the biggest tourist traps map

USA & Canada: (877) 276-5745 | En Mexico: (638) 383-0700 En Mexico: (638) 383-0700 -->

Vacation Rentals

Usa destination.

Mexico Destination

International destinations, property management, managing rentals, tips and information, + --> view case studies.

The Biggest Tourist Traps Worldwide (2023 Data)

If you’ve ever been on vacation, you’ve likely found yourself compelled by travel books, tour guides or even a bucket list to check out a popular or world-famous attraction. But some of the most popular attractions in a tourism hotspot are known as ‘ tourist traps ’ — establishments that target tourists with overpriced experiences and souvenirs.

With a notorious reputation for long lines, colossal crowds and bank-breaking gift shops, one survey revealed that two in three American travelers will avoid visiting attractions known as tourist traps. Those that have visited one can be left feeling underwhelmed, as the same survey revealed that 67% of travelers have experienced tourist traps that led to an inauthentic experience.

But with so many sights to see and so little vacation time, how can we tell which attractions might not be worth the visit after all? To find out, our analysts at Casago figured there was no better place to turn than TripAdvisor, where we scoured thousands of reviews left for attractions in the U.S. and all over the world for the opinions of visitors gone before. Read on to discover what we found out…

We Found the Biggest Tourist Trap in Every Country and State

We searched for the phrase ‘tourist trap’ on TripAdvisor (with no location filter applied) to find the global attractions with the most mentions of ‘tourist trap’ in accompanying reviews. We then searched for the biggest tourist traps in each country and U.S. state by customizing the location settings and carrying out the same search, ranking the attractions by the number of ‘tourist trap’ mentions.

Key Findings

• Four of the top 10 biggest tourist traps in the world are located in the U.S.
• Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco is the biggest tourist trap in the U.S. and the world , counting 1,049 mentions of the phrase ‘tourist trap’ in reviews
• Edinburgh’s Royal Mile beats out top London attractions to be the UK’s most notorious tourist trap (with 505 mentions )
• Barcelona’s Las Ramblas street ( 793 mentions ) is the second-biggest tourist trap in the world, followed by Hawaii’s Dole Plantation ( 708 mentions )

Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco Is the Biggest Tourist Trap in the World

Our map reveals the biggest tourist trap in every country, based on the number of times the phrase ‘tourist trap’ is mentioned in accompanying TripAdvisor reviews. Attractions range from restaurants and markets to geological features and world-famous landmarks. Still, the biggest of all is Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco, California, which counts more ‘tourist trap’ mentions (1,049) than any other attraction in the world.

Situated on the northern waterfront of San Francisco, the Fisherman’s Wharf neighborhood is home to souvenir shops, restaurants and attractions. It receives around 12 million visitors annually as one of the city’s top tourist destinations. But not only do the locals steer clear, with SFGate calling it “the most universally derided neighborhood in all of San Francisco,” it also attracts the ire of tourists online.

Click here to view full-size image

Reviews mentioning the phrase ‘tourist trap’ highlight the district’s “​ ​overpriced restaurants​ ​” and “​ ​tacky touristy tat​ ​,” while others take issue with the local wildlife (“​ ​a desperate seagull attacked my fried calamari​ ​”). On the plus side, some reviewers interpret the phrase ‘​ ​tourist trap’ positively​ ​.

Meanwhile, the “ soooo crowded ” Eiffel Tower comes up top in France, as does Niagara Falls in Canada, where one reviewer complained that “ every attraction dumped you into a gift shop .” The Trevi Fountain in Italy’s capital also takes the tourist trap title, with write-ups describing the crowds and expensive shops and restaurants nearby.

The Biggest Tourist Trap in Every U.S. State, According to Reviews

You may associate tourist traps with bustling city centers, but the U.S. has a long history of unusual roadside attractions all over the country designed to tempt drivers off the road and into the gift shop. If you’ve driven across America, you may have encountered the ‘world’s biggest’ monuments or attractions that stoke your curiosity with endless billboards. We’ve mapped the biggest tourist trap in each U.S. state according to TripAdvisor reviews.

Among the tourist traps with the most mentions are restaurants, monuments, museums, marketplaces and malls. Some attractions are entire streets or districts, like Times Square in New York, the Albuquerque Old Town in Albuquerque, and the Historic River Street in Savannah, Georgia.

Two Elvis Presley-related attractions also feature on our map: the Elvis Presley Birthplace & Museum in Mississippi and Graceland in Tennessee, with one reviewer leaving the following message about the latter on TripAdvisor: “ Say no to Graceland the tourist trap from hell. ”

San Francisco, Barcelona and Hawaii Home to the World’s Most Notorious Tourist Traps

Our data reveals the top 10 biggest tourist traps in the world, ranked by the number of mentions of the phrase ‘tourist trap’ in accompanying TripAdvisor reviews. Four of the top 10 tourist traps can be found in the U.S., among them the world’s biggest ( Fisherman’s Wharf ) and the Cafe Du Monde in New Orleans.

In second place after Fisherman’s Wharf comes Las Ramblas ( 793 mentions ), a bustling boulevard in Barcelona that sees more than 200,000 people walk it every day. One TripAdvisor reviewer called it “crowded with tourists and vendors selling cheap trinkets … and pickpockets,” no doubt referencing that the street is Europe’s worst pickpocketing hotspot . According to one expat blog, locals avoid this street “ like the plague .”

Dublin’s popular Temple Bar ranks fourth, attracting TripAdvisor reviews with titles like “ The Tourist Trap to kill all Tourist Traps ” and scathing write-ups of the district’s “ overpriced, terrible Guinness .” Two German attractions also appear: Berlin’s historic Checkpoint Charlie and the Hofbrauhaus in Munich, where one reviewer experienced long waiting times and expensive food.

Times Square and the Hollywood Walk of Fame Among the Biggest Tourist Traps in the U.S.

We know by now that Fisherman’s Wharf is the most notorious tourist trap in the U.S. and the world at large, but which other attractions rank as the biggest tourist traps in America? Our analysis reveals that after Fisherman’s Wharf comes the Dole Plantation in Wahiawa, Hawaii, counting 708 mentions of the phrase ‘tourist trap’ in TripAdvisor reviews.

This historic pineapple plantation boasts its own Pineapple Express miniature railway and one of the world’s largest mazes. Still, the attraction left a bitter taste in many reviewers’ mouths, with one labeling it “ the worst attraction in Hawaii ” and another deeming it “ shlock-city, one overpriced touristy item after another .”

Among the other top 10 biggest tourist traps in the U.S. are New York’s world-famous Times Square , which sees 330,000 people pass through every day, and the Hollywood Walk of Fame , which a 2019 study named the worst tourist attraction in the world . One underwhelmed visitor to LA’s most iconic sidewalk warned : “if there aren’t lots of tourists in the way, there’ll be people trying to make you part ways with your money.”

