The most popular tourist attractions in the world have been named and they’re not the ones that probably spring to mind.
Travel recommendation site Trip Advisor put together a map showcasing the number-one “Thing to Do” in every country of the world, as voted by its users.
While some make sense (Canada’s Niagara Falls, for example), there ares some head-scratches – the Harry Potter studio tour took out the top spot for the UK.
But, it’s voted by the people and the people have spoken.
In total 79 natural attractions, 54 historic attractions, 38 generic tourist attractions and 29 religious attractions which is 197 reasons to give your passport a workout.
Western Europe was all about fun activities, while Eastern Europe was rich in history.
The Americas and Caribbean were all about natural beauty and beaches.
Asia was a mix of history and natural wonders. While the must-see spots in Australia and New Zealand were rather unexpected.
Here’s the complete list, in alphabetical order no less.
Afghanistan: Babur Tomb
Albania: Butrint Ruins
Algeria: Notre Dame d’Afrique
Andorra: Grandvalira Ski Resort
Angola: Miradouro da Lua
Antigua and Barbuda: Stringray City
Argentina: Garganta del Diablo
Armenia: Monastery of Geghard
Australia: Sydney Harbour
Austria: Historic Centre of Vienna
Azerbaijan: Old City Baku
Bahamas: Castaway Cay
Bahrain: Al-Fatih Mosque
Bangladesh: Cox’s Bazar Beach
Barbados: Hunte’s Gardens
Belarus: Brest Hero-Fortress
Belgium: Grand Place
Belize: Hol Chan Marine Reserve
Benin: Porte du non Retour
Bhutan: Taktsang Palphug Monastery
Bolivia: Salar de Uyuni
Bosnia and Herzegovina: Gallery 11/07/95
Botswana: Okavango Delta
Brazil: Iguazu Falls
Brunei: Jame’Asr Hassanil Bolkiah Mosque
Bulgaria: Nessebar Village
Burkina Faso: Reserve de Nazinga
Burundi: Rusizi National Park
Cambodia: Angkor Wat
Cameroon: Mefou National Park
Canada: Niagara Falls
Cape Verde: Praia de Santa Maria
Central African Republic (CAR): Notre-Dame of Bangui Cathedral
Chad: Guelta d’Archei
Chile: Torres del Paine National Park
China: Great Wall at Mutianyu
Colombia: Walled City of Cartagena
Comoros: Grand Mosque du Vendredi
Costa Rica: Proyecto Asis
Cote d’Ivoire: Basilica of Our Lady of Peace
Croatia: Ancient City Walls
Cuba: Varadero Beach
Cyprus: Fig Tree Bay
Czech Republic: Old Town (Stare Mesto)
Democratic Republic of Congo: Mount Nyiragongo
Denmark: Nyhavn
Djibouti: Rushing Waters Adventures
Dominica: Boiling Lake
Dominican Republic: Bavaro Beach
Ecuador: Mueso Templo del Sol Pintor Ortega Maila
Egypt: Temple of Karnak
El Salvador: Iglesia El Rosario
Equatorial Guinea: Catedral de Santa Isabel
Eritrea: Cathedral of Asmara
Estonia: Tallinn Old Town
Ethiopia: Rock-Hewn Churches of Lalibela
Fiji: Zip Fiji
Finland: Fortress of Suomenlinna
France: Musee d’Orsay
Gabon: Pointe-Denis beach
Gambia: Gotu Beach
Georgia: Gergeti Trinity Church
Germany: Miniatur Wunderland
0Ghana: Cape Coast Castle
Greece: Acropolis Museum
Greenland: Ilulissat Icefjord
Grenada: Grand Anse Beach
Guatemala: Temple IV
GuineaIles: de Los
Guinea-BissauIgreja: Catolica de Bissau
Guyana: Kaieteur Falls
1Haiti: The Citadelle
Honduras: Little French Key
Hungary: Parliament
Iceland: Gullfoss
India: Taj Mahal
Indonesia: Waterbom Bali
Iran: Persepolis
Iraq: Sami Abdulrahman Park
2Ireland: Killarney National Park
Israel: Old City of Jersualem
Italy: Colosseum
Jamaica: Island Gully Falls
Japan: Fushimi Inari-taisha Shrine
Jordan: Petra World Heritage Site
Kazakhstan: Medeu Skating Rink and Ski Resort
