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These are the Most-Booked Travel Tours, According to TripAdvisor

March 19, 2018
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5 min read
Vaticano sunset
These are the Most-Booked Travel Tours, According to TripAdvisor
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Planning your summer travel? TripAdvisor recently released its travel trends report with the top tourism trends and experiences ranked by 2017 booking count totals. The travel company ranked the most popular travel attractions and sites both globally and domestically and according to the report, iconic landmarks and sites remain the most-booked by travelers globally, while cultural categories like food tours, cooking classes and historical and heritage experiences are on the rise.

The results show that travelers are becoming increasingly interested in new experiences, but are loyal to booking the world’s most iconic sites. Attractions like the Sagrada Familia, Eiffel Tower and the Empire State Building remain in the top-10 booking options for both US and global travels. Meanwhile, Stateside travelers are booking more cooking and restaurant experiences and getting active in the great outdoors, according to Trip Advisor

In addition to booking popular tourist sites, global travelers are increasingly looking for skip-the-line experiences, regardless of the destination. TripAdvisor offers nearly 1,200 express opportunities, one of which is the City Wonders’ skip-the-line pass for the Vatican Museums — which was the most-booked experiences globally.

Below are TripAdvisor’s top attractions and activities among both global and American travelers.

The world’s most popular experiences for 2017, as ranked by global travelers:

  1. Skip the line: Vatican Museums, St Peter’s, Sistine Chapel
  2. Chicago Architecture River Cruise
  3. Skip the line: Ancient Rome and Colosseum Half-Day Walking Tour
  4. Rome Hop-On, Hop-Off Sightseeing Tour
  5. Priority Access: Barcelona Sagrada Familia Tour
  6. Eiffel Tower Summit: Priority access with host
  7. Warner Bros Studio: The Making of Harry Potter with Luxury Round-Trip Transport from London
  8. Empire State Building Tickets
  9. Murano, Burano, and Torcello half-day sightseeing tour
  10. Tuscany in One Day Sightseeing Tour

The USA’s most popular experiences for 2017, as ranked by global travelers:

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  1. Chicago Architecture River Cruise
  2. Empire State Building Tickets
  3. NYC One World Observatory: Skip the line
  4. USS Midway Museum: Skip the line (San Diego)
  5. New York City PASS
  6. Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island Guided Tour
  7. Skydeck Chicago: Admission
  8. Big Bus New York Hop-on, Hop-off
  9. 9/11 Memorial Museum Admission
  10. Napa and Sonoma Wine Country Tour

The most popular new global experiences (added in 2017), as ranked by global travelers:

  1. Eiffel Tower Summit Priority Access with Host
  2. Ancient Monuments of Rome Tour with Skip-the-Line pass
  3. Skip the Line: Gaudi’s Casa Batlló Ticket with Audio Tour
  4. Skip the Line: Arc de Triomphe Including Terrace Access
  5. Skip-the-Line Florence Accademia Gallery and Michelangelo’s David Ticket
  6. Full-Day Tour of Abu Dhabi City From Dubai
  7. Fast Track Seville Guided Tour into Alcazar
  8. Jewish Quarter Anne Frank Walking Tour in Amsterdam
  9. Field Museum of Natural History Admission
  10. San Antonio Zoo General Admission

The most popular new domestic experiences (added in 2017), as ranked by global travelers:

  1. Eiffel Tower Summit Priority Access with Host
  2. Ancient Monuments of Rome Tour with Skip-the-Line pass
  3. Skip the Line: Gaudi’s Casa Batlló Ticket with Audio Tour
  4. Skip the Line: Arc de Triomphe Including Terrace Access
  5. Skip-the-Line Florence Accademia Gallery and Michelangelo’s David Ticket
  6. Full-Day Tour of Abu Dhabi City From Dubai
  7. Jewish Quarter Anne Frank Walking Tour in Amsterdam
  8. Space Needle and Chihuly Garden and Glass Combination Ticket
  9. Live Nashville Walking Tour
  10. 3-in-1 Discovery Combo Tour: Tulum Ruins, Reef Snorkeling Plus Cenote and Caves
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  • Intro Offer

    As High As 100,000 points. Find Out Your Offer.

  • Annual Fee

    $325

  • Recommended Credit

    Excellent to Good

Why We Chose It

There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)

Pros

  • 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
  • 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
  • Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
  • Solid welcome bonus

Cons

  • Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
  • Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
  • You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
  • $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
  • $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
  • $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
  • $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
  • Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees.
  • Annual Fee is $325.
  • Terms Apply.