World’s most stunning sacred sites (including two on our doorstep)

I’m a believer. Not in a higher power, but in the power of sacred spaces to move, challenge, educate and uplift me. Hallowed ground – a Baha’i house of worship in Samoa, a Zoroastrian tower in Yazd, a Vodou temple in Benin – has always clarified most succinctly for me the manifold threads of a destination’s story.

“Sacred sites encourage us to question different peoples’ convictions and belief systems, rituals and modes of worship, social hierarchies, and so on,” says Dr Melanie Pitkin, an Egyptologist at the University of Sydney.

“They also provide us with that tangible link between past and present, encouraging us to find relevance with our own contemporary ways of being.”

The intangible, in turn, suffuses us with a sense of mystery; it invites even the impious among us to suspend judgment and achieve communion. This is particularly pertinent in Australia, says Bundjalung and Kullilli writer and journalist Daniel Browning.

The Ruins of St Paul’s in Macau, China.Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto

“In a way the entire continent is sacred. My Bundjalung country is sacred to me. It has personhood, it has a spirit, it has skin, arteries, lungs, it produces energy, it has power which it can store and release,” he says.

“Indigenous sacred sites are fundamentally different [from other places of worship] because our ancestors revered the natural world, not the man-made. There was nothing we could do to exceed the beauty and power and awe of the country itself.”

This ethos is mirrored in Shintoism, says Dr Kathleen Olive, a director of Sydney tour operator Limelight Arts-Travel.

“My research takes me to Italy, to the great art-filled churches of Florence and Venice, for example. But I’m personally drawn to [Japan’s] Shinto shrines,” she says.

“[They] reflect a deep, animistic connection to the spirits of place, honouring them, placating them and working alongside them ... Cultures invest a lot of effort in their religious sites – not just the money they spend on lavish decorations, but also the complex relationships they develop for interacting with the divine.”

In a divine revelation of their own, our erudite panel of experts has reversed the miracle of the loaves and fishes by condensing a heavenly bounty of sacred sites to their chosen few. Here are their considered choices.

Fujiyoshida Sengen Shrine, Japan

Fujiyoshida Sengen Shrine at the foot of Mount Fuji.Credit: Getty Images

Kathleen Olive.

The expert Kathleen Olive
Dr Olive is a director of Limelight Arts-Travel and veteran tour leader in Italy, France, Japan and elsewhere. Her postgraduate research was in the Italian Renaissance. See limelight-arts-travel.com.au

The lowdown Dedicated to the Shinto goddess Konohanasakuya and tucked into a forest of cedars at the foot of Mount Fuji, the shrine is “quiet and peaceful, and is the traditional starting point for pilgrimages up sacred Mount Fuji”, Olive says. Visiting earlier this year, “we could clearly understand how its serenity allowed pilgrims to centre themselves before embarking on a strenuous religious journey”.

Don’t miss The boulevard of sentry-like lanterns leading to the shrine.

See it Life’s an Adventure’s seven-day Mount Fuji and Izu Peninsula walk from $7499. See lifesanadventure.com.au; fujiyoshida.net

The Church of San Giorgio Maggiore, Venice, Italy

San Giorgio Maggiore church in Venice, Italy.Credit: Getty Images

Daniel Browning.

The expert Daniel Browning
Browning is a Bundjalung and Kullilli writer, ABC journalist and presenter of Radio National’s The Art Show and Arts in 30 podcasts. He’s the author of the award-winning book, Close to the Subject: Selected Works See magabala.com.au

The lowdown The church near the Grand Canal becomes a hallowed gallery every other year. “While still a church, the adjacent buildings are owned by a family art foundation,” Browning says. “They exhibit artwork in the church during the Venice Biennale.”

Don’t miss “The tessellated floor is eye-popping, and you have the most incredible 360-degree views of Venice from the belltower,” Browning says.

See it Register your interest for Limelight Arts-Travel’s nine-day tour to the 2026 Venice Biennale. See limelight-arts-travel.com.au; visitvenezia.eu

Monastery of St Macarius The Great, Wadi el-Natrun, Egypt

Church of Abba Skheirun in the Monastery of Saint Macarius the Great.Credit: Alamy Stock Photo

Melanie Pitkin.

