Most people dream of vacationing in places like Hawaii or Paris, but some of us are drawn to strange and mysterious places. If you feel that way, you’re in the right place! You can’t visit the hidden places on this list, but we hope you’ll enjoy reading about them!
Snake Island, Brazil
Snake Island, also known as Ilha da Queimada Grande, is like a real-life nightmare for anyone afraid of snakes—especially Indiana Jones! This island off the coast of Brazil is home to many rare and endangered snakes. For safety reasons, both for people and the snakes, the island is completely off-limits to visitors. Both for people and the snakes,
Lascaux Caves, France
The Lascaux Caves in Montignac, France, are home to incredible cave paintings made by early humans over many generations. Sadly, only researchers are allowed inside to protect the artwork. But don’t worry—you can still visit Lascaux II, a perfect replica just 600 feet away. It may not be the real thing, but it’s the next best experience!
Doomsday Vault, Norway
The Svalbard Global Seed Vault, also known as the “Doomsday Vault,” is a backup plan for humanity in case of a future disaster. Located in Norway, it stores millions of seeds to help regrow plants if needed. The vault is built to survive almost anything—earthquakes, explosions, and even rising sea levels—and is designed to last around 200 years. Because of its importance, only authorised people are allowed inside.
Surtsey Island, Iceland
Surat Island is one of the youngest islands on earth. It was formed by a volcanic eruption between 1963 and 1967.The general public is not allowed to visit this place; only scientific research is done here, and we learn how nature creates ecosystems without any human influence.
Poveglia Island, Italy
Poveglia Island in Italy is a dream destination for fans of spooky stories—except you can’t visit it. Throughout history, it housed thousands of plague victims in quarantine and later became a mental hospital. Today, it’s completely off-limits to the public, and honestly, that’s probably for the best!
Uluru Rock, Australia
Uluru, a unique sandstone monolith, was once open for climbing, but in October 2019, the Anangu people requested that tourists stop to prevent erosion. While climbing is no longer allowed, you can still visit and admire its beauty!
Tomb of Qin Shi Huang, China
Wow, the grave of Kin Shi Huang is really an unbelievable find! It was found in 1974 when they were excavating the Terrakota Army (which, by the way, you can actually go and see!). However, out of respect for Chinese history and traditions, they have not opened the grave yet. Kin Shi Huang was a big thing—they were the first empire of China, and they started a kingdom 221 years ago.
Big Diomede Island, Russia
There are these two islands in the Bering Strait, Big Diomede and Little Diomede, that mark the border between the US and Russia. Little Diomede is on the American side, and only about 100 or so people live there. Big Diomede, on the Russian side, isn’t really livable, so it’s mainly used as a Russian weather station.
North Brother Island, New York City
North Brother Island is a little island in the Bronx, New York City. It has a pretty interesting past. At one point, it sheltered about a thousand people after a ship sank nearby. Later on, it was used as a hospital for people with contagious diseases. These days, though, it’s totally abandoned and is now a safe haven for birds.
Bhangarh Fort, India
Bhangarh Fort is a pretty cool place to visit during the day, but you absolutely cannot go there after sunset. Seriously, it’s forbidden! Nobody really knows what happens if you try to sneak in at night because, according to the locals, anyone who’s ever tried has just…vanished. A little eerie!