There are many reasons why places might be off limits to visitors and tourists. Some countries and regions are considered too dangerous to visit due to conflict, in which case your travel insurance may not cover you and your consulate likely won't be able to support you. Others, such as specific archaeological and culturally important heritage sites, have been closed to save them from irrevocable damage.
Click through the gallery for gorgeous photos of the places we may never get to see in person...
Haiti, which shares the island of Hispaniola with the Dominican Republic, is home to important 19th-century monuments, Port-au-Prince's pastel-coloured hillside houses and a beautiful coastline (pictured). But visiting the Caribbean country is currently off limits as an extended state of emergency has been declared in all areas of the Department de l'Ouest, with its citizens subject to a curfew until at least 3 May 2024.
The US Department of State has a “do not travel” warning in place due to the risk of kidnapping, crime and civil unrest. The country has also been hit by severe weather events and natural disasters in the past, including a catastrophic 7.0-magnitude earthquake in 2010, Hurricane Matthew in 2016 and deadly floods in 2023. These caused huge devastation, though many of the country’s landmarks – including the Cathedrale Notre-Dame de l'Assomption (Our Lady of the Assumption Cathedral, pictured) in Cap-Haitien – remain remarkably intact.
Other beautiful buildings include the ruins of Sans-Souci Palace, the Baroque former royal home of King Henri I, who was key in the Haitian Revolution that won independence from France in 1804. And one of the most stunning landmarks is the Citadelle Laferriere, an early 19th-century fortress perched on the Bonnet a l'Eveque mountaintop in Nord. The citadel, pictured, was originally built under the orders of Henri to protect the newly independent country against French invasion.
This tiny island might look unassuming, but its nickname betrays Gruinard's dark past. Known as Anthrax Island, it was used by the British Armed Forces during the Second World War as a biological warfare testing site. It was quarantined for years and finally declared safe in 1990, though the island has since remained uninhabited. In 2022, a wildfire raged across the length of the island and scorched its rugged shores, further adding to its reputation as a hostile place that many are still reluctant to set foot on.
The ancient city of Timbuktu, capital of the Tombouctou region, glimmers on the edge of the Sahara Desert and is a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site. The British Foreign Office (FCDO) advises against travel to this area, as well as all parts of Mali except Bamako (essential travel only). The US State Department has a blanket “do not travel” advisory in place for the entire country.
Founded in the 5th century, the desert city of Timbuktu was an important hub of Arab-African trade and flourished with a marketplace where manuscripts, salt, gold, grain and cattle were exchanged. It was also the location of one of the world’s first universities, established in the 12th century. At one time there were 180 Koranic schools here, attended by around 25,000 students.
One of the most important structures is Sankore Mosque, built in the 14th century and attached to the Koranic Sankore University (pictured). Along with Djingareyber and Sidi Yahia, it’s one of Timbuktu's three mud and timber mosques that require constant restoration and are considered endangered by UNESCO due to 'desertification' – effectively being damaged and encroached upon by desert sands. Some of Timbuktu’s ancient mausoleums and manuscripts were also destroyed following the 2012 military coup.
There are travel warnings in place for all regions of Afghanistan, which has been largely inaccessible for decades due to ongoing conflict. The FCDO advises against all travel for security reasons, while the US State Department also has a “do not travel” warning in place. The vast country is rich in both culturally important landmarks and natural beauty, with a mix of ethereal landscapes, ancient monuments and ornate architectural structures such as the Sakhi Shrine (pictured) in the capital Kabul.
Among the country's most important structures is the Minaret of Jam, pictured, which pierces the sky at 213 feet (65m) high and forms part of the Minaret and Archaeological Remains of Jam World Heritage Site. The intricate tower, in brick and blue tile, was built by acclaimed architect Ghurid Sultan Ghiyas-od-din in the Shahrak District of Ghor Province. The region, characterised by deep river valleys, mountains and jagged rock formations, is extremely remote and almost inaccessible in itself.
The entire country has more than its fair share of gorgeous landscapes, though perhaps one of the loveliest natural attractions is Band-e Amir National Park, pictured. In the central Bamyan Province, it’s made up of six sapphire and turquoise-hued lakes, naturally separated by travertine dams (created by mineral deposits) and ringed by the Hindu Kush mountains. Its vastness and breathtaking beauty has led to comparisons with America’s Grand Canyon.
