Where are the most beautiful viewing points in the world and the US?
Our planet is filled with captivating wonders and spectacular views. While some are man-made and others are naturally formed, the world’s best viewing spots attract thousands of visitors each year.
From the Chicago skyline to the Hollywood sign in Los Angeles, the world’s best viewing points offer panoramic views of natural landscapes and bustling cities. But where are the world’s most picturesque viewing spots?
We looked at the most popular viewpoints across the world, and in the US, to see which has the most tagged Instagram posts. If you love to travel, and get that perfect Insta-worthy shot, here are some of the world’s most picturesque views to add to your bucket list.
The most picturesque viewpoints in the US
1. Grand Canyon, Arizona: #GrandCanyon – 4,133,265 posts
The Grand Canyon National Park has unbelievable views from almost any point, proving popular across Instagram with 4,133,265 posts. The Grand Canyon itself is around 446 km long, up to 29 km wide, and 1,857 meters deep. The destination’s endless viewing points offer awe-inspiring views of one of the world’s original seven natural wonders.
2. Golden Gate Bridge, California: #GoldenGateBridge – 3,152,966 posts
When the Golden Gate Bridge was constructed in 1937, it was the tallest and longest suspension bridge the world had ever seen. Today it is a symbol of the United States and is one of the best high places to see the city of San Francisco. Visitors that arrive at San Francisco International can take the subway, a bus, or a taxi to reach the Golden Gate Bridge in under two hours.
3. Empire State Building, New York: #EmpireStateBuilding – 3,064,351 posts
In third place, the Empire State Building stands 102 stories tall and is one of the most famous buildings in the States. The observation deck is located on the 86th level and offers views of New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, and Massachusetts on a clear day.
The Eiffel Tower is one of the most iconic landmarks on the Parisian skyline, offering unparalleled views of the world’s most romantic city. Accessible via a glass lift, the top of the tower is 276 meters off the ground and the views of Paris are unrivaled. Perhaps it’s no surprise to see that the Eiffel Tower comes in first place as the most picturesque viewpoint, with 7,016,648 tagged posts.
2. Burj Khalifa, United Arab Emirates: #BurjKhalifa – 6,001,463 posts
In second place, the Burj Khalifa offers one of the world’s most picturesque viewpoints, with 6,001,463 tagged Instagram posts. At over 828 meters tall, with over 160 stories, the Burj Khalifa holds the world record for the tallest building, the tallest free-standing structure, and the building with the highest number of stories. At the Top is a Burj Khalifa experience where visitors can visit level 124, which is over 400 meters above ground, and enjoy views from the observation deck.
3. Grand Canyon, Arizona: #GrandCanyon – 4,133,265 posts
As one of the world’s seven wonders, it’s no surprise that the Grand Canyon is one of the most picturesque viewpoints in the world. The most Instagrammed of all the viewpoints we looked at in the States, the Grand Canyon has endless viewing spots. Many are located at the South Rim, which is one of the most popular locations for visiting tourists.
As pressure mounts for cities around the world to do their bit when it comes to fighting climate change, travelers are increasingly conscious of the impact they could be having on the planet.
From using more renewable energy or encouraging residents and visitors to use public transport, cycle and walk, cities are doing their best to be more sustainable.
So, which are the most sustainable destinations in the US? To find out, we’ve analyzed some of the country’s most visited cities on a range of sustainable factors.
The USA’s most sustainable destinations
1. Portland, Oregon
In first place is Portland, Oregon, which is well known for being a progressive city, so it makes sense that sustainability would be important here.
The state of Oregon has the highest rate of renewable energy usage of any on our list (43.1%) and also scores highly for its low light pollution (6,590μcd/m2) and the number of sustainable hotels (9% of total hotels).
Portland has regularly ranked highly in lists of the Greenest Cities in America and was one of the first to introduce a comprehensive plan to tackle CO2 emissions.
2. Seattle, Washington
Not too far from Portland is the second-placed city of Seattle, Washington. The city is known for being a technology hub and has experienced rapid population growth, but it was also the first to pledge to become climate neutral, doing so back in 2010.
Like Portland, Seattle scores highly for its usage of renewable energy (38.4%) as well as for its average air pollution (6μg/m³), people who walk or use public transport (44.8%) and sustainable hotels (9.19%).
Seattle relies heavily on hydropower and only uses fossil fuels for a very small percentage of its electricity.
