Anthony Bourdain used to say that whenever possible, you should aspire to be more of a traveler and less of a tourist. I’ve taken those words to heart, embracing them to the fullest on many of my owns journeys abroad.
However, every now and again — you simply can’t help yourself. We do it for the Gram and usually end up regretful that we didn’t know better. Have a look and check out these 15 tourist spots that wound up being a huge disappointment.
Romeo and Juliet’s balcony in Verona, Italy.
Romeo and Juliet’s balcony in Verona,” writes Reddit user Jay_1327. “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.
Dubai.
Redditor PacSan300 didn’t mince words when it came to describing Dubai. They called it one of the most soulless, cultureless, and straight up shameful cities that they’d ever visited in their entire life.
Sheesh; tell us how you really feel.
Bourbon Street in 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.” – Reddit u/ProfessorSucc
Times Square.
According to Redditor shiftdnb, Times Square is packed with people and chain restaurants. Neither of which are especially good or enjoyable.
I for one never understood the appeal of flocking to Times Square on New Year’s Eve. It’s just not for me.
The Hard Rock Cafe.
The Hard Rock Cafe is one giant gift shop. The service is bad, the food is even worse, and just about everything is overpriced. Whatever you do, wherever you are, believe me when I say that you have better dining options.
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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.” – Reddit u/JBleezy1979
I guess I’ll be skipping this one.
The Vatican.
Are there parts of the sprawling Vatican that are beautiful and worth seeing? Without question. But by and large, St. Peter’s Basilica is the highlight. Most rooms are so crowded that you have to be careful not to get carried away by a flood of people.
The London Eye.
“Sweaty tourists barge you out of the way to get to the windows before you have even left the ground,” explained Redditor JamJarre. “There are children, and they are screaming. The ride is 45 minutes long.”
The Eiffel Tower.
The Eiffel Tower is one of those must-do tourist traps that almost everyone winds up regretting (myself included). Instead, I recommend heading to the steps of the Sacré-Cœur at sunset with a bottle of wine and a couple of croissants.
Machu Picchu
“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.” – Reddit u/ccut
The Liberty Bell.
“Wait in a long line to look at… a bell,” said Redditor burgundyotter. “That looks exactly like it does in all the Philly souvenirs. They don’t even let you lick it .”
Props for the incredible How I Met Your Mother reference.
Positano.
Don’t hear what I’m not saying — Positano is one of the most beautiful places on earth. But as it turns out, so is the rest of the Amalfi Coast. Praiano is literally 10 minutes down the road, looks almost identical, and is more than half the price.
Disneyland/Disney World theme 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.” – Reddit u/flipamadiggermadoo
“Mona Lisa” at The Louvre.
Leonardo Da Vinci’s “Mona Lisa” is encased in its own separate holding, behind about 3 feet of plexiglass. Save your time and try to see other more worthwhile and rewarding pieces while visiting The Louvre.
The Leaning Tower of Pisa.
Yep, that’s me looking like an idiot trying to hold up the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Believe me when I say there is literally nothing else to do in this city. The picture will take you all of five minutes and then you’ll be headed back to Rome/Florence.
h/t: Reddit
