Looking for a new place to travel? There are so many unique places to go and things to do that it can be hard to choose. You might be surprised to find out that some of the most popular places to visit aren’t even the best options! So, how can you tell which places will be a travel bust and which ones will be a vacationer’s dream? To help you avoid tourist traps that won’t live up to the hype, here is our list of popular tourist destinations that aren’t worth the trip.
Times Square
You might think of Times Square as iconic and assume it would be an exciting place to visit. Exciting might not be the right word. It is overcrowded and doesn’t offer much more than being able to say that you’ve been there. Save yourself the hassle unless you happen to be there anyway for a show or the shopping.
The Leaning Tower of Pisa
The name says it all, and that’s about all there is to say. Unless you’re obsessed with getting a picture that sort of looks like you are holding up the tower or you want to wait in line for hours and pay 18 Euros to climb up to an okay view, this place is just a tourist trap.
Trevi Fountain
This fountain is anything but tacky. It’s been revered for more than a quarter of a century for its jaw-dropping beauty. The reason to avoid this one is that the crowds here are so thick, that you’ll likely not get closer than just catching a glimpse of it.
Copenhagen Little Mermaid Statue
Copenhagen is a lovely place, and while we would recommend traveling here, there’s really no reason to visit the Little Mermaid Statue. It’s just a four-foot-tall carved rock that brings out a huge crowd. You’ll end up wasting a lot of time waiting to see it and won’t have much to take away from the experience but a photo.
Venice
The Venetian canals are alluring and highly romanticized, but what no one ever tells you before you go is that the canals make the city streets a nightmare of confusion and dead ends. Top that off with tons of pigeons and pigeon poop everywhere and it’s just not as much fun as it sounds.
The French Quarter
New Orleans is a great place to visit filled with history, charm, and endless cultural highlights. But don’t get stuck in the French Quarter- it’s just a marketing plot to entice all the day drinkers and use sleaze to keep them drinking well into the night. Besides, if you’re just looking for a good place to drink, there are far cheaper and safer places for that.
Hollywood Walk of Fame
We’ll give the TCL Chinese Theatre props for great advertising, but there’s actually nothing to see at the Hollywood Walk of Fame. It’s just a bunch of stars set in concrete with famous names on them. You won’t be seeing any real stars or gaining any significant experience by visiting this attraction.
The Mona Lisa
Leonardo Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa is one of the most famous paintings in the world. It attracts millions of visitors each year. Sadly, this is why it’s not worth the trip to see it. The painting isn’t particularly large and is housed behind bulletproof glass. You will wait in line for hours for a quick glimpse while you could be checking out thousands of other unique pieces The Louvre has on display.
Plymouth Rock
Plymouth Rock sounds like a cool part of history to get to visit, but at the end of the day, it’s just a rock. It sits under a very elaborate canopy and has the year 1620 etched into it, but that’s where the fun ends. If you love American history, there are far better places to visit than this, especially in New England!
Blarney Stone
Speaking of old rocks that aren’t worth your time, Ireland has one, too. More superstitious than historic, the Blarney Stone beckons you to bend over backward to kiss it for the sake of becoming more eloquent. If you want to kiss a dirty rock after millions of other people, we guess that’s your prerogative.
Stonehenge
More impressive than Plymouth Rock or the Blarney Stone, Stonehenge is an ancient formation of large rocks. It’s neat and all, but it’s become just another tourist attraction. Try the Calanais Standing Stones in Scotland – they are far more impressive and much less crowded to visit.
Four Corners
Four Corners isn’t overcrowded. It’s more of an issue that no one cares. The Four Corners monument is a simple plaque in the ground noting the spot where four of the 50 United States border each other. It’s not a geological formation or anything like that, it’s just a man-made political districting line.
The Taj Mahal
You might be surprised to see one of the world’s most famous and beautiful buildings on this list, but there is a good reason. The Taj Mahal was built as a monument to honor and mourn a lost love. Being in a group of a thousand people hurriedly trampling through it seems to somehow devalue the whole experience and miss the point of the monument in the first place.
Madame Tussauds
First of all, a museum filled with life-size wax replicas of famous people, both living and dead, is kind of creepy. Not to mention, you aren’t seeing the real people or anything of value that was connected to them. This is just a strange way to waste a few hours of your life.
Pyramids of Giza
We’re sure you are thinking, “Who wouldn’t want to see one of the ancient wonders of the world?” However, the truth is, that seeing the Pyramids of Giza is pretty unpleasant for the modern adventurer. It’s a long, hot, and dry trip to the site where you’re met with long, dark, narrow hallways that lead to nothing but empty rooms. This is not a fun way to spend an afternoon!
Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE)
Dubai is overhyped and overpriced. Fancy restaurants, luxury cars, and skyscrapers are plentiful, but it doesn’t make up for how overcrowded the place is. On top of that, in its bid to entice tourists, Dubai loses some of its cultural flavor. For a more authentic but still high-end travel experience, check out Oman instead.
Alcatraz
Alcatraz is an island in the middle of San Francisco Bay that was once home to an infamous now abandoned United States prison. It has been the setting of many tales, books, and movies, which is likely part of its mass appeal. Unless you are a real aficionado, Alcatraz isn’t as big of a deal as you would think. It’s not much to look at and is mostly just a product of its stories about prisoners like Al Capone.
Graceland
Graceland is a home in Memphis, Tennessee that once belonged to Elvis Presley “The King of Rock n Roll.” While it is a lovely home, built almost 100 years ago, it is smaller than you have probably imagined and very pricey to enjoy. Basic tickets don’t cover much and each experience is ticketed off for additional revenue. To enjoy all Graceland has to offer, get your wallet out!
Manneken Pis
You could say, “If you’ve seen one fountain you’ve seen them all.” That’s mostly true, but this one in Brussels stands out as particularly tacky. It’s just an old statue of a little boy peeing in a fountain. There’s nothing more to do here than take a picture of the fountain and call it a day.
Bondi Beach
Located in the suburbs of Sydney, Australia, Bondi Beach is absolutely magnificent. The reason to avoid Bondi Beach is that it is not a huge area and when the weather is nice it doesn’t take too many people for it to start to feel very crowded. The good news is that Australia has many beautiful beaches so it isn’t too hard to find a different sandy shore that isn’t as popular.
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