The expert Melanie Pitkin
Dr Pitkin is an Egyptologist, senior curator of the Nicholson Collection of Antiquities and Archaeology (Chau Chak Wing Museum, University of Sydney) and tour leader at Renaissance Tours. See renaissancetours.com.au

The lowdown Since the fourth century AD, this Coptic Orthodox monastery has been a refuge for monks seeking to renounce “material possessions, careers and traditional relationships in pursuit of their spiritual journey – a pursuit, of course, known to many different faiths,” Pitkin says. “The monks who we met were so forthcoming with their personal stories and path to monasticism, and it provided a special and unique opportunity to reflect on my own priorities and way of life.”

Don’t miss The sanctuary housing John the Baptist’s reliquary.

See it The monastery can be visited on a day visit from Cairo. See viator.com; stmacariusmonastery.org

Mogao Caves, Dunhuang, China

The nine-storey Mogao Caves complex, constructed in 366 AD.Credit: iStock

Jeremy Clarke.

The expert Dr Jeremy Clarke
Dr Clarke has a doctorate in Asian and Pacific History and is a former Catholic priest and a member of the Australian Jesuits. He leads tours of China with his company, Sino-Immersions, and runs a wine bar and bookstore at Boorowa, NSW. See sinoimmersions.com

The lowdown A millennium of Buddhist art is contained within this cliffside complex, which grew from a trading route and pilgrimage path into “a place of learning that conserved religious texts in ancient scrolls”, says Dr Clarke. “There are stupas on hillside ridges and impressive sculptures within the caves, but for me, the real treasures are the beautiful Buddhist murals deep within the hillsides. For all the pillages that Westerners have done of these murals, seeing those that remain in their original location is truly amazing.”

Don’t miss Cave 302, which safeguards one of the Silk Road’s oldest depictions of cultural exchange.

See it Wendy Wu’s 28-day Silk Road Explorer from $9880. See wendywutours.com.au; whc.unesco.org

The Church of St Paul and St Louis, Paris, France

Church of Saint-Paul-Saint-Louis, Marais 4th arrondissement.Credit: Adobe Stock

The expert Daniel Browning

The lowdown “I would say the most beautiful church in the world is in Paris, in the Quartier St Paul, on the edge of the Marais,” Browning says. “I love the Church of St Paul and St Louis more than any other edifice or man-made physical structure on Earth, and I can’t really explain why. It becalms and transfigures me. Whenever I’m in Paris I can’t walk by it without being awestruck, my mouth agape. It’s a real conversation-killer.”

Don’t miss The clamshell holy water fonts donated to the church by Victor Hugo.

See it Trafalgar’s eight-day Paris Explorer from $4730. See trafalgar.com; spsl.fr

Kariye Mosque, Istanbul, Turkey

The inner narthex mosaics in the Chora Kariye Church in Istanbul, Turkey.Credit: Getty Images

Kathleen Olive.

The expert Kathleen Olive
Dr Olive is a director of Limelight Arts-Travel and veteran tour leader in Italy, France, Japan and elsewhere. Her postgraduate research was in the Italian Renaissance. See limelight-arts-travel.com.au

The lowdown Transformed from the Byzantine Chora Church into an Ottoman-era mosque, this structure “contains some of Europe’s most important medieval mosaics and frescoes”, Olive says. “It’s now both mosque and museum, a place where faiths and secularism meet. That idea is such an important part of Turkey’s history.”

Don’t miss Koimesis – the poignant mosaic depicting Mary’s death scene.

See it Limelight Arts-Travel’s Istanbul to Venice: The Byzantine Legacy tour, $13,950. See limelight-arts-travel.com.au; muze.gen.tr

Dahshur, Egypt

Bent Pyramid at Dahshur.

The expert Melanie Pitkin

The lowdown Architectural experimentation characterises the pyramid and necropolis site of the Old Kingdom’s King Snefru and his later Middle Kingdom successors. “It’s where you can see, in all its rawness, part of the evolution of pyramid architecture,” Pitkin says. “The Bent Pyramid, named because of the change in angle from 54 to 43 degrees after the steepness of the original slope proved too unstable, and the Red, or True, Pyramid where Snefru’s workforce finally got the angle just right.”

