The World’s Most Beautiful Sights: Where to Find the Must-See Attractions in Cities Across the Globe
The world is full of breath-taking sights, from man-made landmarks that really catch the eye to natural parks full of local wildlife, but which sights around the world do visitors find the most beautiful? We analysed over 452,000 TripAdvisor reviews to see where travellers had reviewed sights as ‘beautiful’ most often. With this data, we’re able to reveal which you should head to if you want to find the most beautiful sights on your travels.
Where are the most beautiful sights around the world?
The Big Apple is home to the most beautiful sight in the world, with Central Park reviews including the word ‘beautiful’ an impressive 22,880 times. The park itself is full of captivating sights, including the boating lake, cherry blossom trees, a skating rink and a castle, so it’s not surprising to see thousands of reviews claiming it to be the most beautiful sight. The Fountains of Bellagio are another American sight that made the top three, with16,750 ‘beautiful’ mentions.
Three Italian destinations rank in the top 20 most beautiful sights, so if you’re after a country with some of the most must-see attractions, then Italy could be the destination for you. Topping the Italian list is Rome’s Trevi Fountain, which ranks as the second most beautiful sight in the world, receiving over 18,000 reviews. The other Italian city making the top 20 is Milan, with the Duomo di Milano receiving 5,997 ‘beautiful’ reviews.
Barcelona's Basilica de la Sagrada Familia is the fourth most captivating sight in the world, with 16,158 beautiful mentions and it’s easy to see why. Whilst the incredible attraction might be unfinished, the Catholic church is still extremely eye-catching and packed with so many breath-taking features. Rounding off the top five is Paris’ Cathédrale Notre-Dame, with an impressive 12,930 reviews mentioning its beauty. One of the main tourist attractions and located right on the river, its towering presence is certainly a magnificent attraction.
Top 20 Most Beautiful Sights Around The World
Rank | City | Country | Population | Sight | Sight Mentions |
1 | New York City | USA | 8,804,190 | Central Park | 22,880 |
2 | Rome | Italy | 2,783,809 | Trevi Fountain | 18,283 |
3 | Las Vegas | USA | 641,930 | Fountains of Bellagio | 16,750 |
4 | Barcelona | Spain | 1,664,182 | Basilica de la Sagrada Familia | 16,158 |
5 | Paris | France | 2,175,601 | Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris | 12,930 |
6 | Prague | Czech | 1,335,084 | Charles Bridge | 10,870 |
7 | Cape Town | South Africa | 3,430,992 | Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden | 9,924 |
8 | Abu Dhabi | UAE | 1,202,756 | Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Center | 8,831 |
9 | Vancouver | Canada | 697,266 | Stanley Park | 8,797 |
10 | Seattle | USA | 737,015 | Chihuly Garden and Glass | 8,742 |
11 | Dubai | UAE | 2,919,278 | The Dubai Fountain | 7,269 |
12 | Vienna | Austria | 1,920,949 | Schönbrunn Palace | 7,005 |
13 | Madrid | Spain | 3,334,730 | Parque del Retiro | 6,788 |
14 | Christchurch | New Zealand | 380,600 | Christchurch Botanic Gardens | 6,704 |
15 | San Francisco | USA | 873,965 | Golden Gate Bridge | 6,580 |
16 | San Antonio | USA | 1,434,625 | San Antonio River Walk | 6,028 |
17 | Milan | Italy | 1,397,715 | Duomo di Milano | 5,997 |
18 | Seville | Spain | 691,395 | Plaza de Espana | 5,916 |
19 | Sydney | Australia | 4,966,806 | Sydney Harbour | 5,519 |
20 | Brussels | Belgium | 186,916 | Grand Place | 5,505 |
What are the most beautiful sights in the UK?
You don’t have to travel far and wide to find some of the world’s most exquisite sights, as the UK is home to plenty! From beaches with golden sands to historical castles and cathedrals, there’s plenty to see.
Edinburgh is home to the UK’s most beautiful sight, with Edinburgh Castle topping the list with over 5,000 mentions of the attraction being beautiful. The historic Scottish castle is built upon a hill, offering up impressive views across the city. As one of the main attractions in Edinburgh millions of visitor's flock there each year to attend events such as the captivating Military Tattoo which pulls in impressive numbers alone.
London’s most pleasing sight is Westminster Abbey, with the royal church being labelled beautiful 4,045 times by visitors. The church has seen it all, from historic coronations to royal weddings, including that of Prince William and Kate Middleton in 2011. With so much history and its striking architectural features, it’s no wonder it’s caught the eye of so many visitors proclaiming it to be beautiful.