As per the latest FCDO advice, travel to all of Somalia and the three eastern regions of Somaliland (a breakaway territory that declared itself independent in 1991) is off limits. All but essential travel to Somaliland's three western regions is also discouraged. Located in the Horn of Africa, Somalia is a real beauty, with architecturally rich cities surrounded by mountains and the longest coastline on mainland Africa. Pictured is the seaport of Bosaso in the northeastern Bari province.
Somalia also harbours some of the best preserved and, it’s believed, earliest rock art on the continent, particularly in the caves of Laas Geel (pictured). The caverns are laced around a granite outcrop in the Maroodi Jeex region of the country, between the Somaliland cities of Hargeisa and Berbera. The paintings of pastoral scenes, cattle, dogs and wildlife including giraffes are believed to range from between 5,000 and 10,000 years old.
Speaking of giraffes, the lofty beauties – though no longer roaming the region where the cave paintings are found – typically graze on acacia trees elsewhere in Somalia, particularly close to its border with Kenya. The country’s diverse wildlife also includes lions, cheetahs, African bush elephants, the Somali wild ass and zebras. Lag Badana-Bushbush National Park, by the southern coast, is home to monkeys, hyenas, gazelles and rich birdlife.
Travel to the North African country of Sudan is advised against, as it's currently in the grip of a civil war that has left more than eight million people displaced. That means that the country’s ancient pyramids – there are more here than in Egypt – are off limits to tourists for the foreseeable future. Pictured here is the old town of Sudan's capital, Khartoum.
There are nearly 200 small (relative to those in Giza) yet perfectly formed and beautifully ornate pyramids at Meroe, to the east of the Nile and northeast of Khartoum. The burial chambers are scattered among the dunes at Meroe, creating a breathtaking blend of natural and man-made sculptures. These architectural marvels were built by the rulers of the ancient Kushite kingdom, a major power in the ancient world from the 8th century BC to the 4th century AD.
West of Meroe are the archaeological ruins of Naqa, an ancient city that was part of the Kushite kingdom. Naqa is known for its impeccably preserved temples including Amun and Apedemak (Lion Temple), which is prized as a classic example of Kushite architecture. There’s also a Roman kiosk, whose architecture and decorative elements suggest Pharaonic Egyptian, Hellenistic and Kushite influences.
The prehistoric paintings of Lascaux Cave, near the village of Montignac in northwestern France, were stumbled across by four young boys who were exploring the area in 1940. What they found were some of the finest examples of Palaeolithic cave paintings, depicting large mammals such as huge bulls, bison, cats, a rhino and a bear, in the world. Fossil finds have confirmed that the animals in the paintings would have roamed the area at that time.
The original cave was closed to the public in 1963 because the sheer volume of carbon dioxide from human breath caused the paintings – estimated to date between 17,000 and 15,000 years BC – to deteriorate. Now part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site, it remains closed to the public to preserve the paintings, while a complete replica of the original cave, with paintings, tours and interactive exhibits, allows visitors to learn about the remarkable discovery.
The northern highland region of Tigray is rich in cultural and religious treasures, though its proximity to several international borders has caused the FCDO to warn against travel to most of the region, among others in Ethiopia. Tigray was particularly badly affected by two years of war between 2020 and 2022, and remains vulnerable despite the conflict having ended.
Tigray’s most famous attraction is the UNESCO archaeology site of Aksum, known for its sky-piercing obelisks and the St Mary of Zion, a Christian church believed to have harboured the biblical Ark of the Covenant (now said to be kept in the neighbouring Chapel of the Tablet). Other deeply important religious sites include the remote, clifftop 6th-century monastery of Debre Damo, which was attacked and looted in early 2021.
While it is possible (though not advised) to visit North Korea, it certainly isn’t ever easy. British citizens can usually only enter the country as part of an organised tour, while extremely strict government laws in the country mean there’s a relatively high risk of arrest and/or detention for infringements that might be considered negligible elsewhere, such as taking unauthorised photos. One specific rule is that, when photographing statues of the country's leaders, the entire figure must be in the frame. Pictured are bronze statues of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il in capital Pyongyang.
