and Meroë was the last of their three royal burial centres after El-Kurru and Nuri.

Which Japanese dish of raw fish sliced and served without rice is a travel food staple?

Sashimi is thinly sliced raw fish or meat served without rice. The key distinction from sushi is that sushi includes vinegared rice, while sashimi is the fish alone.

What body of water does the Suez Canal connect?

The Suez Canal connects the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea, providing the shortest maritime route between Europe and Asia. It opened in 1869 and is about 193 km long.

Which European city is divided into two continents by the Bosphorus Strait?

Istanbul straddles the Bosphorus, the strait linking the Black Sea to the Sea of Marmara; its historic peninsula lies in Europe while districts such as Üsküdar and Kadıköy sit on the Asian shore.

Which small European country is completely surrounded by Italy?

San Marino, perched on Monte Titano in the Apennines, is a 61 km² enclave entirely surrounded by Italy; it traces its founding to AD 301 and claims to be the world's oldest surviving republic.

Which airport was the world's busiest by passenger traffic in 2023?

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta handled about 105 million passengers in 2023, topping the Airports Council International ranking it has led every year since 1998 except 2020, when Guangzhou Baiyun briefly overtook it.

The Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis) are best viewed from which of these countries?

Norway's northern coast, including Tromsø at 69°N, lies inside the auroral oval where the lights appear on most clear, dark winter nights; in summer the midnight sun hides the show entirely.

Which three-tower resort hotel, opened in 2010, is topped by a SkyPark with a 150-metre infinity pool?

Marina Bay Sands in Singapore opened in 2010; its 340-metre SkyPark bridges the three 55-storey towers about 200 metres up and carries the 150-metre infinity pool, the resort's signature attraction.

Which country's passport stood alone atop the Henley Passport Index in July 2024?

Singapore's passport was ranked the most powerful in 2024 by the Henley Passport Index, with visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 195 destinations.

Which international rail service links London with Paris and Brussels through the Channel Tunnel?

Eurostar began running through the Channel Tunnel in November 1994, linking London with Paris and Brussels; its London terminus moved from Waterloo to St Pancras International in 2007.

Petra, the ancient city carved into rose-red cliffs, is located in which country?

Petra is located in southern Jordan. This UNESCO World Heritage Site was established as early as the 4th century BCE as the capital of the Nabataean Kingdom.

Which Hawaiian island is known as the 'Garden Isle' due to its lush tropical vegetation?

Kauai, the oldest of the main Hawaiian islands at roughly five million years, earned the 'Garden Isle' nickname from the rainforest that blankets it; Waimea Canyon and the Nā Pali Coast are its landmarks.

What is Thailand's most famous street food, stir-fried rice noodles with shrimp, peanuts and lime?

Pad Thai is Thailand's most iconic street food. It was promoted as a national dish in the 1930s-40s by Prime Minister Plaek Phibunsongkhram as part of a nation-building campaign.

Which waterfall system on the Argentina-Brazil border is wider than Niagara?

Iguazu Falls sits on the border of Argentina and Brazil, spanning nearly 2.7 km wide with 275 individual drops. It is significantly wider than Niagara Falls.

What is the world's smallest country by area?

Vatican City, about 44 hectares (0.49 km²) enclosed within Rome, is the world's smallest sovereign state by area; Monaco, the next smallest, is roughly four times larger at about 2 km².

Which African mountain is the tallest freestanding mountain in the world?

Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania rises 5,895 meters above sea level. As a freestanding volcanic mountain not part of a range, it is the tallest of its kind in the world.

Which country created the world's first national park, signed into law in 1872?

The United States created Yellowstone when Ulysses S. Grant signed it into law on March 1, 1872; the park spans Wyoming, Montana and Idaho.

Which remote Polynesian island, governed by Chile, is famous for its nearly 900 monolithic moai statues?

Easter Island (Rapa Nui), a Chilean territory in the southeastern Pacific, is home to nearly 900 Moai statues carved by the Rapa Nui people between 1250 and 1500 AD.

What is the deepest point in the world's oceans?