Britain’s biggest Cathedral, Liverpool Cathedral, ranks as the third most beautiful sight, with 2,250 reviews noting it as so. The Cathedral still runs regular services for locals and visitors to enjoy and offers group tours for those looking for a little more insight into the history of the building. With so many iconic sights within the city, it looks like visitors found the incredible venue the most pleasing on the eye.
Top 10 Most Beautiful British Sights
Rank | City | Country | Population | Sight | Sight Mentions |
1 | Edinburgh | Scotland | 506,560 | Edinburgh Castle | 5,002 |
2 | London | England | 9,088,994 | Westminster Abbey | 4,045 |
3 | Liverpool | England | 589,774 | Liverpool Cathedral | 2,250 |
4 | Glasgow | Scotland | 632,330 | Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum | 2,091 |
5 | Bournemouth | England | 198,582 | Bournemouth Beach | 1,901 |
6 | Manchester | England | 567,334 | The John Rylands Library | 1,453 |
7 | Belfast | N. Ireland | 337,210 | City Hall | 1,440 |
8 | Brighton | England | 245,504 | Royal Pavilion | 1,386 |
9 | Bristol | England | 580,199 | Clifton Suspension Bridge | 1,071 |
10 | Nottingham | England | 320,536 | Wollaton Hall and Park | 1,012 |
What are the most beautiful sights in the USA?
New York City’s Central Park was found to be the most beautiful American sight according to TripAdvisor, with a whopping 22,880 mentions of beautiful in the reviews. It’s no surprise this topped the list, with the park offering a boating lake, an ice-skating rink and pop-up events for visitors to enjoy. The park also shows off the change in seasons beautifully, with the trees turning vibrant autumnal hues in the fall, eye-catching shades of green in the summer, and pops of colour coming from the stunning cherry blossom trees in the spring.
The second most beautiful sight in the States are the Fountains of Bellagio in Las Vegas, with an impressive 16,750 reviews deeming them beautiful. The musical fountain show is performed in a man-made lake in front of the Bellagio resort on the Las Vegas strip and certainly pulls in a crowd eager to catch the water spectacle. Timed wonderfully, the fountains are an eye-catching sight, with the water shooting up as high as 460 feet in the air - a show stopping performance that’s set to stop you in your tracks.
Coming in as the third most eye-catching sight is the Chihuly Garden and Glass, a museum located in Seattle, Washington. This museum is dedicated to the glass works of the artist Dale Chihuly and includes eight galleries, a lush garden and the centrepiece glasshouse, so lots to take in and enjoy! The breath-taking pieces of glass art are certainly stunning so it’s clear to see why this would make it one of the USA’s most beautiful sights for tourists and locals alike.
California is home to three of the top ten most beautiful sights, with San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge, San Diego’s Balboa Park and The Getty Centre in Los Angeles all featuring. The state itself is home to plenty of admirable natural sights, from national parks to coasts views, but it’s the impressive Golden Gate Bridge taking top spot with over 6,500 reviews claiming it to be the most beautiful sight in the West Coast state. The iconic bridge is instantly recognisable and attracts masses of tourists hoping to catch a glimpse of the structure in real life.
Top 10 Most Beautiful American Sights
Rank | City | State | Population | Sight | Sight Mentions |
1 | New York City | New York | 8,804,190 | Central Park | 22,880 |
2 | Las Vegas | Nevada | 641,930 | Fountains of Bellagio | 16,750 |
3 | Seattle | Washington | 737,015 | Chihuly Garden and Glass | 8,742 |
4 | San Francisco | California | 873,965 | Golden Gate Bridge | 6,580 |
5 | San Antonio | Texas | 1,434,625 | San Antonio River Walk | 6,028 |
6 | Washington DC | District of Columbia | 689,545 | Lincoln Memorial | 4,916 |
7 | Chicago | Illinois | 2,746,388 | Millennium Park | 4,813 |
8 | San Diego | California | 1,386,932 | Balboa Park | 4,203 |
9 | Los Angeles | California | 3,898,747 | The Getty Centre | 3,920 |
10 | Boston | Massachusetts | 675,647 | Boston Public Garden | 3,725 |
Methodology:
We analysed TripAdvisor data for sights in over 267 cities around the world. Using the ‘Things to Do’ section of the TripAdvisor website, the sights in each location that had the largest number of mentions of ‘beautiful’ in their review were ranked as the most beautiful sights for the specific location (city).
Data correct as of June 2022.