dark tourism destinations in the world

20 Unique Dark Tourism Sites Around The World

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One of the most unique tourism trends in recent years might have to be the fascination with so-called dark tourism sites. There’s always been a curiosity when it comes to places that might have a historic connection with tragic events. But while there are many reasons for people wanting to visit such sites, dark tourism is not necessarily a bad thing.

You might argue that visiting these dark tourism sites is a way of preserving the past. Or making sure the same horrific things don’t happen again . And while you might get some mixed reactions from people about your travel plans, they are fascinating places. And I believe they are places that the world should know about.

Disclaimer: The following article has travel suggestions in both Russia and Ukraine, however was written before the current events unfolded. I have chosen to leave them in this article in the spirit of the original topic covered here, however I am in no way recommending visiting either Russia or Ukraine at this time . Please check current travel conditions for any country you plan on visiting and travel safely.

What is Dark Tourism?

Dark tourism sites are places which we can associate with death, destruction or some kind of disaster. While some might see them as morbid, you’d be surprised at how many places you’ve visited with such connotations. For example, have you ever been to the Tower of London? Full of torture chambers and stories of gruesome events. What about the Colosseum in Rome? The deadly gladiator events here were some of the most bloody spectator sports in history.

We think of them as historical sites in a way we don’t think of some of the following places in the same way. Is it because that was so long ago? Does the length of time before we start exploring these sites really make a difference in how our visiting them should be perceived?

How should I behave at dark tourism sites?

Societal rules about museums are ingrained in us from an early age. But a lot of people worry about what to do while visiting somewhere with such a dark past. How do you behave? What if you do the wrong thing?

Respect is key . Remember that these sites, while open for you to enjoy, learn and experience, are the sites of some pretty bad and horrific things . Be aware of those around you as you never know if they might have a connection to where you are.

While it’s unfair to say you shouldn’t talk or show enthusiasm, use common sense and read the room . A concentration camp is nowhere to be giggling with your friends, a memorial park is not somewhere to be shouting…you get the idea.

Unique Dark Tourism Sites To Visit

Whether you’re a big history buff or just curious in anything a little macabre, these are some dark tourism sites around the world you likely don’t want to miss. From recent tragic events to centuries-old historical happenings, you can’t deny how incredibly interesting these places are.

Alcatraz Prison – San Francisco, USA

Possibly one of the most eerie and fascinating dark tourism sites you will ever visit is Alcatraz . A prison so notorious that it still receives millions of visitors a year. Located on an island in San Francisco ‘s bay area, you now get to experience seeing it from the inside like a prisoner. So close to land but so far away.

The only way to reach Alcatraz island is by a pre-booked boat tour . The tour is popular and often sells out months in advance. There are no food or drinks allowed except at the boat dock area, so plan your day accordingly. You also have a steep walk to the prison at the top of the hill, but there are motorized vehicle transfers for those with mobility issues.

Explore the prison and the grounds with an impeccably narrated audio tour by former guards and inmates. You’ll be led through cells, the recreation areas, the kitchen and more. Learn about the riots, the escapes and the deaths that happened here, and the most famous prisoners to ever call Alcatraz home.

Gravensteen Castle – Ghent, Belgium

Contributed by Cecilie from Worldwide Walkers

Gravensteen Castle in Ghent  is a classic example of dark tourism sites in Europe. The castle was built back in 1180 and housed the Count of Flanders for many centuries until it became a court, a prison, and even a cotton factory.

It’s the dark horror stories of torture that really attract visitors to Gravensteen castle. While visiting, you’ll walk through torture rooms and see all the different tools used to punish criminals back in the Middle Ages.

Many people have died within the castle walls in the most horrific ways, which creates a dark haunted feeling to the place. It’s this uncomfortable feeling that leaves you both intrigued and distressed after your visit.

While it might sound very disturbing, the free audio guide does a wonderful job carrying out all the stories in an interesting way with respect to history. It’s a great place to learn about the history of Belgium’s city Ghent . You can even get one of the greatest city views from the castle roof.

Silver Mines – Potosi, Bolivia

Contributed by Deb from The Visa Project

While there are many landmarks to see in Potosi , a unique attraction is to visit one of these working mines. A guided tour let’s you witness the working conditions of the miners.

If you  live in Bolivia , you would come across many extreme tourist offerings but this one would probably be one of the darkest. The  Cerro Rico  mountains silver mines made Potosi a major economic center of the Spanish empire back in the colonial times.

Mining is more or less still done in 18th century style – using old tools, hand and dynamite. No modern safety equipment or protocols. Although you would be introduced to  El Diablo,  the mountain’s devil-god to who the miners offer cigarettes, liquor as well as blood of an animal slaughtered on the spot for their protection. Child labor is pretty common and you can buy dynamite in the local market!

You will be advised to chew on coca leaves to help with breathlessness if taking a tour through the mines . The miners work in really harsh and dangerous conditions and many get lung diseases afterwards. If you visit, definitely leave a generous tip for the miners.

Port Arthur Penal Colony – Tasmania, Australia

Contributed by Mark from Wyld Family Travel

Port Arthur lies at the bottom of the world in southern Tasmania Australia . Port Arthur was a British penal colony set up in Australia, designed to break prisoners both mentally and physically. To be sent here from England was being sent as far away from your home as possible.

The youngest prisoner was 11 years old and around 70,000 prisoners called Port Arthur home. Prisoners at Port Arthur endured harsh working gangs that built much of Tasmania. The Asylum at the site pays testament to the mental torture these convicts were put through with many slowly losing their minds. Prisoners were regularly flogged to break them into submission.

Port Arthur prison was opened 20 years from 1833-1853 and 7,000 convicts died there. In modern times Port Arthur is also the location for the largest mass shooting in Australian history. This was the catalyst for the strict gun rules Australia lives by now. 

Port Arthur  is today one of the most interesting places to visit when in Tasmania. The prison site has been preserved with original building and tours explaining the history of the location.

Museum of the Occupation of Latvia – Riga, Latvia

As a former Soviet occupied country, Latvia still has many historic sites linked to the KGB. One of the most interesting activities you can do in Riga is visit the Corner House. This was the old headquarters of the Soviet KGB in Latvia.

True KGB style, if you didn’t know this museum existed you might not be able to find it. A inconspicuous doorway leads into a building straight out of the 50s. Here you can find out about the KGB in the city at that time.

The museum is free or you can pay 10 EUR for a guided tour. The tour might be worth it to see parts of the museum you wouldn’t otherwise get to. Walk through the rooms where the KGB worked and to areas of the building where the prisoners would have been taken.

The storyboards depict historical stories of the KGB in Riga, Latvia , and the “criminals” they arrested, tortured and killed here. This is really one of the most unique dark tourism sites in the Baltic states.

Jallianwala Bagh Memorial Park – India

Contributed by Neha from Travelmelodies

Etched in the history of India as a dark moment, is the incident of Jallianwala Bagh. Located in the holy city of Amritsar in Punjab, it remains one of the most popular  places to visit in Amritsar . Jallianwala Bagh is a memorial park in the honor the people that were wounded and lost lives on the fateful day of 13 April, 1919.

Back in 1919, India was under the rule of British and the people of India were protesting for Independence. Over a thousand people had gathered in the Jallianwala park on the festive day of Baisakhi to silently protest the arrest of few national leaders. But General Dyer opened fire unannounced on these people killing and injuring many.

The Jallianwala Bagh now houses a museum with pictures and documents related to the event and some memorial structures in honor of the martyrs.  There is a ‘Martyrs Well’ in which some people jumped to save themselves from the bullets. There’s even a wall with bullet markings on it. 

Every evening there is a light and sound show that throws light on the unfolding of the event. It is a must visit place and is located next to the Golden temple.

Gori, Georgia

Contributed by Emily from Wander-Lush

The small city of Gori,Georgia has a rather dark claim to fame. It’s the birthplace of Ioseb Jughashvili, better known as former Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin.

An  easy day trip from Tbilisi , Gori has become one of the most-visited places in Georgia because of its Stalin connection. The main attraction is the Stalin State Museum, a grandiose sandstone building in the center of the city.

In the yard is one of few remaining Stalin statues still standing in Georgia today. Also the small wooden house where Stalin was born in 1878, and the armored railway carriage he used to travel around the USSR.

The museum opened in 1957 and exhibits remain much the same – that is to say, very Soviet-style. It has a very selective curatorial approach with most artefacts relating to Stalin’s early years and some pretty glaring gaps. With limited information in English it’s recommended to take the guided tour for a few extra dollars.

Visiting the museum is a totally bizarre experience, but it gives an interesting insight into how Stalin’s memory is treated in Georgia today. Some people in Gori (and elsewhere in Georgia) still venerate the dictator, but the younger generations less so.

There are plenty of things to do in Gori that have nothing to do with Stalin. The magnificent Gori Castle, the old town, and the hilltop Gori Jvari church. It’s these attractions that most residents would prefer you remember Gori for.

Tham Piew Cave – Laos

Contributed by Marie from A Life Without Borders

Laos holds the unfortunate title of the most heavily bombed country on Earth. It bore the brunt of clandestine bombing campaigns waged by the USA on Laos during the 1960s and 1970s. Phonsavan  in the province of Xieng Khouang, was particularly decimated. In fact, unexploded ordnance still affects local communities to this day.

Many visitors to the region enjoy Phonsavan’s major tourist sights such as the UNESCO site Plain of Jars. But few venture off the beaten track to discover the site of one of the worst days in Lao history.

On 24 November 1968, just one single missile fired from a US fighter plane killing 374 innocent villagers taking refuge in Tham Piew Cave. Just 60 kilometers from Phonsavan city, the cave is a somber and emotional place to visit. But it is important in the turbulent history of Laos, even if little known throughout the rest of the world.

The site’s information center holds extremely confronting photographs of the immediate aftermath of that fateful day, together with the history of the Secret War in Laos. A moving statue of a man carrying a lifeless child marks the entrance to the memorial park. Walk through a peaceful forest to the mouth of the charred cave. Here visitors can leave offerings of incense at the small shrine for those who perished within.

Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, Ukraine

Contributed by Kami from My Wanderlust

The Chernobyl Exclusion Zone is a well-known place all over the world. On April 26th, 1986 the biggest nuclear disaster in the world took place here, changing people’s lives forever. As a result of the catastrophe, the whole area around the power plant became a closed zone. Inhabitants of numerous towns and villages had to move away.

Today you can visit the Exclusion Zone but you need to do it with an official  Chernobyl tour . There are plenty of them departing from Kyiv daily and you can choose between day trips and multiday tours. Now, all these years after the disaster the area is safe to visit and the radiation is low.

During your trip, you will see numerous places in the zone, including the power plant itself. But the biggest highlight is the abandoned town of Pripyat. When the disaster happened it was one of the most modern cities in the former USSR, but now nature has taken over the place.

Keep in mind that even if the Chernobyl zone is a very touristy and popular place, it is also a place of great tragedy. Make sure to visit the place with respect and follow your guide’s instructions. Still, this is a fascinating place to visit and everyone visiting Ukraine should include a Chernobyl tour in their itinerary .

Catacombs – Paris, France

Contributed by Debbie from World Adventurists

Even the City of Light and Love has a dark history. One of the most fascinating places to visit is the  Catacombs of Paris . The Catacombs have a sad history, full of bones of the unknown. In the 17th century, Paris cemeteries were overflowing so badly that there was no longer space to properly bury their dead. Overflowing graves led to the solution of using the underground tunnels to house the bones.

Approximately six million people have been laid to rest underground. Today the bones are neatly stacked, including some designs made from the bones. At some points there are femurs arranged from the floor almost to the ceiling, with rows of skulls in between, or formed into shapes like a cross.

Visiting the Catacombs, it will make you really wonder what their lives were like back then, who they were, and the cause of each death. It is very humbling.

The Catacombs of Paris are extremely popular. It is more expensive, but to skip the line, you will want to buy your ticket in advance . It can also get chilly down there, so bring a light sweater with you. Allow for at least an hour and a half to wander the Catacombs once you are inside.

Lenin Mausoleum – Moscow, Russia

Contributed by De Wet & Jin, Museum of Wander

In the center of the Red Square in Moscow is a somewhat inconspicuous structure which reminds somewhat of a pyramid. But the long line of Russians and tourists is a giveaway that it is one of the most popular  things to do in Moscow .

Inside this step pyramid is where the embalmed body of Vladimir Lenin is on display. Everyone is welcome to visit and pay their respects, or simply come and look at the former Soviet leader for bragging rights.

Visitors to Lenin’s Mausoleum visitors are first searched by military personnel, and bags (and cameras) have to be deposited. There are also a few strictly enforced rules while inside the mausoleum: no talking, hands out of your pockets, no hats and the line must keep moving at all times. Disobey, and a Russian soldier will reprimand you.

The atmosphere as well as the temperature inside the mausoleum is chilling. The line moves quite slowly, so you’ll get a good look at Lenin’s body, which has been on display here for almost a hundred years.

The mausoleum is free to enter and open on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays from 10:00–13:00. Behind the mausoleum is the gravesite of former Soviet ruler, Joseph Stalin, another interesting place to see.

Tianenmen Square – Beijing, China

Dark tourism sites don’t come more secretive than that of one of the world’s biggest massacres in recent history. Tianenmen Square, the public square in China’s capital, Beijing . While most visitors to China will have heard of the Tianenmen Square Massacre, the event is so censored within China that many people don’t know the full extent of it.

In 1989 students led a 6 week long protest after the death of a pro-reform official from the Communist Party of China. The fear was that the country would fall into economic decline and that the corruption in place would become worse. As the protests continued the military were brought in and things quickly got out of hand.

There are varying reports of anywhere from 300-3000 deaths of the tens of thousands of people who protested. While the square is peaceful now, there is always a high security presence as well as airport-style check points.

The square is used for many important national celebrations and Chairman Mao Zedong announced the founding of the People’s Republic of China here in 1949. His embalmed body is now on display in a mausoleum at the square.

Other than that there’s not a lot happening in the square now. However, the Imperial Palace (also known as the Forbidden City) is across from Tianenmen and is an impressive place to visit.

Bodie ghost town, California USA

Contributed by Olivia from Girl With Blue Sails

Bodie State Historic Park, once a booming California gold town, is now a notorious ghost town. It sits in a memorialized state of “arrested decay” with dilapidated buildings preserved in their state of abandonment from the late 1800’s. Walking down the dusty, dirt roads of Bodie invokes a bit of a dark appreciation and wonder about what happened to the people that lived here. 

Visitors can walk through the main streets of the town, seeing the various houses, stores, and saloons. Canned goods still on store shelves, original newspapers in the buildings, and old wooden pews still in the church. There are old forgotten cars in the grass, rusting and being overgrown by nature.  

Bodie is most popular with history buffs, photographers, and those who love to visit dark tourism sites. Plan your trip to Bodie in the morning to avoid the peak desert heat. While walking through Bodie can be a grim experience, it also provides a unique and realistic glimpse of 1800s California mining life.  

Choeung Ek Killing Fields – Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Contributed by Tasha Amy from Backpackers Wanderlust

The Killing Fields, also known as Choeung Ek Geocidal Centre, is located just a short 17 kilometer journey from Phnom Penh city center . This closeness is important considering the horrible events which occurred here between 1975 and 1979.

During this period, Cambodia was run by the Khmer Rouge Regime communist party who arrested and executed anyone they saw as a threat. This included people with education, opposing beliefs, or anyone who stood up for what was right.

Quite a few foreigners even got executed after accidentally stumbling upon Cambodia during this period. Children were trained as soldiers and those who were disobedient were killed. For a greater understanding of life under the direction of the Khmer Rouge and Pol Pot watch the film First They Killed My Father .

The Killing Fields outside of Phnom Penh is just one of many locations across the country. Though this one is the most known due to the fact of the horrible acts performed here.

You can book a tour or visit by tuk tuk. The tuk tuk ride for the day should cost you around $12.00. Once at the Killing Fields make sure you hire the audio guide for the stories of those who lived through these events.

Nazi Rally Grounds – Nuremberg, Germany

Contributed by LeAnna from Wander In Germany

It’s no secret that Germany is riddled with a dark, difficult, and oppressing past.  However, decades after WWII, the country does a phenomenal job of walking the fine line between erasing the atrocities and showing respect as well as raising awareness of exactly just what happened. 

One such place is the unfinished Nazi Rally Grounds in  Nuremberg . These huge grounds were Hitler’s vision for an enormous epi-center and headquarters for the Third Reich. 

Walking around the lake at the site, it’s almost easy to not realize exactly what you are standing on. However, on the grounds is the Nazi Dokumentation Zentrum. Here you can see all the blueprints and plans for the grand scheme Hitler envisioned. It makes walking the grounds that much more realistic. 

The museum does an exceptional job of showing exactly how a man with such polarizing, disgusting, racist views could enchant not only an entire nation, but take over much of Europe.  

While in Germany, doing any sort of Nazi salute or tribute in public is illegal.  Therefore, this site is not flocked to by Neo Nazis, but instead is seen as a place of learning from the past. 

Guanajuato Mummy Museum – Mexico

Contributed by Shelley from Travel Mexico Solo

The Museo de las Momias (Museum of the Mummies) is one of the most popular places to visit, and  best things to do in Guanajuato City, Mexico . 

One of the most famous of Mexico’s dark tourism sites has about 100 mummified human bodies on display, in both glass cases and in the open. Most of the bodies are from older adults, but the museum also claims to have the “world’s smallest mummy” of an approximately nine-month-old child.

While not for everyone, it is the most visited place in Guanajuato City . When visiting, you’ll notice Mexican families with children of all ages. In Mexico, death is a much less taboo subject than in other countries — evidenced by annual festivals like Día de Muretos (Day of the Dead).

The story of the mummies is as fascinating (and bizarre) as seeing them in person. Between 1865-1958, Guanajuato’s government decided to start collecting a “grave tax” on buried bodies. If left unpaid by the living relatives for three years, the body was exhumed.

Located in arid Central Mexico, Guanajuato has extremely dry soil and the bodies came out of the ground incredibly well preserved. When the government ended the grave tax in 1958, they had so many mummified bodies that they created this museum.

House of Terror – Budapest, Hungary

Contributed by Marco from Nomadic Fire

Budapest is popular with both tourists and expats for stunning architecture, gorgeous scenery along the Danube river, and affordable cost of living . The city is also home to the infamous museum: the House of Terror.

This museum juxtaposes two of the cruelest regimes of the 20th century: Nazi Germany and Soviet Russia. Fittingly located in a building that was once the headquarters of both the Nazi and Communist secret police, the museum is an important reminder of both the crimes perpetrated by those regimes and their victims’ courage and resistance. 

Stepping into the House of Terror transports visitors back to a terrifying time in Europe’s history. The museum’s artifacts include personal items confiscated by the secret police. It also tells stories such as a family’s desperate attempt to hide a young boy and baby girl from the Nazis during the Holocaust. Although now a museum, many rooms remain exactly as they were when the headquarters were operational. This includes prison cells, rooms filled with torture devices, and a guillotine scale model.

You can spend anywhere from 45 minutes to a few hours wandering around this well-curated museum. Through exhibits of movie posters, photos, and re-created scenes.

9/11 Memorial and Museum – New York City, USA

One of the most emotional activities on a trip to New York is visiting the 9/11 museum. Built below the original location of the Twin Towers, the World Trade Center site of the 2001 disaster. Entering the museum from the street level, you descend past the twisted metal remains of the massive steel beams that once held the tower up.

The museum is a somber place which stirs up a lot of raw feelings from anyone who visits. It guides you on a journey from the history of the WTC towers to a timeline of the events of that morning.

With witness testimonials, photographs and messages left by those who didn’t make it, the museum is very hard to experience. But the exhibits also talk about what has happened since, what they have learned and why this site is so important. Outdoors, the footprints of the original towers have now been turned into two giant pools. The name of every single victim is engraved around them.

Did you know that white roses are placed at the name of any victim whose birthday it would have been that day? As dark tourism sites go, this one is especially somber given how recently the event took place. But it’s well worth a visit if you’re in New York .

Imperial Crypt – Vienna, Austria

Contributed by Martina & Jürgen from PlacesofJuma

A really cool spot and interesting dark tourism site not to be missed on any visit to Vienna is the Imperial Crypt. It is a real insider tip among  Vienna’s best attractions  and a visit is an eerie experience.

The Imperial Crypt is the final resting place of many of the most famous Habsburgs from Europe. Hidden under the Capuchin Church, it can be visited on a guided tour daily from 10:00 to 18:00.

The crypt is the final resting place of 150 members of the Habsburgs. Among the most famous are Emperor Franz Joseph I, Empress Sisi and Crown Prince Rudolf and Maria Theresa. Walking through the ten dark rooms of the imperial crypt, you travel through a 400-year-long stylistic epoch. You’ll see richly decorated coffins are sometimes even adorned with skulls.

The Habsburgs were preoccupied with their death and therefore had the sarcophagus made according to their wishes. Why not take a tour where you will get lots of information about the funeral rituals?

Auschwitz Concentration Camp – Poland

Contributed by Sean from LivingOutLau

Auschwitz is arguably one of the most tragic sites in the entire world. It was the largest of many German Nazi concentration camp and extermination center in World War II. Over 1.1 million men, women, and children, mostly Jews, lost their lives here. The collective genocide of WWII, known as the Holocaust, is one of the most horrific events in human history.

The Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum is now a site where visitors can learn more about how the events unfolded, living conditions, defenses that were set up to prevent the captives from escaping and more.

Auschwitz is more than just a popular attraction in Poland; it is a place where visitors can understand human nature. Auschwitz is the standing testimony of the terror that humans can do to each other. It warns out what happens when an ethnic group is dehumanized. A visit to Auschwitz is solemn and eye-opening.

The best way to visit Auschwitz is to take a tour from Krakow , the nearest touristy city from Auschwitz. As part of your Krakow itinerary , don’t forget to book your tour as early as possible. There are multiple languages you can choose to have the tour in and the English-speaking tours are always the first ones to run out!

Visiting popular dark tourism sites

There’s no denying that visiting many of these dark tourism sites around the world is uncomfortable. The atrocities that happened there or the stories they tell are often unfathomable. But dark tourism sites are just as important as any museum or regular attraction.

Whether or not you want to visit any (or all) of the sites on this post, you have to agree that they are truly fascinating. As long as you have good reasons for wanting to visit, and a respectful attitude towards them you will be welcomed.

If you’ve enjoyed reading this post leave a comment or share using the social media buttons below. Which of these dark tourism sites are you most interested in visiting to learn more about?

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37 thoughts on “20 Unique Dark Tourism Sites Around The World”

I really appreciate this post and how you emphasized that respect is key. I so agree! I think visiting these places can be very powerful and very educational. I’ve visited four on this list, as well as a few others not mentioned, and am so grateful for those experiences to learn more and witness humanity’s dark history.

Absolutely love the unique concept of this post. I especially appreciated how you included the section on mindfulness and respect. Hope to pay many of these places a visit.

this was a great post… and while these sites aren’t for everyone, i think it’s important to connect with ‘dark’ parts of the past, so we don’t repeat those same mistakes.

It is very rare to come across such posts. I absolutely loved the concept. Keep up the awesome work.

This is such an interesting guide! I have been to a few of these places and I’ve also visited some older prisons around the world that have a dark past to them. I definitely have to visit some of these in the future. Especially the ones in Europe!

This is one of the most unique posts I’ve seen in a while! I honestly haven’t been to most of the places on this list, but I’m bookmarking it for later.

I have visited a number if these sites but never heard of the them, ‘dark tourism’ before. I can understand how the term has come about. I always leave these sites very reflective. There’s no denying they have an enormous impact on me. I have pinned the post because, in my opinion, ‘dark tourisn’ is an important aspect of world travel.

I have been to a few of them and wrote about the profound realizations I went through. Thanks for sharing a thought-provoking post.

I love how you mentioned the importance of respect when visiting these places. These places really make you think! It’s important to not forget the ‘dark’ parts of history so it doesn’t happen again.

I definitely find places that would class as ‘dark tourism’ interesting. Although to be fair, we very rarely remember the ‘good’ and ‘peaceful parts of history so I think most places could be considered ‘dark’ in one way or another! I’ve only visited Alcatraz from the places on this list but it was definitely a fascinating place and I’d love to go back. I’d like to visit the catacombs in Paris too. There’s also a lot on this list that I haven’t heard of before but I’d definitely love to check them out. Thanks for the great guide!

This list is very important given the history of these places! It’s also interesting to note the different feelings at each of them. I haven’t been to every single one, but Auschwitz, Alcatraz, 9/11, the House of Terror, Catacombs, and Gravensteen Castle (wow, I didn’t realize how many I had been to) but all of them were so uniquely dark. I think Auschwitz was my most striking and moving, though.

This is such an interesting post. It’s so heartbreaking to read through some of the dark things that have happened around the world. I believe it’s important that we visit these places to pay our respects and remember the people whose lives were drastically impacted by these places. I appreciated how you emphasized the importance of showing respect at these places. Thank you for sharing this post!

You can learn so much at these dark tourism sites. The 911 memorial has moved me to tears. I’m not sure I could visit the mummy museum.

I’ve been to Alcatraz and the Catacombs, but it was interesting to discover some new ideas from this list. And yes, mindfulness and respect are so important, particularly for several entries on the list.

As a historian I’m interested in visiting these sites, although we’ve skipped them the last years, since we found our son to young for them. I’ve been to 2 of the sites mentioned.

What a great list of dark tourism places to visit! I’ve been to many of these such as Alcatraz, Bodie, Ghent and 9/11 memorial. I’d love to visit Chernobyl and the catacombs in Paris.

What an interesting article and list of places to visit. I’ve visited a few on this list and I agree with you, visiting these places can be very educational, but we need to be respectful.

What a great post. Yes, I have been to a few of these dark tourist sites and am now adding a few more to my bucket list.

What an utterly informative and sobering post. I visited the Killing Fields in Cambodia back in 2013 but today still hold it so close to my heart.

Lenin’s Mausoleum was a surreal experience to say the least. No stopping, no taking photos, only getting a quick glance at Lenin before being ushered out. Auschwitz was another one that was really eye opening for me and a unique although sad experience.

What a fascinating post! I have never visited any of those sites other than the World Trade Center site in NYC. I would be interested in seeing several of them. sites like that are so educational and bring history to the forefront.

Thank you for this important post. I think sites of dark tourism are important for exposing atrocities of the past for many reasons. They allow us to pay tribute to those who have suffered, but more importantly, hopefully they instil in visitors the importance of playing a role in ensuring that history isn’t repeated.

I’m not sure that ‘penal tourism’ (sites such as Alcatraz and Eastern State Penitentiary) need to be included in the category of ‘dark tourism.’ My visits to S-21 and Cheoung Ek in Cambodia can’t be equated to the failings of a penal system. My visits to the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam, Dachau in Germany, or Auschwitz in Poland can’t be compared to Alcatraz.

‘Dark tourism’ and ‘penal tourism’ are important, but… separate.

Thank you for bringing attention to this issue.

that’s a fair point, and I’m in no way comparing one of these places to another, but understand that many people also have different levels of comfort in where they might want to visit so wanted to include a wide range of places. There are certain sites (like the ones you mentioned) that are always going to be the worst of the worst with regards to history. Thanks for reading

Very cool article! Haven’t seen many like this one. I’m actually in Tasmania right now!!

I have not done a lot of tourist type things alone, but one was Alcatraz. Fascinating experience walking that prison by myself and the audio tour.

I love this! I really want to try dark tourism after I saw “Dark Tourist” on Netflix! I totally agree with you, visiting these sites is very educational and an eye opener. And yes, respect is the key. It applies to everywhere we go! I will definitely save this for my future travels! 🙂

This is an interesting list. We’ve visited some already – like the catacombs in Paris. And some – like Tschernobyl are on our bucketlist!

Great compilation! There are so many places to go for dark tourism. And I know I can’t brave to most of them. I guess I can do it with museums. Opss how I missed the Crypt museum in Vienna!