The US State Department also has a “do not travel” advisory in place for those reasons, and currently people can’t use a US passport to travel to or through the country without a (rarely granted) special validation. Because of this, few people will be able to see and explore the many attractions here. The country has fascinating cultural institutions like the International Friendship Museum, soaring skyscrapers, and naturally beautiful areas including some glorious sandy beaches.
The landscape is also dotted with mountains, some with thickly forested slopes and others surrounding lakes or plunging down into river valleys. Many parts of the country are ethereally beautiful with natural scenery to rival anywhere else in the world. Heaven Lake (pictured), close to the border with China, shimmers in a caldera atop the volcanic Paektu Mountain and sits surrounded by other peaks.
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This verdant island, around 20 miles (32km) off the coast from Sao Paulo, is nicknamed Snake Island, and it’s nothing to do with its shape. Ilha da Queimada Grande harbours one of the world’s deadliest species of snake – the golden lancehead viper, whose venom can tear through flesh. There are between 2,000 and 4,000 of the vicious vipers here, which explains why the government has prohibited visitors. Only a select few scientists are allowed on the island to study the snakes every few years.
Though it is no longer in a state of emergency, which was declared by the military after it staged a coup in February 2021, the vast majority of Myanmar (previously Burma) is still off limits to visitors. The FCDO warns that conflict in the country remains increasingly volatile and that the security situation could suddenly worsen, so it's best that travellers keep their distance. Travel warnings and restrictions were in place even before the junta took control, due to what the UN called the "textbook ethnic cleansing" of Rohingya Muslims. This photo shows a landscape in Shan State, or Muang Tai, one of the regions in Myanmar hit by the humanitarian crisis.
We may never get to experience Myanmar's most famous sites for ourselves, including the temples of Bagan pictured here. The historic capital of the Pagan Empire that ruled here between the 10th and 13th centuries, Bagan once held more than 10,000 Buddhist temples, monasteries and pagodas. The 2,000-odd that remain today are nevertheless an awesome spectacle, peeking above the trees in the verdant valley.
The ancient Pyu cities – dating back as far as 200 BC – of Sri Ksetra, Halin (pictured) and Beikthano are home to some of the world’s oldest Buddhist temples and were declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2014. The three brick-walled and moated cities remain only partially excavated but what has been uncovered includes the remains of palace citadels, burial grounds, water management features and monumental brick Buddhist stupas, such as the Payama Stupa at Sri Ksetra.
A FCDO warning against all travel to Libya has been in place consistently since 2014, due to military clashes, inter-militia fighting and what’s described as “fragile” local security situations. The country, in the Maghreb region in North Africa, has a history stretching back to around 8,000 BC, when the coastline was populated by Amazigh people. It’s since been under Roman, Greek, Persian, Arab and Turkish rule, which has created a rich archaeological and architectural tapestry. One of its most famous sites is Leptis Magna, pictured – imposing Roman ruins that sit on the country's Mediterranean coast.
Dominated by an amphitheatre, Leptis Magna is believed to date from around the 7th century BC. It was enlarged by Roman emperor Septimius Severus who was born here and ordered the construction of the many large structures that still remain. Other awe-inspiring sights include the ornate Gurgi Mosque, the ancient Roman Arch of Marcus Aurelius, the volcanic crater lakes of Waw an Namus, and Gaberoun, an oasis amid the Sahara's sculptural dunes (pictured).
The US State Department urges Americans not to travel to any part of Iraq, while the FCDO advises against all travel to Iraq except the Kurdistan Region (pictured), where essential travel is permitted. Travel has been severely restricted for the past few decades due to military conflict, which has left some areas peppered with IEDs (improvised explosive devices). The country covers what was once known as Mesopotamia (Land Between the Rivers), where some of the earliest civilisations – including Sumer, Akkad, Babylon and Assyria – began.
