30 Epic Places You Absolutely Must Visit Before You're 30

30. Sossusvlei in the Namib Desert, NamibiaLarger-than-life red sand dunes will make you feel, well, smaller than life. In a good way.

29. Tiger’s Nest Monastery in BhutanPadmasambhava, known as the “Second Buddha,” meditated in this cliff-top carve-out for three years, three months, three weeks, three days and three hours. Close your eyes for three minutes, and inspiration will find you, too. 

28. Jellyfish Lake in PalauSwimming through thousands of golden jellies without a sting leaves you feeling half awestruck, half invincible.

27. Dharavi in Mumbai, IndiaOne of the largest slums in the world, this friendly community is a square-mile pocket of poverty in India's booming economic center.

26. Half Dome in Yosemite National Park, CaliforniaIt’s just a day hike, but it's a strenuous one at that. When you summit, you’ll know what it's like to stand on the top of California.

25. The Songkran Festival in Chiang Mai, ThailandIn a display of national unity, pretty much everybody in Thailand has a wild water fight to celebrate the new year. 

24. Hydra, GreeceBefore you surrender to big city life, learn to savor the pace of a small town (in what happens to be an incredibly artsy small town).

23. The Washington Monument observation deck in Washington, D.C.Sure our country is defunct sometimes, but it gave you the freedom to be. 

22. The Rhino Charge in Nairobi, KenyaEvery year, extreme drivers embark on a 10-hour, off-road race through the savannah to fundraise for animal conservation. 

21. Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, MexicoThe only soccer stadium in the world that’s hosted two World Cups-- sit in the seats where fans before you witnessed Maradona’s “goal of the century” in 1986.

20. Salar de Uyuni in BoliviaThe world’s largest salt flat is miles of flat, zen, abandoned bliss.

19. Disney World in FloridaBecause soon you’re gonna have to bring your kids with you, and they’re not going to stop for a beer break.

18. The Pyramids of Giza in EgyptThis is the only of the seven wonders of the ancient world that’s still in existence.

17. Rio Upano in EcuadorWhitewater raft through the rainforest and see what it's like to grow up beside toucans in a native tribe. 

16. La Closerie des Lilas in Paris, FrancePicasso, Cezanne and Apollinaire used to chat at this fancy café. So did Hemingway-- you can still sit at his favorite bar stool. 

15. The Inca Trail in PeruOn the 26-mile trail to Machu Picchu, you’ll pass five lesser-recognized Incan townsthat were once thriving.

14. Nowhere, SpainEach year, attendees at the desert festival design their own society based on “creative freedom.”

13. Bernauer Strasse in Berlin, GermanyWhen the Berlin Wall first made one side of this residential street part of Soviet East Berlin, people died trying to jump out their windows to a free neighborhood on the other side. It's an odd and important contrast to modern Berlin's hipster-filled streets.

12. Plaza Mayor in Madrid, SpainSpending downtime outdoors is a weird concept to Americans. Madrid’s social hub will change your opinion real fast.

11. Macau Tower in ChinaThe second-highest bungee jump in the world starts 760 feet above China’s version of Las Vegas.

10. Drake Passage, AntarcticaGet a penguin's eye view of our Earth's very bottom before you start working your way to the top. 

9. The Dead Sea in JordanWith a Biblical history and a perch in the midst of modern conflict, this could be the most historic (and saltiest!) body of water on Earth.

8. XS Nightclub in Las VegasGo big with bottle service at the highest-grossing club in America.

7. The Old Jewish Cemetery in Prague, Czech RepublicStacks of graves are layered over each other, so nobody knows exactly how many people are -- or who exactly is -- buried here. That’s intense.

6. Carnival in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Last year, literal millions of people turned up for what might be the biggest party on Earth. 

5. Havana, Cuba
Get a glimpse of what happens when a culture hits the pause button.

4. Hitachi Seaside Park, JapanThese zany, Seuss-like fields will reintroduce you to your zany little kid self. 

3. Zurriola Beach in San Sebastian, SpainSurfers in this small city get amped about riding the same waves, on the same beach, every single day. And they never ask for anything more. 

2. Bodø, NorwayThe quiet village outside the Arctic Circle will give you major room to think, especially when you spelunk deep into one of its caves. 

1. Mount Fitz Roy in Patagonia, on the border of Chile and ArgentinaAt the top, you’ll treasure the view of towering, unspoiled glaciers-- and the pride of knowing you climbed there.

CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story indicated that the Berlin Wall was built by Nazi Germany. In fact, it was built by the Communists during the Cold War.

 http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/09/30-before-30_n_4059279.html