The world’s most amazing malls offer far more than just shopping. Thanks to their extensive amenities, these extraordinary destinations are like mini-vacation spots or even places you could live. Beyond a wide range of shops, these malls boast incredible features such as wedding chapels and indoor ski slopes. You can immerse yourself in a unique and luxurious experience, making each visit unforgettable.
Must-Visit Malls Worldwide: Top 10 Spectacular Places to Travel!
Mall of America: A Shopper’s Paradise
Located in Bloomington, Minnesota, Mall of America boasts a gross leasable area of 2.77 million square feet. This colossal mall opened in 1992 and is the third largest in North America. It offers an impressive variety of attractions, including a theme park and a wedding chapel, where over 5,000 couples have tied the knot since the mall’s inception. With a total retail space of 4.2 million square feet, you could fit seven Yankee stadiums inside the Mall of America, making it a true marvel of retail architecture.
Drawing over 40 million visitors annually, Mall of America is the most visited shopping mall globally, attracting several guests that are eight times the population of Minnesota. A shopper would need more than 86 hours to visit every store, spending just 10 minutes in each. In addition to shopping, the mall features a variety of entertainment options, including a cinema, the Nickelodeon Universe theme park, an aquarium, adventure golf, flight simulators, and a comedy house, ensuring an unforgettable experience for every visitor.
Mall of the Emirates: Dubai’s Premier Shopping Destination
Placed in Dubai, the Mall of the Emirates offers a gross leasable area of 2.4 million square feet. While it features the typical amenities of a modern mall, such as a fourteen-screen movie theatre, a gaming arena, a variety of stores, and a drama theatre, its standout attraction is Ski Dubai, the Middle East’s first indoor ski slope. This unique feature places the Mall of the Emirates among the region’s top destinations for shopping and leisure.
In addition to Ski Dubai, the mall houses Magic Planet, the largest indoor family entertainment complex in Dubai. Magic Planet boasts the first 4D theatre in the UAE and offers the state-of-the-art RoboCoaster, a thrilling two-person ride unique to the Middle East. These attractions and its extensive shopping and dining options make Mall of the Emirates a must-visit destination for locals and tourists.
GUM Moscow: A Historic Shopping Landmark
Located in Moscow’s Kitai-Gorod, GUM is renowned for its stunning architecture and semi-circular glass roof. Originally known as the State Department Store during Soviet times, GUM served as the main department store across many cities in the former Soviet Union. Today, the most famous GUM faces Red Square and has transformed into a modern shopping mall, retaining its historic charm and grandeur.
A popular tourist destination, GUM features around 200 stores, many of which showcase high-fashion brand names familiar in the West. Despite locals jokingly referring to these as “exhibitions of prices” due to the unaffordability of the items, the mall remains a bustling hub of luxury and style. Since 2005, GUM has continued to attract visitors with its combination of historic charm and modern sophistication retail offerings.
Ala Moana Center: Honolulu’s Premier Shopping Destination
Located in Honolulu, Ala Moana Center boasts an impressive 2.4 million square feet of gross leasable space. Renowned as the largest open-air shopping mall in the world, it also features one of the largest food courts globally. With its unique open-air design and extensive dining options, Ala Moana Center offers a distinct shopping experience that attracts visitors worldwide.
Built in 1959, Ala Moana Center is the fifteenth-largest mall in the United States. It focuses its marketing efforts on tourism, providing brochures in Japanese to cater to its significant Japanese clientele. Home to over 290 shops and restaurants, including boutiques from leading fashion designers, it is a hub of luxury and style.
Villagio Mall: Doha’s Unique Shopping Experience
Villagio Mall is located in Doha and has 1.4 million square feet of retail space. Its indoor design sets it apart, featuring ceilings and lighting that create the illusion of shopping under an open sky. When you need a break from browsing the shops, you can enjoy a serene gondola ride on the canal that flows through the mall’s center.
Villagio Mall offers distinct areas that mimic different times of the day, allowing visitors to experience sunsets, nighttime with street lamps, and daytime all under one roof. The mall houses 220 stores, a 13-screen IMAX 3D cinema, and an ice-skating rink, with plans to add a roller coaster. These unique features make Villagio Mall a must-visit destination for shopping and entertainment in Doha.
Midtown Tokyo: A Pinnacle of Luxury in the Heart of the City
Located in Tokyo, Midtown Tokyo spans 786,000 square feet of gross leasable area within a prestigious 6.1 million square foot mixed-use development. This haute-couture mall sits in a high-end district. It is part of a $3 billion project that includes office spaces, residential areas, commercial zones, a hotel, leisure facilities, and the tallest building in Tokyo. The development also houses the new quarters of the Suntory Museum of Art, making it a cultural hub and a shopping destination.