What an interesting and informative article. I’ve been to a few of these sites, as well as a few more that didn’t make your list. I think that travelling is learning- and it’s important to visit places such as these to honour, respect and learn from our past.

In a way, I am really into some aspects of dark tourism, I love things that are creepy or have a ghost story behind it. I did find a few spots on this list that interest me such as the castle in Belgium. Looks beautiful and with an interesting story!

Dark tourism is no doubt not everyone’s cuppa tea. Travel ushers understanding and these sites may serve as monuments that will remind humanity about life itself and not taking the same dark path twice.

Great post Emma, I love visiting places like these (or, in some cases, “love” would definitely not be the appropriate word, but I think they’re important to visit). The hardest place I’ve ever visited is the Killing Fields in Cambodia. Horrendous. The genocide museum in Sarajevo in Bosnia was hard-hitting too. I’d be really interested to visit that KGB museum in Latvia!

Very good topic and original. i agree in most of the places listed, indeed most of them are scenario of some of the darkest moments of humanitty. I have only one thing that I don’t understand by you choose to put Lenin Mausoleum? Independently of the personal believes of rach one, Lenin led the biggest and most sucessul revolution in history . Poeple can like it more or less but I don’t how his resting place is part of dark tourist places….If would be Stalin inside ok, but this one i don’t get it. Great work overall, I am argentinian and I really appreciate that you brought-up the story of Potosi…. Well done! Looking forward for your next post!

Thanks for reading. For this one it’s also more about the fact that you can visit the body of Lenin and that it is on display as dark tourism is focused around often morbid places. There are a few countries that have former leaders on display – Ho Chi Minh in Vietnam, Chairman Mao in China – and I think the idea of visiting one of these places to see an embalmed body on display is a little dark in itself

Got your point! You know that is the same guy who embalmed Lenin and Ho Chi Minh? 😁

Great post! Especially seeing these are all easily accessible, no trespassing required. I have only been to a few, but I really recommend the Nuremberg Ralley Ground and the adjacent museum. Few people visit, and it is quite eerie. Also, the 1936 Olympic Village in Berlin which is similar architecture to Nuremberg rallye grounds, it was really abandoned a few years ago, I think more touristic now.

Have definitely been to a few dark tourist sites but Chernobyl has been on my list for ages now!

One of the most eye opening museums was the Anne Frank in Amsterdam but definitely want to keep visiting some new ones.

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10 Haunting Dark Tourism Destinations From Around the World

Eerie but still fascinating, these dark tourism spots are definitely off the beaten path, yet could still be worth visiting (if you don’t mind the macabre).

While some people go on vacation for a little rest and relaxation, others prefer to travel to destinations that are primarily associated with the morbid and the macabre.

The practice, which is known as dark tourism , involves visiting locations with a lot of notoriety because they’re largely associated with death , devastation, and unspeakable acts against humanity.

“It’s not a new phenomenon,” J. John Lennon, a professor of tourism at Glasgow Caledonian University told The Washington Post in 2019. “There’s evidence that dark tourism goes back to the Battle of Waterloo where people watched from their carriages [as] the battle [took] place.” Lennon and his colleague Malcolm Foley are credited with coining the term dark tourism in 1996, and together they wrote the book Dark Tourism: The Attraction to Death and Disaster .

In recent years, foot traffic to Civil War battlefields and places like Auschwitz have even been on the rise, perhaps because tourists want to better understand some of history’s most tragic chapters. Below are some of the most well-known dark tourism destinations from around the world.

1. The Ruins of Pompeii // Pompeii, Italy

In the fall of 79 CE, Mount Vesuvius erupted with the force of 100,000 atom bombs, releasing toxic gas, ash, and other volcanic debris into the air. It subsequently wiped out the nearby cities of Herculaneum and Pompeii . Nearly 2000 years later, the ruins of Pompeii , as part of Vesuvius National Park, have become one of Italy’s most frequented tourist attractions, in large part due to the volcanic ash deposits that completely coated and preserved the ancient city.

There are a number of guided tours and excursions that take tourists to historical sites around the ruins that are still frozen in time, such as Pompeii Archaeological Park, The Forum, Teatro Grande, and more. 

2. Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum // Oświęcim, Poland

One of the most harrowing places on the planet to visit is the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum , which opened in 1947 in Oświęcim, Poland. Auschwitz was the largest Nazi concentration camp during World War II (an estimated 1.3 million people were sent there before 1945); it was also the site of a mass genocide where more than 1.1 million people—including over 960,000 Jewish people—were murdered or died due to illnesses like typhus , tuberculosis, and dysentery. Poor sanitary conditions also led to issues like scabies, and many prisoners suffered from boils, rashes, and abscesses that were largely caused by vitamin deficiencies.

Today, Auschwitz is a memorial and museum that’s dedicated to history, education, and remembrance of the atrocities inflicted on fellow humans.

3. National September 11 Memorial & Museum // New York City, New York

Ever since the terrorist attacks that destroyed the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, people from around the world have flocked to New York City’s Financial District to pay their respects to the nearly 3000 lives lost at Ground Zero. 

In fact, according to a 2022 survey by Passport Photo Online, Ground Zero is one of the most popular dark tourism destinations in the world. The National September 11 Memorial and Museum , which opened in 2014, features twin reflecting pools containing the largest man-made waterfalls in North America where the Twin Towers once stood. The names of every victim are engraved in bronze panels surrounding each acre-sized pools. The museum itself has artifacts on display, personal stories , special exhibitions, and more. There are also exhibits focused the World Trade Center bombing that happened on February 26, 1993.

4. The Killing Fields of Choeung Ek // Phnom Penh, Cambodia

From 1974 to 1979, the Khmer Rouge regime murdered more than 1 million political prisoners in Cambodia (about one-fourth of the country’s total population), burying the bodies in mass graves known as “killing fields.” The largest of the killing fields was Choeung Ek, located on the outskirts of Phnom Penh. The site was an orchard and Chinese cemetery before the Khmer Rouge used it for widespread massacres.

In 1980, after the regime was overthrown, the remains of nearly 9000 people were exhumed from the mass graves surrounding Choeung Ek (although some graves were left untouched ). Roughly 8000 skulls that were taken from those graves are now on display behind glass panels at the Choeung Ek memorial stupa, a Buddhist-style structure which was erected in 1988 to remember the victims who were lost.

In 2019, more than 250,000 visitors—a mix of international travelers and Cambodians— explored the site ; prior to the COVID-19 epidemic, approximately 300 to 600 guests visited daily. Attendance rates sharply declined after 2020 because it was closed, but in 2022, more than 45,000 foreign guests and over 21,000 Cambodians visited. In addition, the Choeung Ek Genocidal Center is a focal point every year during Cambodia’s National Day of Remembrance, which is observed on May 20.

5. Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum // Hiroshima, Japan

Since it opened in August 1955, the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum in Hiroshima, Japan, has been dedicated to preserving stories, photos, and other artifacts that convey the unimaginable terror and loss of life that the city endured after being on the receiving end of the world’s first atomic bomb strike on August 6, 1945. (The U.S., in case you missed it in your history classes, was responsible for dropping the bomb .)

The museum reportedly gets around 1 million visitors every year and is a very popular choice for school field trips within the country. Inside you’ll find victim testimonials and exhibits depicting the horrors of war and the destructive nature of nuclear weapons. As the museum explains , “Each of the items displayed embodies the grief, anger, or pain of real people. Having now recovered from the A-bomb calamity, Hiroshima’s deepest wish is the elimination of all nuclear weapons and the realization of a genuinely peaceful international community.”

6. Murambi Genocide Memorial Centre // Murambi, Rwanda

Formerly a technical college, the Murambi Genocide Memorial Centre in southern Rwanda is one of the grimmest places for dark tourism. While the destination itself is picturesque (complete with rolling countryside hills and other scenic views), it was also the site of a brutal 1994 massacre which claimed approximately 50,000 lives during the Rwandan Civil War.

Approximately 65,000 refugees from the Tutsi minority community had fled to the technical college after being told by authorities that they would be safe there . Instead, they were confined without food or water, and subsequently massacred by a government-backed Hutu militia. Only 34 people are believed to have survived the carnage that ensued.

Throughout the 100-day period now known as the Rwandan genocide , Hutu militias collectively murdered upwards of 800,000 civilians, many of whom were Tutsis. The Murambi Genocide Memorial Centre, which opened in April 1995, is now one of six National Genocide Memorial Sites within the country. More than 800 mummified corpses and preserved skeletons are on display in Murambi, to serve as a reminder of the horrific darkness and gruesomeness of the genocide, and to honor those who were victimized.

7. The Catacombs of Paris // Paris, France

During the 18th century, Paris had a big public health problem on its hands: Local cemeteries were overcrowded and improper disposal of corpses was fueling the spread of disease. In response, the city decided to convert its subterranean Lutetian limestone quarries into sprawling underground ossuaries.

Located about 65 feet below the City of Light’s streets, the Les Catacombes de Paris (a.k.a. the Catacombs of Paris ) house the remains of more than 6 million late Parisians. Today, visitors can take guided tours and learn about its unique history, all while viewing the millions of human skulls and bones that line the walls of the cavernous space.

8. Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary // Alcatraz Island in San Francisco Bay, California

It might come as a surprise, but one of San Francisco ’s most popular tourist attractions is technically located in San Francisco Bay, on Alcatraz Island. Better known to some as “The Rock,” Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary was a former maximum-security federal prison that closed down in 1963. But before it did, it hosted some pretty infamous inmates , including Al Capone , George “Machine Gun” Kelly, James “Whitey” Bulger, and others.

Over the decades, Alcatraz has been immortalized in pop culture through music and movies. It’s also considered a U.S. National Park now and has over 1.5 million visitors annually. Tourists can take guided walks around the main cell-house, dining hall, lighthouse, and other locations around the grounds.

9. Cape Coast Castle // Cape Coast, Ghana

Originally built for the Swedish Africa Company in 1653 for the purposes of trading gold and timber, Ghana’s Cape Coast Castle later became an integral part of the Atlantic slave trade. Famously, one of the doors at the slave-trade outpost was known as the “ Door of no Return .” Many believe that captive Africans were led through it to ships that were about to embark on the Middle Passage , and were never seen or heard from again. (However, some have recently speculated that the door may not have been linked to the slave trade at all, and may have actually been used as a way to dispose of waste by tossing it into the sea.)

During the ‘70s, Cape Coast Castle was converted into a museum and monument, and the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) later named it a World Heritage Site for preservation and protection, as a “cultural and natural heritage around the world considered to be of outstanding value to humanity.” Over the years, it has become a major tourist attraction for some Black Americans (including former President Barack Obama ) looking to reconnect with their roots.

10. Chernobyl // Pripyat, Ukraine

On April 26, 1986, nuclear reactor number four at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Pripyat, Ukraine exploded, leaving the area uninhabitable and in ruins. Although it’s currently unsafe to visit due to the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian War, the site of the world’s worst nuclear disaster has been a favored destination for dark tourism since 2011 , when the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone opened up for visits.

Pripyat has since become a ghost town with abandoned schools, hospitals, apartment buildings, and more; there’s also a deserted amusement park with a Ferris wheel and bumper cars. Scientists believe it could take up to 20,000 years for the land to fully recover from the radioactive damage. However, there have been very strict short-term guided tours allowed in the past throughout the exclusion zone. There are a number of very strict safeguards —like wearing restrictive clothing and using a Geiger counter—to prevent radiation poisoning. In 2019, an estimated 200,000 tourists visited the site.

17 Must-Visit Dark Tourism Destinations Around the World

Dark Tourism destinations were once the remit of a select group of travellers. However, after the launch of popular Netflix show Dark Tourist, these attractions have hit the mainstream. 

If you’re interested in the morbid and the macabre, look no further. After making several visits to dark history sites myself, I’ve teamed up with other travellers to bring you this list of dark tourism destinations all around the world. 

Read more: (opens in new tab)

• What is Dark Tourism?
• Are Bolivia’s Mine Tours Ethical?
• Chernobyl Exclusion Zone Photographic Guide

17 Must-Visit Dark Tourism Destinations

1. chernobyl exclusion zone – kyiv, ukraine.

The abandoned amusement park in Pripyat is one of dark tourism’s crowning images. The haunting stills of the fairground that never heard the laughs of children hang in modern consciousness, a symbol of tragic loss and a warning of the mistakes men can make. 

In 1986, the nuclear reactor at the Chernobyl power plant exploded, causing the worst nuclear accident in the world’s history. The effects were huge; people were forced to evacuate their homes and the surrounding areas became a hotbed of radiation. It was predicted that never again in our lifetime, would Chernobyl be inhabited by anything living. 

Surprisingly, the Chernobyl exclusion zone has recovered quicker than was ever predicted. Although there are still risks with spending long periods in the exclusion zone, wild animals have returned and are thriving. Despite its recovery, Chernobyl acts as a very sobering reminder of the damage humanity can do without intention.

2. Sucre Cemetery – Sucre, Bolivia

Sucre Cemetery is an unlikely attraction in Bolivia’s capital. Regularly appearing on tourist maps, it is a peaceful place which attracts visitors who come to see how the Bolivians handle death and all that comes after. 

Also frequently visited by locals, this cemetery is a surprisingly popular spot for catching up with friends, studying and paying homage to the dearly departed. 

Unlike other cemeteries I’d visited, these graves were arranged in a block system above ground. The vast majority of these were carefully maintained and were regularly stocked with gifts for departed loved ones. Small bottles of spirits were a common appearance, alongside slices of cake!

In Bolivia, death is accepted as an inevitability of life. While graveyards ultimately provide a space for burial, they hold a far more important symbolic role in Bolivian culture. Although death is traditionally seen as a dividing force, Sucre Cemetery demonstrates that death can continue to unite us all, long after somebody is gone. 

3. The Poison Garden – Alnwick, England

Home to around 100 toxic and narcotic plants, the Poison Garden is undoubtedly one of the best things to do in Alnwick . This small but deadly garden is home to some of the world’s most dangerous plants and visitors are only allowed to enter on a guided tour. 

Deadly nightshade, cannabis and coca (the plant from which cocaine is derived) are a few examples of the plants housed in the Poison Garden. Visitors are prohibited from touching any of the greenery and there have even been cases of people passing out after smelling the plants!

The tour guides at the Poison Garden are great at explaining the real-life application of the plants using case studies such as Harold Shipman (Doctor Death) and Graham Young (The Teacup Poisoner). The garden also runs tours for local school children, educating them about drug use. 

4. Paneriai Massacre Site – Vilnius, Lithuania

Paneriai is one of Vilnius’ many neighbourhoods. However, it will be forever remembered as the Ponary massacre site. The Einsatzgruppen (Nazi death squads) rounded up groups of Jews from the Vilna Ghetto, took them to Paneriai, executed them and forced other Jewish prisoners to dig mass graves and bury them.

There are six burial sites within the complex, each the site of multiple mass executions. Because so many sets of bodies are stacked on each other, it is impossible to know the exact number of deaths. It is estimated to be around 100,000.

Those brought to Paneriai were burned to death in an attempt to destroy evidence. They were then shovelled into the pits, which today are marked by memorials. Like many of the massacre sites in the Baltics, Paneriai is a forested area. This makes walking around a surreal experience as it is quiet, peaceful and beautiful, a stark contrast to the memorials reminding you that thousands of people were slaughtered there.

Contributed by Cultura Obscura . Follow them on Facebook !

5. St. Nicholas’ Church – Hamburg, Germany

In July 1943, Hamburg was the target of an allied aerial World War Two bombing. The tall spire of St. Nicholas’ Church was used as an orientation marker and the building was almost completely destroyed. All that remained were some external walls, the crypt and most of the tower.

Today, St. Nicholas’ Church stands as a memorial to the victims of WWII. The memorial exhibits in the crypt provide many details of the events leading up to Operation Gomorrah , the air war over Europe. Beautiful sculptures sit inside, illustrating the futility of war and its disastrous consequences. A 51-bell carillon has been installed in the tower and sounds every Thursday at noon.

We visited the church on a walking tour of Hamburg and the experience still haunts me. The vast majority of people in Hamburg during Operation Gomorrah would have been perfectly ordinary citizens going about their daily lives – people just like me.

Contributed by Lesley of Freedom 56 Travel . Follow her on Twitter !

6. Comuna 13 – Medellin, Colombia

Medellin was once the most dangerous city in the world. When infamous drug lord Pablo Escobar controlled the city, crime was extremely high and the locals lived in fear. The neighbourhood of Comuna 13 had direct access to the main highway, making the exportation of drugs, weapons and other illegal goods extremely easy. 

Drug cartels fought over control of the area and as a result, Comuna 13 was a very dangerous place. It was not uncommon to hear gunshots throughout the day and even to see dead bodies piled on the street. With that in mind, it might come as a surprise that Comuna 13 is now one of the most visited neighbourhoods in Medellin. 

Over recent years, a tremendous amount of money has been invested in Comuna 13. A cable car system was installed to link it to the city centre. The resulting increase in tourism has sparked real change for the locals and the neighbourhood has become one of the country’s leading creative hubs.

Contributed by LivingOutLau . Follow him on Instagram ! 

7. Gulag Labour Camps – Karaganda, Kazakhstan

My trip to Kazakhstan left a deep impression on me. While I had heard about the so-called gulags, I did not know that most of them were in Kazakhstan. Stalin deported whole ethnic groups to the remotest corners of the country. This is how during WWII, the Volga Germans ended up in Karaganda .

Stalin wanted to develop the farms and coal mines in Karaganda and set up a network of labour camps to support these projects. Political prisoners and deportees provided the free labour that was necessary.

Even though not much of the labour camps remain, Karaganda is the perfect example of a dark tourist site. There is an excellent Gulag Museum in the former headquarters of the labour camp in Dolinka.

Also nearby, the Ecological Museum covers other dark parts of Soviet history. The museum has an exhibition on the nuclear tests done in Kazakhstan and the debris that falls from the sky from the space program in Baikonur.

Contributed by Ellis of Backpack Adventures. Follow her on Instagram ! 

8. The Eruption of Mount Vesuvius – Pompeii, Italy

Pompeii was a thriving coastal city in Italy that was completely destroyed in 79AD when the neighbouring Mount Vesuvius erupted and covered the city in ash. It is a prime example of what is termed disaster tourism, where tourists visit a location where an environmental disaster has occurred. 

What makes the eruption of Mount Vesuvius more tragic was that the majority of people who died were slaves, who either had no means of escaping or were trapped. When archaeologists began excavating the site, they found several bodies. The ash preserved these bodies which allowed historians to create the human casts we see on site today. 

Seeing these casts in crouching positions while covering their faces, gave me shivers. To get a greater understanding of the site and everything inside of it, I highly suggest finding a good tour guide. This photographic travel guide to Pompeii gives lots more tips for planning a visit. 

Contributed by Natasha of And Then I Met Yoko. Follow Natasha on Instagram !

9. Mary King’s Close – Edinburgh, United Kingdom  

Below the Royal Mile in Edinburgh hides an underground street paved with dark history. Mary King’s Close was alive with residents when the bubonic plague seized the country in 1645. The grievous epidemic turned the once-thriving close into a dreadful place, where its inhabitants suffered a slow and torturous death.

Mary King’s Close was sealed off and used as a foundation for the Royal Exchange in the late 1700s. Years passed and its terrible secrets were left trapped within its dark walls. In the 1990s, the close was rediscovered and opened to the public, allowing people to explore the subterranean streets that once festered with disease. 

The mental image of the street once bustling with life left a lump in my throat – the locals had no idea how many would lose their lives to the Great Plague. Like Mary King’s Close, the entire city of Edinburgh is filled with dark and spooky places so be sure to check out Scotland’s capital if you’re a fan of the macabre.

Contributed by Wandering Crystal. Follow her on Instagram !

10. The Killing Fields and S-21 – Phnom Penh, Cambodia

During the Khmer Rouge genocide in Cambodia, execution, starvation and disease were allowed to flourish, killing an estimated three million people. Led by Pol Pot, the regime attempted to enforce brutal and inhumane policies to push Cambodia into being a classless society.

Phnom Penh and the surrounding area are home to S-21, a political prison used by the regime, and Choeung Ek, the largest of the Killing Fields. Over 12,000 prisoners were held at S-21 during the regime and with only seven known survivors, it’s a place known for unthinkable torture and suffering. The S-21 site now houses the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum where you can learn more about the Cambodian massacre. 

Much like S-21, a tour of the Cambodian Killing Fields can be hard to digest. There is a memorial stupa filled with the skulls of victims and you can still see bone fragments and strips of clothing along the paths. It’s a horrifying place but important to visit to ensure history doesn’t repeat itself.

Contributed by Ben at Horizon Unknown . Follow him on Facebook !

11. Abandoned Ghost Palace – Bali, Indonesia

Located near the village of Bedugul lies an abandoned hotel. Legend has it that in the early 1990s, the hotel began to be constructed by Tommy Suharto, the youngest son of the former Indonesian President. Tommy was later convicted of ordering the assassination of a judge who previously found him guilty of corruption and he subsequently went to prison. The hotel was never completed.

Another theory is that the hotel is haunted by the landlocked souls of labourers who were worked to death during its construction. The hotel, originally named Hotel Pondok Indah Bedugul, isn’t open for visitors but if you hand the guard 10,000 IDR, he’ll let you in to explore. I recommend seeing it as soon as possible because rumours indicate that visitors will no longer be permitted entrance (even with a bribe) because of how dangerous it is.

Contributed by Nat Wanderlust.

12. Auschwitz-Birkenau – Oświęcim, Poland

The “Final Solution to the Jewish Question” was the official code name for the murder of Jews during World War II. At least 1.3 million people were sent to Auschwitz by the Nazis and a shocking 1.1 million people were murdered by the SS, mainly in gas chambers.

Auschwitz-Birkenau is located on two different sites. Auschwitz I comprises brick buildings and the Death Block where people were gassed. Auschwitz II, known as Birkenau, was opened as they could not cope with the scale of death at Auschwitz I. 

On arrival, you’ll see the famous train tracks where people were transported in and either sent to the gas chambers or given labour duty. Once the latter were emaciated, they were gassed and replaced with new prisoners.

I cried in horror seeing the piles of shoes, suitcases and false legs that once belonged to people. Human hair was used to make felt for socks given to the forces in submarines – 293 sacks of hair were found on liberation. Words cannot describe the emotions you’ll have upon seeing this symbol of this horrific dark chapter in our history.

Contributed by Vanessa from Wanders Miles, follow her on Instagram !

13. Day of the Dead – Oaxaca, Mexico  

The Mexican Day of the Dead festival is a darkly uplifting event that occurs each year between October 31st and November 2nd. On these days, family and friends celebrate the lives of loved ones passed. It is widely believed that for three days each year, the veil between this world and the next is especially thin. 

During the Day of the Dead festival, the spirits of the departed return to provide counsel to their living family members and friends. Much of the reunion is celebrated within the cemetery, where graves are cleaned and decorated for the occasion. On certain dates, families spend the whole night in the cemetery eating sugar skull sweets, drinking alcohol and playing music. 

UNESCO recognises ‘Dia de Los Muertos’ as being ‘ Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity ’. Experiencing the Day of the Dead is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity; especially in Oaxaca where visiting graves is commonplace. Prepare for everything you have ever thought about death to be challenged.

Contributed by Castaway With Crystal. Follow her on Instagram! 

14. Red Terror Martyrs’ Museum – Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

The military junta who took power after Ethiopia’s Emperor Haile Selassie was ousted were known as the Derg. After prolonged internal wranglings, Mengistu, a soldier from the ranks, emerged as their leader and the dictator of Ethiopia.

Within a couple of years, the Derg had created terror among ordinary Ethiopians, tens of thousands of whom had been imprisoned without trial and tortured, or worse, executed. The term ‘Red Terror’ comes from Mengistu’s famous speech when he smashed a bottle of blood to illustrate the killings to come. His regime is estimated to be responsible for the deaths of between 1.2 and 2 million Ethiopians.

Today, the horrors of Mengistu’s regime are remembered in the Red Terror Martyrs’ Museum in Addis Ababa . Opened in 2010, this small museum teaches about the atrocities of the regime. Photos of victims cover the walls alongside displays of human remains recovered from mass graves. We came away from the Martyrs’ Museum appalled by man’s inhumanity to man.

Contributed by Andrea of Happy Days Travel Blog. Follow her on Facebook ! 

15. Constitution Hill – Johannesburg, South Africa

Constitution Hill is now a living museum which tells the story of South Africa’s journey to democracy. It’s hard to comprehend that people like Nelson Mandela and Mahatma Gandhi served time here in the 1960s and that the prison was still operational until 1982.

There are several sites that you can visit at Constitution Hill. The Old Fort is where white male prisoners were housed. Although the cells were overcrowded and unhygienic, the rooms are larger than those of the black prisoners. They were held in Block number 4. There was very little daylight and as I stepped inside, I was terrified that someone would shut the cell door behind me.

There’s also the Awaiting Trial Block. The block was demolished and the bricks were used to build South Africa’s new Constitutional Court. Thankfully this court serves to uphold the rights of all South Africans, regardless of colour, but the bricks are a poignant reminder of its troubled past.

Contributed by Fiona of Passport and Piano . Follow her on Facebook !

16. Shanghai Tunnels – Portland, USA

In a city known for the slogan ‘ Keep Portland Weird ,’ the Shanghai Tunnels fit right in. It’s believed that from 1850 until 1941, men in Portland, Oregon, were regularly kidnapped and sold to ship captains as labourers. During this period, there was a shortage of labour available for the city’s booming shipping industry and this created a black market. 

To capture these men, underground tunnels originally built to move inventory between businesses were repurposed for illicit use. Trapdoors were even installed in some of the local bars so that drunk men would drop into the tunnel below.

Today, tours of these tunnels are offered daily by a non-profit organisation, Shanghai Tunnels/Portland Underground. All tour participants are advised to be prepared for spending an hour in a confined space. While the nature of the tour is sad and tragic, it’s an important part of Portland’s history.

Contributed by Wendy of Empty Nesters Hit the Road. Follow her on Facebook !

17. Brno Ossuary – Brno, Czech Republic

Of the attractions in Brno , several of them could be classed as dark tourism attractions. The one that moved me the most, though, was the ossuary underneath the St. James Church.

Surrounding this church, which is known as the ‘Kostnice u sv. Jakuba’ in Czech, was one of the main churchyard cemeteries in Brno. Eventually, as the city grew, there was no room left for new burials so a grave rotation system was adopted. 

When a burial took place, the body was left in the grave for between 10 to 12 years. After that, the bones were taken out to make room for the next burial. The displaced remains were then relocated to the ossuary, where bones from thousands of graves were piled up.

It’s estimated that Brno Ossuary holds the bones of more than 50,000 people, which makes it the second-largest ossuary in Europe; only second to the Paris catacombs. The mortal remains laid to rest here include victims of the Swedish siege of Brno and the Thirty Years’ War, as well as many victims of plague and cholera epidemics.

Contributed by Wendy of The Nomadic Vegan. Follow her on Instagram ! 

Do you have any dark tourism examples to share? Let us know in the comments!

9 thoughts on “17 Must-Visit Dark Tourism Destinations Around the World”

Comuna 13 is spellt with only 1 -m-.

I wonder why choose the cemetery in Sucre, when so many others are more characteristic (eg. Père Lachaise in Paris) or even ‘livelier’ (eg. in Santiago de Chile).

Interesting & important topic though. I’m in the process of rewriting an article about the mines of Potosi. That is one dark tourism destination I strongly oppose, for one simple reason; people are still dying in there.

Thanks for the heads up Anthony! 🙂

I chose the cemetery in Sucre because it was a little bit off the beaten track – I like visiting the lesser known places as well as the more famous ones.

I can understand your point about the mines of Potosí and can see why you disagree with it. I must say though, from my own personal experience, I found my visit to be hugely enlightening. I was initially very torn about the idea of visiting an active mine but in the end, we chose a company run by an ex-miner who took us into the mine personally. In my opinion, our visit never felt voyeuristic at all and the miners seemed very grateful for the tourists visiting. A percentage of the tour cost went directly into the funding the healthcare of the miners when needed and also towards maintenance of the mine.

