60 Locations Across The Globe Where Humans Are Forbidden To Go

We are used to hearing about a lot of interesting places around the world that we can visit. And when we find these locations interesting to us, we get excited to place our next trip there. But what about those places we can’t add to our travel list? What about those locations we are forbidden to enter? It is hard to imagine such locations existing in the world, yet some of these places include historical sites that are so fragile and unsafe for human presence. Others are military camps that want only their staff to access, and others are locations that none of us would wish to visit.

This vault, famously known as the doomsday vault, is one of the most significant places for all of us. The vault stores over 102 million seed plants that exist in the world. But, why is it under high security? Well, if something tragic changed our green planet into a desert, these seeds could help restore our natural green vegetation.

When most of us see monkeys, we usually think of a tropical land miles away, but surprisingly, they are here in the USA. Appropriately, 4500 rhesus monkeys call Morgan Island home. Of course, they are not native to those lands; they were relocated from Puerto Rico, a decision that was meant to protect this species from the outbreak of herpes virus B infection.

Although the caves are an UNESCO patrimony site, these caves are not open to the public. In 1963, France banned the public from visiting these caves because of a fungal invasion destroying the cave preservation. Why are caves so important? It is because the caves are famously known to give insight into the history of mankind.

If you want to know the secrets surrounding the Catholic church, you will have to keep waiting. This is because the Vatican’s secret archives are kept under high security. It is believed that the archive contains biblical scrolls dating back to the 8th century. These scrolls include papal account books, the letter of Mary Queen of Scots written before she was executed, and a letter from Michelangelo to Pope Julius II, among others.

Turkey has some of the best places to visit globally, but there are some off-limit areas. Some of these areas include Pluto’s Gate, dating back to ancient times. Even during those ancient times, nobody dared to go near it.

For sure, it sounds like a fascinating and welcoming place, but this place has a horrible history. The first people to become refugees from this island were 1,000 passengers whose ship sank, killing hundreds. Later, this island became a hospital for people with communicable viral diseases like Mary Mallon or Typhoid Mary.

This island is famous for its beautiful turquoise blue waters and white sandy beaches. You may think this is a perfect destination to tour, but you will not be allowed by the natives of this island known as the Sentinelese.

Curious why this one is on the list? Although a lot of tourists come to visit the Pyramids of Chichen Itza every year, the area is forbidden to enter. People are only allowed to visit this area since you cannot climb to the pyramid’s top – this wasn’t the case until 2006. Unfortunately, a tragic accident occurred here, and it caused them to ban people from climbing to the top of the pyramid.

We all know the famous Area 51 in the United States. It is believed that this mysterious location is used to harbor alien spaceships and other mysterious objects Also, there are rumors that authorities are using this area to examine a spacecraft that crashed in Roswell, New Mexico, which is another mysterious location.

I bet you have never heard a terrifying history more than that of Poveglia, Italy, and you would never dare go there even if you were allowed. Poveglia is located between Venice and Lido. It was used in the early 1700s as a quarantine facility for people with Bubonic plague. Most of those people who had this plague came here to die.

Russia is one of the largest countries with hundreds of ghost towns and mysterious sites, and special places you can visit. Mezhgorye is one of the small hidden cities in the southern Ural mountains forbidden to visitors.

Surtsey, Iceland is the world’s youngest island after a volcanic eruption from 1963 to 1967. The area was closed to the public simply because researchers wanted to learn how the ecosystem forms without human interference.

Hawaii is among the world’s top destinations, but there exists a Hawaiian island where no visitor is allowed. You cannot visit Niihau Island because Elizabeth Sinclair purchased the land back in 1864. Since then, it has been privately owned by her family.

Heard Island Volcano is located between Antarctica and Madagascar, but it is within Australian territory. Although it looks like a good place to tour in this image, it is dangerous for the public to visit as it has an active volcano. In 2000, scientists noticed a huge lava flow from the volcano.

Most of us have heard about Fort Knox, but only a few have managed to go inside. This place is one of the most heavily guarded locations in the world since it stores the largest portion of US gold reserves. It is also famous for its insane security measures, and none of the staff members are allowed to access the vault.

Bhangarh Fort, Rajasthan, is not 100 percent forbidden. Visitors are not allowed to enter this place from sunset to sunrise. During the day, tourists can take photos of the beautiful Rajasthani architecture, but, as the sun sets, you will need to clear as fast as possible, especially if you are scared of ghosts.

