UNESCO

Located deep in the desert in the northwest of the country, Al Ula is one of Saudi Arabia’s most beguiling destinations and a potential hotspot for travelers now that the country is opening up.

Everyone knows Angkor Wat, Halong Bay, and the Taj, but Asia is home to numerous less vaunted UNESCO-listed attractions. Here are a few of our favorites.

With epic landscapes and lore that is ancient, complex, and tragic, Armenia offers a visceral historic bonanza that takes in some of Christianity’s most sacred symbols.

Japan’s array of classical gardens showcases the country’s penchant for considered minimalism at a glorious zenith.

India’s most iconic building hogs the limelight, but the former capital of the Mughal Empire is rich in other highlights.

There’s are more layers to Langkawi — one of Malaysia’s most visually stunning island destinations — than meets the eye

Ancient folk traditions such as talchum — a mask dance drama — belie South Korea’s reputation for tech-obsessed modernity

Visitors can find compelling insight into Vietnam’s colorful history at majestic ruined citadels throughout the nation.

Azerbaijan’s multi-layered capital is far more than just a “Dubai on the Caspian”

It can take years or decades for a site to achieve Unesco World Heritage status, but inclusion means a great deal of time and study — and tourists.

Some of the Plain of Jars megaliths are thought to be much older than previously thought.

In the mid-nineties a team from the Getty Conservation Institute began working with the Dunhuang Academy to develop the China Principles to protect the Mogao Caves.