The Most Popular Attractions in Cities Around the World

Knowing the local hotspots in a destination you’re visiting can help you fill your itinerary with authentic finds and hidden gems.

TripAdvisor has just launched a Check-Index, showcasing which areas travelers and locals frequent most often in major tourism destinations across the globe.

Using mobile check-ins at locations ranging from restaurants to attractions and hotels, the travel site has put together a list that showcases where tourists’ and locals’ interests overlap, and the alternative finds locals enjoy that often aren’t on tourists’ travel itineraries.

From San Francisco to Berlin, here are the spots travelers and locals visit most in popular cities. 

New York City 

Attractions Tourists Visit Most: 

1. Madison Square Garden 

2. The National 9/11 Memorial and Museum 

3. Times Square

Attractions Locals Visit Most: 

1. Madison Square Garden 

2. Bryant Park 

3. One World Observatory—World Trade Center

Independent Restaurants Tourists Visit Most: 

1. Katz's Deli

2. Balthazar

3. Ellen's Stardust Diner

Independent Restaurants Locals Visit Most: 

1. Pershing Square

2. The Dead Rabbit 

3. Balthazar

Chain Restaurants Tourists Visit Most: 

1. Hard Rock Cafe 

2. Shake Shack (Columbus Avenue) 

3. Starbucks (Madison Avenue) 

Chain Restaurants Locals Visit Most: 

1. Shake Shack (East 86 Street) 

2. Starbucks (Columbus Avenue) 

3. Starbucks (Astor Place) 

Hotels Tourists Stay at Most:

1. New York Hilton Midtown

2. Sheraton New York Times Square Hotel

3. The New Yorker, A Wyndham Hotel

Chicago

Attractions Tourists Visit Most:  

1. The Magnificent Mile 

2. The Art Institute of Chicago 

3. Navy Pier 

Attractions Locals Visit Most: 

1. The Magnificent Mile 

2. United Center 

3. East Bank Club

Independent Restaurants Tourists Visit Most: 

1. Quartino

2. Girl and The Goat 

3. Chicago Cut Steakhouse 

Independent Restaurants Locals Visit Most: 

1. Chicago French Market 

2. Chicago Cut Steakhouse 

3. Quartino

Chain Restaurants Tourists Visit Most: 

1. Portillo's

2. Wildberry Pancakes and Cafe 

3. Giordano's (North Rush Street) 

Chain Restaurants Locals Visit Most: 

1. Portillo's 

2. Wildberry Pancakes and Cafe 

3. Starbucks (South Drexel Avenue) 

Hotels Tourists Stay at Most: 

1. Hyatt Regency Chicago 

2. The Palmer House Hilton 

3. Hyatt Regency McCormick Place 

San Francisco

Attractions Tourists Visit Most:  

1. Pier 39 

2. Union Square

3. Fisherman's Wharf 

Attractions Locals Visit Most: 

1. Ferry Building Marketplace 

2. Union Square

3. Market Street 

Independent Restaurants Tourists Visit Most:  

1. The Slanted Door 

2. Scoma's 

3. Cliff House 

Independent Restaurants Locals Visit Most:  

1. Town Hall 

2. Yank Sing (Stevenson Street) 

3. Foreign Cinema 

Chain Restaurants Tourists Visit Most:  

1. In-N-Out Burger 

2. Super Duper Burgers (Downtown)

3. Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. Restaurant and Market 

Chain Restaurants Locals Visit Most:  

1. The Grove—Yerba Buena 

2. Super Duper Burgers (Downtown) 

3. Roam Artisan Burgers (Union Street) 

Hotels Tourists Stay at Most: 

1. Hilton San Francisco Union Square 

2. San Francisco Marriott Marquis 

3. InterContinental San Francisco 

Los Angeles 

Attractions Tourists Visit Most:   

1. Universal Studios Hollywood 

2. Hollywood Walk of Fame 

3. The Original Farmers Market 

Attractions Locals Visit Most:  

1. Staples Center 

2. The Original Farmers Market 

3. The Grove

Independent Restaurants Tourists Visit Most:  

1. Gjelina 

2. Perch 

3. Rose Cafe 

Independent Restaurants Locals Visit Most:  

1. Rose Cafe 

2. Perch 

3. Bottega Louie 

Chain Restaurants Tourists Visit Most:  

1. The Ivy 

2. BCD Tofu House 

3. In-N-Out Burger

Chain Restaurants Locals Visit Most:  

1. BCD Tofu House 

2. IHOP

3. Urban Plates 

Hotels Tourists Stay at Most:  

1. The Westin Bonaventure Hotel and Suites 

2. JW Marriott Los Angeles L.A. Live 

3. Hilton Los Angeles Airport 

London

Attractions Tourists Visit Most:  

1. Tower of London 

2. Borough Market 

3. British Museum 

Attractions Locals Visit Most:  

1. Borough Market 

2. St. Paul's Cathedral 

3. Sky Garden

Independent Restaurants Tourists Visit Most:   

1. Duck and Waffle 

2. Novikov Restaurant and Bar 

3. The Wolseley 

Independent Restaurants Locals Visit Most:   

1. The Folly Bar 

2. Madison 

3. Novikov Restaurant and Bar

Chain Restaurants Tourists Visit Most:   

1. Dishoom Covent Garden 

2. Five Guys 

3. Yauatcha

Chain Restaurants Locals Visit Most:   

1. Dishoom Covent Garden

2. Big Easy 

3. Yauatcha 

Hotels Tourists Stay at Most: 

1. Park Plaza Westminster Bridge London 

2. Hilton London Metropole 

3. Grosvenor House, a JW Marriott Hotel 

Paris 

Attractions Tourists Visit Most:  

1. The Louvre 

2. Eiffel Tower 

3. Galeries Lafayette 

Attractions Locals Visit Most:  