Edinburgh’s Royal Mile and Top London Attractions Rated Biggest Tourist Traps

Counting 505 mentions of the phrase ‘tourist trap’ in reviews, our research reveals that the biggest tourist trap in the UK is the Royal Mile , a stretch of cobbled road in Edinburgh spanning 1.81 km (or one Scots Mile ). Connecting Edinburgh Castle and the Palace of Holyroodhouse, two of the Scottish capital’s top tourist destinations , it’s no wonder this street receives a footfall of over four million people every year.

With great footfall, however, comes a great many souvenir shops, and the Royal Mile is lined with them — much to the chagrin of the Edinburgh World Heritage (EWH) trust, which in 2019 warned that the historic road was in danger of becoming a “ tourist ghetto .”

The next two attractions in our ranking are both in London: the London Eye and Covent Garden . Drawing 3.75 million visitors annually, the London Eye is one of the city’s most popular attractions, despite being an “ overpriced tourist trap ,” according to one review. Meanwhile, the famous shopping district Covent Garden is labeled a “ tourist trap of expensive designer outlets ” on TripAdvisor.

The Biggest Tourist Traps in Every Country and State

If you’re planning a trip and have a particular attraction on your itinerary, use our interactive table below to find out whether it ranks as one of the biggest tourist traps in the country or U.S. state based on the opinions of tourists gone before.

How to Not Fall Into a Tourist Trap

Our analysis reveals that some of the world’s biggest tourist traps, according to reviewers, are also among the world’s most iconic landmarks, like the Eiffel Tower, which some tourists may center their entire trip around visiting. Others are popular points on the bucket list , like Niagara Falls or the Taj Mahal.

If you’re heading to one of these must-see places, shop around for discounts if there’s a steep ticket price and research the quietest times to go (tickets may be cheaper for off-peak periods). See if you can buy a ticket in advance as well to save on long lines and crowds at the ticket booth.

To avoid tourist traps altogether, Insider recommends avoiding places with long lines, crowded areas and gift shops, and attractions that are popular on Instagram and have their hashtag (e.g., #LondonEye). When it comes to getting something to eat, you should steer clear of restaurants with employees outside trying to draw you in.

One of the best ways to have an authentic experience of a new place is to go off the beaten track, dining where the locals recommend and taking a scenic walk through quieter streets. If you’re on the lookout for a souvenir, consider skipping the keychain and scoping out locally made crafts instead.

Methodology & Sources

To find the biggest tourist traps in the world, we first searched for the phrase ‘tourist trap’ on TripAdvisor without setting a location filter, which defaults the search setting to ‘worldwide.’ We were then able to gather the names of attractions/places, addresses and the number of mentions of the phrase ‘tourist trap’ in accompanying reviews. The world’s top 10 biggest tourist traps are those with the highest number of mentions of the phrase ‘tourist trap’ in reviews.

We then repeated this process by changing the location filter on TripAdvisor for each country and each U.S. state. We removed entries that indicated that the attraction/place was not a tourist trap, e.g., if the review contained word combinations such as ‘not a trap,’ ‘not a tourist trap,’ ‘not tourist trap,’ ‘not trap,’ ‘wasn’t a trap’ etc.

For our world analysis, we set a minimum threshold of 10 mentions of the phrase ‘tourist trap.’ For each country and U.S. state, the threshold was set at five or more mentions.

Please note that tourist traps can refer to a range of experiences and impressions about a place, including how it looks, where it’s located, the general atmosphere or the style of the service. Not all mentions of ‘tourist trap’ necessarily equate to a poor experience from the person who reviewed the attraction.

The data was collected in January 2023.

Oh hi there 👋 It’s nice to meet you.

Sign up to receive awesome content in your inbox, every week..

We don’t spam! Read our privacy policy for more info.

Thanks for signing up! Please check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription.

Featured Vacation Destinations

Rocky Point Vacation Rentals

Big Bear Vacation Rentals

Scottsdale Condo Rentals

Snowshoe WV lodging

North Lake Tahoe cabins

Santa Barbara vacation rentals

Takin' Care Of Viz-Ness

Your one-stop shop for data visualizations that explain complicated and cool stuff in digestible ways.

travellers beware

The Biggest Tourist Traps In The World, Mapped

Summer is (slowly) approaching, and you might be thinking of getting away somewhere nice — but before you book, make sure you're picking your destination wisely. Some of the most popular vacation spots worldwide are also "tourist traps" — attractions or locations that appeal to holiday-goers, but come with overpriced experiences and souvenirs, long queues or crowds so big you can't even see the thing you traveled all that way to visit.

In one survey , as many as 67 percent of travelers said tourist traps resulted in "inauthentic experiences" during their holidays. To find out where on earth the biggest tourist traps are, Casago searched for the phrase "tourist trap" on TripAdvisor reviews and ranked the global attractions with the highest number of mentions.

Key Findings:

Of the world's ten biggest tourist traps, four are located in the US.

Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco is the biggest tourist trap in both the US and the world overall, with 1,049 mentions of "tourist trap" in its reviews.

The UK's biggest tourist is Edinburgh’s Royal Mile, counting 505 mentions of the phrase.

The world's second-biggest tourist trap is Barcelona’s Las Ramblas street, with 793 mentions, followed closely behind by Hawaii’s Dole Plantation, with 708.

Click images to enlarge

Liked this? Check these out:

• The World's Most Overpriced Tourist Attractions
• The Most Overrated (And Underrated) Tourist Attractions In America
• The Most Expensive Airbnbs In The World

Via Casago .

Login to leave a comment

Don't get me wrong, Times Square is absolutely a tourist trap... it's ALSO somewhere like, everyone should go at least once. I live just outside of NYC and I end up in Times Square quite a bit. It really is quite a site and it's fun to hang out around for awhile.

Think twice about all this -- i have heard heard people saying they plan to skip really fabulous sights because they are "too famous". But they are famous because they are actually wonderful! I guess the Royal Mile in Edinburgh doesn't impress people who don't know its history. But a few minutes reading and you can walk a little bit of it accompanied by some amazing ghosts.

For the love of god, just don't go there. These are expensive places to live and people who work there need to be able to earn a living wage. If you want a cheap vacation go to Missouri. Its warm and the minimum wage is about what you would expect.

HUH? What about the miracle mile on South Beach, Miami? Huge crowds and everything is priced 3x what it should be. Been to Cafe Du Monde... not bad! Lines were long but the food is cheap and its a wonderful atmosphere. Nigara Falls on the Canada side - a blast! The food was slightly over priced, but other than that we had a blast.

