When it comes to picking a vacation destination, there are a lot of things that make your decision for you, whether you like it or not. Whether your family members/significant other have their heart set on a particular destination, or you just found a good deal to travel somewhere and are availing it to save money on your vacation, the fact remains that more often than not your choice of destination isn’t your own choice.

Which is why these vacations can never compare to those where you have the final verdict, circumstances be damned. You get to choose a vacation destination based solely on its merits as a vacation spot.

That being said, what are the top tourist spots around the world? Well, the matter is highly subjective since it depends on your interests and the activities you’d most want to participate in when you get there. A search engine for tours and activities can certainly come handy in this situation.

Ancient civilizations

Though it is hard for quite a few people to experience it, there is an eerie yet irresistible pull one feels towards ancient ruins and the remnants of past civilizations. There is just something about historical sites like these that draws a lot of us to them and makes us want to explore them, photograph them and learn more about them. And when it comes to ancient civilizations, no sites are better to visit than Rome and Machu Pichu.

The ancient city of Rome needs absolutely no introduction; the Colosseum, Eternal City, and Roman Forum are names even a fifth grader would know. As for Machu Pichu, these stunning Inca civilization remnants only need one or two looks on the web to convince on to go.

Cultural landmarks

But what if you’re more of an Arts and Culture kind of history fan? Well, then you’ve got destinations like Paris, Florence and Prague to fulfill your fancy.

No arts enthusiast needs to be explained the significance of the Louvre in Paris, nor do they need to be recounted the scores of cultural landmarks and museums in each of the three cities to convince them to go.

Though the added benefit of romantic spots like the Eifel Tower in Paris do end up making people favor going there instead of the other two.

Modern mega-cities

For those of us who really can’t stand a minute in a museum and would be bored to death in a conversation about some ancient ruins, there is no better a tourist destination than a modern mega-city, and there can be no better destinations than the cities of London, Sydney, New York, and Dubai.

Each city has its iconic landmark (Big Ben in London, The Opera house in Sydney, the Statue of Liberty in New York and the Burj Khalifa in Dubai), and each is filled to the brim with things to do and places to see. Suffice to say, a trip to any one of these cities will never be one where you’ll run out of things to do.

Nature resorts

More city life? No thank you, some of us want to reconnect with nature on our vacations. Then why not travel to the Serengeti National Park this season to experience a jaw-dropping gathering of animals on the African plain? Or how about a trek through the Grand Canyon if you’re feeling a bit adventurous?

You could even choose to visit the Yosemite National Park in California or the Jackson Hole in Wyoming if you want a Nature walk through a greener environment. And these are only four of the many, many places to choose from.

Luxurious retreats

While nature walks, city tours and historical sites might be a lot of people’s thing; there are those of us who want nothing more than the most relaxing and exquisite of experiences and are willing to pay through the nose for it.

If luxury is what you desire, then any of Tahiti, Phuket, Bali or the British Virgin Islands would suit you fine as a destination, though each spot does have its merits over the other. No matter which one you pick though, you’re guaranteed to have the time of your life.