3Kenya: Masai Mara National Reserve
Kiribati: Fenua-ura
Kosovo: Ethnographic Museum
Kuwait: The Avenues
Kyrgyzstan: Ala-Archa Gorge
Laos: Kuang Si Falls
Latvia: Old City Riga
Lebanon: Temples of Baalbek
4Lesotho: AfriSki Ski Resort
Liberia: Liberian National Museum
Libya: Leptis Magna
Liechtenstein: Vaduz Castle
Lithuania: Vilnius Old Town
Luxembourg: American Cemetery Memorial
Macedonia: Lake Ohrid
Madagascar: Avenue of the Baobabs
5Malawi: Mount Mulanje
Malaysia: Petronas Twin Towers
Maldives: Veligandu Island Beach
Mali: Mali National Park
Malta: Mdina Old City
Marshall Islands: Alele Museum
Mauritania: Port de Peche
6Mauritius: Le Morne Brabant
Mexico: National Museum of Anthropology
Micronesia: Truk Lagoon
Moldova: Stefan cel Mare Park
Monaco: Private Antique Car Collection of Prince Rainier III
Mongolia: Gorkhi-Terelj National Park
Montenegro: Bay of Kotor
Morocco: Hassan II Mosque
7Mozambique: Praia do Tofo
Myanmar (Burma): Bagan Temples
Namibia: Etosha National Park
Nauru: Anibare Bay
Nepal: Annapurna Mountain Range
Netherlands: Rijksmuseum
New Zealand: Museum of New Zealand
Nicaragua: Masaya Volcano National Park
Niger: National Museum of Niger
Nigeria: Nike Art Centre
North Korea: Tower of the Juche Idea
Norway: Geiranger Fjord
Oman: Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque
Pakistan: Badshahi Mosque
Palau: Jellyfish Lake
9Panama: Panama Canal
Papua New Guinea: Kokoda Track
Paraguay: Ciudad Del Este Falls
Peru: Machu Picchu
Philippines: Kayangan Lake
Poland: Main Market Square
Portugal: Quinta da Regaleira
Qatar: Museum of Islamic Art
0Republic of the Congo: Basilique St. Anne
Romania: Peles Castle
Russia: Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood
Rwanda: Volcanoes National Park
Saint Kitts and Nevis: Brimstone Hill Fortress
Saint Lucia: Treetop Adventure Park
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines: Botanical Gardens
1Samoa: To Sua Ocean Trench
San Marino: Guaita
Sao Tome and Principe: Praia Jale
Saudi Arabia: Masjid an-Nabi
Senegal: La Maison des Esclaves
Serbia: The Belgrade Fortress
Seychelles: Anse Lazio
Sierra Leone: River Number Two Beach
2Singapore: Gardens by the Bay
Reece Witherspoon is a fan.
Slovakia: Bratislava Old Town
Slovenia: Lake Bled
Solomon Islands: Bonegi I and II
Somalia: Laas Geel
South Africa: Table Mountain
South Korea: Seoul Metro
3South Sudan: St. Joseph’s Catholic Church
Spain: Basilica of the Sagrada Familia
Sri Lanka: Lion Rock
Sudan: Sudan National Museum
Suriname: Saint Peter and Paul Cathedral
Swaziland: Swazi Cultural Village
Sweden: Vasa Museum
Switzerland: The Matterhorn
4Syria: Umayyad Mosque
Taiwan: Taroko Gorge
Tajikistan: Rudaki Park
Tanzania: Mount Kilimanjaro
Thailand: Temple of the Reclining Buddha
Timor-Leste: Cristo Rei
Togo: Grand Marche
Tonga: Mapu’a ‘a Vaea Blowholes
5Trinidad and Tobago: Nylon Pool
Tunisia: El Jem Amphitheatre
Turkey: Hagia Sophia Museum
Turkmenistan: “Door to Hell” Gas Deposit
Tuvalu: Tuvalu Philatelic Bureau
Uganda: Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Ukraine: Gorky Central Park
United Arab Emirates: Sheikh Zayed Mosque
6United Kingdom: Harry Potter Studio Tour
United States of America: Central Park
Uruguay: Barrio Historico
Uzbekistan: Registan
Vanuatu: Millenium Cave
Vatican City (Holy See): St. Peter’s Basilica
Venezuela: Cayo de Agua
7Vietnam: Hoi An Ancient Town
Yemen: Old City of Sanaa
Zambia: Devil’s Pool
Zimbabwe: Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park
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