Sign up for Digg's daily morning newsletter to get the most interesting stories. Sent every morning.

Sign in to your Digg account.

Sign in with Twitter

Sign in with Google

By signing up, I agree to Digg's Terms of Use and Privacy policy and consent to processing my personal information and receiving marketing emails.

Not a member yet? Sign up

👋 Welcome to Digg

Thanks for creating an account! Your accounts lets you Digg (upvote) stories, save stories to revisit later, and more.

🎉 You’re all set!

Enjoy your new account! As a reminder, you can change your profile and email settings in your profile.

Return to browsing View account

Get started by creating an account.

Sign up with Twitter

Sign up with Google

Already have an account? Sign in

• Travel Tips

The Top Tourist Traps in Every Country, Based on Visitor Reviews

Plus, a detailed look at the tourist traps to avoid in each u.s. state..

Published on 4/3/2023 at 2:20 PM

One of the hardest parts of planning a trip is not booking the hotel or finding cheap flights . It's ensuring that when you get to the destination you've fantasized for whatever period of time, you don't end up in one disappointing tourist trap after another. That's not to say all popular tourist spots are traps; instead it's the sort of experience that takes from—rather than adds to— your traveling experience. Long lines, big crowds, and steep prices can turn even the most iconic location into a nightmare.

While some may feel obvious, the true cunning of tourist traps is that you normally only notice about half way through the experience when it's too late to get back your money or your time. Casago , a platform for vacation home rentals, created a ranking for the biggest tourist traps in the United States and around the world, based off of TripAdvisor reviews that have the words "tourist trap" in them.

Below are the top tourist traps in every country, based on visitor reviews.

Of the top 10 tourist traps around the world, four are located in the US. The top tourist trap in the world and in the United States, according to the analysis, is Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco, which features more than 1,000 reviews on Tripadvisor containing the words. In second place in the world are Las Ramblas in Barcelona and the Dole Plantation in Hawaii. In the UK, Edinburgh's Royal Mile is listed as the biggest tourist trap. See the top 10 tourist traps in the US and around the world in the interactive table below.

You'll notice that a lot of the biggest traps are pretty well known: Times Square in New York City, the Temple Bar in Ireland, the Blue Lagoon in Iceland. That's not to say that these locations should automatically be stricken from your itinerary, just that when planning to visit you should plan ahead and keep in mind that it probably shouldn't be the anchor of your travel plans.

Looking for more travel tips?

Whether you need help sneaking weed onto a plane , finding an airport where you can sign up for PreCheck without an appointment , or making sure you’re getting everything you’re entitled to when your flight is canceled , we’ve got you covered. Keep reading for up-to-date travel hacks and all the travel news you need to help you plan your next big adventure.

Want more Thrillist? Follow us on Instagram , TikTok , Twitter , Facebook , Pinterest , and YouTube .

The Biggest Tourist Traps in the World, According to TripAdvisor

Personally, I adore South of the Border, but I’m into kitschy stuff like that. I know that many other people are not fans, because it’s just a big ol’ tourist trap.

With the advent of the internet, it’s pretty easy to find out what tourist attractions should be decent and which are tourist traps. All you really need to do it look at a huge site like TripAdvisor.

With all of its millions upon millions of reviews, have you ever wondered what places are the biggest tourist traps? Casago did – they’re a vacation rentals a property management company. They decided to see which places around the U.S., as well as the world, were labeled at “tourist traps” by Trip Advisor members.

Their methodology

From Casago:

To find the biggest tourist traps in the world, we first searched for the phrase ‘tourist trap’ on TripAdvisor without setting a location filter, which defaults the search setting to ‘worldwide.’ We were then able to gather the names of attractions/places, addresses and the number of mentions of the phrase ‘tourist trap’ in accompanying reviews. The world’s top 10 biggest tourist traps are those with the highest number of mentions of the phrase ‘tourist trap’ in reviews. We then repeated this process by changing the location filter on TripAdvisor for each country and each U.S. state. We removed entries that indicated that the attraction/place was not a tourist trap, e.g., if the review contained word combinations such as ‘not a trap,’ ‘not a tourist trap,’ ‘not tourist trap,’ ‘not trap,’ ‘wasn’t a trap’ etc. For our world analysis, we set a minimum threshold of 10 mentions of the phrase ‘tourist trap.’ For each country and U.S. state, the threshold was set at five or more mentions. Please note that tourist traps can refer to a range of experiences and impressions about a place, including how it looks, where it’s located, the general atmosphere or the style of the service. Not all mentions of ‘tourist trap’ necessarily equate to a poor experience from the person who reviewed the attraction. The data was collected in January 2023.

Key findings

Talk about spoilers! Here were Casago’s key findings:

• Four of the top 10 biggest tourist traps in the world are located in the U.S.
• Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco is the biggest tourist trap in the U.S. and the world, counting 1,049 mentions of the phrase ‘tourist trap’ in reviews
• Barcelona’s Las Ramblas street (793 mentions) is the second-biggest tourist trap in the world, followed by Hawaii’s Dole Plantation (708 mentions)

The biggest tourist traps in the U.S.

Hey, I’ve only been to one of those! (Fisherman’s Wharf. At least 3 different vacations LOL). But San Francisco’s tourist mecca of restaurants and crap shops isn’t the only winner for tourist traps in the U.S. Every state has ’em, and Casago listed them all. You can click here to see them all , but here’s an idea of the touristy trappiness in other states:

• Florida – Duval Street (Key West)
• Georgia – Historic River Street (Savannah)
• Hawaii – Dole Plantation (Wahiawa)
• Illinois – Navy Pier (Chicago)
• Louisiana – Cafe du Monde (New Orleans)
• Michigan – Mystery Spot (St. Ignace)
• New York – Times Square (New York City)
• Tennessee – Graceland (Memphis)
• Texas – Big Texas Steak Ranch (Amarillo)
• Washington – Pike Place Market (Seattle)

The ten biggest tourist traps worldwide

Of course, there are plenty of tourist traps all around the world. These are the top ten ( you can also click here to see them ).:

• Fisherman’s Wharf (San Francisco, CA, USA) (1,049 mentions of being a tourist trap)
• Las Ramblas (Barcelona, Spain) (793 mentions)
• Dole Plantation (Wahiawa, HI) (708)
• Temple Bar (Dublin, Ireland) (673)
• Blue Lagoon, Grindavik, Iceland (669) (we skipped that one and went here instead . THAT one was definitely NOT a tourist trap)
• Checkpoint Charlie (Berlin, Germany (664)
• Times Square (New York City, NY, USA) (661)
• Cafe du Monde (New Orleans, LA, USA) (643)
• Hofbrausaus (Munich, Germany) (522)
• Guinness Storehouse (Dublin, Ireland) (516)

So I may or many not have gone to 5 of these (#1, 4, 7, 8, and 10). Some of them more than once. Times Square MANY times. How about you?

