Getting your questions ready
Getting your questions ready
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This world travel trivia quiz has 149 free questions with answers and takes you from the Eiffel Tower and Machu Picchu to less-visited corners like Naypyidaw, Meroë and Palmyra. Along the way you will meet the oldest airline still flying under its own name, the busiest airport on earth, the longest railway line, and the island split between France and the Netherlands. It is written for anyone who loves planning the next trip as much as taking it, and it works just as well for a pub quiz travel round or a long-haul flight. Most questions are easy to medium, with a handful of harder ones on ancient trade routes and remote outposts to separate the frequent flyers from the armchair travellers. Every answer has been checked against a primary or encyclopaedic source, so you can trust the facts before you repeat them at the airport bar.
30 of 149 questions with answers and explanations. Play the quiz
Q 01The Eiffel Tower was built as the centrepiece of a World's Fair held in which year?
1889
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.
Q 02What is the largest airport in the United States by area?
Denver International
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.
Q 03Which country received the most international tourist arrivals in 2019?
France
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).
Q 04The ancient city of Machu Picchu is located in which country?
Peru
Machu Picchu is a 15th-century Inca citadel located in the Andes Mountains of Peru, about 2,430 meters above sea level.
Q 05Which airline is the flag carrier based at Dubai International Airport?
Emirates
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.
Q 06Route 66 in the United States runs from Chicago to which city?
Santa Monica
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.
Q 07What is the currency used in Japan?
Yen
The Japanese yen (¥) is the official currency of Japan. It is one of the most traded currencies in the foreign exchange market.
Q 08Which UNESCO World Heritage Site is a massive sandstone temple complex in Cambodia?
Angkor Wat
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.
Q 09Which island nation in the Indian Ocean is famous for its overwater bungalows and coral reefs?
Maldives
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.
Q 10Who completed the first solo nonstop transatlantic flight in 1927?
Charles Lindbergh
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.
Q 11What national dish of Spain consists of saffron-flavored rice with seafood, chicken, or rabbit?
Paella
Paella originated in Valencia, Spain. Traditional Valencian paella includes rice, green beans, rabbit, chicken, and snails, seasoned with saffron and rosemary.
Q 12The Great Barrier Reef, the world's largest coral reef system, is located off the coast of which country?
Australia
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.
Q 13What is the IATA airport code for London Heathrow?
LHR
LHR is the IATA code for London Heathrow Airport, one of the busiest airports in the world. The code derives from London HeathRow.
Q 21Which building was the tallest in the world in 2025?
Burj Khalifa
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.
Q 22Which African country is home to the ancient pyramids of Meroe?
Sudan
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.
Q 23Which Japanese dish of raw fish sliced and served without rice is a travel food staple?
Sashimi
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.
Q 14Which ancient trade route connected China to the Mediterranean, spanning over 4,000 miles?
Silk Road
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.
Q 15Which cruise line operates the world's largest cruise ships, including Symphony of the Seas?
Royal Caribbean
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.
Q 16In which city would you find the Colosseum, an ancient amphitheater built in 80 AD?
Rome
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.
Q 17What is the official language of Brazil?
Portuguese
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.
Q 18Which country is home to Santorini, the volcanic island famous for its blue domes?
Greece
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.
Q 19Ferdinand Magellan's expedition was the first to do what, completing the journey in 1522?
Circumnavigate the globe
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.
Q 20Which Southeast Asian country moved its capital from Yangon to the purpose-built city of Naypyidaw?
Myanmar
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.
Q 24What body of water does the Suez Canal connect?
Mediterranean Sea and Red Sea
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.
Q 25Which European city is divided into two continents by the Bosphorus Strait?
Istanbul
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.
Q 26Which small European country is completely surrounded by Italy?
San Marino
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.
Q 27Which airport was the world's busiest by passenger traffic in 2023?
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta
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.
Q 28The Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis) are best viewed from which of these countries?
Norway
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.
Q 29Which three-tower resort hotel, opened in 2010, is topped by a SkyPark with a 150-metre infinity pool?
Marina Bay Sands
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.
Q 30Which country's passport stood alone atop the Henley Passport Index in July 2024?
Singapore
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.