The Most Beautiful Temples In The World

From epic monuments in ancient Egypt to beautiful Buddhist buildings in East Asia, humankind has been adding a touch of beauty to its places of worship for as long as we’ve been worshipping. Our immersive group trips are all about embracing local history and culture, so how about joining one of these trips that visit some of the most beautiful temples on the planet.

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Angkor Wat, Cambodia

Let’s start with the largest religious structure in the world. Cambodia’s extraordinary Buddhist complex is a real feat of human creation. This is more about size, too, since Angkor Wat’s beauty comes more from detail than scale. The intricacy of carvings is awe-inspiring, while the real sense of age here will make even the least spiritual traveller have a butterfly or two in the stomach. The complex has taken on a new level of beauty over time, with Mother Nature’s clawing grasp – be it sprawling vines or chunky tree roots – slowly recapturing the land, and giving the area an amazing sense of history. Without doubt this place is most beautiful at the break of dawn, when a warm orange glow bathes the entire complex, reflected beautifully by the surrounding moat. That’s when you’ll visit on our epic Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam trip, which also includes visits to Wat Pho in Bangkok and Notre Dame Cathedral in Ho Chi Minh City. Neither will be able to top the sheer majesty of Angkor Wat at sunrise, though.

From US$2499

Next available from 25th Mar 2024

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Trip highlights and details

STARTS AT

Bangkok, Thailand

ENDS AT

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

DURATION

11

GROUP SIZE

16

PHYSICAL RATING

Moderate

STYLE

Discovery

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Temple of Heaven, China

China is not short of beautiful temples, small or large, but it’s hard to top Beijing’s Temple of Heaven. This complex is basically an urban park space dotted with various religious monuments and structures, all leading to the splendour of the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, which used to do what it says on the tin, with Emperors of both the Ming and Qing dynasties visiting every single year. Today it’s a Unesco-listed site and one of the main tourist attractions in the Chinese capital. Among Beijing locals it’s also a favourite spot for some morning exercise. Our Icons of China Rail Trip embraces both sides of the coin, as we follow up our guided tour of the temple with an hourlong morning tai-chi class – it’s a lot easier to embrace the meditative qualities of this martial art when you’ve got a backdrop like that.

From US$2849

Next available from 24th Feb 2024

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Trip highlights and details

STARTS AT

Beijing, China

ENDS AT

Shanghai, China

DURATION

10

GROUP SIZE

16

PHYSICAL RATING

Moderate

STYLE

Discovery

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Luxor Temple, Egypt

Luxor Temple is an astonishing 3,422 years old (approx.) but it barely looks a day over two millennia. Part of the beauty of Luxor comes from the sheer wonderment of how old it is, and the way in which that inspires your imagination to fill in the gaps. It’s one of the most historically significant structures in all of Egypt, having been added to by several Pharaohs over the centuries, and is also one of the most well-preserved. The imposing Nubian sandstone statues that guard the entrance are as impressive as ever, while the remains of pillars, pylons and courtyards are thrilling to observe. The temple’s best angle is surely from way down the Avenue of Sphinxes, and the best time to visit is unquestionably at night, when the whole complex is lit up with candlelight. That’s when you’ll visit on day four of our Ultimate Egypt trip, which goes from Cairo and Giza to Luxor and Aswan, via a stunning four-day river cruise down the Nile.

From US$2239

Next available from 23rd May 2024

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STARTS AT

Cairo, Egypt

ENDS AT

Aswan, Egypt

DURATION

9

GROUP SIZE

16

PHYSICAL RATING

Light

STYLE

Discovery

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Holiday Sale

Traveler Standing at the Gates of Pura Lempuyang Temple aka Gates of Heaven Bali, Indonesia

Lempuyang, Bali

The island paradise of Bali is covered in glorious examples of Hindu temple architecture, but none are quite so perfectly positioned as Lempuyang. Found high upon the mountain of the same name, the complex’s primary temple – Pura Penataran Agung Lempuyang – is characterised by its striking white split gateway. The complex is regarded as one of the six holiest sites in Bali, and that sense of spirituality exudes not only from the beauty of the man-made creations, but also of the natural backdrop they enjoy. The most spectacular (and popular) spot is the gorgeous Gates of Heaven, which act as a kind of perfect accidental photo frame. On a clear day the gates look straight out to Mount Agung volcano, Bali’s highest peak. We’ll visit Lempuyang on day six of our memory-making Blissful Bali trip – we won’t judge if you spend 15 minutes trying to get the perfect angle for your Gates of Heaven shot.

From US$1929

Next available from 16th Mar 2024

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Trip highlights and details

STARTS AT

Bali, Indonesia

ENDS AT

Bali, Indonesia

DURATION

12

GROUP SIZE

18

PHYSICAL RATING

Moderate

STYLE

Discovery

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Holiday Sale

Haedong Yonggungsa Temple on sea shore. Busan, South Korea

Haedong Yonggungsa, South Korea

South Korea has a rich and ancient history when it comes to crafting beautiful places of Buddhist worship. Arguably the greatest example of Korean temple design lies on the northeastern outskirts of Busan, which sets itself apart from the rest with its stunning seashore location. The image of ocean waves crashing against the craggy rock-faces that prop up the temple is unique in South Korea, and adds a slightly different kind of spirituality to that of mountainous forest temples. You’ll have the option to visit Haedong Yonggungsa, as well as the nearby Haeundae Beach, on day eight of our Soulful South Korea trip. The itinerary also includes a traditional Korean temple stay at the much, much older Golgulsa Temple. Here you’ll get an insight into Buddhist monk life, through meditation, martial arts and archery lessons.

From US$3499

Next available from 10th Mar 2024

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Trip highlights and details

STARTS AT

Seoul, South Korea

ENDS AT

Seoul, South Korea

DURATION

10

GROUP SIZE

16

PHYSICAL RATING

Moderate

STYLE

Discovery

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Volcanic Iceland Epic Trip

meet our Local Insider

Hanna

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN A GUIDE?

2 years.

WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT YOUR JOB?

It's the personal contact, the personal experiences. I love meeting people from all over the world... I really like getting to know everyone and feeling like I'm traveling with a group of friends.

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I have so many places on my list, but I would really lobe to go to Africa. I consider myself an “adventure girl” and Africa feels like the ULTIMATE adventure!

Every CULTURE TRIP Small-group adventure is led by a Local Insider just like Hanna.

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