The Taj Mahal revealed as the most Googled landmark around the world

Columbus Direct has analysed Google’s Keyword Planner to establish monthly search volume in each country for popular landmarks. The landmark with the highest search volume was then chosen as that country’s ‘favourite landmark’. You can see all of the findings here .

Landmarks are top attractions for many tourists, and when visiting a new country, many enjoy visiting these iconic landmarks in order to tick them off their bucket list. From human-made structures, such as the Burj Khalifa and the Taj Mahal to natural landmarks, like Niagara Falls and Mount Everest, we all have different reasons for wanting that moment of awe in front of these bucketlist landmarks.

The Taj Mahal takes the top spot

India’s Taj Mahal takes the top spot for the world’s most Googled landmarks around the world with over 1,400,000 (1,417,650) monthly searches. Countries like India, Niger and Jordan are searching for this landmark the most. The white marble mausoleum built in Agra between 1631 and 1648 by order of royalty is a jewel of muslim art in India and is on the UNESCO World Heritage list.

The Taj Mahal has over 1.3 million tags on Instagram and India alone Google searched the landmark over 550,ooo times (550,920) on average over the last year. This tourist hotspot and most-searched-for landmark is a must-see when visiting India - or more specifically, the city of Agra.

The data reveals the following as the top five most Googled landmarks around the world:

Taj Mahal, India - 1,417,650 monthly searches worldwide

Machu Picchu, Peru - 1,269,260 monthly searches worldwide

Burj Khalifa, United Arab Emirates - 1,103,950 monthly searches worldwide

Niagara Falls, spanning the border of the US and Canada - 945,810 monthly searches worldwide

Eiffel Tower, France - 916,270 monthly searches worldwide

If you’re looking for a popular landmark that is the most-of-interest to tourists around the world, then visiting Machu Picchu, the Taj Mahal or the Burj Khalifa should be on your bucket list.

Underrated and potentially quieter landmarks to visit

Out of the top landmarks Columbus Direct analysed, using Google’s Keyword Planner, the likes of the Tokyo Tower in Japan, Brandenburg Gate and Cologne Cathedral in Germany, are all just as intriguing to visit, but have fewer monthly Google Searches so potentially aren’t as busy with tourists.

Natural landmarks like Uluru Ayers Rock in Australia, and Iguazu National Park in Argentina both feature in the top landmarks to visit in the world. However, their monthly search volumes rank lower than others, so are potentially less-busy than landmarks where queues are involved like the Burj Khalifa and the Eiffel Tower.

The country that features the most

The United States of America features twice in the top 10 most Googled landmarks, with the Statue of Liberty in New York ranking in eighth place with over 750,000 monthly searches (758,720) and the Pentagon in Washington coming in tenth place with over 730,000 (732,930) monthly searches.

The Statue of Liberty was dedicated in October 1886 and attracts approximately 3.5 million people every year and is over 150 feet tall so can be seen from a fair distance - its iconic symbolism potentially intrigues tourists from around the world, so, unsurprisingly, receives lots of Google searches.

How do British landmark Google Search volumes compare?

Big Ben and the London Eye both feature within the top 20 most Googled landmarks with both having over 540,000 monthly searches.

The iconic London Eye, now rebranded to the Coca-Cola London Eye has, on average, 549,840 monthly searches, with the US, UK and Germany being the countries searching for the landmark the most.

Commenting on the research, a spokesperson at Columbus Direct says: “Landmarks help bring significance and meaning to certain countries natives - the Taj Mahal is a unique and distinctive architectural achievement in Islamic architecture and so the country has a sense of pride when it comes to showing it off to tourists, that’s why there is no surprise that it has ranked as the world’s most Googled landmark.

“In regards to the other landmarks that feature in the top 10, Machu Picchu is considered one of the seven wonders of the world that is a must-visit, which is why millions of people go each year to explore the Inca-built estate. All of the most-Googled landmarks have their own uniqueness and intrigue to neighbouring countries and other international natives.”