Such a great and informative post, Sheree! There were so many sites here that I was not even aware of – that is why sharing posts about dark tourist sites is so important! It really helps educate the world and helps us honour the past and the lives that were lost at some of these sites.

Like you, I am a huge fan of cemeteries. It is so wonderful that some countries treat death as a natural normal part of life (unlike some of our countries!). It really helps people remember happy memories of their loved ones they recently lost.

Thanks so much for being a part of it Crystal! I also learnt about loads of new dark tourism sites – it has definitely been an eduction as there was plenty of these I had never even heard of. It is definitely important to make sure the stories behind these places get told.

Thank you for including us in this fantastic collab!

I love how varied these sites are, and that you’ve included a lot of lesser know dark tourism destinations mixed in with some of the big ones. Even as professional dark tourists (that’s a thing, right?), we hadn’t heard of all of these places. The Shanghai Tunnels were completely new to me, but definitely want to head to Portland now.

I’m also a little embarrassed to admit that despite being to Hamburg MANY times, I was not aware of the St. Nicholas’ Church. I blame that on the fact that I was visiting a friend and not really touristing…

Awesome post everyone! I think it is really important for people to visit at least one of these in their lifetime. I think we are jaded from the major events that happened to our world and it’s people when we are told the stories. To see the places in real life, it puts life into perspective and how crazy life can be if we don’t fight for what is right.

I couldn’t agree more. Even though visiting these kinds of places is hard, I still think it is really important to help us realise the human effect of what we see on the television. As you said, it is only once you truly understand the devastation that you realise the importance of fighting for the right things.

Great article . I’ve been to a lot of places around the world and haven’t even heard of some of these .

Thanks Jennifer! I’ve certainly added a lot of places to my future visit list!

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Top 10 dark tourism destinations (including WUHAN!)

The top dark tourism destinations in the world are macabre and sorrowful. Yet, this attract millions of tourists each year.

What?! Hang on a minute, I thought holidays were supposed to be fun ? Well, it turns out that as our needs and desires change as tourists , we are seeking more unusual, authentic, cultural and educational experiences as part of our overall tourist experience. No, the vast majority of people are not laughing and joking as they walk around cemeteries or former death sites. Instead, they are gaining and insightful and valuable experience.

But what is dark tourism all about? And what are the top dark tourism destinations? Read on to find out…

What is dark tourism?

#1 wuhan, china, #2 chernobyl, ukraine, #3 fukushima, japan, #4 auschwitz concentration camps, poland, #5 sedlec ossuary, czechia, #6 oradour-sur-glane, france, #7 aokigahara suicide forest, japan, #8 volcano creeks in pompeii, italy, #9 killing fields, cambodia, #10 robben island, south africa, dark tourism destinations: further reading.

Dark tourism , also known as black tourism, thanatourism or grief tourism, is tourism that is associated with death or tragedy. It is a type of niche tourism .

The act of dark tourism is somewhat controversial, with some viewing it as an act of respect and others as unethical practice. At the same time, many have argued that the best way to understand history is to see it for yourself- and dark tourism attractions do just this.

Dark tourism attractions can be world-famous, such as Auschwitz, Chernobyl and Ground Zero. Dark tourism can also occur in places that are less well known, such as small cemeteries, zombie-themed events or historical museums.

Dark tourism attractions allow us to able to emotionally absorb ourselves in a place of tragedy. This is an excellent facilitator of educational tourism and cultural tourism . By visiting dark tourism sites, we are able to give ourselves time to reflect on history.

Dark tourism takes many different shapes and forms. Some types of dark tourism are extreme and serious (e.g. visiting a concentration camp), whilst others are of a more light-hearted nature (e.g. a zombie-themed running race). To learn more about the dark tourism spectrum and the different types of dark tourism, head on over to my article dark tourism explained .

The top 10 dark tourism destinations in the world

OK, so now we understand what dark tourism is, lets take a look at the top dark tourism destinations in the world…

When it comes to new dark tourism destinations, Wuhan is set to top the list.

If you haven’t heard of this somewhat uninspiring Chinese city, then you must have spent 2020 living under a rock! Wuhan was the birthplace of the Coronavirus outbreak…. and apparently it holds plenty of fascination for travellers from across the globe….

Motivated by curiosity and a desire to visit a city that was unwillingly thrust into a global spotlight, tourists and avid travellers have been quick to express their Wuhan desires on social media. People are keen to see for themselves the impact that Covid has had on the city.

Quoted in Vice , Beijing resident Niu Chen said of her September 2020 trip to Wuhan: “I wanted to know more about what was going on and to see it firsthand […] To get a sense of how things were and how people are living their lives now, as well as to look back on what happened.”

Many people see a trip to Wuhan as a way to learn about the pandemic and the way it has changed the world as we know it. Whilst this fascination is yet to be put into practice in large numbers, I foresee an influx of tourists in the coming years.

Personally, I find this one a little scary still, but evidently not everyone shares my apprehension. The Chernobyl disaster site welcomes thousands of tourists each year, despite ongoing radiation concerns.

So what happened at Chernobyl?

The Chernobyl disaster of April 1986 was one that rocked the entire world, and still impacts local residents to this day. It is considered the worst nuclear disaster in history.

The Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant is located near the city of Pripyat in the north of what was then the Ukrainian SSR. This area is now a ghost town, but one that attracts curious tourists every single year.

Being that it is one of the most well-known disasters to have ever happened, people are keen to see where the events unfolded….

Read more: Chernobyl – 2019 Sky Atlantic Drama [DVD]

Visitors must apply for a day pass at least 10 days in advance, and these are only available through certain established tour operators ; you’ll need to show your passport and this permit at various checkpoints at Chernobyl.

Tour operators have professional monitoring equipment with them throughout the tour, meaning they can gauge how much radiation guests are being exposed to; it is safe to visit Chernobyl, but it is recommended that you wear throwaway overalls. 

A trip to Chernobyl feels dystopian. It’s like getting a glimpse into the apocalypse, and this is a huge draw for a lot of people.

Regardless, the Chernobyl disaster is fascinating to most people – and the 2019 HBO dramatisation has definitely piqued a lot of peoples’ interest in one of the world’s most popular dark tourism destinations.

The only other nuclear disaster to be labelled as a level 7 on the International Nuclear Event Scale was the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster.

Similarly to its Ukrainian counterpart, the location of this nuclear accident is one of the world’s leading dark tourism destinations. Caused by the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, this nuclear disaster caused 18 injuries and one indirect death. 

A visit to Fukushima can again only be arranged with a tour company. Real Fukushima offer an unbiased look at the disaster and the recovery efforts. This is thanks to permission from the Fukushima Prefectural Government. You can enter the red zone, and see the impact of the disaster. From abandoned cars to bags of contaminated soil, there is plenty to see here.

You can also visit the abandoned town centre of Okuma. It once had a population of 11,000 and now lies empty and semi-destroyed: shops with stock still hanging from rails, a street frozen in time. The tour shows visitors how the earthquake and subsequent nuclear disaster affected the area, and how the local people are trying to rebuild their community.

Poland, and Krakow in particular, has shot up the rankings in terms of popular tourist destinations . And many people visit Krakow because it is a gateway to Auschwitz, the most famous World War II concentration camp – and probably the most visited of the world’s dark tourism destinations. Visiting a concentration camp is an incredibly sombre experience. It is also very educational, and helps tourists understand the sheer scale of the holocaust.

Now a museum, Auschwitz can be visited independently or as part of a tour . There is a wealth of information here explaining each part of the camp, and you can see various artefacts here. There are toys belonging to children who were killed, hair shaved from the victims’ heads, suitcases that were packed when the owners believed they were heading somewhere safe.

Read more: The Twins of Auschwitz: The inspiring true story of a young girl surviving Mengele’s hell

World War II is a topic that fascinates many people, and is a topic taught in educational settings too; therefore it is no wonder that visiting concentration camps is something many people aim to do.

Sedlec Ossuary is one of the lesser-known dark tourism destinations, but still one that is worth visiting. I certainly found it fascinating!

Not far from Prague, Sedlec Ossuary is a church decorated entirely with human bones. It is located in Kutna Hora, which is a short train ride from the Czech capital. The church itself is around 10 minutes from the station on foot, and you can buy a ticket that grants you access to the ossuary itself as well as Saint Barbara’s Cathedral. The money goes towards the upkeep of the churches.

The Sedlec Ossuary is breathtaking – there are bones everywhere. They form chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, and they make words on the walls.

You’re face to face with death and morbidity inside this chapel in the middle of Bohemia. It really is a once in a lifetime opportunity, and somewhere you should definitely consider visiting if you’re already in Prague. Death is a huge part of dark tourism, which is why the Sedlec Ossuary is the perfect example. It is pretty much the only guarantee when it comes to human existence, so it’s no wonder that it is a subject which fascinates so many of us.

Another disaster site linked to World War II, the village of Oradour-our-Glane was massacred just days after D Day. Nobody is quite sure why, but it doesn’t matter – the impact is still felt today as you walk the ruined streets.

You can enter the church where the women and children were rounded up and killed, and see the residential streets where the 642 victims lived.

From rusted bicycles to abandoned sewing machines, evidence of daily life remains here. President Charles de Gaulle ordered that the village remain as a permanent memorial, and there is a museum on site where tourists can learn about this massacre.

It is again one of the less popular dark tourism sites, but still one that captures the curiosity and imagination of visitors. If you are travelling through France, this fascinating tourist attraction should definitely be on your itinerary.

Aokigahara Suicide Forest is one of the most intriguing and eery dark tourism destinations in the world. This stunning forest in Japan, located on the north-west flank of Mount Fuji, has become warped over the years. It is a location where thousands of people have tried to take their own lives, and many have succeeded.

The forest is littered with shoes, photographs, bottles, letters and more – evidence of those who entered the depths of Aokigahara with one clear motive…

Suicide is fascinating to many. People who have no first hand experience of feeling suicidal are often curious about the subject – and for those affected by suicide in terms of having lost someone in this way, a trip to the Suicide Forest might help them feel closer to understanding why.

At any rate, it is certainly one of the more well-known dark tourism destinations. It was boosted by controversial YouTuber Logan Paul’s visit , where he filmed himself discovering the body of one of the forest’s victims.

A visit to Pompeii is a must for any history lover. However, it does also form one of Europe’s most popular dark tourism destinations!

The city was completely frozen in time when Mt. Vesuvius erupted in 79 A.D. causing most of the inhabitants to flee. Some were not so lucky, however. When the city was rediscovered 1700 years later, bodies were found that had almost been turned into statues by the layers of ash and pumice that fell upon Pompeii. You can visit the city on tours from Rome and Naples.

And you can also visit the volcano itself, Mt. Vesuvius, and see for yourself the impact that nature can have. Tourists can get close to the crater rim. This serves as a reminder that the destruction of Pompeii is something that could happen again, here or elsewhere. This seems to be why it is popular in terms of dark tourism.

The killing fields at Phnom Penh are chilling. They will shock and horrify you, providing vital education about the genocide that occurred under the Khmer Rouge regime.

Across four years in the late 1970s, around 1 in 5 Cambodian citizens were killed under dictator Pol Pot. There are actually around 300 killing fields across Cambodia, but the Choeung Ek Killing Fields are one of the world’s most visited dark tourism destinations.

On the surface, the fields are beautiful. But any tour guide or historian will be able to tell you about the horrors that unfolded here. You can see the remnants for yourself: mass graves, holding rooms, trees where soldiers would hang speakers to drown out the cries of those being savagely beaten to death.

There is a pagoda, closed in with glass walls, where you’ll find a tower made from bones and skulls. It climbs higher and higher, a stark reminder of just how many people were killed at this one site alone. It really is a harrowing experience, but again one that does serve to educate visitors.

Located just outside Cape Town , Robben Island is a prison island.

This is where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned alongside many others, and subject to some of the harshest conditions. It is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and tourists can visit on tours led by ex-prisoners .

The island was once also a leper colony, and later an asylum. But it was its use as a prison during the Apartheid years that has led to its notoriety.

This is why it is one of the top 10 dark tourism destinations in the world. Crime and punishment is a topic that so many of us are eager to learn about. A tour of this prison island is sure to educate you as well as leave you with some burning questions…

Dark tourism is a fascinating subject and is extremely educational. I personally find that reading a book with personal accounts and stories helps me to really understand the dark tourism sights that I visit. Here are some of my recommendations:

• Chernobyl – 2019 Sky Atlantic Drama [DVD]
• Hell Hole, Robben Island: Reminiscences of a Political Prisoner
• The Last Road to Cambodia
• By Loung Ung First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers (New Ed)
• Apocalypse Pompeii
• The Twins of Auschwitz: The inspiring true story of a young girl surviving Mengele’s hell

30 Dark Tourism Destinations and How to Visit

By: Author Zachary Friedman

Posted on Last updated: March 1, 2024

Categories Travel Destinations

Home » Travel » Travel Destinations » 30 Dark Tourism Destinations and How to Visit

Many of us have a natural morbid curiosity. Death, disasters, atrocities, and destruction fascinate us. Every year, millions of people travel to some of the darkest and most tragic sites on earth to satisfy that curiosity as well as to gain a deeper understanding of the events that took place there. This is called dark tourism. In this guide, we’ll outline some of the most popular dark tourism destinations and explain how to visit them. We’ll also explain exactly what dark tourism is and talk a bit about the ethics, controversies, and motivations of dark tourism.

Personally, I’m a big fan of dark tourism. Over the years, I’ve visited many of the dark tourism sites on this list. In this guide, I’ll share my experience.

Table of Contents

• Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial, Poland
• Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster Site, Ukraine
• Choeung Ek Killing Fields and S-21, Cambodia
• September 11 Memorial and Museum, New York
• Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park and Museum, Japan
• Kigali Genocide Memorial, Rwanda
• Pompeii, Italy
• Slave Castles, Ghana
• Sedlec Ossuary, Czech Republic
• Alcatraz Island, San Francisco
• Suicide Forest (Aokigahar), Japan
• Fukushima, Japan
• Robben Island, South Africa
• Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
• The Colosseum, Rome
• Mount St. Helens, Washington
• Anne Frank House and Museum, Amsterdam
• Various Nuclear Test Sites
• The Catacombs of Paris
• Warsaw Ghetto, Poland
• Perm-36 Gulag, Russia
•   Cremations on the Ganges River in Varanasi, India
• WWII memorials and museums in Berlin, Germany
• Communist Leader Mausoleums
• Somme Battlefield, France
• Verdun Battlefield, France
• D-Day Beaches and Memorials in Normandy
• Antietam National Battlefield, Sharpsburg, Maryland
• Cu Chi Tunnels, Vietnam

What is Dark Tourism?

Dark tourism is a relatively new term for a form of tourism that involves travel to a site where death, tragedy, disaster, violence, atrocity, or suffering took place. This could include sites of genocide, assassination, natural disaster, war, terrorism, man-made disaster, etc. Usually, dark tourism sites have some kind of historical significance. They could also be the site of a recent or ongoing tragic event. Dark tourism is also called black tourism, morbid tourism, and grief tourism.

A few of the most well-known and popular dark tourism sites in the world include the ruins of Pompeii, Auschwitz concentration camp, the site of the Chornobyl nuclear disaster, the Paris Catacombs, Gettysburg, Ground Zero, and the 9/11 memorial in New York. In each of these sites, death, suffering, tragedy, or disaster took place.

Most people visit dark tourism sites for educational purposes. These sites usually have interesting histories. Some people visit because these sites pique a morbid curiosity. Others just want to witness large scale destruction and damage. Everyone has their own motivation.

There are different types of dark tourism as well. For example, dark tourism and heritage tourism are sometimes closely related. For example, someone may choose to visit Holocaust sites to learn about the events that their ancestors experienced. Descendants of slaves may choose to visit slavery heritage sites. Some consider this a form of dark tourism as well.

To consider someone a dark tourist, they must visit the site for dark tourism purposes. Some sites have a dark element but aren’t exclusively visited for dark tourism purposes. For example, if you visit Mount St. Helens to go for a hike, you’re not a dark tourist. If you visit to learn about the volcanic eruption and the damage it caused, you are a dark tourist.

Dark Tourism Destinations

1. auschwitz-birkenau memorial and museum, poland.

Located outside of Krakow, Poland, Auschwitz was the largest and most deadly of the Nazi concentration camps. Between 1.1 and 1.6 million men, women, and children were murdered here during the Holocaust. Auschwitz is one of the largest mass murder sites in the world.

Today, the site symbolizes genocide and the evil acts that humans inflict upon one another. It also acts as a valuable education tool to help prevent atrocities such as the Holocaust from happening again.

Auschwitz is actually a series of 40 concentration camps rather than one large camp. Auschwitz I is the older and smaller camp where political prisoners were held. Here, you’ll see a terrifying exhibition of some of the inmates’ possessions including piles of suitcases, shoes, and human hair.

Auschwitz-Birkenau, which is located a couple of miles down the road, is a much larger concentration camp and extermination camp. Here, you’ll find the ruins of the infamous gas chambers, barracks with wooden shelves where prisoners slept, and the train track which was used to haul thousands of people into the camp.

Auschwitz has become a mass tourist site seeing over 2 million visitors per year and over 60 million visitors since the site opened in 1947. This is probably the world’s biggest and most well known dark tourism site. The Auschwitz Memorial is free to enter but you should book in advance. Only a limited number of tickets are available per day because the site is so popular.

2. Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster Site, Ukraine

On April 26, 1986, the world’s worst nuclear meltdown took place at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant near Pripyat, Ukraine. This disaster caused the death of around 4,000 individuals from radiation-related illness as well as the displacement of over 300,000.

The area is still not safe for people to inhabit, even though some have moved back into their villages anyway. In fact, scientists believe it could take 20,000 years before the exclusion zone is completely safe. The radiation has dissipated enough for tourists to make short visits on guided tours.

Several tour companies offer day trips and multi-day trips to Chernobyl from the nearby city of Kyiv. During the tour, you’ll see the radiation-contaminated Red Forrest and eerie abandoned buildings including the famous Pripyat Amusement Park and a Kindergarten. You’ll also learn about the impact the disaster had on the region.

Keep in mind that there is still a risk of radiation poisoning when visiting the Chernobyl exclusion zone. Radiation levels are still hazardous in much of the zone. Your guide will explain the safety precautions you must take and guide you through the areas that are safe enough to visit.

Chernobyl is one of the world’s most famous and popular dark tourism sites. The recent HBO miniseries, Chernobyl, greatly increased the popularity of the area. Following the release of the show, tourism increased by 30%.

Note: Currently, it’s not possible to visit this site. Hopefully, it will be possible to visit again in the near future.

3. Choeung Ek Killing Fields and Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum (S-21), Cambodia

The Khmer Rouge regime came into power after the Cambodian civil war ended in 1975. The new government was called the Communist Party of Kampuchea. Their leader was prime minister Pol Pot.

Immediately following the end of the war, the Cambodian genocide began. From 1975 to 1979, between 1.7 and 2.5 million people were killed at 300 sites throughout the country. These sites are known as killing fields.

The most famous of these killing fields is Choeung Ek, which is located about 11 miles outside of Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia. It is estimated that around 17,000 men, women, and children were killed at this site. Many were killed violently with knives, scythes, bats, and bayonets. This is the main memorial for the Cambodian genocide.

At this site, you’ll see a memorial Buddhist stupa made of glass. Inside the stupa, there are 5,000 human skulls. Many of the displayed skulls are catastrophically damaged, showing the brutal manner in which the victims were killed. The site also includes a mass grave that contains the remains of almost 9,000 people that were exhumed from the surrounding area. Human bones still litter the entire site. Occasionally fragments wash up after heavy rain.

Another famous Cambodian Genocide site is the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum or S-21. This museum is located in Phnom Penh. Originally, this site was built as a secondary school but was converted into a prison by the Khmer Rouge. Around 20,000 people were imprisoned here during Pol Pot’s reign. Many were tortured and killed. Here, you’ll see prison cells, photos of victims, as well as an exhibit that documents the events of the Cambodian genocide.

4. National September 11 Memorial and Museum, New York

This New York City memorial and museum was built to commemorate and honor the 2,977 people who died in the September 11, 2001 terror attacks as well as the six people who died in the 1993 World Trade Center bombings. The memorial sits on the site where the twin towers once stood.

The main memorial, called Reflecting Absence, consists of two 1-acre pools that occupy the exact footprints where the Twin Towers stood. Each pool features a large waterfall. Bronze parapets with the name of each victim etched in surround the pools. The September 11 Museum, located underground, contains thousands of images, artifacts, recordings, and videos. The exhibit tells the complete story of the events of 9/11.

This site is fairly controversial. Partly for the high price of entry ($24) but mostly for the fact that the remains of over 1000 victims were placed in a tomb in the bedrock under the museum. Many people find this disrespectful. Even so, the 9/11 Memorial is one of the world’s most popular dark tourism sites. Over 6 million people visit this memorial per year.

5. Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park and Museum

This memorial and museum commemorate and honor the city of Hiroshima and the 140,000 people who died when the United States dropped an atomic bomb on the city on August 6, 1945. It also memorializes the world’s first nuclear attack. The aim is to educate people about the danger of nuclear weapons as well as to promote peace.

The atom bomb, codenamed “Little Boy,” detonated 600 meters above the busiest part of downtown Hiroshima. The explosion essentially leveled the area except for a few ruins. This event marked the beginning of the end of WWII. Japan surrendered on August 15, 1945. The park was built on the site of the bombing. Today, the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park contains a number of monuments as well as a museum and a lecture hall.

Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum is the main feature of the park. The museum educates visitors about the events leading up to the bombing as well as the catastrophic effect the bomb had on the city. You’ll see photos and artifacts from the bombing. A major section of the museum is dedicated to the stories of the victims and survivors.

The A-Bomb Dome is the second most important site in the park. This is the ruins of the Hiroshima Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall. Today, it’s just a shell of a building. This building is significant because it is one of the only buildings that survived the blast. Most structures in Hiroshima were built from wood and burned up in fires that the bomb started. This building was also just 150 meters from the hypocenter of the blast. It has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

A few more significant points of interest in Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park include Children’s Peace Monument, Peace Flame, Peace Bells, Peace Pagoda, Gates of Peace, and Atomic Bomb Memorial Mount. You could easily spend half a day wandering around the park viewing the various monuments and memorials.

3 days after the bombing of Hiroshima on August 9, 1945, The United States bombed the city of Nagasaki in a second nuclear attack. Today, you’ll find a number of memorials and museums including the Atomic Bomb Museum, Peace Park, Oka Masaharu Memorial Peace Museum, and more.

6. Rwanda Genocide Sites (Kigali Genocide Memorial and Murambi Genocide Memorial)

In 1990, a rebel group of Tutsi refugees called the Rwanda Patriotic Front (RPF) invaded Rwanda from Uganda. This started the Rwandan Civil War. President Juvénal Habyarimana signed peace accords in 1993. The following day, the president was assassinated. Genocidal killings of Tutsi people began soon after and the civil war resumed.

The Rwandan genocide lasted from April 7 to July 15, 1994. During that time 500,000-1,000,000 people were killed. This includes about 70% of Rwanda’s Tutsi population. The genocide ended when the RPF captured Kigali and gained control of the country. The government and genocidaires were forced into Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo).

Today, there are a number of genocide memorials located throughout the country. The largest and most visited is the Kigali Genocide Memorial Centre. The remains of an astonishing 250,000 people are interred at this site. The attached museum includes three exhibits. The first documents the events of genocide from start to finish. The second exhibit is a memorial to the children who died. It includes photos and details about their lives, things they liked, and the way they died. The third exhibit covers genocide around the world.

The Murambi Genocide Memorial (Murambi Technical School), located in southern Rwanda is one of the darkest dark tourism destinations on the planet. Here, around 50,000 Tutsi men, women, and children were murdered by Hutu Interahamwe militiamen in April of 1994.

The Tutsis were told that they could safely shelter at the school and that the French military would protect them. This turned out to be a trap. After being starved for several days to weaken them, they were attacked and killed. Only 34 people survived the attack and escaped. At Murambi, the remains of 800 people are displayed partially decomposed and preserved by lime.

7. Pompeii, Italy

This ancient Roman city was wiped out when nearby Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD. Historians estimate that about 2,000 people died in the disaster. The thick layer of ash and pumice that covered the city preserved this little slice of ancient Rome.

At the ruins, you can see beautifully preserved artwork, pottery, casts of people who died, houses, an amphitheater, and more. Pompeii is a UNESCO World Heritage site and is one of Italy’s most popular tourist destinations with over 2.5 million visitors per year.

Some people question whether or not Pompeii is actually a dark tourism site due to the age of the site. After all, the eruption occurred nearly 2000 years ago. In my opinion, Pompeii is absolutely a dark tourism site due to the large scale death and destruction that happened here. The age of the site is irrelevant.

8. Slave Castles, Ghana (Cape Coast Castle and Elmina Castle)

During the colonial period of West Africa, the British, Dutch, and Portuguese built around 40 castles or forts along the Gold Coast. The Europeans originally used these castles as trading posts for timber or gold.

During that time, African slaves were in high demand in the Americas. The European traders quickly found that the slave trade was more profitable.

They modified their forts to hold as many slaves as possible. Usually in an underground dungeon. African slavers would capture slaves inland then sell them to the Europeans who lived in the castles on the coast. The slaves stayed in the castles until they were shipped across the Atlantic to the Americas.

Living conditions for the slaves were horrible. Slavers shackled and packed the slaves into the castle’s dungeons. There was very little light or ventilation. There was no water or sanitation so the floors were covered in waste. Many became ill. The slaves lived in these conditions for up to three months before being shipped across the Atlantic.

Today, dark tourists visit these castles to learn about the horrors of the slave trade. Two of the most significant castles to visit include Elmina Castle and Cape Coast Castle. Both are located in Ghana. Guided tours are available.

Elmina Castle was the first European trading post and is the oldest European building in Sub Saharan Africa. The Portuguese built the castle in 1482. Today, it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Here, you can see the famous ‘Door of No Return’ where slaves exited the castle before boarding ships to Brazil and other Portuguese colonies. You’ll also see the dungeon where the slaves were held as well as the living quarters for the European slavers, who lived on the upper floors of the castle.

Cape Coast Castle was built by Swedish traders in 1653. Over the years, the castle changed hands multiple times until it came into British possession. Here, you can see the dungeons where slaves were held and cannons that were used to defend the fort. In 2009, President Obama visited Cape Coast Castle during his visit to Ghana.

9. Sedlec Ossuary, Czech Republic

This small Roman Catholic chapel is located in a cemetery in a suburb of the city of Kutná Hora in the Czech Republic. Here, you’ll find the remains of 40,000-70,000 people. Initially, the remains were moved from the cemetery into the basement of the chapel to solve an overcrowding problem that was caused by the plague in the 14th century.

In 1870, a local artist named František Rint rearranged the piles of bones into artwork. The most impressive piece is a massive chandelier in the center of the chapel that is made entirely from human bones. Supposedly it contains at least one of every bone in the human body.

Another interesting piece is a large coat of arms made from bones. In the corners of the chapel, you’ll find large stacks of bones. There are cabinets filled with damaged skulls of those who were killed violently in war. The artist also signed his name in bones.

You can visit Selded Ossuary as a day trip from Prague. It’s easy to visit independently by train. Organized tours are available as well. The chapel is pretty small. It only takes 20 minutes or so to see the whole thing. The place gets pretty crowded as it receives over 200,000 visitors per year.

10. Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary, San Francisco

Also known as The Rock, Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary was a maximum-security prison from 1934-1963. It is located on an island in the San Francisco Bay, 1.25 miles offshore. During the 29 years that the prison operated, some of the hardest criminals of the day served time here including the infamous Al Capone, Machine Gun Kelly, Henri Young, and ‘the Birdman of Alcatraz’, Robert Stroud.