The Mariana Trench's Challenger Deep, in the western Pacific, bottoms out about 10,935 metres below sea level.

Which ancient Syrian oasis city was ruled by Queen Zenobia, who rebelled against Rome?

Palmyra, an oasis city in the Syrian desert, was Zenobia's capital; after she led a breakaway empire against Rome, Emperor Aurelian defeated her in 272 and sacked the city in 273.

Which canal connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans through Central America?

The Panama Canal, opened in 1914, is a 82-km waterway through Panama that connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. It is one of the largest engineering projects ever completed.

What is the traditional greeting in Thailand, involving pressing the palms together?

The Wai is the traditional Thai greeting where the palms are pressed together in a prayer-like fashion. The height of the hands and depth of the bow indicate the level of respect.

The Trans-Siberian Railway, the world's longest, runs from Moscow to which Pacific port?

The Trans-Siberian runs 9,289 km from Moscow's Yaroslavsky station to Vladivostok on the Sea of Japan; built between 1891 and 1916, a through journey takes roughly a week.

Which Caribbean island is divided between two countries: France and the Netherlands?

Saint Martin's split dates to 1648 and runs roughly 60:40 in France's favour by area, though the Dutch side, Sint Maarten, has more people.

A cruise down the Danube from Germany to the Black Sea passes through or along how many countries?

The Danube passes through or borders ten countries: Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Romania, Bulgaria, Moldova and Ukraine, touching four capitals (Vienna, Bratislava, Budapest, Belgrade) on the way.

In which country would you find Cappadocia, famous for its hot air balloon rides over fairy chimneys?

Turkey's Cappadocia, in central Anatolia, is a region of fairy chimneys best seen from a balloon at sunrise.

Which airline, founded in October 1919, is the world's oldest operating under its original name?

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines was founded on 7 October 1919 and flew its first service on 17 May 1920, a leased de Havilland DH-16 from Croydon to Amsterdam; it later pioneered routes to the Dutch East Indies.

How long is the Grand Canyon?

The Grand Canyon runs 277 miles (446 km) along the Colorado River through northern Arizona, up to 18 miles wide and more than a mile deep.

On the bank of which river does the Taj Mahal stand?

The Taj Mahal stands on the south bank of the Yamuna at Agra; Shah Jahan commissioned it after his wife Mumtaz Mahal died in 1631, with construction beginning in 1632.

Which dynasty built the best-known sections of the Great Wall of China?

Most of the wall tourists visit, including Badaling and Mutianyu near Beijing, was built by the Ming dynasty (1368-1644); earlier earthen walls were joined under the Qin in the 3rd century BC.

Which sculptor created the Christ the Redeemer statue overlooking Rio de Janeiro?

Paul Landowski, a Paris-born sculptor of Polish descent, designed Christ the Redeemer; Brazilian engineer Heitor da Silva Costa built it, Romanian Gheorghe Leonida sculpted the face, and it was completed in 1931.

How wide is the arm span of Christ the Redeemer?

Christ the Redeemer's outstretched arms span 28 metres; the soapstone-clad figure stands 30 metres tall on an 8-metre pedestal atop Corcovado.

In which Mexican state is Chichen Itza located?

Chichén Itzá lies in the state of Yucatán, about 120 km east of Mérida; it was a major Maya centre from the Late Classic period and became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1988.

Who built the metal framework of the Statue of Liberty?

Gustave Eiffel engineered the iron pylon and flexible armature that support Bartholdi's copper skin, taking over after engineer Viollet-le-Duc died in 1879; the statue was dedicated in October 1886.

Which architect began the Sagrada Família in 1882 before Gaudí took over?

Francisco de Paula del Villar drew up a neo-Gothic design and laid the first stone in March 1882, resigning in 1883; Antoni Gaudí then took over and reworked the project entirely.

Which French king commissioned Pierre Lescot in 1546 to rebuild the Louvre as a Renaissance palace?

Francis I commissioned Pierre Lescot in 1546 to replace the medieval fortress with a Renaissance palace; remnants of the original fortress are visible in the museum's basement.

Which Danish architect designed the Sydney Opera House?

