top 10 dark tourism destinations

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

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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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 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 there.

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

By tobias wartime | sep 25, 2023.

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.

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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 .

London:  A writer used Camille Pissarro’s paintings of suburban London and a “lost” railway as a lens for exploring the city’s history  — and settling an arcane mystery.

Dublin,:  While the Irish capital has become a more international hub, locals have made efforts to ensure what makes the city unique — its spirited personality and famed hospitality  — doesn’t get entirely swallowed up.

Norway:  Can A.I. devise a bucket-list vacation to the Scandinavian nation that checks all the boxes: culture, nature, hotels and transportation? We put three virtual assistants to the test .

The Berkshires:  A writer shares his favorite ways to experience the often-overlooked  Housatonic River in western Massachusetts.

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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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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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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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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.

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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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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Dark Tourism Destinations – 10 of the World’s Most Gruesome Attractions

Dark tourism is certainly a controversial topic. It’s a topic I find a little unsettling but intriguing at the same time. Visiting places renowned for death is a tricky concept. Sure, it’s a chance to pay your respects to the victims, but you have to be careful to see it as the site of a tragedy first of all and, second, as a tourist attraction.

“For many years humans have been attracted to sites and events that are associated with death, disaster, suffering, violence and killing. J John Lennon

What Are Examples of Dark Tourism?

Dark Tourism, to put it in simple terms, is tourism to places where the worst events in human history happened – places like Auschwitz, the killing fields in Cambodia, and other places that owe their notoriety to death, disaster, and atrocity. It’s a growing tourism movement, especially since the release of Dark Tourist on Netflix.

In this blog, I write about 10 popular dark tourism destinations we’ve visited during our travels. And what we really thought about each attraction.

My Top 10 Dark Tourism Destinations

Here’s the summarized list of Dark Tourism destinations (scroll down to read about each attraction in detail) –

• S-21, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
• Choeung Ek Killing Fields, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
• Westgate Mall, Nairobi, Kenya
• War Remnants Museum, Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam
• Kigali Genocide Memorial, Rwanda
• Hotel des Milles Collines, Kigali, Rwanda
• Auschwitz, Poland
• Site of 9/11, New York
• Pompeii, Italy
• Alcatraz, San Francisco

Warning: you will need to be emotionally prepared for what you’re about to read…

1. S-21, Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Location | St.113, Boeung Keng Kang III, Boeung Keng Kang, Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Opening Hours | Every day from 8:00 am – 5:00 pm

Also known as Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum , this is one of the most popular Cambodian genocide tours you can do. It is a former Secondary School that was used as a Security Prison during the Khmer Rouge regime, which haunted Cambodia from 1975 to 1979. During its time as a prison, up to 20,000 people were imprisoned here, and it was used as a torture and execution site (one of 196 in the country).

Prisoners were shackled to the walls, the floor, or to a long iron bar in the larger rooms. They were forbidden to speak to one another. Their day here began at 4:30 am, and they were served but a few mouthfuls of porridge and leaf soup daily. They were sometimes even forced to consume human feces or urine!

Prisoners were regularly beaten with searing hot tools and electric shocks. More extremely, they were hanged, suffocated with plastic bags, or cut with knives. Prisoners were even used in medical experiments, without any anaesthetic they had organs removed or blood drained.

It is believed that more than 12,000 prisoners died here.

Book your half-day tour to S-21 and the Killing Fields The tour visits two of the darkest places in Cambodia – S-21 and the Killing Fields. Your knowledgeable local guide will give you a great insight into the country’s sad past. Tickets for this tour cost from $113 USD.

2. Killing Fields, Cambodia

Location | Roluos Village, Sangkat Cheung Aek, Phnom Penh Cambodia

Opening Hours | Monday – Saturday 7:30 am – 5:30 pm

Choeung Ek Killing Fields are one of the largest sites of burial for the victims of the Cambodian Genocide. It is located about 17 km from Phnom Penh. Over 9,000 bodies were discovered at this particular site between 1975 to 1979. A lot more are said to be buried here, and bones and skulls continue to come to the surface to this day.

It is believed there are 388 Killing Fields scattered across Cambodia, in total they are home to over 1 million graves.

One of the most harrowing sites at Choeung Ek is the glass Buddhist Stipa, which is filled with more than 5,000 skulls. The mood at this attraction is predictably somber. Your audio guide will explain how babies were killed by smashing their skulls against trees. It’s almost unbearable to hear.

My top tip | is to visit S-21 and Choeung Ek on the same day it will help you understand better the horrible history of the Khmer Rouge.

This 4-hour guided tour of The Killing Fields is highly recommended! It costs just under $60 USD per person.

3. Westgate Mall, Nairobi, Kenya

Location | 15 Mwanzi Rd Nairobi KE, Kenya

A little more unusual addition to the list as this isn’t a memorial, it is still a working shopping mall. But it was the site of the Westgate Mall Shooting Massacre , which occurred from September 21st – 24th, 2013. 71 people were killed here, including 4 of the attackers.

The Shopping Center was under a 4-day siege during the attack, and the attack was claimed by the militant group Al-Shabab.

Because this was quite a recent atrocity, be careful not to take too many photos and don’t mention the attack aloud as a lot of the staff here were present during the attack, and as you can imagine, it would have been a very traumatizing experience for them.

4. The War Remnants Museum, Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam

Location: 28 Võ Văn Tần, Phường 6, Quận 3, Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh, Vietnam

Opening Hours | 07:30 – 16:30 every day

The War Remnants Museum in Ho Chi Minh city contains exhibits relating to the Vietnam War. It hosts a number of themed rooms all displaying different harrowing aspects of the war.

This full-day guided tour includes access to both the War Remnants Museum and the Cu Chi Tunnels (a series of underground tunnels that provided shelter to victims of the war). It costs from $54 USD per person, allow 12 hours for this well-rated tour.

One room contains tiger cages, which were used to house prisoners during the war; another room houses very graphic images of the war. Most of these images show the effects of Agent Orange. – a chemical widely used by the U.S. with devastating effects. What affected me most were the photos of innocent Vietnamese children maimed by Agent Orange. You will also see a guillotine used by the French & South Vietnamese to execute prisoners.

The outside of the Museum is where the military equipment is held. Equipment like a UH-1 helicopter, a F-5A fighter and even an M48 Patton tank is on display here.

This dark tourist attraction attracts upwards of half a million visitors every year!

READ NEXT | All about our month in Vietnam

5. Kigali Genocide Memorial, Rwanda

Location: Gisozi, Kigali, Rwanda

Opening Hours | 8:00 am – 5:00 pm, 7 days a week

The Kigali Genocide Museum is the final resting place for more than 250,000 victims of the Tutsi genocide in Rwanda , which happened in 1994, lasted for just 100 days & resulted in 600,000 deaths. It was a genocide by Hutus (the largest ethnic group in Rwanda) against the Tutsi, another ethnic group – it resulted in neighbors killing neighbors and friends killing friends.

Together with the Killing Fields in Cambodia – the Genocide Museum is probably the most emotional place on this list for me. I cried several times during the audio tour as victims recounted their stories. There is also a children’s memorial here, as well as an exhibition on the history of genocidal violence around the world. 

The museum explains the atrocities of the Rwandan Genocide with so much emotion. It is a meaningful tribute to the atrocities that occurred in 1994.

This full-day Kigali City Tour includes access to the Museum as well as a tour of a local market and other unique sights! It’s around 8 hours long and costs from $125 USD per person. It’s a great way to see the best of Kigali without having to worry about transport.

6. Hotel Rwanda, Kigali, Rwanda

Location | Hôtel Des Mille Collines 2KN 6th Ave, Kigali Rwanda

Another unique addition to this list of dark tourism destinations throughout the world. Hotel Rwanda, or Hotel des Mille Collines as it’s known today, was made famous by the 2004 movie with the same name.

The movie is based on the true story of hotelier Paul Rusesabagina, who welcomed more than a thousand Tutsi refugees to hide safely at his hotel during the Rwandan genocide. His heroic efforts saved the lives of many.

Today, the hotel still stands as a luxury hotel. You can choose to spend a few nights here like we did – the rooms are gorgeous as well as the stunning outdoor swimming pool and on-site restaurants. Or, if you’re on a budget, why not eat at one of their 3 restaurants?

Book your stay at Hotel des Mille Collines here

7. Auschwitz, Poland

Location | on the outskirts of the city of Oświęcim on national road 933, Poland

Opening Hours | See here

Perhaps the most famous of all dark tourism destinations – Auschwitz was the largest of the Nazi Concentration Camps. Over 1.1 million men, women & children lost their lives here.

Auschwitz is a symbol of terror, a word we’ve come to associate with some of the darkest days in European history. Your visit here is certain to emotionally affect you, so allow time for reflection afterward.

The Auschwitz memorial holds the original camp blocks, gas chambers, and crematoria. But the most touching aspect of the memorial was seeing all the personal possessions of the victims on display. You will see their shoes, their suitcases (some with their names on them) and their camp clothes. Here’s a detailed post about what to expect when visiting Auschwitz . I found it very helpful during my visit!

The number of prisoners at the camp at any one time reached 100,000.

Book our highly recommended tour of Auschwitz ! It’s 3.5 hours long and is led by a professional educator who can tell you all about the sad and terrifying history of this dark place.

8. Site of 9/11, New York

Location | 92 Greenwich Street, New York

Opening Hours | Wed-Sat: 10 am-5 pm. Sunday: 10 am-4 pm

The 9/11 Memorial & Museum is a memorial of remembrance honoring the 2,977 people killed in the September 11th, 2001 attacks on the Twin Towers buildings in New York City.

Two identical reflecting pools now stand where the Twin Towers once stood, they hold the names of every one of the 2,977 victims. 4.1 million have visited this attraction since its opening in 2006.

This attack was the largest foreign attack on American soil.

You can book this ground zero walking tour that includes museum entry here . It costs just over $80 USD per person.

9. Pompeii, Italy

How to get here | See here

Opening Hours | Monday – Friday from 9:00 am – 5:00 pm

Way back in the year 79 A.D., a huge volcanic eruption wiped out the city of Pompeii (close to the current day city of Naples). Pompeii is perhaps the ‘least dark tourist attraction’ on this list, and some may say it’s more of an important historic & archaeological site. Nevertheless, I decided to include it as certain elements of Pompeii are very dark indeed.

The ash from the eruption preserved the city in an epic way, on your visit here you will see bodies encased in ash stuck in positions to protect themselves from the eruption. Bodies rolled up in a ball, bodies with their hands outstretched as if to stop the oncoming lava. There are even dogs in these same positions. It’s astounding that 2,000 years later we can witness Pompeii in almost pristine condition. It is honestly like a movie set.

