The Top International Haunted Hotspots

With Halloween fast approaching, thrill-seekers and ghost enthusiasts alike will start planning their adventures for the spooky season. And it turns out there are loads of haunted locations around the world, many of which can be reached on a cruise.

So, whether you want to ghost hunt around historic sites, forests, castles, or even forts; read on to discover the spookiest settings in the world, based on their Tripadvisor reviews. And to ensure you’ve booked a getaway to one of these destinations, see our dedicated cruise deals page, filled with lots of tempting offers!

From the UK to the USA and Asia, these are officially the best – and most haunted – destinations in the world to visit.

1. Mary King’s Close, Edinburgh, UK

With the highest number of ‘spooky’ and ‘scary’ mentions on their Tripadvisor reviews (534 and 604 respectively), and the sixth most mentions of ‘haunted’, Edinburgh’s Mary King’s Close tops the list as our most haunted destination.

With an overall Tripadvisor rating of 4.5, unlock over 400 years’ of history as you venture underneath the Royal Mile, and get to learn more about the residents… and who knows, maybe you’ll even get to meet one of them.

2. Eastern State Penitentiary, Philadelphia, USA

Embark on one of our cruises around North America, and visit Philadelphia’s Eastern State Penitentiary, which has come in second place. With the highest number of ‘haunted’ mentions in their Tripadvisor reviews (538), alongside the second highest mentions of ‘spooky’ and ‘scary’ (236 and 340).

This former prison has been home to over 85,000 criminals, but is now a crumbling shell of cell blocks. You can tour it most days of the year, but it really comes to life over the Halloween season, with haunted houses, themed bars and live entertainment popping up around the site.

3. Crumlin Road Gaol, Belfast, UK

With the fourth most mentions of ‘scary’ (139), fifth of ‘spooky’ (155), and a Tripadvisor rating of 4.5, Ireland’s Crumlin Road Gaol is the third most haunted hotspot on our list.

Tour the old gaol by yourself or with a guide, who will tell you tales that date back to 1845, all the way through until 1996 when the jail closed its doors to prisoners. Over Halloween, you can book onto paranormal investigations, to see if you can catch a glimpse of the haunted souls that still roam the cells.

4. Bhangarh Fort, Jaipur, India

In fourth place is India’s Bhangarh Fort, with the fourth most mentions of the word ‘haunted’ in its Tripadvisor reviews (322), and the seventh most mentions of ‘scary’ (83).

Many myths surround this fort, with the Indian government themselves advising you to stay away after sunset, with signs around telling you so. According to many visitors, feelings of deep anxiety and paranoia are common when visiting the area. Still tempted to visit? Why not tie it in with one of our Indian Ocean cruises?!

5. St. Augustine Lighthouse, Florida, USA

Rounding off our top five most haunted hotspots with 166 mentions of the word ‘haunted’ and 73 mentions of the word ‘scary’ in their Tripadvisor reviews, is St. Augustine Lighthouse.

The oldest lighthouse in the US, visitors have reported hearing giggling in the woods at night, and seeing a shadowy figure inside the lighthouse. Three of the ghosts said to haunt the site are people who drowned in the waters while playing outside the lighthouse in the 1800s.

Myrtles Plantation in Louisiana, The Stanley Hotel in Colorado, Bonaventure Cemetery in Georgia, RMS Queen Mary, Long Beach, and the Tower of London all make it into the top 10 most haunted hotspots.

Breaking down the different factors, the Stanley Hotel has the second most mentions of the word ‘haunted’ (443), and RMS Queen Mary, Long Beach has the third most (324). The Catacombs and Bonaventure Cemetery have the third and fourth most ‘spooky’ mentions in their reviews, at 203 and 156 respectively; and the Catacombs and Tower of London have the third and fifth most mentions of ‘scary’, at 194 and 126.

The Top Haunted Castle Around the World

If you want to visit a haunted castle, then your best bet is Leap Castle in Ireland, which is the highest on our list, at position 20, followed by Edinburgh Castle, at 21. Some of the ghosts that are said to haunt the latter are the Grey Lady, who’s been spotted wandering about crying; and a little black dog, who was most likely buried at the on-site pet cemetery.

Other castles that make it into our haunted hotspot list include Larnach Castle in New Zealand (position 22), Himeji Castle in Japan (28), and Burg Eltz in Germany (29). Dating back to 1157, the bedroom of Countess Agnes is said to be the most haunted room in Burg Eltz, and it just so happens to be one of the few rooms tourists can step inside!

The Top Haunted Historical Sites

When it comes to the most haunted historical sites, Mary King’s Close, the Eastern State Penitentiary, Crumlin Gaol, and St. Augustine’s Lighthouse all top the list, but there are other spooky places to visit too.

The Tower of London comes in 10th place, and Paris’ Catacombs in 11th, the latter of which was created in the 18th century to solve the problem of overflowing cemeteries in the French capital. You can visit on a guided tour, with many visitors reporting apparitions and echoed whispers.

Other haunted historical sites include Xunantunich in the remote jungles of Belize (12), with visitors reporting several ghostly sightings, including that of ‘The Stone Lady’, who can be seen climbing up the stairs; and Port Arthur, in Tasmania.

The Top Spookiest Forests in the World

Finally, if haunted forests are more your thing, then look no further than Aokigahara Forest, placing 25th, which is said to be one of the spookiest hotspots in all of Japan

Other haunted forests include Epping Forest in the UK (34th place), and Hoia-Baciu Forest in Romania (43rd place), with many visitors to the latter reporting symptoms of anxiety and nausea, as well as feelings of being watched.

With so many places around the world reportedly haunted, no matter wherever you choose to visit, you may have the chance to spot a ghost or two yourself this Halloween!

Whether or not you want to be spooked, we offer cruises worldwide at all times of the year. From embarking on an Asia cruise, to discovering the scenic fjords on one of our Norwegian cruises, we’ve got the perfect holiday for you!

Methodology

Sources

• Factor: all
• Data Point: all
• Collection Method: data values copied and pasted
• Website: Tripadvisor

This dataset ranks 48 locations, based on how haunted they are. To do this, 4 different factors were used. Once the data for the factors was collected, the factors were then normalised, to provide each factor with a score of between 0 and 1. If data was not available, a score of 0 was given. The normalised values were then summed and multiplied by 2.5, to give each location a total score out of 10. The locations were then ranked from highest to lowest, based on their total scores.

The factors used are as follows:

• Tripadvisor rating - The Tripadvisor average rating for each location.
• No. of 'haunted' mentions - The number of Tripadvisor reviews that include the prompt 'haunted', for each location.
• No. of 'spooky' mentions - The number of Tripadvisor reviews that include the prompt 'spooky', for each location.
• No. of 'scary' mentions - The number of Tripadvisor reviews that include the prompt 'scary', for each location

.

The factors were indexed as follows:

• All factors - High values get a high score. Low values get a low score.

All data is correct as of 03/09/24. The ranking data shown is a compilation of multiple data sources and may not be representative of real life. All data is accurate with regards to the sources provided.