Jørn Utzon's sail-like design won the 1957 international competition; he quit the project in 1966 amid cost disputes, and Queen Elizabeth II opened the finished building in October 1973.

When did Mount Fuji last erupt?

Fuji's Hōei eruption began on 16 December 1707 and ended in early 1708, showering ash on Edo; no eruption has followed, though the 3,776-metre peak is classed as an active volcano.

Which Venetian bridge, finished in 1591, was for centuries the Grand Canal's only crossing?

The stone Rialto Bridge, designed by Antonio da Ponte and finished in 1591, was the Grand Canal's only fixed crossing until the Accademia Bridge opened in 1854.

Under what historic name was Dubrovnik known?

Dubrovnik was the Republic of Ragusa, an independent maritime state from 1358 until Napoleon abolished it in 1808; UNESCO listed its walled Old City in 1979.

Bora Bora belongs to which island group of French Polynesia?

Bora Bora lies in the Leeward group of the Society Islands, about 230 km north-west of Tahiti; its lagoon surrounds the 727-metre Mount Otemanu.

Roughly how far west of mainland South America are the Galápagos Islands?

The Galápagos lie about 900 km (560 miles) west of mainland Ecuador on the equator; Charles Darwin's 1835 visit aboard HMS Beagle later informed his theory of natural selection.

Which two countries does the Serengeti span?

The Serengeti ecosystem covers about 30,000 km² of northern Tanzania and extends into south-western Kenya as the Maasai Mara; its wildebeest migration crosses the border every year.

What does Victoria Falls' Lozi name Mosi-oa-Tunya mean?

Mosi-oa-Tunya, 'The Smoke that Thunders', describes the spray column that rises hundreds of metres above the Zambezi; David Livingstone named the falls after Queen Victoria in 1855.

Uluru is sacred to which Aboriginal people?

The Anangu, traditional owners of Uluru, regained title to the land in 1985 and lease it back as a national park; climbing the rock was banned at their request in October 2019.

Under what name did Canada establish Banff as its first national park in 1887?

The Rocky Mountains Park Act of 1887 created Canada's first national park around the hot-springs reserve set aside in 1885; it was renamed Banff National Park in 1930 and covers 6,641 km².

Roughly what percentage of Yosemite is designated wilderness?

It became a World Heritage Site in 1984.

Neuschwanstein Castle sits above which Bavarian village?

Neuschwanstein rises above the village of Hohenschwangau near Füssen in south-west Bavaria; Ludwig II began it in 1869 and it opened to the public weeks after his death in 1886.

Which Nasrid emir began building the Alhambra in 1238?

Muhammad I ibn al-Ahmar, founder of the Nasrid dynasty, began the Alhambra's fortress-palace in 1238 soon after taking Granada; the emirate he created was the last Muslim state of al-Andalus, falling in 1492.

In what year was the current Hagia Sophia completed?

Justinian's Hagia Sophia was completed in AD 537 after under six years of construction by Anthemius of Tralles and Isidore of Miletus; it was a museum from 1935 to 2020 before becoming a mosque again.

Which upland town is considered Bali's cultural centre?

Ubud, in Bali's central uplands, grew into the island's arts hub after foreign painters such as Walter Spies settled there in the late 1920s; the Ubud Palace and the Sacred Monkey Forest anchor the town.

What does the name Ha Long, as in Vietnam's Ha Long Bay, mean?

Ha Long means 'descending dragon'; legend says dragons spat out jewels that became the bay's roughly 2,000 limestone karsts, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1994.

Kyoto is part of which larger metropolitan area with Osaka and Kobe?

Keihanshin takes its name from the characters for Kyoto (kei), Osaka (han) and Kobe (shin); the region is Japan's second-largest metropolitan area with roughly 19 million people.

The first Shinkansen line opened just before which event?

The Tokaido Shinkansen opened on 1 October 1964, nine days before the 1964 Tokyo Olympics began, cutting Tokyo-Osaka to four hours; the line has stayed the network's busiest.

Which Belgian company created the Orient Express in 1883?