Don’t miss A look inside the pyramids. Be warned: this involves potential bum-shuffling along narrow corridors.

See it Dahshur is accessible on a day trip from Cairo. See getyourguide.com; egymonuments.gov.eg

Alhambra, Granada, Spain

Nasrid Palace, Granada, Andalucia, Spain.Credit: Adobe

Susan Carland.

The expert Susan Carland
Dr Carland is a sociologist of religion at Monash University in Melbourne and host of the podcast What Happens Next? She was named by the UN Alliance of Civilisations as a “Muslim Leader of Tomorrow”. See lens.monash.edu

The lowdown This 14th-century monument to Islamic art and architecture isn’t a religious structure per se, says Dr Carland. “But it’s easily one of the most spiritually nourishing places I’ve ever been. All the elements are designed to promote peace and transcendence – the geometric patterns point to the divine attributes of infinity and unity, the water and garden elements are soothing reflections of paradise, and the calligraphy is to remind people of God, and human limitations.”

Don’t miss The magical glow of the Nasrid Palaces by night.

See it Islamic Travel’s eight-day Islamic Heritage Spain Tour from $2900. See islamictravel.com.au; spain.info

St Michael’s Mount, Cornwall, England

St Michael’s Mount in Cornwall.Credit: iStock

The expert Daniel Browning

The lowdown This medieval castle and church crown the summit of a pincushion tidal island linked to the mainland by a causeway (access is by boat at high tide). “It’s an abbey but also an islet,” Browning says. “If you think about the logistics of building on sand, it’s also a folly, like the entire city of Venice.”

Don’t miss Special evening events when the abbey is lit in kaleidoscopic colour (check the website schedule).

See it Entry tickets cost about $60 for the castle and garden and $7 for the boat. See stmichaelsmount.co.uk

Red Village, Azerbaijan

Grand Synagogue in the Red Village in Quba, Azerbaijan.Credit: Adobe Stock

Brett Kaye.

The expert Brett Kaye
Kaye is a tour leader and opera singer who’s performed on international stages and led musical journeys abroad. He’s the resident cantor at St Kilda Hebrew Congregation. See fbitravel.com.au

The lowdown Known as “Krasnaya Sloboda” in Russian and “Qirmizi Qasaba” in Azeri, this entire, pocket-sized town, or shtetl, tucked into the foothills of the southern Caucasus Mountains is sacred for its inhabitants, known as the Mountain Jews of Azerbaijan. “They’ve lived in the area for over 1000 years continuously,” says Kaye. “It’s the only remaining shtetl or solely-Jewish inhabited town in the former Soviet Union.”

Don’t miss The Mountain Jews Museum in a former synagogue and receptacle of the community’s rich history.

See it Brett Kaye’s 14-day Footsteps through Georgia and Azerbaijan tour, $6750. Contact [e-mail]; azerbaijan.travel

Angkor Wat, Siem Reap, Cambodia

The UNESCO-listed Angkor Wat ancient temples at sunrise.Credit: iStock

The expert Susan Carland

The lowdown Faiths merge seamlessly in this 12th-century metropolis, which originated as a Hindu site and later became a place of Buddhist worship. “It’s sprawling, beautiful, and intricate, and the presence of wandering Buddhist monks in orange robes on the nearly 1000-year-old grounds adds to the serene and otherworldly feeling,” Carland says.

Don’t miss Elaborate friezes depicting the Hindu epic, Mahabharata.

See it Intrepid’s three-day Cambodia’s Secrets of Angkor from $675. See intrepidtravel.com; whc.unesco.org

St Simon Monastery, Hay el-Zabaleen, Egypt

The Virgin Mary and St Simon the Tanner Cathedral. The biggest of seven Churches and Chapels hidden in caves in the Mokattam hills in Saint Samaan The Tanner Monastery, Egypt.Credit: Shutterstock

The expert Melanie Pitkin

The lowdown Fashioned from the topography in 1974, this complex is a triumph for the Coptic Christians of this “Garbage City”, so named for the concentration of garbage collectors living here. “It’s an enormous cave church built into the Mokattam Mountains in Cairo, which has become one of the largest churches in the Middle East but is still seldom visited by Western tourists,” Pitkin says.