For punishment, prisoners were sent to solitary confinement, known as ‘the hole’ at Alcatraz. These inmates got one shower and one hour of exercise per week. Almost equally punishing for some, the prison sits close enough to the mainland that prisoners could see people going about their lives on the outside.

Today, Alcatraz is San Francisco’s most popular tourist attraction with up to 1.5 million visitors per year. The National Park Service manages the island. After arriving at the island by boat, you can take a tour of the prison. You’ll see the prison cells, learn about the dark history of the island, and hear stories of former inmates. Much of the prison remains the way it was while the prison was in operation.

11. Suicide Forest (Aokigahar), Japan

This forest, located to the Northwest of Mount Fuji, is famous for being one of the most popular suicide site in Japan. In 2003, a record was made when 105 bodies were found in the forest. In 2010, over 200 people attempted suicide here with 54 of those being successful.

The most common methods of suicide used are hanging and drug overdose. Because the suicide rate is so high here, Japanese officials installed a sign at the entry to the park which urges suicidal people to seek help.

Part of the reason for the popularity of this forest as a suicide site is that the area has long been associated with death in Japanese culture. The forest is said to be haunted by the yūrei, which are spirits that can’t leave our world.

Here, visitors can roam about the many trails that wind throughout the 30 square kilometer forest. This is an excellent place to enjoy the solitude of the dense forest. Tours are available as well.

Some visitors come here to see if they can spot a body. As you can imagine, this is a very controversial form of dark tourism. For example, YouTuber Logan Paul was criticized for filming a video of a man who had recently committed suicide here in 2018.

12. Fukushima, Japan

On March 11, 2011, an earthquake off the east coast of Japan triggered a tsunami that flooded the reactors at Fukushima nuclear power plant and caused an electrical grid failure. The reactors lost their cooling which led to three nuclear meltdowns at the plant. 154,000 people had to be evacuated. Many were never able to return to their homes.

Today, there is a 20 km exclusion zone surrounding the nuclear plant to protect people from radiation exposure. In 2018 tours to visit the exclusion area began. In 2020, The Great East Japan Earthquake and Nuclear Disaster Memorial Museum opened. On the tour, you’ll see abandoned structures and witness the effects that the disaster had on the region.

13. Robben Island, South Africa

Robben Island, located in Table Bay, north of Cape Town, was used as a prison from the colonial times of the late 1600s until 1996. The prison gained notoriety during the apartheid era of South Africa. It held political prisoners between 1961 and 1991.

The most famous prisoner was political revolutionary, Nobel Peace Prize recipient, and president of South Africa, Nelson Mandela. He served 18 of his 27-year imprisonment on Robben Island before his release in 1990. in 1994, South Africa elected Mandela as the first president. A total of three former inmates went on to become South African presidents including Kgalema Motlanthe and Jacob Zuma.

Conditions in the prison were incredibly harsh. Prisoners were held isolated from one another in small cells. The prison was segregated by race. Food rations were small and communication with the outside world was limited. Prisoners were also forced to do hard labor in a lime quarry located on the island.

Today, Robben Island is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a South African National Heritage Site. The only way to visit Robben Island is on a guided tour. The tour leaves from Cape Town and lasts for about 3.5 hours. The guides are all former prisoners. They take you around the prison and share their first-hand stories about their time there. You’ll see the lime quarry where the prisoners were forced to work as well as Nelson Mandela’s prison cell.

14. Pearl Harbor, Hawaii

On December 7, 1941, the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service surprise attacked the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The goal of the attack was to prevent the United States Navy fleet from interfering with the Japanese military plans to expand throughout Southeast Asia. If Japan crippled the United States fleet was crippled, they could invade and conquer US and British held territories such as the Philippines, Guam, Singapore, Malaysia, and Hong Kong, as well as other small islands of the Pacific.

The Japanese launched a massive attack with 353 aircraft which took off from six aircraft carriers. They sank 4 of the 8 battleships stationed at Pearl Harbor. They seriously damaged the other four. 188 aircraft were also destroyed in the attack 159 were damaged. The attack killed 2,403 Americans and injured 1,178. The attack also damaged or destroyed a considerable amount of the base’s infrastructure including a power station, piers, various buildings, and more.

The most significant loss was the battleship USS Arizona. It suffered a direct hit to an ammunition magazine which exploded and caused the ship to sink almost instantly. 1,000 sailors sank with the ship.

The attack on Pearl Harbor dragged the United States into World War II. The day after the attack, Japan declared war on the United States. The next day, the United States declared war on Japan. Three days later, Germany and Italy both declared war on the United States.

Today, there are a number of museums and memorials at Pearl Harbor that commemorate the attack. The main site is the USS Arizona memorial. This memorial straddles the sunken ship and is accessible only by boat. Inside, you’ll see a number of exhibits including one of the ship’s anchors, a shrine with the names of all of those who died as well as some plaques with information about the attack. There is also an opening in the floor where you can view the deck of the ship underwater. Onshore, there is also a museum that outlines the events leading up to the attack and the attack itself.

Nearby, you can also view the USS Missouri Memorial, USS Utah Memorial, USS Oklahoma Memorial, Pacific Aviation Museum, and USS Bowfin Museum.

15. The Colosseum, Rome

Built in Ancient Rome between 72-80 AD, the Colosseum is one of the oldest and most recognizable dark tourism sites. At the time, it was the largest amphitheater ever built with a capacity of 50,000-80,000 spectators. The Colosseum, also known as the Flavian Amphitheatre, hosted a number of dark and violent events including gladiatorial events, executions, animal hunts, and battle re-enactments.

The most famous of these events were the gladiatorial contests. People and animals brutally battled to the death for the entertainment of thousands of spectators. Most gladiators were slaves, criminals, or prisoners of war but some volunteered to seek fame and fortune.

Exotic wild animals including lions, hippos, rhinos, elephants, bears, tigers, crocodiles, etc. were brought in from Africa and the Middle East. These animals were used for hunts or battles. In some cases, people were fed to lions.

Over the course of the 400 years that these gladiatorial events took place, historians estimate that around 400,000 people died in the Colosseum. Some people consider these events the earliest form of dark tourism.

Today, the Colosseum is one of the top tourist destinations in Rome and the world. Around 7 million people visit this site per year. There are a number of guided tours available. You’ll see the underground level where the gladiators prepared to fight, the arena floor where the gladiatorial fights took place, areas where the animals were kept, and artwork.

16. Mount St. Helens, Washington

The 1980 volcanic eruption of Mount St. Helens killed 57 people and caused a great deal of destruction to the mountain and surrounding area including the largest landslide in recorded history. The eruption was so violent that the mountain’s elevation decreased by 1300 feet. The top completely blew off.

Many tourists come to visit the area each year. Today, you can see tree stumps and dead trees that still stand around the blast site. There is a visitor center with an exhibition about the eruption. In the visitor center, they also have a small movie theater that shows a short documentary about the event. The surrounding state park offers plenty of hiking, camping, climbing, and other recreational activities.

17. Montserrat

This volcanic island in the Caribbean is sometimes called a modern-day Pompeii. The Soufriere Hills Volcano became active in the mid-1990s and slowly covered the former capital of Plymouth in ash. The town was evacuated in 1997 just before a major eruption covered much of it.

The volcano is still very active today, periodically spewing ash, smoke, and gasses across 1/3 of the island. Occasionally pyroclastic flows cover more of the island’s land. Travelers can hike to a lookout point to view smoke spewing from the volcano and maybe get a glimpse of Plymouth. It is also possible to view the volcano and town by boat. It is unsafe to visit the town of Plymouth at this time.

16. Anne Frank House and Museum, Amsterdam

In this famous canal house Anne Frank, her family, and four others hid from Nazi persecution for 761 days. They quietly lived in a hidden part of the house called the Secret Annex. Anne Frank is famous for keeping a diary of her daily thoughts and experiences during her days in hiding during World War II.

Sadly, Anne Frank and the others hiding in the Secret Annex were betrayed by an unknown informant and discovered by the Nazis on August 4, 1944. The Nazis split them up and moved them to various concentration camps. Anne Frank died in Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in February of 1945 when she was just 15 years old. Anne’s father Otto, who survived the Holocaust, discovered his daughter’s diary after the war and published it in 1947.

The canal house where the two families hid is a now museum that attracts up to 1.2 million visitors per year. Here, you can walk through the Secret Annex where Anne Frank and her family hid. The original diary is on display in the attached museum. The museum also includes a permanent exhibit about the life of Anne Frank and her experience during the war.

19. Nuclear Test Sites

Since nuclear testing began in 1945, 8 countries have detonated around 2056 nuclear bombs at dozens of test sites around the world. A few nuclear test sites that you can visit include:

• Semipalatinsk Test Site (The Polygon)- Semipalatinsk was the Soviet Union’s primary nuclear test site from 1949-1991. It is located on the steppe of northeastern Kazakhstan. More nuclear weapons detonated here than anywhere else on the planet. Beginning in 2014 parts of the area have opened up for tourism. There isn’t all that much to see here outside of some massive craters and some concrete towers and bunkers that housed instruments to measure the blasts.
• Nevada Test Site- This site was the United States’ main nuclear testing site from the time it was established in 1951 until nuclear testing ended in 1992. The site is located about 65 miles to the northeast of Las Vegas. Here, you can see a number of large craters in the desert where nuclear weapons were detonated for testing purposes. Monthly public tours are offered but are often fully booked months in advance. This is a difficult place to visit.
• Bikini Atoll, Martial Islands- This was one of the United States’ main nuclear test sites. Between 1946 and 1958, 23 atomic bomb tests were performed here. The blasts turned out to be more destructive than anticipated and resulted in significant contamination to the surrounding area. Probably the biggest attraction for tourists here is Scuba diving the 10 ships that were sunk during nuclear tests. This is a risky area to visit due to the significant levels of radiation that still exist.

20. Catacombs of Paris, France

This network of underground ossuaries underneath the city of Pairs holds the remains of around 6 million people. The tunnels were originally mine tunnels. The Paris Catacombs were built to solve the problem of the city’s overflowing cemeteries. The dead were crowding the living. Starting in 1786, the city began transporting human remains from the city’s cemeteries into the underground tunnels by covered wagon during the night. The catacombs open to tourism in 1867.

Today, the Catacombs are one of the more popular tourist destinations in Paris. You can book a guided tour and wander through the labyrinth of bone filled tunnels and view the millions of bones stacked neatly throughout. Around 300,000 people visit this site per year. It is only accessible by tour.

21. Warsaw Ghetto, Poland

Ghettos were segregated neighborhoods where Jewish people were forced to live while under Nazi occupation during WWII. The largest of these was the Warsaw Ghetto. The area actually consists of two smaller ghettos with a footbridge between them. At its peak, approximately 460,000 people lived in Warsaw Ghetto.

During the Uprising the ghetto was almost completely destroyed. Today, you can visit the area and view a small number of streets and buildings that survived. The monument called ‘The Footbridge of Memory’ stands at the site of the original footbridge.

22. Perm-36 Gulag, Russia

Following the Bolshevik Revolution, the Soviet Union built a large system of forced labor camps to imprison ‘enemies of the state.’ These included government officials, military members, and regular citizens. Anyone who was anti-communist or anti-Stalin was imprisoned. These camps were known as gulags. Millions of people were held in these camps and forced to perform backbreaking work in extremely brutal conditions.

Perm-36 is the only remaining Soviet gulag. It is located about 60 miles from the Russian city of Perm in the Western Ural Mountains. The camp operated from 1946-1987. Perm-36 is unique because it was not closed after Stalin’s death in 1953. This is one of the only gulags that was not demolished after the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991.

When Perm-36 opened, it was used as a forced labor camp for regular criminals. In later years, the camp housed political prisoners. The prisoners were forced to do logging work. Some political prisoners lived in 24 hour closed cells. Perm 36 was considered the harshest political camp in the Soviet Union.

Today’s site operates as a museum and memorial called The Museum of the History of Political Repression Perm-36. It opened to the public in 1995. Here, you’ll see the wooden barracks that the prisoners built, various prison buildings, and an exhibit about the gulag system and the prisoners. You’ll also learn about the economic benefit that the gulag system created for the Soviet Union.

23. Cremations on the Ganges River in Varanasi, India

Varanasi is a holy city located on the Ganges river in Uttar Pradesh, India. The city has become a popular dark tourism destination for its famous Hindu cremation ceremonies that take place on the banks of the river. In the Hindu religion, people believe that cremation on the banks of the Ganges river breaks the cycle of reincarnation so they can achieve salvation. Along the river, dozens of cremations take place out in the open every day.

The bodies are placed atop piles of wood and set on fire until they turn to ash. The ashes are then scattered in the Ganges River, which is considered a holy site in the Hindu religion. Poor families who cannot afford a cremation sometimes release the entire body of their loved one in the river to decompose naturally. Some terminally ill people travel to Varanasi so they can die and be cremated in the holy city.

Tourists are welcome to view and experience these cremation ceremonies. When you arrive at the famous ghats on the bank of the river in Varanasi, you’ll clearly see the cremation sites. Just look for the smoke. You’ll see open areas with large fires and piles of wood sitting around. The cremations take place here.

For a few dollars, you can hire a guide to walk you through the cremation site and explain how the process works. There are multiple cremations taking place simultaneously at all hours of the day. You can walk right up and see the cremation and feel the heat from the fire and smell the smoke.

As you can imagine, this is a fairly controversial form of dark tourism. After all, you are essentially attending a cremation for touristic purposes as the family grieves of the loss of their loved one. Some view this as voyeuristic. It’s up to you to decide whether or not this form of dark tourism is ethical.

24. Berlin, Germany

Berlin is one of the darkest cities on earth. It was the capital of Nazi Germany, one of the world’s most evil regimes. Next, it became the most significant city in the cold war. It was also the capital of the socialist single-party regime of the former GDR. As a result, Berlin is packed with dozens of dark tourism sites. A few of the most popular ones include:

• Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe (the Holocaust Memorial)- This memorial is to the Jewish people murdered during the Holocaust. It contains 2,711 concrete slabs ranging in height from .2-4.7 meters. The slabs are arranged in a grid pattern over a 19,000 square meter site. Below the memorial is an information center that contains the names of 3 million Holocaust victims as well as photographs and letters. This memorial is quite controversial. Partly because it is so vague. There is no mention of Nazi Germany or the Holocaust on the memorial itself or in the official name of the memorial. People also use the site as a recreational area, sitting or standing on the pillars. Many consider this to be disrespectful. Due to its size and design, the memorial is difficult to defend from vandals.
• Berlin Wall- Between 1961 and 1989, this concrete barrier divided West Berlin from surrounding East Germany. The German Democratic Republic (East Germany) constructed the wall to prevent East Germans from defecting to the west. The four-meter tall wall extended 155km (96 miles) and cut through 55 streets. Today, you can see several small sections of the wall still standing in the city. The largest is is a 1.4 km section that is part of the Berlin Wall Memorial. Here, you can see the graffiti on the west side and learn about the historical significance of the wall.
• Checkpoint Charlie Museum- Checkpoint Charlie is the most well-known crossing between East and West Berlin. The original guardhouse was preserved and today is part of the Checkpoint Charlie museum. Here, you can see exhibits about the Berlin Wall, the Cold War, and some famous escape attempts.
• Jewish Museum- Designed by architect Daniel Libeskind, the Jewish Museum is one of Germany’s best and most popular museums as well as one of Berlin’s most striking landmarks. Here, you’ll find thousands of artifacts, photos, religious objects, and archives that document the struggle of the German Jewish people from the Middle Ages to the present time. The museum also houses a massive library and hosts various events throughout the year.
• Topography of Terror Museum- This museum is located on the site of the Gestapo secret police and SS headquarters. Allied bombings destroyed the original building in 1945. After many years of delay, the museum opened in 2010. The main exhibit focuses on policing under Nazi rule. You’ll see photos, documents, short films, and artifacts that show the crimes that the SS and Gestapo committed throughout Europe. The grounds of the museum also contain some historic artifacts including a large section of the Berlin Wall. You’ll also see an excavated trench that exposes the cellar wall, where political prisoners were kept, tortured, and ofttimes executed.
• DDR Museum- This newer museum outlines life in East Berlin under communist rule with a hands-on approach. Here, you’ll see a recreation of an interrogation room, prison cell, and an apartment. You can try on clothing and watch television from the era. The exhibit covers food, music, daily life, education, architecture, and more. You’ll also learn about the mass surveillance conducted during the time. This is a private museum and is one of Berlin’s most popular.

25. Communist Leader Mausoleums

For whatever reason, communists love to embalm their leaders after they die and put the bodies on public display. A few famous mausoleums you can visit include:

• Lenin Mausoleum- This mausoleum is located in the Red Square in the center of Moscow. Inside, you can view the embalmed corpse of the Soviet leader Vladimir Lenin. The body has been on public display since shortly after his death in 1924. The mausoleum is open to the public and free to enter. Stalin’s body was put on display here from 1953-1961 but was removed and buried near the mausoleum.
• Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum- This mausoleum is located in Ba Dinh Square in Hanoi, Vietnam. Inside, you can view the embalmed body of Vietnamese revolutionary and president Ho Chi Minh, who died in 1969. The body is kept in a dimly lit glass case which is heavily guarded by military honor guards. The mausoleum is open to the public.
• Mausoleum of Mao Zedong- This large mausoleum, also known as Chairman Mao Memorial Hall, is located in the center of Tienanmen Square in central Beijing. Here, you can view the embalmed remains of Mao Zedong, who served as the Chairman of the Communist Party of China from 1945-1976. Interestingly, Chairman Mao wanted to be cremated. The mausoleum is open to the public.
• Kumsusan Palace of the Sun (Kim Il Sung Mausoleum)- This absolutely massive palace is located in the North Korean capital of Pyongyang. The building was intended to be the official residence of Kim Il Sung but was converted into a mausoleum when he died in 1994. Inside, you can view the embalmed remains of North Korean founder Kim Il Sung as well as his son and former leader of North Korea, Kim Jong Il. Both bodies lie inside of glass sarcophaguses. The mausoleum is open to the public. Foreigners can only enter the palace when they are on an official government tour.

26. Somme Battlefield, France

The Battle of the Somme was a WWI battle fought between the French Third Republic and British Empire against the German Empire. The battle took place between July 1 and November 18, 1916. Over three million men fought in the Battle of the Somme. One million were killed, injured, or went missing, making this the most bloody battle of WWI and possibly the most deadly battle in world history.

Several factors contributed to the massive amount of death in the battle. First, the battlefield was small. The Germans were also well prepared and trained for trench warfare. An incredible amount of heavy artillery was also used in this battle.

The Battle of the Somme ended when British Commander in Chief Sir Douglas Haig decided to stop the offensive near the Somme River. When the battle ended, the British and French armies had gained just six miles of land. Modern historians are not in agreement as to whether or not the battle was a success.

Today, there are a number of monuments, museums, cemeteries, and battle sites that you can visit in Somme. The Remembered Trail leads visitors through some of the most significant locations. It’s is a great place to start in the region. Guided tours of the area are also available.

27. Verdun Battlefield, France

The battle of Verdun lasted from February 21-December 18, 1916, making it the longest battles in World War One at 302 days. This battle was also one of the most costly with up to 1 million casualties between the French and German armies.

Today, you can view the battlefield complete with shell craters that are still visible over 100 years later. You’ll also find several memorials including an ossuary. The battlefield itself contains the remains of 100,000 soldiers. You can also visit the Verdun Memorial Museum which features artifacts from the battle as well as information about the time.

28. D-Day Beaches and Memorials in Normandy

On June 6, 1944, the Allied Forces invaded Nazi occupied France on the beaches of Normandy. This operation, known as Operation Overlord, was the largest amphibious invasion in world history. This event marked the beginning of the liberation of France and Western Europe and eventually led to the Allied victory over the Third Reich on the Western Front. The D-Day invasion of Normandy resulted in 4,000-9,000 German casualties and around 10,000 Allied casualties including 4,414 deaths.

Today, there are dozens of memorials, museums, and war cemeteries along the beaches of Normandy as well as further inland. A few of the most significant D-Day sites to visit include:

• Beach landing sites- The 50 miles stretch of Normandy beach was divided into 5 sections where the invasion took place. The beach landing sites include Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno, and Sword. Today, you can visit each of the 5 beaches. Probably the most popular beach to visit is Omaha. Here, you’ll see German bunkers and the sculpture Les Braves which commemorates the American soldiers who died on D-Day.
• Utah Beach Museum- This museum outlines the entire D-Day invasion from the planning phase until the end of the battle. Here, you’ll see vehicles, artifacts, and photographs from the massive invasion. The museum overlooks Utah Beach.
• Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial- This cemetery, overlooking Omaha Beach, contains 9,388 graves of American soldiers who died in WWII. Mostly on D-Day.
• Overlord Museum- This museum, located near Omaha Beach and the American cemetery, documents the time period between the Allied landing and the liberation of Paris. Here, you’ll see thousands of artifacts from the invasion including tanks and cannons as well as photos and reconstructed battle scenes.
• Pegasus Bridge- 6000 British paratroopers landed here with supplies and weapons just past midnight on June 6, 1944. Their job was to secure the bridge so German reinforcements couldn’t cross. The current bridge is a reconstruction of the original, which was destroyed.
• Memorial Museum of the Battle of Normandy- This museum, which is located in Bayeux, outlines the military operation in detail. Here, you’ll see military equipment, artifacts, photos, and a fantastic short film about the D-Day landings.
• Caen Memorial Center- This museum outlines the battle of Normandy from the end of WWI all the way to the beginning of the Cold War. This gives you a great overview of the historical events leading up to the war and their effects on Europe and the world. Here, you’ll see letters and personal belongings from soldiers, airplanes, and a short documentary film with footage of the D-Day invasion.
• Airborne Museum- This museum, located in Sainte-Mère-Église, focuses on the paratroopers who landed in Normandy the night before the attack. Here, you’ll see photos, artifacts, tanks, and airplanes including a WACO glider and C-47 that you can enter.

29. Antietam National Battlefield, Sharpsburg, Maryland

On September 17, 1862, Confederate General Robert E. Lee and his Army of Northern Virginia battled Union General George B. McClellan and his Army of the Potomac in the Battle of Anteteitum near Sharpsburg, Maryland. This was the bloodiest battle of the American Civil War with 22,717 dead, injured, or missing. This massive loss of life took place over the course of just 12 hours.

The battle ended when Lee decided to withdraw back to Virginia. McClellan decided not to follow him. The Union claimed victory. After the battle, President Lincoln announced his Emancipation Proclamation which freed 3.5 million slaves.

Antietam is considered to be one of the most well-preserved American Civil War Battlefields. Probably because it was one of the first battlefields preserved in 1890. Today, visitors can take a self-guided tour of the battlefield or hire a tour guide. You’ll see landmarks of the battle such as the Cornfield, Dunker Church, and Burnside’s Bridge.

30. Cu Chi Tunnels, Vietnam

The Cu Chi Tunnels are a massive network of underground tunnels located outside of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. They were used by Viet Cong soldiers for a number of purposes including hiding spots, supply routes, living quarters, hospitals, and food and weapons caches. They were famously used as a base of operation for the North Vietnamese during the Tết Offensive in 1968.

Life in the Cu Chi Tunnels was difficult. Air quality was poor. The tunnels were cramped and claustrophobic. Food and water were limited. Rodents, ants, snakes, scorpions, and spiders infested the tunnels. Diseases including Malaria and intestinal parasites were common. During heavy bombing campaigns, soldiers had to stay in the tunnels for days at a time.

Today, the Cu Chi Tunnels are a war memorial operated by the Vietnamese government. They are also a popular tourist dark tourist attraction. You can visit the tunnels on a day trip from Ho Chi Minh City. Here, you can crawl through a safe section of the tunnels, watch a short film about the war, and view some different booby traps and trap doors as well as an entrance into the tunnels. There is also a firing range where you can shoot Vietnam War era weapons including an M60 machine gun.

My Experience: Why I Enjoy Dark Tourism

My main motivation to visit dark tourism sites is education. For whatever reason, I wasn’t interested in history when I was in school. I just found it boring. Now, I love history. By visiting dark tourist sites, I have gained a deeper understanding of some of the most significant events in world history. It’s so much more real and engaging when you are standing where an event took place and exploring the landscape and looking at actual artifacts.

It’s also amazing to see how human civilization evolves over the years. For example, 2000 years ago, gladiator games were an acceptable form of entertainment. Most people would not be okay with that today. It is also interesting to see how technology, weapons, clothing, politics, and more have changed throughout the years. The world was a completely different place just 20 years ago. Times change quickly.

I also have a pretty strong morbid curiosity. Dark things simply interest me. I find it fascinating to imagine the horrors that humans have endured and overcome.

Final Thoughts About Dark Tourism

Dark tourism often gets a bad rap in the media. People get the idea that it is disrespectful, voyeuristic, sick, or even unethical. Some country’s tourism departments also try to hide their dark tourism sites because they fear a bad reputation. They may not want people to associate the country with its dark past.

The truth is that most dark tourism is simply educational. People like to visit these sites to learn about their history. They also satisfy our natural morbid fascination. There is nothing wrong with visiting dark tourist places, as long as you do so respectfully.

One important thing to remember is that dark tourism is not a new form of tourism. People have been visiting dark sites for as long as tourism has existed. For example, tourists began visiting Pompeii in the 1800s. The gladiatorial games could be considered one of the earliest forms of dark tourism. Those began when the Colosseum opened in 80 AD. People are naturally interested in these types of destinations and will continue to be.

Dark tourism is also a very broad term. Many of the world’s most visited tourism sites can be considered dark tourism sites. There is also a lot of overlap with mass tourism. Most people don’t travel exclusively to visit dark sites. Instead, they pair dark tourism with regular tourist attractions. For example, if someone is in Hawaii, they may spend a day visiting Pearl Harbor and the various memorials then go to the beach the next day. If someone visits Kyiv, they’ll probably take a day trip to Chornobyl because it’s one of the biggest tourist attractions in the region. It’s common to pair dark tourist sites with other types of sites.

Hopefully, this guide helps you in planning your visit to some of the world’s best dark tourism sites.

If you’re on the fence about dark tourism, check out my guide to the ethics and criticisms of dark tourism.

Are you a dark tourist? Share your favorite dark tourism destination in the comments below!

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More from Where The Road Forks

• 35 Types of Tourism
• How to Plan a Round the World Trip
• 30 Free Things to do While Traveling
• The Best Solo Travel Destinations
• Whale Watching in South Africa: Where to Go
• 21 Free Airline Stopover Options

Zachary Friedman is an accomplished travel writer and professional blogger. Since 2011, he has traveled to 66 countries and 6 continents. He founded ‘Where The Road Forks’ in 2017 to provide readers with information and insights based on his travel and outdoor recreation experience and expertise. Zachary is also an avid cyclist and hiker. Living as a digital nomad, Zachary balances his professional life with his passions for hiking, camping, cycling, and worldwide exploration. For a deeper dive into his journey and background, visit the About page. For inquiries and collaborations, please reach out through the Contact page. You can also follow him on Facebook.

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Beaches? Cruises? ‘Dark’ Tourists Prefer the Gloomy and Macabre

Travelers who use their off time to visit places like the Chernobyl nuclear plant or current conflict zones say they no longer want a sanitized version of a troubled world.

By Maria Cramer

North Korea. East Timor. Nagorno-Karabakh, a mountainous enclave that for decades has been a tinderbox for ethnic conflict between Armenians and Azerbaijanis.

They’re not your typical top tourist destinations.

But don’t tell that to Erik Faarlund, the editor of a photography website from Norway, who has visited all three. His next “dream” trip is to tour San Fernando in the Philippines around Easter , when people volunteer to be nailed to a cross to commemorate the suffering of Jesus Christ, a practice discouraged by the Catholic Church.

Mr. Faarlund, whose wife prefers sunning on Mediterranean beaches, said he often travels alone.

“She wonders why on earth I want to go to these places, and I wonder why on earth she goes to the places she goes to,” he said.

