How much do museums and attractions cost?
The FOREX Tours and activities Index 2026 shows how much selected experiences cost for a family in 24 popular cities. The comparison includes admission to a museum and other attraction, as well as a souvenir, lunch, and transportation for two adults and two children.
From museums and historical monuments to observation towers and world-famous landmarks – the price of a day of experiences can vary greatly between different travel destinations. The FOREX Tours and Activities Index compares cities from Stockholm and Sarajevo to Paris, New York and Tokyo.
Sarajevo is the cheapest in this year's FOREX Tours and Activities Index. Visiting the War Childhood Museum and the Avaz Twist Tower observation deck, along with lunch, souvenirs and local transport is about 63 percent cheaper than in Stockholm.
Marrakech and Tokyo also offer a lot of experience for the money. In Marrakech, the compared day costs a little less than half, while the corresponding cost in Tokyo is just over half.
Prague, Krakow, Riga and Budapest are also among the cheaper cities. Here a family can visit well-known museums and historical sights for a significantly lower cost than in Stockholm.
Copenhagen, Edinburgh and Dublin are slightly cheaper than Stockholm in this year's comparison. Rome, Amsterdam and Istanbul are very close to the Swedish capital, while Oslo and Berlin are slightly more expensive.
For those planning a weekend trip to one of Europe's most popular cities, it is not always just the city's general price level that determines the cost - the choice of museum, attraction and ticket options can have at least as much of an impact.
In Edinburgh, free admission to the National Museum of Scotland's regular exhibitions helps keep the total down, although a visit to Edinburgh Castle costs all the more.
New York is the most expensive city in this year's comparison. A family visit to the Museum of Modern Art and a trip to the top of the Empire State Building, along with lunch, souvenirs and transport, costs almost 75 percent more than a day of experiences in Stockholm.
After New York, London and Paris follow. In London, the compared cost is 56 percent higher, while in Paris it is about 25 percent higher. Barcelona and Oslo are also more expensive than Stockholm, but the difference is smaller than for New York and London.
The higher costs are mainly due to the entrance fees to some of the world's most popular attractions. Lookouts, castles, historical monuments and museums can account for a large part of a family's experience budget.
Below is the full list of tours and activities in 24 cities - From cheapest to most expensive
The FOREX Tours and Activities Index compares the same types of expenses in 24 cities, with Stockholm as the reference. For each city, admission to one museum and one attraction, two souvenirs, lunch and local transport for two adults and two children are included. The results show which cities are cheaper or more expensive than Stockholm for these expenses – not what the entire trip costs.
Tickets to large museums and attractions are often booked in advance and paid for by card. But around the visit itself, smaller expenses are added that are easily forgotten in the travel budget, such as souvenirs, small purchases, lunch, markets, tips and taxis.
Cash also makes it easier to keep track of the day's budget and is necessary if cards are not accepted or when a payment terminal is not working. Card payments and cash withdrawals can also involve additional currency surcharges and withdrawal fees depending on the card, bank and ATM.
FOREX Tours and Activites Index is a comparative price indication and should not be considered a price guarantee, quote or complete travel budget. Prices were collected as of August 18, 2026 and may have changed since measurement. Actual costs may vary depending on travel date, season, dynamic pricing, availability, booking channel, selected time, age of children, citizenship, residency, student status, ticket terms, discounts, route and payment method. The index does not include flights, accommodation, travel insurance, breakfast, dinner, drinks, additional activities, shopping or other transportation during the trip.