Don’t miss The theatre-like centrepiece, Virgin Mary and St Simon the Tanner Cathedral.

See it Your Egypt Tours’ monastery day trip costs about $200. See youregypttours.com; visitegypt.com

Ruins of St Paul’s, Macau, China

Ruins of Cathedral of Saint Paul in Macao.Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto

The expert Dr Jeremy Clarke

The lowdown The remnants of this 17th-century Jesuit church embody the story of Catholicism in Portugal’s East Asian empire. “In terms of cross-cultural exchange, the ‘sermon in stone’ that is the facade of the Ruins of St Paul’s tells of an amazing encounter between Christian Japanese of the 16th century and Portuguese Jesuits,” Clarke says.

Don’t miss The Asian and European motifs carved side-by-side on the frontispiece.

See it Register your interest for Renaissance Tours’ 14-day Land of Silk, Fish and Rice tour. See renaissancetours.com.au; macaotourism.gov.mo

Lake Mungo, NSW, Australia

Sunset over the Walls of China in Mungo National Park, NSW.Credit: Getty Images

The expert Daniel Browning

The lowdown “A terminal lake in a once flourishing system in south-western NSW, Mungo is where the Ancestors of the Paakantyi, Mutthi Mutthi and Ngiyampaa people reverently buried a man 42000 years ago,” Browning says. “They anointed him with ochre mined a long distance away, folded his body into a crouching position, interlocked his fingers, and held a ritual over him before they interred his remains. They expressed their love as much as their faith, and a belief in the afterlife – and if you’re not awed or somehow moved by that, you probably won’t ever understand blackfellas or the sacred nature of this country.”

Don’t miss The Walls of China – sculptural lunettes which can be viewed from a designated platform.

See it Echidna Walkabout’s six-day Mungo Outback and Conservation Journey (Victoria and NSW) from $2916. See echidnawalkabout.com.au; nationalparks.nsw.gov.au

Ellora Caves, Maharashtra, India

Kailas temple in the Ellora caves complex, Maharashtra state, India.Credit: Getty Images

The expert Brett Kaye

The lowdown Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism coexist within the 34 monasteries and temples carved from a basalt cliff. “The sheer scale and beauty of the place took my breath away,” Kaye says. “It’s a perfect blend of human ingenuity, brilliant craftsmanship and love for the Divine. When I close my eyes and remember the way in which the chanting of the Buddhist monks echoed throughout the caves, it still brings goosebumps.”

Don’t miss Kailasa Temple, the Hindu masterpiece believed to be sculpted from a single slab of stone.

See it Wendy Wu Tours’ three-day tour of Ajanta and Ellora Caves from $710. See wendywutours.com.au; whc.unesco.org

Pingyao, Shanxi Province, China

Pingyao Old Town, Shanxi, China.Credit: Adobe

The expert Dr Jeremy Clarke

The lowdown Han religious and architectural development are exemplified in this ancient walled city. “Within the city walls there is a temple to the City God, as well as a beautifully preserved Confucian Temple, making Pingyao a must-visit to witness worship both ancient and enduring,” Clarke says.

Don’t miss Zhenguo and Shuanglin, historic Buddhist temples on the old city’s outskirts.

See it Wendy Wu Tours’ 18-day Ancient China trip from $5780. See wendywutours.com.au; whc.unesco.org

Koyasan, Japan

Koyasan, Japan... starting point for a pilgrimage.Credit: Adobe

The expert Daniel Browning

The lowdown This lodestar for Shingon Buddhism is also the starting point for the Kumano Kodo pilgrimage trail. “I believe that devotion to a faith, a principle, a person, even, produces energy,” Browning says. “At a shrine at the start of the journey, I held a rope that was attached to a representation of the Buddha. I felt a surge of electricity that fanned out, travelling across my body to my extremities. I was nursing a broken heart and still hemorrhaging badly, but at that moment I felt calm, blank, egoless, at peace, I felt no hurt. A moment of serenity in what was the bleakest time of my life.”

