30 People Share World's Most Overrated Travel Destinations That Are Nothing But Tourist Traps
It's true though, some travel destinations are a total ripoff and nothing but tourist traps. There's nothing extra-ordinary about the destination you're visiting, but people have hyped it up so much you can't help but cough up the money to get trapped.
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I remember people hyping up a beach somewhere on this planet. Everyone was praising the "little piece of heaven" and saying things like "you haven't lived if you don't visit..." and stuff like that.
You know how people like to pass the trouble and pain they've gone through to others so they know they aren't alone, right? Much like that.
So I cough up half of my savings because why should I be left out? I wanted to see the little piece of heaven on earth, too.
I've never regretted my choices and decisions as much as I did the day I landed on that pathetic little beach. I won't name it because it ain't worth it.
The point is not everything others love you'll love too, right? What's a must-see for someone is an eyesore for another.
But keeping that aside, there are some travel destinations that don't deserve all the hype, and thanks to Redditor superlemondaze we now know everything we need to before planning a vacation.
Stick this article to your travel diary, you can thank us later.
Grand Canyon Glass Bridge
The glass bridge over the grand canyon. Total rip-off tourist trap.
It takes HOURS to get there from Vegas. They charge you $20 to park in an empty desert
They charge you $30 per person to take the bus from the parking to the attraction (it's like walking from parking into a mall - no distance at all!)
Then they charge you $30 per person if you actually want to walk on the bridge. You cannot take pictures or bring a camera onto the bridge, but they will sell them to you, of course.
There is one overpriced place to eat where they sell you canned food heated up in a microwave for big money... or you could drive 5 hours back to Vegas...
Go there to get scalped.
TommyHolef**ker
The Dead Sea
The Dead Sea. You're in Israel.
In the desert. It's blazing hot, like 115°F.
You think you'll go take a dip in the Dead Sea to cool off, right? Wrong.
First, you have to pay to go through a spa to use their towels, pools, etc. Then you take the wagon/shuttle that drives you from the spa down to the shore.
The wagon/shuttle goes about 5 miles per hour in the scortching sun. No breeze.
Next, you get to the shore of the Dead Sea. You the proceed to run over the sand that's so hot you're sure your feet will burn off.
You tentatively step into the water....and it's like the hottest bath you've ever taken in your life. The water is maybe 1° away from boiling.
But you figure you've made it this far, might as well get the full experience. So you submerge.
It's a mistake. Every pore on your body is burning from the salt.
If you have shaved any part of your body within the last three years, you will feel the salt seep into the little micro cuts and burn you from the inside out. You find cuts on your body you didn't even know you had.
Even your asshole is burning because you have pooped and wiped within the last week, so your skin is raw there. And the worst part is, when you decide you have had enough of this boiling body of water, you practically have to crawl out because you're too bouyant to stand.
And in the process of crawling out, you scrape your knees on the bottom where the salt rocks have crystalized which sets off a whole new round of pain. So now you're hot, sticky from the salt, and every inch of your body burns.
_Emerald_Eyes_
Taj Mahal
The Taj Mahal (Agra). It's surrounded by 10-meter-high walls, and the entrance fee is ludicrously expensive compared to any other attraction in India.
If you're in Agra and want to see the Taj Mahal, go across the river. There are some gardens almost directly across from it, and there's a great spot by the river with a brilliant view of the Taj Mahal, particularly at sunset.
This experience is totally free, and you won't have to deal with crowds.
Nevermind04
Dubai
Dubai. It's the most soulless, cultureless, and artificial city I've been to.
The shameless and obscene display of bling-bling only adds to this vibe, and the supertall skyscrapers and mega malls get old sooner or later.
To top it off, all of this is built overnight on what is essentially slave labor.
PacSan300
Louvre Museum
While the Louvre is wonderful, the Mona Lisa was a huge disappointment. The painting itself is tiny and there are always hordes of people around it.
There are a million better things to see at the Louvre.
lenachristina
The Great Wall of China
If you go to the Great Wall of China, I'd suggest not going to the section right there in Beijing. Very rebuilt and touristy.
Take a van ride a ways out of the city, to the Simitai section. Now there's some uncrowded, old-school Great Wall.
DownUpOverAndBack
Disney Parks
Disney Parks. Want to eat?
Be ready to Shell out $50 a person per day. Oh, you came for the rides?
Enjoy the four or five you make it on unless it's a busy day, those days enjoy the two or three.
flipamadiggermadoo
Machu Picchu
Machu Picchu. I respect the Incas for building it, the real issue I have with it is the current management.
It’s flooded with people (they let in over 3x the cap sto make money) being annoying and it’s very expensive, they bus people up a huge hill all day and we are required to have a tour guide and only spend 3 mins at certain areas.
It’s misrepresenting the history of the Incas to people with selfie sticks. Not my fave
You are WAY better off seeing the Inca capitol, Cusco because it’s where they actually lived and thrived. See Sasqsyhuaman and the Qoricancha sun temple.
Go on a backpacking trip and you will find Inca and pre Inca stuff Everywhere. With no idiotic tourists families.
I highly recommend it.
¡Viva Perú!
ccut
Opera House
Sydney Opera House. The tours are expensive and the inside is kind of underwhelming.
The outside is free and is also the best part. ALTERNATIVE: Just walk around Sydney harbor.
It's free and gorgeous.
CaligulaAndHisHorse
The Liberty Bell
The Liberty Bell. Wait in a long line to look at... a bell.
