The Best World Capitals for Hidden Gems
Globetrotting around the world’s luxury destinations allows us to discover the world’s most beautiful and inspiring sites and landmarks. However, with more of us jetting around the globe than ever before, some of the most popular destinations can feel a little too crowded to really appreciate their charm.
So, finding those hidden gems in some of the world’s busiest and most visited cities may be a challenge, but it can be rewarding. We’ve done the hard work for you and collated some of the best-hidden gems around the world as well as the world capitals with the highest number of secret attractions.
The Capital Cities with the Most Hidden Gems
With 419 ‘hidden gems’ listed on Tripadvisor, London sits at the top of the table. The Bimber Distillery is the capital’s highest-rated hidden gem, boasting a five-star rating, showing that you can find luxury outside of the usual tourist attractions.
- London, UK – 419 hidden gems
What could be more luxurious than a trip to the Big Smoke? While there are plenty of well-known tourist attractions that are sure to be crowded, the sprawling city also offers the highest number of hidden gems, with the highest rated being Bimber Distillery, where you can enjoy a tour and tasting of their handcrafted spirits.
- Manila, Philippines – 309 hidden gems
Second on our list is the Philippines capital, Manila. With 309 hidden gems across the city, you’ll find plenty of places away from the crowds. The highest rated hidden gem in Manila is the San Agustin Museum, where visitors can explore religious and spiritual art and learn about the role of religion within the country.
- Rome, Italy – 228 hidden gems
Rome is known for its luxury, so it’s the perfect city to round out our top three, boasting 228 hidden gems. The highest rated hidden gem in this historic city is the Basilica Papale San Paolo Fuori le Mura, one of Rome’s four ancient, papal, major basilicas.
- Paris, France – 214 hidden gems
- Prague, Czech Republic – 147 hidden gems
- Amsterdam, Netherlands – 125 hidden gems
- Lisbon, Portugal – 112 hidden gems
- Dublin, Ireland – 110 hidden gems
- Madrid, Spain – 108 hidden gems
- Hanoi, Vietnam – 98 hidden gems
The Best of the Best Hidden Gems
When we break it down by type of attraction, we can see that museums are the most popular hidden gems, with 24 out of the 25 cities having a museum as their top-rated unknown attraction. The museums with 5-star ratings were:
- NaFilM: National Film Museum – Prague, Czech Republic
- 14 Henrietta Street – Dublin, Ireland
- Battlebox – Singapore, Singapore
- The Third Man Museum – Vienna, Austria
- Victor Vasnetsov House Museum – Moscow, Russia
- Pinball Station – Pinball & Arcade Museum – Warsaw, Poland
- Museo del Tiempo Tlalpan – Mexico City, Mexico
Methodology:We used a list of capital cities, paying close attention to those in the most visited countries around the world. We then looked for each city in Tripadvisor, selecting ‘hidden gems’ within the attraction section. This gave us a total number of hidden gem attractions in each city, taking the top-rated attraction as ranked by reviewers for each city.