Brits’ ultimate bucket list: Niagara Falls comes out on top

• A new study has revealed the most popular bucket list landmarks for Brits – and this Canadian attraction takes the top spot

• Google search data for the most beautiful and impressive landmarks was used to create the ranking
• A travel expert offers advice on ticking off your bucket list and beating the crowds 

Niagara Falls has been crowned the most common destination on Brits’ bucket lists, following a new ranking of the most underrated wonders of the world.

A new study, conducted by travel experts at Desert Safari Dubai Tours & Tickets, used Google Keyword Planner to determine the monthly average Google searches for each tourist destination. 

The study has also identified the months when tourists are most likely to flock to each destination, and when you’re most likely to get an uninterrupted view. 

It turns out that the number one destination Brits are desperate to see is Niagara Falls. 

The three waterfalls, spanning across the border of Canada’s Ontario and the state of New York, are over 12,000 years old and attract more than 12 million annual visitors.  

The popular attraction is searched for around 160,661 times per month, 1,087% more than the average destination on this list (13,535 searches per month), launching it into the top spot. In July, these searches skyrocket to a staggering 331,190.  

Second place is the iconic Eiffel Tower. With 90,109 average monthly searches – 566% more than the average bucket list destination – the French landmark is the most visited paid landmark in the world. Searches for the site peak in June each year. 

In third, Alcatraz Island is high on the bucket list for Brits. The maximum-security prison, located on an island off the coast of San Francisco, closed to prisoners in 1963 but is still a popular tourist attraction, searched for 88,423 times per month, on average. 

In 2024, visitors can tour the island and buildings, including the cell house, and with the rise of true crime stories, it offers the chance to explore one of the most recognisable prisons in the world. July is the month that sees the most Google searches. 

The fourth most-common bucket list destination is Central Park, located in New York. The first landscaped park in the US, the site is searched for around 73,454 times per month, most commonly in June. 

In fifth place is the Northern Lights. Whilst these lights can be seen in locations around the world, and have recently been spotted in the UK, heading to the Arctic Circle will increase your chance of a clear view. 

With 67,215 average searches per month, 397% higher than the average destination on this list, Greenland, Norway, Canada and the other Arctic Circle nations are high on the bucket list of many Brits. 

The most searched-for bucket list destinations 

A little closer to home, Buckingham Palace takes sixth place. Popular with British and foreign tourists alike, the palace is the royal residence of King Charles III. Whilst anyone can view the palace, guided tours of its interior are only available for a few weeks of the year. 

The landmark receives 65,916 average monthly Google searches, 387% above the average cultural destination on this list, and is Britain’s only entry into the top ten. 

The Grand Canyon lands in seventh, with 60,609 average monthly searches. Millions of years old and home to an estimated 1,000 hidden caves, it’s predominantly located in Arizona and is a visual spectacle attracting around five million visitors each year. 

In eighth, Times Square is a major commercial intersection in New York, famous for its theatres, restaurants, and billboards. Around 55 million people visit the square every year, and it receives 54,030 average monthly searches, increasing in July. 

Ninth place on Brits’ bucket lists is the Taj Mahal, which began construction in 1632 AD and has been awarded UNESCO World Heritage status. The site attracts between seven and eight million visitors each year and is searched for 44,237 times monthly. 

Rounding out the top ten destinations from Brits’ bucket lists, Machu Picchu is searched for 43,258 times per month on average. The Incan citadel welcomes 1.5 million visitors every year.  

Magdalena Petrusic, a travel expert from Desert Safari Dubai Tours & Tickets, offers advice to Brits looking to tick off some of their dream travel destinations. 

“These iconic landmarks are on many Brits’ bucket lists, and for good reason. However, that can mean getting to see them in person, unobstructed by swathes of other tourists, can be an expensive challenge. 

“Some of the destinations on this list, including Niagara Falls, Central Park, and the Northern Lights, are free to visit, but to save money on travel, booking out of season can reduce the costs of flights and accommodation, and increase the likelihood of a quiet viewing. 

“While the above destinations are deservedly tourist hotspots, some of the less-searched destinations on this list might be equally as special to visit.  

“The spectacular Moai Statues, the Santorini Cliffs, and the Library of Celsus, for example, are beautiful cultural landmarks, which receive far fewer average searches and are therefore more likely to be peaceful sites of interest.”