Did you know – Pompeii is visited by over 2.5 million tourists annually

This tour of Pompeii with an archaeologist is a very cool experience; you will learn so much!

10. Alcatraz, San Francisco

Opening Hours | varies depending on season, see here for more

Also known as ‘The Rock’, Alcatraz remains a cultural icon to this day, it has been featured or referred to in many Hollywood movies, books and songs. And it’s another one of the most famous dark tourism destinations in the world, together with Auschwitz.

This famed former maximum-security prison once housed Al Capone & Machine Gun Kelly as well as many other notable names. It was in operation for 29 years and the aspect that former prisoners say they found the most difficult was being able to look across the water and see life continuing as normal in San Francisco.

Many of the cells and other areas within the prison remain much as they were when the prison was open.

Did you know – Alcatraz is the most-visited attraction in San Francisco . And a   guided cruise tour of Alcatraz, like this one is one of the city’s most popular tours.

The tour of Alcatraz prison on this particular tour is via a self-guided audio tour, which I found to be really informative. I loved seeing the inside of the prison cells and hearing the fascinating (and sometimes scary!) stories of the prison’s former inmates. While you’re here, you can check out the historical gardens of Alcatraz, which boast stunning views of San Francisco Bay. You’ll also get to enjoy a boat cruise under the Golden Gate Bridge as part of this experience. Allow around 5 hours for  this well-rated tour , which costs from $148 USD.

Dark Tourist Attractions – Why You Should Visit

Whether you visit just one or a couple of the dark tourism destinations on this list, I’m sure it will affect you in some way. Dark tourism is certainly not for the faint-hearted, and the relationship between tourism and death/atrocity is a curious one,, to say the least.

Those against the dark tourism movement say that its voyeuristic and inappropriate. But I feel dark tourism can be undertaken in a meaningful way – dress appropriately, don’t take selfies and try to take on a somber and respectful attitude during your visit.

Above all, we must always honor and respect the victims of these atrocities during our visit.

Tell me – have you ever visited a dark tourism destinations on your travels? Let me know in the comments below.

You may also enjoy reading some of my other most popular posts while you’re here –

The Best Day Trips from San Francisco

How to Spend One Day in San Francisco

15 Best Things to do in San Francisco with Kids

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Last Updated on May 15, 2024 by snaphappytravel

6 thoughts on “ Dark Tourism Destinations – 10 of the World’s Most Gruesome Attractions ”

Pompeii is definitely a surreal place to visit. There’s also a church in Milan that has a small chapel with the walls and ceiling filled with skulls and bones which is interesting to visit.

I agree – visiting this kind of places changes you (and really can make you think deeply.) I feel like Hiroshima’s peace museum would fit well on this list too.

Very interesting read..I wish to visit these sites.we visited 9/11 memorial last year

Very interesting reading. I think that at the same time dark tourism is not for everyone, it is still a very important type of tourism. I have been in some of the places you listed here, and even if it was hard, it is the reality of what happened and what we never want to happen again. It is historic and educational at the same time, and places for reflection and to pay our respect to the people who suffered.

While these kinds of mueums & memorials are important I don’t necessarily feel a need to visit. I avoided the killing fields & genocide museum in Phnom Penh as Cambodia’s tragic history is evident throughout the country. These places are so depressing & I always feel very distressed afterwards.

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More From Forbes

Dark tourism: are these the world’s most macabre tourist attractions.

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Dark tourism is generally defined as tourism involving travel to places historically associated with death and tragedy. It’s an interesting, somewhat macabre idea and as such its definition has recently been expanded upon to include the reasons people may want to visit a site beyond its gruesome appeal – namely its historical value rather than associations with death and suffering. 

Whatever the reasoning behind it, dark tourism is on the up. And shows like the recent smash hit Chernobyl have only heightened people’s focus on visiting places with a grisly appeal. In particular, Pripyat in the Ukraine - the hometown of Chernobyl - is on track to become 2019’s surprise hit tourism destination. 

In a nod to this strange trend then, My Late Deals has looked into the top dark tourism destinations around the world that explore, commemorate, try to understand and pay tribute to some of the greatest tragedies humans have inflicted upon themselves over our short but checkered history. 

Flowers and a toy are placed to mourn the victims of the 9/11 terror attacks at the National ... [+] September 11 Memorial and Museum in New York.

National 9/11 Memorial and Museum

New York, USA

A tribute of remembrance and honor to the 2,977 people killed in the terror attacks of September 11, 2001 and the six people killed in the World Trade Center bombing of February 1993. Twin reflecting pools sit within the footprints of where the Twin Towers once stood and bear the names of every victim etched into the bronze panels surrounding the pools. They’re a sombre but powerful reminder of the largest loss of life from a foreign attack on American soil.

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Visitor info: The 9/11 Memorial is free and open to the public daily from 7.30am to 9pm. You can buy museum tickets with entry to all exhibitions online at the museum website up to six months in advance. 

The entrance of Auschwitz I, Poland bears a warning to anyone entering.

Memorial and Museum Auschwitz-Birkenau

Near Krakow, Poland

The largest German Nazi concentration camp and extermination center ever built, Auschwitz stands as a global symbol of terror and genocide that saw more than 1.1million men, women and children lose their lives. As well as a heart-rending testament to the evil humans can inflict upon each other, it also acts as a vital reminder and tool of education to try and prevent such atrocities happening again. As the museum explains, “There is no way to understand postwar Europe and the world without an in-depth confrontation between our idea of mankind and the remains of Auschwitz.”

Visitor info: It’s free to enter the grounds of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial but you should reserve a ticket on the website in advance as there are only limited individual tickets available on site daily from 7.30am. The museum is open year round except for Easter Sunday, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. Due to its content, the museum advises it’s not suitable for children younger than 14 and visitors are, of course, urged to dress and behave appropriately. 

Tourists visit the Memorial Park, Atomic Bomb Dome and nearby Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum in ... [+] Japan.

Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum

Hiroshima, Japan

A moment that changed the course of history and shape of the world forever, on August 6th 1945 an atomic bomb detonated around 600 metres above the city of Hiroshima signalling the beginning of the end of WWII but at an unimaginable cost to life, the numbers of which will never be known for certain. The Memorial Museum is a call to action for all mankind: ‘No more Hiroshimas’ and hosts exhibitions of artefacts from the explosion and its victims, and testimonials from those who survived. Don’t miss the compelling letters sent to every nuclear world leader annually on the A-bomb anniversary calling for universal disarmament. 

Visitor info: Open every day of the year except December 30 and 31st, an entry ticket costs 200 yen for adults and less for students. 

Pripyat, near the Chernobyl nuclear plant, still bears its radioactive scars.

Pripyat, Ukraine

The world’s worst nuclear accident occurred behind the closed doors of the Iron Curtain on April 25-26th 1986 at the remote Chernobyl nuclear reactor. Its effects are still a long way from over, with scientists estimating it will take up to 20,000 years for the exclusion zone around the plant to become habitable again. But that doesn’t mean you can’t take a look for yourself on a carefully guided tour of the town and surrounding area to try and understand the impact it had. Top tip – if you haven’t seen the TV series before you go, maybe wait until after in case it puts you off (which would be entirely understandable.) 

Visitor info: A lot to take in here as the tour guide rules are understandably explicit and strict to keep you safe from radiation poisoning so make sure you read up on them properly, so you’re prepared before you go. Chernobyl tours are open year round with one-day and multi-day trips available.

The original clothing of the victims hangs as a poignant reminder to the Murambi massacre.

Murambi Genocide Memorial

Near Murambi, Southern Rwanda

There’s no possible way to compare mass murders and genocides across history with each as terrible as the next, but of all the global memorials, Murambi’s is perhaps the hardest to bare. It sits atop a picturesque green hill in rolling countryside on the site of an unfinished technical college where, in April 1994 an estimated 50,000 Tutsi men, women and children were massacred by the Interahamwe militia and soldiers loyal to the government responsible for the genocide. Uniquely and horrifically, the corpses of some 800 victims were exhumed, preserved in lime and put on display rather than being reburied – where they remain to this day

Visitor info: Open daily from 8am to 5pm (except on Umuganda Saturdays – the last of each month when it’s open from 1pm to 5pm) the memorial is free to enter and has an accompanying audio guide. Once again, be warned that it’s not an experience for children or those easily overwhelmed.

A cell at the former Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary complete with chiseled air vent – a reminder of a ... [+] successful prison escape in 1962.

Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary

San Francisco, USA

The Rock has become a cultural icon, a place embraced by Hollywood, music, folklore and tourists – and as such is San Francisco’s most popular tourist destination. The notorious former maximum-security federal penitentiary was home over its 29 years to everyone from Al Capone to Machine Gun Kelly and many of its cells remain much as they were when the prison was open, offering a glimpse of the hardships its guests had to endure. Many said the worst thing about being incarcerated here was being able to see the mainland and people going about their everyday lives – something many of the prisoners would never do again and so described as torture to witness. 

Visitor info: Open daily except Thanksgiving, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day, with ferry times to get you there varying through the seasons. Most timetables start around 9am from Pier 33 Alcatraz Landing in San Francisco and you should arrive at least 30 minutes before your ferry departs. Alcatraz Cruises is the official tour operator to the National Park Service.

Visitors explore the archaeological site of Pompeii with Mount Vesuvius looming ominously in the ... [+] distance, a permanent reminder of the town's tragic fate.

The Ruins of Pompeii

Pompeii, Italy

This year saw the 1,940th anniversary of the Mount Vesuvius’s legendary volcanic eruption that wiped out the Roman city of Pompeii in 79AD. And while some may raise an eyebrow at its inclusion as a dark tourist site, the passing of years shouldn’t diminish the devastation of the eruption (which was many thousands of times more powerful than Hiroshima’s A-bomb) nor the number of lives it took. What makes it so compelling is its extraordinary condition thanks to the vast amount of ash that coated the city, thus preserving it for tourists to take selfies against nearly two thousand years later. 

Visitor info: Open daily except for New Year’s Day, May 1st and Christmas Day from 9am. You can buy tickets in advance online or on the day at the ticket offices on site. EU citizens aged 18-24 can pick up tickets for €6 and kids for €3, while everyone else has to pay €18.90.

A Cambodian Buddhist monk looks at skulls displayed at the Choeung Ek killing fields memorial during ... [+] the annual Day of Anger in Phnom Penh.

The Killing Fields of Choeung Ek

Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Some 10 miles southwest of the Cambodian capital at Phnom Penh, this previously peaceful orchard was transformed between 1975 and 1978 into a mass killing ground under the orders of infamous despot, Pol Pot and his Khmer Rouge regime. Removing prisoners from the S-21 prison (now Tuol Sleng Museum in Phnom Penh), around 17,000 men, women and children were transported here to be murdered without ‘wasting bullets’. The remains of 8,895 people were exhumed from mass graves in 1980 and many skulls are on display graphically showing the brutal way they were killed. 