Want to comment on this post? Great! Read this first to help ensure it gets approved .

Want to sponsor a post, write something for Your Mileage May Vary, or put ads on our site? Click here for more info .

Like this post? Please share it! We have plenty more just like it and would love it if you decided to hang around and sign up to get emailed notifications of when we post.

Whether you’ve read our articles before or this is the first time you’re stopping by, we’re really glad you’re here and hope you come back to visit again!

This post first appeared on Your Mileage May Vary

Join our mailing list to receive the latest news and updates from our team.

You have Successfully Subscribed!

Ok here’s a defense of a few:

1) Las Ramblas: if you’re walking south toward the Gothic Quarter or port anyway, why not? It’s not so bad. 2) Temple Bar: it was great in the late 80s before the rest of you were born and later showed up there. 3) The Big Texas Steak Ranch in Amarillo: Great (and free) if you can eat the whole damned thing. 4) Pike Place Market: you can actually find a few ‘markety’ things there.

Just watch your wallet/watch/iphone etc. Las Ramblas is as notorious for pickpockets as Termini Station in Rome. Having said that, a visit to Boqueria Market is a must if you’re in Barca. I’ve been to all 10 of the international ones, and agree with 8. Las Ramblas is absolutely worth it, and if you walk up, then past the Place de Catalunya, you’ll pass two of Gaudi’s famous buildings-La Pedrera and Casa Batilo. Hang a right at La Pedrera and walk a bit, and you get to the Sagrada Famila, so there’s one day of your sightseeing done. The Blue Lagoon may be a bit touristy, but it’s also brilliant and so close to Keflavik that why wouldn’t you stop in there and hang out for a couple hours? Yes, there are other less visited lagoons that are great too, but Blue Lagoon is hardly in the top 10 tourist traps! What about: The Blarney Stone The Temple of the Tooth (Sri Lanka) Le Mannequin Pis in Brussels Champs-Elysses Carnaby Street in London-it’s nothing but tourist tat these days

1,3,6,7,8 and would probably go to only 7 & 8 again.

Le Mannequin Pis in Brussels is hands down the worst from my travels. And I also agree with Fishermans Wharf….ALTHOUGH the last time I was there we walked down the road a bit and found a fantastic farmers market which we really enjoyed.

Vegas Strip is definitely a tourist attraction

Leave a Comment Cancel Reply

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

You are using an outdated browser not supported by this software. Please upgrade your browser .

• Housing & Real Estate
• Living on a Budget
• Personal Finance
• Camping & Outdoors
• Destinations
• Vacation Rentals & Hotels
• All Cars & RVs
• Maintenance
• Makes & Models
• All Shopping
• Beauty & Fashion
• Home & Garden
• Kitchen & Groceries
• All Reviews
• All Food & Drink
• Beer, Wine, & Spirits
• Food Trends & Trivia
• Restaurants & Dining
• Taste Tests
• All Lifestyle
• Entertainment
• Health & Wellness
• Life After 50
• All Gift Ideas
• Gifts by Interest
• Gifts by Price
• Gifts for All
• Gifts for Her
• Gifts for Him
• Gifts for Kids
• In The News
• Privacy Policy
• Terms & Conditions

Copyright ® 2024 Cheapism

Watch Out for These Tourist Traps in All 50 States

Cheapism / TripAdvisor

Inside Trap

For better or worse, tourist traps are part of the American landscape. Countless overhyped, colorful, quirky, and sometimes downright mystifying spots draw sightseers nationwide — at least, when a pandemic isn't making travel too dangerous and complicated for such silliness.

Whether an attraction qualifies as a tourist trap is often in the eye of the beholder, and some are still beloved by locals . Travel blogger David James of The GypsyNesters  has his own test: whether visitors leave feeling a little swindled. "But we love tourist traps," says his wife and fellow blogger, Veronica James. "David cannot pass them by. Boomers are really into this stuff because, when we were kids, that's where we went. We would pack up our station wagon and go to these places."

Some are iconic locales now overrun or overrated. Others lure road trippers out of the way of their intended destinations. They might be cheesy, inauthentic, overpriced, crowded, boring, ugly, or just plain not worth the time. We talked to travel bloggers and industry professionals and read online reviews to identify tourist traps in every state.

Related: Off-Limits Destinations That Could Reopen to Tourists (and Some That Already Have)

Alabama: McDonald's Visited by Reagan

At the McDonald's in Northport, a bronze bust and a photo commemorate the day in 1984 when President Ronald Reagan came by for a photo op with a Big Mac. (The goal was to make him look like an average Joe, which he made clear he was not, by asking an aide what he was "supposed" to order.) Although a plaque reads, "President Reagan ate here," Roadside America  reports that the restaurant where the Gipper ate was demolished, and the original memorabilia is gone. A new McDonald's was built on the same site in 2006.

Alaska: Gold Dredge 8

When open,  Gold Dredge 8  provides a window into Fairbanks' gold-mining days and gets generally good reviews, but there are plenty of tourist trap tactics at play. It cost $55 for adults and $35 for children to take a narrated train ride to the dredge, visit the Trans-Alaska Pipeline, and pan briefly for gold — emphasis on "briefly." It seems the chief purpose of the tour is to steer people to the extensive gift shop.

Arizona: O.K. Corral

Deriding staged gunfights lasting only 30 seconds and declaring the O.K. Corral  just OK, critical reviewers say the town of Tombstone is worth a visit only for true cowboy fanatics. And even they might want to rethink this destination, which detractors label gimmicky and overpriced.

Related: The 40 Best Places in America to Travel Back in Time

Arkansas: Crater of Diamonds State Park

Crater of Diamonds State Park  in Murfreesboro is said to be the world's only diamond-bearing site open to the public. Some reviewers scoff that they could find the same variety of rocks in their driveways, and that kids lose interest quickly in digging in the hot sun and hard dirt. Better to skip the fee of $15 for adults and $7 for children.

Related: The Best State Park in Every State

California: Fisherman's Wharf

Fisherman's Wharf  traces its history to the 1800s, when it was the home base of San Francisco's fishing fleet, but it has evolved over the years into tourism central. When it's possible to visit again, expect it to be riddled with overpriced junk for sale, with street vendors preying on unsuspecting tourists and too many people to make it comfortable to walk around. Check out these fun, budget-friendly options in the Golden State , instead.

Related: 20 Free and Cheap Things to Do in San Francisco

Colorado: 16th Street Mall

A pedestrian and transit space covering about 1.3 miles in downtown Denver, the 16th Street Mall  is a tourist trap akin to Times Square in New York City and Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles. It's overrun with chain stores and restaurants, offering very little that's unique to Denver.