It’s a vast and famously beautiful country, where precious religious and cultural monuments and artefacts adorn a landscape of rivers, plains and mountains. First established in the 3rd millennium BC, the ancient city of Ashur (pictured) was an important centre of trade and became the first capital of the Assyrian Empire between the 14th to 9th century BC. It was also the religious capital of the Assyrians, associated with the god Ashur, and the burial place for its kings.
Ashur is one of the sites considered seriously at risk due to a host of environmental factors, poor conservation and the dangers posed by armed conflict in the region. Another is the fortress city of Hatra, the capital of the first Arab Kingdom dating back to the Parthian Empire in the 3rd or 2nd century BC. It's known for its mighty walls and towers, temples and sculptures dedicated to gods including Apollo and Poseidon. The site was taken by Islamic State militants in 2015 and damaged with sledgehammers and guns. Some carvings and statues were completely destroyed.
Travel warnings are in place advising against any travel to Yemen, due to ongoing conflict and instability. In January 2024, the UK and US carried out air strikes on a number of Yemeni targets belonging to the Houthi armed group. The western Asian country lies on the southern end of the Arabian Peninsula, bordering Saudi Arabia and Oman. It has a long coastline and is scattered with important archaeological sites including the Old City of Sana’a, pictured, whose intricately detailed tower-houses are built with pise (rammed earth).
Other treasures include the medieval Bab Al Yemen gate, the 11th-century hilltop Sira Fortress, and the imposing Al Saleh Mosque (pictured), built in 2008. Yemen also has a scattering of islands, including the Kamaran archipelago and the Hanish Islands in the Red Sea; and Perim (Barim) Island in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which separates the Arabian Peninsula from Africa.
The largest island, Socotra, is perhaps the most striking too. Its nickname is the 'alien island', referring to its ethereal and isolated beauty. Lying in the Arabian Sea, nearly 620 miles (1,000km) off the coast, Socotra is laced with beaches and home to around 800 species of flora, many of which can’t be found anywhere else on the planet. The most distinctive are the dragon blood trees, which sprout from the arid ground like bizarre umbrellas; and bottle trees (pictured).
Syria remains a no-go destination as civil war has been ravaging the country since 2011. Both the FCDO and US State Department have the highest level warnings in place, advising against all travel. The country is home to many important archaeological, cultural and religious treasures, including the Great Mosque of Damascus (pictured). Located in the capital city and also known as the Umayyad Mosque, it’s one of the largest and oldest mosques in the world.
Many archaeological wonders have also been irrevocably and, in some cases, intentionally damaged by Islamic State. These include the ruins of the ancient desert city of Palmyra in the Homs province, dating from around the 1st century AD. The site, on the historic Silk Road route, has lost monuments such as the Temple of Bel, dedicated to the Mesopotamian god, and the Arch of Victory. Parts of Palmyra's Roman Theatre (pictured) have also been destroyed.
The hilltop castle of Krak des Chevaliers, built for the Emir of Aleppo in 1031, is believed to remain largely intact despite weathering centuries (and bearing the scars) of conflict. The huge, fairy-tale-like fortress is considered one of the world’s most important and best-preserved medieval castles. Along with another nearby medieval fortress, the Qal’at Salah El-Din, the limestone castle (pictured) forms one of Syria’s six World Heritage Sites and has been placed on UNESCO’s endangered list.
Following the Russian military’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022, the FCDO and US State Department continue to urge their citizens not to travel to Russia. Retaliatory drone attacks and bombings have been reported in parts of western and southern Russia, including in major cities like Moscow and St Petersburg. Prior to the escalations, these cities were two of the country’s most visited destinations, sporting striking landmarks such as St Basil’s Cathedral (pictured) and the Winter Palace respectively.
St Petersburg, known as Leningrad in the days of the Soviet Union, has been touted as the ‘Venice of the North’. Its impeccable historic centre and related monuments, such as the opulent Winter Palace and Hermitage Museum (pictured), were inscribed by UNESCO in 1990. The city has witnessed great tragedy in its three-century-long life, from the Russian Revolution to the Second World War, and now finds itself embroiled in conflict once more.