Don’t miss Okunoin, resting place of Kobo Daishi, Shingon Buddhism’s founder.

See it Walk Japan’s seven-day self-guided Kumano Wayfarer costs about $2600. See walkjapan.com; visitwakayama.jp

Uluru, Northern Territory, Australia

Uluru… “immense spiritual power”.

The expert Daniel Browning

The lowdown “It has immense spiritual power – you might call it symbolism – that emanates across the country, from what’s the geographical heart of the continent,” Browning says. “Although I’m not Anangu nor do I in any way belong to that Country, Uluru changed me. I can only describe my relationship to it as one of reverence.”

Don’t miss The Cultural Centre, which contextualises the Anagu people’s sacred connection to Uluru.

See it SEIT’s guided day trip to the Uluru family’s Patji homelands from $389. See seittours.com; northernterritory.com

Church of the Nativity, Bethlehem, Palestine

A silver star marks the traditional site of the birth of Jesus in a grotto underneath Bethlehem’s Church of the Nativity, Palestine. Credit: Adobe

The expert Susan Carland

The lowdown Constructed on the site where Mary is said to have given birth to Jesus, the church is “an amazing site of inter and intra-faith co-operation and overlap,” Carland says. “The guardianship of this church is shared by three Christian denominations – Greek Orthodox, Roman Catholic and Armenian – and also has an area marked where Muslims believe the palm tree stood that features in the Quranic story of Jesus’ birth.”

Don’t miss Jesus’ birth site, marked by a star embedded in the grotto floor.

See it The church is accessible on a day trip from Jerusalem. Smartraveller recommends people reconsider their need to travel to the region, so monitor events and factor in a future visit. See whc.unesco.org

The Western Wall, Jerusalem

Prayers at the Western Wall, Jerusalem.Credit: Getty Images

The expert Brett Kaye

The lowdown This is the most sacred of the four walls supporting the Temple Mount, a place of prayer, supplication and ceremony for the Jewish diaspora. “As a Jew, the Western Wall where the Temple of Solomon stood over 2000 years ago is a profoundly special place for me,” Kaye says. “Singing together with family and friends at the same place that my ancestors have sung for thousands of years is incredibly moving.”

Don’t miss Bar Mitzvah groups led by marching bands on days the Torah is read.

See it Visitors can take guided tours of the Western Wall, however, Smartraveller continues to recommend that Australians reconsider their need to travel to the region. See whc.unesco.org

Five more must-visit divine destinations

Taktsang or Tiger’s Nest Monastery clings to a mountain in Bhutan.Credit: Adobe Stock

Paro Taktsang, Paro District, Bhutan
Guru Rinpoche flew to this cliffside spot on the back of a tiger in the eighth century, it’s said. Modern pilgrims must ascend 900 metres on foot (or part-way on horseback) to reach Tiger’s Nest Monastery, which appears to dangle from the cliff. See bhutan.travel

Hagia Sophia, Istanbul, Turkey
You can’t bypass this Byzantine masterpiece unless you’re en route to the equally beguiling Blue Mosque. After living separate lives as a cathedral, a mosque and a museum, the grand dame has now settled into its role of mosque-museum. See ayasofyacamii.gov.tr

Machu Picchu, Peru
This precipitous Incan sanctuary appears to have been wrought by the hand of God. Religious and ceremonial sites are among the citadel’s many structures straddling a narrow parapet. See peru.travel

Dohany Street Synagogue, Budapest
Europe’s largest synagogue is a paragon of Moorish-Romantic architecture, and a place of remembrance for victims of the Holocaust, some of whom are buried in the adjacent cemetery. See budapestinfo.hu

Rock-hewn churches, Lalibela, Ethiopia
Eleven medieval churches appear to emerge fully formed from the bedrock in this 13th-century monolithic cluster – a “New Jerusalem” for Christians whose pilgrimages to the Holy Land had been halted by Muslim conquests. See visitethiopia.travel