3. New York City, New York
Despite being one of the biggest and busiest cities in the world, New York takes third place.
NYC was the top-scoring city for not one, not two, but three factors: sustainable hotels, people walking or using public transportation, and length of cycle paths.
The sheer size of the Big Apple has forced it to tackle its carbon footprint head-on, investing in a comprehensive public transport network, constructing green office buildings and pledging to drastically reduce emissions.
The USA’s least sustainable destinations
1. Nashville, Tennessee
Coming bottom of the rankings is Nashville, Tennessee, one of the fastest-growing cities in the country.
Nashville is the lowest-scoring city when it comes to its air pollution (14.3μg/m³) and also scores poorly for its cycle path infrastructure, with just 0.6 miles of protected pathways.
2. Columbus, Ohio
The second-lowest scoring city is Columbus, the most populated city in the state of Ohio.
Ohio has a very low rate of renewable energy usage (4.4%) and the city of Columbus has a high level of air pollution, at 13.6μg/m³.
The high levels of pollution in the area are largely caused by the Ohio State University’s McCracken Power Plant, the landfill operated by the Solid Waste Authority of Central Ohio (SWACO), and the Anheuser-Busch Columbus Brewery.
3. Houston & Dallas, Texas
Two Texas cities are tied in third place, Houston and Dallas. The two are amongst the biggest in the state and both scored poorly for their public transport use and air pollution levels.
Both are very busy cities, with Houston having one of the highest levels of automobile usage in the country, while Dallas is also a major transportation hub with numerous highways converging in the city which is also home to a major port and one of the world’s busiest airports.
The destination with the most sustainable hotels
New York City, New York – 14.33%
Staying in a sustainable hotel can help to somewhat offset the effects that travel can have, as they make an effort to keep their energy consumption to a minimum.
The city that has the highest percentage of properties marked as being sustainable by Booking.com is New York, with 14.33%.
The destination with the highest public transport use
New York City, New York – 71.6% of people walk, cycle, or use public transport to work
Using public transport, walking or cycling is a great way to reduce your carbon footprint, and by far the city where car usage is at its lowest is New York.
Here 71.6% of people use something other than a car to get to work (or work from home), with the city having the largest single-operator rapid transport system in the world, providing 24/7 service to 472 rail stations.
The destination with the greatest renewable energy use
Portland, Oregon – 43.1% renewable energy consumption
Unfortunately, renewable energy data is only available at state level rather than city, but the state where renewable energy makes the largest share of consumption is Oregon, at 43.1%.
Oregon’s electricity supply is dominated by hydroelectricity, with over 80 renewable hydropower facilities in the state.
The destination with the lowest air pollution
Tucson, Arizona – 4.8μg/m³ annual air pollution
Air pollution is a serious problem in many cities around the country, but the destination with the cleanest air is Tucson, Arizona.
Located in the Arizona desert, Tucson is the second-biggest city in the state but averages just 4.8μg/m³ a year.
Light pollution is a form of pollution that perhaps gets less attention, as not only does it take away the beautiful night sky, but it also makes it much harder for some species to survive when they’re impacted by so much artificial light.
Once again, Tucson comes top here, with the city establishing dark sky ordinances way back in 1972 to limit the levels of light pollution.
The destinations with the lowest carbon footprint
Houston, Texas & Los Angeles, California – 14.6t CO2 per person
Two cities are tied with the lowest CO2 emissions per person, with both Houston and Los Angeles producing 14.6 tonnes per person.
While they’re both extremely busy cities, both have high population levels too, so their per capita emissions actually aren’t as bad as many other places.
The best destination for cycle paths
New York City, New York – 124.19 miles
By far the city with the best infrastructure in place for cyclists is New York City, with just under 125 miles of protected cycleways to use.
The traffic congestion and relatively flat terrain make cycling popular in New York, not just for the many delivery cyclists who make use of the paths, but increasingly, commuters too.
The destination with the least congestion
Minneapolis, Minnesota – 10% congestion score
Traffic congestion is an obvious cause of emissions and air pollution, but the city that struggles with this the least is Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Here, the average journey in peak traffic takes just 10% longer than it would do without any traffic.
Methodology
A list of 50 of the most visited cities in the US was studied, with any that didn’t have full comparable data for each factor being removed.
The remaining cities were then analyzed on the following factors, with each one being given a normalized score out of 10 before an average of these scores was taken.
