Paris is a magical place. The smell of cigarettes and urine on the street creates the perfect ambiance for enjoying a croissant, and seeing the Mona Lisa through dozens of cell phone screens is exactly what every child dreams of. Times Square is just as enchanting, with hordes of Midwesterners pushing through to see screens of ads for Broadway musicals and people dressed up like Pikachu and Mario on the street…While it’s inevitable for famous attractions to bring huge crowds, it’s important to have reasonable expectations when visiting some of the world’s most popular locations. So Reddit users have recently beensharingall about the “most disappointing, tourist infested” places they’ve ever been to. Keep reading to also find a conversation with travel expert King Siu ofSolo Traveler, and be sure to upvote the replies you’ll keep in mind when planning your future travels!This post may includeaffiliate links.
Paris is a magical place. The smell of cigarettes and urine on the street creates the perfect ambiance for enjoying a croissant, and seeing the Mona Lisa through dozens of cell phone screens is exactly what every child dreams of. Times Square is just as enchanting, with hordes of Midwesterners pushing through to see screens of ads for Broadway musicals and people dressed up like Pikachu and Mario on the street…
While it’s inevitable for famous attractions to bring huge crowds, it’s important to have reasonable expectations when visiting some of the world’s most popular locations. So Reddit users have recently beensharingall about the “most disappointing, tourist infested” places they’ve ever been to. Keep reading to also find a conversation with travel expert King Siu ofSolo Traveler, and be sure to upvote the replies you’ll keep in mind when planning your future travels!
This post may includeaffiliate links.
Ground Zero in NYC. It wasn’t so much the number of tourists, but rather the number of smiling selfies being taken. It felt like it was in bad taste.
My own city in the last 10 years. Amsterdam really took a nosedive. Lots of unique little shops disappeared in favor of approx. 10 million frozen yogurt/chocolate waffle stores. Tourists used to be a few chill, cheery groups interested in the city they were in - now they sometimes look like hordes of zombies hobbling from one tourist trap to the other. Painstakingly slowly, and of course taking up the whole sidewalk.
To learn more about which popular travel destinations might leave you feeling a little disappointed, we reached out to travel expert King Siu, ofSolo Traveler. King shared that the first time he visited Paris and Niagara Falls, neither location lived up to his expectations.
“I had imagined that the Falls would be enormous. And, while it is big for a waterfall, it did not live up to the crazy image I had formed in my mind before I got there,” he told Bored Panda. “Combine that disappointment with big crowds and a sea of touristy shops selling overpriced merch, and basically all my excitement about seeing Niagara Falls was drained out of me.”
Times Square, NYC It’s just a bunch of screens. I’m not joking, that’s it. New York City is an amazing place, but please avoid this giant tourist distraction that offers nothing. Side note: and for those who want to see the Statue of Liberty, since you can’t go up in the crown anymore, the trip isn’t really worth the unbelievable line, imo. Just take the Staten Island ferry, and you’ll get close to the statue and pass at a leisurely pace. Then hop on the ferry back! Unless… you know, you want to hang out in Staten Island… which is entirely your prerogative, I mean… you do you!
Egypt. So many scammers and thieves. Can’t check into a hotel without getting some miscellaneous upcharge. Can’t take a taxi without having 50 miles tacked on to the fare or driver goes in an incredibly roundabout way. Can’t report to the cops without paying a bribe fine for whatever fake penal code they make up. Then you go to the pyramids and its just a line full of more scammers. Fake tour guides, camel rides that will quote you a small charge, but end up charging you a ridiculous tab, miles of trinket shops, orphan pick pockets, the over population of tourist. Its just crazy. It’s one of the few tourist locations that if you visit, you better know a local or you will get scammed during your trip, multiple times.
But King still believes it’s worth it to visit these locations, even if they may not be all they’re cracked up to be. “As much as I didn’t enjoy my first visit to Niagara Falls or Paris, it’s important as a traveler to experience many different kinds of destinations,” he shared. “I had made those trips early in my travel life, and they’ve taught me so much about what I should look for in a destination, how to prepare for a visit to a new place, and how to make the most of any destination once I’m there.”
