2 . Take A Scenic Ride On The World’s Steepest Railway For Passengers—If You Dare!

Originally built for mining in 1878, the Scenic Railway is now a tourist ride that can take your breath away! In the Blue Mountains of New South Wales, Australia, the former mining railway became a tourist attraction in 1945. It currently holds the Guinness World Records as the steepest passenger train with the steepest railway gradient (坡度).

The gradient of 52 degrees is comfortably viewed from inside an 84-seat, glass-enclosed carriage car. The passenger car travels along on a cable-driven system of rails as it navigates the steep terrain. During the tour, passengers will see the train travel through sandstone cliffs and a rock tunnel next to Orphan Rock.

Orphan Rock was once available for trail climbing. Following rock slides in the 1950s, the trail was partially closed. The trail access was completely closed in 1974 and never reopened due to potential risks.

On the Scenic Railway, you will see stunning views from a slightly different angle than Orphan Rock. The railway is open every day of the year, making the trip along the rails every ten minutes.

Sight-seeing passengers can ride the steepest railway up from the Jamison Valley or travel on the cable car. Either option affords incredible scenic views of the Blue Mountains. The glass roof in the passenger cars allows for a fantastic view from every seat on the train.

Just take a look for yourself!

4 . Traveling with family members can not only enhance the parent-child relationship, but also broaden the horizons and share happiness and memories. Take a trip with your family to one of the destinations below!

Yellowstone National Park

Kids will love watching Old Faithful, one of nearly 500 geysers (间歇喷泉) in Yellowstone, erupt, and there’s nothing like a hike for family bonding. Keep an eye out for wild animals, or visit the Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center to guarantee some animal interactions. Hotels are expensive, so consider taking advantage of the park’s well-equipped campsites.

Orlando

Appealing, thrilling and fun, Walt Disney World Resort (度假村) is engineered specifically for families. Orlando also has a handful of other theme parks, including Universal Orlando Resort, where you’ll find The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, and Discovery Cove, an all-inclusive day resort, where you can swim and dive around the park’s coral reef.

Destin

Big Kahuna’s Water & Adventure Park(open seasonally)features waterslides and a lazy river, while the Gulfarium Marine Adventure Park is home to animals kids love, including dolphins and penguins. And if you’re looking for an adventure on the water, consider booking a boat tour at Henderson Beach State Park or Crystal Beach Park. Just don’t forget to pack your beach hat.

Anaheim

Anaheim, California has been home to Disneyland Resort since 1955. After catching up with Mickey and friends, visit Anaheim’s Adventure City Amusement Park or Knott’s Berry Farm Theme Park—another top amusement park in the U.S. And if you’ re in town during baseball season, you can catch a game at Angel Stadium.

Winters can be harsh in Heilongjiang, China’s northeastern province     1     (border) Russia.

The residents of Harbin, Heilongjiang’s capital, brighten the winter     2     (month) by carving fantastic frozen sculptures for the International Ice and Snow Festival that takes place in January and February every year. Once a     3     (region) affair, the festival has grown to be a major international event.

“It’s quite surreal (梦幻般的), due to both the scale (规模)     4     all the beautiful lighting—like being     5     a fantasy movie,” says Christian Stanley of the China Travel Company. “It’s so big that you can’t help wondering     6     they managed to build all of this so quickly.”

It’s also a good choice to take a break from Harbin’s winter wonderland with a visit to the Siberian Tiger Park.     7     (locate) a few miles northwest of the city on the Songhua River, the park     8     (establish) in 1996 to help protect these animals, the largest felines (猫科动物) in the world. Hundreds of Siberian tigers—accustomed (适应) to the winter cold—     9     (free) walk around the nature reserve, along with leopards and black puma. Visitors must ride in special buses to get protected from the tigers as the animals gather around out of     10     (curious).

6 . Eiffel Tower Guided Climb Tour by Stairs

Most visitors ride the elevator at the Eiffel Tower, but travelers with a sense of adventure prefer to take the stairs. Climb the 704 steps to the second viewing platform of the Eiffel Tower on this guided tour and be rewarded with splendid views of the Louvre, the Arc de Triomphe, the Seine River, and the Champs. Get a good workout by climbing up the stairs of the Eiffel Tower. Choose a ticket to the summit and take the lift to the very top.

● Meet your guide and fellow Eiffel Tower climbers at the meeting point, then join the queue for Eiffel Tower tickets. It can take up to 90 minutes at peak times, but your guide will keep you entertained while you wait with fun facts about the tower.

● Next, follow your guide up the stairs to the second floor viewing platform, a total of 674 steps! Make a stop along the way to learn about Gustave Eiffel and the history of the tower, then enjoy views of the Arc de Triomphe, Notre Dame Cathedral.

● Your tour ends on the second floor. If you booked the Summit Access tour, ride the elevator up to the summit. If you booked the combo (套餐) tour with a Seine River cruise, your guide will provide tickets that can be used at any time.

● For a full refund (退款), you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.

● Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.

● This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.

8 . There’s hardly a dull moment in vibrant Istanbul. The city’s historic attractions can be appreciated any time of year, but its atmosphere does change dramatically with the seasons, and accommodation prices vary accordingly. Here are our picks for the best times to enjoy Turkey’s largest city.

June to August is best for outdoor dining and concerts in Istanbul. Summer is peak tourism season in Istanbul. Costs for accommodations can be high and lines long at major attractions. The weather is hot and humid, but the sun sparkling off the Bosphorus is glorious, and the outdoor seating at cafes, restaurants and bars makes for a lively urban scene. Concerts, festivals and other events are staged in the open air too.

The shoulder season is best for sightseeing and cultural events. The long, mostly pleasant spring and fall seasons are ideal for seeing the sights and wandering the neighborhoods of Istanbul, a city that rewards exploration by foot. There’s a drop off in tourist crowds, and local urban life is in full swing, including a busy calendar of arts and cultural events.

Istanbul in December? Winter is ideal for travel on a budget. The gray, rainy and chilly winter months aren’t the most appealing time to visit Istanbul, though they do lend the city a certain romantically sad mood. On the plus side, it won’t be difficult or expensive to find accommodations, and Istanbul’s many museums, mosques and other sights provide plenty of indoor activities.

10 . If you’re looking for a place to spend the Christmas holiday, we try to cover possible information within the posts on our site online. Here are some hotels and resorts that shine over the holiday.

Its annual show, Home for the Holidays, features a series of events in November and December, including ice-skating and kids’ club activities. Guest rooms, cottages and cabins serve as cozy spots for winter getaways, and many dining options mean you’ll never need to leave the resort.

There are all kinds of festivities at the resort leading up to the big day, including snowmen building and sleigh rides. Holiday movie nights take place throughout December, and there’s lots of food to enjoy. The all-suites are perfect for family getaways with floor-to-ceiling windows providing mountain views.

Visit this hotel for Christmas and you’ll immediately be surprised by the life-size gingerbread (姜饼) house made with pounds of candy. There are holiday stories on the night before Christmas Eve. Plus, all of the holiday festivities in Charleston’s downtown are just outside this hotel’s front door.

At Christmastime, this historic resort hosts a gingerbread house decorating event and special holiday meals throughout December. About 350 light displays made up of more than a million lights can be seen in the resort’s trees.