There are over 80,000 shrines in Japan, but none of them are as important as the Grand Shrine of Ise. This shrine is the most expensive because of its architecture. Interestingly, the architect did not use any nails.

The tomb of the emperor Qin Shi Huang was discovered by luck when they found the terracotta army in 1974. To date, the tomb remains unexcavated. This was the most significant discovery of all time, but the Chinese are afraid to excavate it since modern technology could ruin the tomb. As a result, the Chinese government forbids people from accessing it.

Pravcicka Brana was the most famous attraction in the Czech Republic until 1982. After that, it was forbidden to the public.

If you want to enter the 2,700 acre camping ground in Monte Rio, California, you will have to be a member of the Bohemian groove club. This club is an exclusive all-gentleman’s club. Every year in July, the Bohemian grove hosts some of the world’s most prominent men for a two-week retreat.

The Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem, Israel, is one of the holiest places in the world for a few religions, dating back to the first century. The Temple Mount, which is located in the golden-topped shrine, is a significant feature in the Jerusalem skyline.

Since the 1800s, the iconic Coca-Cola soda has been a beloved soft drink. The beverage is known all around the world with many flavors unique to particular countries, but the United States is the one that has the secret Coke formula.

You may find it weird to think about someone’s bedroom being a tourist attraction to visit. However, when you are the Queen of England, people are curious about every aspect of your life. People are allowed to take tours to the Queen’s primary Buckingham residence, but her bedroom is off-limits.

If you are a Disney fan, this might bother you a little bit. Disney’s Club 33 is the most exclusive club in the Disney empire, and Walt Disney created it to entertain his business associates. Sadly, Walt never got a chance to use the club since he passed away before the project was completed.

Although there is no clear information on what the Royal Air Force facility is used for today, we know it was once used as an intelligence-gathering facility and for espionage during the Cold War.

The U.N. created the “Buffer Zone” during the rise of the civil war between the Turkish and the Greeks. This zone in the capital was meant to separate the two communities after they agreed to the ceasefire.

Many rumors surround the Church of Our Lady Mary of Zion, like the Ten Commandments are hidden here within the Ark of the Covenant. Another rumor is that only one person was allowed to see the Ark of the Covenant. For this reason, most of us will never know if this is true.

Unless you want to suffer from cancer or radiation burns, we wouldn’t say Chernobyl’s Exclusion Zone is a great place to visit. In 1986, after Chernobyl’s nuclear disaster, evacuations began, but it was too late. The damage had already spread to an 18 mile radius, turning the area into a ghost town.

Mount Weather Emergency Operations Center is the safest place in the world for any event. It would be the first place government officials would choose to hide in case of an apocalypse.

If you’ve watched the show, The Crown on Netflix, this location may be familiar to you. This spot began as a chocolate shop then turned into a gentleman’s club for gambling. This club is incredibly exclusive and only for society’s most elite.

Famously known as snake island, it is home to a huge population of snakes. It is estimated that there is a snake every single square meter of the island. These snakes are not just some harmless grass snakes, but among them is the world’s most dangerous species known as the golden lancehead, whose venom is known to melt flesh around the bite.

Australia has numerous beautiful places you can visit, but there is one hidden place you are not allowed to enter in Australia. Pine Gap is a top-secret military base run by the US government

Even the Mormon Church has a hidden vault of secrets and records. This vault is located in Little Cottonwood Canyon in Utah and is hidden on the side of the Granite Mountains. Built in 1965, the vault is of military-grade quality making it very secure.

Situated off the coast of the Philippines, Mariana Trench is one of the deepest trenches in the ocean. The trench stretches 7 miles deep, and only bubbles of sulfur and carbon dioxide are seen making their way above the ocean surface. This is the reason why this pace is off-limit.

Did you know underneath the city of Moscow is a second hidden city? Yes, there are secret underground tunnels, informally known as Metro-2 that are 600-feet below the ground. They were built in preparation for future nuclear disasters.

Once a territory of the United Kingdom, Diego Garcia was utilized to settle a $14 million debt with America. The secluded island was transformed into a US military base, and they are now the only people permitted to enter.

The Woomera Test Range in Australia is so massive that the whole nation of Portugal could fit within its bounds. The enormous plot of land is used to test bombs and rockets, which is why they don’t allow civilians to enter the region.

