7 Most Expensive Tourist Attractions in the World — and How Much They Cost

AnonymousTravel2025-07-152550

Most tourist attractions are money pits by design, as they are lined with trinkets, t-shirts and personalized shot glasses designed to remove money from your wallet. However, some are worse offenders than others — especially when you factor in the cost of admission alone.

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Seven attractions highlight this list of the most expensive in the world. So, just how costly are these attractions for a single day? And are they worth it? GOBankingRates scoured the globe — and the internet — to find out.

Rwanda Gorilla Trek

Price: $1,500

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Even at high costs, gorilla trekking in Kigali is considered one of Rwanda’s unrivaled main attractions. However, in order to view these great apes in their natural habitat, each visitor traveling from outside Africa must legally purchase a permit and can expect to pay $1,500 for a maximum of one hour, per Safaribookings.com. This permit allows the park to regulate how many people visit on any given day and also contributes to the conservation of the habitat.

On the bright side, Hotels.com reported nightly accommodations are in the ballpark of only $130 per night. But round-trip from JFK to Kigali will run, on average, another $1,400 per person, according to Expedia. Add it all together, and it’s a pretty pretty to see primates.

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Murder Mystery on The British Pullman Train

Price: $1,400 to $2,800

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Departing London Victoria Station, the Pullman Train offers a 1930s-inspired, “moving murder mystery” inside its historic carriages. Included with ticket purchase, guests travel through the Kent countryside, dining on a five-course meal and a selection of wines while trying to piece together dramatic clues.

While the cost per person may technically be cheaper when divided amongst individuals, reservations are only available by table (at a two-person minimum). This tends to keep the experience more pricey, but those who have experienced it claim it to be worth every penny, or pound. For those looking to extend their stay in Victoria, hotels like The Clermont will cost around $440 per night.

The Venice Simplon-Orient-Express L’Observatoire Carriage

Price: $86,000

“Countless people dream about taking an extended journey on the Orient Express from Paris to Istanbul, as perhaps the most lavish train ride in the world,” said founder and CEO of Fast Cover Travel Insurance Dean Van Es. And he’s not wrong.

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The Venice Simplon — Orient-Express, as it’s now called — was modeled after the original Orient Express constructed in 1883. Accessing this train requires overnight bookings that begin at $3,800 per person for a twin cabin, per luxurytraintickets.com.

“However, those with a sky-high budget can take the experience to far greater heights with a stay on the L’Observatoire Carriage,” explained Van Es — which clocks in at a whopping $86,000 a night. Complete with a full library, secret tea room, marble bathroom and a 24-hour butler, the artwork-in-motion is what Van Es said is “a once-in-a-lifetime way to experience the Orient Express’ age-old extravagance.”

Antarctica

Price: $10,000 to $100,000

The steep price of traveling for even a single day to this chilly continent comes down to the difficulty of accessing it. Though prices vary, it’s estimated that a one-day, fly-in adventure costs between $10,000 and $15,000. To get there, you can board a private jet from Cape Town, South Africa and land on an Antarctic ice runway for a day of exploration that includes hiking on glaciers, ice climbing, visits to penguin colonies and more.

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Some affluent and high-net-worth individuals opt to access the continent by way of a cruise ship. Cruises depart from Argentina, Australia and New Zealand. Van Es estimated cruises to Antarctica can start around $10,000 and go all the way up to $100,000 for longer, more luxurious offerings.

The North Pole

Price: $30,000 to $200,000

Similar to Antarctica, accessing the North Pole is no easy feat. “Budget” packages like those offered by Polarexplorers are available for around $30,000, which include flights from Longyearbyen, Norway, to a drifting ice camp called Barneo, followed by a helicopter ride to the geographic North Pole. The four-day itinerary is primarily composed of travel — and that doesn’t include the roughly eight-hour trip to and from Oslo via JFK.

LaDell Carter, founder and lead luxury lifestyle travel designer at Royal Expression Travels, suggested a more extravagant option: a $200,000, 48-hour, airship expedition available through OceanSky Cruises.

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“Some travelers opt for a polar bear plunge (if they’re feeling brave) or hope to catch glimpses of marine life like breaching whales,” Carter said. “It’s one of those bucket list experiences — like climbing Mount Everest or going to space. It’s less about the activities and more about the bragging rights and sheer adventure of it all.”

Reddit users claimed the North Pole was really just lots of ice, but might be worth it if you want to see the aurora.

The Mariana Trench (Western Pacific Ocean)

Price: $750,000

Located about three-quarters of the way from Hawaii to the Philippines sits the Mariana Islands, about 125 miles west of what is known as the Mariana Trench. This trench contains Challenger Deep, the deepest part of the Earth’s ocean at over 36,000 feet below sea level.

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For a hefty price tag of $750,000, EYOS Expeditions offers travelers the opportunity to board a ship in Guam, sail to the dive site and take a four-hour expedition in a pressurized submersible down to the depths of the trench, encountering all sorts of marine life and unique topographies along the way. The submersible spends four hours at the bottom before returning.

Space

Price: upwards of $30 million

Shooting for the stars is now more than an expression, as outer space has become a tourist attraction for the select few who can afford it and/or receive an elite invitation. The exact cost of a ride on Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin New Shepard rocket isn’t listed on the website. However, it’s estimated that it can range from $200,000 to $300,000, and the very first seat was auctioned off at over $28 million, so pricing definitely varies. All that’s known for certain is the deposit is $150,000 — chump change for the world’s richest people to make space their playground.

The 11-minute journey departs just outside Van Horn, Texas and reaches an altitude of 62 miles (or 327,360 feet), which is considered the boundary between Earth and Space. After experiencing a few minutes of weightlessness and incredible views, the vehicle descends back down to Earth, facilitated by three large parachutes.

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So is it worth it? “The contrast between the vicious coldness of space and the warm nurturing of Earth below filled me with overwhelming sadness,” said actor William Shatner after taking the journey. Not exactly a ringing endorsement.

Editor’s note: Rates and fees are subject to change.

Caitlyn Moorhead contributed to the reporting for this article.