20 Twins of Popular Sights That Look Just as Spectacular but Are Much Cheaper to Visit

Millions of tourists around the world keep visiting the same places, year after year, taking the same photos of famous landmarks. And this is because most people are simply used to doing so. But few of us are aware of the fact that some of the most popular tourist spots are not only crowded, but they also drain our wallets.

We at Bright Side did some digging and found locations on the map that not only can compete with popular sights by their beauty but that can also help you save funds.

1. Machu Picchu (Peru) — Isla del Sol (Bolivia)

Perhaps each of us has heard the name Machu Picchu once or twice. It’s a famous ancient city of the vanished Inca empire. After it was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List, the flow of tourists has increased many times over. However, reaching the city is quite an uphill task, both in terms of physical and financial aspects. The Bolivian island, Isla del Sol, can serve as a good alternative. Plus, it’s located on the incredibly beautiful Lake Titicaca. Here, one can see more than 80 ruins and countless terraces. According to legend, it’s in this place that the empire of the Incas was first founded.

2. Golden Gate Bridge (USA) — 25 de Abril Bridge (Portugal)

Many Hollywood movies and series show one of the most recognizable bridges in the world, located in San Francisco. It embodies American persistence and decisiveness. Starting from the year 2014, driving over this bridge is no longer free, and one has to pay a toll fee. As of February 2021, the price ranges from $7 to the north and free to the south. At the same time, we can see an unbelievable resemblance between the construction of this bridge and another one located near Lisbon, called the 25 de Abril Bridge. The toll fee to drive on it is only about $2 (€1.85). And here’s an interesting fact: If you drive on it in the left lane, you can hear a specific sound that appears thanks to metal bars that are there instead of asphalt.

3. The Colosseum (Italy) — The amphitheater of Pula (Croatia)

The Colosseum is a construction of Ancient Rome that can easily be called grandiose. Annually, it’s visited by about 6 million tourists. And this fact has brought some disadvantages, like huge lines and quite expensive entry tickets. The cost of a standard ticket is $15 (€12). Quite a similar amphitheater can be found in the Croatian city, Pula. In order to visit it, you’ll have to pay a bit more than $7 (€6). The difference is quite great due to its fewer tourists and lower price.

4. Big Ben (Great Britain) — Peace Tower (Canada)

Big Ben is actually a clock tower of the Westminster Palace. In 2012, the construction was officially renamed Elizabeth Tower. Unfortunately, as of February 2021, the tower is still under reconstruction and no excursions can be held there. On the other side of the planet, in the Canadian capital, Ottawa, you can find something called the Peace Tower that is as spectacular as its British doppelganger. It serves as a part of the parliament building. The Canadian $20-dollar-bill depicts this very tower.

5. The Eiffel Tower (France) — The “Eiffel” Tower (China)

The famous Eiffel Tower, which was built in 1889, is the most recognizable piece of architecture in Paris, France. Its height stands at 1,063 feet tall. In order to get to the top, you’ll have to pay a bit more than $31 (€26). In addition to that, you’ll have to spend quite a lot of time standing in line. You can find almost an exact copy of this tower, but double reduced, in the Chinese city, Hangzhou, in the park of the residential area known as Tianducheng. Its mission is to imitate the design details of Paris. The entrance is free.

6. Giant’s Causeway (Northern Ireland) — Cape Stolbchaty (Russia)

Giant’s Causeway is an unusual natural monument with 40,000 interlocking basalt columns that reach a height of 39 feet. There are always many people here hoping to take a nice photo, which is why one shouldn’t expect to experience any form of solitude when going there. A decent alternative to this site can be found in Russia at Cape Stolbchaty. The Russian analog can boast an obvious advantage — the heights of the columns reach 164 feet.

7. Wulingyuan (China) — Lena Pillars (Russia)

A part of the mountain system, Wulinshan represents numerous pillars, peaks, and cliffs that were formed as a result of the weathering of sandstones. It’s these peaks that we can see in the Avatar movie. The same scenery can be seen in the Lenskiye Stolby (Lena Pillars) park in Russia. Mind-blowing rocks as high as 328 feet become more and more beautiful each year due to the specific climate.

8. Glenfinnan Viaduct (Scotland) — Altenbeken Viaduct (Germany)

The arched Glenfinnan railway viaduct has been featured in many films, but it’s best known for its appearance in the Harry Potter movies. A similar construction can be found in Germany near Altenbeken City. Locals there feel very proud of it because, thanks to this viaduct, a regular village turned into an entire city. These viaducts were built with a difference of 44 years (1897 and 1853, respectively).

9. The Acropolis of Athens (Greece) — Ephesus (Turkey)

The Acropolis of Athens is an old fortress that is very popular among tourists. The cost of one entry ticket is about $24 (€20), which is quite a high fee. Moreover, there are so many tourists here, that taking a pic of this place without crowds is quite an uphill task. The ancient city of Ephesus in Turkey can easily compete with this site. Here, you can see a big complex of various constructions that are just as interesting as the views of its twin, with an entry ticket that will cost you much less at just $13 (€11).