Visitor info: Open daily from 7.30am to 5.30pm, admission to the Killing Fields costs $6 including an audio tour. Most hotels in Phnom Penh can also put you in touch with a local tour guide. 

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World’s Top 10 Dark Tourism Destinations to Visit in 2024

• Introduction

Top 10 Dark Tourism Destinations to Travel to in 2024

“Blessed are the curious for they shall have adventures.”

It is no secret that dark tourism has taken the world by storm. Countless curious tourists travel to various dark tourism destinations all year round to experience first-hand, the tragic events that have taken place.

Dark tourism takes you on an adventure back in time and offers an insight into the brutal truth behind these destinations. It gives an opportunity for tourists to investigate the heart of history and visit places that aren’t usually visited.

As expert British Tour Operators, we cannot stress enough that this is an experience you don’t want to miss out on. We believe that visiting a dark destination is something that should be on anyone’s bucket list. Hence, to make things easier for you, we have listed out the world’s top 10 dark destinations. These dark tourism holidays will allow you to fully understand situations that occurred in the past and ensure that history will not repeat itself.

01. Chernobyl, Ukraine

This town situated in Ukraine rocked the entire world in 1986, when a nuclear reactor exploded and exposed thousands of people to radioactivity. It is still considered the worst nuclear disaster in the history of mankind. The area where the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant is located has been a ghost town ever since, but one that attracts thousands of tourists from all over the world.

The haunting stilts of the abandoned amusement park that will never hear the laughs of children again is the crowning image of this dark destination as well as dark tourism as a whole. On a holiday to Chernobyl you will be able to learn about the devastating accident that took place and explore this ghost town that was once home to many.

02. Auschwitz Concentration Camps, Poland

Auschwitz was one of the largest German concentration camps that forced men, women and children from all over Europe, predominantly Jews, to endure the most awful conditions during World War 2. Around 1.1 million people, mainly Jewish, were murdered in these camps by the Nazis. Thus, the walls of these concentration camps have witnessed pain and suffering unlike any other.

So, it should be no surprise that this camp, now a museum, has become one of the most-visited dark destinations in the world. Until you come face-to-face with this distressing destination you will not truly understand the reality of this horror. Visiting the Auschwitz Concentration Camps will open your eyes to the brutality of this dark destination and the sheer scale of the holocaust.

03. Pompeii, Italy

The ancient city of Pompeii completely froze in time when the neighbouring Mt. Vesuvius erupted in 79AD, petrifying the entire city. When the city was uncovered thousands of years later, ruins and bodies that had turned into statues due to the ash and pumice that fell upon Pompeii were discovered.

You can witness these preserved buildings and fossilized bodies at this dark destination even today. By taking a holiday to Pompeii mt Vesuvius you will realize the impact that nature can have and that it is something that could happen again, anywhere in the world.

04. Hiroshima, Japan

Hiroshima is widely known for being the victim of a deadly nuclear attack that took place during World War 2. Thousands of people lost their lives in an instant to the atomic bombs, making this one of the most devastating events of human loss in history. Amongst the many buildings that were hit during the nuclear blast, one was completely burned out.

People now popularly know this building as the Atomic Bomb Dome or the Hiroshima Peace Memorial. By taking a Japan holiday to this dark destination you will be able to see personal belongings, pictures and other material that display the horror that took place in this city as well as learn more about the lasting effect of atomic bombs.

05. Catacombs, Paris

Paris, the city of love and light has a not-so-popularly-known dark side that lies underground, within the old tunnels. The Catacombs beneath the streets of Paris is home to an entire empire of death. It is an underground cemetery that contains the remains of 6 million people.

As you descend five stories beneath the city of Paris you will witness tunnels lined with skulls and bones from top to bottom.  The eerie site of skulls and bones stacked and arranged in various patterns will definitely send chills down your spine. By taking a Paris Catacombs tour you will be able to learn the history of this dark destination and also interesting facts about how it was used during World War 2.

06. Killing Fields, Cambodia

The killing fields in Cambodia have witnessed the brutal mass murders of millions of people. The vicious dictator, Pol Pot who led with inhuman policies, created sites of mass killing all around Cambodia. Today, a number of these sites, stand to educate tourists about the dark and brutal history of Cambodia.

Out of all the killing fields, Choeung Ek is the most famous and largest. Although this dark destination may look appealing on the surface, by exploring intently, you will be able to witness the remnants of the horrors that unfolded here.

07. Aokigahara Forest, Japan

The Aokigahara Forest, more commonly known as the suicide forest is one of the most eerie dark tourism destinations out there. This naturally beautiful forest has become dark and twisted over the years due to the horrific incidents that have taken place. Thousands of people have tried to take their own lives in the Aokigahara Forest Japan , and many have succeeded.

Hence, the more common name ‘the suicide forest’. After entering the forest you will see shoes, photographs, bottles, letters and much more scattered all over, making this experience all the more haunting and exciting. It is best to visit this dark destination as a group.

08. The Day of the Dead Festival, Mexico

The Mexican Day of the Dead Festival is a unique and annual event in which families parade the streets to pay respect to their deceased relatives. The families parade to the cemeteries visit their relatives graves in fancy costumes, funky makeup, food, drinks and decorations.

This festival takes place every year on All Souls’ Day which is on the 2 nd of November. The Day of the Dead Festival unravels an explosion of colour and wholesome joy. This colourful and ecstatic festival which honours and respects the dead is a dark tourism experience unlike any other.

09. Dracula Castle, Bucharest

The Bran Castle which is more famously known as the ‘ Dracula Castle ’ is believed to be the home of Bram Stoker’s infamous character Dracula. While the famous blood-sucking character never truly inhabited this castle, its rich and gothic history provides visitors with an eerie and suspenseful sense.

It also has much information pertaining to the truth behind this mystical urban legend. A visit to the Bucharest Dracula Castle can be considered as a lighter dark destination giving its visitors a more fun and thrilling experience.

10. The London Dungeon, England

This is a uniquely thrilling tourist attraction which can be added to the list of lighter dark tourism destinations. The tour includes a series of scenes reenacting various dark, twisted and macabre historical events of Medieval London. The exceptional cast of actors, stages, scenes, rides, and effects will evoke laughter, screams, and cheers with their innovative storytelling.

You’ll see, hear, feel, and smell the olden day’s terrifying characters come to life before your eyes, creating an immersive experience. These explicit recreations transport you back in time, allowing you to witness first-hand some of the most horrifying incidents of Medieval London.

To put it briefly, dark tourism is a fast-growing phenomenon in the modern world that has curious tourists hooked. Explore our top 10 dark holiday destinations and experience something unique and different in every location. Although most dark tourism holiday destinations are born from tragedies that took place in the past, if used wisely, it can be the key towards a better future. If you are still unsure about visiting a dark destination, then contact us. As reputable British Tour Operators, we’ll offer guidance on why you shouldn’t miss this exceptional travel experience.

“To really know a place, you must see it through the eyes of the people who live[d] there.”

Balari Gabadamudalige

Full-time educator by day, freelance writer by night.

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Dark Tourism Destinations In 2024

In this post I delve into the world of dark tourism . I describe 10 popular dark tourism destinations from around the world.

Finding myself with some enforced indoor time during the pandemic, I discovered the Netflix series Dark Tourist . It came recommended by fellow bloggers, so I had to see what all the fuss was about.

Disclaimer:  Some links in this article are affiliate links, which means that if you purchase through them I receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you. This helps cover the cost of running this blog. Thanks for your support!

The Louis Thereaux-esque host travels the world in search of locations fitting the bill of dark tourism. That is to say, sites that are typically associated with death and tragedy.

The series itself is quite educational though at times I found it a little uncomfortable. I understand that the host is angling for the dark humour approach, but often I found his reactions a little rude and disrespectful.

However, my opinions aside, it’s certainly a series worth exploring. It also got me thinking about some of the dark tourist sites I’ve visited.

Much to my surprise, I discovered I’ve been to quite a lot!

I immediately questioned whether I sought out these destinations and was myself a dark tourist . However, it seems I visited most of these sites whilst running overland tours so I was officially just doing my job.

I guess that makes me feel a little better…

Dark Tourism Definition

Dark tourism involves visiting places associated with negative events, often involving human tragedies or disasters.

This type of sub-tourism has been growing in popularity of late but is certainly not a new phenomenon. For example, we’ve always visited memorial sites to pay respect for those who lost their lives and honour their memory.

In London you can find the popular tourist attractions of the London Dungeons, the Clink Torture museum and the Jack the Ripper museum, all within walking distance of each other. None of which are particularly light hearted subjects.

It seems people have always been intrigued by the macabre . Like watching a horror movie with your hands in front of your face. You don’t want to look and yet you can’t really help it.

10 Dark Tourism Destinations

I questioned whether I should write this post as I don’t want to be disrespectful to those that have lost their lives at these sites . However, some of these sites are major tourist draws for their respective countries, so I feel like it would be wrong to simply ignore.

So with that in mind, here are 10 of the most memorable dark tourist locations I have visited around the world .

1. Kigali Genocide museum, Rwanda

In 1994, the small African country of Rwanda became the location for one of the most recent and brutal genocides in history. On the 10th anniversary of the genocide in 2004 the country opened the Kigali Memorial Centre in the country capital of Kigali.

This memorial is the site of a mass grave and museum. The museum spends a lot of time explaining the complex history that led to the genocide in the hope that through learning this, it will never happen again. It also contains many graphic videos and images which are very hard hitting.

A visit to this memorial is certainly not an easy one but a must for any visit to Rwanda. Rwanda is a remarkable country and a great example of how the human race can bounce back from such horrible tragedies. It’s also home to the incredible mountain gorillas which you can read more about here.

More recently I visited the Armenia genocide museum in Yerevan, Armenia. Again, whilst not being a pleasant experience, this museum is very well done and worth visiting on a trip to Yerevan.

2. Death Railway Bridge at Kanchanaburi, Thailand

During World War II, POWs under Japanese control were put to work constructing the Burma Railway. Working in horrific conditions, almost half of the prisoners working on the railway died during its’ construction.

At Kanchanaburi there is a railway bridge built over the river Kwai. This bridge was part of the Burma Railway line and has become a popular tourist attraction for those looking to learn about this dark period of Thailand’s history. The construction of the bridge was famously portrayed in the film The Bridge on the River Kwai .

Spolier alert : Technically this bridge is neither the original bridge (since it was bombed by allied forces in 1945) nor the bridge depicted in the film. Even the river below only became know as the River Kwai (it was previously the Mae Klong) in order to please tourists who came looking for “the bridge over the River Kwai”.

