Dark Tourism: 20 Chilling Places In India & Beyond With A Troubled Past

India, a country steeped in a history of wars, has a number of such places where history lies in plain sight, shrouded by the weight of the incidents that once plagued it. You can visit these places to know more about our nation, understand history, pay your respects to the deceased, or discover some secrets with a brutal past. From the cellular jails of Andaman and Nicobar to the Kurukshetra battlefield, here are all the places you can visit to learn more. 

The cellular jail in the Andamans is monumental proof (literally) of our freedom struggle. I was in the ninth grade when I stepped into this jail, and every nerve in me was wrecked with grief and odd felt patriotism. It is a pretty scarring spot, but it holds the sacrifices of our bygone leaders. Also known as Kala Pani, this jail was used by the British to capture major freedom fighters, and even today, you can visit the rooms they were locked in and the nooses they were hanged from. Constructed in 1906, this three-storey prison has much to say about our national struggle for independence, which is depicted in the Son-et-Lumiere (light and sound show), shown daily inside the jail compound at 6 PM (Hindi) and 7:15 PM (English).

Google rating: 4.6/5

How to reach: The nearest airport is Veer Savarkar Airport in Port Blair; no train facilities available. 

Ticket price: INR 30 for Indians, INR 100 for foreigners

Timings: 9 AM to 12 PM, 2 PM to 5 PM

Pro-Tip: The Ultimate Guide To The Andamans For The Perfect 2025 Vacay

Imagine this: 1919, a typical summer noon. The air was filled with the sound of men, women and children talking, laughing and playing around. And then came the distinct shot of a bullet. Then two, then three, then enough to cover the garden in red blood. This is Jallianwala Bagh in Amritsar, in a nutshell. The garden bore witness to General Dyer and the British Raj's tyrannic attempt to silence our revolts against the Rowlatt Act (under which any Indian could be arrested without trial). This historic garden, located close to the Golden Temple in Amritsar, is one of the most popular spots for dark tourism in India. This garden is a memorial for all the lives lost in the infamous shooting incident. It starts off with walls that bear bullet holes, then unfolds into sculpted bushes in the shapes of the citizens who lost their lives here. 

Google rating: 4.6/5

How to reach: The nearest airport is Veer Savarkar Airport in Port Blair; no train facilities available. 

Ticket price: Free

Timings: 6:30 AM to 7:30 PM

Kuldhara village is one of India's most famous dark tourism destinations, as it is an abandoned village rife with legend and lore. Kuldhara's appeal rests in the tale of the sudden, unexplained departure of its entire populace overnight, some two hundred years ago. Kuldhara was once a vibrant village inhabited by Paliwal Brahmins. In around 1825, Salim Singh, the tyrannical dewan (minister) of Jaisalmer, fell in love with the chief's daughter and threatened the villagers to hand her over, or there would be dire consequences. Rather than hand her over, the entire community of Kuldhara, and the people from 83 other nearby Paliwal villages, left their homes one night, disappearing without a trace. The villagers are said to have placed a curse on Kuldhara before they left: they wished that no one would ever be able to settle in Kuldhara ever again. 

Google rating: 4.7/5

How to reach: Jaisalmer Airport (JSA) has limited flights, mainly connecting to major cities like Delhi. The drive from here takes about 20-30 minutes. You can hire a taxi for a round trip (often combined with a visit to the Sam Sand Dunes, as Kuldhara is on the way). 

Ticket price: INR 20 for Indians, INR 100 for foreigners. Parking charges apply. 

Timings: 6 AM to 6 PM

Roopkund Lake, located high in the Garhwal Himalayas of Uttarakhand, India, is popularly known as "Skeleton Lake" or "Mystery Lake" because of the hundreds of human skeletons along its shores and in its shallow waters. This creepy natural phenomenon makes it one of the most unique and fascinating dark tourism spots in the world. When the ice melts from Roopkund Lake during the warmer months, the skeletal remains pop up, along with things like wooden objects, iron spike spearheads, and leather slippers. The local legend for decades was that the bodies originated from a 9th-century hailstorm that affected a group of pilgrims. Scientific research has provided some new layers of complexity to the mystery in recent decades and established that the remains are from multiple groups of people from multiple periods, dating over one thousand years. Knee-deep in mystery? We think so. 

Google rating: 4.7/5

How to reach: The nearest airport is Jolly Grant Airport (DED) in Dehradun. From Dehradun, take a taxi or bus to the trek base camp, Lohajung. This drive is long, approximately 10-12 hours, passing through towns like Rishikesh, Devprayag, Rudraprayag, and Karanprayag.

Ticket price: The visit to the lake is free, but it falls within a protected area (Nanda Devi National Park buffer zone), so you will need Forest Permits and Camping Permissions.

