Peterhof Grand Palace is revealed as the best value tourist attraction for 2020, followed by Great Salt Lake, Giza Pyramids, Rocky Mountains, and the Colosseum. Tivoli Gardens is revealed as the best value theme park for 2020, followed by Six Flags Hurricane Harbor, Efteling, Leolandia, and Fun Spot America.
The Burj Khalifa in Dubai, Disneyland in Florida, The Empire State Building in New York, each one iconic but, also on the pricey side when it comes to entry fees. A new study by Club Med analyses whether a ticket to a famous attraction is worth your hard-earned cash, or whether it’s just overhyped and overpriced.
The study ranks 66 of some of the world’s most visited tourist attractions, comparing their entry fees to social media sentiment and allocating each destination a score out of 10.
Peterhof Grand Palace is named best value tourist attraction
With a series of lavish palaces and impeccably manicured gardens, Peterhof Grand Palace in Saint Petersburg make Russia’s most unmissable tourist hotspot. With an unbeatable social media sentiment of 100% and an entry price of just £7.51, it tops the list of must-see landmarks.
In second place is the Great Salt Lake in Utah, which also scored well for positive social media mentions. The largest saltwater lake in the western hemisphere is a natural wonder that requires no filter and just so happens to be the cheapest landmark on our list at just £2.40 per visit!
Towards the other end of the price scale, a trip up Dubai’s Burj Khalifa is 34 times more expensive than Great Salt Lake. Tickets to go inside the world’s tallest building start at £82.28 and this doesn’t even get you up to its highest point.
Cairo’s Giza Pyramids are third place in our list of travel-steals. They have an impressive online sentiment score of 93.42% and a surprisingly low entry fee of just £8.01. Colorado’s cinematic Rocky Mountains land in fourth place, with Rome’s Colosseum just behind at number five.
Tivoli Gardens is voted the World’s best value theme park
Copenhagen isn’t known for being an especially cheap place to visit (it was recently ranked as the seventh most expensive city in which to live), but Tivoli Gardens is the most budget-friendly theme park on our list by a country mile and has a strong 95.54% online sentiment score.
It’s less than half the price of Six Flags Hurricane Harbor Phoenix, which sits at number two on the list. Entrance to the extreme waterpark will set you back £37.20, which visitors seem to think is worth every penny as Hurricane Harbor has an impressive positive online sentiment rating.
Further down the list, Italy’s Leolandia will ask for £32.31 and has an 88.85% online sentiment rating. Just don’t expect anything to set your pulse racing, as this toddler-centric park is pretty tame when it comes to rides.
Unsurprisingly, Disney is responsible for some of the world’s most expensive parks in the world, sitting firmly at the other end of the scale. Disneyland Paris charges an eye-watering £94.11 to access its park for the day, closely followed by Universal Studios Florida at £91.82 for a day ticket.
Nathalie Drew, Marketing Director at Club Med shares her top-five tips on how to save at the world’s best tourist attractions
- Check for online offers before you go: Sometimes, buying tickets in advance or looking for discount codes is a great way to save. Also, be aware some attractions require advance booking and may be sold out if you just show up on the day.
- Get the best exchange rates: Better rates mean better savings. If you’re buying entry tickets online, some sites will let you decide whether to pay in local currency or in GBP. Make sure to check your bank’s rates when doing so, as you may end up out of pocket.
- Alternative ticket types: Look out for discounted family deals or other passes. For example, full weekend tickets often cost less than paying for two days separately.
- Visit during off-peak times: Weekdays are often cheaper than weekends (not to mention quieter), so take advantage if your schedule permits.
- Swap theme parks for national parks: Theme parks are fun, but almost always expensive. Consider visiting a national park or museum instead, and you should have more cash in your back pocket to spend on food and drink.
Vicky is the co-founder of TravelDailyNews Media Network where she is the Editor-in Chief. She is also responsible for the daily operation and the financial policy. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Tourism Business Administration from the Technical University of Athens and a Master in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Wales.
She has many years of both academic and industrial experience within the travel industry. She has written/edited numerous articles in various tourism magazines.