In Kanchanaburi, just across from the railway station is the Kanchanaburi War Cemetery, dedicated to the POWs who died here. There is also the War Museum and JEATH War Museum located close to the bridge. A 90 minute drive from Kanchanaburi will bring you to Hellfire Pass, which is a war memorial in the form of a jungle walk.

Of course there are many more touching war memorials located around the world, including the Somme in France and Gallipoli in Turkey .

3. Choeung Ek Killing Field and S21 Prison, Cambodia

Any traveller to Phnom Penh will almost certainly visit one of these dark tourist sites. Nobody really knows how many people were killed during the Cambodian genocide under the orders of Pol Pot, but it’s estimated to be anywhere between 1 and 3 million.

The Killing Fields refer to a number of sites where people were killed and buried by the Khmer Rouge. The most famous of these is Choseng Ek, just outside Phnom Penh. An audio guide leads visitors around the site, explaining the harrowing acts that were carried out here.

In Phnom Penh itself there is another memorial to the Cambodian genocide called S-21. This high school was converted to a prison by the Khmer Rouge and used as a torture and execution centre. It’s believed that of the 14000 people to enter S-21, only 7 survived.

Cambodia is another great example of how a country can bounce back from such horrific events.

4. The Doorway to Hell, Turkmenistan

Essentially there is one main tourist site to see in Turkmenistan . Whilst a visit to the white marble capital of Ashgabat might be a completely surreal experience, it’s not the big draw for this suppressed country.

The main tourist attraction is a man-made disaster. A constantly burning gas pit found amongst the sand dunes of the Karakum desert. This huge fire pit has been burning since the Soviet Era and has been dubbed “The Gateway to Hell”

Read more about Darvaza Gas Crater in this post.

5. The Aral Sea, Uzbekistan/Kazakhstan

Another of the man made disaster sites and dark tourism places is located in neighbouring Uzbekistan. And once again it falls back to the period of the Soviet Era.

Located in two countries, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, the Aral Sea was once one of the largest lakes in the world. However, after extremely harsh irrigation practises used to produce cotton, the lake has shrunk to 10% of its’ original size.

Read more about visiting the Aral Sea in Uzbekistan, in this post .

6. Zanzibar Slave Museum, Tanzania

Zanzibar is a beautiful tropical island found off the coast of Zanzibar. Tourists flock to the white sand beaches to enjoy a little slice of paradise. However, there is a dark history to this paradise island.

In the 1800s Stone Town was a prime location for the Arab Slave Trade. Slaves were shipped to Stone Town from the mainland and then held in tiny cellars for days without food or toilets, and with little air. It’s thought up to 50,000 slaves were sold from Zanzibar.

Built over the remains of this slave market now stands the Anglican Cathedral, an unapologetic memorial monument and an informative museum.

One of the 15 small cellars still remains and is accessible from the museum. A grim reminder of the inhumane conditions that occurred here.

7. Funeral Ghats in Varanasi, India

Situated in Northern India, Varanasi has long been on the tourist radar. Running through the heart of the city is the Ganges river, which is revered as holy by followers of the Hindu faith. Along the ghats that line the Ganges, Hindu pilgrims bathe in the river’s sacred waters in a ceremony known as puja .

Several of the ghats are also used as primary sites for Hindu cremations. Here death rituals are performed before the body is cremated.

A common tourist activity for visitors to Varanasi is to take a boat trip along the Ganges to observe, not only puja, but also to see the cremation ghats in operation. For this reason Varanasi is perhaps one of the most popular top dark tourism sites in India.

Before a trip to India, take a look at my top tips for travelling India !

8. Crumlin Road Gaol, Northern Ireland

There are many old jails and prisons around the world that have opened their doors to the dark tourism industry . The first, and arguably most famous being Alcatraz, however I never found my visits to Alcatraz particularly scary or alarming. Perhaps taking a boat trip in the Californian sun to reach the island downplayed the whole history somewhat?

There is a prison I visited that did have a distinctly oppressive feel to it though. On a recent road trip around Ireland I took a tour of Crumlin Road Gaol in Belfast. Perhaps because the history of this gaol is closer to home for me, it all feels a bit more real.

Or perhaps it’s because, as part of the compulsory guided tour, you are shown the execution room where the noose still hangs from the ceiling.

Other memorable visits to more ancient dungeons include the London Dungeons in the UK and the Bug Pit at Zindon Prison in Bukhara, Uzbekistan.

Famous players of The Great Game  spent several years at Zindon prison, some of which was spent in a 4 metre deep pit. Guards of this pit would regularly pour scorpions, bugs and rodents onto prisoners heads.

To learn about the underhand dealings of the Great Game, I recommend  this fabulous book by Peter Hopkirk

9. War Remnants Museum, Vietnam

For a long time Vietnam was known as a war rather than a country. A war that raged on for 20 years. And so as you might expect, there are several sites dedicated to the memory of this horrible period.

The Cu Chi Tunnels provide an unforgettable experience of war time conditions in Vietnam and the War Remnants Museum provides a detailed history of events.

The museum was originally called the Exhibition House for US and Puppet Crimes and whilst some displays are arguably a little one-sided, there’s no denying the horrific atrocities that went on during this war.

10. Stalin Museum, Georgia

In the small town of Gori, nestled in the beautiful Caucasus country of Georgia , you can find a museum dedicated to the memory of an unlikely hero. 

Joseph Stalin was the leader of the Soviet Union for a quarter of a century. It’s thought that over 20 million Soviets died during Stalin’s regime, making him one of the most murderous dictators in history.

However, this museum somewhat brushes over this fact and focuses more on Stalin as a man.

In the gift shop you can even buy Stalin-themed souvenirs to purchase for friends and family back home!

After touring the museum visitors can take a look inside Stalin’s train carriage, which is now parked in the museum grounds.

Along the theme of murderous dictators, if you ever find yourself in Shanghai, China, be sure to visit the Propaganda Poster Art Museum. This tiny museum, tucked away under some high rise apartment buildings, has a great collection of propaganda art, from the Maoism period of Communist China.

More Dark Tourism Destinations

The following are more dark tourist places which I have not visited myself, but are very much on the dark tourism radar.

Aokigahara Forest aka Suicide forest, Japan

I actually only found out about this forest upon my return from Japan. I mentioned to my brother that I had visited Mt Fuji and his first question was if I’d visited the Suicide Forest. Obviously I hadn’t and even if I had known about it, I’m almost certain I wouldn’t have gone.

This enchanting forest has a historical reputation in Japanese mythology as being home to ghosts of the dead. But more recently it has become known as a place where people come to take their own lives.

Auschwitz, Poland

During World War II people from all over Europe were sent to labour camps constructed by Nazi Germany. Auschwitz concentration camp was the largest of these camps, where over 1.1 million men, women and children lost their lives.

Today the complex has been converted to a museum dedicated to remembrance and education. Auschwitz is perhaps the most well known dark tourism example on this list .

Chernobyl, Ukraine

In 1986 an explosion tore through through reactor number 4 of the Chernobyl Nuclear power plant,   near the city of Pripyat. The result was the worst nuclear disaster in history.

Chernobyl is now a well known dark tourism destination , with numerous companies offering tours to Chernobyl and the abandoned town of Pripyat.

Have you seen the HBO series Chernobyl ? This series is extremely well made and although tough to watch, gives a good insight to the events that happened at Chernobyl.

Visiting places with a radioactive history has been growing in popularity in dark tourism. Other sites to visit include Hiroshima and Fukushima in Japan and Semipalatinsk Test Site in Kazakhstan.

Pompeii, Italy

In 79AD Mount Vesuvius erupted and destroyed the nearby Roman city of Pompeii. Pompeii was buried under meters of volcanic ash, preserving the city at the exact moment it was buried.

As a UNESCO World Heritage site, Pompeii is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Italy.

Final Thoughts on these Dark Tourist Sites?

Until I watched Dark Tourist I didn’t realise this branch of tourism even existed. For me, visits to war memorials and genocide museums are an uncomfortable but necessary part of learning about a country’s history.

Through this, we hopefully learn which mistakes to avoid in the future.

The purpose of visiting man made disasters such as Chernobyl and the former Aral Sea is perhaps a little more unclear. We obviously haven’t learnt any lessons from these, as we still continue to build Nuclear Power Plants and strip the earth of its’ natural resources.

Maybe one day we will learn?

How do you feel about visiting dark tourism sites? Have you visited any of these destinations or are there any others that you would add to this list? Let me know your thoughts below.

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Louise is an Adventure Tour Guide, Snowboard Instructor & Mountain Leader from South Wales. Through working as a tour guide and snowboard instructor, she has spent the last 15 years travelling Asia, Africa and the Americas. Louise is a published photographer and currently guides mountain trips in the UK.

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12 Dark Destinations for the Thrill-Seeking Traveler

Posted: May 28, 2024 | Last updated: May 28, 2024

Dark tourism might sound like something someone on TikTok made up last year, but this travel trend spans centuries. People have always been drawn to the macabre, whether through witnessing public executions or, like today, binge-listening to true crime podcasts.

Some take this interest in the dark side of life a step further, heading to sites around the globe that experienced immense tragedy and loss. From disaster zones to battlefields, visitors engage with the devastation and loss that are still evident and still impact the present, whether we realize it or not. 

These dark tourism destinations are not for the faint of heart and were chosen for their historical significance and the intense emotional reaction they illicit. 

1. The Killing Fields, Cambodia

The Killing Fields are eerie due to their role in the Khmer Rouge’s genocide during the late 1970s. Mass graves, remnants of torture, and a memorial stupa filled with human skulls offer a chilling look into Cambodia’s tragic past.

The dry season from November to February is the preferred time to visit the Killing Fields, offering easier access and a more comfortable experience.

2. Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, Japan

While a symbol of peace, Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park’s spooky quality lies in its history as the epicenter of the atomic bomb dropped in 1945. The skeletal remains of the A-Bomb Dome and haunting exhibits in the museum emphasize the devastating power of nuclear warfare.

The cherry blossom season in April is a popular time to visit Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, combining the poignant history with the beauty of blooming sakura.

3. Auschwitz-Birkenau, Poland

Auschwitz-Birkenau was one of the most notorious concentration and extermination camps during World War II. The preserved barracks, gas chambers, and crematoria stand as solemn reminders of the horrors that took place within these walls, making it a place for reflection on the Holocaust.

Auschwitz-Birkenau sees the most visitors during the summer months, particularly July and August when the weather is pleasant for exploring the site. 

4. Ground Zero, New York City, USA

Ground Zero, the site of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, is jarring for its history of destruction and loss of life. The somber 9/11 Memorial and Museum and the survivor tree stand as solemn reminders of the tragic events that unfolded on that day.