Connecticut: Pez Visitor Center

The Pez Visitor Center  in Orange doesn't draw the same adoration as its namesake candy dispensers. A "self-guided tour" entails mainly access to a gift shop and a peek through a window at a factory that may not be running. For some visitors, though, a look at the staggering variety of dispenser heads made since 1948 may be worth the $5 price of entry for adults ($4 for children). It comes with a $2 credit for use in the gift shop — hint, hint.

Delaware: 'Fountain of Youth'

It seems a tad unfair to continue calling a well in Lewes a "Fountain of Youth" when it has dried up (particularly given how crazed people are about preserving their youth ). It's said to have been discovered in 1631 by the area's Dutch colonists, but it's unclear what made locals believe the water had such magical powers, or what makes tourists believe the well is worth a visit. Furthermore, it appears it’s private property now .

Florida: Skunk Ape Research Center

Never heard of a skunk ape? You're not alone. According to the website of the Skunk Ape Research Center , it's a large, hairy, bipedal mammal that calls the Florida Everglades home and may be a distant relative of Bigfoot. Reviewers point out that the facility in Ochopee is not a "research center" at all — just a gift shop with a small museum devoted to an obscure mythological creature. There is also an animal exhibit. Admission is $15 for adults, $8 for kids, which may leave some folks feeling "skunked."

Georgia: World of Coca-Cola Museum

While some may find the history of Coca-Cola  and its various flavors interesting, Georgia finance writer David Bakke calls out the World of Coca-Cola  museum in Atlanta as plagued by long lines, mediocre exhibits, and pricey souvenirs. Visitors, allowed back in July, pay $21 (for adults) or $17 (for children) to enjoy what amounts to a giant Coke commercial.

Hawaii: Waikiki Beach

A retreat for Hawaiian royalty in the 1800s, Honolulu's world-famous Waikiki Beach has long been plagued by crowds and trash. It has attracted both a large homeless population and the likes of Hermès, Gucci, and Prada. Visitors have described the commercialized beach as a cross between New York City and Miami Beach, and not in a good way.

Related: 20 Tips for Visiting Hawaii on a Budget

Idaho: Oasis Bordello Museum

Tour guides talking about the day-to-day lives of prostitutes, represented by tarted-up mannequins? The Oasis Bordello Museum  in Wallace seeks to provide an authentic glimpse into the colorful past of the mining district where this brothel is located, but some visitors say the museum is sad and creepy — perhaps not worth the $5 admission.

Illinois: Navy Pier

Between the $18 price to ride the Ferris wheel, crowds, mediocre bars, and cafeteria food, locals often steer clear of Chicago's Navy Pier , leaving it for the tourists, resident Rachel Cooper says. Still, there are a few redeeming attractions, such as performances by the Chicago Shakespeare Theater (although tickets aren't cheap) and epic fireworks displays over Lake Michigan. 

Indiana: Largest Ball of Paint

What started as an ordinary baseball has grown into the world's largest ball of paint and one of Indiana's most visited roadside attractions, as hard as that might be to believe. After about 40 years of painting, the ball has more than 23,000 layers and weighs more than 4,000 pounds. Tourists passing by Alexandria can call to make an appointment to view the ball — but why?

Iowa: Spook Cave

There's not a whole lot to see here, folks — that's one of the primary criticisms of Spook Cave . An escorted boat tour of a flooded cave in McGregor (May through October) does give visitors a chance to learn about the history of limestone in the region and view stalactites. Whether that's worth $16 for adults and $11 for children is the question. There's also a pricey gift shop.

Kansas: Largest Ball of Twine

Cawker City's claim to fame: the world's largest ball of twine. Apparently there's been some competition  for that title since the ball was started in 1953. Although it's often cited among the country's best roadside attractions, it hardly seems worth a detour of more than two hours round-trip off the nearest interstate.

Kentucky: Ark Encounter

Opened in July 2016, Ark Encounter  promises to bring the Biblical story of Noah's Ark to life. The recently completed, wooden replica of the ship was built according to dimensions provided in the Bible — 510 feet long, 85 feet wide, and 51 feet high. Some visitors find the admission prices big as well, especially after construction won government tax breaks: An adult ticket is $60, admission for youngsters is $32, and visitors also pay for parking and activities inside the park, such as a $60 zip line experience. "I don't see how families can afford it," one reviewer writes on TripAdvisor .

Louisiana: Bourbon Street

It's an iconic destination, yes, but Bourbon Street, in the French Quarter of New Orleans, has become increasingly known for strip clubs, wild parties, tacky offerings, and scammers seeking to separate visitors from their money. Don't want to avoid the historic street altogether? Just do some research, pick your spots ahead of time, and take care to avoid the con artists. Remember, there’s plenty of free fun in the Big Easy . 

Maine: Land's End Gift Shop

Geared entirely toward tourists, the Land's End Gift Shop  sells everything from lobster-print pants to lobster keychains and bumper stickers. There are also calendars featuring idyllic New England images, plush animals (including, of course, lobsters), mugs, hats, and other miscellaneous gifts to help visitors remember Maine. Save your money for some real lobster .

Maryland: God's Ark of Safety

The sign for God's Ark of Safety  proclaims, "Noah's Ark Being Rebuilt Here!" The plan, more than 30 years in the making, is to build a replica with the same dimensions listed in the Bible. But the ministry building it in Frostburg has managed to erect only a tangle of steel beams so far — and even that's in hold during COVID-19. In the meantime, someone else beat them to it in Kentucky.

Massachusetts: Salem

Wizard schools, ghost tours, and oddball Frankenstein and Dracula "museums" have taken over Salem, once a truly intriguing town. It dates to 1626 and is notorious for holding witch trials that led to the hanging of 19 innocent people. Tourist trap economics have come to trump historical charm, say travel bloggers David and Veronica James, although the Salem Witch Museum  is an exception.

Related: The 25 Most Terrifying Places in America

Michigan: Mystery Spot

 Said to have been discovered in the 1950s by surveyors who became lightheaded and couldn't get equipment to operate there, the Mystery Spot  in St. Ignace (reopening in the spring) seems to mess with gravity, make tall people seem smaller, and cause plenty of other confusing phenomena. Or so they say. You might say it leans heavily on kitsch. It led one Yelper to remark, “The mystery is why did I pay for this?”

Minnesota: Mall of America

The Mall of America  attracts 40 million visitors in a typical year with chain stores that most people probably have near their hometowns. Some of the biggest draws have high prices: $50 for a day at Nickelodeon Universe, around $24 at the aquarium, and $28 a person for the Crayola Experience. One saving grace: No tax on clothing in Minnesota.