It’s not just urban marvels that we might never get to experience in Russia. Europe’s largest country is also home to its largest lake, Ladoga, as well as the oldest and deepest lake in the world. Located in the remote reaches of Siberia, Lake Baikal (pictured) is 25 million years old and contains 20% of the world’s unfrozen fresh water. UNESCO calls it the ‘Galapagos of Russia’ on account of its exceptional isolation and unique biodiversity. Elsewhere, primeval volcanoes and virgin forests blanket parts of this off-limits nation.
When Russia attacked Ukraine’s capital Kyiv and its second-largest city Kharkiv at the beginning of 2022, it set in motion a devastating chain of events that have killed hundreds of thousands of civilians and displaced millions more. As active armed conflict between the countries continues, the UK and US have issued strong warnings regarding travel to Ukraine. America has a “do not travel” order in place, while the UK advises against all but essential travel to select regions in Ukraine, and against all travel to the rest of the country.
As of 10 April 2024, 351 cultural sites in Ukraine have been damaged to some extent since Russia’s full-scale invasion began, according to UNESCO. This includes 40 structures in the Kyiv region alone, from churches and libraries to museums and art galleries. Remarkably, the 11th-century Saint-Sophia Cathedral (pictured) – designed to rival the Hagia Sophia in modern-day Istanbul – remains intact and has been placed on the List of World Heritage in Danger.
The city of Lviv in western Ukraine has also had its historic centre (pictured) listed as endangered by UNESCO, given that "optimal conditions are no longer met to fully guarantee” its protection in the midst of the war. Founded in the mid-13th century, it’s a melting pot of Eastern European architectural and artistic styles from the Middle Ages, which were considerably influenced by trends in Italy and Germany. The oldest parts of the city, whose origins date back to the 5th century, are the Vysokyi Zamok (High Castle) and Pidzamche (the castle’s surrounding area).
The conflict between Israel and Palestine is one of the longest-running in the world. The century-long struggle for power in the occupied Palestinian territories escalated in October 2023, when Israel declared war on the Gaza Strip after the armed Palestinian group Hamas launched an unprecedented assault. The Foreign Office currently advises against all travel to Gaza and most of the West Bank, as well as parts of Israel. The US State Department says not to travel to Gaza, and to reconsider travel to Israel and the West Bank.
Located in the West Bank, Jericho is often cited as the oldest continually inhabited city in the world. Though the destruction of its ancient fortifications was made famous by the ‘Battle of Jericho’ Bible story, the city’s history goes back to between 9000 and 8000 BC, with archaeological evidence witnessing the world’s earliest signs of civilisation and permanent human settlements. The ruins of Ancient Jericho/Tell es-Sultan (pictured) became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2023, shortly before the October attacks.
Though Israel quit UNESCO in 2019, it still has nine properties inscribed on the World Heritage List. One of these is the White City of Tel Aviv (pictured), which represents the largest concentration of Bauhaus architecture in the world. This part of the city, largely designed in the 1930s by a collective of 200 architects fleeing Nazi Germany, consists of some 4,000 Modernist buildings.
Precipitated by the war in Gaza, Iran used missiles and UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) to launch an attack on Israel on 13 April 2024. The two nations have been locked in shadow warfare for decades and, as tensions continue to rise in the Middle East, the United Nations has warned that conflict in the region could have devastating implications for the rest of the world. Both the FCDO and US State Department warn their citizens against all travel to Iran.
Frustratingly for intrepid explorers, Iran is home to countless natural and cultural wonders that it’s currently too unsafe to travel for. Traversing two mountain ranges between the Caspian Sea and the Persian Gulf, the Trans-Iranian Railway (pictured) took 11 years to construct and conquers some of the steepest gradients of any train line in the world. The country also shares the Hyrcanian Forests with Azerbaijan, where ancient trees have been the sentinels for millions of years.
Some of Iran’s finest cities include Shiraz, known for its wine and poetry, and the historic desert city of Yazd, which lies close to the Spice and Silk Roads. Older still are the ancient settlements of Shahr-i Sokhta and Susa (now Shush), which were founded in the 4th and 5th millennium BC respectively. The ruins of Persepolis (pictured) are among the world’s most intriguing archaeological sites, for they are a unique relic of the Achaemenid Dynasty, who ruled over Persia during the 1st millennium BC.
Now check out these sobering before-and-after images of landmarks destroyed by war