The painted and decorated towers of this Hindu shrine were once the tallest structures in one of the oldest cities in India.

Siddhartha Gautama sat here and received enlightenment.

This 17th-century mausoleum is topped with an acoustic marvel.

This peaceful Sikh gurudwara serves around 50,000 free meals every day within its gilded walls.

This stunning 15th-century royal hill fort preserves the age of chivalry in Rajasthan.

A single tree's 2,800 aerial roots give the appearance of a complete forest.

The Buddhist temples of Yamadera, built into a mountain side, feature a viewing deck with sweeping views.

A Buddhist temple to honor insects that died for science.

A plaque marks the site directly below the mid-air detonation of the atomic bomb over Hiroshima.

A massive cave complex boasts some of the clearest water (and most charming bats) in the world.

Japanese national treasure originally built in 593 CE.

A 70-foot-deep ice cave formed by lava from Mt. Fuji on the edge of Japan's "Suicide Forest." 

1,001 carved statues of the Buddhist God of Mercy, each with a unique face.

This historical theme park celebrates all things noodle.

Bioluminescent firefly squid light up this Japanese fishing port.

The oldest hotel in the world has been operated by the same family for over 1,300 years, even catering to samurai.

The sound of swaying stalks in this stunning grove has been named a governmentally recognized sound.

This otherworldly palace-mausoleum complex is the stuff eternal dreams are made of.

Aqueducts have dramatically changed this old lake, now home to tufa towers and its very own species of tiny brine shrimp.

Take a drunken tour inside the world's largest known geode.

The second-largest cave chamber in the world was discovered in 1898 by a 16-year-old and a friend known as "Pothead."

A museum dedicated to the alleged Roswell Incident.

This 4,000-foot-diameter hole is touted as "the most well known, best preserved meteorite crater on Earth."

A look into the Church of Scientology's deeply unfavorable view of psychiatry.