Ground Zero is frequented throughout the year, but September 11th, the anniversary of the attacks, is a significant and highly attended date for visitors paying their respects.

5. Chernobyl, Ukraine

Chernobyl is an eerie, dark tourism destination due to the catastrophic nuclear disaster that occurred there in 1986. The abandoned and decaying buildings, combined with dangerous radiation levels, create an unsettling atmosphere, offering visitors a haunting glimpse into the consequences of technological failure.

The spring and early summer months, from April to June, are popular for visiting Chernobyl when the weather is milder and vegetation is lush, contrasting with the abandoned structures.

6. Pompeii, Italy

Pompeii is creepy due to its well-preserved ruins, frozen in time by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD. The ghostly, petrified remains of the city’s inhabitants and the sense of a thriving civilization suddenly halted contribute to its eerie charm.

The spring and fall months, particularly April to June and September to October, are the best times to visit Pompeii to avoid the intense summer heat and crowds.

7. Alcatraz Island, San Francisco, USA

Alcatraz’s reputation comes from its history as a maximum-security prison, housing some of America’s most notorious criminals. The desolate cells and tales of escape attempts add to the island’s haunting atmosphere.

Alcatraz is busiest during the summer months, particularly June to August, making advanced ticket reservations essential for those seeking to explore the former prison.

8. The Catacombs of Paris, France

The Catacombs are scary because they contain the remains of around six million people. Visitors navigate through dimly lit tunnels lined with neatly arranged skulls and bones, creating an unsettling experience beneath the streets of Paris.

The Catacombs are popular year-round, with slightly fewer visitors during the shoulder seasons of spring and autumn, when weather isn’t as pleasant.

9. The Island of the Dolls, Mexico

This island is adorned with thousands of old and decaying dolls, hung in trees and buildings by a hermit who believed they ward off evil spirits. The dolls’ unsettling appearance heightens the ghostly atmosphere.

The Island of the Dolls sees more visitors during the dry season from November to April when the weather in Mexico is more tolerable. 

10. The Door to Hell, Turkmenistan

This location is chilling due to its massive flaming crater , resulting from a natural gas field that collapsed into a fiery pit. The continuous burning and the remote desert location create an otherworldly and unsettling spectacle.

The Door can be visited year-round, but the cooler fall and winter temperatures, from October to March, are more comfortable for exploring the remote desert location.

11. The Sedlec Ossuary, Czech Republic

The Sedlec Ossuary is eerie for its unique and macabre decoration, featuring the bones of thousands of individuals arranged into intricate designs and decorations. The overall effect is mysterious and strangely artistic, attracting dark tourism enthusiasts.

The Sedlec Ossuary is frequently visited throughout the year, with slightly fewer crowds during spring and autumn, offering a quieter experience among the decorations.

12. Pripyat Amusement Park, Ukraine

Pripyat Amusement Park is eerie because of its abandonment following the Chernobyl disaster. Ferris wheels and bumper cars stand motionless, surrounded by the deafening silence of a city frozen in time.

Visitors tend to come during the late spring to early summer months, May and June, when the weather is more favorable and the strange amusement park is accessible. 

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Dark Tourism: Why People Travel to Sites of Death and Tragedy

Droves of tourists frequent concentration camps, sites of famous battles or even places where mass atrocities occurred. what draws us to this dark tourism.

If you've ever traveled somewhere new, there's a good chance you've planned your itinerary around popular destinations to make the most of your trip. That’s why famous museums, parks, restaurants and beaches are commonly filled with people trying to experience what makes a particular location so great. But some of us have a penchant for places that are historically associated with death and tragedy. All around the world, these tourists visit concentration camps, historical grounds of famous battles or even places related to mass atrocities.  

Today, this practice — fittingly called "dark tourism" — is a multi-billion dollar industry. But it's also far from a new phenomenon. Some people have always been drawn to death, and two of the earliest examples are the displays of public executions and the Roman gladiatorial games. The Colosseum in Rome may very well be one of the first dark tourism attractions. But what is it about these locations that make them so engaging? According to experts, there are plenty of factors that help draw us to these lurid locales. 

The Appeal of Death and Tragedy

The motivations of tourists in visiting dark tourist locations often come down to four common themes, according to a 2021 study published in International Hospitality Review . Curiosity appears to be the biggest factor, but personal connection also matters. Many tourists take part because they feel connected — or want to feel a connection — to the events that transpired at a particular location, says Heather Lewis, assistant professor at Troy University who was involved in the 2021 study.  

Others visit for educational purposes, while some just happen to be in the same place and decide to participate after seeing something that might be of interest, she adds. For some people, visiting the graves of celebrities they like is a way to celebrate their lives, and it’s not about focusing on the difficulty of their life, or the tragic circumstances behind their death.

“Dark tourism does not need 'dark' tourists — only people who are socially engaged in the cultural and political fabric of their own life world,” says Philip Stone, executive director of the Institute for Dark Tourism Research. “[It] is the commodification of places of pain and shame and, consequently, shines a mirror on contemporary society of how we memorialize, and who we remember.”  

The concept of dark tourism is culturally nuanced and means different things to different people. It can mediate our sense of mortality through the fatality of others where the dead act as warnings from the history of our own fights, follies, and misfortunes, says Stone. In short, a fascination with death in itself might not be the primary motive for visiting dark tourism sites; it likely has more to do with an individual's interest in cultural heritage and education. 

A Complex Legacy

Still, despite that nuance, dark tourism is often frowned upon. For tourists and travelers, it can seem like a minefield mired in “ moral ambiguities and managerial dilemmas,” says Stone. In many ways, the industry is all about managing our collective memory and providing a memorialized afterlife to those who died tragically or untimely. At the same time, it allows contemporary visitors to consume narratives of death that have been streamlined for their consumption. In other words, the practice can be considered a "touristification" of the places and people steeped in death and tragedy.

“Remembrance is a political process that is selective of what, who, and where is memorialized — and, perhaps more importantly, forgotten,” he adds. “As such, dark tourism showcases our significant dead as spectacular in a society of spectacle where commercialism ensures everything is 'packaged up' and sold, even tragic or calamitous death.” At its core, there is an element of dark tourism that knowingly exploits our fascination with the macabre, stirring up complicated ethical and moral issues about our own behavior.  

For Lewis, dark tourism isn’t necessarily a bad thing as long as it’s properly managed. The increase in tourism can be used to restore or maintain facilities in dark tourism locations, but it should not destroy or diminish the integrity of the location over time. For instance, there are Hurricane Katrina tours that will not visit certain parts of the city out of respect for the individuals living there, she adds.  

People must always be respectful of those who have experienced loss and hardship at dark tourism locations. Traveling responsibly and minimizing its impact on residents remain highly important because old suffering may be reopened, intensified, and prolonged by tourists. 

“The overall concern that we should have with dark tourism is making sure that we are being ethically and morally upright in the marketing and use of these locations as a dark tourism destinations,” says Lewis. “We should never seek economic gain by exploiting others’ suffering and loss.” 

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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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• The Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia offers historical education with a sinister past, making it a top dark tourism destination.
• Centralia, PA, a modern ghost town with an underground coal fire, provides a creepy urban exploration experience for dark tourists.
• The Waverly Hills Sanatorium in Louisville, KY, known for treating tuberculosis patients, is a popular spot for ghost tours and dark tourism.

The United States, with its large size and complex history, has tons of excellent sites for tourists interested in historical destinations. Monuments, important historical American battlefields , and sites of major events can be found throughout the country.

However, while many of the USA's top historical sites are famous for their educational or inspirational characters, some are notable for darker reasons. Sites of tragedies, notorious crimes, or even purported paranormal activity can be found across the country. Plus, many of these locations have become famous in their own right as popular spots for "dark tourism."

Dark tourism fans seek out sites that are primarily famous for tragic or macabre reasons. For obvious reasons, dark tourism can be somewhat controversial, especially since many of the most famous "dark tourism sites" are not (legally) open to the public.

Still, many other dark tourism locations across the USA have embraced their status and currently offer visits, tours, or even stays to curious visitors. Other sites, while not marketed as "dark tourism destinations," are still legally accessible for those interested in visiting. Here are some of the best dark tourism sites in the United States that people can visit.

7 Dark Tourism Destinations To Add To Your Bucket List

Respectfully exploring dark tourism destinations around the world can be an eye-opening journey of discovering the tragedies that occurred there.

7 Eastern State Penitentiary, Pennsylvania

A notorious prison in the heart of philadelphia.

For obvious reasons, historic prisons are popular destinations in the world of dark tourism. Many defunct prisons across the United States serve as notable tourist attractions, especially among those in search of more foreboding trips. One of America's best historic prison sites that combines historical education, a dark past, and an overall sinister atmosphere is Philadelphia's Eastern State Penitentiary .

Just one look at the prison from the outside will give anyone chills. The prison's exterior more resembles a haunted medieval castle than anything from the modern world. Stone watchtowers and dark walls create a chilling atmosphere even in broad daylight, long before visitors even learn about the site's actual history.

Oddly enough, despite the prison's dark character, it was originally designed with compassion in mind. In the 1820s, many of Philadelphia's civic leaders sought new methods of incarceration that would (ostensibly) focus on rehabilitation and reform rather than simple punishment.

To achieve this, the prison was designed to emphasize what was considered "humane" incarceration. Unfortunately, early-19th Century ideas of what constituted "humane" were less than ideal. In the case of Eastern State Penitentiary, the result was hundreds of prisoners held in solitary confinement.

At the time, this treatment was believed to help reform violent prisoners. Today, however, psychologists and human rights advocates recognize that long-term solitary confinement can cause severe psychological ill effects . As a result, thousands of prisoners were held in the Eastern State Penitentiary in torturous solitary isolation in dark cells.

The prison is also notable for housing many famous inmates. Infamous criminals like Al Capone and Willie Sutton were held there at certain points during the prison's active history. Eventually, in 1971, the prison was finally closed for good.

Today, the Eastern State Penitentiary exists as a museum where tourists can explore the dark cells and corridors where thousands of inmates suffered in silence. The site also has several institutes dedicated to criminal justice reform, and holds several events throughout the year to educate visitors on the history and future of the justice system.

Tourists interested in the more paranormal elements of the prison site can also find several ghost tours in and around the Eastern State Penitentiary grounds.

6 Centralia, Pennsylvania

A "modern" ghost town straight out of a horror movie.

Most of America's "ghost towns" are remnants of the 19th Century, often mining towns built in the American West during the 1800s and eventually abandoned after mining returns went dry. Though these ghost towns are often creepy in and of themselves, their more antiquated character may prevent visitors from connecting with them too closely. But a ghost town featuring much more modern homes and suburban streets can be much, much creepier. Such is the story of the abandoned (but still accessible) town of Centralia.

