Geographic Guide

Sacred Cities

The world's holiest cities — explored through their sacred sites, pilgrimage routes, and living traditions.

Jerusalem skyline with the golden Dome of the Rock at sunset
Israel

Jerusalem: The City Sacred to Three Faiths

Where three faiths converge on one sacred mile

A pilgrimage guide to Jerusalem — holy sites, ancient routes, and living traditions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam in the world's most sacred city.

Explore →
Ancient stone path through a mossy forest on one of Japan's pilgrimage trails
Japan

Sacred Japan: Kyoto, Kōya, and the Ancient Pilgrimages

Japan's sacred mountains and ancient pilgrimage circuits

Japan's ancient pilgrimage circuits — the 88 temples of Shikoku, the Kumano Kodō forest trails, and the mountain monasteries of Mount Kōya.

Explore →
The Grand Mosque in Mecca with the Kaaba at its center during Hajj
Saudi Arabia

Mecca and Medina: Islam's Holiest Cities

The twin cities at the heart of Islamic pilgrimage

A pilgrimage guide to Mecca and Medina — the Hajj, Umrah, the Prophet's Mosque, and the sacred geography of Islam's holiest sites.

Explore →
St. Peter's Basilica and the Vatican at golden hour
Italy

Rome and the Vatican: The Eternal Pilgrimage City

The eternal city where Christianity built its institutional center

Rome's role as the center of Christian pilgrimage — from the catacombs to St. Peter's, the Via Francigena, and Christianity's most venerated relics.

Explore →
The grand façade of Santiago de Compostela Cathedral illuminated at dusk
Spain

Santiago de Compostela: End of the Camino

The end of Europe's most walked pilgrimage route

Santiago de Compostela, the destination of Europe's most walked pilgrimage route — the Camino's history, routes, and modern revival.

Explore →
Evening aarti ceremony on the ghats of Varanasi with oil lamps reflected in the Ganges
India

Holy India: Varanasi, Bodh Gaya, and the Buddha's Path

India's sacred geography from the Buddha's enlightenment to the Ganges

India's sacred geography from the Buddha's enlightenment at Bodh Gaya to the ghats of Varanasi — the pilgrimage sites that anchor Hinduism and Buddhism.

Explore →