This Landmark Was Just Ranked ‘Most Loved in the World'-and It's Not the Eiffel Tower
If you're currently mapping out your travel wish list, you already know that picking which global bucket-list spots are actually worth your time can feel like a high-stakes guessing game. After all, nobody wants to fly across an ocean just to end up underwhelmed.
Thankfully, a new report from Holafly, a travel eSIM provider, has uncovered which landmarks worldwide are the most loved and complained-about by visitors. To rank them, they looked at everything from average Google ratings to how long reviewers actually spent typing out their feelings across 200 natural and historic sites.
And the global winner taking the crown might surprise you.
According to the data, the Colosseum is the #1 most loved landmark worldwide. Out of all the international heavyweights, Rome's ancient amphitheater absolutely crushed the competition. The report notes that the Colosseum has the largest number of four- and five-star reviews at 458,160, alongside the highest amount of cumulative time spent by reviewers praising the landmark at 439,833 minutes.
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Clearly, the Colosseum's architecture and historical aura from gladiator battles, animal hunts and other forms of entertainment still fascinate millions of visitors to this day, making it the most loved and appreciated historical landmark worldwide.
So, where did its most famous French rival end up? The Eiffel Tower comes in as the #2 most loved landmark worldwide in 2026. Still a massive crowd-pleaser, Paris's favorite iron tower locked in 439,576 four- and five-star reviews.
Apparently, people get pretty sentimental when they visit, too. Visitors write an average of 39 words per review, which is somewhat of a lengthy review. Whether viewed during the day or night, from the ground or the upper deck, many people seem to love and enjoy their experience at one of the most notable landmarks in Europe and the entire globe.
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Rounding out the top three is a spot a little closer to home. Rockefeller Center is the #3 most loved landmark worldwide in 2026. This massive New York City complex maintains a 4.7 out of five-star rating, with reviewers logging nearly 330,000 total minutes spent praising their experience there.
Honestly, it makes perfect sense. Rockefeller Center is more than just a complex in Midtown Manhattan, as people normally enjoy fine dining, art, fashion, ice-skating and many other things throughout the year, making it harder to hate but easier to love as a landmark.
If you're curious about the rest of the world's standout spots, the remaining top 10 features a mix of breathtaking nature and ancient history: the Taj Mahal, the Old City of Jerusalem, Niagara Falls, the Basílica de la Sagrada Família, Yellowstone National Park, the Brooklyn Bridge and Vatican City.
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This story was originally published May 20, 2026 at 5:10 AM.