Sustainable hotels
The percentage of the total hotels listed on Booking.com that have been designated ‘Travel Sustainable properties’.
Public transport use
The percentage of people that either walk, cycle or use public transport to get to work, or work from home, according to the US Census Bureau’s American Community Survey.
Renewable energy use
The state’s renewable energy consumption as a percentage of total consumption according to the EIA’s Primary Energy Consumption Estimates. Note that this factor relates to the wider state rather than the city itself.
Summer is here – FINALLY! Time to let loose and have a little fun. When you were younger, did you ever pretend that you were a pirate, or a train robber, or any other adventurous figment of your imagination? As a kid, I had a wild and vivid imagination and went on many adventures in my backyard. I often dug holes in the yard, as I was positive there was some kind of treasure that would make me rich, and I could get that pony that I always wanted. But, as fate is fickle, I never found Blackbeard‘s treasure in the middle of Indiana and I remained a dirt poor kid.
Fast forward a few decades and that thrill of seeking treasures is still alive and well. Whether you are going on a roadtrip, or visiting an area for a limited time, there’s always some new and exciting things to discover or treasures to find. In fact, recently 100 JetBlue crew members and volunteers not only cleaned up the beaches of South Boston, but they also hid 100 blue Save the Harbor/Save the Bay 25th Anniversary marbles. Happy hunting if your vacation or weekend plans include visiting these beaches this summer. Five winners will receive 40,000 TrueBlue points. How’s that for buried treasure?
But, if you aren’t planning to visit South Boston this year, there are other ways to find treasures. Often when I am traveling, I go searching for geocaches. Called the “outdoor treasure hunting game,” it is a very good way to spend an afternoon, go places you would not have ventured to before, hone your Blackbeard skills, and have fun all at the same time. I’ve found geocaches in state parks, along roadsides, in hotel parking lots, city parks, just about anywhere imaginable. There is a lot of information available at the official website. It’s a relatively inexpensive hobby, as the only equipment you need is a GPS unit, or a smartphone with GPS capabilities.
Download the app on your cellphone, and you can located geocaches near your location. You will be amazed how many there are hidden. Ranging from virtual caches to buried containers, each cache is rated on it’s level of difficulty and it’s terrain. All ages and fitness levels can participate, so it’s good from baby to Grandma. The caches vary in sizes from microcaches to buried containers.
It’s quite a feeling when you follow the coordinates correctly and locate your quest. Whether is it is a magnetic container attached to the bottom of a park bench or an ammo container in the middle of a dead tree, you truly feel as if you found the buried treasure.
But, I’m sure that digging around and poking for things may not be everyone’s idea of fun. Plus, you may get a few looks from the “muggles” (The general public not keyed into geocaching fundamentals). Have no fear, I have another treasure hunting game I play. As I have stated before, our parents took us across the United States and back a few times in our young lives. I always wanted to stop a thte oddest places featured along Route 66 and other roadside vendors. Now, all these peculiarities have a dedicated website where you can plan your trip around these oddities. Roadside America features many of these “tourist traps” and helps you locate these you may be traveling near.
I’ve been known to travel a few miles out of the way to catch a glimpse of some treasure that I’m sure will enhance my life forever. For example, when I found out I was only five miles from the largest bottle of ketchup, I had to go see it. As we came around the bend and saw that the bottle was up in the sky, it was just as if I had found a treasure. The town hosting the attraction is Collinsville, IL, a quaint Midwestern town and we spent an hour or two exploring.
So, whether you are more of a hands-on treasure hunter, or like to view from afar, you can still get a thrill whether you are on a vacation or just roaming around your own town (You won’t believe the things I’ve discovered in my own little town).
You won’t need a treasure map when searching for a great airport hotel deal on ParkSleepFly.com. We’ve already charted those for you. With the deals on ParkSleepFly.com, you receive a night’s stay at an airport hotel, parking for your trip, and transportation to and from the airport. All for one low price. You don’t need a shovel or GP to locate that deal.
So, start your trip off right and leave the hunting for deals to us. You spend time looking for the World’s Largest Bottle Cap Collection or the microcache that is located in a tree. You will be glad you did.
So, let me know if you are a geocacher. We can compare stories. Or, if you are a roadside oddity aficionado. I’m always looking for the next gotta-go-see.
The passports that offer the greatest mobility for the lowest costs
We all need a passport to travel around the world, but the freedom that comes with your passport can vary quite a lot depending on where you live.
