As a tourist, there are few things worse than arriving at a place you’ve always dreamed of visiting only to find out that it is waaaay overpriced and/or overrated. Recently, Reddit user deathbykoolaidman asked people to share the place they think is the biggest tourist trap in the world — here are some of the most popular and interesting answers…
1.
“The Mona Lisa. A (relatively) tiny painting of some broad with a smirk. Surrounded by 100 people holding up their phones. The worst.”
2.
“The pyramids in Egypt. The bombardment of locals trying to rip you off for tickets, souvenirs, and horse/camel rides. It’s relentless.”
3.
“Hollywood Walk of Fame… crowded, dirty, underwhelming.”
4.
“Statue of Liberty. No good views except her back. The line for tickets was super long, the line to get on a boat was super long, the seating was cramped, and the lines to get back were long. Coming back was like a herd of cattle.”
5.
“Joe’s Pizza in New York. Don’t get me wrong, a solid slice, but nothing more. Far from the best pizza in NY.”
6.
“Times Square on New Year’s Eve. Not a single New Yorker will go within a mile of it. A fucking nightmare.”
7.
“My favorite ride in all of Disney World was the air-conditioned bus ride back to the hotel.”
8.
“Roswell, New Mexico is my vote. Like four blocks worth of ‘attractions,’ and most are just walls of text that would be better watched on a TV show. There’s also the general feeling of the town hating that whole area.”
9.
“Waikiki. It is literally one big outdoor mall. If you want to experience Hawaiian nature and culture, stay on a different island or at least outside of Waikiki/Honolulu.”
10.
“Vegas is THE tourist trap. There are thousands of predatory solicitors along the strip pushing bullshit clubs, experiences, etc. People pay a premium for meals/drinks just because it’s Vegas. There are ways to do Vegas on a shoestring, but most visitors blow a wad like suckers.”
11.
“As a Dane… The Little Mermaid. It’s just a small statue of a mermaid sitting on a stone. It’s been destroyed a few times too, so what you’re seeing isn’t even the original one.”
12.
“Niagara Falls is important. To show everyone how to not preserve natural wonders.”
13.
“I find Pier 39 in San Francisco to be dreadfully boring. The sea lions are great, but the shopping and food are not special.”
14.
“Gotta be Venice, Italy. If we’re being generous, it’s a living museum. If we’re being real, it’s a giant gift shop in a scenic area. Too expensive, too crowded. I have zero regrets that I visited, but I’ll never go back.”
15.
“Taj Mahal. As an Indian, I never understood why it’s so overrated. There are 100x better architectures in India. And not to mention, it’s always crowded.”
16.
“Leaning Tower of Pisa. So many dudes trying to sell fake Rolexes and cheap sunglasses.”
17.
“Oktoberfest in Munich. Nothing but drunken tourists.”
18.
“Mount Everest… it’s crowded, expensive, the food sucks, and you have to walk everywhere. And if you stay there overnight, the place is absolutely dead.”
19.
“I have to mention Salem, Massachusetts. Wanted folklore and history, got overpriced nonsense.”
20.
“In London, it is Leicester Square — almost nothing of interest to anyone who lives in the city. Pure tourist trap.”
21.
“Las Ramblas, Barcelona, and honestly most of the city nowadays.”
22.
“Pretty much all of the tourist spots in Bali.”
23.
“The Big Banana, Coffs Harbour, NSW, Australia.”
24.
“Temple Bar, Dublin. It’s a caricature of Ireland, with shit, hugely over-priced Guinness and exists solely to rinse tourists of their money.”
25.
“The Blarney Stone. Unless you enjoy the taste of piss.”
26.
“Dubai! What an artificial fake place.”
27.
“Santorini in summer. White buildings, blue roofs, and 700 people trying to get the same photo at sunset. You’ll pay £12 for a Fanta and sweat through your linen shirt.”
28.
“Every cruise ship port location. It’s literally a captive area where tourists are trapped within a specific radius so they can get back on the ship at the end of the day. Always trashy, always scammy, and immensely overpriced. I would rather just fly to the tourist place itself, book an actually nice hotel there, spend a few days exploring the better areas, and not be stuck on a ship with a bunch of cruise ship tourists.”
29.
And finally, “Basically, if you’re surrounded by a Ripley’s Believe It or Not museum, some Wax museum, and a Hard Rock Cafe, congratulations, you’ve entered a tourist trap.”
What destination do you think is the ultimate tourist trap? Share your thoughts in the comments or the anonymous form below!