Georges Nagelmackers' Compagnie Internationale des Wagons-Lits launched the Express d'Orient on 5 June 1883 from Paris to Vienna; the official inaugural run toward Constantinople via Giurgiu followed on 4 October 1883.

Which two Swiss resorts does the Glacier Express connect?

The Glacier Express links Zermatt and St. Moritz in about eight hours over 291 km, 291 bridges and 91 tunnels, earning the nickname 'slowest express train in the world'.

In which city is the luxury Rocky Mountaineer rail service based?

Rocky Mountaineer is headquartered in Vancouver, where its Canadian routes to Banff, Lake Louise and Jasper begin; a US route between Denver and Moab was added in 2021.

Which two cities does Australia's Indian Pacific train link?

The Indian Pacific runs 4,352 km between Sydney and Perth over about four days, crossing the Nullarbor Plain on a 478 km dead-straight stretch, the world's longest.

Which airline launched the first scheduled nonstop flights between Australia and Europe in 2018?

Qantas began the first scheduled nonstop service between Australia and Europe in March 2018, flying Boeing 787-9s from Perth to London Heathrow in about 17 hours.

Which airline flew the first commercial Airbus A380 service?

Singapore Airlines flew the first commercial Airbus A380 service from Singapore to Sydney on 25 October 2007 as the superjumbo's launch operator; it was also the launch customer for the Boeing 787-10 in 2018.

Which airport was the world's busiest for international passengers in 2024?

Dubai International handled 92.3 million passengers in 2024, its busiest year ever, and has ranked as the world's busiest airport for international traffic every year since 2014.

Until which year was Heathrow simply called London Airport?

The airfield opened to civil flights in 1946 as London Airport and took the name Heathrow in 1966, from the hamlet of Heath Row demolished to build it; it is the largest of London's six airports.

Which airline alliance uses Amsterdam Schiphol as a major hub?

Schiphol is the home hub of KLM, which joined SkyTeam in 2004 following its merger with Air France, one of the alliance's four founders in 2000 alongside Delta, Aeroméxico and Korean Air.

Which airline's demand for a jet 2.5 times the size of the 707 led to the Boeing 747?

Joe Sutter led the design team; Pan Am ordered 25 in April 1966.

In which city was the first Airbus A380 prototype unveiled in January 2005?

Airbus revealed the first A380 at its Toulouse-Blagnac headquarters on 18 January 2005 before the leaders of France, Germany, Britain and Spain; the maiden flight followed from Toulouse on 27 April 2005.

Which two manufacturers jointly built Concorde?

Its first flight was from Toulouse on 2 March 1969.

Ryanair is headquartered in which Irish town?

Ryanair's head office is in the Airside Business Park in Swords, County Dublin, a few kilometres from Dublin Airport; the airline was founded by Tony Ryan in 1984.

What was Pan Am's round globe logo nicknamed?

Pan Am's blue globe logo, introduced in the late 1950s with its jet-age rebranding, was nicknamed 'the Blue Meatball'; the airline's aircraft all carried 'Clipper' names.

What was the title of Lonely Planet's first book in 1973?

Across Asia on the Cheap, a 94-page booklet Tony and Maureen Wheeler stapled together at their Sydney kitchen table in 1973, launched Lonely Planet; South-East Asia on a Shoestring followed in 1975.

How did the guidebook publisher founded by the Wheelers in 1973 get its name?

Matthew Moore wrote the song.

In what year did Karl Baedeker found his travel-guide publishing house?

Karl Baedeker founded his publishing house in Koblenz in 1827; his guides' star ratings and red covers made 'Baedeker' a generic term for guidebooks.

Thomas Cook's first tourism venture in 1841 was a rail excursion to which town?

On 5 July 1841 Thomas Cook chartered a train to carry about 500 temperance campaigners the 11 miles from Leicester to Loughborough for a shilling each, the excursion that launched his travel business.

The Michelin Guide was first published in 1900 for what audience?

The Michelin brothers printed 35,000 free copies of the first guide in 1900 for French motorists, listing mechanics, petrol sellers and hotels when fewer than 3,000 cars were on French roads.

Which three men founded Airbnb in 2008?

