Whether you firmly believe in the paranormal or doubt anything beyond the physical plane, haunted places offer a fascinating way to get into the spirit of a place. The thrill of the unexplained is what prompts so many to take ghost tours, which often tell juicy and sometimes goosebump-inducing stories that give historic sites a richer context.
Not every traveler wants to feel terrified on vacation, so this round-up of eight spooky places around the globe ranges from the perfectly harmless to the downright creepy. For bones, spirits, and some menacing dolls, here’s where to go for a fright.
Edinburgh Castle
- Where: Edinburgh, Scotland
- Price: $29 (£21.5)
- Visit: Edinburgh Castle
- Book a tour: Edinburgh Darkside Tour: Witches, Hauntings and Body Snatchers
Perched overlooking Scotland’s capital on a chunk of volcanic earth known as Castle Rock, Edinburgh Castle is one of the oldest fortified places in Europe. Long before King David I started its construction in the 12th century, Iron Age people had a hill fort up here. The site has housed many historical figures over the years, from Queen Margaret to Mary, Queen of Scots. Its changing tenants reflect a history of constant war: at least 26 sieges have taken place throughout the castle’s history. As a result, many legends are connected to its violent past, and its dungeon, in particular, is said to be haunted by tortured souls.
One of the castle’s most famous ghosts is a piper boy who was sent through some of the castle’s underground tunnels—never to be seen again. Visitors sometimes report hearing bagpipes when exploring the tunnels. Another is a headless drummer, who was seen drumming around 1650 before the castle was attacked by Oliver Cromwell. His playing has now come to be an omen of danger, so visitors who hear drums playing should be wary.
Where to stay
- Book now: 23 Mayfield
A homey bed-and-breakfast south of the city center and close to Arthur’s Seat, 23 Mayfield is a Victorian house with seven bedrooms filled with carved mahogany furniture. In the bathroom are toiletries from Noble Isle, which uses extracts and botanicals from the U.K. and Ireland, such as Perry Pear from the Gloucestershire Orchards. Fuel up in the morning with a traditional Scottish breakfast, then sip whiskey on the chesterfield sofas next to the fire after a day romping around Edinburgh.
Related: How to Have the Perfect Long Weekend in Edinburgh, According to Locals
The bones of more than six million people were moved from cemeteries around Paris into the catacombs in the late 18th century.
Photo by Heracles Kritikos/Shutterstock
Paris Catacombs
- Where: Paris, France
- Price: $14 (€12)
- Visit: The Paris Catacombs
For a darker experience in the City of Light, venture beneath Paris and explore its hundreds of miles of catacombs. In the late 18th century, Paris’s existing cemeteries were causing public health problems, and the remains of more than six million people needed to be moved. At the time, what is now the 14th arrondissement was outside of the city proper, but still easily accessible. The resulting mass grave of human remains in various arrangements is enough to send a shudder, and if that’s not spooky enough, there’s the entrance inscription that reads: Arrête! C’est ici l’empire de la mort! (Stop! This is the empire of the dead!). The last admission is at 7:30 p.m., so for an extra spooky nighttime tour, visit between September 31 and March 28 (exact dates depend on daylight saving time).
Where to stay
- Book now: Le Jardin de Verre by Locke
On a quiet side street in the Latin Quarter, near the Jardin des Plantes and a 30-minute stroll from the catacombs is the Le Jardin de Verre by Locke, which opened in March 2025. It’s housed in an 18th-century hôtel particulier—Paris’s version of a private city mansion—complete with a slate mansard roof and a cobblestone courtyard with graphic-striped rattan chairs and sun umbrellas. Its 135 rooms are both ambitiously designed and fairly affordable, sometimes at under $230 per night. Read Afar’s full review of Le Jardin de Verre by Locke.
For an immersive horror experience this Halloween, try booking a room at one of the most haunted hotels in America.
Photo by Glenn Taylor/Shutterstock
Stanley Hotel
- Where: Estes Park, Colorado
- Price: $30
- Book a tour: The Stanley Hotel Spirited Night Tour
It’s not hard to believe Stanley Hotel’s relationship with the paranormal considering that this was the setting of The Shining (fans of the film can book a tour that dives into the making of it). In fact, Stephen King’s unnerving experience in room 217 as a guest of this property was what inspired him to write the best-selling novel. This haunted hotel, a 10-minute drive outside of Rocky Mountain National Park, opened its doors in 1909 and became a luxury stay for figures like President Theodore Roosevelt and the Emperor and Empress of Japan. But by the 1970s, years of neglect put the hotel in a state of disrepair. Nowadays the ghosts of the hotel’s original owner, his wife, and a mysterious child are said to haunt the property. Actor Jim Carrey tried staying in room 217 while filming ’90s comedy Dumb and Dumber, but left in the middle of the night after getting spooked. Other guests of room 217 claim they’ve had the presence of a spirit, former head housekeeper, Mrs. Wilson, who might tidy up during the night.