Mississippi: Mammy's Cupboard

The sight of a roadside restaurant in the shape of a 28-foot-tall woman draws many tourists intrigued at the prospect of eating inside her skirt. But the building is based on an offensive archetype: Mammy's Cupboard dates to 1940, a time not exactly focused on political correctness. Although it was repainted a lighter skin tone during the civil rights era , it remains the subject of much criticism and social debate.

Missouri: Silver Dollar City

A theme park in Branson that opened in 1960, Silver Dollar City  is no Disney World. It has 40 rides and plenty of detractors who say it's run-down, not kid-friendly, and not laid out well. At 2020 prices of $89 for adults, it's overpriced to boot.

Montana: 50,000 Silver Dollar Bar

The collection of silver dollars on display at the 50,000 Silver Dollar Bar  in Haugan was started in 1952, and by now there are coins covering the walls, bar, and ceiling. There's also a family-run restaurant, a motel with free RV parking, a convenience store, casinos, and "Montana's largest gift shop." If you'd like to marvel at other people's money while spending your own, this is the tourist trap for you.

Related: 40 Hole-in-the-Wall Bars That Have Survived the Decades

Nebraska: Carhenge

With the real Stonehenge often labeled a tourist trap , it's hard to see the appeal of a replica made from vintage American automobiles painted gray to look like giant stones. Those who have visited Carhenge  in Alliance describe it as everything from a step above a junkyard to the perfect Griswold family moment.

Nevada: Area 51 Alien Travel Center and Brothel

It's probably not helpful to name the entire city of Las Vegas, even though it's certainly one of the most deliberately designed tourist traps in history. We'll offer up this little gem instead: the Area 51 Alien Travel Center and Brothel  in Amargosa Valley. A name that baits tourists with both "alien" and "brothel" really speaks for itself. Close encounters, indeed.

New Hampshire: Ice Castles

These human-made ice caverns  operate in several locations, including Lincoln, during the winter months. While praised by many for its beauty and fun quotient, many Yelpers have dinged the attraction for having rude staff and others said it just didn’t look as impressive as advertised.

New Jersey: Atlantic City Boardwalk

Tacky. Not a good place for children. In need of refurbishing. These are just some of the downsides of the present incarnation of the Atlantic City Boardwalk, reviewers say. The iconic boardwalk, lined with stores, restaurants, and casinos, dates to 1870 and unfortunately has seen far better days.

Related: 40 Iconic and Beautiful Boardwalks in the Country

New Mexico: International UFO Museum

The town of Roswell has become synonymous with UFOs (thanks to an alleged crash in 1947), but it doesn't have much to offer aside from that claim to fame. The primary highlights for alien fans are the International UFO Museum and Research Center ($7 for adults, $4 for children) and an annual festival.

New York: Times Square Museums

In a city with countless one-of-a-kind museums, tan overpriced chain museum in Times Square draws wide disdain from travel bloggers. Madame Tussauds Wax Museum  costs about $44 to get into, and has nothing unique to offer visitors to the Big Apple, though many other places do offer cheap amusements . 

North Carolina: Largest Chest of Drawers

It's fitting for High Point, known as the home furnishings capital of the world, to be home of the world's largest chest of drawers . Built originally in the 1920s, complete with knobs and giant dangling socks, it served as an information bureau — pun undoubtedly intended. Then a furniture store in Jamestown, a 10-minute drive away, built what looks like an 80-foot chest on the outside of its showroom, somehow diminishing the value of both.

North Dakota: Casinos

Don't leave the choice of a North Dakota casino to chance. From Spirit Lake Casino in St. Michael to 4 Bears Casino in New Town and Dakota Magic in Hankinson, visitors complain of a general lack of quality and professionalism at smaller tribal casinos, citing run-down machines, unpleasant atmospheres, and very few winners. "ATM pays out," one customer snarked in an online review. "That's about it."

Related: The 15 Best Casinos NOT in Las Vegas

Ohio: Mary Yoder's Amish Kitchen

Criticism of the cooking at Mary Yoder's Amish Kitchen, Bakery, and Gift Shop  in Middlefield is all too common. Reviewers say the food is bland, unappetizing, and overpriced. The gift shop is also expensive, they say, with a warning to stop only if there's nothing else open. But that's easier said than done when the tour bus stops at the restaurant.

Oklahoma: Cherokee Trading Post

With a tepee out front and a KOA campground, Cherokee Trading Post  near El Reno has "tourist" written all over it. But, hey, if you're in the mood to shop for moccasins and Native American "art," this is the place.

Oregon: Prehistoric Gardens

Like many tourist traps, Prehistoric Gardens  in Port Orford is likely to be irresistible to children, with a life-size Tyrannosaurus at the front gate. But some visitors say it's overpriced, at $14 for adults and $10 for children, and provides less than 15 minutes of entertainment. In an age of "Jurassic Park" films and the dinosaur robots of the George S. Eccles Dinosaur Park in Utah, steel and concrete sculptures may not cut it.

Pennsylvania: Rivers Casino

Philadelphia isn't Las Vegas — it isn't even Atlantic City, which is just an hour away — and tourists shouldn't go to the Rivers Casino (formerly the SugarHouse Casino) expecting a high-rolling experience. Reviews are filled with complaints about slow service in a cramped, cheap-looking structure. "A lackluster, dirty slots barn," one Yelper says.

Rhode Island: Big Blue Bug

The Big Blue Bug  is a 58-foot termite — 928 times the size of a real one. Designated the world's largest bug, it cost $20,000 to build out of steel and fiberglass. But don't make the mistake of stopping in Providence just to see it. The bug can be appreciated well enough from Interstate 95.

South Carolina: South of the Border

Travel review sites are full of mediocre reviews of this cluster of restaurants and shops  offering everything from fireworks, knickknacks, and bumper stickers to leather, antiques, and hats. Its towering statue of a sombrero is well-known to road trippers as a place to stretch your legs on a long drive — but nothing more.

South Dakota: Wall Drug Store

Wall Drug  may have started as a drugstore in 1931, but it has morphed into a classic American tourist trap with a sprawling souvenir shop and eateries that are collectively "crowded, overpriced, and stupid," say travel bloggers David and Veronica James. Countless signs along Interstate 90 make travelers feel as though they absolutely have to stop, but many who do regret it.

Related: 77 Attractions to See While Driving Across the Country

Tennessee: Graceland

Elvis has long since left the building, yet his Memphis home continues to rake in oodles of cash from devoted fans . Tickets to Graceland  start at $82 for adults and $47 for children and cost at least $140 for a VIP tour. That's not to mention the multiple gift shops on the grounds selling Elvis-themed tchotchkes.

