Landmarks around the world capture the spirit and essence of a place. They convey the culture of a city and inspire travel through their expression of history and art.
At Slingo, we wanted to find out which of the most popular landmarks in the world are the cheapest and the most expensive to visit. We looked at the average cost of a night’s stay in a hotel room near each landmark, and the cost of an adult’s entrance ticket.
The most expensive landmarks to visit
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Eiffel Tower (Paris, France) | Ticket cost: £22.83 (€26.80, $28.73) | Hotel cost: £361 (€423.74, $454.35) | Total cost: £383.83 (€450.54, $483.08)
The Eiffel Tower is one of Paris’ best-known monuments, and is an iconic part of the ‘city of romance’. The cost of visiting the Eiffel Tower, with elevator access, is £22.83 - although cheaper tickets are available for access via the stairs.
Although the ticket price for the Eiffel Tower is more expensive than most on our list, the cost of a hotel stay in Paris is what makes this landmark the most expensive to visit. A double room in Paris costs on average £361 for one night.
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Palace of Versailles (Versailles, France) | Ticket cost: £17.04 (€20, $21.44) | Hotel cost: £361 (€423.74, $454.35) | Total cost: £378.04 (€443.74, $475.79)
The Palace of Versailles is the second French attraction in our top three. Known for its rich history and for being an iconic symbol of 17th-century architecture, the Palace of Versailles is one of the most visited attractions in the city.
An entrance ticket to the Palace of Versailles costs £17.04 for an adult, around £5.79 cheaper than a ticket to the Eiffel Tower, although a night’s stay in a Paris hotel room costs £361.
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Statue of Liberty (New York City, United States) | Ticket cost: £18.91 (€22.20, $23.80) | Hotel cost: £351 (€412, $441.76) | Total cost: £369.91 (€434.20, $465.56)
The Statue of Liberty on Ellis Island is one of the most iconic symbols of New York City. A symbol of freedom and hope, the Statue of Liberty is a must-visit destination while staying in NYC.
A ticket to the statue costs £18.91, which is more expensive than most landmarks on our list, and a night’s stay in a double hotel room costs £351 on average.
The cheapest expensive landmarks to visit
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Taj Mahal (Agra, India) | Ticket cost: £11.27 (€13.23, $14.19) | Hotel cost: £25 (€29.35, $31.46) | Total cost: £36.27 (€42.58, $45.65)
The Taj Mahal is one of the most famous buildings from the Mughal era. Dating back to the 17th century, the Taj Mahal encompasses the opulence of the Mughal emperors that ruled India for over 200 years.
In contrast, the Taj Mahal is the cheapest landmark to visit on our list. An entrance ticket for non-Indians costs £11.27, while a night’s stay in a hotel in Agra costs £25 on average.
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Mount Fuji (Honshū, Japan) | Ticket cost: Free | Hotel cost: £54.82 (€64.35, $69) | Total cost: £54.82 (€64.35, $69)
One of the world’s three Holy Mountains, Mount Fuji is a top tourist attraction for visitors from around the world.
Japan’s tallest mountain, and sacred site, is free to visit and climb, while a hotel stay in Fuji costs £54.82 on average.
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The Great Sphinx (Giza, Egypt) | Ticket cost: £4.27 (€5.01, $5.37) | Hotel cost: £57 (€66.91, $71.74) | Total cost: £61.27 (€71.92, $77.11)
Cairo’s Great Sphinx, located near the Pyramids of Giza, is one of the world’s oldest monumental statues and is one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
Undoubtedly one of the most famous landmarks in the world, the Great Sphinx is also one of the cheapest to visit on our list. A ticket to see the statue costs £4.27 and a night’s stay in a double hotel room in the nearby Giza costs £61.27 on average.
Methodology
We wanted to find out the cost of visiting some of the world’s most famous landmarks, taking the price of an entrance ticket and an average night’s stay in a double hotel room.
We sourced a list of the world’s most popular landmarks from List Challenges, removing landmarks for which the relevant information was unavailable.
Information on the entrance fee for each landmark was sourced from each landmark’s official website. Where prices differed, we used the price of a foreign adult daytime entrance ticket without guides.
The average price of a night’s stay in a double hotel room at each landmark, or the closest available town or city, was sourced from Kayak.
