14 Legendary Streets Across the Globe That Belong on Your Travel Bucket List
As a full-time traveler, I’ve seen my fair share of streets. There are beautiful streets worldwide, from little villages in Asia to the streets of Paris. However, not all roads are famous, like the ones in this post.
I’ve compiled a list of the most famous streets in the world so you can add them to your bucket list or know that you’ve been to a truly iconic avenue.
1. Champs-Élysées, France
Starting with the most famous street, we have the Champs-Élysées in Paris, France. This runs through the center of Paris and has high-end department stores that line both sides.
The iconic Arc de Triomphe is at the top of this street, where you can walk under and see the incredible architecture. You can also go inside the Arch to the top and get great views of the Champs-Élysées and the rest of the city.
2. Lombard Street, USA
San Francisco has one of the most famous streets in the US. It’s notorious for its steepness (a 27% grade!) and is known as “the crookedest street in the world” because of its eight sharp turns.
This roadway is lined with trees, flowers, and beautiful houses. It also gets millions of visitors per year, so if you want it somewhat to yourself, make sure you get here early in the day.
3. Abbey Road, UK
This road was made famous by the Beatles with the album Abbey Road. It’s the second most famous Beatles album with 19.9 million copies sold just behind Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. The original album was going to be called Everest and their cover photo was to be taken in the Himalayas.
They decided that was too difficult and decided instead to name the album after the street, they recorded that album on which was Abbey Road. They walked outside the studio, took the iconic photo of them walking across the crosswalk, and called it a day. It gets thousands of visitors annually and if you’re a Beatles fan, coming to this crosswalk could almost be considered a pilgrimage.
4. Hanoi Train Street, Vietnam
This one might not be the most well-known, but if you’ve seen pictures of a super narrow street with a train going down it on Instagram, you’ve most likely seen it. It’s one of the cutest you’ll ever see and has little shops and houses that line the train tracks.
The train only passes through this section of Hanoi twice per day so make sure that you look up the train schedule before going here. You can expect hundreds of people lining the streets when the train comes through, so make sure you have a place to hide from the train when it comes by.
5. Bourbon Street, USA
Bourbon Street in New Orleans is a must-visit place in the south. It’s in the center of the French Quarter and is 13 blocks long. It’s a constant party all year long 24/7 but if you want to see it at its peak, you must come during Mardi Gras.
This is when you’ll get free beads, see giant floats roll down the street, and see everyone dressed in Mardi Gras revelers costumes. If you like to party and have a good time, this is a place you need to go to.
6. Shibuya Crossing, Japan
This is not technically a street, but a cross. More specifically, it’s the busiest pedestrian intersection in the world. This crossing gets about 390,000 people that cross here per day!
With Tokyo having the highest population in the world, it’s no wonder this intersection is so busy. There are a lot of stores and restaurants around this area, even restaurants with views of the crossing where you can relax and enjoy a snack while watching the thousands of people below.
7. Broadway Street, USA
Did you know that Times Square in New York is on Broadway Street? This makes it one of the most popular in the world! Not only is it the most popular, but it’s also one of the longest at 150 miles!
It’s also where all the most popular theaters are in New York, like the Broadway Theatre, Palace Theatre, and Winter Garden Theatre. If you want to know what New York is like, this street is a great way to taste it!
8. Nyhavn Harbour, Denmark
This is one of my favorite streets. It’s in the center of Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark. It’s famous for its colorful 17th and early 18th-century townhouses that line the water.
At one end is the Memorial Anchor, placed here in 1945 to commemorate the lives lost during World War II. This is also the area tour boats leave from. One boat even has a theater!
9. Hollywood Boulevard, USA
If there’s one street I would encourage you not to visit, it’s Hollywood Boulevard. When I traveled here in 2022, it was one of the worst places I’ve ever been. The street has thousands of homeless people, hundreds of pounds of trash, and building after building of abandoned stores.
The Hollywood Walk of Fame is also one of the most underwhelming things I’ve seen. There are over 2,790 stars that line the sidewalk, which I thought would be pretty cool. However, most are broken, impossible to find, or covered in trash/unknown liquids.
10. Orchard Road, Singapore
Singapore is the country of the future, and this street does a great job of showing this. It mixes amazing modern architecture with old Chinese houses to create something you’ve never seen before. This is also where the best shopping area is in Singapore.
They have everything from high-end department stores like Louis Vuitton and Tiffany & Co. to cheap little eateries and souvenir shops. A famous building along this boulevard is the ION Orchard shopping mall. It’s a modern building with hundreds of stores and is the place to be if you’re a big shopper.
11. Royal Mile, UK
This famous street in Edinburgh, Scotland, is the most medieval on this list. It begins at Edinburgh Castle and ends at the Palace of HolyroodhouseIt’s.
While strolling along you’ll see medieval churches, castles, and ancient apartment buildings and shops. There are also underground sections of the street where you can see hidden passageways and discover the city’s dark past.
12. Wall Street, USA
Wall Street is in the financial district of New York City. It consists of eight blocks and is between Broadway Street and South Street. It’s where the New York Stock Exchange is located, which is the world’s largest stock exchange.
Another famous building here is the Trinity Church, constructed in 1698. It’s at the end of Wall Street and is wedged between huge skyscrapers, which makes it look totally out of place but makes for an amazing picture. There are also countless bank headquarters, hotels, and the Federal Hall National Memorial.
13. Khao San Road, Thailand
If you think you’ve seen it all, you haven’t until you’ve been to Khao San Road in Thailand. The street is only about 400 meters long but has plenty of tourists, food stalls, and hostels.
This is the first place you’ll want to head to after the sun has set and you’re ready to party. People worldwide congregate here to swap stories, share a drink, and have a great time. Some more illegal things go down here, but you’ll have to research that for yourself.
14. La Rambla, Spain
This famous pedestrian street in Spain is about a half-mile long and is full of history, incredible architecture, and high-end shops. It’s lined with trees so it’s the perfect spot to get away from the beach and sun and stroll around the city.
The La Boqueria market sells fresh produce, meat, and fish and is the perfect place to grab a quick snack. There are also theaters and music shops that you can explore which are great ways to get to know Barcelona better.
What do you think?
Were there any streets that I missed? Which is your favorite street? Let me know in the comments! Thanks for reading!