Mecca is at the heart of the Islamic faith and is considered the holiest spot for Muslims. Many people would cherish the opportunity to see this old city; however, it is only open to those who follow Islam. The city is loaded with history and religious significance, yet those attempting to enter it who aren’t Muslim can be hit with a fine or worse.

Visiting North Korea at all is difficult, and we don’t know many individuals who would need to gain entry. If you do gain entry, the places you can visit as a tourist are restricted, but one, in particular, is off-limits for all but a select few. Room 39 is within the government structure and is considered the country’s most mysterious location.

Heart Reef, part of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, is a strong contender for “the world’s most captivating place.” As the name suggests, the reef is naturally formed like a heart, and it’s been the subject of incalculable Instagram posts and tourism ads. It might very well be iconic, but you can’t visit the famous spot up close.

Nobody would want to visit this spot for a holiday. As the name implies, the Korean Demilitarized Zone is not a place civilians can visit. This portion of land separates North and South Korea and acts as a connecting point between the two nations where they meet for important matters.

One of the world’s most popular prohibited spots hasn’t been off-limits for that long. In October of 2019, Uluru (once known as Ayers Rock), shut down to the public. People had been traveling to the outback for quite a long time just to climb the iconic rock. Before it was a vacation spot, Uluru was hallowed ground to the local indigenous people.

Fortunately, nobody was around when Mawson Peak became active, but that wasn’t the case on the Caribbean island of Montserrat during the 1990s. When the Soufrière Hills stratovolcano awoke in 1995, the neighboring town of Plymouth was deserted as eruptions rolled out.

Maya Bay in Thailand was closed down to protect its ecosystem from human activity. Though it is forbidden at the moment, this rule is temporary. Following the release of the Leonardo DiCaprio film The Beach, the stunning bay turned into a famous holiday location.

Dulce is a small town in northern New Mexico, along the state’s border to Colorado. The town’s population consists of 2,600 Native Americans. What is most mysterious about this location is what allegedly occurs underground here.

Zone Rouge, or “Red Zone” is a forbidden area in North-East France. It essentially is a section of land that became so damaged and uninhabitable due to the First Global Conflict, that it is no longer considered safe to enter.

Right around Santillana del Mar, Spain, there is a cave known for its cave art. The Cave of Altamira has charcoal drawings and paintings of nature and handprints along its walls.

The Farallon Islands can be found about 30 miles off of California’s coast. The island has a great amount of animal and bird species that the US is trying to protect, and thus no visitors are allowed.

Another US island that is off limits is an island on the other coast of the country, located off of New York. A Wall Street financer named Louis Bacon privately owns this island.

This incredibly restrictive museum only allows visitors of Chinese citizenship. Since it is a spy museum, prohibiting foreign visitors is for security purposes.

Within the Amazon Rainforest, there are areas visitors are forbidden to go. The Yanomami Indigenous Territory within the rainforest is the home of the Yanomami and Ye’kuana tribes.

Another protected territory in Australia is Albatross Island. As the name suggests, the island is home to a colony of albatross birds. According to zoology research, this one island is said to contain about 40% of the world’s albatross population.

Located in the Caribbean Sea, Navassa Island is a territory that both the United States and Haiti have disputed claims over. While the claim to the land may be disputed, the U.S. still declared that Navassa Island and a 12 nautical mile radius around the land is preserved and prohibited for the public to enter.

It is projected that the Bank of England Vault contains 20% of the world’s total reserve of gold. Because of this, only a small list of authorized individuals are allowed access to this otherwise forbidden vault.

Within Cheyenne Mountain in Colorado, there is a military installation and bunker that is off-limits to the public.

The border, Aksai Chin, is also known as the LAC, or Line of Actual Control. It separates Ladakh between Chinese and Indian territory and has been disputed land for quite some time now.

The Data Centers where Google stores all their data are strictly off limits to the public. The facilities are located all over the world with centers in North America, South America, Asia, and Europe.

Previously in this article we had Lascaux Caves and the Cave of Altamira considered forbidden locations, and now we add one more cave to the list. Chauvet Cave can be found in Southern France; however, it is now closed off to visitors.

Mount Athos is a highly-restricted area in Greece due to its religious ties. This region is the home to 20 monasteries and over 2,000 monks.

Just south of Tokyo are the Izu Islands in Japan. One of these islands is the notorious Miyake-Jima, which is also nicknamed Gas Mask Island. This island contains an active volcano that frequently erupts and emits sulfur.