As the world gets smaller and more connected, travelling has never been easier! It’s tempting to try and see as much of the world while you can and experience everything you can from walking on the Great Wall of China to petting kangaroos in Australia and everything in between.
There are still some places in the world that you can’t visit, and although they might be beautiful there is no point in even trying!
So here are some forbidden places in the world to leave off of your bucket list!

North Sentinel Island - India

This is one that’s been in the news recently, as an American missionary named John Allen Chau was killed there late last year.
It’s illegal to travel to the island so that the isolated tribe that live on the island aren’t exposed to foreign diseases that their immune systems can’t fight.
They are an uncontacted, uncivilized tribe who attack invaders with axes and arrows so do your best to steer clear of the island!

Lascaux Caves – France

You used to be able to go into the Lascaux Caves up until 1963, which is when they became closed to the public due to a fungus that was spreading through them.
What’s so special about these caves you ask? Well they’re the site of the oldest and largest cave drawings in the world, dating back around 20,000 years and including a 5.2m long bull.
If you want to see the drawings though then don’t fret! You can visit a purpose-built replica cave near the actual cave that was created to help preserve the magnificent history that is contained in the real thing.

Surtsey – Iceland

An island off the coast of Iceland, Surtsey emerged from an underwater volcanic eruption that lasted 3.5 years.
Scientists are allowed to visit the island to study its ecology, but the general public have never been allowed to set foot on this geographic marvel.

Svalbard Global Seed Vault - Norway

Halfway between the Norway and the North Pole there is a chain of small islands, and on one of those small islands, inside a mountain is the Svalbard Global Seed Vault.
A backup storage facility just in case there’s a worldwide disaster, it contains over a million seeds with the capacity to store over four times that.
You can go and see the entrance the vault, but you can’t actually go inside the vault itself which is 100m inside the mountain.

Queiamda Granda – Brazil

Usually know by the name “the Island of Snakes”, it’s estimated that there is one snake per square meter of land on the island.
The only place where the Golden Lancehead Viper is found, these snakes are so venomous that they can met human flesh and cause death within an hour.
There are stories of the fate of people around the island, such as a fisherman who was found in a pool of his own blood covered in snake bites, or of a lighthouse keeper and his family who were killed by snakes that came in through the windows. Stay away!

Mezhgorye – Russia

With an estimated population of over 17,000 people, Mezhgorye isn’t closed to everyone, just to outside visitors.
It is a known fact that there is a secret military facility and/or nuclear base at Mezhgorye and the nearby Mount Yamantu, but not much is known apart from that you can’t go there!

Heard Island – Australia

Technically belonging to Australia, Heard Island is actually closer to Madagascar and Australia.
Home to the only to active volcanoes in Australia, if you want to gain entry to this island you have to be part of an expedition that has a compelling scientific reason, something that most of us can’t do!

Pravcicka Brana – Czech Republic

The largest natural sandstone arch in the world, tourists used to be allowed on the arch but have since been banned in an effort to reduce erosion.
The arch will eventually collapse, but the Czech government are doing their best to preserve it for as long as possible.
Measuring over 26m wide and 16m high, the arch looks bigger than expected, especially when you’re close to it.
You’re still allowed in the area around the arch, so you can still admire this beautiful piece of nature.

Poveglia Island – Italy

Often called the most haunted island in the world, it’s no wonder that the Italian government don’t want anybody visiting the island.
Originally an island where sufferers of the bubonic plague were sent to be quarantined from the rest of the population and eventually die, it was turned into a mental institution in the early 20th century.
There are stories about the torture and experimentation that occurred on the island during this time. No wonder you can’t visit a place with such a dark and macabre past.

Bhangarh Fort - India

An interesting entry into the list, you are allowed inside the Bhangarh Fort, but only in daylight hours, such is the myth surrounding the supposed ghosts that live there.
This isn’t just advice though, entering at night is forbidden by law. There is said to be a curse on the fort dating back hundreds of years, and locals say that everyone who has broken this law has never been seen again. Spooky.

Diego Garcia – British Overseas Territory

Looking at this beautiful island from afar you wouldn’t know that it’s a military base, but that’s exactly why you aren’t allowed there.
The local inhabitants of the island were forcibly removed in the early 1970’s and ever since then the only people who live there are some 4000 British and American military personnel.

Vatican Secret Archives - Italy

With over 12 centuries worth of documents, some of the items housed in the Vatican Archives are the stuff of legend.
The archives aren’t so much secret as they are private, and although it has become slightly easier to access the archives in recent years, there is still a thorough vetting process that will likely end in disappointment for the average person!

Ise Grand Shrine - Japan

Dating back as far as the third century, this is the most sacred site in Japan. The Grand Shrine itself is actually a complex of over 120 smaller shrines.
You’re allowed into the smaller, external shrines, but the main shrines can only be accessed by the Japanese imperial family, with no exceptions.

Spy Museum – China

Forbidden to international visitors, the Chinese government want to keep the secrets of their communist regime exactly that. Secret.
Anyone with Western features is immediately turned away at the door, not allowed to see the exhibits that supposedly feature things like guns disguised as fountain pens and maps hidden as a deck of cards.

Bohemian Grove – USA

A conspiracy theorists dream, the only way to access Bohemian Grove is to be a member, or to be invited by a member.
Both entry methods have a thorough screening process, and it’s reported that every Republican president since the camps initiation have been members, and the plans for the Manhattan Project were even born there!

Sources

List25 - 25 Forbidden Places You Are Not Allowed To Visit
Express - Forbidden Places You Can't Visit
Living It - Euronews - 11 Famous Places You Are Not Allowed To Visit
Far and Wide - Forbidden Destinations
The Culture Trip  - Its Illegal To Visit These 11 Places In The World And Heres Why