Timings: 6 AM to 6 PM

Pro-Tip: The Ultimate Dehradun Guide.

Kurukshetra is the holy ground where the battle of the Mahabharata took place. While it is not exactly a dark tourism site, but more of a mythological site, the place helps understand the narratives of the war, the philosophical depths of the Gita and shows the various sites where the holy story happened. These include Jyotisar, where Krishna imparted the Gita, Brahma Sarovar, which is one of Asia's largest man-made sacred tanks, Bhishma Kund, where Bhishma Pitamah lay on a bed of arrows, and the science centre that features a life-like panorama of the Mahabharata battle with accompanying sounds and Gita chants. 

Google rating: 4.5/5

How to reach: The nearest airports are Chandigarh Airport (IXC) (100 km away) and Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL), New Delhi, from where you can hire a taxi or take a bus to Kurukshetra.

Ticket price: INR 50-70 for Indians. 

Timings: 9 AM to 7 PM

Kurseong, a scenic hill station in the Darjeeling district of West Bengal, India, where Dow Hill is located, is well-known for being one of the most haunted places in India. It has an abundance of dense forests, mist-covered pathways, and colonial-era establishments in this area, creating a spooky environment. The legend of the Victoria Boys' High School is over 100 years old and is allegedly known for paranormal activity. Many locals and visitors have stated they have heard disembodied footsteps, whispers, and even boys running and laughing during the four-month winter recess when the school is completely closed. It also hosts the Death Road, which connects Dow Hill Road to the Forest Office. Many woodcutters and locals have claimed they have seen a headless boy walking down the road and vanish into the thick woods. Paranormal occurrences keep this hill on top of the list for dark tourism in India. 

Google rating: 4.5/5

How to reach: The nearest airport is Bagdogra Airport (IXB), located near Siliguri, approximately 50 km from Kurseong.

Ticket price: INR 10-20 for Indians. 

Timings: 10 AM to 4 PM

Pro-Tip: The Ultimate guide to Darjeeling

Dumas Beach is located along the Arabian Sea coastline near Surat, Gujarat. The beach has beautiful black sand, primarily due to the iron and mineral-rich sands from the river estuaries. What makes it a dark tourism spot is mainly the local folklore that has been held for a long time: that Dumas Beach was at one point a Hindu burial ground, where bodies had been cremated. People are adamant that ghosts of the dead continue to haunt the beach now, mainly after dark. Locals and visitors have experienced several unusual happenings: hearing whispers or voices and even full-on disembodied voices when they are alone; seeing an apparition or feeling a presence. 

Google rating: 4.3/5

How to reach: The nearest airport is Surat International Airport (STV). 

Ticket price: Free entry. 

Timings: Open 24 hours. 

Located in the Alwar district of Rajasthan, Bhangarh Fort is considered to be one of the best and most well-known dark tourism sites in India. This is an abandoned 17th-century village and fort located in utter silence and mystery to the extent that the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) restricts entry to the fort area from dusk till dawn as a result of paranormal activity. The fort is said to be facing the brunt of the Curse of Guru Balu Nath and the curse of Sorcerer Singhia, and still has the havelis and rooms that echo its horrific past. 

Google rating: 4.3/5

How to reach: The nearest railway station is Dausa Railway Station (around 28 km from Bhangarh) or Alwar (around 85 km from Bhangarh). From there, you can hire a local taxi or auto-rickshaw to the fort.

Ticket price: INR 25 for Indians, INR 200 for foreigners. 

Timings: 9 AM to 5 PM

The Shettihalli Rosary Church, or "the submerged church" or "the floating church," is a sad but beautiful ruin in the Hassan district of Karnataka. Built by French missionaries with Gothic architecture in the 1860s, it was abandoned in the 1960s after a dam submerged the surrounding area underwater. The church has a cyclical reappearance and disappearance while the climate varies through the months, making for an eerie and haunting sight. In the dry months when the water easily recedes, the skeletons of what was the church stand alone and sad. 

Google rating: 4.4/5

How to reach: Take a train from Bengaluru (Yeshwantpur station) to Hassan. From Hassan railway station, proceed as above by bus or auto-rickshaw.

Ticket price: Free entry. 

Timings: 6 AM to 6 PM

The word Talatal Ghar means "the house with numerous underground stories." Talatal Ghar is a wonderful, and mostly hidden, monument from the great Ahom kingdom. Built, mainly in the mid-1700s, by King Rajeswar Singha, it served as both a palace and a military fortress. It is a beautiful dark tourism site in India that shows the functionality and smartness of Indian architecture. The palace's hidden design helped to disguise its underground floors and secret passageways, which were rumoured to be escape routes for the king, his family, and his army in times of war and invasion.