Not only this but the costs of applying for one can differ drastically too, meaning that a passport can prove to be much more valuable for some countries than others.
Taking both the ‘power’ of a passport in terms of the number of countries you can visit, as well as the cost to buy one, we’ve revealed the world’s best value for money passports.
Once you’ve got your passport ready and made sure it’s safely packed away, be sure to book your airport hotel and airport parking to save time and money at the airport.
Note that countries for which reliable data was not available were omitted.
The world’s best value passports
1. United Arab Emirates
Passport mobility score: 162
Passport cost: $13.61 / £10.35 / €12.31
The passport that comes out as having the very best value for its holder is that of the United Arab Emirates.
Not only does an Emirati passport give its holder the greatest freedom (able to travel to 110 countries visa-free and a further 52 with a visa on arrival), but it’s also the cheapest passport to obtain, costing just 50 dirham, which is equivalent to around $13.61.
The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation stated in 2017 that it wanted the UAE’s passport to be one of the strongest in the world by 2021 and it seems that they achieved this aim!
2. Sweden
Passport mobility score: 159
Passport cost: $42.47 / £32.28 / €38.39
In second place is the Swedish passport, with a joint-second highest mobility score of 159, as well as costing just $42.47 to obtain, which is relatively affordable by global standards.
Sweden is of course part of the European Union, as well as the Nordic Passport Union, and Swedish nationals can enter 115 countries visa-free (more than any other country) and a further 44 with a visa on arrival.
3. South Korea
Passport mobility score: 158
Passport cost: $43.68 / £33.21 / €39.49
Not far behind Sweden is South Korea, where a local passport will allow you entry to one free country, whilst also costing just under a dollar more to apply for.
A South Korean passport has a mobility score of 158, just one less than Sweden, due to the fact that its holders get visa-free access to 114 countries, as opposed to 115.
The world’s worst value passports
1. Liechtenstein
Passport mobility score: 152
Passport cost: $268.50 / £204.13 / €242.71
At the other end of the scale, the passport that proves to be the worst value for its holders is that of the tiny state of Liechtenstein.
While this passport does allow you to travel to a decent number of countries, with a mobility score of 152, the reason its such poor value is largely due to its cost, with residents having to pay over $260 to obtain a Liechtenstein passport.
2. Mexico
Passport mobility score: 137
Passport cost: $98.14 / £74.62 / €88.71
Mexico is the country where a local passport gives you the least freedom to travel, with a mobility score of just 137, which means that you can only visit 97 countries visa-free and 40 with a visa on arrival.
To compound this, it’s also not particularly cheap to obtain a passport here, with a cost of Mex$2,000, which equates to just under $100 for a six-year passport.
3. San Marino
Passport mobility score: 142
Passport cost: $110.64 / £84.11 / €100.00
Like Liechtenstein, another tiny European country comes in third place, with San Marino having a mobility score of 142 and a passport cost of $110.64.
This being said, San Marino is one of the few European passports that allow you to travel to China visa-free and offers one of the longest visa-free stays there too, at 90 days.
Methodology
Each country was analyzed on the following two factors, with each being given a normalized score out of ten for both factors before an average of these two scores was taken to calculate the passport value score out of ten.
Note that countries for which reliable data was not available were omitted.
Passport Power
A score sourced from the 2022 Passport Index, with points being given based on the number of countries that travelers can visit visa-free or with a visa on arrival.
The Passport Index updates its figures in real-time, these figures were sourced on March 16th and are correct as of this date.
Passport Cost
The cost to apply for a passport in each country, with figures sourced from a variety of sources, which can be viewed here.
The global attractions that offer the worst (& best!) value for money
Global travel is finally starting to open up once again, with many people looking to book their first overseas vacations in a long time.
And with lots of people eager to tick items off their bucket lists, the world’s major tourist traps will be gearing up for an influx of visitors.
However, before booking your airport parking and your tickets, it might be an idea to step back and consider the costs of visiting these well-known landmarks.
To try and help you out, we’ve taken a look at the entry price to some of the world’s biggest attractions and compared them with how well-reviewed they are, to reveal the worst and best value tourist attractions in the world.
The World’s Worst Value Attractions
1. Empire State Building, New York City
Ticket price: $44.00/£32.57/€38.82
% of bad reviews: 4.2%
Value score: 1.03 out of 10
Taking the unfortunate title of being the worst value attraction is New York’s Empire State Building, the 102-story Art Deco skyscraper that dominates the Big Apple’s skyline.