Related: Elvis Had a Pet Chimp and More Fun Facts About Graceland

Texas: Devil's Rope Museum

Devil's Rope Museum  in McLean has an intriguing name and free admission, but it may become less interesting when visitors find out that "devil's rope" is barbed wire. That's right: This quirky museum (due to reopen in March) showcases the 450 patents that apparently exist for barbed wire, as well as more than 2,000 variations that have been found by collectors. For some visitors, it's fascinating. For others, it's just fencing.

Utah: Moqui Cave

While $5 for adults is not a lot to pay, for some it's just too much for a "tour" of Moqui Cave  that lasts only a few minutes. The cave near Kanab is billed as a natural history museum, but visitors complain that the collection of Native American artifacts, dinosaur tracks, and minerals is paltry at best. They say the attraction is mostly a gift shop — and why pay an entrance fee to shop?

Vermont: Rock of Ages

It's not worth going far to look at a very pretty hole in the ground that isn't the Grand Canyon. For $9 for adults and $5 for children, Rock of Ages (a company that makes "enduring art" — its euphemism for headstones) takes visitors to a granite quarry and on a factory tour. The visitors center peddles granite gifts and jewelry.

Virginia: Foamhenge

What's the obsession with recreating Stonehenge, exactly? Foamhenge is made entirely of Styrofoam. It was put up on April Fools' Day in 2004, and a dozen years later, when the kitschy sight was falling into disrepair, got picked up and packed up. Foam worshippers will not be denied, though, and  Foamhenge  was resurrected a year later as an ongoing attraction for Cox Farms in Centreville — for limited hours, on private property. 

Washington: Seattle Children's Museum

Visitor reviews of Seattle Children's Museum , along with local media, say the exhibits are far from innovative, many of the toys are similar to what's at home, and exhibits are poorly maintained. For children older than 4, it could easily be deemed a tad boring and not worth the cost of admission, which is $14 for adults and children. 

West Virginia: Farnham Colossi

A perplexing collection of statues at Farnham Fantasy Farm  in Unger, the "Farnham Colossi" run the gamut from a 25-foot-tall fiberglass muffler man to a beach dude statue and a Big John bag boy. It's a half-hour off the Interstate (whether 70 or 81) to get to the site of these massive figures. 

Wisconsin: The Dells

The Wisconsin Dells  area is a tourist trap to end all tourist traps, with tacky water parks and wacky attractions now divorced from the namesake rock formations that originally drew sightseers. Even a breathless write-up on Roadside America  admits, "At times the Dells seems like a ravenous snake, swallowing tourists whole, digesting their lump of vacation energy and disposable income."

Related: The 20 Best Water Parks Across America

Wyoming: Wyoming Frontier Prison

Tours of the abandoned and crumbling Wyoming Frontier Prison  in Rawlins, which opened in 1901 and closed in 1981, include viewing the Punishment Pole, where prisoners were whipped with rubber hoses, and the chance to sit in a real gas chamber. The cost is $12 for adults and $10 for children — in other words, around $40 to $50 for a family with small children to endure weeks of nightmares afterward.

Related: 18 Towns Where You Can Still Experience the Wild West

• Travel Tips
• Architecture
• Home Improv
• Photography
• Food&Drinks

Select Page

The Biggest Tourist Traps in the World (and How to Avoid Them!)

Posted by Amazing Traveler | Apr 3, 2023 | Travel Tips | 0 |

Welcome to “The Biggest Tourist Traps in the World,” where we look at some of the most overhyped, overcrowded, and overpriced holiday destinations around the globe.

The data comes from the travel home experts at Casago. They analyzed data from TripAdvisor to find the highest number of tourist trap mentions, then put together some charts and graphics ranking The Biggest Tourist Traps in the World.

Let’s check them out.

What is a tourist trap?

We’ve all heard (and probably used) the term tourist trap. But what does it actually mean?

A tourist trap is like a Venus Flytrap for unsuspecting visitors. You’re lured in by promises of excitement, adventure, or memorable experiences, only to find yourself trapped in a web of overpriced restaurants, cheesy photo ops, and endless lines.

It’s like a never-ending cycle of “oohs” and “ahhs” followed by “ouch, my wallet!”

Europe’s worst tourist traps

Europe’s biggest tourist traps draw visitors in with promises of excitement and adventure, only to leave them feeling like they’ve been conned by a smooth-talking used car salesman.

The Eiffel Tower in Paris is a shining beacon of high culture for tourists looking to take a romantic selfie. But the lines are longer than a French bakery’s baguette, and the prices are higher than the Arc de Triomphe.

Then there’s the Colosseum in Rome, where you can witness the glory of ancient Rome…and the horror of modern-day crowds.

Let’s not forget Amsterdam. It’s great – if you can avoid the boozed-up stag parties and don’t mind paying Ritz prices for the top bunk in a hostel dorm.

Biggest tourist traps in the USA

Times Square in New York City is the crossroads of the world and one of the busiest places on Earth. It’s like a neon jungle, with skyscrapers and billboards as far as the eye can see. But beware – the tourist crowds are much thicker than a New York slice of pizza. And given the price of some of the restaurants around the Square, you’ll be eating lots of $1 slices.

Then there’s Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles, where tourists come to see the stars – on the ground, that is. It’s the walk of fame. But it quickly becomes a walk of shame for anyone who gets suckered into buying a $50 map of the celebrity homes.

Niagara Falls is an iconic tourist destination. It’s also real tourist trap territory, where a helicopter ride offering spectacular views of the falls will cost hundreds of dollars.

You can soak up the falls for free, of course, but you’ll be jostling for the best view among a sea of tourists elbowing each other out of the way for that perfect Instagram shot.

How to avoid a tourist trap holiday experience?

Looking for an authentic holiday experience instead? Then follow these tips:

Research: Read up on your destination and look for recommendations from locals or travel experts. This helps you avoid overhyped attractions and find hidden gems.

Look beyond the tourist areas: Explore surrounding neighborhoods, where you can often find authentic local experiences (and lower prices.)

Ask locals: Strike up a conversation with a local, ask for recommendations, and get their insider tips on the best places to eat, shop, and explore.

Related Posts

Catch up the list of famous tourist places in India

4 Traveling Tips for Tourists on the Road

Looking For Stress-Free Traveling During Holiday Season: Hire Travel Planner Now

Unique Tourist Destinations of Ireland

Leave a reply cancel reply.

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Stay Connected

Find your stay, recent posts.

20 American tourist traps that are actually worth your time and money

There’s a fine line between must-see attraction and overrated tourist trap. Some of the most iconic landmarks in the world are overrun and overcrowded simply due to their popularity. But that’s just it – they’re popular for a reason.

USA TODAY content partner GoBankingRates.com has rounded up 20 tourist attractions that are well worth visiting, especially if you go in the offseason and research beforehand to avoid getting ripped off.

