The Oldest Tourist Destinations Around the World

The Pyramids of Giza have been around for some 4,500 years and have astounded and fascinated people ever since they were built. But it seems that it was the Greek historian, Herodotus of Halicarnassus (484-425 BCE), acknowledged to have been the world’s first tourist, who, in the loosest sense of the word, could be credited with writing the first travel guide, as part of his history books. Widely traveled, he was certainly fascinated by the pyramids and wrote about them.

Sometime later, the Romans became great tourists, and one, Caius Cestius, a magistrate, was so impressed by the pyramids of Giza, that he had his own pyramid mausoleum built in 18-12 BCE, in Rome’s only non-Catholic cemetery.

Athens, with its Acropolis dating to around 500 BCE, and Olympia, home to the first Olympic Games, together with the Oracle of Delphi have been tourist sites for over 2,500 years. Good old Herodotus was a fan, and so were many other ancient Greeks and Romans who visited the then-already-old sights. There used to be religious festivals, sports events, and all sorts of fun to be had, which certainly categorizes travels to these destinations as tourism.

But Greece did not only offer sports and historic sites, it also offered great beaches and beautiful islands where travelers could relax from the stresses of warmongering and ruling vast empires. The Romans were famous for traveling to ancient spa resorts to bathe and relax, and the Greeks certainly had fun on their islands, where those who could afford it built their summer palaces.

Religious pilgrimage contributed to early tourism, even if the often months-long journeys may not necessarily have been purely for enjoyment. There have always been holy sites for all kinds of believers, from Stonehenge to Jerusalem. One of the first so-called “tourists” who, in circa 333, journaled about their trip to the Holy Land from Bordeaux, France. Nothing is known about this pilgrim, who’s referred to as the Pilgrim of Bordeaux, except for their account of the travels and places encountered en route.

Another extraordinarily important pilgrimage site is the Holy City of Mecca in Saudi Arabia. According to belief, the pilgrimage called Hajj dates back to 2,000 BCE when Ishmael, the infant son of the prophet Ibrahim (or Abraham) and his wife, was stranded in the desert. From 630 CE, the date when Muhammad conquered Mecca, this city has been attracting travelers from around the globe, all coming to perform the ancient rituals that make up the Hajj and to experience the holy city.

The Santiago de Compostella is a popular trail (or Camino) leading along the northern stretch of Spain with feeder paths from across Europe culminating in the town of Santiago de Compostella, which, according to belief, is the burial ground of the Apostle James (Santiago). The pilgrimage trail, with the first pilgrim reportedly having been Alfonso II, King of Asturias, around 820, has since the 10th century become a major route, which is still very popular today with trekkers and walkers searching for a challenge–mentally as well as physically–with many walking the way alone for contemplation.

Now, here’s a city that has always drawn crowds and travelers from around the world. From ancient times to today, Constantinople, now known as Istanbul, has fascinated and enthralled visitors. From well-known traveler and scholar Ibn Battuta, who visited in the 1300s, to medieval revelers and merchants, the city on the Bosphorus is still one of the best-loved destinations around the world, having lost none of its appeal over the centuries.

Not only a firm favorite with Romans of the day–who often ventured out to marvel at their empire’s capital city with all its fabulous buildings, event venues, and frivolous drinking and eating places–Rome has also always been one of the highlights of the European Grand Tour. Wealthy young Americans and Europeans traveled far and wide visiting many cities across Europe, from Paris to Florence, taking in the arts and culture, rounding off their education. Rome tended to be the terminus for many of the trips, a highlight and pinnacle of the usually several weeks or months-long overseas vacations.

It is not only the Romans who liked to head to the healing waters of spa towns, but European royalty, aristocracy, and the rich and famous, enjoyed it too. Baden-Baden, one of Germany’s best-known spa towns, is where everybody who was anybody “took the waters”–drinking from the healing springs and/or immersing themselves in them. From the Russian aristocracy ( according to Tolstoy) to Queen Victoria, venturing to Baden-Baden involved weeks of travel, but was then rewarded with a “cure,” frequent visits to the casino, and extended walks meeting friends, who also just so happened to be in town.

Old Mother Shipton’s Cave, which used to house a “witch” that could foretell the future, is officially listed as England’s oldest tourist attraction. Mother Shipton, born in the cave just outside of the picturesque town of Knaresborough foretold the future such as the fall of the Spanish Armada and the Great Fire of London, and her popularity was such that she was not only visited by people from near and far during her lifetime, but the cave and surrounding attractions, such as the petrifying waterfall, have been open to the public continuously since 1630.

Venice has always held a special magical appeal. The grand palaces, the novelty of the canals, and the inherent beauty of the place have drawn travelers for centuries. As well as its connection to the Silk Road–Marco Polo was from here, after all–the city has long drawn literary greats such as Lord Byron and his friends Percy Shelley and Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, who even stayed a few years, and welcomed authors such as Oscar Wilde, Thoman Mann, Alexander Pushkin, Jean Cocteau, and Ernest Hemingway as frequent visitors to the lagoon city.

An important stop on the European Grand Tour, Florence, with its palaces, the Duomo, Ponte Vecchio, and, more importantly, the many unique pieces of art on display, drew wealthy Europeans and Americans. The works of Da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Raphael were studied intensely by the idle tourists, who took art lessons and enjoyed la dolce vita, a leisurely life so aptly written about in E.M. Foster’s 1908 novel A Room With a View.

Ethiopia was one of the first nations in the world to adopt Christianity, reportedly back in the 4th century. The 11 churches of Lalibela, carved out of rock in the ground between the 7th to 13th centuries, prompted a frequent exchange of travelers between Ethiopian and Italian Christians, undertaking pilgrimages in both directions. Documented journeys of travelers and cartographers date to the 13th century.