Brian Chesky, Joe Gebbia and Nathan Blecharczyk founded Airbnb in San Francisco in 2008; the name abbreviates 'Airbed and Breakfast', from the air mattresses the first two rented out during a 2007 design conference.

Which pass should non-European residents buy instead of Interrail?

Eurail passes are sold to people living outside Europe, while Interrail, created in 1972, is reserved for European citizens and residents; both are run by the same Utrecht-based company.

At the end of 2025, which two EU member states were not in the Schengen Area?

Cyprus and Ireland were the only EU members outside Schengen at the end of 2025; Ireland opted out to keep its Common Travel Area with the UK, while Bulgaria and Romania became full members on 1 January 2025.

How many passports does the Henley Passport Index rank?

The Henley Passport Index ranks 199 passports by how many of 227 destinations their holders can enter without a prior visa; it draws on IATA data and has been published since 2006.

Flying west to east, jet lag involves which shift of the circadian cycle?

Eastward flights require a phase-advance: the body clock must shift earlier to match local time, which is harder than the phase-delay westward travel needs, so jet lag is worse flying east.

Crossing the International Date Line eastbound does what to the date?

The line is a cartographic convention, not defined by international law.

Who first established the Greenwich prime meridian, in 1851?

Astronomer Royal Sir George Airy defined the meridian through his new transit circle at Greenwich in 1851; the 1884 International Meridian Conference adopted it as the world's prime meridian.

The Camino de Santiago leads to the shrine of which apostle?

Santiago is Spanish for Saint James; tradition holds that the apostle James the Greater's remains lie beneath the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, the pilgrimage's goal since the 9th century.

Between which two mountains does the Appalachian Trail run?

It passes through 14 states and was completed in 1937.

Which three US states does the Pacific Crest Trail pass through?

The Pacific Crest Trail runs about 2,650 miles through California, Oregon and Washington, from near Campo on the Mexican border to the Canadian border at Manning Park.

Which German schoolteacher opened the first youth hostel in 1912?

Richard Schirrmann, a teacher in Altena, opened the first permanent youth hostel in Altena Castle in 1912 after sheltering pupils on school hikes; the idea grew into the Hostelling International movement.

In what year did Bhutan first open to foreign tourists?

Bhutan admitted its first foreign tourists in 1974, the year of King Jigme Singye Wangchuck's coronation; just 287 visitors came that year.

Which shipyard built Royal Caribbean's Icon of the Seas, delivered in 2023?

Meyer Turku in Finland delivered Icon of the Seas in November 2023; the 248,663-gross-ton ship, then the world's largest, began sailing from Miami in January 2024.

Which cruise line's flagship is the ocean liner Queen Mary 2?

Queen Mary 2 has been Cunard's flagship since entering service in 2004; the last true ocean liner built, she makes regular seven-night Southampton-New York crossings.

How much horsepower did the Wright Flyer's engine produce?

The Wright brothers' four-cylinder engine, built by their mechanic Charlie Taylor, produced about 12 horsepower for the Flyer's four flights on 17 December 1903.

Which organisation for female pilots did Amelia Earhart help found?

The Ninety-Nines, named for the 99 licensed women pilots who joined at its founding in 1929, elected Amelia Earhart its first president in 1931; she flew the Atlantic solo in 1932.

At which London gentlemen's institution does Phileas Fogg make his famous wager?

Phileas Fogg makes his £20,000 wager at the Reform Club on Pall Mall in Jules Verne's Around the World in Eighty Days, setting out that same evening, 2 October 1872.

In how many days did Nellie Bly circle the world in 1889-90?

Nellie Bly circled the globe in 72 days, 6 hours and 11 minutes for the New York World, returning to New Jersey on 25 January 1890 and beating Phileas Fogg's fictional 80 days.

Between which years did Marco Polo travel through Asia?

Marco Polo left Venice with his father and uncle in 1271, spent some 17 years in Kublai Khan's service and returned in 1295; his account is also known as Il Milione.

Roughly how far did Ibn Battuta travel, more than any pre-modern explorer?

Ibn Battuta covered roughly 117,000 km between 1325 and 1354, from Morocco to China and back; Marco Polo's journeys totalled about 24,000 km and Zheng He's voyages about 50,000 km.

