"Driving the Golden Circle in Iceland. Let me be clear that I think Iceland is one of the most amazing, stunning, and spectacular places I've ever visited. That being said, I think the Golden Circle is a bit of a disappointment. This circle, which is easily accessible from Reykjavik and therefore a popular tourist route, takes you past Gullfoss waterfall, Geysir geothermal area, and Þingvellir National Park. The parking lots, packed with tourist buses, make you feel as if you're at an amusement park and not surrounded by nature. If you simply rent a car and drive around Iceland to the southern coast, the Snaefellsnes Peninsula, or the Ring Road, you'll find incredible beauty and surreal landscapes that feel more untouched."
"Times Square on New Year's Eve. I went a few years ago, and it was awful. My group ended up leaving after about two hours of trying to secure a small view of the ball drop. We spent New Year's Eve in a Korean BBQ restaurant instead, and it was a much better experience."
"Dubrovnik, Croatia. It's extremely pretty from afar...but far from pretty. The Old Town is just one mess of tacky cafés, restaurants catering to tourists, and tour agencies. People almost had to line up to navigate their way through the narrow streets because so many cruise ships were docked. And it was even a struggle to see the landmarks because crowds of people were hovering around with selfie sticks in the air."
"Las Ramblas in Barcelona. Barcelona is a lovely city, but everybody hypes up this one street that’s crowded with people. It’s practically highlighted in every tour guide of the city, but I still don’t understand the draw. Every restaurant and shop on the street is an overpriced, bad-quality tourist trap. It’s much more worth your time to stroll around the Gothic neighborhood of the city rather than Las Ramblas."
"The Trevi Fountain. It looks nothing like it does in the movies. It’s small and literally down an alleyway…but hey, at least you’re in Rome."
"Petra in Jordan. The temple is a wonder, but I had so many men either hit on me or ask me for money (including my tour guide). I couldn’t walk 2 feet without a man asking if I had a husband. It totally killed my experience."
"Mount Rushmore was a complete letdown. We could see it from the car, so when we saw the $20 parking fee to get closer, we decided to keep driving. Luckily, the Badlands are a little farther down the road, and they are absolutely stunning! I highly recommend visiting if you’re ever nearby."
"Khao San Road in Bangkok. I love Thailand, but I absolutely hated Khao San Road. It's totally fabricated for tourists to make travelers feel as if they're doing something exotic and adventurous. There are signs that say things like, "Take a picture eating a scorpion for $5!" and "Fake passports sold here!" It's all souvenir shops and bars, and compared with the rest of the wonderful country, it's gross and fake."
"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 with 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."
"Dubai, United Arab Emirates. It's talked up as one of the best tourist destinations in the world, but when I was there, it felt like an amusement park under construction. I felt as if I was constantly being shuttled from one tourist trap to another."
"Grand Canyon West. It's known for the Skywalk, which loops out over the canyon, but the entire thing is a money grab. It's not actually part of the National Park System. It's expensive to get in, and you can't even take your phone or camera out on the Skywalk for photos. There are few trails and not much to do. Skip it and go to Grand Canyon National Park. It's north of Flagstaff, Arizona (which is an amazing town), and the South Rim is gorgeous. One fee gets your whole car in for seven days."
"Visiting Liberty Island (home to the Statue of Liberty) in New York City. You'll just end up craning your neck for a bad view of the statue. Instead, take the Staten Island Ferry out to Staten Island. It's free. It's a 30-minute trip from the Financial District to Staten Island. The ferry has concessions that serve alcohol (or you can actually bring your own on board), and it offers an awesome view of the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. Then just jump on the next boat back to Manhattan. It takes an hour and is totally fun and worth it."
"Waikiki Beach in Honolulu. Once you leave Waikiki, there's so much more of the island to explore, with beautiful beaches, good food, and more authentic culture than what you get in this one tiny area."
"Going to the top of the Empire State Building. I'd recommend going to 30 Rockefeller Plaza instead. The view is better, it's cheaper, it's bigger, and the wait times are five minutes instead of five hours."
"Venice. It's nice for all of an afternoon, but it loses its charm really quickly. I'm glad I only did one night and one morning before moving on. I enjoyed some great food there, though."
"Visiting Muir Woods from San Francisco. The traffic and congestion going over the bridge from San Francisco to Marin County was horrible. The woods were packed with noisy people, and there was no parking. Instead, I'd recommend you go hiking in Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park instead. It's in Santa Cruz, and the drive is almost as lovely as the hike."
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I live in Seattle and this is true.
The Space Needle is a VERY overpriced tourist trap that is jammed on the water front of what used to be a very nice downtown area.
That downtown area is now filled with drug users/zombies and crime.
Seattle downtown is about 20min from me and I haven't been in years due to it's condition and crime.
Yeah that whole area is not only decaying but overpriced. The Space Needle is neat to look at, but not at all worth the visit inside.
He misspelled "recovering"
It's not recovering. There is some growth, yes, but it's not sustainable
based on your vast knowledge? you do know that coral reefs are very sensitive and weak and die every time someone just farts in the water.
I loved going to Stonehenge but I can definitely understand this one. If you go there on your own there really isn't much else in the area. I went as part of a day trip bus tour that hit 3 sites (Stonehenge, Windsor Castle and Bath) with time/tours at each. Plenty of time to see Stonehenge and get some great pictures then on to the next stop. Really cool history but don't make it the only thing you're going to in the area, have a whole route planned.
[Ambrose Bierce - The Devils Dictionary]