20 Places that are very similar (and cheaper and quieter) than world-renowned tourist attractions

Millions of tourists from all over the world visit the same places every year and take monotonous pictures of the attractions. Many are simply used to it. But few people stop to think that the world’s most popular tourist attractions are not only overcrowded with tourists, but expensive.

We, from awesome.clubwe have marked places on the map that can not only compete with popular attractions, but also help you save a little on tickets and tickets.

Surely many have heard of Machu Picchu at least once. This is the famous ancient capital of the vanished Inca Empire. After being included in the UNESCO World Heritage List, the flow of tourists has increased dramatically. However, getting to the city itself is already quite a difficult task, both physically and financially. Isla del Sol in Bolivia is a good alternative. In addition, it is located on the incredibly beautiful Lake Titicaca. More than 80 ruins and several terraces can be seen in the surroundings. According to legend, it was in this place that the Inca Empire was founded.

Many Hollywood movies and series feature one of the most recognizable bridges in the world, located in San Francisco. She personifies American perseverance and determination. Since 2014, crossing the bridge has been paid. As of Feb 2021, the price is $7 northbound and free southbound. But how about getting to know an “alternative” bridge? It is “25 de Abril”, which is located near Lisbon, in Portugal. The passage over the bridge costs only 1.85 euros. An interesting fact: if you are in the left lane, you can hear a specific sound produced by the vibration of steel cables.

The Colosseum is an ancient Roman structure, which without a doubt can be called grandiose. About 6 million tourists visit it annually. This has its drawbacks: long queues and rather high ticket prices. The cost of a regular ticket is 16 euros. A very similar amphitheater can be found in the Croatian city of Pula. To visit it you will have to pay around 6 euros. The difference is obvious and there are not so many tourists.

In fact, Big Ben is named after a large bell installed in the clock tower of the Palace of Westminster — not the clock itself. Since 2012, the building has been officially renamed the Elizabeth Tower. Unfortunately, the tower is still under restoration and tours are temporarily unavailable. In another corner of the Planet, in the Canadian capital, Ottawa, you can see an equally spectacular structure: the Peace Tower, which is part of the parliament building. That same tower is depicted on the Canadian twenty dollar bill.

The famous Eiffel Tower, built in 1889, is the best-known architectural structure in Paris. Its height is 324 meters. To climb to the top you will have to pay a little over 26 euros for a ticket. In addition, you will have to spend a lot of time in line. An almost complete copy, but cut in half, can be found in the Chinese suburb of Hancheu, in the park of the Tianducheng residential complex. The intention was to imitate the architectural features of Paris. Entry is free.

A spectacular natural monument in the form of 40,000 basalt columns, whose height reaches 12 meters. There are always a lot of people wanting to take a photo, so don’t expect peace of mind. A worthy replacement for this attraction can be found in Russia, to be exact, at Cape Stolbchaty. The Russian attraction has a clear advantage: the height of the columns reaches 50 meters.

Part of the Wulingyuan mountain system is represented by numerous peaks, pillars and cliffs formed as a result of weathering of sandstones. You can see them in the famous movie avatar🇧🇷 A similar landscape can be found in Lenskie Stolby Park (Lena Pillars) in Russia. The impressive cliffs, up to 100 meters high, get more beautiful every year due to the region’s climate.

The arched viaduct of the Glenfinnan Railway has been featured in many films, but is best known for the Harry Potter story. A similar structure can be seen in Germany near the town of Altenbecken. The locals are very proud of her. These viaducts were built 44 years apart (1897 and 1853, respectively).

The Acropolis is an ancient fortress that is very popular with tourists. The ticket costs about 20 euros, a rather high amount, isn’t it? And there are so many tourists here that taking a picture without people showing up is quite a difficult task. The ancient city of Ephesus in Turkey can seriously compete with this attraction. There you can see a whole complex of buildings, which will be no less interesting. And the ticket will cost 11 euros.

