The World’s Riskiest Selfie Locations

The selfie has become a cultural asset of global tourism and the thriving self-portraiture industry – an activity in which we all happily participate. However, some people overdo it, and an estimated 30 to 50 people die each year while attempting to shoot a particularly impressive selfie in a perilous location. And these are just the documented cases; the number of unreported cases is very certainly substantially greater, with falls and drowning being the leading causes.

Some locations are highly appealing for selfies, but they are also extremely dangerous. Professional façade climbers and stunt artists may undertake such photographs as part of their job, but when the typical tourist climbs cliffs, plunges into waterfalls, or leans out of moving trains for a risky photograph, it’s quite another.

These are the world’s most dangerous selfie locations:

Trolltunga Rock, Norway

In Norway, you can discover risky stances on the rocks above the gorgeous fjords, which invite you to take shots from terrifying heights. Trolltunga (Troll’s tongue) is extremely perilous, and is recognized as the best site in the world for selfies, with its popularity skyrocketing in recent years, owing primarily to Instagram. While there used to be 500 visitors each year who hiked to what has been dubbed “selfie rock,” the most recent total was 40,000. Not only can a fall be lethal (a tourist was killed in 2015), but the hike up to the spot is hazardous and demanding. Aside from that, tourists may have to wait up to two hours to take their selfie.

Plan your trip to Trolltunga Rock

Incan Ruins Of Machu Picchu, Peru

Machu Picchu is one of the most well-known attractions in South America. Many tourists prefer to take selfies instead of capturing the beautiful ruins and surroundings, however this is quite dangerous because the steps and rocks are well-trodden and frequently damp. A German tourist was killed after he stumbled while attempting to take a selfie with a drone.

Plan your trip to Machu Picchu

Running Of The Bulls, Pamplona, Spain

In 2019, an American visitor nearly died while trying to take a picture at the Pamplona bull race in Spain. He had already participated in the race and wanted to take a photo of himself as proof when a bull rammed his neck with its horns, but his life was saved thanks to a two-hour emergency procedure. The mayor of Pamplona later forbade taking photos, movies, and selfies during the bull runs; in 2015, a man died while taking a selfie at the bull run in the Spanish municipality of Villaseca de la Sagra.

Plan your trip to Pamplona

Taft Point, Yosemite National Park

A visitor died in 2018 after falling from Taft Point in Yosemite National Park while taking a selfie. The granite peaks and overlooks of Yosemite National Park provide beautiful views that make for wonderful photographs, but a loose rock or a single false step might send you tumbling hundreds of feet. Hikers visiting Yosemite’s famed Half Dome are warned to keep their hands on the cables while ascending.

Plan your trip to Yosemite National Park

Grand Canyon, Arizona

Tourists go to Eagle Point in Arizona’s Grand Canyon. In 2019, a tourist died while attempting to take a photo at the location, which had no barrier between tourists and the edge.

Plan your trip to Grand Canyon

Horseshoe Bend, Arizona

Two deaths related to selfies have been reported in the last five years. A man died after falling from the overlook in February; other tourists later reported authorities he had left the viewing platform and was observed behind the safety railing.

Paia Grande, Penha, Brazil

Last year, a visitor died at this beach while attempting to take a gorgeous selfie; she was washed away by waves from a rocky outcrop. The picturesque beach in the coastal city of Penha is surrounded by rocks, which can be slippery. Tourists can be observed ignoring nature’s forces on many other beaches across the world in search of the ultimate selfie.

Plan your trip to Penha

Mount Huashan, China

The well-known wooden hiking track on this mountain is dangerous, even for seasoned hikers. The Chinese authorities keep quiet about how many people die here each year, with anyone wanting to snap a photo standing in the air – with one foot in the grave.

Plan your trip to Mount Huashan

Plitvice Lakes, Croatia

There are numerous possibilities to put oneself in the spotlight in Croatia’s Plitvice Lakes National Park. A Canadian visitor miraculously survived after falling from a height of more than 70 meters a few years ago.

Plan your trip to Plitvice Lakes

Selfies With Animals

Taking a photo with a bunch of visitors in the background is nowhere near as enticing as taking a selfie with a bear in the background. In recent years, there have been several frightening incidents in US national parks, with visitors approaching bears and other wild creatures; park rangers have their hands full deterring naïve selfie hunters from approaching bears, mountain lions, bighorn sheep, or bison. And, when it comes to selfies with hazardous creatures, we can’t forget about the folks who try to snap the best shots of their lives by storming a zoo enclosure – meaning it may be their final shot. A man approached many enclosures in a Chinese zoo for selfies several years ago, and was killed by a walrus on his final try.

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