Google rating: 4.5/5

How to reach: The nearest airports are Jorhat Airport (JRH), approximately 55-60 km away, and Dibrugarh Airport (DIB), about 80-90 km away.

Ticket price: INR 15, INR 200 for foreigners, free for children. 

Timings: 8 AM to 5 PM

Dark Tourism around the world has numerous destinations of struggle, war, and abuse, that a list could probably never contain, and sadly, the list is also ever evolving. But this list of dark tourism sites across the world narrows down the most popular ones and some underrated ones that will help you undo your understanding of the world and understand it better. 

Aokigahara, also commonly referred to as "The Suicide Forest" or "Sea of Trees", is a rich and ancient forest that is located at the northwest base of Mount Fuji, Japan. With its gravely insular setting, lofty stillness, lava-stone covered with moss, winding paths, and a very heavy and tragic history, it is a disturbing dark tourism place to visit. Given its sad history of suicides, the town governance, volunteers, and several other organizations have established many strategies to discourage people from taking their lives in Aokigahara, such as placing signage warning against suicide, increasing patrols, and providing suicide prevention resources.

Google rating: 4.4/5

How to reach: Located in Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan, it is part of the Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park. Lake Saiko and Lake Kawaguchiko are the nearest developed areas in the forest.

Ticket price: Free. 

Timings: Open 24 hours

Hoa Lo Prison in Hanoi used to be an infamous French colonial prison for Vietnamese revolutionaries, used as a POW camp for American pilots. Nicknamed "Hanoi Hilton," this location is one of the world's most intimidating dark tourism sites. The preserved section of the prison is now a museum showing grim cells, the guillotine, and exuding haunting reminders of suffering and resilience in the face of both French rule and the Vietnam War. While valuable in some focus, it presents only one historical iteration of suffering and is a site that teaches more than scares. 

Google rating: 4.5/5

How to reach: The site is a 15-20 minute walk from Hanoi Old Quarter or a cab trip from the Hanoi city center. 

Ticket price: INR 165 onwards for Indians. 

Timings: 8 AM to 5 PM

Froggy Land is exactly as it sounds. It doesn't rely on the horror factor but more on the anatomical factor and serves as a display of over 500 taxidermied frogs, painstakingly posed to emulate particular human actions. Picture miniature frogs playing tennis, attending school, having a picnic, going to the dentist, or performing in a circus. Each vignette is a tiny frozen moment, crafted with detail and with a hint of dark humour. The creator Ferenc Mere devoted years of his life to this odd art form. You might feel it is odd, but people who have visited this museum have described it as 'unsettling' or 'macabre.'

Google rating: 4.1/5

How to reach: The closest international airport is Split Airport (SPU). From the airport, you can take an airport bus, taxi, or a pre-booked shuttle directly to Split city center.

Ticket price: INR 450 onwards for Indians. 

Timings: 10 AM to 10 PM

The Berlin Wall was built on August 13, 1961, and was famously breached on November 9, 1989. It is one of the most iconic and significant symbols of the Cold War that stood for 28 years. For those 28 years, the Wall not only divided the city of Berlin but also represented completely contradictory systems, communist East Germany and capitalist West Germany. It was not a regular structure with concrete and barbed wire, but it was considered a "death strip" designed to stop the mass movement of people from East to West Germany. The Berlin Wall caused untold deaths in the attempts to cross it and separated families and communities. The wall, as a dark tourism spot today, has an East Side Gallery (the longest surviving side of the wall), Tränenpalast (palace of tears), Berlin Wall Memorial, and Checkpoint Charlie, to explore this witness to the tragedy from years ago. 

Google rating: 4.6/5

How to reach: The closest international airport is Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER), from where it is a train ride away. 

Ticket price: INR 500 onwards for different sites for Indians. 

Timings: 10 AM to 8 PM

The northern European bogs of Denmark, Germany, Ireland, and the Netherlands are unique natural time capsules. The cold, highly acidic, and anoxic conducive nature of these environments helped preserve human remains for hundreds, if not thousands of years, giving us glimpses into the lives, deaths, and rituals of Iron Age societies. The most well-known bog body in the Netherlands is at the Drents Museum, Assen. They have a display of the Yde Girl bog body. Discovered in 1897 and believed to be approximately 16 years old at her death (between 54 BCE and 128 CE), the body was found wrapped in a woolen band and was likely strangled with the band. The Weerdinge Men is another bog body you will find here. Discovered in 1904, these two male bodies were originally thought to be a couple and had noticeable stab wounds. 

Google rating: 4.4/5

How to reach: The closest international airports are Groningen Airport Eelde (GRQ) or Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS), from where Assen is just a train ride away. 

