The Most-Visited Place on Earth Is Not Where You Think

Steven Hansen
2 days ago
2 min read

Summer vacation season is almost here, and if you're like most travelers, the FOMO is already kicking in. Times Square! Disney World! Las Vegas! The Eiffel Tower! These are the iconic destinations in every "bucket list" article and Instagram feed, no surprise. But you may be surprised to know that the most-visited attraction on earth is the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul, Turkey.

Believe it or not, a staggering 91.25 million people go there every year. By comparison, 65 million tourists visited Times Square in 2025, 49 million visited Disney World, and 38.5 million visited Las Vegas. So, if your “fear of missing out” is real, maybe it's time to set sights on Istanbul.

World’s first shopping mall

The Grand Bazaar — Kapalıçarşı in Turkish, meaning "Covered Market" — is not some quaint little flea market tucked into a side street. Spread over more than 30,000 square meters (5.6 football fields), it has over 4,000 shops lining 61 covered streets, making it one of the largest covered traditional markets in the world. Its history stretches back to the 15th century, and it's often regarded as one of the first shopping malls ever conceived.

Looking for a souvenir to bring home? This place is souvenir central. At every turn, you’ll find beautiful Turkish carpets, handmade jewelry, glazed tiles and pottery, silks, copper and brassware, leather goods, and meerschaum pipes, to name the most popular of the 1,000s of wares there.