Revealed: The best (and worst) tourist attractions in the world

In the age of vibrant filters and flashy 15-second snippets of people’s trips, it’s easy to fall into the trap of believing the hype around certain tourist attractions. There’s nothing worse than wasting your time and money on a trip that really doesn’t deserve it.

Well, thanks to Stasher’s list of the best and the worst tourist attractions in the world, you might never have to suffer from that lukewarm ‘is this it?’ feeling again. The company’s data analysts studied 99 global attractions that tourists are drawn to, looking at Google reviews, distance from the nearest international airport, tourist safety, TikTok popularity and more. They then gave each attraction a score out of ten. 

Their findings showed the Hungarian Parliament Building in Budapest was the world’s best tourist attraction, with a score of 7.34. The neo-Gothic building by the River Danube is home to the country’s National Assembly. 

The runner-up was the happiest place on earth aka Disneyland Paris. Scoring 7.17, the 30-year-old resort welcomes millions of visitors each year. 

Iceland’s picturesque geothermal Blue Lagoon took third place. Visitors can expect a breathtaking volcanic landscape and silica-rich waters that are believed to have healing powers.

Here’s what Stasher named as the 10 best tourist attractions in the world:

1. The Hungarian Parliament Building (Hungary)
2. Disneyland Paris (France)
3. The Blue Lagoon (Iceland)
4. Plaza de Espana (Spain)
5. Angkor Wat (Cambodia)
6. St. Peter's Basilica (Italy)
7. El Ateneo Grand Splendid (Argentina)
8. Acropolis of Athens (Greece)
9. Museum of New Zealand (New Zealand)
10. Christ the Redeemer (Brazil)

Of course, not everything can be a winner. The world’s worst tourist attraction was found to be the Hollywood Walk of Fame with a score of 3.42. The world-famous attraction honours the stars of the entertainment industry and is free to visit. But, many travellers were found to describe it as dirty, unsafe, and overcrowded. 

The Grand Bazaar in Istanbul, thought to be one of the oldest malls in the world, ranked second-worst with modern visitors not being very keen on it. It got a score of 3.48. 

And the third worst tourist attraction in the world was the iconic Taj Mahal in Agra, India. Despite being a UNESCO World Heritage site, many who have stopped by have shared their disappointment. 

Here’s what Stasher named as the 10 worst tourist attractions in the world:

1. Hollywood Walk of Fame (United States)
2. Grand Bazaar (Turkey)
3. Taj Mahal (India)
4. Busch Gardens (United States)
5. Lotte World (South Korea)
6. Victoria Harbour (Hong Kong)
7. Ocean Park (Hong Kong)
8. Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine (Japan)
9. Great Wall of China (China)
10. Everland (South Korea)

Did you read about this year’s best airports around the world?