Want to see the world? Each year, TIME magazine makes a list of the World’s Greatest Places. TIME for Kids picks its favorites. Some places are a window on the past. Others look out on the future. Together, they represent the range of beauty and culture on our planet, from wildlife and other natural wonders to incredible human-made structures. Get ready for an adventure!
Island Living
COURTESY DISCOVER DOMINICADominica is called the Caribbean’s nature island for its waterfalls, hot springs, and volcanoes. Visitors can hike trails and kayak along the coastline. And the island is eco-friendly. There’s a new resort that’s fully powered by sun and wind. —By Andrea Guthmann
Light Show
ALAN DYER—VW PICS/UNIVERSAL IMAGES GROUP/GETTY IMAGESWant to see the northern lights? Canada’s Churchill, Manitoba, has great views of them 300 nights a year. And that’s not all this small bay town has. It also has polar bears. The massive carnivores migrate through Churchill in the fall. In the summer, there are thousands of beluga whales. —By Nicholas Derenzo
Park Place
TAYFUN COSKUN—ANADOLU AGENCY/GETTY IMAGESThe wonders of Yosemite National Park are many. Half Dome is a rock formation made of cooled magma magma hot, liquid rock that comes from under Earth’s surface (noun) Magma flowed from the cracks of an erupting volcano. . Cook’s Meadow is a walking path with stunning views. And there are waterfalls. The largest is Yosemite Falls, at 2,425 feet. Visitors can see all these sights at the California park. —By Jessica Shaw
New Bloom
SUSAN WRIGHT—THE NEW YORK TIMES/REDUXYou’ll find lush greenery on Kangaroo Island, off the coast of Australia. Native animals include koalas and kangaroos. Currently, the island is recovering from bushfires, but it is growing back better than ever. Flowers like the Kangaroo Island yucca are in bloom. —By Jen Rose Smith
Family Fun
COURTESY CARNIVAL MAGICPhuket, Thailand, is known for its beaches. But there’s a new theme park called Carnival Magic, which re-creates traditional festivals. Look at the fireworks! At the Phuket Elephant Sanctuary, visitors can feed the animals. Local shops offer ice cream made with coconut milk. —By Brad Japhe
City Central
FRANK RAMSPOTT—GETTY IMAGESIn 2022, Vienna was named the world’s most livable city. Austria’s capital has more than a thousand miles of bike paths, and green spaces cover half of its area. There’s plenty to do indoors, too. The Belvedere Museum just celebrated its 300th birthday. —By Julia Eskins
Ancient Time
JONATHAN RASHAD FOR TIMEThis year, the Grand Egyptian Museum opened, in Giza, Egypt, with views of the Great Pyramid. The museum houses 100,000 artifacts, including items from King Tut’s tomb. Others come from nearby Saqqara, which still has active excavation sites. —By Johanna Read
Green Hills
KAIT HANSONChyulu Hills is a mountain range in Kenya, Africa. Elephants, zebras, and giraffes roam its grassy, volcanic landscape. The tallest hill, more than a mile high, offers views of Mount Kilimanjaro, the continent’s tallest volcano. —By Cindy Fan
Rain On
This is the new visitor center at El Yunque, a rainforest in Rio Grande, Puerto Rico. El Yunque is the only tropical rainforest in the United States National Forest Service, and is noted for its biodiversity biodiversity the variety of different species of plants and animals (noun) the variety of different species of plants and animals . Puerto Rico is home to more than 240 plant species and 18 native bird species. You can spot many of them in the park. —By Jen Ruiz