After 40 years, the Lonely Planet has released a list of the top 500 places in the world to visit - and New Zealand is on there nine times.

The book called Ultimate Travelist defines a wish-list of the most thrilling, memorable and interesting places in the world – ranked in order of brilliance.

The longlist was compiled from all the highlights in every Lonely Planet guidebook over the years, before being whittled down to a shortlist, and then Lonely Planet members were asked to vote on their 20 top sights.

Results were weighted in favour of sights that received consistently high votes.

So where do New Zealand sites feature?

The places listed were:

Fiordland National Park (at 17, beating Australia's 33-ranked Uluru)

The highest ranking New Zealand site, Fiordland National Park is described in the book as "untouched".

"Visiting Fiordland is like travelling back to a time before humans," the book says.

"It is a landscape of jagged peaks, glacial valleys, pristine lakes and sheer fjords. Ancient forests drip green and twitch with such birds as kiwi and takahe."

Abel Tasman National Park (35)

Kayakers in the Abel Tasman National Park. Photo: ANDREW CONWAY/GETTY IMAGES

Abel Tasman National Park, is a "pleasuredome".

The book says it's "a place where you can swim, sunbathe, kayak and kick back, enjoying all the fun of a beachbum holiday".

Franz Josef & Fox Glacier (81)

Franz Josef Glacier. Photo: DEIDRE MUSSEN/FAIRFAX NZ

"Two tongues of ice permanently point from the mouth of the mountains towards the Tasman Sea, as though the land is absorbed in a Māori haka".

Lake Wanaka (94)

Snow on the shores of Lake Wanaka. Photo:FAIRFAX NZ

"Wanaka town is New Zealand's alternative adventure hub – a smaller, cuter Queenstown, with the volume knob tweaked."

Stewart Island (125)

Hiking the Rakiura Track: The national park makes up about 85 per cent of Stewart Island.

"This is the kingdom of the kiwi, New Zealand's endangered national icon. Numbering some 20,000, they outnumber locals by more than 50 to one, and are so relaxed they will head out before sundown despite being nocturnal and usually shy."

Bay of Islands (130)

Roberton Island - Bay of Islands, Photo: 123RF

"It's natural beauty that makes the Bay of Islands so appealing, with 150 undeveloped islands sprinkled across hidden coves awash in shimmering turquoise waters."

Whakarewarewa (276)

Tourists take photos at Pohutu Geyser in Whakarewarewa Geothermal Reserve, Rotorua. Photo: STEPHEN RUSSELL/FAIRFAX NZ

"An eye-popping combo of authentic Maori culture and geothermal wonders that bubble from beneath the central North Island's crust.

Waitomo Caves (280)

A tour through Waitomo Caves.

"Proving you don't have to rocket into space to discover alien landscapes, Waitomo Caves are all the more surprising for their location under workaday New Zealand farmland."

Te Papa Tongarewa (285)

Charly Coulson, 6, gets up close and personal with model of a tentacle hook at theColossal Squid Exhibit at Te Papa. Photo: KEVIN STENT/FAIRFAX NZ

And finally: "The national art collection is a fitting finale to a visual feast that includes such freakishness as a blue-whale heart that the kids can clamber through, and a colossal squid preserved in formaldehyde. Fun, friendly and multicultural, Te Papa is how New Zealanders like to see themselves."

THE TOP 10 PLACES IN LONELY PLANET'S ULTIMATE TRAVELIST

1. Temples of Angkor, Cambodia

Photo: Lonely Planet

"Angkor isn't just an interesting ruin – it's a spiritual epiphany in stone."

2. Great Barrier Reef, Australia

Photo: Lonely Planet

"This vital ecosystem enthrals all who visit, with abundant bird life and countless tropical islands and beaches."

3. Machu Picchu, Peru

Photo: Lonely Planet

No-one really knows what happened here. Wander wide-eyed around the mysterious mountain metropolis in a liberating knowledge vacuum"

4. Great Wall of China

Photo: Lonely Planet

A few rugged souls trek the entire length of the wall, but even if you pick just one section, you'll be humbled by its aura of indestructibility."

5. Taj Mahal, India

Photo: Lonely Planet

"There's no other building in India that so perfectly encapsulates the attitudes and atmosphere of its era."

6. Grand Canyon National Park, USA

Photo: Lonely Planet

"Come here to hike, to raft the wild Colorado River, to spot condors, black bears and elk, or simply to marvel."

7. Colosseum, Italy

Photo: Lonely Planet

"Two millennia on, the hold it exerts over anyone who steps foot inside is as powerful as ever."

8. Iguazú Falls, Brazil - Argentina

Photo: Lonely Planet

"Big? These falls are mind-bogglingly mighty: tourist boats that ply the foaming plunge pools below look like matchsticks."

9. Alhambra, Spain

Photo: Lonely Planet

"Put simply, this is Spain's most beautiful monument."

10. Aya Sofya, Turkey

Photo: Lonely Planet

"Like the beautiful city in which it stands, Aya Sofya represents a unique crossroads of continents and faiths."

Do you agree with Lonely Planet's list? Let us know in the comments.