Ticket price: INR 1,600 for Indians. 

Timings: 10 AM to 5 PM

Located in the town of Oświęcim, Poland, Auschwitz-Birkenau is the most recognised symbol of the Holocaust and is a UNESCO Heritage Site as well. Not just a dark tourism site, this concentration camp represents human cruelty and suffering, where approximately one million people (primarily Jews) were murdered. It tells the story of the genocide that took place at the hands of Nazi Germany during World War II, and is a complex of concentration and extermination camps that served as the largest of its kind. You will get to walk through the original barbed wire fences, gas chambers, crematoria, and barracks where the prisoners were tortured. The sheer spread of Birkenau throughout the destroyed land, the barren aesthetics, and the "Gate of Death" are among other things to observe. The exhibits also display personal items left by victims – shoes, hair, luggage – all reminders of the brutal past.

Google rating: 4.8/5

How to reach: The closest international airport is Krakow John Paul II International Airport (KRK). From there, you can easily reach Krakow city center by road or train.  

Ticket price: INR 1,800 for Indians. 

Timings: 7:30 AM to 7 PM

This little, strange museum is housed in the Chiesa del Sacro Cuore del Suffragio church. It shows evidence of alleged communications from souls in purgatory to the living. There are devices like prayer books with "burned" handprints or burn marks on the book covers, left by souls looking for prayers to expedite their entry into the afterlife. It's a fascinating view of Catholic eschatology and folklore, a goosebumps-worthy experience you should visit at least once. 

Google rating: 4.3/5

How to reach: It's located on Lungotevere Prati 12, on the west bank of the Tiber River in Rome and you can reach it by various local buses. It's also within walking distance of Vatican City.

Ticket price: Free but donations are welcome. 

Timings: 7:30 AM to 11 AM, 3:30 PM to 7:30 PM

Panteón de Santa Paula, one of Guanajuato's cemeteries, and the Museo de las Momias are a chilling yet glorious dark tourism opportunity. Between 1870 and 1958, people had to pay a local tax for burials, and a lot of people couldn't afford it. So, people stored the bodies in a building in a cemetery. Due to unique soil conditions, the bodies were eventually and naturally mummified (complete with their clothing), and the adjacent Museo de las Momias became the exhibition space for these eerily preserved remains. This is a mortifying spot for dark tourism, where people can silently recount the lives and bodies that had become unexpectedly frozen in time. 

Google rating: 4.3/5

How to reach: Fly into Guanajuato International Airport (BJX). Take an additional shuttle, taxi, or bus from any major city in Mexico. The cemetery and museum can be reached in a short taxi/Uber ride or via a scenic uphill walk from Guanajuato's city center.

Ticket price: INR 499 for Indians, free for teachers and students with a valid ID. 

Timings: 9 AM to 6 PM

This is America's premier museum for understanding medical history and is also called the College of Medical History. Though the primary motive is educational, this 19th-century style museum houses a collection of anatomical and pathological specimens, wax models, anatomical anomalies like diseased organs in a jar, and so much more that would help you understand the human body better. The most notable of their exhibits is the original conjoined liver of Chang and Eng Bunker, "the original Siamese Twins."

Google rating: 4.6/5

How to reach: The museum is accessible by SEPTA (Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority) regional rail and subway lines. You can use the SEPTA website or app to plan your route using the 30th Street Station as a starting point. 

Ticket price: INR 1,660 for adults, free for children aged 5 and under. 

Timings: 10 AM to 5 PM (last entry is at 4 PM), closed on Tuesdays. 

LBB tip: Only ages 10 and above are allowed entry. Know more here. 

The Glore Psychiatric Museum, Missouri, captures the evolution of psychotherapy and mental health treatments. Recognised as one of the 50 most unusual museums of the world, it has life-size models of early mental health treatment devices like the "Tranquiliser Chair" and the "Bath of Surprise," as well as surgical tools, patient artwork, and personal stories. This is dark tourism at its finest, where you also get to understand and foster an appreciation for the advancement in psychological understanding. From primitive and brutal methods of 'care' to more humane approaches, this museum gives you a disturbing journey and is currently housed in what was once part of the State Lunatic Asylum No. 2 (later the St. Joseph State Hospital). 

Google rating: 4.6/5

How to reach: The nearest city is Kansas City, from where it is a 1.5-hour drive north of Kansas City. 

Ticket price: INR 1,000 for general admission. 

Timings: 10 AM to 5 PM

LBB tip: Fiendish as it sounds, you can also rent the museum for group gatherings, private viewings, or a party, and they also help with a private investigator to get the full paranormal experience. Check it out here.