This is a UNESCO World Heritage Site Map from taste2travel.
Update: November 2023
This post has been fully revised following the addition of new World Heritage Sites by UNESCO.
If you wish to view all new properties, you can do so here:
https://whc.unesco.org/en/newproperties/
As of September 2023, there are a total of 1,199 World Heritage Sites located across 168 countries, of which 933 are cultural, 227 are natural, and 39 are mixed.
All of these are included on a newly revised map which you can export to your own device.
Introduction
One of the joys of travelling is being able to visit incredible monuments and areas of natural beauty which are considered to be of immense value to humanity.
The Grand Canyon is one of 1,199 UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Locating these special places is made easy thanks to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) who designate places of significance as World Heritage Sites.
World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for having either cultural, historical, scientific, natural or some other form of significance. The sites are categorised as either ‘cultural‘, ‘natural‘ or ‘mixed‘.
The top ten UNESCO World Heritage Site countries.
As of 2023, there were a total of 1,199 World Heritage Sites located across 168 countries.
Located in the highlands of Peru, the iconic Machu Picchu is just one of 1,199 UNESCO World Heritage Sites around the world.
Visiting iconic sites such as the Pyramids in Egypt, the Galapagos Islands, Machu Picchu in Peru or the Grand Canyon in the United States provide lifetime memories for those who make the journey. These are just 4 of the 1,199 World Heritage Sites around the world!
World Heritage Site Map
How to locate these 1,199 WHS sites across 168 countries?
I’ve created an interactive Google map (above), using data from UNESCO (updated in November of 2023), which shows the locations of the three different types of WHS sites around the world.
The map allows you to zoom in and select a specific site by clicking on a marker which will provide detailed site information, which has been provided by UNESCO.
You can launch the map in a new browser window by clicking the box icon in the upper-right corner.
You can also share/ export the map by clicking on the share button.
Marker Key
The WHS site category markers are:
- Yellow = Cultural sites
- Green = Natural sites
- Blue = Mixed sites
Three different colour markers indicate the three different site category types.
Serial World Heritage Sites
The Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Spain is part of a larger UNESCO World Heritage Serial Site.
While there are 1,199 sites, these represent the tip of the iceberg!
Many sites contain separate, multiple ‘sub-sites’ which are known as ‘Serial World Heritage Sites‘.
Currently, the largest serial site, “Ancient and Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians and Other Regions of Europe”, contains 94 sub-sites, spread across 18 European countries.
Such a profusion of sites offers a lifetime, or two, of exploration for the enthusiastic nomad!
I hope this UNESCO World Heritage Site Map is of use as you make your way around the world, ticking off all of those interesting sites.
If you have any comments or questions, please do not hesitate to contact me using the comments field below.
Safe Travels!
Darren
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Author: Darren McLean
Darren McLean is an Australian full-time digital nomad who has spent 36 years on a slow meander around the globe, visiting all seven continents and 229 UN+ countries and territories.
He founded taste2travel to pique one’s curiosity and inspire wanderlust.