That looks exactly like it does in all the Philly souvenirs. They don't even let you lick it.
burgundyotter
Hard Rock Cafe
Every Hard Rock Cafe. Seriously, the pricing is similar to a nice chain restaurant, but the food is right on par with Applebee’s.
Jummatron
Madame Tussauds
Madame Tussauds in London.
You're in a city filled to the brim with history and culture and free museums, but you'd rather wait in line for hours and pay a fortune to go see a mannequin of Justin Bieber?
Unknown
The London Eye
What you expect
Whisked into your futuristic pod by smiling flight attendants, you gently rise above the ancient city of London. The crowds fall away as the panorama of the city is laid out before you - truly an experience for the ages
What happens
A snotty customer services assistant rips your d**k out through your wallet as you are shuffled into a stiflingly hot glass pod with dozens of other people. Sweaty tourists barge you out of the way to get to the windows before you have even left the ground.
There are children, and they are screaming. The ride is 45 minutes long.
JamJarre
Times Square
Times Square and Piccadilly Circus, same damn chain restaurants and tourist traps
shiftdnb
Mount Rushmore
Mount Rushmore. It looks exactly like any picture you've ever seen.
It's not easy to get up close to it. If you're in that area, I recommend prioritizing Devil's Tower.
It's well worth it.
JBleezy1979
Waikiki Beach
Waikiki Beach. It's a horrible, crowded concrete beach surrounded by traffic and overpriced stores.
Go to literally any other beach in Oahu. But the coolest thing to do is drive up to north shore, and pick a spot on any one of the many relatively isolated beaches there and enjoy the scenery.
rachelgraychel
Pyramids of Giza
Pyramids of Giza; might be being too harsh, but the swarm of aggressive market vendors surrounding them makes the place a bit of a nightmare.
One woman from our group asked a guard to take her photo standing next to the pyramids, and the guard refused to give it back without receiving payment (I cant recall the amount but being extorted by a man with an AK-47 isn't an ideal situation).
Inside the tombs themselves it reeked of piss and was a claustrophobes complete nightmare.
A ~ 5 foot tall, very steep ramp with f**k all to prevent a fall wide enough to fit 1.5 men at best with a steady stream of people coming up from the opposite direction.
Being literally yelled at to buy headscarves and assorted plastic s*** by the truly horrible merchants outside completely ruined my experience of the place, which I'm so, so sad about because I spent months looking forward to the trip.
TheTrustyCrumpet
Branson, Missouri
Branson. The Simpsons weren't really joking when they described it as Las Vegas ran by Ned Flanders.
earlymusicaficionado
The Leaning Tower of Pisa
The Leaning Tower of Pisa - five minutes, that photo, and you're done.
Unknown
Bourbon Street, New Orleans
Now don’t get me wrong, the food is smash so I’d recommend hitting it anyways (Pat O’Brien’s and NOLA Poboys were my favorites).
But the whole street itself is dirty, smells like sewage, and is overloaded with mostly ear rapingly loud rap music and maybe a couple jazz bands.
ProfessorSucc
Plymouth Rock
Put bluntly, this attraction is massively lame, no one even knows if this is the right rock or even if there was a rock.
Beobee1
Hitler's Typewriter
Hitlers typewriter. It's a typewriter, I'm not sure what I expected.
girlthatfelltoearth
Roswell, New Mexico
Roswell, New Mexico. You’d think it would be a hotspot for conventions and space geeks, but it was an incredibly tiny town with dozens of alien shops and barely any people.
It was creepy as hell.
properrocky
Oktoberfest
Oktoberfest. Way too crowded for my liking.
I had a much better time at fests in the smaller villages.
aircraftwhisperer
Romeo and Juliet's Balcony in Verona
Romeo and Juliet's balcony in Verona. Like, 10,000 people all crammed into this tiny alleyway just to see a balcony that I found out was built after the play was written.
I understand Romeo and Juliet is a work of fiction, but the story of the balcony is it inspired the play. I now know that isn't true but as someone knowing very little about Shakespeare, I thought it was true when I went to the wonderful city of Verona.
Jay_1327
Hollywood Blvd
People flock there to glimpse their favorite Hollywood actors... seldom happens.
M&M World
M&M World in London. Every single tourist has a bag from there, they don't even sell the unusual flavours of M&M, just the usual UK packets of peanut and solid chocolate.
I just don't understand it...
WraithCadmus
Museum of Ice Cream
Any instagram gimmick where you need to spend money on tickets and wait in line for a photo op
Specifically thinking of Museum of Ice Cream
yeelee__sin_
Takeshita Street
Takeshita Street in Harajuku (Tokyo). I couldn't move my elbows an inch without bumping into someone, and pretty much every shop had a 30-minute line.
I went to see the Harajuku-style fashion associated Takeshita Street, but hardly saw any of that. So essentially I was packed like a sardine for hours while waiting in long lines to shop for overpriced clothes.
I love Tokyo, but I definitely won't be going back to Harajuku anytime soon.
danganranger
The Fyre Festival
This festival was promoted on Instagram by social media influencers including Kendall Jenner, Bella Hadid, Hailey Baldwin, and Emily Ratajkowski.
Turns out it was a massive scam.
Well, there you are. The 30 most overrated travel destinations happen to be nothing but tourist traps. Redditor superlemondaze's post received a little over 17K comments.
We've only just scratched the surface. Now it's your turn to fuel the trap discussion.
What are some overrated travel destinations that you recommend people don't visit? The comment box is all yours.