Which country was the key destination of the aristocratic Grand Tour?

Italy drew upper-class young men of about 21, usually with a tutor in tow; the custom flourished from about 1660 until railways arrived in the 1840s.

The Hajj pilgrimage is made to which structure in Mecca?

Pilgrims on the Hajj circle the Kaaba, the cube-shaped shrine at the centre of Mecca's Masjid al-Haram, seven times; the Hajj is one of the Five Pillars of Islam.

Which four cities host the Kumbh Mela pilgrimage in rotation?

The Kumbh Mela rotates among Prayagraj, Haridwar, Nashik and Ujjain, each on a sacred river, with the cycle keyed to Jupiter's roughly 12-year orbit.

On what date did Walt Disney World open?

Walt Disney World opened on October 1, 1971 with the Magic Kingdom and two hotels on about 27,000 acres southwest of Orlando; July 17, 1955 was Disneyland's opening in California.

The Las Vegas Strip lies mostly in which two unincorporated towns?

Most of the 4.2-mile Strip lies in the unincorporated towns of Paradise and Winchester, just south of the Las Vegas city limits; Clark County, not the city, governs it.

Which of Niagara's three waterfalls straddles the US-Canada border?

Horseshoe Falls, the largest of Niagara's three cataracts at about 790 metres wide, carries the international boundary; the American and Bridal Veil Falls lie wholly in New York.

Which two highways does the Golden Gate Bridge carry?

The Golden Gate Bridge carries both US Route 101 and California State Route 1 across the mile-wide strait between San Francisco and Marin County; it opened in May 1937.

Who designed London's Tower Bridge, built between 1886 and 1894?

City Architect Sir Horace Jones won the 1884 design competition for Tower Bridge but died in 1887; John Wolfe Barry engineered it with Henry Marc Brunel, and it opened in June 1894.

Which sculptor made the quadriga atop the Brandenburg Gate?

Johann Gottfried Schadow sculpted the copper quadriga, a goddess driving four horses, installed atop the gate in 1793; Carl Gotthard Langhans designed the gate itself for Frederick William II.

What does the Greek word 'acropolis' mean?

Acropolis combines akron ('highest point') and polis ('city'), hence 'highest city'; the Athenian one was known in antiquity as Cecropia after the legendary king Cecrops.

Roughly how much does each of Stonehenge's outer sarsen stones weigh?

Stonehenge's outer-circle sarsens average about 25 tons each and were hauled some 25 km from the Marlborough Downs; the monument's axis aligns with the midsummer sunrise.

For roughly how long was the Great Pyramid the world's tallest human-made structure?

The Great Pyramid of Giza held the record for over 3,700 years, from about 2560 BC until Lincoln Cathedral's spire surpassed it around 1311; it originally stood 146.6 metres tall.

Which sculptor carved Mount Rushmore between 1927 and 1941?

Gutzon Borglum led the carving of Mount Rushmore from 1927 until his death in March 1941, when his son Lincoln finished the work that October; Borglum called it the Shrine of Democracy.

Wadi Rum in Jordan is also known by what nickname?

Wadi Rum, nicknamed the Valley of the Moon for its lunar sandstone-and-granite landscape, is Jordan's largest wadi, about 60 km north-east of Aqaba; T. E. Lawrence passed through during the Arab Revolt.

In which country is Salar de Uyuni, the world's largest salt flat?

Salar de Uyuni, in south-west Bolivia at 3,656 metres, spreads over about 10,000 km², making it the world's largest salt flat; in the wet season it becomes a vast mirror.

Zhangjiajie became China's first national forest park in which year?

Zhangjiajie was designated China's first national forest park in 1982; it later became part of the Wulingyuan Scenic Area, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1992.

In which Philippine province are the Chocolate Hills?

The Chocolate Hills spread across the centre of Bohol island, with at least 1,260 grass-covered limestone mounds that turn brown in the dry season, giving them their name.

Timbuktu lies about 20 km north of which river?