Mr. Faarlund, 52, has visited places that fall under a category of travel known as dark tourism , an all-encompassing term that boils down to visiting places associated with death, tragedy and the macabre.

As travel opens up, most people are using their vacation time for the typical goals: to escape reality, relax and recharge. Not so dark tourists, who use their vacation time to plunge deeper into the bleak, even violent corners of the world.

They say going to abandoned nuclear plants or countries where genocides took place is a way to understand the harsh realities of current political turmoil, climate calamities, war and the growing threat of authoritarianism.

“When the whole world is on fire and flooded and no one can afford their energy bills, lying on a beach at a five-star resort feels embarrassing,” said Jodie Joyce, who handles contracts for a genome sequencing company in England and has visited Chernobyl and North Korea .

Mr. Faarlund, who does not see his travels as dark tourism, said he wants to visit places “that function totally differently from the way things are run at home.”

Whatever their motivations, Mr. Faarlund and Ms. Joyce are hardly alone.

Eighty-two percent of American travelers said they have visited at least one dark tourism destination in their lifetime, according to a study published in September by Passport-photo.online, which surveyed more than 900 people. More than half of those surveyed said they preferred visiting “active” or former war zones. About 30 percent said that once the war in Ukraine ends, they wanted to visit the Azovstal steel plant, where Ukrainian soldiers resisted Russian forces for months .

The growing popularity of dark tourism suggests more and more people are resisting vacations that promise escapism, choosing instead to witness firsthand the sites of suffering they have only read about, said Gareth Johnson, a founder of Young Pioneer Tours , which organized trips for Ms. Joyce and Mr. Faarlund.

Tourists, he said, are tired of “getting a sanitized version of the world.”

A pastime that goes back to Gladiator Days

The term “dark tourism” was coined in 1996, by two academics from Scotland, J. John Lennon and Malcolm Foley, who wrote “Dark Tourism: The Attraction to Death and Disaster.”

But people have used their leisure time to witness horror for hundreds of years, said Craig Wight, associate professor of tourism management at Edinburgh Napier University.

“It goes back to the gladiator battles” of ancient Rome, he said. “People coming to watch public hangings. You had tourists sitting comfortably in carriages watching the Battle of Waterloo.”

Professor Wight said the modern dark tourist usually goes to a site defined by tragedy to make a connection to the place, a feeling that is difficult to achieve by just reading about it.

By that definition, anyone can be a dark tourist. A tourist who takes a weekend trip to New York City may visit Ground Zero. Visitors to Boston may drive north to Salem to learn more about the persecution of people accused of witchcraft in the 17th century. Travelers to Germany or Poland might visit a concentration camp. They might have any number of motivations, from honoring victims of genocide to getting a better understanding of history. But in general, a dark tourist is someone who makes a habit of seeking out places that are either tragic, morbid or even dangerous, whether the destinations are local or as far away as Chernobyl.

In recent years, as tour operators have sprung up worldwide promising deep dives into places known for recent tragedy, media attention has followed and so have questions about the intentions of visitors, said Dorina-Maria Buda, a professor of tourism studies at Nottingham Trent University .

Stories of people gawking at neighborhoods in New Orleans destroyed by Hurricane Katrina or posing for selfies at Dachau led to disgust and outrage .

Were people driven to visit these sites out of a “sense of voyeurism or is it a sense of sharing in the pain and showing support?” Professor Buda said.

Most dark tourists are not voyeurs who pose for photos at Auschwitz, said Sian Staudinger, who runs the Austria-based Dark Tourist Trips , which organizes itineraries in the United Kingdom and other parts of Europe and instructs travelers to follow rules like “NO SELFIES!”

“Dark tourists in general ask meaningful questions,” Ms. Staudinger said. “They don’t talk too loud. They don’t laugh. They’re not taking photos at a concentration camp.”

‘Ethically murky territory’

David Farrier , a journalist from New Zealand, spent a year documenting travels to places like Aokigahara , the so-called suicide forest in Japan, the luxury prison Pablo Escobar built for himself in Colombia and McKamey Manor in Tennessee, a notorious haunted house tour where people sign up to be buried alive, submerged in cold water until they feel like they will drown and beaten.

The journey was turned into a show, “Dark Tourist,” that streamed on Netflix in 2018 and was derided by some critics as ghoulish and “sordid.”

Mr. Farrier, 39, said he often questioned the moral implications of his trips.

“It’s very ethically murky territory,” Mr. Farrier said.

But it felt worthwhile to “roll the cameras” on places and rituals that most people want to know about but will never experience, he said.

Visiting places where terrible events unfolded was humbling and helped him confront his fear of death.

He said he felt privileged to have visited most of the places he saw, except McKamey Manor.

“That was deranged,” Mr. Farrier said.

Professor Buda said dark tourists she has interviewed have described feelings of shock and fear at seeing armed soldiers on streets of countries where there is ongoing conflict or that are run by dictatorships.

“When you’re part of a society that is by and large stable and you’ve gotten into an established routine, travel to these places leads you to sort of feel alive,” she said.

But that travel can present real danger.

In 2015, Otto Warmbier , a 21-year-old student from Ohio who traveled with Young Pioneer Tours, was arrested in North Korea after he was accused of stealing a poster off a hotel wall. He was detained for 17 months and was comatose when he was released. He died in 2017, six days after he was brought back to the United States.

The North Korean government said Mr. Warmbier died of botulism but his family said his brain was damaged after he was tortured.

Americans can no longer travel to North Korea unless their passports are validated by the State Department.

A chance to reflect

Even ghost tours — the lighter side of dark tourism — can present dilemmas for tour operators, said Andrea Janes, the owner and founder of Boroughs of the Dead: Macabre New York City Walking Tours.

In 2021, she and her staff questioned whether to restart tours so soon after the pandemic in a city where refrigerated trucks serving as makeshift morgues sat in a marine terminal for months.

They reopened and were surprised when tours booked up fast. People were particularly eager to hear the ghost stories of Roosevelt Island, the site of a shuttered 19th-century hospital where smallpox patients were treated .

“We should have seen as historians that people would want to talk about death in a time of plague,” Ms. Janes said.

Kathy Biehl, who lives in Jefferson Township, N.J., and has gone on a dozen ghost tours with Ms. Janes’s company, recalled taking the tour “Ghosts of the Titanic” along the Hudson River. It was around 2017, when headlines were dominated by President Trump’s tough stance on refugees and immigrants coming into the United States.

Those stories seemed to dovetail with the 100-year-old tales of immigrants trying to make it to New York on a doomed ship, Ms. Biehl said.

It led to “a catharsis” for many on the tour, she said. “People were on the verge of tears over immigration.”

Part of the appeal of dark tourism is its ability to help people process what is happening “as the world gets darker and gloomier,” said Jeffrey S. Podoshen , a professor of marketing at Franklin and Marshall College, who specializes in dark tourism.

“People are trying to understand dark things, trying to understand things like the realities of death, dying and violence,” he said. “They look at this type of tourism as a way to prepare themselves.”

Mr. Faarlund, the photo editor, recalled one trip with his wife and twin sons: a private tour of Cambodia that included a visit to the Killing Fields , where between 1975 and 1979 more than 2 million Cambodians were killed or died of starvation and disease under the Khmer Rouge regime.

His boys, then 14, listened intently to unsparing and brutal stories of the torture center run by the Khmer Rouge. At one point, the boys had to go outside, where they sat quietly for a long time.

“They needed a break,” Mr. Faarlund said. “It was quite mature of them.”

Afterward, they met two of the survivors of the Khmer Rouge, fragile men in their 80s and 90s. The teenagers asked if they could hug them and the men obliged, Mr. Faarlund said.

It was a moving trip that also included visits to temples, among them Angkor Wat in Siem Reap, and meals of frog, oysters and squid at a roadside restaurant.

“They loved it,” Mr. Faarlund said of his family.

Still, he can’t see them coming with him to see people re-enact the crucifixion in the Philippines.

“I don’t think they want to go with me on that one,” Mr. Faarlund said.

52 Places for a Changed World

The 2022 list highlights places around the globe where travelers can be part of the solution.

Follow New York Times Travel on Instagram , Twitter and Facebook . And sign up for our weekly Travel Dispatch newsletter to receive expert tips on traveling smarter and inspiration for your next vacation. Dreaming up a future getaway or just armchair traveling? Check out our 52 Places for a Changed World for 2022.

Maria Cramer is a reporter on the Travel desk. Please send her tips, questions and complaints about traveling, especially on cruises. More about Maria Cramer

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Considering a trip, or just some armchair traveling here are some ideas..

52 Places:  Why do we travel? For food, culture, adventure, natural beauty? Our 2024 list has all those elements, and more .

D enver, Colo.: The city is undergoing a rebirth , with a newly refreshed Union Station and the gradual reopening of the mile-long, pedestrian-friendly 16th Street Mall to go along with views of the snow-capped Front Range.

La Rioja, Spain:  A drive through rolling vineyards will take you to 5 family-run restaurants  where you’ll find flavorful, affordable dishes you can linger over for hours.

Seattle, Wash.:  Today’s Seattle is ever evolving, filled with colorful neighborhoods that are emblematic of the Emerald City’s  natural beauty, vibrant street life ,  and commitment to both preservation and progress .

Stockholm-Helsinki Ferry:  The 16-hour trip between the two northern European cities is a festive summer ritual , with plenty of singing, gambling, limbo contests and maybe a bit too much to drink.

Swim in the Wild:  Looking to take a dip in or near a city center? Here are some European urban areas that have successfully opened up waterways for swimmers .

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Exploring the Morbid: A Guide to Dark Tourism Destinations Around the World

A growing phenomenon in the realm of tourism has been termed dark tourism. Dark Tourism is like the rebellious cousin of regular sightseeing. It’s edgy, it’s thrilling, and it’s not for the faint of heart.  It’s not for the weak-hearted but for those who wish to be on the edge and feel a rush of adrenaline while exploring. Now, picture yourself away from the conventional tourist spots and heading towards sites shrouded in mystery and fear.

When one goes for dark tourism , one can travel across the past in the eerie environment of haunted houses or empty prisons. And those floors that crack and hear the sounds of whispers are all telling their stories of sorrow and mystery. It’s like stepping into an actual horror film.

Oh, and if you’re a fan of dark and scary stuff, you are just in the right place! I want to introduce you to the world of dark tourism. In our story, each destination has an attraction only a few can bear. Our journey starts now! But only if you can handle it!

Table of Contents

What Dark Tourism Really is?

Let’s end this sooner than a superhero’s clothes swap, friends! Now, we will get into the grim part of tourism, and I’m telling you that it will be a fantastic roller coaster ride filled with excitement and fear.

For each person, there is a definition of dark tourism, and everyone perceives it in their own way. Some prefer war zones or museums, while others always choose sites whose history can make one’s hair rise with thrill.

The trip to explore the macabre would include haunted houses, disaster sites, and also some museums with the strangest collections you can imagine. It feels like you are in a thriller movie without the horrible actors. Besides, it is known that every person who respects their passport would have certainly tried dark tourism at least once.

Also, read our detailed article on: What Is Dark Tourism And Why It’s Becoming So Popular

Top places to Dark Tourism Sites Around The World

1. auschwitz-birkenau concentration camp, poland.

One of the most intense, somber, and chilling places I’ve ever visited has to be Auschwitz-Birkenau in Poland. Spread across vast grounds, Auschwitz offers a day-long journey through the harrowing history of the concentration camp.

Visitors encounter iconic landmarks like the Arbeit Macht Frei sign, the Gate to Auschwitz, and haunting remnants of the crematoriums and barracks. Not to mention, the infamous “death wall” and gallows stand as solemn reminders of the atrocities committed.

2. Aokigahara Forest (Suicide Forest of Japan)

As for dark tourism, Aokigahara Forest in Japan called the “Suicide Forest,” is undoubtedly among the world’s most famous locations. Alas! This place gained its notoriety because of the high rate of suicides that occur here. There are also some horror movies, folklore, and tales that this forest has inspired, though it has an eerie reputation.

There is a glimmer of hope amidst all the horror; tourists can enjoy a trip in its scenic beauty with walking tracks or go deeper into Narusawa Ice Cave and Wind Cave. If Japan’s “Suicide Forest” does indeed have an eerie reputation, it certainly brings up intrigue, historical significance, and even natural beauty at the same time.

3. Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, Japan

There are a variety of activities available to dark tourists who feel compelled to venture into the uncanny depths of Aokigahara Forest; these include the cities of Hiroshima or Nagasaki, which are also important dark tourism sites. Both were major targets in the atomic bombings at the end of World War II, with physical scars that still bear witness to that destruction. Important landmarks such as the ground zero site, A-Bomb Dome, and Peace Memorial Park also bring forth powerful and evocative perspectives.

4. Robben Island, South Africa

South Africa’s Robben Island, which is found in the ocean, has a combination of historical elements mixed with its resilience and redemption. A symbol for years as a political prison, it has been converted into a museum where one can experience the shadows of apartheid and appreciate the unsinkable spirits of personalities such as Nelson Mandela, who spent eighteen years behind those walls. For tours, visitors are escorted by ex-prisoners who give insight into the past challenges that faced South Africa.

In the severe and sad stories, a sense of optimism sparks humor, which says much about how humanity can still see success despite hurdles. Robben Island is a symbol of bravery and healing.

5. Hoa Lo Prison, Vietnam

Every trip to Hanoi, Vietnam, is complete with a visit to Hoa Lo Prison. Vietnam boasts numerous dark tourist sites, primarily around Ho Chi Minh City, but Hanoi holds its own, with attractions like the Vietnam Military Museum and the notorious Hoa Lo Prison.

Hoa Lo Prison, fondly nicknamed “The Hanoi Hilton,” has a rich history dating back to the late 1800s under French rule. Initially intended for political detainees, it later became infamous for housing American prisoners of war during the Vietnam War.

During the French occupation, Hoa Lo Prison was an actual chamber of horrors. Overcrowded, with dismal food and rampant sickness, it earned its reputation as a place no one wanted to spend an extended stay in—unless they had a morbid sense of humor about their vacation accommodations.

6. Pompeii, Italy

In 79 AD, Mount Vesuvius erupted, covering Pompeii, Italy, with volcanic ash and pumice, trapping the ancient city. However, this disaster would end up as an accident that preserved the city and now serves as an irresistible window into Roman society. Visit its streets, which have ruins and are decorated with frescoes, where you can read about busy marketplaces and the world’s most exciting culture. Furthermore, even simple objects – amphorae or baked bread loaves say a lot about everyday life in those times. Imagine Pompeii apologizing for the inconvenience but offering a time capsule of its history to satisfy your curiosity this way!

7. Berlin Wall, Germany

The Berlin Wall, a 155-kilometer (96-mile) architectural oddity, sliced through Berlin like a grumpy neighbor’s hedge, separating the city into West and East. Sprouting up quicker than rumors at a family reunion, it rudely interrupted neighborhoods and caused more awkward family gatherings than a poorly planned wedding. Guarded with all the seriousness of a cat guarding its kibble, it even had guards ordered to shoot on sight, making backyard barbecues risky. Around 140 unfortunate souls lost the game of hide-and-seek before it finally surrendered on November 9, 1989. Today, its scattered remnants are Instagram-worthy relics of a bygone era, reminding us that even walls can have a mid-life crisis.

8. Tunnel of Hope, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina

9. Bog Bodies of Europe

My journey to Assen, Netherlands, was not merely to visit the Drents Museum but specifically to see the Yde Girl, an enigmatic figure.

The Netherlands is more than just tulips and windmills; it is also a dark tourism hotspot. One prime example is the Yde Girl, a Bog Body.

Bog bodies — strangely mummified — have been discovered in bogs throughout Northern Europe, including the UK, for thousands of years. Some are so well preserved that they have tricked people into thinking they are recent murder victims.

She introduced the lead actor, Yde Girl, who was elegantly exhibited in Assen’s Drents Museum within the Archaeology Department. Discovered in 1897 in the Netherlands, she was found wearing a rope around her neck, an accessory choice that appeared curiously common among other bog bodies of her time. It seems she met her end either through sacrifice or some macabre medieval means— a reminder that history is riddled with enigmas and some very peculiar ones, too!

10. The Killing Fields of Rwanda

Hidden in Rwanda’s stunning scenery is a location with a story as dark as a moonless night — the Killing Fields. In ’94, when disco was dying out and the Macarena was taking over, Rwanda faced one of its darkest periods. Hundreds of thousands of Tutsi and moderate Hutu faced a fate so terrible that it makes Mondays feel like a walk in the park. But do not lose hope; within the solemnity of Nyamata and Murambi Genocide Memorials, there is a spark of light. It’s like finding that slice of cheese in a labyrinth— unexpected yet warmly welcomed.

As individuals cautiously explore these places, they’re not just showing respect but also observing how Rwanda has traveled from tragedy to victory. It reminds us that even through our darkest moments, resilience always shines brighter than any disco ball at Studio 54.

Tips for Dark Tourism Travelers

Travelers can approach dark tourism with respect, understanding, and emotional readiness to gain a deeper perspective of the past and honor those affected by historical tragedies.

1. Respect the Sites:

• Treat dark tourism sites like you would your grandma’s antique china – with extreme caution and reverence. Remember, breaking things here could land you in history’s naughty corner.
• If you’re tempted to take a selfie with a somber statue or memorial, pause and think: would this be appropriate at a funeral? If the answer is no, rethink your photo op strategy.

2. Understand Local Customs:

• Before you go, brush up on your “Dark Tourism Etiquette 101.” Learn phrases like “Sorry for your loss” in the local language in case you accidentally offend a ghost.
• Keep an eye out for any local superstitions or taboos. Trust me, you don’t want to be the one who accidentally summons a vengeful spirit by stepping on the wrong grave.

3. Prepare Emotionally:

• Pack your emotional baggage wisely – tissues for tears, a stress ball for squeezing, and maybe a few chocolate bars for emergency mood boosts.
• Consider bringing along a travel buddy with a dark sense of humor. Sometimes, laughter is the best medicine, even in the spookiest places.

4. Approach with Openness and Empathy:

• Channel your inner therapist and practice actively listening to the stories these sites have to tell. You might uncover a hidden talent for ghost whispering.
• Remember, it’s not just about the past – it’s also about connecting with the present. So, if you meet any local spirits, don’t be shy – strike up a conversation and see where it leads!

5. Reflect and Honor:

• Take a moment to appreciate the irony of life—here you are, on vacation, contemplating humanity’s existential angst. It’s like Netflix but with more historical significance.
• Pay homage to the fallen by leaving a token of your appreciation – maybe a bouquet or a heartfelt poem. Just keep it PG-rated; we don’t want to offend ghostly sensibilities.

Also read our recent Blog: Unforgettable Luxury Adventures Around the World

Conclusion: A Guide to Dark Tourism Destinations Around the World

And thus, dear companions, our journey into dark tourism ends. Let us ponder the macabre marvels and bone-chilling chronicles we have unearthed. Let’s remember the need for respect, the quest for understanding, and the preparation of our emotions.

Whether it is honoring those who perished in Auschwitz by going deep into the mysteries of Aokigahara Forest or learning about resilience from Robben Island — let us tread softly and pay attention to silence while paying tribute to these historical tragedies.

As we say goodbye to these shadows, may our future travels be filled with awe-inspiring discoveries that resonate within us even after we return home. And until we meet darkness again on another escapade where secrets await illumination through mere light beams, remember always: keep close your flashlight! The tales yet untold eagerly await their revealing spark. We’ll come up with more Dark and historical places around the globe. Till then, as always, Travel Till You Drop!

Also read more about Dark Tourism: Dark Tourism Stories

Jill Charpia

Jill Charpia, founder of Travel Till You Drop and creator of inspiration. A full-time Wanderluster, lover of oddities, the weird, and the dark. Traveled to over 70+ countries and counting; Now dedicated to sharing her travels around the world in hopes of inspiring hearts and open minds. want to know more? Click here to learn more About me .

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• May 7, 2024

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A Traveler's Guide to Dark Tourism

Exploring the world's dark & unusual travel destinations.

Spac Prison: Albania’s Dark Tourism Destination Reveals a Haunting History

Nestled within the picturesque mountains of Albania, SPAÇ Prison stands as a chilling reminder of the country’s tumultuous past. Once a site of political imprisonment and human suffering, this haunting location has become a dark tourism destination, attracting visitors prepared … Read More

Visiting Hartheim Castle Memorial Site (Austria)

As far as dark tourist destinations are concerned, there’s few more harrowing than Hartheim Castle. During WWII it was a Euthanasia Centre, a secret Nazi killing facility, and part of the Aktion T4 program. Here, German citizens tagged as mentally … Read More

Tsitsernakaberd Genocide Memorial & Museum (Yerevan)

For dark tourists in Yerevan, a trip to Tsitsernakaberd is a must. The Memorial and Armenian Genocide Museum provide a powerful insight into the country and its culture and of the darkest period in the nations’ relatively recent history. The … Read More

Visiting Cellular Jail, Port Blair – All You Need to Know

Cellular Jail in the Andaman Islands has a dark and significant history. During the many years of British rule, prisoners were forced into exile in this remote location. Known as the Kala Pani (Black Water in Hindi), Indian freedom fighters … Read More

Masada, Israel – 1st Century Fortress and Site of a Mass Jewish Suicide

“Masada shall not fall again.” The oath that soldiers take when inducted into the Israeli Defence Forces ends with this line. It is connected to a siege that took place almost 2000 years ago. The 1st-century fortress at Masada was … Read More

KGB Cells Museum – Tartu, Estonia

In the center of the Estonian city of Tartu stands an unassuming building that once held a dark secret. During the first Soviet occupation of the country between 1940 and 1954, the basement was home to the KGB. Operating covertly … Read More

North Brother Island – Abandoned Quarantine Facility in New York

North Brother Island, located on the East River between the Bronx and Riker’s Island in New York, is a place with a dark history. Not only is the island home to the worst loss of life in New York’s history … Read More

Ruddock, Louisiana – Entire Town Destroyed by Hurricane

At the turn of the 20th century, Ruddock in Louisiana was a bustling community, located on an isthmus between Lake Maurepas and Lake Pontchartrain, the town was connected by the railroads with a train coming through daily. At the height … Read More

Vorkuta – Russia’s Dying City Above the Arctic Circle

Just over 90 miles north of the Arctic Circle and 40 hours by train from Moscow, sits the once-bustling coal-mining city of Vorkuta, Russia. Built by gulag inmates during Stalin’s big purge in the 1930s, this desolate region on the … Read More

Fleury-devant-douaumont – A Village that Died for France

During World War One, Fleury-devant-douaumont became known as one of the villages that died for France. Caught in the midst of The Battle of Verdun, (one of the longest and fiercest artillery battles of the Great War), French and German … Read More

Reggane and In Ekker – French Nuclear Test Sites, Algeria

Reggane and In Ekker were once nuclear test sites in Algeria. It was here that the French experimented with their atomic arsenal in the 1960s. Thirteen underground nuclear detonations were carried out at the In Ekker site. The reckless nature … Read More

Kadykchan – Abandoned Soviet Mining Town

Kadykchan is located at the eastern extremity of Russia in the Kolyma region of Siberia, an area renowned for the harshness of the climate. This part of Siberia is known for something else too, the devastating brutality of its Gulags. … Read More

Inside Saint Elmo, Colorado’s Best Preserved Ghost Town

St. Elmo, is currently the best-preserved ghost town in Colorado. This former gold mining camp in Chaffee County lies in the heart of the Sawatch Range. The entire district was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979, … Read More

A Trip to Tinian Island – WWII Relics in the Pacific

Despite its remote location in the Pacific, Tinian is slowly becoming more popular with tourists, especially dark ones that are interested in Pacific WWII History. There are a number of reasons why. Not only did the island become one of … Read More

The Ruins of Villa Epecuén, Argentina – A Resort Town Submerged

Villa Epecuén was once a bustling tourist town along the shore of Lago Epecuen. The salt lake, some 600 kilometers away from Buenos Aires was a popular holiday spot for many decades in the 20th century. People would flock from … Read More

Visiting Nauru – An Island From Boom To Bust

Nauru has had a troubled history, passed from one empire to the next. As one of the three big “phosphate rocks” of the Pacific, (Banaba in Kiribati and Makatea in French Polynesia being the other two), the island was a … Read More

The Buried Village of Te Wairoa – Dark Tourism in New Zealand

On June 10, 1889, New Zealand’s deadliest volcanic eruption devastated the surrounding landscape and killed over 120 people. The villagers around Mount Tarawera on the on North Island did not stand a chance as boiling mud and hot springs tore … Read More

Port Royal – Sunken Pirate City, Jamaica

Port Royal, Jamaica was once known as “the most wicked and sinful city in the world”. Founded in 1494 by the Spanish, the enclave positioned on the mouth of what is now called Kingston Harbour, was the center of shipping … Read More

Bunker Valentin, Bremen – Nazi U-Boat Facility

Bunker Valentin was the largest fortified U-boat facility in Germany during WWII. Built to produce submarines on a grand scale for the Nazi war effort, more than 10,000 forced laborers were used in the construction of this gigantic bunker, support … Read More

Chagan Nuclear Tests, Crater Lake & Ghost Town – Kazakhstan

During the Cold War, the Soviets couldn’t get enough of blowing up nuclear weapons in northeastern Kazakhstan. The tests were not always with the intent to one day nuke the USA, however. Conducted by the military under the banner of … Read More

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Dark tourism, explained

Why visitors flock to sites of tragedy.

Every year, millions of tourists around the world venture to some of the unhappiest places on Earth: sites of atrocities, accidents, natural disasters or infamous death. From Auschwitz to Chernobyl, Gettysburg, the site of the Kennedy assassination and the 9/11 Memorial in New York, visitors are making the worst parts of history a piece of their vacation, if not the entire point.

Experts call the phenomenon dark tourism, and they say it has a long tradition. Dark tourism refers to visiting places where some of the darkest events of human history have unfolded. That can include genocide, assassination, incarceration, ethnic cleansing, war or disaster — either natural or accidental. Some might associate the idea with ghost stories and scares, but those who study the practice say it’s unrelated to fear or supernatural elements.

“It’s not a new phenomenon,” says J. John Lennon, a professor of tourism at Glasgow Caledonian University, in Scotland, who coined the term with a colleague in 1996. “There’s evidence that dark tourism goes back to the Battle of Waterloo where people watched from their carriages the battle taking place.”

The hit US drama "Chernobyl" brought a new generation of tourists to the nuclear disaster zone. (Genya Savilov/AFP via Getty Images)

That was in 1815, but he cites an even longer-ago example: crowds gathering to watch public hangings in London in the 16th century. Those are relatively modern compared with the bloody spectacles that unfolded in the Colosseum in Rome.

There aren’t official statistics on how many people participate in dark tourism every year or whether that number is on the rise. An online travel guide run by an enthusiast, Dark-Tourism.com , includes almost 900 places in 112 countries.

But there’s no question the phenomenon is becoming more visible, in part thanks to the Netflix series “Dark Tourist” that was released last year. And popular culture is fueling more visitation to some well-known sites: After the HBO miniseries “Chernobyl,” about the 1986 power plant explosion, came out this spring, travel companies that bring people to the area said they saw a visitor increase of 30 to 40 percent. Ukraine’s government has since declared its intention to make the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone an official tourist spot, despite lingering radiation.

[How to navigate the etiquette of dark tourism]

Philip Stone, executive director of the Institute for Dark Tourism Research at the University of Central Lancashire, in England, says anecdotally that he sees the appetite for such destinations growing.

“I think, for political reasons or cultural reasons, we are turning to the visitor economy to remember aspects of death and dying, disaster,” he says. “There is a kind of memorial mania going on. You could call that growth in dark tourism.”

(Illustrations by Laura Perez for The Washington Post)

Why are tourists so enamored with places that are, as Lennon puts it, “synonymous with the darkest periods of human history?” Academics who study the practice say it’s human nature.

