World's Most Visited Tourist Attractions

10. Grand Central Terminal, NY City

Grand Central Terminal, New York City

Annual Visitors: 21,600,00
Unlike harried commuters, visitors take their time in the main concourse of this Beaux-Arts landmark, pausing to view its glittering ceiling painted with a map of the constellations from the night sky. Shops, an annual holiday market, special events, and restaurants also attract attention. Two of the grandest venues are the Campbell Apartment, serving craft cocktails, and the historicOyster Bar-featured on AMC's Mad Men-which shucks 2 million fresh bivalves a year.
Source: Grand Central Terminal

9. Niagara Falls, NY and Ontario

Niagara Falls, NY and Ontario

Annual Visitors: 22,000,00
Straddling the border of the U.S. and Canada, three massive waterfalls, together called Niagara Falls, spill about 6 million cubic feet of water-from a maximum vertical drop of 165 feet-every minute. While there are about 500 taller waterfalls in the world, Niagara Falls is spectacular for its sheer power. It'.s also more accessible than many major falls, a short flight or drive for millions of regional tourists.
Source: Niagara Tourism & Convention Corp./Canadian Tourism Commission

7. Sensoji Temple, Tokyo

Sensoji Temple, Tokyo

Annual Visitors: 30,000,00
Tokyo's oldest temple was dedicated to the Bodhisattva Kannon, the most compassionate Buddha, in 628. Dramatic nighttime illumination highlights vermilion and crimson detailing in the Five-Storied Pagoda. Continuing centuries-long tradition, stalls along the temple's Nakamise Street sell food and goods to pilgrims, whose numbers swell around New Year's.
Source: Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO)

7. Meiji Jingu Shrine, Tokyo

Meiji Jingu Shrine, Tokyo

Annual Visitors: 30,000,00
Built more than 100 years ago to honor the divine souls of Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken, this Shinto shrine in bustling Tokyo is a peaceful haven surrounded by a holy forest of more than 100,000 trees. Seasonal gardens feature spring azaleas, summer irises, brilliant autumn leaves on Japanese maples and ginkgos, and black pines dusted with winter snow.
Source: Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO)

6. Las Vegas Strip

Las Vegas Strip

Annual Visitors: 30,500,00
In 2013, 77 percent of Vegas tourists-30.5 million-chose to stay at hotels right on the four-mile-long Strip. And why not? Roll out of bed and onto the Strip to catch the Bellagio fountains in action, shop, gamble, and, of course, people-watch (which can get especially fun later at night). For a cool new vantage point, hop aboard the High Roller, a 550-foot-tall Ferris wheel that debuted in March 2014 It's part of Linq, a flashy 300,000-square-foot shopping and entertainment complex by Caesars.
Source: Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority

4. Union Station, Washington, D.C.

Union Station, Washington, D.C.

Annual Visitors: 40,000,00
Opened in 1907, this busy station shuttles some 12,500 passengers daily in and out of the city. But it also handles millions of tourists who pass through to take in the impeccably mixed architectural styles throughout the colossal building: from Classical to Beaux-Arts to Baroque. More than 70 retail outlets make Union Station a shopping destination, and it's also a jumping-off point for many D.C. tours.
Source: Union Station

4. Central Park, NY City

Central Park, NY City

Annual Visitors: 40,000,00
New York has larger green spaces, but none is more famous thanCentral Park, which stretches across nearly 850 acres of prime Manhattan real estate-an oasis for both tourists and locals. You can ride in one of the horse-drawn carriages, check out the modest-size zoo, climb to the top of 19th-century Belvedere Castle, or take a break from pounding the pavement to sprawl on the Great Lawn, gazing at the skyscrapers above.
Source: Central Park Conservancy

3. Times Square, NY City

Times Square, NY City

Annual Visitors: 50,000,00
Tourists flock to New York's neon heart for the flashing lights, Broadway shows, megastores, and sheer spectacle-including costumed characters eager to pose for photo ops. Pedestrian-only areas with café tables introduced a few years ago have made it easier and more appealing to hang out here. Times Square can even be a convenient, if chaotic, base, thanks to hotels at every price point and easy access to public transportation: subways, rails, buses, and more yellow taxis than you can count.
Source: The Times Square Alliance

2. The Zócalo, Mexico City

The Zócalo, Mexico City

Annual Visitors: 85,000,00
Formally known as the Plaza de la Constitución, the enormous Zócalo thrums with activity. It hosts military parades, cultural and political events, concerts, exhibitions, fairs, and public art installations. Metropolitan Cathedral and the National Palace flank this historic public square, and an imposing Mexican flag, raised and lowered daily, waves over the scene.
Source: Mexico Tourism Board

1. Grand Bazaar, Istanbul

Grand Bazaar, Istanbul

Annual Visitors: 91,250,000
Hand-painted ceramics, lanterns, intricately patterned carpets, copperware, gold Byzantine-style jewelry, and more eye-catching products vie for your attention within this 15th-century bazaar's vaulted walkways. It has since expanded and become increasingly touristy, but locals, too, are among the millions of bargain hunters. To haggle like a pro, lowball your starting offer and don't be afraid to walk away. And if it all gets overwhelming, break for a succulent doner kebab or strong cup of Turkish coffee.
Source: Grand Bazaar management

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