Located in Columbia County in Northeastern Pennsylvania, Centralia was first established in 1841. But during the 20th Century, increased coal mining activity in the region led to a gradual increase in the borough's population. Though it was never a major metropolis, Centralia and its surrounding areas did have a population of a few thousand people by 1960.

Unfortunately, the very underground coal deposits that led to the town's growth also led to its downfall. In 1962, an underground fire started among a large coal deposit near an abandoned mine site. To this day, experts are still unsure of the exact cause of the fire. But with an abundant supply of underground coal to act as fuel, the mine fire continued to burn, and burn, and burn. Today, more than 60 years later, the fire is still burning just below what remains of Centralia.

Over the next several years, the ongoing fire began to cause significant problems for the residents of Centralia. Underground heat threatened gas lines, while fire damage to the bedrock made house foundations unsafe. All the while, choking smoke seeped up through cracks in the ground and contaminated the town's air quality.

As time went on, the town became increasingly unlivable. More and more residents moved out, and more and more of the town's homes were condemned as unsafe. In 1983, the federal government passed a law offering buyouts to the remaining residents to allow them to move. Then, in 1992, Pennsylvania's Governor invoked eminent domain on the entire town, effectively seizing all property and condemning the entire town en masse.

Today, most of the houses in Centralia have been torn down, and roads in and out of the town have long ago fallen into disrepair. But Centralia is still perfectly legal to visit , and many tourists do still flock to the town each year to experience one of the more unique (and creepy) urban exploration experiences in the country.

Though few houses remain, the abandoned town still has an incredibly eerie effect on visitors, made all the more tangible by the sinister, fog-like smoke that still seeps from the ground. And Centralia's status as Pennsylvania's mine-fire ghost town is unlikely to end any time soon. Experts believe that its underground coal fire could continue burning for another 250 years !

10 Historic Pennsylvania Sites That Have Been Abandoned & Untouched For Decades

Pennsylvania has some of the most interesting abandoned sites in the world, and here are the most historic abandoned places to check out.

5 Waverly Hills Sanatorium, Kentucky

A sinister hospital ground open for exploration - and ghost tours.

Alongside historic prisons, preserved sanatoriums are among the most popular destinations for dark tourists and paranormal investigators. These locations are remnants of a past we have thankfully moved away from.

Before the development of effective antibiotic treatments and better sanitation, deadly diseases often ravaged population centers. During the 19th and early 20th Centuries, one of the most feared of these widespread diseases was tuberculosis, a bacterial disease that often affects the lungs.

Before effective treatments were available, tuberculosis patients were often treated in large, specialized hospitals called "sanatoriums" , Though these hospitals billed themselves as a means to recover from the disease, many patients who checked into their walls sadly perished inside. Such a history of deaths, combined with their often large and foreboding exterior, make the remaining sanatorium sites popular spots for ghost tours and dark tourism.

Waverly Hills Sanatorium is perhaps the best-preserved sanatorium site in the United States. Located in the Waverly Hills neighborhood of Louisville, Kentucky, the sanatorium was first established in the early 1900s following a deadly outbreak of tuberculosis in the area. By 1912, the hospital held all the city's tuberculosis patients.

Due to a lack of comprehensive records, the exact number of people who died in Waverly Hills during its period of operation is unclear. Some estimates place the number of deaths at around 63,000, but other accounts suggest it may be more than 100,000. Regardless, Waverly Hills Sanatorium was undoubtedly the site of many, many deaths during its decades of operation.

By 1961, advances in antibiotic treatments greatly reduced the number of tuberculosis patients in need of long-term care, and Waverly Hills Sanatorium closed down after more than 50 years of operation. Today, the building remains a popular site for ghost tours, dark tourist explorations, and horror-themed events.

Though the building is now privately owned, its current owners regularly book tours and events in the building to help raise money for ongoing restoration processes.

4 Lizzie Borden House, Massachusetts

The site of one of the country's most infamous murders - now a bed and breakfast.

The Lizzie Borden case is one of the most infamous crimes in American history, made all the more ominous by its lack of an "official" resolution. The story of Lizzie Borden and her "ax" has become so ingrained in pop culture and folklore that many people today may not even know that it is a real case and that Lizzie Borden was a real person.

Despite cheap horror "adaptions" and popular nursery rhymes, the Lizzie Borden story does stem from an actual grisly crime, one that is still "officially" unsolved. On August 4, 1892, the small Massachusetts town of Fall River was roiled by a horrific discovery. Andrew Borden, a relatively affluent property owner and developer, and his wife, Abby, were found in their home brutally bludgeoned to death by an ax.

Suspicion immediately fell on Andrew's 32-year-old daughter Lizzie. Lizzie Borden was the daughter of Andrew's deceased first wife, and many accounts suggest that she did not get along with her stepmother following her father's remarriage.

After a brief investigation, Lizzie Borden was arrested and charged with double homicide. However, after a lengthy, sensationalized trial, she was eventually acquitted of all charges. Despite the "not guilty" verdict, Lizzie Borden became a pariah in Fall River, spending the rest of her life as something of a recluse until her death in 1927. No other suspects were charged in the murders of Andrew and Abby, which remain unsolved to this day.

Thanks to the grisly nature of the crime, the heavy media coverage of the trial, and the unusual sight of a young woman charged with a brutal murder, the Lizzie Borden story became something of a folk tale around Massachusetts and the United States as a whole. Most children are familiar with the popular nursery rhyme "Lizzie Borden took an ax," which is still retold in a kind of dark humor.

Today, the house where the murders took place is still standing in Fall River. Since 1996, the Lizze Borden house has operated as a bed and breakfast, where curious tourists can reserve a night's stay . Throughout the year, the property holds many events meant to educate and commemorate the crime, and would-be paranormal investigators can even book ghost tours!

7 Places Destroyed By Nuclear Disasters (& Some You Can Visit)

While Chernobyl is known as the world's largest nuclear disaster, other places had to deal with significant incidents, too.

3 Andersonville National Historic Site, Georgia

The site of one of the worst atrocities of the civil war.

The American Civil War was one of the bloodiest events in the nation's history. Across the country, tourists can find hundreds of historical sites that preserve the memory of the conflict that killed more than 600,000 Americans. Many of these sites are, unsurprisingly, major battlefields of the Civil War .

Historical sites at Gettysburg, Antietam, Shiloh, and others, all protect spots where thousands died. These Civil War battlefield sites provide a somber view of one of the darkest chapters in American history, and many also feature more "macabre" activities, such as ghost tours.

However, the "darkest" historical site from the American Civil War is not a battlefield at all. Andersonville National Historic Site in Andersonville, Georgia, preserves the site of one of the war's worst mass atrocities.

During the last year or so of the Civil War, the Georgia town of Andersonville became the site of a Confederate Army prisoner-of-war camp . Thousands of captured Union soldiers were incarcerated at Andersonville's prison camp, eventually far exceeding the maximum number of prisons that the camp was designed to hold.

As the Confederate Army increasingly lost manpower and resources towards the war's end, the Andersonville POW camp eventually held four times as many inmates as its maximum capacity. Lack of food and medical resources, combined with the extreme Georgia heat during the summers, led to horrific conditions for the unfortunate Union soldiers imprisoned there.

Of the roughly 45,000 soldiers held at the camp, about 13,000 died of disease and starvation before the camp was finally liberated in May 1865. Many of the survivors were little more than "human skeletons amid hellish scenes of desolation", according to reports from the Union Army. So horrific were the conditions there that the camp's commandant, Henry Wirz, was one of the few Confederate officers to be executed after the war.

Today, the site of the notorious prison camp is protected by the National Parks Service as the Andersonville National Historic Site. Admission to the park is free, and visitors can explore reconstructions of the camp's grounds. The site also contains the National Prisoner of War Museum, and the Andersonville National Cemetery, where many of the camp's victims are buried.

2 Trinity Nuclear Test Site, New Mexico

The birthplace of the atomic bomb.

The success of the 2023 movie Oppenheimer renewed interest in the Manhattan Project and its ongoing legacy in the history of the 20th Century. In 1945, in the remote deserts of New Mexico, a group of scientists led by Robert Oppenheimer developed the first atomic bomb, officially ushering in the nuclear age and altering the course of history.

Regardless of one's thoughts on the politics and justifications of the atomic bomb, there's no denying that the first successful detonation of a nuclear weapon on July 16, 1945, drapes a dark and somber specter over all who learn about it.

Today, the Trinity site is protected as part of the White Sands Missile Range in a remote park in Socorro County, New Mexico. For most of the year, the actual detonation site is closed off to the public. However, the military installation that protects the site holds two open houses each year , one on the 1st Saturday in April and one on the 3rd Saturday in October.

During these days, visitors from all around the world can enter the range and get up close to the obelisk that marks Ground Zero of the first nuclear detonation. Tourists can also visit the nearby McDonald Ranch House, where the bomb's plutonium core was assembled before detonation.

Even today, visitors to the Trinity site can find the ground covered in a mineral known as Trinitite , a glass-like rock formed from the surrounding desert sands in the extreme heat of the blast.

Beyond Chernobyl: 7 Other Disaster Sites That Are Open For Tours In 2024

Chernobyl isn't the only disaster site open to visitors; these other sites of historical tragedies have also become accessible to the public.

1 Donner Memorial State Park, California

California's infamous "cannibal lake".

Without knowing their history, Donner Lake and the nearby Donner Pass may seem like a beautiful landscape for tranquil excursions into nature, with no hint of anything "dark" or "macabre." But the name "Donner" should raise dark flags in most people's minds, even if they don't know the exact story. Those who do know why this particular stretch of California's Sierra Nevada mountains is so famous will flock here for much darker reasons than a pleasant nature hike.

Donner Lake and Donner Pass take their names from the ill-fated Donner Party . In 1846, a group of pioneers were traveling from California to the Midwest via a wagon train. The group eventually came to be known as the "Donner Party" thanks to the presence of pioneer George Donner and his family, though many other families were also present in the group.

Though most pioneer trains traveling to California tried to make their journey through the Sierra Nevada before winter hit, the Donner Party ended up being delayed by several mishaps and poor decisions. As a result, the group found themselves having to attempt the precipitous mountain range just as winter hit. The snowy conditions eventually got so bad that the wagon trains could not go any further, and the group ended up stranded for the entire winter of 1847.

With no food or supplies to keep them alive, dozens of group members began to succumb to starvation or hypothermia. Most infamously, surviving members of the group were forced to resort to cannibalism to survive. Of the group's initial 87 members, only 48 made it out of the mountain pass alive. The remaining pioneers died in brutal winter conditions near the lake that now bears their name, with many of them having their bodies cannibalized after death.