1. Les Quatre Temps

2. Les Halles 

3. Printemps 

Independent Restaurants Tourists Visit Most:  

1. Lafayette Gourmet

2. L'Avenue

3. Les Deux Magots 

Independent Restaurants Locals Visit Most:  

1. Lafayette Gourmet

2. Le Chalet 16 

3. Klay Saint Sauveur 

Chain Restaurants Tourists Visit Most:   

1. Laduree

2. McDonald's

3. Angelina Paris 

Chain Restaurants Locals Visit Most:   

1. Laduree 

2. Starbucks 

3. Le Relais de l'Entrecote 

Hotels Tourists Stay at Most:

1. Le Meridien Etoile 

2. Pullman Paris Montparnasse 

3. Paris Marriott Champs Elysees Hotel 

Rome 

Attractions Tourists Visit Most:

1. Colosseum 

2. Trevi Fountain 

3. Spanish Steps 

Attractions Locals Visit Most:   

1. Stadio Olimpico 

2. Spanish Steps 

3. Villa Borghese

Independent Restaurants Tourists Visit Most:  

1. Angelino al Fori dal 1947 

2. Grazia and Graziella 

3. Momart Cafe 

Independent Restaurants Locals Visit Most:  

1. Momart Cafe 

2. Dolce 

3. Il Fungo—Piano Zero e Quattordicesimo Piano 

Chain Restaurants Tourists Visit Most:   

1. Stagioni, l'Osteria di Eataly 

2. McDonald's 

3. Hard Rock Cafe Rome 

Chain Restaurants Locals Visit Most:   

1. Stagioni, l'Osteria di Eataly 

2. Caffe Tomeucci 

3. Mamma Pizza 

Hotels Tourists Stay at Most: 

1. Rome Cavalieri, Waldorf Astoria Hotels and Resorts 

2. NH Collection Rome Vittorio Veneto 

3. The Westin Excelsior, Rome 

Barcelona 

Attractions Tourists Visit Most:

1. Basílica de la Sagrada Família

2. Mercat de Sant Josep de la Boqueria 

3. Park Guell 

Attractions Locals Visit Most:   

1. La Maquinista 

2. L'illa Diagonal 

3. Casa Batllo 

Independent Restaurants Tourists Visit Most:  

1. El Nacional Barcelona 

2. Cerveceria Catalana 

3. La Fonda del Port Olimpic 

Independent Restaurants Locals Visit Most:  

1. Cerveceria Catalana

2. El Nacional Barcelona 

3. Fabrica Moritz Barcelona

Chain Restaurants Tourists Visit Most:   

1. Brunch and Cake 

2. Tapas 24 

3. Bilbao Berria 

Chain Restaurants Locals Visit Most:   

1. Bacoa—Universitat 

2. Sopa 

3. Nostrum 

Hotels Tourists Stay at Most: 

1. Barcelo Sants

2. W Barcelona 

3. Hotel Arts Barcelona 

Berlin 

Attractions Tourists Visit Most: 

1. Alexanderplatz 

2. Mauermuseum 

3. Berlin TV Tower 

Attractions Locals Visit Most: 

1. Alexanderplatz 

2. Mauermuseum 

3. Berlin TV Tower 

Independent Restaurants Tourists Visit Most:

1. Monsieur Vuong 

2. Burgermeister

3. KaffeeMitte

Independent Restaurants Locals Visit Most:   

1. Monsieur Vuong 

2. Markthalle Neun 

3. Sets

Chain Restaurants Tourists Visit Most:   

1. KaDeWe Feinschmecker

2. Hofbrau Munchen 

3. Hard Rock Cafe Berlin 

Chain Restaurants Locals Visit Most:   

1. KaDeWe Feinschmecker

2. Ikea 

3. Spreegold 

Hotels Tourists Stay at Most: 

1. InterContinental Berlin 

2. Park Inn by Radisson Berlin Alexanderplatz 

3. Hilton Berlin 

Sydney 

Attractions Tourists Visit Most: 

1. Sydney Opera House

2. Darling Harbour

3. Bondi Beach 

Attractions Locals Visit Most: 

1. Olympic Stadium 

2. Sydney Opera House 

3. The Star 

Independent Restaurants Tourists Visit Most:  

1. The Grounds of Alexandria 

2. The Glenmore 

3. The Beresford 

Chain Restaurants Locals Visit Most:   

1. Salt Meats Cheese 

2. McDonald's 

3. Hard Rock Cafe 

Hotels Tourists Stay at Most: 

1. Shangri-La Hotel Sydney 

2. The Westin Sydney 

3. InterContinental Sydney 

Bangkok 

Attractions Tourists Visit Most: 

1. Khao San Road 

2. Temple of the Reclining Buddha (Wat Pho) 

3. Temple of the Emerald Buddha (Wat Phra Kaew) 

Attractions Locals Visit Most: 

1. Siriraj Medical Museum 

2. Lumpini Park 

3. Ganesha Shrine 

Independent Restaurants Tourists Visit Most:

1. Thip Samai 

2. Go Ang—Pratunam Chicken Rice Restaurant 

3. T&K Seafood   

Independent Restaurants Locals Visit Most:  

1. Roast 

2. Papaya 

3. Thip Samai 

Chain Restaurants Tourists Visit Most:   

1. Secret Recipe Cafe 

2. Hard Rock Cafe Bangkok 

3. Baan Khanita by the River 

Chain Restaurants Locals Visit Most:   

1. After You Dessert Cafe—Intersect Rama 3 

2. Secret Recipe Cafe 

3. MK Restaurant 

Hotels Tourists Stay at Most: 

1. Pathumwan Princess Hotel 

2. Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok 

3. Amari Watergate Bangkok