Timbuktu sits about 20 km north of the Niger River on the southern edge of the Sahara in Mali; it grew from a Tuareg seasonal camp into a permanent settlement early in the 12th century.

Which architect designed Rome's Trevi Fountain?

Nicola Salvi won the 1732 competition to design the Trevi Fountain and worked on it until his death in 1751; Giuseppe Pannini completed it in 1762.

Which power station supplies the water for Iceland's Blue Lagoon?

The Blue Lagoon is fed by mineral-rich runoff from the Svartsengi geothermal power station on the Reykjanes peninsula; silica in the water gives it its milky blue hue.

In which year did the Table Mountain Aerial Cableway open?

The Table Mountain Aerial Cableway opened on 4 October 1929 and was rebuilt with rotating cars in 1997; it lifts passengers about 700 metres toward the 1,085-metre summit.

Which businessman became the first space tourist in April 2001?

Dennis Tito paid a reported $20 million to fly aboard Soyuz TM-32 to the International Space Station on 28 April 2001, spending nearly eight days in orbit as the first space tourist.

Which 1944 convention set the framework for international civil aviation?

The Chicago Convention, signed on 7 December 1944, set the rules of international civil aviation and created the International Civil Aviation Organization, headquartered in Montreal.

In what year did a League of Nations conference standardise the modern passport booklet?

The League of Nations' 1920 Paris Conference on Passports set the first international standard for the booklet-style passport, after wartime border controls had made them compulsory across Europe.

Time zone offsets range from UTC-12:00 up to what?

India and Nepal use half- and quarter-hour offsets.

In which year did annual international tourist arrivals first pass one billion?

International tourist arrivals passed one billion for the first time in 2012, a milestone UNWTO marked on 13 December that year; the annual total had been about 25 million in 1950.

Brendan O'Regan opened the world's first duty-free shop in 1947 at which airport?

Shannon, Ireland was the refuelling stop for transatlantic flights, and Brendan O'Regan's 1947 shop there, selling tax-free goods to transit passengers, became the model copied by airports worldwide.

The Schengen Agreement was signed in 1985 near the village of Schengen in which country?

Schengen is a wine village in south-east Luxembourg where the Moselle meets the borders of France and Germany; the agreement was signed there aboard the boat Princesse Marie-Astrid on 14 June 1985 by five of the ten EEC members.

The great 14th-century traveller Ibn Battuta was born in which city, in present-day Morocco?

Tangier-born Ibn Battuta travelled for 30 years from 1325; his name is a patronymic that literally means 'son of a duckling'.

Machu Picchu publicist Hiram Bingham III was governor of which US state for one day in 1925?

Hiram Bingham was sworn in as governor of Connecticut on 7 January 1925 and resigned the next day to take the US Senate seat he had won in a special election that December, the shortest governorship in the state's history.

Which lake does the Trans-Siberian Railway skirt east of Irkutsk?

The Trans-Siberian runs along the southern shore of Lake Baikal east of Irkutsk; at 1,642 metres Baikal is the world's deepest lake and holds about a fifth of Earth's unfrozen fresh surface water.

Guinness recognises Japan's Nishiyama Onsen Keiunkan, founded in 705, as the world's oldest what?

Nishiyama Onsen Keiunkan in Yamanashi has operated as a hot-spring hotel since 705, run by the same family for over 50 generations, which Guinness World Records certified as the world's oldest hotel in 2011.

Which firm, founded in 1758, is regarded as the first travel agency in modern history?

Cox & Kings began in 1758 when Richard Cox became regimental agent to the Foot Guards, later handling travel for officers; its claim to be the world's oldest travel company predates Thomas Cook's 1841 excursion by 83 years.

Which English king is credited with inventing the first British passport in the modern sense?

Henry V is credited with the first English passports: 'safe conducts' for travellers abroad, first referenced in a 1414 Act of Parliament passed during his reign.

The Ritz-Carlton, Hong Kong, on floors 102 to 118, sits inside which tower?

The International Commerce Centre in West Kowloon, Hong Kong's tallest building at 484 metres, houses the Ritz-Carlton on floors 102 to 118; when it opened in 2011 it was billed as the world's highest hotel.