[Ukraine wants Chernobyl to be a tourist trap. But scientists warn: Don’t kick up dust.]

“We’ve just got this cultural fascination with the darker side of history; most history is dark,” Stone says. “I think when we go to these places, we see not strangers, but often we see ourselves and perhaps what we might do in those circumstances.”

“When we go to these places, we see not strangers, but often we see ourselves and perhaps what we might do in those circumstances.”

Philip Stone, executive director, Institute for Dark Tourism Research at the University of Central Lancashire

There is no one type of traveler who engages in dark tourism: It could be a history buff who takes the family on a road trip to Civil War battlefields, a backpacker who treks to the Colosseum in Rome, or a tourist who seeks out the near-abandoned areas near the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant disaster, in 2011, in Japan.

Visitors walk between barbed wire fences at the Auschwitz I memorial concentration camp site in Oswiecim, Poland. (Sean Gallup/Getty Images)

Those who are most familiar with the phenomenon do not condemn it. In fact, they argue that the most meaningful dark-tourism sites can help visitors understand the present and be more thoughtful about the future.

“These are important sites that tell us a lot about what it is to be human,” says Lennon, the tourism professor. “I think they’re important places for us to reflect on and try to better understand the evil that we’re capable of.”

There are even efforts underway to research the way children experience dark tourism, a joint project between the Institute for Dark Tourism Research and the University of Pittsburgh.

Mary Margaret Kerr, a professor of education and psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh, says the idea came about when the National Park Service asked her to help create a team to design children’s materials for families who visit the memorial to United Airlines Flight 93, which was hijacked on Sept. 11, 2001, and crashed in a field in Pennsylvania.

Her research team now includes middle-school students who have studied how their peers interact with the National 9/11 Pentagon Memorial, in Washington, or the site of the Johnstown flood, in Pennsylvania, which killed more than 2,200 in 1889.

(Illustration by Laura Perez for The Washington Post)

“We wouldn’t want families to stop traveling, and adults want to see these places for very good reasons,” Kerr says. “It’s not so much making the decision for parents whether you take the children or not, but what are the appropriate safeguards."

She said the goal is to provide appropriate safeguards and ways to experience a site, even for children too young to grasp the history, “so the family can be there together, but each member of the family can take meaning that works out for them at their age and stage.”

As more sites with dark histories become popular spots — even part of organized tour packages — experts say there is a risk that they could become exploited, used to sell tchotchkes or placed as backdrops for unseemly photos.

“It does kind of invite that passive behavior — let’s call it that touristy behavior — that might be out of place,” Stone says.

Visitors look at the bodies of eruption victims exposed in the ruins of ancient Pompeii. (Mario Laporta/AFP via Getty Images)

Bad conduct by tourists at sensitive sites — smiling selfies at concentration camps, for example — has been widely shunned on social media. The online Dark-Tourism.com travel guide cautions against such behavior, as well as the ethically questionable “voyeurism” of visiting an ongoing or very recent tragedy to gape.

“These are important sites that tell us a lot about what it is to be human. I think they’re important places for us to reflect on and try to better understand the evil that we’re capable of.”

J. John Lennon, tourism professor at Glasgow Caledonian University

“What IS endorsed here is respectful and enlightened touristic engagement with contemporary history, and its dark sites/sides, in a sober, educational and non-sensationalist manner,” the site says .

Lennon says he’s sometimes “dumbfounded” by some of the behavior that gets publicized, but he declines to say what the right or wrong way is for tourists to behave. Overall, he says, he still hopes that by visiting places with dark histories, people are becoming better informed about atrocities like racial and ethnic cleansing.

“I’m heartened by the fact that they choose to try to understand this difficult past,” Lennon says.

Berlin’s Holocaust memorial is ‘not a place for fun selfies’

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A selfie ban in the Czech Republic is the latest effort to combat bad tourist behavior

Hannah Sampson

Hannah Sampson is a staff writer at The Washington Post for By The Way, where she reports on travel news.

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11 Unnerving Dark Tourism Destinations Around The World

Most people plan their vacation to be the most rejuvenating, relaxing experience of the whole year, but there are a select few who travel the world in the hopes of finding the most disturbing attractions. Ever since the release of the 2018 hit TV show "Dark Tourist," the public has become more aware of and intrigued by the slightly more morbid destinations around the globe. This fascination and hobby is called dark tourism.  

According to one survey from Passport Photo Online , 82% of American travelers said they had visited at least one dark tourism destination in their life so far. Most of these dark tourism travelers stated that they visit these types of creepy or depressing places because it allows them to educate themselves and pay respects to people affected by tragedies. Whether they're sad or even borderline scary, the thing that dark tourist destinations usually have in common is that they showcase a realistic, yet sometimes unpleasant, peek into the world's history firsthand.

The Catacombs of Paris

One of the oldest and most famous dark tourism destinations in the world is the Catacombs of Paris. The Catacombs are a deep series of tunnels that were converted into ossuaries as a solution to the overflow of dead bodies filling up Paris' cemeteries and creating a public health crisis in the 18th century. The remains of somewhere between 6 to 7 million people were carefully placed inside the Catacombs and still remain to this day. 

Though the deep underground tunnels are very eerie, the Catacombs have been open as a tourist attraction to the public for over two centuries. There are over 200 miles of tunnels in the Catacombs, but most of it is unexplored by regular tourists and only certain portions can be visited on organized tours. Travelers are welcome to join a 1.25-mile walk through this mass underground burial site and its dark history.

The story of Pompeii is one that sticks with a lot of people after a trip to Italy. This Italian city was thriving 2,000 years ago when all of a sudden one day Mount Vesuvius erupted unexpectedly and completely took everyone in the area out. Toxic gas and smoke were carried from the explosion for 20 miles. The citizens' lives were frozen forever under ash until the city was discovered again in 1748. 

It was a chilling part of history that really showed how instantaneously life can change. Today, the city of Pompeii is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Italy, but nobody forgets its grisly backstory. There are even casts of the bodies curled up in fear to really hit home the terror of this natural disaster. Travelers visiting Pompeii should opt to join a tour or at least invest in an audioguide to get all the information about the city and the influence of its tragedy.

Alcatraz Island

Most people wouldn't put a prison on their vacation wishlist, but Alcatraz in San Francisco is different. Every single year over 1.4 million people make the journey to visit Alcatraz Island. Dubbed "The Rock," it was open from 1934 to 1963 as a maximum security, inescapable prison right in the middle of San Francisco Bay. 

Famous criminals like Al Capone, James "Whitey" Bulger, and George "Machine Gun" Kelly were housed in this hardcore prison for years. Capone even played the banjo in a literal band of inmates during his time at Alcatraz. There is an immense amount of weird, criminal history inside the walls of this famous prison.

Even though it closed its doors as a jail 60 years ago, Alcatraz is still open for the tourism business to this day. There are regular tours to Alcatraz from Pier 33 and it only takes around 20 minutes to reach the island by boat. Just make sure you book your ticket in advance as there is limited availability and visiting Alcatraz is one of the most popular things to do in San Francisco.

Chernobyl Exclusion Zone

In 1986, a deadly catastrophe changed Ukraine and the world forever. A reactor at a huge power plant malfunctioned and it caused a massive steam explosion, creating fires that released the radioactive material in the power plant's core to the nearby area. The results were so toxic that 350,000 people were evacuated. 

The effects of Chernobyl (Chornobyl in Ukrainian) were absolutely devastating with two workers dying from the blast, 28 passing away from radiation within weeks of the incident, and 5,000 people who would get cancer over the following years. The event would go on to be called the Chernobyl Incident and it became known around the globe for just how horrible it was.  

The Chernobyl incident in Ukraine was by far the worst nuclear disaster in history. It's been long enough since the incident that the area isn't completely toxic anymore and curious dark tourism travelers can visit the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone. Chernobyl is still so dangerous that visitors must be accompanied by a trained guide with radiation monitoring equipment to make sure they don't wander anywhere that's too toxic. Note that currently, tours to Chernobyl are paused for the foreseeable future due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The Poison Garden

Most people add a picturesque botanical garden to their travel itinerary for a relaxing afternoon among the greenery, but Alnwick Garden in Northumberland, England has an area where everything could harm you. The Poison Garden is under lock and key at the Alnwick Garden for good reason: Even a sniff can have devastating effects on the human body. 

There are about 100 highly toxic species of plants living inside the Poison Garden right now, including the opium poppy, monkshood (wolfsbane), helleborus odorus (fragrant hellebore), and atropa belladona (deadly nightshade), among many, many others. And despite the danger of the dangerous flora, brave visitors are welcome to walk through if they dare. But be aware. According to Alnwick Garden , visitors are cautioned against interacting with any of the plants, and some people have even passed out just from walking through the garden. Enter at your own risk.

Museum of Death

Travelers are always keen to find the best art and history museums in a city, but the Museum of Death is a much darker sort of attraction. There is a Los Angeles and a New Orleans version of this museum . Established in 1995, the Museum of Death covers the disturbing side of history. The displays are so extreme that families with kids should definitely skip this potentially traumatizing museum. 

Inside each location of the Museum of Death, there is an eclectic collection of disturbing artifacts related to murder and death. The Los Angeles museum includes things like art pieces handmade by serial killers, crime scene photos from the Black Dahlia and Manson family murders, body bags, replicas of execution devices, ancient mortician devices, and a real cult recruiting video. The New Orleans iteration includes stuff like letters from infamous killers, eerie crime memorabilia, shrunken heads, and displays about cannibalism. Just make sure you visit on an empty stomach because some of the displays are really messed up and may catch you off guard.

Sedlec Ossuary

It may be pretty unsettling to walk around a chapel constructed of 40,000 human bones, but that's exactly what you're in for when you visit the Sedlec Ossuary in the Czech Republic. This small, countryside Catholic church was originally built back in the 13th century, but it didn't get its unique design update until 1870 when a local woodcarver was given the job to embellish the church with bones from the cemetery and create the disconcerting masterpiece it is today. 

Even though it's quite macabre, the Sedlec Ossuary is considered to be a very holy place in the Czech Republic. Inside you can find a chandelier, a family's coat of arms, and religious displays completely made out of bones. The artist who assembled many of the pieces within the Sedlec Ossuary even signed his name using bones. Don't let the creepy factor scare you away from exploring this key historical site in the region.

Gravensteen

Gravensteen, also known as the Castle of the Counts, is a spooky, impervious-looking fortress in Belgium with a very gruesome past. Though it started off as a residence for a medieval ruling royal family, it was eventually converted into a military base, court, and prison for their ruling government. Needless to say, the justice system was not as clean-cut as it is today and things got horrifically messy for people unfortunate enough to get stuck here.

Countless prisoners were tortured in unthinkable ways at Gravensteen and many of the people kept here weren't even criminals; they just had mental health conditions. In the dungeon of the castle, gory Middle Ages torture tactics were used, like the rack and others. These days, visitors are allowed to wander Gravensteen without the threat of execution. There is even a torture museum that comes with your entry ticket to the castle where travelers can get a glimpse at Gravensteen's collection of brutal torture equipment.

Island of the Dolls

As Guinness World Records explains, according to local lore, a man named Don Julian Santana Barrera was living by the canal in Xochimilco, Mexico when he started hearing the voice of a little ghost girl who had drowned in the nearby water. He'd heard her crying for a doll and near the place she drowned, he found a doll, so he hung it up in a tree and that was the start of something that remained. Don Julian became fixated on putting up dolls for the girl and soon it became known as the Island of the Dolls. 

To this day the island is still covered in this ominous collection of countless dolls hanging from everywhere and taking over the area. It is actually the largest collection of haunted dolls in the world, according to Guinness World Records. Getting to the island is no walk in the park either as you have to ride down the canal in a trajinera boat to reach the dark tourism destination. The Island of the Dolls is by far one of the creepiest attractions in the world, but plenty of people still go to see the nightmarish display.

Everyone learns about the horrors of war as they're growing up, but rarely do people get the opportunity to see such a gleaming example of its destruction as the Belchite ruins. The ruins are about 40 minutes outside of Zaragoza, Spain and it isn't just a simple museum or historic site — it's an entire ghost town that was destroyed in the Spanish Civil War and stands today as a sort of memorial of what happened there. It was destroyed by bombs in the Battle of Belchite in 1937 and the town has literally been left to decompose on its own ever since.  

The remains of Belchite can still be explored to this day and it has actually become a fairly popular day trip from Zaragoza in recent years. There are few other visitable places left where you can so clearly see the impacts of war, even after nearly a whole century. There are lots of guided tours to Belchite for travelers who want this illuminating glimpse into European history. It's a really moving, thought-provoking destination, even if it's a little disturbing.

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15 Gut-Wrenching Dark Tourism Destinations for 2024

Having just finished the new Netflix series ‘ Dark Tourist ’ it compelled me to write an article on the subject of dark tourism and list some of my favourite dark tourism destinations around the world. So, let’s find out, what is dark tourism.

Examples of dark tourist destinations include sites of natural and man-made disasters from Pompei to Chernobyl. Places like Auschwitz and the killing fields in Cambodia, the Unit 731 Museum in China and the Karagana gulag in Kazakhstan.

As someone with a curious interest in all things dark and spooky, I’ve been visiting dark tourism sites ever since I first start travelling. I’ve visited Iraq, North Korea twice and spent the night at Chernobyl. I’ve explored museums around the world and even use to volunteer at Highgate Cemetery in London.

*Disclaimer: This article contains affiliate links, which means should you click and purchase, I will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Table of Contents

Quick Summary of Dark Tourism Sites Covered

• Albania – BunkArt Museum
• Armenia – Memorial of the Armenian genocide
• Bosnia and Herzegovina – Old front line, Mostar
• China – Unit 731 Museum
• England – Cold war nuclear bunker
• Hungary – House of Terror
• Iraq – Erbil
• Kazakhstan – Karaganda gulag
• North Korea – DMZ
• Northern Ireland – Belfast murals
• Romania – Bran “Dracula” Castle
• Transnistria – Europe’s last communist regime
• Turkey – City of Diyarbakir
• Turkmenistan – the “Door to Hell” at Darvaza
• Ukraine – Chernobyl

My Top List of Dark Tourism Destinations

Wherever I travel I am always looking out for dark tourism destinations, and below are some of my top picks from all around the world.

1. BunkArt, Albania

If there is one thing that former Albanian dictator Enver Hoxha loved, it was concrete bunkers. One of the most interesting of these is now a museum under the streets of the capital, Tirana. Th BunkArt Museum is a must-visit ark tourism destination for visitors to Albania.

Situated next to the parliament buildings in the centre of the city is a small grey bunker that descends into a dark underground tunnel. Inside is a museum detailing the country’s recent history as one of the harshest and most reclusive regimes in the world.

As well as the interesting history and cold war stories contained below, the bunker is home to conceptual sculptures created by local artists. Located on Fadil Deliu Street near the main square. View my BunkArt guide or visit the official website for more information.

Address: Street Abdi Toptani, Tiranë, Albania. See location on Google maps . Entrance: Free Time Needed to Visit: One to two hours Website : bunkart.al

2. Genocide Memorial Complex, Armenia

The Genocide Museum Institute in Yerevan , also known as the Armenian Genocide Museum, is a museum dedicated to educating visitors about the Armenian Genocide that took place in Western Armenia (modern-day Turkey) at the beginning of the 20th Century.

The museum is located on a hill overlooking the city and houses a collection of artefacts, photographs, and personal accounts from survivors of the genocide. The exhibits guide visitors through the history of the genocide, including the events that led up to it and the aftermath.

The museum also features a memorial garden and a monument dedicated to the victims of the genocide. The Genocide Museum Institute serves as an important reminder of the atrocities committed against the Armenian people and a tribute to those who lost their lives.

Address: 8 Tsitsernakaberd Highway, Yerevan 0028, Armenia. See location on Google maps . Entrance: Free Time Needed to Visit: One to two hours Website: www.genocide-museum.am

3. Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Mostar in itself is a beautiful town and deserves to be appreciated on its own merits as a tourist destination. However, given tragic events in its recent history it seems appropriate to include in this list. One of the defining features of old Mostar is the famous Stari Most bridge.

The bridge was shelled in 1993 during the Bosnian War but has thankfully been painstakingly rebuilt using the same stone quarried nearby. Evidence of the war is not hard to miss and the old front line has been preserved as a terrible reminder of what happened here during the early nineties.

You can reach Mostar by train or bus from Sarajevo in Bosnia or by bus from Split an Dubrovnik in Croatia. I’ve been to Mostar twice now; in 2010 and 2022, and it’s still one of my favourite places to visit.

Address: Dr Andre Starcevica, Mostar, BiH. See location on Google maps . Entrance: Free Time Needed to Visit: One to two hours

4. Unit 731 Museum, China

One of the darkest chapters of recent human history is Shiro Ishii’s Unit 731. The unit was set up to research chemical and biological weapons and the Japanese Imperial Army tested these on unwitting and unwilling subjects in far northeast China.

The museum, located in China’s coldest city of Harbin , houses a grim collection of artefacts, confessions, experiment reports and photographs (the most extreme of which are not on display). There are also disturbing dioramas detailing some of the sick experiments.

This is truly one of the darkest of dark tourism destinations and it’s surprising that the horrors that went on here are not more widely known. The museum was closed for renovation when I lived i Harbin in 2016, but I went bak to visit in 2021 and I’m glad I did.

You can read more or see my short film taken at the museum.

Address: Xinjiang Street, Pingfang District, Harbin, China. See location on Google maps . Entrance: Free Time Needed to Visit: Two to three hours Website: unit731.org

5. Kelvedon Hatch Nuclear Bunker, England

Ever wondered where the UK government would go in the event of an all-out nuclear war? Wonder no more as this “secret” nuclear bunker is now open to the public. I visited on a trip back from China and loved the experience.

Tucked away beneath the Essex countryside, Kelvedon Hatch would have housed up to 10,000 people, including the Prime Minister, who would have managed the response to a nuclear attack and run the country from the confines of the bunker.

The nearest rail station is Brentwood. You can take a tube from London to Epping, Debden or Theydon Boice and then a taxi (approx 7 miles).

Check out my list of 10 dark tourism destinations in London .

Address: Kelvedon Hatch, Brentwood, Essex, CM15 0LA. See location on Google maps . Entrance: £7.50 ($9.20) Time Needed to Visit: Two to three hours Website: secretnuclearbunker.com

6. House of Terror, Hungary

One of my favourite museums is the House of Terror in Budapest. This is one of the top dark tourist sites thanks to the building’s dark history as a prison and interrogation centre for both the nazis and communists.

Address: Budapest, Andrássy út 60, 1062 Hungary. See location on Google maps . Entrance: 400 HUF ($1.10) Time Needed to Visit: Two to three hours Website: www.terrorhaza.hu

I had always been intrigued to visit Iraq as my grandfather used to work at Baghdad University in the 1950s. He inspired my own travels by driving all the way from England , and in late 2022 I arrived in Iraq after travelling overland myself.

Lik Mostar, Iraq is a beautiful place with friendly locals and a history dating back millennia. I visited the city of Erbil in the Kurdistan region of northern Iraq and was blown away by the place. Cities like Baghdad, and especially Mosul still show the scars of conflict and safety remains a concern in the region.

8. Karaganda Gulag, Kazakhstan

I visited the Karaganda Gulag (Karlag) whilst travelling from Kazakhstan’s capital Astana to Almaty. This fascinating complex includes a museum with photographs, exhibits and dioramas reflecting the history of the place under Stalin and during the time of the USSR.

Explore recreations of the officer’s quarters, dungeons and transport vehicles used to move prisoners. The camp is located in the heart of the vast Kazakh steppe, once part of the Soviet Union.

Address: 39, Dolinka 101604, Kazakhstan. See location on Google maps . Entrance: 1,000 Tenge ($2) Time Needed to Visit: Two to three hours

9. The DMZ, North Korea

Like Turkmenistan, North Korea is an equally reclusive and paranoid country, but one we hear a lot more about in the media. For the curious, it can make a fascinating holiday destination.

I’ve been to North Korea twice and visited different cities across the country from Sinuiju in the north to the capital Pyongyang and Kaesog in the south. Not far from Kaesong is the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) which separates North Korea from South Korea.

10. Belfast Murals, Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland has a long and tragic history culminating in 30 years of violence from the 1970s up to 1998 when the Good Friday Agreement put an end to the “Troubles”. The north of Ireland has a population made up of two distinct groups; Irish republican/catholic and British loyalist/Protestant.

The Catholic/republican side want to be reunited with the rest of Ireland and this led to the formation of the IRA (Irish Republican Army). The loyalist/protestant side want to remain a part of the UK and set up different paramilitary groups like the UDA (Ulster Defence Association) and UVF (Ulster Volunteer Force) to take on the IRA.

The cities of Belfast and Derry are home to many brightly coloured murals depicting the years of struggle on either side of the divide. I took a three-hour political walking tour which included many of the murals and a history of the troubles from ex-prisoners. Book the tour with Get Your Guide .

11. Bran Castle, Romania

Vlad Tepes, also known as Vlad Dracul or Vlad the Impaler was born in 1428 in a charming old house in Sighisoara that now serves as a restaurant. Tepes was the inspiration behind Bram Stoker’s Dracula and it’s possible to visit Bran Castle in Transylvania which has long been associated with the Dracula story.

Bran Castle is worth a visit for its beautiful gothic architecture, but there is’t a great deal to do i the village aside for that. I spent two days there, but it’s better to take a day trip from nearby Brasov .

Book a tour of Bran Castle with Get Your Guide

Address: Strada General Traian Moșoiu 24, Bran 507025, Romania. See location on Google maps . Entrance: 40 Lei ($8.70) Time Needed to Visit: One to two hours

12. Transnistria

Like Mostar above, it seems a little unfair to include Tiraspol on a list of dark tourism sites, but as charming as this small city is, it gets a place due to Transnistria being a country that doesn’t exist according to the rest of the world (it is recognized only by Abkhazia, Artsakh and South Ossetia; themselves also unrecognized breakaway republics).

Stuck in a soviet time-warp, the KGB is still active here, posters of Lenin adorn the streets and tanks and troops guard the demilitarized zone separating it from Moldova.

You can take a bus to Tiraspol from Chisinau in Moldova and get a VISA/permit at the border. Journey time is approx 2 hours including border crossing and costs under 5 Euros.

Need somewhere to stay in Transnistria or looking for a tour guide? Check out Mars Hostel !

13. Diyarbakir, Turkey

Diyarbakir is a city in southeastern Turkey close to the border of Syria and Iraq. The city is home to Turkey’s largest Kurdish population ad has something of a troubled history. During the 2016 Seige of Sur, many houses were destroyed by Turkish forces.

I spent six weeks living in Diyarbakir in 2022 and although the city has suffered (most recently in the 2023 earthquake), it is also a fantastic destiation with lots of history dating back to Roman times.

14. The Darvaza Gas Crater, Turkmenistan

Turkmenistan deserves a place all of its own on any dark tourist’s list thanks to the strange city of Ashgabat and the bizarre laws still in place in this reclusive former soviet republic. The country is made up of 90% desert, and hidden deep within is a huge flaming sinkhole that has been burning for over 40 years.

I visited the Darvaza Gas Crater (also known as the Door to Hell) in 2017 on my way overland from England to China and spent the night camping next to the crater.

Arrive as the sun is setting and camp next to the roaring crater, but don’t get too close as there are no safety barriers and the fumes can be quite toxic! Definitely one of the top dark tourism destinations in the world!

15. Chernobyl, Ukraine

Chernobyl is one of the top dark tourism destinations in the world and is well worth a visit for anyone interested in not only dark tourism, but also the cold war and the former Soviet Union.

Wander around the deserted city of Pripyat where nature has well and truly reclaimed the town. Pripyat was once a bustling metropolis of 50,000 nuclear power plant workers and their families.

Travel through the exclusion zone with a Geiger counter to see how dangerous the radiation can be. Marvel at the massive Duga Radar Station hidden deep in the radioactive forest. Ironically, it was used by the soviets to detect incoming nuclear missiles from the West.

What Exactly is Dark Tourism?

According to the Wikipedia page, Dark Tourism “has been defined as tourism involving travel to places historically associated with death and tragedy.” But goes on to state that “The main attraction to dark locations is their historical value rather than their associations with death and suffering.”

Dark tourism can mean different things to different people. For me it is the exploration of places with a dark or similarly interesting aspect. From Dracula’s castle in Transylvania or Salem in the USA to the Darvaza ‘Door to Hell’ gas crater in Turkmenistan or North Korea and Chernobyl, these are all places I have recently visited that could be considered dark tourism spots.

The University of Central Lancashire is conducting studies into the rise of dark tourism which makes for some interesting reading.

Most people equate Dark Tourism with human suffering. But although many such places on the dark tourist’s map will have been witness to such horrors, it can equally include creepy abandoned places (Chinese abandoned cities), cold war bunkers or just the outright weird (Ashgabat in Turkmenistan).

Dark Tourism can include sites linked to genocide (Auschwitz, the Killing Fields etc), nuclear catastrophe (Chernobyl, Fukashima etc), war or disaster tourism (Iraq, Afghanistan etc) and much more.

It is up to the individual to visit what they feel comfortable with. If you go with the aim of increasing knowledge and a better understanding, then that can’t be a bad thing. If you are going to simply gawp at misfortune or tragedy, then better stay at home and turn on the TV!

Is Dark Tourism ok or Ethical?

It’s important to remember that many dark tourist sites have seen tragic events and as with travelling anywhere, respect is key to coming away from the experience a better person.

Dark tourism should not be about voyeurism, but for those with a morbid fascination, or even a healthy curiosity, seeking out such places can be extremely educational as well as humbling.

Check out this great list of 50 crazy destinations for lovers of the weird and macabre.

Below I list 10 of my favourite dark tourism destinations. You can find details of how you can visit them too if you dare!

The best resource for travellers interested in dark tourism is the site dark-tourism.com. The site is home to hundreds of articles on dark tourist locations across the globe.

Now you know the answer to the question: what is dark tourism, which sites would you like to see?! Comment below with your favourite dark tourism destination!

Dark tourism is popular around the world and most countries have dark tourist sites. From Pompei in Italy to Auschwitz in Poland and Chernobyl in Ukraine, these places see many visitors every year.

Dark tourism places include Bran Castle in Romania, the House of Terror in Hungary, Chernobyl, Fukushima, the Uit 731 Museum in China and many more. Countries on the dark tourist map include Syria, North Korea ad Iraq.

Dark tourists are people that search out the macabre, spooky or places with a dark history.

Final Thoughts

With so many interesting dark tourism destinations from Albania to Armenia and North Korea to Northern Ireland, which of these sites are you interested in seeing? I will continue to search out ore fascinating dark tourist sites on my travels.

About the author: Steve Rohan is a writer from Essex, England. He has traveled to over 60 countries, lived in Armenia, China and Hong Kong, and is now living the digital nomad life on the road.

Steve prefers “slow travel” and has covered much of the world by train, bus and boat. He has been interviewed multiple times by the BBC and recently featured in the documentary Scariest Places in the World . See the About page for more info.

Where I am now: Yerevan, Armenia 🇦🇲

5 thoughts on “ 15 Gut-Wrenching Dark Tourism Destinations for 2024 ”

These are some very interesting places and a few I didn’t even know tourists could go visit (NK) but it’s awesome that you shed a bit of bright light on places that are known as quite “dark” to the average person.

Thanks Dom, yes North Korea is open to tourists and makes a fascinating destination!

I love Dark Tourism and find most of the sites fascinating. This is a great list and I want to travel to so many of these places!

I would also suggest the Killing Fields and the Tuol Sleng Genocide museum in Cambodia

Hi KS, thanks for the heads-up. I will be visiting Cambodia later this year and will definitely be visiting the Killing Fields and adding it to this post. Best, Steve

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How to visit dark tourism destinations in an ethical way

Jan 28, 2021 • 6 min read

Abandoned ferris wheel in amusement park in Pripyat, Chernobyl area © Hellen Sergeyeva / Shutterstock

Even if you don’t consider yourself a dark tourist, it’s natural to be intrigued by sites associated with death and tragedy. Concentration camps, disaster memorials and other dark tourism sites preserve the evidence of humankind’s worst cruelty. They also offer stories of hope and solidarity from the bleakest chapters of world history. 