Today, Donner Lake and Donner Pass are protected as part of the Donner Memorial State Park . Thanks to modern technology and infrastructure, the area is much safer to visit, even in winter (though visitors should still probably schedule their trip in the summer months).

In fact, the park features many great trails, picnic areas, and beaches around the lake. But dark tourists can use their visit to explore the spot of one of the most infamous events in California history, keeping in mind how the beautiful forests of the Sierra Nevada Mountains still hide dark secrets lurking just below the surface.

Top 10 Dark Tourism Destinations

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In bad taste or not, Thanatourism – aka Dark Tourism to the destinations associated with death or suffering is here to stay. I personally believe that I am not in position to judge other people’s travel choices as well as the motivations behind them, so let me put the prejudice behind and get right down to introducing some of the world’s most popular Dark Tourism Destinations . As with all To 10 Lists, this Top 10 List of Dark Tourism Destinations may not match what you would put in your own, personal list of top 10s. This is because different people perceive different things as “the best there is”. If you believe some other macabre destination should have made it to the list, please provide brief information about it in a comment.

Below is the list of 10 Dark Tourism Destinations that get a sizeable share of visitors solely because they are associated with death, disaster, poverty or suffering.

10 – Dharavi Slum, Mumbai, India

Immortalized by the Oscar winning Slumdog Millionaire movie, Mumbai’s Dharavi Slum is not only the largest slum in India, but in entire Asia. Home to almost 1 Million people, Dharavi Slum greets visitors with stomach turning odor, presence of piling garbage and human waste and endless displays of poverty, disease and depressing living conditions.

It is difficult to predict whether sudden influx of money from Thanatourism delivers any realistic improvements to this Dark Tourism Destination, but reports say that much of the revenue goes directly to the community which is now more than excited to showcase their God-awful standards of living. Good business sense dictates that in order for them to keep this easy revenue coming, they will have to ensure that people within continue looking poor and sick and both odor and garbage remain as stringent and in visitors’ face as ever. But as it goes in impoverished communities, loan sharks will make sure that regardless of how much Dark Tourism revenue the slums generate, the poor will get poorer while the rich get richer.

9 – Cu Chi Tunnels, Saigon, Vietnam

A 75-mile-long underground tunnel system located below Cu Chi district of Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) was used by Viet Cong freedom fighters to run military campaigns against occupying US forces. In 1968, Cu Chi Tunnels served as the base from where Viet Cong launched Tet Offensive which ultimately aided in humiliating withdrawal of US forces from Vietnam.

Back then, Cu Chi Tunnels were full of deadly spiders and wandering scorpions, offering little space with unbearable humidity and had many passages wired with booty traps. Today, the site is a popular Dark Tourism Destination and a prime example of how former warfare can be turned into a lucrative tourist attraction.

Popular, easy to access corridors have been widened to accommodate inquisitive tourists and a firing range has been set up to offer more authentic experience for those with trigger happy fingers. For $1, you get to fire a shot from an AK-47 rifle that was used during the Vietnam War and munch on a simple food guerrilla fighters used to live on.

8 – Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Visitors to Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh will not be able to avoid aggressive tuk tuk drivers who will accost them on every steps with offers to take them to the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, or as it is commonly referred to by locals – The Killing Fields. This former high school was turned into a Security Prison 21 (S-21) in 1975 by the ruthless Khmer Rouge regime to torture and execute unwanted individuals.

The most shocking part of the visit to Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum is that despite unspeakable atrocities done to the prisoners, locals, many of whom lived during the Khmer Rouge regime seem to be more than excited to have it in their capital as it attracts hundreds of tourists every day. Instead of trying to forget what the Strychnine Hill (the meaning of Tuol Sleng in English) represents, Cambodians are excited to have this Dark Tourism Attraction in their capital and won’t hesitate to tell visitors about the piles of skulls and bones that can be found there, for as long as they get the tourists to pay them for transport to the site.

7 – Devil’s Island, French Guiana

Set up by French Emperor Napoleon III in 1852, the smallest and northernmost island of the Iles du Salut archipelago north of French Guiana housed the most notorious penal colony in the world until 1952. Vast majority of convicts sent to the disease infested Devil’s Island never made it out of the ghastly, inhospitable environment it provided.

Nowadays, Devil’s Island is one of the prime tourist attractions in French Guiana and one of the most popular Dark Tourism Destinations among the tourists seeking macabre tours. A visitor can enjoy access to the cells in which inmates died, the headquarters from where the prison was run or the cemetery with graves of people whose lives were claimed by the island.

6 – London Dungeon, UK

London Dungeon would be precisely what Dark Tourism is all about. It is an exhibit of macabre events from medieval history that offers believable glimpses into torture, plaque, serial killing and more.

Although London Dungeon started as a museum of macabre history, the visit now includes interactive, actor led experiences, rides and special effects.

5 – The Zone of Alienation in Chernobyl, Ukraine

This 30 km wide area around the site of the Chernobyl nuclear reactor disaster that occurred on April 26, 1986 is as chilling today as it was after the explosion. Abandoned buildings, shattered glass and vegetation overgrown amusement park remind a visitor that even after more than two decades, normal life cannot resume in the area.

As it goes with other Dark Tourism Destinations, Chernobyl disaster site was also turned into a tourist attraction generating revenue since 2002. Daily tours from Kiev start from $150 inclusive of transportation and food. Levels of radioactivity on roads open for tours are nowadays low and are continuously monitored so the visit is considered safer than a 2 hour flight in a plane, which exposes human bodies to more radioactivity than the Zone of Alienation.

4 – Auschwitz Concentration Camp, Poland

The largest of all Nazi concentration camps, Auschwitz (or Oswiecim as it is called in Polish) is believed to have served as an extermination camp for more than one million people, most of which were Jews. Majority were killed in camp’s gas chambers, while others died of disease or starvation. Set up by the architect of the holocaust Heinrich Himmler, Auschwitz was also the site where evil “Angel of Death” doctor Josef Mengele performed his experiments on live people.

Due to its notoriety, Auschwitz is one of the most visited Dark Tourism Destinations in the world today. The popularity of the site is so huge, the access is only granted to organized tour groups during peak hours of the peak season. Tours are of course a source of massive revenue.

3 – The River Kwai Bridge, Thailand

While most of WWII fights took place in Europe, other parts of the world were also heavily involved. Much of South East Asia was under Japanese occupation between 1942 and 1943 and plans were to also invade India. To accomplish the goal, Japanese troops stationed in Burma (today’s Myanmar) needed more support but since no convenient infrastructure was available, the decision has been made to build a railway that would connect Kanchanabury in Siam (today’s Thailand) with West Burma’s Moulmein.

The quarter of a million people, both Asians as well as the prisoners of war from the Allied (Commonwealth, American and Dutch) nations were forced into labor to get the construction underway. Camps were built in both Burma and Siam starting the railway from opposite ends to meet in the center. Due to food shortages, workers suffered from malnutrition. Medical supplies and sanitary facilities were either nonexistent or insufficient giving malnourished and overworked people little chance to battle off malaria, cholera or the tropical ulcer which were common in these areas.

Construction of the 416 km long Siam – Burma railway (the Death Railway) took 16 months, during which an estimated hundred thousand workers, of which approximately 13,000 were the prisoners of war died. Their bodies were buried alongside the tracks wherever they’d dropped.

Travellers wishing to get the glimpse of what conditions the Death Railway workers lived and died in can visit one of the three museums that contain graphic photographs and tools used by the prisoners to build the railway. A cemetery with the remains of about 7,000 workers is only a short drive away. It is also possible to hop on a train and take a ride on the Death Railway the construction of which claimed so many lives. To have memorable pictures, most Dark Tourism visitors do not pass on the opportunity to walk along the River Kwai Bridge with the infamous river after which it is named in the background.

2 – Ground Zero, New York City, USA

The 9/11 attacks in which two planes flew into the World Trade Centre buildings in New York City, claiming lives of nearly 3,000 people, count as the most notorious modern history attacks in the world.

Needless to say, macabre site of such worldwide significance draws attention of many Dark Tourism enthusiasts and counts as one of the most important Dark Tourism Destinations in the world. This top 10 list would not be complete without the WTC site on it.

1 – Pont de l’Alma Road Tunnel, Paris, France

Pont de l’Alma is a road tunnel near the bridge of the same name in Paris, France where Princess Diana of Wales died on August 31, 1997. Princess’ boyfriend Dodi Al-Fayed and their driver Henri Paul who was an acting head of security at the Ritz Hotel (owned by Dodi Al-Fayed’s father Mohamed) also died in the accident.

The Flame of Liberty, which is an exact replica of the Statue of Liberty’s flame sits above the entrance to the tunnel and is considered the unofficial memorial to Princess Diana.

Dark Tourism Conclusion

Travel to sites of tragedy and atrocity could serve as the means of learning from the past to avoid similar disasters from occurring in the future. The fact that these Dark Tourism Destinations exist is a testament to shortcomings we as human beings are exposed to.

Even through the previous sounds as a nice closing sentence, it is important to realize that Dark Tourism is nothing new. The fascination with death and suffering has been with us since humans came to be. Fights of Roman Gladiators drew such crowds of spectators, whole Coliseums were built to accommodate them. Burnings of witches during Spanish inquisition times saw whole villages gather round to watch the people burn in agony. Thomas Cook, founder of successful travel agency bearing his name made a killing organizing tours for inquisitive British travellers to the American Civil War battlefields.

Like it or not, Dark Tourism has been here since the dawn of men and will stay for as long as we exist.

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The Strong Traveller

Experience The Finest Travel, Food and Lifestyle Stories Around The World

Top 10 Dark Tourism Places To Visit In India

Written By Nikita Chandola.

Everyone loves travelling (if not trip then staycation for sure), but travelling to places with a tragic past is not a cup of tea for everyone, and choosing such destinations is always about interest in the human psyche.

Dark tourism means travelling to places that have death and tragedy intertwined with their history. The history of these places have you believing in stories which are either not very practical and empathizing with the ones that are extremely tragic. 

India is a country of 1.3 billion people and is known for its diversity, culture, religion and colourful festivals, along with its vast history. History, despite being tales of our ancestors, religion, culture and change over time, has a chilling effect on us.

These tales are not necessarily dark or dangerous but can still give you goosebumps. India along with beautiful and serene destinations is also famous for its dark and haunted sites. The country has lots of history deeply rooted in all corners.

Dark tourism is especially for all those who are fascinated by the dark side of history and are eager to explore and understand the same. If you ask me, these tales of tragedy and devastation make a place more relatable and make room for imagination. 

Below are a few of the many places in India which you might or might not have heard about, but you will definitely be curious and will think of visiting it (just like I’m doing right now).