Mount Rushmore, the land around it is 1000X more spectacular to look at then the f****n rock lol
King was also kind enough to share his tips for how travelers can make the most of these crowded tourist destinations. “I highly recommend doing some research before you go for your visit,” he noted. “Whether it’s a city or a painting, the more you know, the more you’ll be able to enjoy it on your terms. To clarify, I’m not just talking about the general facts, such as the history of the painting. But, find out about the conditions around it that could affect your enjoyment so you can plan or prepare for them.““Such as, if you want to see the Mona Lisa at The Louvre, be prepared to be in a big room with giant crowds all trying to run you over for the best spot,” King explained. “This way, you’re not surprised when you arrive to see this circus, or you can become a ninja before you arrive so you can stealthily slip into the prime spots in the room. Also, try to find something that’s interesting to you about the place or thing so that you can arrive with a connection to it already and it’ll be like you’re going to visit an old friend.”
King was also kind enough to share his tips for how travelers can make the most of these crowded tourist destinations. “I highly recommend doing some research before you go for your visit,” he noted. “Whether it’s a city or a painting, the more you know, the more you’ll be able to enjoy it on your terms. To clarify, I’m not just talking about the general facts, such as the history of the painting. But, find out about the conditions around it that could affect your enjoyment so you can plan or prepare for them.”
“Such as, if you want to see the Mona Lisa at The Louvre, be prepared to be in a big room with giant crowds all trying to run you over for the best spot,” King explained. “This way, you’re not surprised when you arrive to see this circus, or you can become a ninja before you arrive so you can stealthily slip into the prime spots in the room. Also, try to find something that’s interesting to you about the place or thing so that you can arrive with a connection to it already and it’ll be like you’re going to visit an old friend.”
Every cruise ship port in the Caribbean
The Disney parks in Orlando, we paid an absolute fortune for tickets but the place was so overcrowded it just wasn’t fun
While King understands that the reasons for avoiding popular attractions are usually quite personal, he urges travelers to at least see the most iconic spots in a city if they’re feeling up to it. Who knows when you’ll be able to come back?“Cost is often an important consideration, so I can understand not wanting to spend $50 just to ride an elevator to the top of some building or tower just for a view of the city,” King says. “So, instead find other tall buildings in the city that you can access for free or at a lower cost. Often there will be restaurants or bars located at the top of buildings that you can go to where for the price of a drink you will often be treated to similar views.”
While King understands that the reasons for avoiding popular attractions are usually quite personal, he urges travelers to at least see the most iconic spots in a city if they’re feeling up to it. Who knows when you’ll be able to come back?
“Cost is often an important consideration, so I can understand not wanting to spend $50 just to ride an elevator to the top of some building or tower just for a view of the city,” King says. “So, instead find other tall buildings in the city that you can access for free or at a lower cost. Often there will be restaurants or bars located at the top of buildings that you can go to where for the price of a drink you will often be treated to similar views.”
Bourbon Street, New Orleans.I don’t want to sell my shoes to you, and I don’t want to give everyone on the street a cigarette.Just didn’t feel safe at all, and there wasn’t much jazz playing either - day and evening.Lovely city tho.
I’m sure other cities have this problem, too, but there’s an epidemic in NYC of pop-up “museums” that are essentially just Instagram backgrounds. There are some great temporary exhibits in the city all the time that genuinely have cool artwork, or historical items, or just make for a neat experience. …and then there’s ones that just have a bunch of backdrops for people to pose in front of and maybe a placard.Special shoutout to the ‘Museum of Candy’ that was hosted in a random warehouse and where you didn’t even get any candy with your ticket admission.
“I wouldn’t say there’s a right way to see popular attractions, but I would say try not to complain about them while you’re trying to experience them, as that will just put you in a bad mood while you’re there,” King told Bored Panda. “I realize now that a big part of my bad experience with my first visit to Paris was because I was staying with a friend there who had just moved to the city and was not having an easy adjustment. I realized after the fact that her frustrations with Paris also influenced my impression of the city. I have since gone back multiple times, and while all the things that upset me the first time are still there, me and Paris are now good friends because I’m mentally prepared for them.”
The room with the Mona Lisa in it.Couldn’t get anywhere near it and it’s not that big of a painting to see from the back of the room when all the people in front of you had giant cameras. Maybe it’s better in the age of cell phone cameras - but I doubt it.Edited to add I am so excited many of you agree with me! I saw the Mona Lisa when I was 18 back in 2005 and many other pieces in the Louvre partly led to my getting a degree in the history of art. But, damn, that was a crowded room!!