Although dark tourism is often motivated by a desire to learn or pay respects, it can still be controversial. Some visitors can cause offense by taking ill-conceived photos, or by treating a site of tragedy like a theme park. After all, dark tourism sites don’t exist in a vacuum: lives unfold nearby, and local people tread a tightrope between honoring the memory of past horrors and stepping out from their shadow. 

These five dark tourism destinations memorialize terrible events, and each one requires a thoughtful approach from visitors. Touring these sites can be perspective-altering, even life-changing, provided you go with kindness and care – here’s our guide to being an ethical dark tourist.

Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial & Museum, Poland 

During WWII, more than 1.1 million people were murdered by the Nazis at Auschwitz-Birkenau . Now preserved as a memorial, these notorious concentration camps bring in enormous numbers of tourists (more than 2.32 million people in 2019). 

Many tourists arrive at Auschwitz-Birkenau on day trips from charming Kraków , 65km east. There’s a similar day-trip effect at other sites of former concentration camps, such as Terezín (north of Prague ) and Dachau (outside Munich ). The challenge is transitioning between holiday mode – selfie stick aloft, picnic packed, sunhat and novelty T-shirt – to a mindset appropriate to seeing the place where Jewish and Roma people, as well as prisoners of war and LGBTIQ+ people, were tortured, starved and murdered.

Respectful photography sounds obvious, but officials at the site need to repeatedly remind visitors . Don’t strike an enigmatic pose on the railway lines that brought hundreds of thousands of people to their deaths. Reconsider whether selfies are appropriate: by their nature they center on you rather than those who suffered here.  

Killing Fields and S-21, Cambodia

More than 1.7 million people were murdered in the Cambodian genocide of 1975–79. The S-21 prison and interrogation cells in Phnom Penh are where the Khmer Rouge tortured thousands. If they weren’t murdered on-site, victims would be taken to Choeung Ek’s Killing Fields , 15km south. The Killing Fields are now a memorial site and S-21 is conserved as the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum . 

Up to 800 people visit the Killing Fields each day, most also paying a visit to S-21 where guides – some survivors of the genocide – lead visitors between rusty bedframes and bare-walled cells. Though there are concerns that the site cannot handle the increasing volume of tourists, locals are generally pleased to see visitors. Tourism represents more than 15% of Cambodia’s GDP. As well as boosting the economy, visitation of Khmer Rouge–era sites ensures their preservation and encourages confrontation of the country’s history. 

Although most are respectful, it’s not unusual to see tourists ignoring signs prohibiting photography or walking directly across mass graves. Bone fragments have been stolen, while graffiti has been left in Tuol Sleng. Visit with environmental and emotional sensitivity: observe signs, watch where you’re treading, refrain from photography at sensitive locations and hire a local guide to ensure your tourists dollars go straight into Cambodians’ pockets. 

A-Bomb Dome and Peace Memorial Museum, Hiroshima, Japan

After US Army Air Forces bombed Hiroshima on 6 August 1945, the Japanese city became forever associated with death on an apocalyptic scale. Hiroshima was flattened by the atomic blast. More than 70,000 people were killed instantly, and a similar number died later from terrible burns and radiation-related illnesses. 

The A-bomb dome , the only major structure to have survived, stands as a witness to that day. Nearby, the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum displays harrowing reconstructions of what the victims endured, as well as thoughtful messages of optimism for world peace. 

This history is a heavy burden for Hiroshima. While it’s important to devote time to Hiroshima’s dark tourism sites, it’s equally worthwhile to learn about the city beyond the bombing. Understand hundreds of years of history at Hiroshima-jō , the faithful rebuild of a 16th-century castle. Take a ferry to Miyajima Island to admire temples and spot miniature deer. Talk to local people about their town, if you can. Above all, leave with memories of Hiroshima as a living town, rather than a by-word for wartime horror.

Kigali Genocide Memorial, Rwanda

Tourists need to be especially considerate when visiting a place associated with a very recent tragedy. The Kigali Genocide Memorial remembers the victims of 1994’s 100-day genocide of the Tutsi people. One-quarter of a million people are buried in mass graves, killed by the Hutu extremists and their supporters. Video testimony by survivors of Rwanda ’s genocide, accompanied by heart-rending descriptions of children who were murdered, make this a confronting place to visit.

Thoughtful conduct is paramount, and this extends to giving your full attention to displays that you read. Ideally, do some research before arriving and be attentive to what you see and read. People who lost their loved ones in the genocide come to the memorial to remember those who were killed. The least that visitors can do is give their undivided attention.  

Chernobyl, Ukraine

The 1986 explosion at Chernobyl’s nuclear power plant has gone down in infamy. The accident caused dozens of deaths, innumerable radiation-related illnesses, thousands of evacuations and a toll on wildlife that is still being debated and calculated. 

In 2019, HBO’s miniseries Chernobyl beamed a blow-by-blow account of the disaster onto screens across the world. Local tour guides received heightened interest in trips around the "exclusion zone," the badly contaminated 2600-sq-km area that was evacuated after the blast. 

A TV series can have a dangerous distancing effect, but despite the occasional influencer using the site as staging for photoshoots, the exclusion zone is no movie set. Tour guides urge visitors to protect themselves by wearing long-sleeved clothing and refraining from touching anything. Custodians of the carefully guarded area scan visitors after their visit, to make sure radioactive dust isn’t clinging to their clothing. 

It’s painful for a country when land is poisoned and people displaced; it’s even more unsettling when a place becomes a macabre curiosity around the world. But be prepared to challenge your preconceptions about Soviet-era wreckage and wildlife-free wastelands. Against advice, as many as 200 people still live in the exclusion zone. Younger Ukrainians eager to build something positive from Chernobyl’s grim legacy offer photography and educational tours, and have even hosted a music festival in the zone. As with so many other dark tourism sites, an ethical visit to Chernobyl requires an open mind.

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If You've Been To 5 Or More Of These Places, You're A Dark Tourist

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• Uncover history's darkest moments with dark tourism: from Auschwitz to Hiroshima, these dark tourism spots around the world reveal resilience and tragedy.
• Dive into eerie destinations like the Murambi Genocide Memorial and Cu Chi Tunnels to understand the past's impact on the present.
• Explore haunting locations like Ground Zero and the Catacombs of Paris to shed light on human endurance in the face of tragedy.

Have you ever found yourself drawn to travel that's a little… off the beaten path? We're not talking about skipping the Louvre for a cat café (though, no judgment there). We're talking about bucket list-worthy dark tourism destinations with equally dark histories, whispers of tragedy, and the resilience of the human spirit.

If America's most haunted cities , abandoned asylums, battlefields, eerie US penitentiaries , or sites of human suffering pique your interest, you might just be a dark tourist, and that's okay. After all, confronting the darkness can shed light on the present, and understanding the past is crucial to building a better future.

Of course, perhaps some of the most famous dark tourism spots are in the United States. However, there are many more around the world. So, how many of these haunting yet historically significant places have you visited? Let's count them up and see if you qualify as a true dark tourist. If you've been to at least five of these places, it's highly likely you're a dark tourism enthusiast.

7 Best Dark Tourism Destinations To Visit In America

These historical sites are the spots of terrible tragedies, horrific crimes, or otherwise eerie events - and they're all open to the public.

7 Chernobyl, Ukraine

Explore the abandoned city and power plant, a haunting reminder of the world's worst nuclear disaster.

On April 26, 1986, the Chernobyl nuclear reactor exploded, sending a radioactive cloud spewing across Europe. The nearby city of Pripyat, once a bustling home to nearly 50,000 people, became a ghost town overnight. The surrounding area, now known as the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, still remains largely uninhabited.

Today, the Exclusion Zone is an eerie mix of nature reclaiming what's man-made and reminders of a life abruptly abandoned. You'll see the skeletal remains of the power plant itself, a constant specter of the disaster. Pripyat stands frozen in time, with amusement parks overtaken by weeds, Ferris wheels rusting in the overgrown fields, and buildings crumbling with the weight of neglect.

Chernobyl is still a radioactive zone, but visiting with a licensed guide ensures you can stay within safe areas and follow proper safety protocols. Tour participants wear long pants, sleeves, and closed-toe shoes and are provided with disposable coveralls and a respirator for certain areas.

Just like other disaster sites you can tour beyond Chernobyl , visiting the Exclusion Zone independently is strictly prohibited. To plan a safe trip to Chernobyl , several reputable tour companies offer day trips or multi-day excursions from Kyiv, Ukraine.

Currently, it is not advised to visit Ukraine due to the ongoing conflict there.

6 Murambi Genocide Memorial, Rwanda

Confront the brutal realities of the rwandan genocide.

If you're interested in confronting the raw brutality of human history, then the Murambi Genocide Memorial in Rwanda is a site you should consider. It's not for the faint of heart, but a place that confronts the darkness head-on and serves as a powerful memorial to an immense tragedy.

Between April and July 1994, Rwanda descended into a horrific genocide that claimed nearly one million lives. The Murambi Technical School, located in southern Rwanda, became a refuge for Tutsis seeking shelter. However, it turned into a horrific killing ground. Over 50,000 Tutsis were brutally murdered within the school walls.

The Murambi Technical School is no more today. It has been transformed into the Murambi Genocide Memorial, a place of somber reflection and remembrance. Unlike other memorials, it doesn't shy away from the raw realities of the genocide.

The most striking aspect is the preserved bodies of some victims. In 1995, during the exhumation of mass graves, some bodies were found in remarkable condition. These bodies were treated with lime and placed on display in the very classrooms where the killings took place.

Dress modestly and avoid loud noises or disruptive behavior. Photography is allowed, but be mindful of what you capture and avoid photographing the remains in a disrespectful way.

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5 Ground Zero, New York

Pay your respects at the powerful 9/11 memorial in nyc and learn about the city's unwavering spirit.

On September 11th, 2001, the world watched in horror as terrorists hijacked airplanes and crashed them into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center. The devastation was immense. The colossal towers crumbled, taking down surrounding buildings and taking nearly 3,000 lives.

The site where the Twin Towers once stood is no longer a scene of devastation. It's been transformed into a powerful memorial and a place of reflection. The centerpiece is the National September 11 Memorial & Museum. Here, you'll find the incredibly moving twin reflecting pools, each the footprint of a tower, with the names of the victims etched along the edges.

To truly understand the event's impact, you can visit the 9/11 Tribute Museum, located nearby. This museum, run by a non-profit organization, delves deeper into the stories of the victims and heroes of that day. It's a place to learn about the attacks and their aftermath, not through sensationalism, but through personal artifacts and stories. Every year, on the anniversary of the attacks, twin beams of light shoot straight up into the night sky, mimicking the lost towers.

Visiting Ground Zero is free and open to the public. The 9/11 Memorial is accessible 24/7, while the museum has set hours (typically 9 am to 8 pm). Security is understandably tight, so be prepared for bag checks and lines. It's best to research and book museum tickets online beforehand, especially during peak season.

4 The Catacombs Of Paris, France

Take an eerie walk through an underground city of bones.

The story begins in the late 18th century. Paris' overflowing cemeteries posed a serious public health risk. Cemeteries like Les Innocents, located in the heart of the city, were overflowing and causing disease. The city's solution? Transfer the remains to a network of abandoned limestone quarries that lay beneath the bustling streets.

Over several years, starting in 1786, bones were meticulously arranged in walls and stacks, creating an eerie yet strangely beautiful underground necropolis. Today, the Catacombs hold the remains of over six million Parisians' skulls and bones, which are stacked neatly along the walls, forming elaborate patterns and macabre displays. Femurs line entire walls, tibias create geometric designs, and skulls grin eerily from niches carved into the rock. It's an undeniably creepy sight, but also strangely beautiful in its own way.

Visiting the official ossuary section of the Catacombs is perfectly safe and legal. Tours are mandatory and tend to sell out quickly, so booking well in advance is essential.

There are extensive unauthorized networks of tunnels beneath Paris, and exploring them is strictly forbidden and extremely dangerous. Stick to the official tours to ensure your safety and respect the sanctity of the site.

3 Hiroshima & Nagasaki, Japan

Cities of peace rising from the ashes.

On August 6th and 9th, 1945, the United States dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki respectively. The heat from this detonation was more intense than the temperatures of all the hottest places in the world put together.

Both Hiroshima and Nagasaki were obliterated in an instant. Tens of thousands perished immediately, and countless others succumbed to radiation sickness in the weeks and months that followed.

The blasts left behind a wasteland, and the aftereffects continue to impact survivors and their families to this day.

The Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park is the heart of the city's remembrance. The centerpiece of the park is the Hiroshima Peace Memorial – a powerful, domed structure that miraculously remained partially standing after the blast. The park also holds a haunting monument dedicated to the 26 Martyrs of Japan, who were executed in 1597 for their Christian faith.

Nearby, the Hiroshima National Peace Memorial Hall for the Atomic Bomb Victims offers a more intimate look at the lives lost. Here, you can find walls filled with paper cranes – a symbol of hope and healing in Japanese culture – folded by visitors from around the world.

Both cities are easily accessible by train from major Japanese hubs like Kyoto and Osaka. The Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum is open daily from 9:00 am to 5 pm (closed Mondays). There are audio guides available in multiple languages.

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Unfortunately, for various reasons, there are countries in the world where Americans are at a substantial risk of getting kidnapped.

2 Auschwitz-Birkenau, Poland

Stand on the grounds of a nazi extermination camp and learn about the darkest chapter of human history.

Established in 1940 by Nazi Germany in occupied Poland, Auschwitz wasn't just one camp, but a complex of over 40 facilities. Auschwitz I, the main camp, served as the administrative center and housed prisoners forced into labor.

Between 1942 and 1944, Auschwitz-Birkenau became the center of the Nazi regime's "Final Solution", the systematic extermination of Jews with gas chambers and crematoria. Over 1.1 million people, mostly Jews, but also Roma, Poles, and Soviet prisoners of war, perished within these camps.

Today, Auschwitz-Birkenau stands as a stark memorial and museum. Walking through the gates of Auschwitz I, with its infamous words "Arbeit Macht Frei" ( Work Makes You Free ), a cruel mockery above the entrance, sends shivers down the spine. Buildings like the four-story red-brick prison block and the mugshot room, where countless prisoners were processed, paint a grim picture of the camp's machinery.

Walking through these grounds, you'll see preserved gas chambers, piles of shoes stripped from victims, and heartbreaking memorials. The haunting railway tracks that led countless victims to their demise only amplify the sense of despair.

1 The Cu Chi Tunnels, Vietnam

Explore the labyrinthine tunnels used by viet cong soldiers and gain a deeper understanding of the vietnam war.

The Cu Chi Tunnels, northwest of Ho Chi Minh City, are a must-visit for those interested in the darker side of history. Dug by hand over decades, starting in the 1940s, the Cu Chi Tunnels stretched for over 250 kilometers. Imagine a vast underground city, complete with living quarters, hospitals, kitchens, and even weapon-making facilities.

The tunnels were incredibly narrow, often just tall enough for a person to crouch through. Ventilation shafts disguised as anthills provided air, while booby traps lay hidden to deter intruders.

Living conditions were harsh. The tunnels were hot, humid, and crawling with insects. But for the Viet Cong, they were a vital shield against American bombing and ground troops. They could launch surprise attacks from these tunnels, then vanish back underground before retaliation.

The Cu Chi Tunnels are now a mix of preserved history and tourist attractions. Some sections have been widened and made accessible to visitors. You can crawl through a short stretch of the tunnels to get a feel for the cramped conditions and imagine the challenges faced by the Viet Cong soldiers.

Several reputable tour companies offer guided tours to the Cu Chi Tunnels from Ho Chi Minh City. These tours typically last a few hours and include transportation, entrance fees, and a knowledgeable guide who can share the history of the tunnels and the war.

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Dark tourism: when tragedy meets tourism

The likes of Auschwitz, Ground Zero and Chernobyl are seeing increasing numbers of visitors, sparking the term 'dark tourism'. But is it voyeuristic or educational?

Days after 71 people died in a London tower block fire last June, something strange started to happen in the streets around it. Posters, hastily drawn by members of the grieving community of Grenfell Tower, appeared on fences and lamp posts in view of the building's blackened husk.

'Grenfell: A Tragedy Not A Tourist Attraction,' one read, adding — sarcastically — a hashtag and the word 'selfies'. As families still searched for missing inhabitants of the 24-storey block, and the political shock waves were being felt through the capital, people had started to arrive in North Kensington to take photos. Some were posing in selfie mode.

"It's not the Eiffel Tower," one resident told the BBC after the posters attracted the attention of the press. "You don't take a picture." Weeks later, local people were dismayed when a coachload of Chinese tourists pulled up nearby so that its occupants could get out and take photos.

Grenfell Tower, which still dominates the surrounding skyline (it's due to be demolished in late 2018), had become a site for 'dark tourism', a loose label for any sort of tourism that involves visiting places that owe their notoriety to death, disaster, an atrocity or what can also loosely be termed 'difficult heritage'.

It's a phenomenon that's on the rise as established sites such as Auschwitz and the September 11 museum in Manhattan enjoy record visitor numbers. Meanwhile, demand is rising among those more intrepid dark tourists who want to venture to the fallout zones of Chernobyl and Fukushima, as well as North Korea and Rwanda. In Sulawesi, Indonesia, Western tourists wielding GoPros pay to watch elaborate funeral ceremonies in the Toraja region, swapping notes afterwards on TripAdvisor.

Along the increasingly crowded dark-tourist trail, academics, tour operators and the residents of many destinations are asking searching questions about the ethics of modern tourism in an age of the selfie and the Instagram hashtag. When Pompeii, a dark tourist site long before the phrase existed, found itself on the Grand Tour of young European nobility in the 18th century, dozens of visitors scratched their names into its excavated walls. Now we leave our mark in different ways, but where should we draw the boundaries?

Questions like these have become the life's work of Dr Philip Stone , perhaps the world's leading academic expert on dark tourism. He has a background in business and marketing, and once managed a holiday camp in Scotland. But a fascination with societal attitudes to mortality led to a PhD in thanatology, the study of death, and a focus on tourism.

"I'm not even a person who enjoys going to these places," Stone says from the University of Central Lancashire, where he runs the Institute for Dark Tourism Research. "But what I am interested in is the way people face their own mortality by looking at other deaths of significance. Because we've become quite divorced from death yet we have this kind of packaging up of mortality in the visit economy which combines business, sociology, psychology under the banner of dark tourism. It's really fascinating to shine a light on that."

Historical roots

The term 'dark tourism' is far newer than the practice, which long predates Pompeii's emergence as a morbid attraction. Stone considers the Roman Colosseum to be one of the first dark tourist sites, where people travelled long distances to watch death as sport. Later, until the late 18th century, the appeal was starker still in central London, where people paid money to sit in grandstands to watch mass executions. Hawkers would sell pies at the site, which was roughly where Marble Arch   stands today.

It was only in 1996 that 'dark tourism' entered the scholarly lexicon when two academics in Glasgow applied it while looking at sites associated with the assassination of JFK. Those who study dark tourism identify plenty of reasons for the growing phenomenon, including raised awareness of it as an identifiable thing. Access to sites has also improved with the advent of cheap air travel. It's hard to imagine that the Auschwitz-Birkenau memorial and museum would now welcome more than two million visitors a year (an average of almost 5,500 a day, more than two-thirds of whom travel to the Polish site from other countries in Europe) were it not for its proximity to Krakow's international airport.

Peter Hohenhaus, a widely travelled dark tourist based in Vienna, also points to the broader rise in off-the-beaten track tourism, beyond the territory of popular guidebooks and TripAdvisor rankings. "A lot of people don't want mainstream tourism and that often means engaging with places that have a more recent history than, say, a Roman ruin," he says. "You go to Sarajevo and most people remember the war being in the news so it feels closer to one's own biography."

Hohenhaus is also a fan of 'beauty in decay', the contemporary cultural movement in which urban ruins have become subject matter for expensive coffee-table books and a thousand Instagram accounts. The crossover with death is clear. "I've always been drawn to derelict things," the 54-year-old says. As a child in Hamburg, he would wonder at the destruction of war still visible around the city's harbour.

That childhood interest has developed into an obsession; Hohenhaus has visited 650 dark tourist sites in 90 countries, logging them all and more besides on his website . He has plans to put together the first dark tourism guidebook. His favourite holiday destination today is Chernobyl and its 'photogenic' ghost town. "You get to time travel back into the Soviet era but also into an apocalyptic future," he says. He also enjoys being emotionally challenged by these places. "I went to Treblinka in 2008 and heard the story of a teacher at an orphanage in Warsaw who was offered a chance to escape but refused and went with his children to the gas chambers. Stories like that are not everyday, you mull over them. Would you have done that?"

But while, like any tourism, dark tourism at its best is thought-provoking and educational, the example of Grenfell Tower hints at the unease felt at some sites about what can look like macabre voyeurism. "I remember the Lonely Planet Bluelist book had a chapter about dark tourism a while ago and one of the rules was 'don't go back too early'," Hohenhaus says. "But that's easier said than calculated. You have to be very aware of reactions and be discreet when you're not in a place with an entrance fee and a booklet." Hohenhaus said he had already thought about Grenfell Tower and admits he would be interested to see it up close. "It's big, it's dramatic, it's black and it's a story you've followed in the news," he says. "I can see the attraction. But I would not stand in the street taking a selfie."

A mirror to mortality

An urge to see and feel a place that has been reduced to disaster shorthand by months of media coverage is perhaps understandable, but Stone is most interested in the draw — conscious or otherwise — of destinations that hold up a mirror to our own mortality. "When we touch the memory of people who've gone what we're looking at is ourselves," he says. "That could have been us in that bombing or atrocity. We make relevant our own mortality." That process looks different across cultures — and generations — and Stone says we should take this into account before despairing of selfie takers at Grenfell Tower or Auschwitz.

"I've heard residents at Grenfell welcoming visitors because it keeps the disaster in the public realm, but they didn't like people taking photos because it's a visual reminder that you're a tourist and therefore somehow defunct of morality," he explains. "We're starting to look at selfies now. Are they selfish?" Stone argues that the language of social media means we no longer say "I was here", but "I am here — see me". He adds: "We live in a secular society where morality guidelines are increasingly blurred. It's easy for us to say that's right or wrong, but for many people it's not as simple as that."

"Travel itself is innately voyeuristic," argues Simon Cockerel, the general manager of Koryo Tours , a North Korea specialist based in Beijing. Cockerel, who has lived in China for 17 years and joined Koryo in 2002, says demand has grown dramatically for trips to Pyongyang and beyond, from 200 people a year in the mid 1990s, when the company started, to more than 5,000 more recently. He has visited the country more than 165 times and says some clients join his tours simply to bag another country, and some for bragging rights. But the majority have a genuine interest in discovering a country — and a people — beyond the headlines.

"I've found everyone who goes there to be sensitive and aware of the issues," he says. "The restrictions do create a framework for it to be a bit like a theme park visit but we work hard to blur those boundaries. More than 25 million people live in North Korea, and 24.99 million of them have nothing to do with what we read in the news and deserve to be seen as people not as zoo animals or lazy caricatures."

More challenging recently has been the US ban on its citizens going to North Korea, imposed last summer after the mysterious death of Otto Warmbier. The American student had been arrested in Pyongyang after being accused of trying to steal a propaganda poster. Americans made up about 20% of Koryo's business, but Cockerel argues the greater loss is to mutual perception in the countries. "The North Korean government represent Americans as literal wolves with sharpened nails," he says. "At least a few hundred Americans going there was a kind of bridgehead against that. Now that's gone."

At Grenfell Tower, responsible tourism may yet serve to keep alive the memory of the disaster, just as it does, after a dignified moratorium, at Auschwitz and the former Ground Zero. Hohenhaus says he will resist the urge to go until some sort of memorial is placed at the site of the tower. At around the time of a commemorative service at St Paul's Cathedral six months after the fire, there were calls for the site eventually to be turned into a memorial garden. The extent to which Hohenhaus and other dark tourists are welcomed will be decided by the people still living there.

Five of the world's dark tourism sites

1. North Korea Opened to visitors in the late 1980s, North Korea now attracts thousands of tourists each year for a peek behind the headlines.

2. Auschwitz-Birkenau The former Nazi death camp became a memorial in 1947 and a museum in 1955. It's grown since and in 2016 attracted a record two million visitors.

3. 9/11 Memorial and Museum Built in the crater left by the twin towers of the World Trade Center, the museum, opened in 2014, has won plaudits for its portrayal of a disaster and its impact.

4. Rwanda Visitor numbers to genocide memorials have grown in Cambodia and Bosnia as well as in Rwanda, where there are several sites dedicated to the 1994 massacre of up to a million people. The skulls of victims are displayed.

5. Chernobyl & Pripyat, Ukraine Several tour companies exist to send visitors to the exclusion zone and ghost town left otherwise empty after the nuclear accident in 1986. All are scanned for radiation as they leave.

Published in the March 2018 issue of National Geographic Traveller (UK)

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12 Best Dark Tourism Sites In The USA: Macabre, Strange & Interesting!

T he United States has always been somewhat of an enigma to the rest of the world. However, with so many intriguing and sometimes downright strange events going on, it’s no surprise the USA is a must-see tourist destination for wanderlust folk. After all, sometimes the idea of a trip to Costco in itself can feel like an experience in the land of freedom.

But we started to think, with the abundance of tourist traps in the USA ranging from architectural feats and national parks to Disney and Hollywood , what kind of secrets is this country hiding?

Well as it turns out, there are countless unique, terrifying, and downright bizarre Dark Tourism destinations in the USA that are ready to be explored. Even in just one city like San Francisco, you can find many creepy tourist sites – as we’ve written about before.

To help you find the strangest and creepiest places throughout the USA, here’s some of the best Dark Tourism destinations that we think you should check out. From ghosts and witchcraft to urban legends that seem too real to be fake….

The Macabre, Strange and Interesting Dark Tourism Destinations of The USA

1. badlands national park.

The Badlands National Park is known for its remote and seemingly hostile environment. However, the strange, almost alien environment has been an alluring attraction to people who enjoy the stranger side of life.

The geological shapes make it seem like a scene from Star Wars more than an earthly place. Canyons, rock formations, and an abundance of fossils show the rich and diverse natural history of the Badlands.

But it didn’t end there; when settlers came to the Americas, it became a site of conflict between Native Americans and Colonizers seeking to take control of the land.

The land saw its fair share of bloodshed and brutal history, and a few patches of cursed land were rumored to be hidden amongst the canyons and old hunting grounds.

Tourists are often urged to take tours with knowledgeable guides; like many of America’s National Parks, there have been disappearances and incidents of hikers getting lost.

But if you’re up for the adventure and want to visit somewhere entirely out of this world, you won’t be disappointed with Badlands National Park.

Location: South Dakota

Tags: Dark History; Strange Tourism

2. Saint Elmo: Ghost Town

While the term Ghost Town might garner some excitement from the likes of the Winchester Brothers from Supernatural, we’d like to restate the rumors.

St Elmo’s is not an undead stronghold and, surprisingly, has very little rumor of paranormal activity.

So what makes it so interesting? Well, Saint Elmo is the most well-preserved Ghost Town in the United States. Once a flourishing town founded in 1880, this was a booming part of the Silver Mining Industry. Unfortunately, this was short-lived, and the town was abandoned entirely in the early 20th century.

It now offers a unique perspective on life in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, as well as allows our imagination to take us back to the Wild West, where cowboys and shootouts are the order of the day.

There are guided tours, but for the most part, the town and its surroundings (which are stunning, by the way) are open for exploration!

Location: Chaffee County, Colorado

Tags: Dark History

3. The Shanghai Tunnels

Underneath the city streets of Portland sits a vast network of tunnels dating back decades.