While it’s undoubtedly an iconic NYC landmark, to head up the tower costs a very steep $44 (and that’s just to the main deck, not the very top). When combined with 4.2% of the building’s reviews being negative, the Empire State Building is named the worst value attraction on our list.
=2. Buckingham Palace, London
Ticket price: $40.53/£30.00/€35.76
% of bad reviews: 3.3%
Value score: 1.9 out of 10
Three attractions were tied with a value score of 1.90 out of 10 in second place when it comes to the worst value attractions, two of them in the UK and one in the States.
To visit the State Rooms at Buckingham Palace will cost you $40.53, with 3.3% of visitors not being impressed with their visit to the home of the Queen.
=2. Stonehenge, Wiltshire
Ticket price: $26.35/£19.50/€23.25
% of bad reviews: 8.0%
Value score: 1.9 out of 10
Stonehenge is a famous UK landmark, although it appears that a number of its visitors aren’t too impressed, with 8% of reviews being negative.
Visitors to the ancient monument have to pay $26.35 to visit, but criticisms found on Tripadvisor include the fact that you aren’t allowed to touch the stones, which one disgruntled reviewer described as “just a bunch of rocks”.
=2. Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York City
Ticket price: $25.00/£18.50/€22.06
% of bad reviews: 18.1%
Value score: 1.9 out of 10
The final attraction tied in second place is the Guggenheim Museum in New York, an art museum featuring Impressionist, Early Modern, and contemporary art collections.
The main reason it scores so poorly here is due to the high number of people who left the museum unsatisfied, with almost one in five reviews being either ‘poor’ or ‘terrible’.
The World’s Best Value Attractions
1. Great Wall of China, Mutianyu
Ticket price: $6.31/£4.67/€5.57
% of bad reviews: 0.5%
Value score: 10 out of 10
Not only is the Great Wall of China the cheapest of the attractions that we looked at, with an entry price of just $6.31 for the Mutianyu section, it’s also the one with the fewest negative reviews.
That’s incredible value for money, especially for one of the modern Wonders of the World, with some of the fortifications dating back as far as the 7th century BC.
2. Taj Mahal, Agra
Ticket price: $14.61/£10.81/€12.89
% of bad reviews: 1.0%
Value score: 8.28 out of 10
The Taj Mahal is another iconic landmark in Asia, known for its majestic ivory-white marble and admired for being one of the most beautiful examples of architecture in the world.
It’s also very affordable, with an entry ticket costing just under $15, while just 1% of people who have visited the Taj Mahal have left a bad review, representing excellent value.
3. Forbidden City, Beijing
Ticket price: $6.31/£4.67/€5.57
% of bad reviews: 2.5%
Value score: 7.76 out of 10
Another Asian attraction completes the top three best value attractions, with the Forbidden City in Beijing costing the same as the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall at $6.31. The Forbidden City also only has marginally worse reviews, with just 2.5% being negative.
The Forbidden City is a huge palace complex in China’s capital, at the heart of the Imperial City, surrounded by opulent gardens and temples.
The World’s Worst & Best Value Theme Parks
Theme parks are amongst the world’s most visited tourist attractions, but their high admission prices in comparison to most other attractions make them hard to compare when it comes to value for money, so we’ve taken a look at them separately.
When it comes to the worst value parks, Universal Studios Florida takes this dubious honor, with a day ticket costing $109, but with 7.8% of reviews for the park being negative.
However, Disney theme parks weren’t far behind, with each of the next six worst value parks falling under the Disney banner.
On the other hand, the majority of the best value theme parks were located in Asia, with the best of them all being the Everland Resort in South Korea, with a daily ticket cost of $41.75 and just 2.3% of reviews being negative.
Methodology
Looking at a list of 30 top tourist attractions from around the world (as well as a selection of top theme parks), we took both the ticket and the percentage of bad reviews.
Ticket costs were sourced for a single day’s admission to each attraction for an adult, taking the cheapest available ticket, with prices being sourced from the websites of each attraction. Full sources can be found here.
Reviews were sourced using Tripadvisor, taking the number of ‘poor’ and ‘terrible’ reviews and calculating them as a percentage of the total number of reviews for each attraction.
We then gave each attraction a ‘value score’ out of ten by giving each one a normalized score out of ten for both its ticket price and percentage of bad reviews and then taking an average of these two scores.