Where to stay
- Book now: Estes Park Resort
For less spooky accommodations, consider the lakefront Estes Park Resort. It’s a little retro, but the 55 spacious rooms and, in some cases, lake views and in-room fireplaces make up for the slightly dated decor. In warm weather, rent a paddleboard from the hotel and glide across Lake Estes, or warm up around the fire pits or in the dry sauna. If you’re in a larger group, go for one of the 32 modern cabins that make up the resort’s Mountain Village at Lake Estes; all which have two bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms, and sweeping mountain and lake views.
Muriel’s
- Where: New Orleans, Louisiana
- Book a tour: The Ghosts of New Orleans
From American Horror Story to Disney’s Princess and the Frog, New Orleans’s relationship with the otherworldly has been well documented on film and television. With good reason, as the history of this Louisiana city is filled with lore of witchcraft, voodoo, and even vampires. The city is unsurprisingly full of haunted spaces, but Muriel’s restaurant by Jackson Square is for those who want just a side of spooky. The ghostly presence here is Pierre Antoine Lepardi Jourdan, who took his own life in 1814 where Muriel’s Séance Lounge is today. Jourdan is a relatively calm ghost (staff report objects being moved around the restaurant), but there’s a slightly more active spirit in the Courtyard Bar, where there have been three instances of an unknown source throwing a glass from across the room. The restaurant says Muriel’s resident ghosts of are harmless but, to be safe, there’s always a table reserved for Jourdan set with bread and wine.
Where to stay
- Book now: Hotel Peter and Paul
An immaculate conversion of a 19th-century church and its outbuildings led to Hotel Peter and Paul’s 71 antique-filled rooms, some with their own fireplace and lofts with a spiral staircase. Enjoy an on-theme cocktail like Blessed and Happy Afterlife (with pisco, gin, and passion fruit) at the Elysian Bar on the ground floor.
Related: 6 New Orleans Neighborhoods for All-Night Parties, Live Music, and Memorable Food
Dolls started being hung on trees on this Mexican island starting in the 1950s.
Photo by avf71/Shutterstock
Island of the Dolls
- Where: Mexico City
- Book a tour: Kayak tour around Xochimilco
Truly the stuff of Chucky nightmares, Mexico’s Island of the Dolls—La Isla de las Muñecas—amid the Xochimilco canals south of Mexico City is known for hundreds of dolls displayed throughout the island. The sad legend goes back to the 1950s, when Don Julián Santana Barrera (the former owner of the island) came across the body of a young girl floating in a canal. A doll was also found floating in the canal, which Barrera hung on a tree in memory of her.
The incident is said to have started an obsession within Barrera, who spent years collecting discarded dolls that resulted in the Guinness World Record for the world’s largest collection of haunted dolls. It gets weirder: In 2001, the collector died near the spot where the young girl had died all those years ago, with some thinking her spirit was involved. Today, some people claim that the dolls move on their own—and even beckon people to the island’s canals.
To reach the island, you can take a boat from Xochimilco’s Embarcadero Celada, asking the boat operator to take you to Isla de las Muñecas.
Where to stay
- Book now: Ignacia Guest House
One 1913 Beaux-Arts building and one modern structure joined by a courtyard, Ignacia Guest House has nine rooms, a pink lounge, a library, and a kitchen and dining space with French doors that lead outside. Don’t skip Ignacia’s morning meal. With a selection of artisanal conchas (sweet Mexican bread), fresh fruit, and house-made sopes and tamales, the breakfast spread is worthy of a leisurely morning.
Related: The Perfect 4 Days in Mexico City, According to Locals
Zvíkov Castle’s gorgeous setting makes it popular for weddings, with a hint of haunting.
Courtesy of CzechTourism — Mediabank/Libor Sváček
Zvíkov Castle
Where: Zvíkovské Podhradí, Czechia
Price: Approx. $7.75 (160 CZK)
Visit: Zvíkov Castle
The medieval Zvíkov Castle, built during the short rule of King Wenceslas I (1230–1253), towers over its surrounding forest landscape at the confluence of the Vltava and Otava rivers. It offers the kind of isolation found in Gothic novels, and the beautiful setting makes it popular for weddings.
It’s believed that the 13th-century castle is haunted by a magical imp who frequently visits the Markomanka and Hlíza, or black, towers. Visitors have reported strange things happening here, ranging from hearing hidden figures to batteries draining to sudden cold temperatures. An even more foreboding warning travelers may want to heed: Legend has it that those who spend a night in the castle will die within a year, possibly caused by a paranormal creature who doesn’t want their home disturbed.