Anything Disney! I grew up living near Disney, so we went a lot (80’s). It was still crowded and pricey, but nothing like it has become today. I went a couple years ago on a trip back home. I could not believe the prices and crowds. It was miserable.
“Finally, don’t let anyone tell you where you should and should not go,” the travel expert says. “Everyone is different and we all experience the world in our own unique way. I have a friend who loves trains, and so he spends most of his travels going to places where he’s likely to see different types of trains. I would probably be tempted to throw myself in front of a train if that was my holiday, but the man is passionate about trains and it makes him happy. So, keep exploring and go find your train.“If you’d like to read more travel tips from King and his colleagues, be sure to visitSolo Traveler!
“Finally, don’t let anyone tell you where you should and should not go,” the travel expert says. “Everyone is different and we all experience the world in our own unique way. I have a friend who loves trains, and so he spends most of his travels going to places where he’s likely to see different types of trains. I would probably be tempted to throw myself in front of a train if that was my holiday, but the man is passionate about trains and it makes him happy. So, keep exploring and go find your train.”
If you’d like to read more travel tips from King and his colleagues, be sure to visitSolo Traveler!
Hollywood blvd … literally a worse version of NY Times Square (which also sucks)
The Sistine Chapel. It was incredible to see in person, but it was literally shoulder-to-shoulder with people and they were trying to usher everyone through as fast as possible, so I felt like I was in the way and couldn’t stay long. I would have loved to just gaze quietly at the ceiling and take it all in for several minutes, but that wasn’t an option.
Dubrovnik after GoT. So many Khaleesies
Never go to the Van Gogh “immersive experience” — it’s the biggest bit of malarkey I’ve ever paid $50 for. You’re just trapped inside a blurry, underwhelming PowerPoint presentation where the art is not even presented in logical sequence and the music is a**e.
The big Christmas tree at Rockefeller center NYC around Christmas… So packed I got just close enough to barely squeeze myself out.. Didn’t even really see the tree… That area always looks so nice in movies 🤷.Time square also.. straight up stressful just being there . An I still don’t understand why gridlock traffic everyone feels the need to beep their horn constantly as if there is anywhere to go?..I’m just to country boy I guess…
Any tourist destination in Bali. Beautiful place, amazing food, stunning vistas, friendly people, but the pushy salespeople on the street outside every tourist destination trying to extract every rupiah I had for tourist knick-knacks ruined a lot of the good vibe.
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Venice in August, I felt bad being there. Luckily was only a day trip but it was like something from a horror film.
Nassau, Bahamas. It was like being in a very expensive prison.
Las Ramblas in Barcelona, what a pickpocket paradise!
Sadly I live there.Nashville, Tennessee
Plymouth Rock
Oxford Street, Central London. The place for you if you enjoy:Claustrophobic levels of crowding, overpriced / borderline fraudulent retail, traffic that barely moves, groups of roadmen/hood teens everywhere
The leaning tower of Pisa.A field of tourists trying to take a picture of the tower without other tourists in it and souvenir shops trying to sells those tourists stuff.
Niagara Falls, overrun during the summer. The Ontario side is the tackiest of tourist destinations, the NY side is a great place to get shot in the face.
Dublin… nothing Irish about it. Every pub is Americanized to the max, to include a dude with a guitar playing the same American “hits” from the last 40 years.
Downtown Reykjavík. Any Icelander knows what I’m talking about.Quirky cute little downtown area thats just overswarmed with tourists and stores selling cheap puffin trinkets
All the hottest places in Tokyo. I spent 3 weeks in Japan and loved 90% of it but Tokyo was a massive disappointment. Even in March, when international tourism was still slow to pick up, places like Harajuku, Shibuya, and Kabukicho were way too touristy and boring for my tastes and every other tourist seemed to have no idea what they even wanted to do or see, there. On the other hand, I endured tourist-infested areas of Kyoto well because the sights to see were extremely worth it. Kiyumizu-dera? Gorgeous. Totally worth the 9am crowds. Probably would not have felt the same at 1pm, who knows. Dotonbori in Osaka? Totally f*****g worth every crowd, it was so much fun. Tokyo? Not even close.
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