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HISTORY
Religion
Most Visited Places of Worship
This list features the most visited places of worship in the world as of 2023.
RANK | PLACE OF WORSHIP | LOCATION | RELIGION | VISITORS |
1 | Golden Temple | Amritsar, India | Hinduism | 36.5 million |
2 | Senso-Ji Temple | Tokyo, Japan | Buddhism | 30.0 million |
3 | Ayodhya | Ayodhya, India | Hinduism | 20.3 million |
4 | Tirupati Tirumala Devasthanams Temple | Tirupati, India | Hinduism | 18.2 million |
5 | Kashi Vishwanath Temple | Varanasi, India | Hinduism | 16.4 million |
6 | Mecca | Mecca, Saudi Arabia | Islam | 13.5 million |
7 | Basílica de Guadalupe | Mexico City, Mexico | Christianity | 12.5 million |
8 | Notre-Dame Cathedral | Paris, France | Christianity | 12.0 million |
9 | Sacré-Cœur Basilica | Paris, France | Christianity | 11.0 million |
10 | Naritasan Shinsoji Temple | Narita, Japan | Buddhism | 10.0 million |
11 | Ise Jingu | Ise, Japan | Shinto | 8.0 million |
12 | Hagia Sophia | Istanbul, Turkey | Islam | 7.0 million |
13 | St. Peter’s Basilica | Vatican City | Christianity | 6.7 million |
14 | Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes | Lourdes, France | Christianity | 6.0 million |
15 | St. Patrick’s Cathedral | New York, USA | Christianity | 5.5 million |
References
Travel + Leisure, (2023). The World’s Most Visited Sacred Sites. [online] Available at: https://www.travelandleisure.com/attractions/worlds-most-visited-sacred-sites [Accessed: 1 December 2025].
Liamtra, (2023). Top 10 Religious Places in the World. [online] Available at: https://liamtra.com/blog/top-10-religious-places-in-the-world/ [Accessed: 1 December 2025].
Times of India, (2023). World’s Most Visited Religious Places. [online] Available at: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/travel/destinations/worlds-most-visited-religious-places/photostory/106000606.cms?picid=106000638 [Accessed: 1 December 2025].
Narita Akihabara, (2023). Naritasan Shinsoji Temple. [online] Available at: https://narita-akihabara.jp/culture/post-000081# [Accessed: 1 December 2025].
Times of India, (2023). A Quick Guide to Tirupati: World’s Richest Temple. [online] Available at: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/travel/destinations/a-quick-guide-to-tirupati-worlds-richest-temple/photostory/99033143.cms [Accessed: 1 December 2025].
Daily Sabah, (2023). Hagia Sophia: Grand Mosque Draws 25 Million Visitors in 4 Years. [online] Available at: https://www.dailysabah.com/turkiye/istanbul/hagia-sophia-grand-mosque-draws-25-million-visitors-in-4-years#:~:text=Since%20its%20reopening%20on%20July%2024%2C%202020%2C,daily%20and%20approximately%206%2D7%20million%20visitors%20annually [Accessed: 1 December 2025].
Paris Je T'aime, (2023). The Essentials of Paris. [online] Available at: https://parisjetaime.com/eng/convention/article/the-essentials-a1224#:~:text=From%20the%20top%20of%20Montmartre,among%20the%20quaintest%20in%20Paris [Accessed: 1 December 2025].
Statista, (2023). Estimated Daily Pilgrims by Select Temple in India. [online] Available at: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1371111/india-estimated-daily-pilgrims-by-select-temple/ [Accessed: 1 December 2025].
Catholic World Report, (2022). Historic 12.5 Million Pilgrims Visit Our Lady of Guadalupe Shrine in Mexico. [online] Available at: https://www.catholicworldreport.com/2022/12/15/historic-12-5-million-pilgrims-visit-our-lady-of-guadalupe-shrine-in-mexico/ [Accessed: 1 December 2025].
Quotezone, (2023). How Many Tourists Visit Paris? [online] Available at: https://www.quotezone.co.uk/travel-insurance/guides/how-many-tourists-visit-paris [Accessed: 1 December 2025].
Media India, (2024). Ayodhya Attracts 110 Million Tourists in H1 2024. [online] Available at: https://mediaindia.eu/tourism/ayodhya-attracts-110-million-tourists-in-h1-2024/#:~:text=In%202022%2C%20as%20the%20temple,crossed%20the%2030%20million%20mark [Accessed: 1 December 2025].
Updharmarth Karya, (2023). Home Booking. [online] Available at: https://updharmarthkarya.in/booking/ep/home/home [Accessed: 1 December 2025].
Panasonic, (2023). Senso-ji Temple. [online] Available at: https://panasonic.net/electricworks/lighting/en_id/case/sensoji/#:~:text=Senso%2Dji%20is%20the%20oldest,Guanyin%20(Kannon%20in%20Japanese)[Accessed: 1 December 2025].
Statista, (2023). Vatican Museums Attendance. [online] Available at: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1137402/vatican-museums-attendance/ [Accessed: 1 December 2025].
The Media Line, (2023). Record-Breaking 13.5 Million Muslims Participate in Umrah Pilgrimage to Mecca in 2023. [online] Available at: https://themedialine.org/mideast-daily-news/record-breaking-13-5-million-muslims-participate-in-umrah-pilgrimage-to-mecca-in-2023/#:~:text=Saudi%20Arabia%20has%20reported%20that,international%20pilgrims%20compared%20to%202022 [Accessed: 1 December 2025].
Joe Walsh Tours, (2023). Interesting Facts About Lourdes. [online] Available at: https://joewalshtours.ie/interesting-facts-about-lourdes/#:~:text=3%2D%20Lourdes%20has%20been%20an,Christian%20shrine%20in%20the%20world[Accessed: 1 December 2025].
Metropolis Japan, (2023). Ise Shrine. [online] Available at: https://metropolisjapan.com/ise-shrine/ [Accessed: 1 December 2025].
Walks, (2023). Saint Patrick’s Cathedral in New York. [online] Available at: https://www.takewalks.com/blog/saint-patricks-cathedral-new-york#:~:text=Seat%20of%20New%20York%27s%20Catholic,The%20cornerstone%20for%20St[Accessed: 1 December 2025].
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