The most efficient way to reach Zvíkov Castle is to rent a car and drive an hour and 10 minutes south of Prague. There aren’t many tours available, so an excursion to the castle is most likely going to be an independent adventure. On the way to Zvíkov Castle, stop in the town of Tábor, known for its impressive Gothic-baroque mashup town hall, home to the Hussite Museum and several underground tunnels. The Hussites were an early 15th-century Czech proto-Protestant Christian movement, and you can learn more about them—and get a little spooked underground—at the museum.
Where to stay
- Book now: Aria Hotel Prague
Prague’s centuries-old connection to music survived occupation by both the Germans and the Communists, so it’s fitting that those deep roots strike a chord at Aria Hotel Prague where all of the rooms are named after famous composers or singers, from homegrown sons like Dvořák and Smetana to contemporary icons like the Beatles, Ella Fitzgerald, and Elvis Presley. The 51-room hotel is three minutes’ walk from Charles Bridge and has a private entrance to the lovely baroque Vrtba Garden, plus a rooftop terrace.
Although the usually sunny weather isn’t very spooky, Bhangarh Fort is believed to be one of the most haunted places in India.
Photo by Memories Over Mocha/Shutterstock
Bhangarh Fort
- Where: Rajasthan, India
- Price: Approx. $2 (200 INR plus 200 for a camera)
- Book a tour: Guided Tour to Haunted Bhangarh & Abhaneri Step Well From Jaipur
About an hour and 45 minutes outside Jaipur, 17th-century Bhangarh Fort is known to be one of the most haunted places in India. Now in ruins, the fort has an infamous reputation thanks to two separate stories: The first revolves around its construction led by King Madho Singh. Legend has it that Singh got permission from local sadhu (holy person) Balau Nath to erect the fort under the condition that the shadow of the fort must never cover Nath’s home. When Singh’s successor decided to make the fort taller, its shadow fell on the hermit’s home, consequently bringing destruction to the complex and surrounding towns.
The other legend concerns a black magic practitioner who fell in love with a princess. In an attempt to win her love, he cast a love spell on perfume that she would wear, but the princess saw through his plot and threw the perfume bottle at a boulder that crushed him. Before dying under the weight of the boulder, the spell caster cursed the princess, her family, and the city.
Where to stay
- Book now: Samode Haveli
More than 225-year-old palace Samode Haveli doesn’t shy away from color. The lounge is covered in intricate hand-painted tiles and filled with red velvet sofas and yellow silk armchairs. The 50 rooms vary in decor; an entry-level deluxe room might have a wooden four-poster bed with marigold linens while a suite has an accent wall of sky-blue block-printed wallpaper and a black-and-white checkered floor. The large pool, with several cabanas and shaded cushioned loungers, is a cool respite after a day of sightseeing in and around Jaipur.
Buenos Aires’s Recoleta Cemetery opened in 1822 and is known for its impressive mausoleums.
Photo by Jan Jerman/Shutterstock
Recoleta Cemetery
- Where: Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Price: Approx. US$15 (22,000 ARS)
- Book a tour: Recoleta Cemetery Tour
Recoleta Cemetery opened in 1822 and is known as much for its residents as its beauty. Many of the marble mausoleums on this 14-acre spot are held by Argentina’s elite, some famous, others infamous—think past presidents, Nobel Prize winners, and military commanders. But among the cobweb-covered religious statues are other cemetery residents with a less-than-pleasant history. The most popular ghost story of this cemetery is that of Rufina Cambaceres, a 19-year-old girl who was laid to rest in 1902 in an impressive art nouveau mausoleum. One day, a groundskeeper noticed her coffin was out of place, and upon investigating the inside of the coffin, he made the horrifying discovery of several scratch marks inside her tomb. Turns out, she was buried alive—and is now a mainstay at the cemetery as a ghost.
Where to stay
- Book now: Casa Lucia Meliá Collection
In the residential Recoleta neighborhood, a 1920s tower, once the tallest in South America, houses 142-room Casa Lucia Meliá Collection. It’s about 20 minutes’ walk to the cemetery and 25 minutes to El Ateneo Grand Splendid, perhaps the world’s most beautiful bookstore. The hotel’s 142 rooms and suites are designed with a dark-wood and light-linen look—sort of Scandi meets Spanish colonial. Argentine art and furniture can be found throughout the hotel: The rooms’ bedside lamps are designed by Argentinian artist Cristián Mohaded and a mixed-media mural by local artist Maria Cristina Codern fills the lobby. Read Afar’s full review of Hotel Casa Lucia.
Related: 5 Reasons to Go to Buenos Aires That Aren’t Steak and Wine
This article was originally published in 2022 and most recently updated on October 22, 2025 with current information.
