By Liam Isola We hear plenty about tourist hotspot nations like France, Italy, and Japan. However, the least-visited countries in the world are seldom on our radar. In fact, you may not have even heard of them. So, today, we’ll discuss the most popular attraction in the 20 least-visited countries in the world.
While there may not be many high-profile destinations in any of these countries, there are undoubtedly worthwhile places to visit. Some incredibly unique travel experiences and places are on this list. So, it’s yet another reminder not to judge books by their cover.
1. Tuvalu: Most Popular Attraction
The least-visited country in the world is Tuvalu. Tuvalu is a small Pacific island nation, which is a 2-hour and 30-minute flight from Fiji. Just 4,350 international visitors went to Tuvalu in 2025.
Tuvalu’s Funafuti Marine Conservation Area is its most popular attraction. This area covers multiple islands, reefs, and the lagoon in the middle of the atoll. There are good areas for snorkeling/diving. Also, there are opportunities to view wildlife like turtles, seabirds, and colorful reef fish.
2. Marshall Islands: Most Popular Attraction
With slightly more visitors than Tuvalu (6,130), the Marshall Islands are the second-least visited country in the world. The country consists of over 1,200 islands, only 24 of which are inhabited.
In the 1940s, the country’s Bikini Atoll was chosen as a site to test nuclear weapons by the US government. The US forcibly relocated the islanders and tested weapons during the Cold War.
Now, the atoll is a UNESCO World Heritage Site with shipwrecks. While the islands themselves are still radioactive, it is supposedly safe to dive there.
3. Niue: Most Popular Attraction
Known as the “Rock of Polynesia”, Niue is a small island nation not terribly far from Tonga and Samoa. There are only about 1,800 people on the island, which has some interesting tourist attractions.
The most popular attraction in Niue is the Limu Pools, on the island’s northwest side. Along with the limestone cliff backdrops, they’re great for snorkeling. Other places to check out include the Avaiki Cave and Talava Arches.
4. Kiribati
Kiribati, another country comprised of Pacific atolls, is one of the nations most threatened by climate change. It also has world-class fly fishing.
Christmas Island is one of the only places in the world where you can saltwater flyfish. So, it is the best attraction in the country.
5. Micronesia
Micronesia has one of the most unique attractions on this list. However, they received just 18,000 visitors in 2025. On the island of Pohnpei, you’ll find the “Venice of the Pacific”.
Nan Madol was the capital of the Saudeleur Dynasty, who built artificial islands connected by canals. These ruins are the most popular attraction in the Marshall Islands.
6. Solomon Islands
No surprise that another Pacific Island nation is next on the list. The Solomon Islands aren’t as remote as some of the other places on the list. Still, only 29,000 people visited in 2025.
The most popular attractions on the island are related to the WWII Guadalcanal campaign. There are shipwrecks in the Iron Bottom Sound as well as military artifacts at the Vilu War Museum.
7. Sao Tome and Principe
We’ve finally reached the first non-Pacific Island nation on the list. Still, São Tomé and Príncipe is an island nation off the west coast of Africa.
The country is beautiful, with a lush volcanic landscape. Obo National Park is a great example of this, but the most popular thing to do is to visit the Saint Nicholas Waterfall on the island of São Tomé.
8. Comoros
Now, over to Africa’s east coast, where you’ll find The Comoros. Situated on a volcanic archipelago, the biggest attraction is, unsurprisingly, trekking up to the volcano.
Mount Karthala, on Ngazidja Island, is the best place to visit in the Comoros. You could do a two-day trek to the active volcano.
9. Guinea-Bissau
Our first continental entry is the small African nation of Guinea-Bissau. However, as a coastal nation, its most popular destination is yet another archipelago.
The Bijagos Islands, where the Bijago people live, provide an authentic cultural experience. They also have some spectacular wildlife, like unique saltwater hippos, African manatees, and crocodiles.
10. Sierra Leone
Okay, here’s the first actual continental entry, but it’s not exactly in the interior of the African continent. Sierra Leone’s number one attraction is the stunning River No. 2 Beach, under an hour away from the capital, Freetown.
Even though there were only 71,000 international arrivals in Sierra Leone in 2025, it is relatively safe to visit and has a well-connected international airport.
