The most overpriced tourist attractions revealed – and the top three are in the UK

Natalie Wilson
·2-min read
Warner Bros. The Making of Harry Potter racked up over 8,000 ‘expensive’ complaints (Getty Images)
Warner Bros. The Making of Harry Potter racked up over 8,000 ‘expensive’ complaints (Getty Images)

The world’s most overpriced tourist attractions have been revealed in new research, with Warner Bros. Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter, taking the top spot in the wallet-busting list of the worst-value sites.

With studio tour prices starting from £53.50 for adults and £43 for children, magical extras including a souvenir guidebook, a champagne afternoon tea for two and a digital guide would set fans of the Wizarding World back an additional £125.10.

The list, based on an analysis of TripAdvisor reviews by SavingsSpot, tracked the mentions of the word “expensive” regarding entrance fees, parking costs and food and drink prices from visitors to historical monuments, cultural landmarks and theme parks worldwide.

Less than impressed reviewers said that The Making of Harry Potter gift shop was “insanely expensive” at £8 for a chocolate frog and recommended others to avoid dining at the “extortionate” studios.

UK sites accounted for 10 of the top 20 overpriced activities, with Legoland Windsor Resort, the London Eye and Warwick Castle all labelled as pocket-emptying days out at least 3,000 times.

A day out at Legoland would set a family of four back £136 (Getty Images)
A day out at Legoland would set a family of four back £136 (Getty Images)

A family day out at Legoland for two adults and two children at £34 per person rings in at £136 before pictures, parking and lunch, while prices to pre-book tickets for a ride on the capital’s iconic wheel, the London Eye, start at £25.50 per adult.

Elsewhere, reaching new heights up the Burj Khalifa and Empire State Building, relaxing in Iceland’s Blue Lagoon and riding rollercoasters in Disney’s Magic Kingdom all garnered grumbles from reviews about their affordability.

Tourist attractions with the most ‘expensive’ mentions:

  1. Warner Bros. Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter, UK: 8,283

  2. Legoland Windsor Resort, UK: 5,680

  3. London Eye, UK: 5,066

  4. Burj Khalifa, UAE: 4,839

  5. The View from the Shard, UK: 3,223

  6. Universal Studios Florida, US: 3,189

  7. Blue Lagoon, Iceland: 3,139

  8. Magic Kingdom Park, US: 3,127

  9. Warwick Castle, UK: 3,067

  10. Empire State Building, US: 3,056

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