The world’s best attraction is here in the UK, according to TripAdvisor – rated better than the Empire State Building and Eiffel Tower

Cancel that trip to the top of the Empire State Building. No need to book that Eurostar ticket to see the glinting Eiffel Tower. The best tourist attraction in the world is right here in Old Blighty.

TripAdvisor has ranked the 10 most popular and highly rated attractions in the world in its 2026 Travellers’ Choice Best of the Best Things To Do Awards, and a wee British boat has scored top billing.

Edinburgh’s Royal Yacht Britannia has been named the no.1 top attraction in the world in 2026. The former floating palace, a home-away-from-home for the late Queen Elizabeth II, was decommissioned in 1997 after four decades of service, during which it stopped in at more than 600 ports across 135 countries. 

Now docked in the Scottish capital’s Leith harbour district, it’s been one of the city’s most popular attractions ever since. Of around 25,000 TripAdvisor reviews, almost 19,000 gave the Royal Yacht Britannia a perfect score on the ratings website. 

This isn’t the first accolade for the royal watercraft, which TripAdvisor named the UK’s number one attraction last year. But it’s come on leaps and bounds in international rankings, jumping 11 spots since it first placed on the world list last year.

If Edinburgers thought that was the end of the accolades, well, think again. The Real Mary King's Close, a warren of historic avenues hidden under the Edinburgh City Chambers building, came in at number six on the list. 

TripAdvisor determines the winners of its Travelers' Choice Best of the Best Things To Do Awards based on the quality and quantity of traveler reviews and ratings posted on the website between February 1 2025 to January 31 2026, as well as an additional editorial process.

The top 10 attractions in the world, according to the TripAdvisor Travelers' Choice Best of the Best Things To Do Awards 2026

1. The Royal Yacht Britannia, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
2. Basílica de la Sagrada Familia, Barcelona, Spain
3. Gardens by the Bay, Singapore
4. Empire State Building, New York City, New York
5. Cayman Crystal Caves, Grand Cayman
6. The Real Mary King's Close, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
7. Miniatur Wunderland, Hamburg, Germany
8. Eiffel Tower, Paris, France
9. Sun Studio, Memphis, Tennessee
10. Cachoeira Boca da Onça, Bodoquena, Brazil

Check out TripAdvisor’s list in full here.

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