11. Chad
On the other hand, Chad is not generally considered safe to visit. So, only 81,000 people visited Chad in 2025.
However, it has an unbelievable UNESCO-listed desert area called the Ennedi Plateau. Apparently, it is so remote that 75 percent of it has never been explored. There are otherworldly rock formations, including arches and deep gorges.
For the intrepid traveler who can secure a 4×4 vehicle, this could be one of the trips of a lifetime.
12. Timor-Leste
Bordering Indonesia, Timor-Leste is a Southeast Asian island nation north of Australia. Timor-Leste consists of three main islands: Timor, Jaco, and Atauro. The most popular attraction in the country is diving in the Wetar Strait right off the southern coast of Atauro.
The biodiversity in the reef is some of the best in the world, so it could be worth a visit if you’re on a Southeast Asian trip.
13. Central African Republic
With frequent armed conflicts, the Central African Republic is one of only two countries on this list with a “Level 4: Do Not Travel” warning from the US Department of State.
Regardless, the most awe-inspiring place in the CAR is the Manovo-Gounda-Saint Floris National Park. This National Park, with protected savanna, has incredible wildlife such as lions, leopards, elephants, rhinos, and zebras.
14. Tonga
Back to the Pacific islands, where you can have an undeniably unique experience in Tonga. From July to October, Humpback whales migrate near the Vava’u island group.
The best part about this is that, with a guide, you can swim up close to the whales and hear their songs. Tonga is quite close to Fiji by plane, and this is something I’ve definitely added to my personal travel bucket list.
Even if you’re not comfortable swimming with the whales, whale watching by boat is another popular activity.
15. Palau
Another country in the Pacific, another unique diving experience. Palau is a few hours away from the Philippines by flight, and consists of around 340 islands.
In the Rock Islands, there’s a menacing-sounding lake called Jellyfish Lake, which is indeed full of jellyfish. However, these golden jellyfish evolved without any stingers. So, you can swim freely among millions of jellyfish for an unforgettable experience.
16. Liechtenstein
It is astounding that Liechtenstein, given its location in Europe between Switzerland and Austria, is one of the least-visited countries in the world.
In any case, Many of the 98,100 visitors it receives annually check out its castles. Vaduz Castle is located in the capital, but Burg Gutenberg is the most iconic castle in this microstate. It dates back to the 13th century and has a stunning mountain backdrop.
17. Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso is the second and final country on the list with a “Do Not Travel” warning. It’s also, ironically, the first country on the list that received 100,000 visitors last year.
The only UNESCO-listed site in the West African nation is the Ruins of Loropeni, not far from the Ghana and Ivory Coast borders. This mysterious site, much of which still hasn’t been excavated, reached its peak during the 14th to 17th centuries during the Trans-Saharan Gold Trade.
18. Cook Islands: Most Popular Attraction
A self-governing country whose inhabitants are citizens of New Zealand, the Cook Islands are located east of Niue.
By far, the most popular attraction in the county is the Aitutaki Lagoon. The lagoon surrounds the island of Aitutaki and is notable for lagoon cruises and surreal snorkeling experiences. There are giant coral clams in the lagoon. The lagoon itself displays stunning shades of blue where it meets the ocean.
19. Moldova: Most Popular Attraction
Moldova is a strange and small nation in Eastern Europe, bordering Romania and Ukraine. I say strange due to the Russian breakaway state of Transnistria within Moldova.
Still, most of the country is safe to travel in, which includes the capital, Chisinau. You can take a minibus from the capital to the Orheiul Vechi Cultural and Natural Reserve, the most popular tourist destination in the country.
It has a cave monastery dating back to the 13th Century, in which monks still live today. There are also remains of Tatar fortifications and a quaint nearby village called Butuceni.
20. Samoa: Most Popular Attraction
Samoa, the most-visited nation on this list, received a whopping 181,000 visitors in 2025. A Pacific island nation, Samoa consists of two main islands and several smaller ones. On the second-largest island, Upolu, there is an incredible-looking sinkhole that you can swim in.
The To-Sua Ocean Trench is meters away from the ocean, but it feels like its own world. The emerald-colored waters are 30-feet deep at points, and the grotto is surrounded by lush vegetation, making it the most photogenic spot in Samoa.