The five-floor retail Galleria within Midtown Tokyo offers an array of upscale stores, restaurants, and shops. Highlights include the first Terence Conran restaurants in Japan, Coppola’s Vinoteca wine bar featuring wines by Francis Ford Coppola, and an outlet of the luxury American food retailer Dean & DeLuca. These offerings, its elegant design, and its prime location make Midtown Tokyo a premier destination for luxury shopping and dining.
Wafi Mall: Where Ancient Egypt Meets Modern Luxury
Situated in Dubai, Wafi Mall spans 861,000 square feet and is part of the elaborate Wafi City complex, which opened in 2001. Embracing an ancient Egyptian theme, the mall features pyramid-shaped restaurants and a unique theme park. Despite its thematic approach, Wafi Mall maintains a reputation as one of Dubai’s most sophisticated shopping destinations.
The mall offers extensive amenities across five levels, including over 350 stores. Visitors can explore boutiques such as Marks & Spencer, Topshop, and La Senza, indulge in culinary delights at the Pyramids dining complex, and enjoy entertainment at the Encounter Zone theme park area. Additionally, Wafi Mall boasts an underground Arabian souq called Khan Murjan. It offers relaxation at Cleopatra’s Spa, ensuring a blend of cultural ambiance and modern luxury for shoppers and visitors alike.
GPO Melbourne: A Historic Landmark Reimagined
Melbourne’s GPO (General Post Office) is a prominent architectural icon in Australia. Initially serving as Melbourne’s central post office from 1907 to 1993, this historic building was transformed into a vibrant shopping center in 2004. GPO Melbourne houses 50 stores across three levels today, offering a unique blend of historic charm and modern retail experiences.
The GPO building showcases stunning architecture and holds cultural significance as a central point for measuring road distances in Melbourne. Its conversion into a shopping destination has preserved its historical integrity while providing visitors with a diverse shopping and dining experience in the heart of Melbourne’s bustling city center.
West Edmonton Mall: North America’s Ultimate Shopping and Entertainment Destination
Located in Edmonton, Alberta, West Edmonton Mall is the largest shopping mall in North America and the fifth largest globally, boasting a vast gross leasable area of 3.77 million square feet. Built in 1981, this iconic mall boasts over 800 shops and services, with parking facilities for over 20,000 vehicles. Its attractions are as diverse as they are impressive, including the world’s largest indoor water park with a giant wave pool, a theme park called Galaxyland with thrilling rides including a roller coaster, and unique themed areas such as Bourbon Street, Europa Boulevard, and Chinatown.
Beyond shopping and entertainment, West Edmonton Mall offers an array of unique experiences. Visitors can explore an indoor lake with sea lions and a replica of Santa Maria and enjoy amenities like a hotel, indoor shooting range, petting zoo, dinner theatre, cinemas, and even an inter-denominational chapel. This comprehensive blend of retail, leisure, and attractions makes West Edmonton Mall a must-visit destination for residents and visitors looking for a memorable experience in Edmonton.
The Dubai Mall: Epicenter of Luxury and Entertainment
In Dubai, the Dubai Mall is the world’s largest mall in total area, spanning an impressive 12.1 million square feet. Since its grand opening in 2008, the mall has become a global landmark, offering a staggering array of experiences. The Dubai Mall, home to 1,200 shops, provides a range of iconic attractions, including a spectacular aquarium recognized by the Guinness World Records for having the “Largest Acrylic Panel.” Visitors can enjoy a large ice rink, a lavish 250-room hotel, and 22 cinema screens. Visitors can also savor diverse culinary offerings at more than 120 cafes and restaurants.
What sets The Dubai Mall apart is its innovative “malls-within-a-mall” concept, which includes themed shopping areas like the bustling Gold Souk, the trendy Fashion Avenue, and The Grove—a unique indoor-outdoor streetscape with a retractable roof. This blend of luxury, entertainment, and architectural innovation makes The Dubai Mall a premier destination for shopping, dining, and leisure experiences on a grand scale.
Conclusion:
The world’s most incredible malls offer more than just shopping—they provide a blend of luxury, entertainment, and cultural immersion that rivals exotic vacation destinations. From the Mall of America’s expansive theme park and wedding chapel to Dubai’s Dubai Mall with its record-breaking aquarium and indoor ice rink, each destination promises an unforgettable experience. Whether skiing in the desert at the Mall of the Emirates or exploring ancient Egypt-themed Wafi Mall, these malls redefine shopping as an adventure. They cater to every visitor with diverse amenities and attractions, inviting locals and tourists alike to indulge in a world where shopping meets unparalleled leisure and luxury.