10. Karlovy Vary (Czech Republic) — “Rosa Khutor” (Russia)

Karlovy Vary is a unique resort city that is famous all around the world for its health resorts. The wonderful combination of fresh air and colorful architecture attracts hundreds of thousands of tourists all year round. At the same time, you can visit another place, just as gorgeous as the first one, a ski resort called “Rosa Khutor,” which is located on the bank of the river, Mzymta. Every year, more and more people visit this place.

11. Tower Bridge (England) — Suzhou Bridge (China)

Tower Bridge boasts a suspension and a drawbridge design at the same time. It’s this bridge that became a world-famous symbol of London. The entry price is almost $15. A bit more than 5,500 miles away, in the Chinese city of Suzhou, there is a replica of the London bridge. The Asian version differs from the original with its double construction, as it doesn’t have the function of a drawbridge.

12. Venice (Italy) — Colmar (France)

Is there a single person who doesn’t dream of going to Venice to enjoy the architectural look of the legendary city on water?! The best means of transportation for such a promenade is a gondola, an elegant Venezian boat. 2 unexpected moments await each tourist who decides to have a ride on it: a hefty price and long lines. The cost of a standard tour starts anywhere from $96 (€80). In order to save money and get as just as great an impression, you can go to a French city called Colmar. Not only are there way fewer tourists here, but the cost of a water promenade is only around $8 (€7).

13. Stonehenge (Great Britain) — Callanish (Scotland)

Stonehenge is one of the most famous sightseeing spots — not only in Great Britain but in the entire world. Annually, more than 800,000 tourists come here to see the stone construction that is connected to numerous legends and mysteries. In order to buy an entry ticket, you will have to spend about $31 (€26). No less mysterious is a place in Scotland called Callanish. Plus, you can visit it for free. It has no fences and you can touch the 5,000-year-old stones with your hands.

14. The Capitol (USA) — El Capitolio (Cuba)

The US Capitol is a place where congress has meetings, which is why it always makes its way onto the must-see lists among tourists who come to Washington. A similar construction can be found in Cuba. The Havana Capitol is located in the very center of the city, and it’s here, in the main hall of the building, where the Kilometre Zero mark decorated with a 25-carat diamond is located.

15. Bonneville Salt Flats (USA) — Salar de Uyuni (Bolivia)

Not many people have any idea what the Bonneville Salt Flats in the US look like, but most of us can recognize them thanks to Hollywood movies. For example, this scenery can be seen in the Independence Day movie. As funny as it might sound, there is an almost absolute copy of this place on another part of the planet. Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia represents the same multi-mile land surrounded by a mountainous landscape with an ideally smooth surface. The flick, Star Wars: The Last Jedi, was shot here.

16. Taj Mahal (India) — Bibi Ka Maqbara (India)

The gorgeous Taj Mahal is located in the Indian city, Agra. The building bears a double function — it serves as a mosque and a mausoleum. About 22,000 masters worked on its creation. Annually, as many as 7 to 8 million tourists come to this place to look at it. The site is open all week round, except for Fridays. The cost of the entry ticket for foreigners is about $15. If you look at the building of Bibi Ka Maqbara, a mausoleum that’s located in the city of Aurangabad, you can find an obvious resemblance in their architecture. The complex is a bit smaller than the original, but it’s more affordable for visitors with an entrance cost of about $4.

17. Leaning Tower of Pisa (Italy) — the copy of Leaning Tower of Pisa (USA)

There is hardly any person who has never heard about the Tower of Pisa, the leaning bell tower. An enormous amount of tourists come here to take a photo with the tower in the background. The cost of the entry ticket is $21.50 (€18). However, few people know that there is a smaller copy of the Italian “legend” in the US. The construction is located in Niles, Illinois. It was built in 1934 by Robert Ilg as part of a recreational park for employees of his company.

18. Christ the Redeemer Statue (Brazil) — Christ the King Statue (Portugal)

The famous statue of Christ the Redeemer is 98 feet tall, excluding its 26-foot pedestal. Since the construction is located at the top of a mountain, there are many cases where lightning has struck the monument. For this reason, it has to be restored quite frequently. A tremendous number of tourists want to get to its base every day, which is why taking a photo with the statue in the background can be quite a complicated task. The cost of an entry ticket starts at $12 (depending on the season). A quite similar copy of Christ the King is located in Lisbon. Its height is a bit shorter than 100 feet, but its pedestal is almost 270 feet tall. To get to the observation deck, you’ll have to pay about $10.70 (€9).

19. Sphinx (Egypt) — the copy of Sphinx (China)

The Sphinx is a famous statue of a mythical creature that is located next to the Egyptian pyramids. The figure is carved from solid rocky limestone. Its exact time of construction and true origin are still unknown. Crowds of tourists come here every year to see one of the oldest statues in the world. The Chinese city, Shijiazhuang, has a scandalously famous copy of the Sphinx that has caused a number of debates over the years. There are usually not many people who want to look at this landmark, which is why many tourists intentionally come to this place instead.

20. The Statue of Liberty (USA) — the copy of the Statue of Liberty (Japan)

The Statue of Liberty was a gift from the French to the people of the US, built in 1886. More than 4 million tourists visit this famous landmark annually. The cost of an entry ticket for one adult is about $23. The almost exact replica of this monument is located on the other side of the world, on Odaiba island in Tokyo Bay. The statue is 4 times smaller than the original, but there aren’t as many tourists here.

What other famous landmarks that resemble each other are you aware of?