1. Kuldhara, Rajasthan

When it comes to lavish palaces, the royal lifestyle and haunted places, Rajasthan always stands on top of the list. Kuldhara is one such place with a dark history in Rajasthan.

Around 18kms away from Jaisalmer, it is a small abandoned village which was not so abandoned 300 years ago. Legends said that the village was a settlement of Paliwal Brahmins who had inhabited the land for more than five centuries. The village ruler, Salim Singh, had his evil eyes set on the daughter of the village chief and desired to marry her.

He threatened the villagers with bad consequences if his wish was not fulfilled and gave them a day to do so. It was on the same day that the Paliwals held a council and left their homes, vanishing overnight. The villagers before leaving cursed the Kuldhara village that no-one would be able to settle in their village then onwards.

From that day, till today Kuldhara is nothing but barren and the houses remain as they were. It is said that those who have tried to stay there have been chased away by paranormal activities. The village also has another story behind it, the one narrated by the people of nearby villages in Jaisalmer.

If in Jaisalmer, it is a must-visit Archeological site, and you never know you might also believe the story after visiting Kuldhara which oozes sadness in the air.

2. Cellular Jail, Port Blair

To actually know the consequences Indian freedom fighters faced to free the country from the clutches of Britishers, this place is a must-visit in Andaman. Cellular Jail a.k.a ‘Kaala Pani’ is situated in Port Blair, a place for Britishers to keep the Indian freedom fighters away in the prisons of this jail.

Many famous people from Veer Savarkar, Mahavir Singh to Batukeshwar Dutta and many others have spent their lives in this jail. This is not like some regular prison. Here, the inmates were not only kept far away from real life but also kept away from each other.

The prisoners were always kept tied down with metal bondage, the motto being to break the wills and souls of people here. And yet, if you visit this tourist place, you’ll find nothing but calmness, it’s like our freedom fighters despite suffering a lot still radiate peace. If you visit this place, you will be haunted by the pain of all the Indians who suffered in this cursed (not literally) jail.

It is one of the famous dark tourist spots which will surely make your heart-weep, and you will be more grateful to all those freedom-fighters who suffered for our country’s freedom.

3. Dumas Beach, Surat

Dumas, a scenic beach in Surat, Gujarat is famous not only for its assorted fritters (bhajiyas) but also for being haunted. The morning sun brings with it a beauty worth witnessing but the nightfall brings the tales of the unseen presence.

If the stories are to be believed, the beach used to be the burial ground for the Hindus and hence the white sand has turned black due to the ashes, over the years. Its history has people believing in the presence of evil spirits in the vicinity to be true and the chilling accounts and experiences don’t really help the case.

There is a divide of opinions as to whether Dumas is haunted or not, but the spooky structures in the vicinity definitely add to the mystery and fear. If not for the stories of it being haunted, you should definitely visit this place for the mouth-watering bhajiyas.

4. Dow Hill in Kurseong, Darjeeling

Darjeeling is one of the beautiful places in India and Dow Hill of Kurseong is 30 km away from Darjeeling. It is a small hill which is as beautiful and tranquil as it is haunted. Yes, it is one of the haunted places in India if the stories are to be believed.

If all the spooky stories are to go by, there’s a ghost of a headless boy found walking and disappearing into the darkness of the forest. It is believed that the forest has an evil entity which makes people lose their mental balance and go insane.

Now, whether it’s true or just the stories depends on what you believe! If visiting Kurseong, then acquaint yourself with the eerie feeling. Limit yourself for the day trip and try to not cross the forest. However, in the end, the small town is a dreamy place with pleasant weather throughout the year.

5. Bhangarh, Rajasthan

The most obvious place when it comes to dark tourism and the most haunted place in India is said to be Bhangarh Fort in Alwar district. The story of this place dates back to centuries ago. The fort was built by ruler Raja Bhagwant Das for his younger son Madho Singh.

Although, the family’s most famous member was Man Singh I as he was a trusted general and one of nine advisors to Mughal emperor Akbar. There’s a variety of stories which surround this fort, and amongst them, one is that of a local ascetic warning the king that no homes in the vicinity of the fort should cast a shadow on his home, and he cursed the fort after it overshadowed his home.

Another version is the tale of a black magician falling in love with the princess and attempting to use a love potion on her. The potion backfired on him and the princess dogged his move resulting in him being physically crushed due to the spell.

Before dying, he cursed the fort into becoming nothing but ruins, inhabitable, like today! Due to many cases of accidents here, the Archeological Survey of India has prohibited visitors between sunset and sunrise. One should definitely visit Bhangarh to experience the mystery of the truth and tragedy that hangs in the air and if not that, then definitely for the beauty of it.

Also Read: Top 15 Workation Destinations and Resorts in India.

6. Taj Palace Hotel, Mumbai

Not only a place of dark tragic past but also rumoured to be haunted, Taj Hotel in Mumbai is a 5-star hotel which used to be famous for its amazing interiors, food and hospitality. But now, it is known for being one of the prime spots of the 26/11 attack.

This is a must-visit hotel which, despite the renovations, will be a living picture of the horrors and loss we all witnessed through our TV screens and will move you to your core. Butas said this place does have a haunted story to its past.

Apart from the 9/11 tragedy, the hotel is also rumoured to be haunted. According to the legends the hotel plan was originally designed by W.A. Chambers a french architect, but not constructed as per his plan.

When he returned from a trip to England, he was disheartened and shocked to find his plans ruined and committed suicide by jumping off the fifth floor of the building. According to the accounts of several people, including the hotel staff, the ghost of Chambers haunts the old wing of the hotel.

7. Three Kings Church, Goa

Whether ghost stories are true or not depends on what people believe but this one place is for all those who like to visit dark tourist places. Three Kings Church is in Goa on the hills of Ceulim. It is the lonely church which has its own mystery surrounding it.

The story goes back to the time when Portuguese ruled Goa. The three kings who were power hungry wanted to rule the place, which resulted in unrest in the region. One day, King Holger Alvunger planned to kill the other two kings by inviting them for dinner and poisoning their food, in which he succeeded.

However, the locals later got to know about his cruelty and began to chase him. To escape from them he ate the poisoned food and died along with the other two. Later, locals buried them in the premises of the church. And it is said that the villagers still hear strange noises coming from the church.

Looks like the three kings still are as power-hungry, as they were when alive. Ghostly or not, the Three Kings Church is worth visiting. This small hill in the interiors of South Goa is a nature lovers’ paradise, it gives you a mind-blowing aerial view of South Goa mingled with a glimpse of the Arabian Sea. Hence, a trip to the Three Kings Church is definitely worth your time.

8. Savoy Hotel, Mussoorie

A little ahead of Mussoorie Library lies Savoy, a hotel which was built in 1902 by Cecil D Lincoln, an Irish barrister from Lucknow. It is the oldest hotel in the region and said to be one of the haunted places in India.

Agatha Christie and murder mysteries go hand in hand and it was the incident at the Savoy that inspired her to write her first novel “The Mysterious Affair at Styles”. Savoy hotel mystery goes back to 1911 when a famous 

British spiritualist, Lady Garnet Orme was murdered here. The reason is still unknown, but she was poisoned by strychnine. The incident also became the encouragement behind Ruskin Bond’s ‘In a Crystal Ball – A Mussoorie Mystery’ (2003).

It is believed that the hotel corridors and halls are still haunted by the lady’s ghost (looks like she still looks for her murderer). If in Mussoorie visit this hotel and treat your eyes to the  English Gothic architecture style, and the many artefacts and sceneries which reflect the art and culture of British India.

9. Shaniwarwada, Pune

Forts, Havelis and such architectural buildings have heart-wrenching and nightmarish stories surrounding them. Shaniwarwada fort in Pune is also known for its heart-wrenching ghost fantasy and for the historical tale of the magnificent Maratha Kingdom.

It is an amazing place to visit as it gives you a perfect idea of how Maratha imperial architecture was in the bygone era. The foundation of this fort was laid by Peshwa Bajirao I and is a perfect blend of Maratha style and authentic Mughal architecture.

It is said that the major fire in the year 1791 destroyed a significant part of the fort, but after that many times it was burnt, finally, in the year 1828, a fire caught and wrecked it.

It is also said that on a full moon night, screams of Peshwa Narayan Rao,  whose last moments before being murdered were spent running across the fort, pleading with his uncle to save his life, are still heard in the fort. Haunted or not, this place is definitely worth a visit. You’ll also get to visit nearby attractions.

10. Jallianwala Bagh, Amritsar

One of many places in India, which will force you to remember again the cruelty of Britishers on Indians, and what our country and its people had gone through while fighting for freedom. On 13th April 1919, thousands of people gathered in Jallianwala Bagh to celebrate their festival and also protest against the Britishers rules.

But soon, the place witnessed the massacre of thousands of people, as General Dyer ordered the British Army to open fire. There was just one entry and exit gate and it was closed by the British Army and every Indian present there died.

Remembering it after all those years still brings tears to eyes, evoke anger and helplessness. The place after all these still oozes sadness around it, you should definitely visit this place as you’ll get to know more about the history of this place and will get a chance to visit the most beautiful and serene religious place, The Golden Temple.

There are many places in India with tragic or haunted past, but each place gives you insights about India’s history and whether ghosts or something related to the colonial period, the places will definitely have your curiosity. If you have visited any of the above places, do share your experience!

Also Read: 15 Unique Food Experiences Exclusively Found in India.

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Nikita Chandola is a media student and a fashion enthusiast, who has a passionate dream of seeing the world and all that it has to offer. She is an introvert who chooses to be selectively outspoken, and is also a good listener. She also loves listening to music, reading books and sometimes sketching. She is a mountain person, so much that she plans to settle in the mountains in future.

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11 thoughts on “ top 10 dark tourism places to visit in india ”.

Fascinating if not dark piece! We visited the Hotel in Mumbai and I remember feeling haunted by the story when I learned about it.

Dark tourism isn’t a topic I’m well aware of, so this was a very interesting read!

Thanks for reading Jayashree. We are glad that you found it interesting.

Amazing and interesting history but a creepy places to visit.

Yes, mystery, goosebumps and adventure bind these places and that’s what makes them enticing places to visit at least once in a lifetime.

Amazing and interesting history but a creepy places to visit🤣

Interesting. Would love to visit India soon.

Thanks for reading. If you are planning to visit India sometime then do check out our other posts on the culinary experiences in India and the top places to visit in India to get the best memories out of your travel.

The ancient place is truly mesmerizing

Thanks for reading. We are glad you liked it.

Super interesting post! I love reading about ghost stories and haunted places but didn’t know that it was actually a type of tourism! Thanks for sharing 😊

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