They were not a part of the city’s original plans and were, in fact, created as an escape and transport network for criminal activities—namely Shanghaiing.

Unsuspecting men would be forcibly kidnapped and transported through these tunnels to awaiting ships to work as slave crew. Not to mention that when the Prohibition Era hit, they were a pretty good way to sneak contraband liquor around the city for Gatsby-esque soirees.

These tunnels form a dark part of Portland’s heritage but are still part of its history as far as tourism is concerned. The tunnels are only accessible through a few points and with guides.

And we wouldn’t recommend you try to enter any other way. Why? Aside from their history of illicit activity, they have also earned the nasty title of one of Portland’s most haunted destinations.

So it’s best to travel in groups and let the tour guide keep you safe from the things that creep around the tunnels because we promise you rats are the least of your worries.

Location: Portland, Oregon

Tags: Paranormal; Supernatural; Dark History

4. Waverly Hills Sanatorium

We don’t need American Horror Story to help us realize that abandoned hospitals in any way, shape or form are some of the creepiest things to exist.

Waverly Hills Sanatorium is no exception to the rule. Once a treatment facility for Tuberculosis, y’know, before we discovered a cure, the sanatorium was the final resting place for hundreds of patients who succumbed to the contagious disease.

This leaves quite an invisible scar on the building.

And after a cure was discovered and the hospital became insignificant, everyone abandoned it except former (deceased) patients, doctors, and nurses whose spirits still roam the halls.

It’s become a popular destination for ghost hunters, paranormal enthusiasts, and tourists. But, if you’re brave enough, you can take a tour and explore the creepy old building for yourself.

Whether you believe Casper and crew are waiting behind the doors, the building is still eerie enough to send shivers down anyone’s spine.

Location: Louisville, Kentucky

Tags: Paranormal; Supernatural; Dark History; Disaster Tourism

5. Stull Cemetery

You might want to hold onto your hats for this one. Kansas is supposedly home to one of the Seven Gates to Hell.

Stull Cemetery, in Stull, is noted to be amongst the most haunted cemeteries in America and comes with enough warnings and local lore to turn brave men pale with fright.

But perhaps the most famous (or infamous) local legend is that Stull Cemetery is a gateway to Hell. And if you’re unlucky enough to be around on Halloween, you might come face-to-face with the Devil himself.

Of course, because the cemetery has attracted quite a cult following, local law enforcement has put rules in place. After all, it is a place that demands respect, regardless of our insatiable need to have our own Scooby Doo episode.

But when it comes to dark tourism destinations in the USA, you can’t get much more creepy than a literal gateway to the seven circles.

Location: Stull, Kansas

6. Pine Barrens

Outdoor adventurers will love the diverse ecosystem presented by the Pine Barrens in New Jersey. Towering pine trees, cranberry bogs, and beautiful streams and rivers, it’s a paradise for hikers and nature enthusiasts.

But, as every outdoors person knows, you’re never alone in the forest, and the Pine Barrens has a reputation for strange behavior.

It’s infamous for its legends and folklore, and aside from avid hikers taking to the trails, you might find a few wild cryptozoologists on the hunt for the Jersey Devil.

The creature is a fable that strikes fear into the hearts of locals. A beast with a horse-like head, leathery wings, and the body of a goat, it is rumored to be responsible for plenty of strange occurrences and disappearances in the area.

The origins of the Jersey Devil legend are uncertain, but it is believed to have been part of New Jersey folklore for hundreds of years.

Over the years, numerous sightings of the Jersey Devil have been reported, and the legend has grown to become one of the most well-known and enduring legends of the Pine Barrens.

So when it comes to dark tourism in the USA, you can’t find a more unique example than this.

Location: New Jersey

Tags: Paranormal; Supernatural; Cryptozoology

Area 51 is a mysterious and highly secure military base in the Nevada desert. Yet despite its reputation as one of the most secretive and secure places on earth, Area 51 has long been the subject of speculation and local lore.

As a result, it has become a popular destination for those interested in the strange and unusual.

The legends and rumors surrounding Area 51 vary, ranging from stories of aliens and flying saucers to tales of government experiments and secret technology. For those fascinated by the mysterious and the unknown, visiting Area 51 is a must-see dark tourism experience.

In fact, some overzealous Redditors previously decided to storm the base in an attempt to discover its hidden secrets, which simply resulted in a few strangers becoming friends over weird obsessions.

Regardless, you might not be able to get into the military base itself, but you can catch glimpses of it and explore some of the surrounding areas, where tour guides can explain more of the unique and exciting lore.

Location: Nevada Desert

Tags: Supernatural; Dark History

8. The Winchester Mystery House

The name Winchester isn’t just synonymous with the demon-hunting heartthrobs of Supernatural. In fact, Winchester is associated with another deadly force, the Winchester rifle.

Well, the creator of this rifle succumbed to TB in 1881, leaving behind his grieving widow in a large mansion all by herself. Or so she thought. Soon after her husband’s passing, she began to experience hauntings, and not by him.

She claimed that the victims of Winchester rifles had begun to haunt her. But instead of doing the logical thing, and moving house, she decided to build a labyrinth.

The Winchester Mystery House has been transformed into a maze of rooms, doors, staircases, and more. In fact, the internal workings are so disorientating that you can only enter with a trained guide.

She built such an elaborate and confusing space, hoping it would disorientate the ghosts, but there is also a rumor that she added rooms to house the victims.

Either way, the Winchester Mystery House is an absolute must-visit destination, if anything, to simply be humbled by the widow’s stubbornness to leave or hire an exorcist.

Location: San Jose, California

9. The Cecil Hotel

The Cecil Hotel is a fascinating and intriguing destination for anyone interested in dark tourism within the USA.

It has a long and storied history, with many strange and mysterious events having taken place within its walls. From serial killers to supernatural sightings, the Cecil Hotel is steeped in legends and rumors of the macabre.

Visitors can tour the hotel, learning about its fascinating history and exploring its dark and creepy corners. And for those who are feeling brave, you can even book a room hoping to see some of the resident ghosts.

But be warned, this hotel is synonymous with mystery and the macabre, having once housed the notorious Night Stalker, Richard Ramirez, and being the subject of the Elisa Lam cold case.

Nobody quite understands why this hotel has grown into a hotspot for strange occurrences; frankly, we don’t want to know. All we can say is, if you’re a fan of creepy buildings, the Cecil Hotel is not one to miss.

Location: Los Angeles, California

Tags: Paranormal; Supernatural; Dark History; Macabre Tourism; Murder Tourism

10. The Stanley Hotel

Most people have heard of Stephen King, the master of horror writing, and his famous work of art, The Shining. But did you know that the Overlook Hotel is based on a real place?

The Stanley Hotel in Colorado has a reputation for being one of the most haunted hotels in the country and is steeped in brutal history and shady happenings. Yet, despite the paranormal encounters, the hotel is still fully operational and accepting guests.

So if you’re feeling brave enough, you can grab a key card and be prepared for a night of spooky encounters. Of course, we can’t guarantee Jack Nicholson busting down your door, screaming, “HERE’S JOHNNY!”

But you might be able to have a drink prepared by the ghost of one of the former bartenders. Having worked hospitality ourselves, we’d just call that mad dedication.

There are plenty of infamous spirits haunting the hallways, including a small girl, a housekeeper, and the wife of the Stanley Hotel’s founder. 

Location: Estes Park, Colorado

Tags: Paranormal; Supernatural; Dark History; Disaster Tourism; War Tourism

11. Lafayette Cemetery No. 1

New Orleans has always been a wealth of dark tourism destinations – as we’ve written about before – but one of the most famous of these is Lafayette Cemetery No. 1.

This breathtaking cemetery is a gorgeous tourist spot to visit during the day, with rows of carved tombstones, crypts, and more giving us insight into the lives lost decades prior.

Nearly 7000 people are buried there, with the bodies of the Mayfair Witches, Lafayette himself, and legendary voodoo priestess Marie Laveau being amongst the most famous.

Occasionally, night tours are offered, with helpful and informative guides providing incredible insight into the cemetery’s history and the people buried there. Plus, if you’re lucky, you might have an up-close and personal encounter with one of the many resident specters.

Having visited this cemetery ourselves, in daylight, we can’t begin to describe the atmosphere. It’s a place for remembrance and immaculately well looked after; one might even say it’s hauntingly beautiful.

But this is still one of the best dark tourism destinations in the USA and a truly unforgettable experience, with or without ghosts.

Location: New Orleans, Louisiana

12. Joshua Tree National Park

Joshua Tree National Park has quite a fanbase; but amongst the nature enthusiasts who can’t get enough of the breathtaking natural beauty are a following of paranormal researchers, xenoarchaelogists , or just people hoping to have an encounter of the fourth kind.

The park has a reputation for being a hotspot for paranormal activity. And we’re not talking about ghosts. We’re talking about out-of-this-world visitors.

People claim to see strange lights in the sky and UFOs flying overhead, and a few have even claimed to have come face to face with the infamous gray men! All we know is these rumors have attracted quite a fanbase.

It’s become one of the most infamous hotspots for alien activity in the USA, and nobody can really explain the phenomenon. But, of course, everyone has their theory, and among the most popular is that Joshua Tree once housed an ancient alien civilization.

People can’t help but notice the alien-like quality of the landscape and rock formations; it’s an isolated area and offers clear skies at night to stargaze and hopes to spot a glimpse of the mothership.

If you’re into that, of course; personally, despite finding E.T. to be as cute as a French bulldog, we can’t say we’d be keen to have an encounter with any of his friends.

Location: Joshua Tree National Park, California

Tags: Supernatural; Macabre Tourism

The Best Dark Tourism Destinations In The USA: Final Thoughts

So whether you’re giving in to morbid curiosity, or you seriously just grew tired of normal tourism, you can rest easy knowing there’s a whole bizarre world of Dark Tourism destinations in the USA waiting to be explored.

And you can start by visiting one of our favorites above!

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I'm a 'dark tourist' and have travelled to some of the creepiest places in the world - including an underground tunnel housing six million dead bodies and a neighbourhood that had me scared for my life

• Tony Taouk, from Sydney has visited the most notorious mob cities in the US
• Read More: ' Dark tourism' to 'death sites' helps us deal with our mortality  

By Ellen Coughlan For Mailonline

Published: 08:15 EDT, 8 September 2024 | Updated: 03:47 EDT, 9 September 2024

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A lawyer who is obsessed with true crime revealed the 'dark tourism' destinations he's travelled to all around the world - and which one left him 'fearing for his life'.

Tony Taouk, from Sydney , Australia, has visited some of the most notorious mob cities in the US, sites of horrific murders, and underground tunnels housing six million bodies in Paris.  

Speaking about what sparked his interest in the dangerous - yet captivating - locations, Tony said it goes back to when he was 16 and he started reading true crime  material at school. 

He said: 'I remember I borrowed a book about the Prohibition-era gangsters from the school library and was fascinated by the stories.  When you go to the scene you have read or watched documentaries about, it kind of brings it to life. 

'Reading a book or watching a clip might give you an intellectual understanding of a historical event, but it doesn't give you that sense of nostalgia and familiarity that you get when you visit the actual site after reading about it for years. 

Tony Taouk, from Sydney, Australia, who is obsessed with true crime revealed he has travelled to many dark tourism destinations all over the world (Pictured at Catacombs of Paris)

'On some level, it's like you're stepping back in time. When I became a lawyer, I also developed an interest in famous trials.'

A lot of Tony's travels have revolved around mob and gangland crime scenes from the 90's - including some of Al Capone's ordered hits.  

'The creepiest places are the ones where you can still see vestiges of the crime,' he recounted. 'One example I recall is Holy Name Cathedral in Chicago. 

'It's infamous as the place where North Side Gangster Hymie Weiss was murdered in a hail of bullets in 1926, allegedly on the orders of Al Capone. 

'The actual bullet holes from a Capone-era hit in the Cathedral's exterior around the cornerstone which says AD 1874. They are very faint and you have to look closely to make them out. 

'Another creepy thing I have seen is the brick wall from Chicago's Valentine's Day Massacre in 1929, which is on display at the Mob Museum in Las Vegas.'

The Saint Valentine's Day Massacre was the murder of seven members and associates of Chicago's North Side Gang on Saint Valentine's Day 1929. 

Tony explained: 'Seven members and associates of Bugs Moran's gang were lined up against a wall and shot dead in cold blood inside a Chicago garage allegedly on the orders of Al Capone. You can still see the bullet holes in the wall. 

A lot of Tony's travels have revolved around mob and gangland crime scenes from the 90s- including some of Al Capone's ordered hits (pictured in front of Holy Name Cathedral, Chicago (which is the site of the Hymie Weiss assassination in 1926) 

Tony was pictured at the site of Colosimo’s Saloon – Chicago (Big Jim Colosimo assassinated there in 1920)

The Saint Valentine's Day Massacre was the murder of seven members and associates of Chicago's North Side Gang on Saint Valentine's Day 1929

'I have also visited the actual site of the St Valentine's Day Massacre in Chicago. The only thing left of the scene of the most notorious mob hit in history is a small parking lot and lawn. 

'The original garage where the massacre took place was demolished in 1967. There is nothing on the site that alludes to the infamous history of the location apart from a building across the street where Capone's gangsters allegedly kept lookout from the upper floors. That building is now a popular pizza restaurant.'

Meanwhile Tony also made a trip to New York to take a look into the deep history of the notorious Irish gang The Westies.

The Westies dominated Hell's Kitchen in the 1970s and 80s and they were, in the words of then-prosecutor Rudolf Guiliani, 'the most savage organisation in the long history of New York street gangs'. 

Tony said: 'I visited the site of the 596 Club in Hell's Kitchen in New York. The bar was once owned by Jimmy Coonan, head of the notorious Irish gang The Westies. 

'On my second trip to New York, I actually stayed in Hell's Kitchen. From what I've read, Hell's kitchen was a really rough neighbourhood back in the day but today it's a glitzy neighbourhood that consists of luxury condos, chic restaurant and funky bars.

Tony revealed if he was to visit anywhere again it would be the Mob Museum in Las Vegas - pictured

He said: 'When you first go in, there's a police lineup booth where a visitor can step in and become a "suspect"'

Green Mill – Chicago (Al Capone was said to sit in a specific booth which afforded clear views of both the front and back entrances to the place)

Pictured: Tony at Columbus Circle, in New York, which is the scene of the Joe Colombo shooting in 1971

'Nothing like the place I've read about in the books and seen in gangster movies The 596 Club is now a bar and grill. 

'The Westies were known for their penchant for dismembering bodies (their reason for dismembering bodies was ''No corpus delecti, no investigation', meaning no body of crime, no investigation. 

'The 596 Club is infamous for the 1977 murder of loan shark Ruby Stein. The Westies murdered and dismembered Stein at the 596 bar. Stein's torso was later retrieved from the East River.'

Away from crime, Tony revealed another harrowing visit to the Catacombs of Paris, where the remains of more than six million people are kept. 

In the 18th century Paris was experiencing major public health problems because overflowing graveyards were causing sanitary issues for the surrounding neighborhoods. 

In 1785, the city's authorities were left with no option but to relieve congestion by digging up graves and relocating the bones into underground tunnels.

It took over 12 long years to relocate the remains of six million bodies to their final resting place in the catacombs.

The process of transferring the bones was labor-intensive, involving diggers, cleaners, drivers, horses, torchbearers, and even priests. The task had to be done secretly at night to avoid upsetting the local communities.   

Speaking about a time he was truly scared for his life he said passing through some neighbourhoods in Rio de Janeiro, in Brazil, was a terrifying experience. 

Tony posed in front of the Bugsy Siegel Memorial in Las Vegas. The lawyers said he became interested in true crime from a young age

Elsewhere Tony revealed if he was to visit anywhere again it would be the Mob Museum in Las Vegas.

He said: 'When you first go in, there's a police lineup booth where a visitor can step in and become a "suspect".

The Bugsy Siegel Memorial in Las Vegas  

Bugsy, a notoriously dangerous celebrity gangster from the mob who had ties to other American mafias, built the Flamingo Hotel and Casino. 

However he was shot and killed before he saw it finalised and open to the public. His memorial on the grounds of the hotel is a simple stone pillar, bearing his picture and some brief details about him. 

It stands behind the resort's flamingo habitat and waterfalls on the site of the original Flamingo hotel built by Bugsy in 1947.

Colosimo's Café, in Chicago  

Colosimo Café is the world famous restaurant and nightclub, where crime kingpin Big Jim Colosimo was assassinated in 1920 allegedly on orders of mobster Johnny Torrio (Al Capone’s predecessor). 

There isn't much left of the original establishment – the original buildings were damaged in a fire and later demolished in the 1950s. 

Likewise, Capone's Lexington Hotel has been torn down and replaced with high rise apartments. 

Little Italy, New York

A great visit is Ravenite Social Club which is the former headquarters of the Gambino's that were bugged by the FBI. 

The FBI used the recordings to bring down John Gotti. The brick façade has been removed and replaced with shop front glass and is now a shoe shop. 

Also Ferrara Bakery, where Carlo Gamino held court in his heyday and the Mulberry Street Bar, where a low of mob movies and shows were filmed. 

The famous scene in Donnie Brasco where Johnny Depp tells Al Pacino that the ring is fake was filmed there.

I visited the Umberto's Clam House, which I understood was the site of Joey Gallos murder in 1972, although I later discovered that the original restaurant where the shooting took place was at a different location nearby.

Sparks Steak House, in Manhattan  

Sparks Steak House in midtown Manhattan looks more or less the same as it did on 16 December 1985, when mob boss Paul Castellano was gunned down in front of it by a group of hitmen dressed in hats and trench coats.

Foley Square in Lower Manhattan

The square contains civic buildings such as the New York State Supreme Court, Thurgood Marshall United States Courthouse and United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. 

Ironically, Foley Square falls within the area that used to be known as the Five Points - crime-infested slum portrayed in the movie Gangs of New York. 

In Foley Square, you'll recognise the steps of the New York State Supreme Court from the movie The Godfather – it's where the character known as Don Barzini is shot at the end of the movie and rolls down the long flight of stairs. 

United States District Court for the Southern District of New York is where the Commission Trial and other important mob trials took place. 

'The museum also displays items like guns, jewellery, and other possessions that belonged to infamous gangsters such as Meyer Lansky, Al Capone, Bugsy Siegel, Lucky Luciano, Sam Giancana, Mickey Cohen, among others. 

'My personal favourite was seeing the sunglasses that belonged to Bugsy Siegel – I took a photo. 

'There is also a wire-tapping station where you can listen in on actual tapped conversations recorded by law enforcement. 

'Throughout the tour you see hundreds of old photographs related to organised crime. At the conclusion of the tour, you visit actual courtroom used in the 1950-51 Kefauver Committee hearings were held when they came to Nevada. There, you watch historic clips related to organised crime.'

Another dark tourism favourite for Tony was the Green Mill in Chicago, which was a speakeasy partly owned by Jack 'Machine Gun' McGurn. 

Tony explained: 'Capone visited the Green Mill regularly and had a reserved seat there – his preferred booth is still there as a main attraction – it was positioned so that he could observe who entered the bar from either entrance to the establishment. 

'Apparently there is a trapdoor which is still there behind the bar that hid a hydraulic elevator that once brought up booze to bar patrons and it also led to a series of tunnels under the building that were used for escapes from police or other mobsters. 

'It has live jazz bands playing and come across as an authentic 1920s speakeasy. If you want to listen to some jazz and while sitting in Al Capone's booth, this is the place for you.'

Tony still has a few locations on his bucket list to visit including Alcatraz in San Francisco which held criminals such as Al Capone, George 'Machine Gun' Kelly, Robert Franklin Stroud and Bumpy Johnson.

He would also like to visit Dealey Plaza, the scene of the JFK assassination, in Dallas. 

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The 20 Most Dangerous Tourist Destinations in the World

This post may contain affiliate links.

Traveling is an exciting adventure, but some destinations carry certain risks that may deter even the most seasoned explorers. While these places offer breathtaking views and unique experiences, they also present challenges that can harm unsuspecting tourists.

In this article, we will look into the 20 most dangerous tourist destinations globally. From natural disasters to high crime rates, these locations highlight the importance of research and vigilance when planning a trip.

Mount Everest, Nepal

Climbing Mount Everest might sound like a dream for many adventurers, but it comes with significant risks. The extreme altitude can lead to altitude sickness, and sudden weather changes can trap climbers in dangerous conditions. Avalanches and crevasses further contribute to the dangers faced on this summit.

The Amazon Rainforest, Brazil

The Amazon Rainforest presents a unique ecosystem but can also be treacherous for the unprepared traveler—dangerous wildlife lurk in the dense foliage including snakes and jaguars. Additionally, getting lost in the vast jungle can pose serious risks to one’s safety and well-being.

Syria has been affected by ongoing conflict and civil war, making it one of the least safe destinations in the world. Many areas are hazardous due to military operations and terrorist threats. Most foreign governments strongly discourage travel to Syria.

Cape Town, South Africa

Cape Town is renowned for its beauty but has high crime rates, particularly in certain districts. Tourists can encounter issues such as robbery and carjacking. It’s crucial to stay in safer areas and avoid travel at night to minimize risks.

Afghanistan

Afghanistan has been marred by conflict, resulting in unpredictable safety conditions for travelers. Terrorist attacks and kidnappings have been prevalent, posing significant risks to visitors. Most governments advise against all travel to the region.

Caracas, Venezuela

Caracas struggles with economic turmoil and high crime rates, making it a risky destination for tourists. Violent crime, including muggings and homicides, occurs frequently. Travelers should exercise extreme caution and stay informed about their surroundings.

North Korea

North Korea is widely known as one of the world’s most closed-off countries and presents numerous risks to tourists. Foreigners are heavily monitored, and criticism of the government can result in severe consequences. It is crucial to carefully research and follow all rules and regulations when visiting this destination.

Madidi National Park, Bolivia

Madidi National Park is a stunning natural reserve that boasts incredible biodiversity. However, its remoteness and the presence of hazardous wildlife, including snakes and jaguars, can pose risks to unprepared tourists. Additionally, the challenges of navigating the dense jungle can lead to disorientation and potential harm if one strays too far from established paths.

Nigeria is rich in culture and natural beauty, yet it faces several safety concerns that may deter travelers. Issues such as kidnappings, armed robberies, and civil unrest are prevalent in various regions, making careful planning essential. Tourists should stay informed and consider travel advisories before venturing into this vibrant but complex destination.

Death Valley

Death Valley, located in California, is known for its extreme temperatures and desolate landscapes. It holds the record for the hottest air temperature ever recorded on Earth, making it a potentially dangerous destination for unprepared visitors. Travelers must stay hydrated and be cautious of their surroundings, as the harsh environment can quickly lead to heat-related illnesses.

Lake Natron

Lake Natron, located in Tanzania, is a stunning but treacherous destination owing to its extremely high alkalinity and scorching temperatures. The lake’s unique chemical composition can harm wildlife, making it best admired from a distance rather than approached directly.

Snake Island

Snake Island, or Ilha da Queimada Grande in Brazil, is notorious for being home to thousands of golden lancehead vipers, making it one of the most dangerous islands in the world. Access is strictly prohibited, and even experienced researchers must obtain special permits to visit due to the extreme risk posed by the island’s venomous inhabitants.

Danakil Desert

The Danakil Desert in Ethiopia is one of the hottest places on Earth, with scorching temperatures and a harsh climate that can be unforgiving to visitors. Its unique geological features, including active volcanoes and salt flats, make it a fascinating yet perilous destination for adventurous travelers.

Pakistan offers breathtaking landscapes and rich cultural heritage but also presents significant risks for tourists. The ongoing political instability and threats of terrorism in certain regions can create unpredictable safety challenges for visitors.

Mount Washington

Mount Washington, located in New Hampshire, is notorious for its severe weather conditions that can change abruptly. This unpredictability and challenging terrain pose risks such as hypothermia and altitude sickness for unprepared hikers.

Half Dome in Yosemite National Park is an iconic rock formation that attracts many hikers annually. Despite its popularity, the strenuous climb can be dangerous due to steep drop-offs and changing weather conditions, requiring proper preparation and caution.

Ukraine is filled with rich history and diverse landscapes, but it faces ongoing challenges due to geopolitical tensions and conflict. Travelers considering a visit should stay informed about the current situation and exercise caution in areas of unrest.

Democratic Republic of the Congo

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is known for its vast natural resources and incredible biodiversity, including the world’s second-largest rainforest. However, the region faces significant instability due to ongoing conflicts and a lack of infrastructure, making travel dangerous and often unpredictable for visitors.

Guatemala is rich in Mayan history and stunning landscapes, offering vibrant culture and breathtaking natural beauty. However, travelers should remain vigilant due to concerns regarding crime and safety, particularly in urban areas.

Yemen is a country of striking beauty and rich history, known for its unique architecture and diverse landscapes. However, ongoing conflict and humanitarian crises significantly compromise safety, making it one of the most challenging destinations for travelers today.

10 Big Things Non-Americans Believe All Americans Have in Their Homes

Having the perspective of someone on the outside looking in can make you rethink what you’re accustomed to every day. This can be as simple as your specific life to the lives of a country as a whole. People who don’t live in America share their thoughts on what every American has in their homes on an online forum. Whether these ten items are genuinely in every household in the US is up to you to decide.

10 Big Things Non-Americans Believe All Americans Have In Their Homes

10 Popular Places in the US That Have Tent Cities Today

The US is dubbed the land of opportunity and abundance, but not everyone has a roof over their head. While the number of homeless people has increased in the last decade, tent cities are a growing reality, especially in larger states, a sobering reminder of the deep-seated issues of homelessness, poverty, and lack of affordable housing in the US.

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Airbnb Must-Haves: Insights From a Well-Traveled Airbnb Guest

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18 of the Most Dangerous Small Towns in America

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Dark tourism’ £40million ‘ghost’ cruise ship left to rot in paradise island grave

The MS World Discoverer was once worth around £40million in today's money, and was built to withstand harsher climates, including the searing heat of the South Pacific and the bitter cold of the polar regions

• 14:00, 8 Sep 2024

Dark tourists have started flocking to an eerie sunken cruise liner which was stranded after hitting a reef on an island paradise.

The MS World Discoverer was left to rot after being shipwrecked on its side in the shallows of the Pacific Ocean on the Solomon Islands archipelago. The ship - which cost the equivalent of £40million in today's money - was built to withstand icebergs and smash through huge ice sheets in the polar regions. It boasted an observation lounge, library, lecture hall, swimming pool and sun deck, and a small fitness centre.

But the ship found its final resting place after her allegedly desperate captain ran her ashore almost 25 years ago. The German-built liner - which was constructed by Schichau Unterweser in 1973 - was eventually sold to Adventurer Cruises and sailed the Great Lakes cruise line , which runs from Chicago in the US to Montreal in Canada .

In 1980, the ship was registered in Liberia whre it underwent a costly refurbishment to make her suitable for adventure trips. The new and improved liner took cruisers on journeys to Antarctica, the Falkland Islands, Chile and Argentina . From June to August of the same year, the MS World Discoverer cruised to Alaska and the Russian border. From March to May and August to October, the ship took two separate trips to the South Pacific Islands.

It was on April 30, 2000 when disaster struck. Oliver Kruess, her captain, sent out a distress signal after the ship struck a large, uncharted rock or reef in the Solomon Island's Sandfly Passage. In a desperate attempt to stop the boat from sinking, Kruess deliberately ran her aground, reports say. As it ran ashore, the ship parted the white sands and ploughed into the thick jungle forest on the island.

British traveller David Wright, who was on board at the time, told The Scottish Herald in May 2000: " It was just rammed into the beach, breaking trees in the forest, which stretches down to the shore. "It was quite spectacular," he continued. "When we reached the beach, we could see a tree hanging from the prow of the ship."

Miraculously, everyone on board survived and was evacuated to safety. The fate of the World Discover was far less positive, and despite several attempts to save her, she couldn't be rescued from the Solomon Islands, according to The Sun. She now stands as a local landmark and a popular destination for dark tourists.

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