Karlovy Vary is a unique spa town, famous all over the world for its resorts. The wonderful combination of clean air and colorful architecture attracts hundreds of thousands of tourists throughout the year. However, you can visit an equally picturesque place, the Rosa Khutor ski resort, located in the north of the Caucasus mountain range in Russia. Every year more and more people visit this place.

The Tower Bridge combines a suspension bridge construction and a lift at the same time. It is, along with the Big Ben tower, a world-renowned symbol of London. The entrance price is almost 15 dollars. A replica of the Tower Bridge is located 9,000 kilometers away in the Chinese city of Sucheu. The Asian version differs from the original in that it is double built and does not lift.

Who doesn’t dream of visiting Venice to enjoy the architectural aspect of this legendary city on water?! The best means of transport for this tour is the gondola, an elegant Venetian boat. Every tourist who decides to take a walk in it faces two surprises: the price and the queues. The cost of a standard tour is 80 euros. To save money, but not deprive yourself of experience, you can go to the French city of Colmar. There are much fewer tourists on it, and the cost of a boat trip is only 7 euros.

Stonehenge is one of Britain’s most famous landmarks. Every year more than 800 thousand tourists come to see the stone structures, which are associated with many legends and mysteries. To purchase the ticket, you will have to spend around 26 euros. No less mysterious place is located in Scotland, in the town of Callanish. You can visit it totally free of cost. In addition, there are no fences and you can touch the stones, whose age reaches 5 thousand years.

The US Capitol is the Congress building; therefore, it is always on the Washington DC visit list. A similar structure can be found in Cuba. The Capitol of Havana is located right in the center of the city. In the main hall of the building, there is the kilometer zero mark of Cuba’s highways, encrusted with a 25-carat diamond.

Few people know what the Bonneville Salt Flats are in North America, but they immediately recognize them from Hollywood movies. For example, his landscapes can be seen in the film “Independence Day”. It is curious that in a very distant place there is an almost complete “copy”, the Salar de Uyuni. It is practically the same area of ​​land covered with salt, surrounded by a mountainous landscape and an absolutely flat surface. “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” was filmed here.

The majestic Taj Mahal is located in Agra, India. The building has a dual function: mosque and mausoleum. About 22 thousand artisans worked on its creation. More than 5.5 million tourists come to visit it every year. You can visit the attraction any day of the week except Friday. The cost of a ticket for foreigners is about 15 dollars. If you look at the construction of the mausoleum of Bibi Ka Maqbar, which is located in the city of Aurangabad, also in India, you will see a clear similarity in architecture. The complex is smaller than the original in size, but more accessible to visitors: admission costs about 4 dollars.

It’s hard to find someone who has never heard of the Leaning Tower of Pisa, a bell tower with a very characteristic slope. Thousands of tourists go to the place to take a picture against its background. The ticket costs 18 euros. However, few know that in the US there is a copy of the Italian “legend” on a slightly smaller scale. The building is located in Niles, Illinois. It was built in 1934 by Robert Ilg as part of a recreational park for his company’s employees.

The famous statue of Christ the Redeemer is 30 meters high — with the pedestal, it is 38 meters. As the structure is located at the top of Corcovado Mountain, it is not uncommon for it to be struck by lightning. Because of this, the structure often needs to be restored. A large number of tourists visit the place, so taking a picture with Christ “free” is quite difficult. Tickets start at R$70 (depending on the season). A very similar copy, Cristo Rei, is located in Lisbon. Its height is slightly lower (28 meters), but the pedestal reaches 82 meters. To go up to the viewpoint, you have to pay around 9 euros.

The Great Sphinx is a famous statue of a mythical creature located next to the Egyptian pyramids. The figure is carved from solid limestone. The exact time of construction and the true origin are still a mystery. Crowds of tourists come every year to see this enigmatic statue. In the Chinese city of Shijiazhuang, there is a copy of the Sphinx, which has caused a lot of controversy. There are usually few people who want to see the attraction, so some tourists come here on purpose, already considering that…