You can click through the gallery at the top of this story for justifications as to why each is worth your time and money (along with how much you can expect to spend) but here's a quick look at the list:

1. Alcatraz Island (San Francisco)

2. Boot Hill Museum (Dodge City, Kansas)

3. The Breakers (Newport, Rhode Island)

4. Churchill Downs (Louisville, Kentucky)

5. Disney World (Orlando, Florida)

6. Empire State Building Observatory (New York)

7. Fenway Park (Boston)

8. Franklin Barbecue (Austin, Texas)

9. Gateway Arch (St. Louis)

10. Grand Canyon Skywalk (Grand Canyon, Arizona)

11. The House on the Rock (Spring Green, Wisconsin)

12. Luray Caverns (Luray, Virginia)

13. Maid of the Mist (Niagara Falls, New York)

14. Portland Japanese Garden (Portland, Oregon)

15. The Rink at Rockefeller Center (New York)

16. Rock & Roll Hall of Fame (Cleveland)

17. San Diego Zoo 

18 . Space Needle (Seattle)

19.  Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island (New York)

20. Universal Studios Hollywood (Universal City, California)

Log in with user name:

Log in with social media:

Get FREE email communications from Fodor's Travel, covering must-see travel destinations, expert trip planning advice, and travel inspiration to fuel your passion.

These Are the 100 Biggest Tourist Traps in the World. So What?

• Travel News

Should a list of tourist traps discourage travelers from liking—or even visiting—a notable attraction?

A recent list of the “Top 100 Biggest Tourist Traps Worldwide” was drawn from analysis of over 23 million Google Reviews, scanning for the words “tourist trap,” “overrated,” or “expensive.” The survey then counted the number of mentions compared with the total number of reviews. Sites that had the most relative mentions of the offending words were flagged as “tourist traps.”

The top “tourist traps” on the list included the Four Corners Monument in the U.S. Southwest, Iceland’s Blue Lagoon, and Penang Hill in Malaysia. The California Academy of Sciences, Graceland, and the South Carolina Aquarium were called out for being “expensive.” Voodoo Doughnut in Portland, Oregon, was the most “overrated”.

So, if travelers find themselves in Portland, should they not want a Voodoo Doughnut? If they’re dying to get a selfie in the milky baby blue waters of the Blue Lagoon, should they be less keen once they find out it’s at least $67? Do travelers really need to shape their tastes around a few naysayers?

“Honey, cancel the trip to Iceland—strangers on the internet said it sucked.”

The survey mentioned that Americans generally seemed to consider aquariums overpriced, with aquariums in South Carolina, Maryland, California, and Georgia making the Top 50 in the list.

Top Picks for You

Recommended Fodor’s Video

Because water’s free? It seems lost on the reviewers there are significant costs involved in building habitats, getting water, salinizing and heating it to make it hospitable to creatures that live deep in the ocean , and hiring specialists with zoology degrees who know how to keep them alive. But why should it be expensive, this indoor ocean in the middle of a city?

Tourist Traps and Tourist Shaming

So why the anxiety over whether popular attractions are considered “tourist traps”? Must all visitors consider all attractions affordable? Is there some sort of moral satisfaction in accurately identifying an attraction as a “tourist trap,” avoiding it, and taking pride in not being duped?

It’s worth noting that three theme parks—Cedar Point, Disneyland, and Dollywood—made the list of the “Most Overpriced Attractions Worldwide.” But the rub there is that pricing is well-publicized . Nobody shows up at Disneyland unaware of how much they’re paying to get in, or what they will find once they do—this information is readily available, and millions of visitors enjoy the park each year in spite of the expense.

Complaints about tourist traps also border on elitist—almost as though the objection with them is that they’re a product of mass tourism. There’s a saying in tourism circles: “mass follows class”—that is, mass tourism arrives after a destination has been “discovered” and cultivated by wealthy travelers with the means to get to them before growing demand rendered it convenient or overtouristed. As tourism develops more, it also has to appeal to a broader cross-section of the population, more affordable accommodations, a wider range of activities, thus—the “tourist trap.”

How to Avoid Tourist Traps

In short—don’t worry about it.

Tourism is largely a leisure pursuit, built on the Pleasure Principle. Tourism communities around the world are engineered to meet these needs—a sort of escapist round of bread and circuses—bars, restaurants, amusements, ice cream parlors, fudge shops, cookie factories, breweries, distilleries, interesting sites, and tour operators to see it all as efficiently as possible.

So don’t worry about whether something’s “inauthentic” or “overrated.” Sometimes visitors just want a nice view, an ice cream cone, a little bit of spectacle, and a souvenir keychain with their name on it. Forget the acquired notion that travel must be trans-figurative to have value—enjoying the journey is just as important.

There’s nothing inherently “scammy” about tourism-related businesses. They certainly disappoint some of their patrons, but so do businesses without tourist traffic. Travelers today have the luxury of living in an age where more information is readily available at their fingertips than ever has been before. But that doesn’t mean trusting the advice of internet strangers who pronounce an attraction to be a “tourist trap” is the best way to use that power.

Gather information and make a decision—there’s always a risk it won’t be enjoyable, but in either case, it will be an experience—and that’s ultimately what travel is all about.

World Wild Schooling

15 Biggest Tourist Traps in the US To Avoid

Some of the links might be affiliate links and, at no extra cost to you, we earn a small commission. See our disclaimer for more info.

Traveling is about adventure, discovery, and soaking up local culture. Still, some destinations, heavily promoted and crammed with visitors, offer less than meets the eye at steep prices.

Overwhelmed with crowds and costly attractions, tourist traps in the US lack authenticity, making it difficult for visitors to engage in the experience.

We’ve compiled a list of popular tourist destinations in the United States that, while noteworthy, are not all they’re cracked up to be. Follow along to see which tourist attractions in the US often underwhelm tourists and fail to meet expectations.

Times Square (New York City)

All spectacle and no substance best describe this central commercial hub in midtown Manhattan. Oversized billboards, overpriced chain restaurants, aggressive crowds, and enterprising street performers looking for tips make Times Square the ultimate tourist trap.

🏨 Explore all your hotel options here

Not a genuine reflection of New York City history and culture, Times Square is not for visitors seeking bona fide Big Apple moments. Venturing to neighborhoods like Greenwich Village, Gramercy Park, the Lower East Side, Hell’s Kitchen, and Harlem can offer tourists a more legitimate Gotham experience. 

Read also:  Unmissable Cities in the US

Fisherman’s Wharf (San Francisco, California)

Home to the Golden Gate City’s iconic sea lions, Fisherman’s Wharf is packed with touristy restaurants, pushy boat and bike tour vendors, panhandlers, and expensive parking.

Attractions like Ghirardelli Square, Pier 39, the Cartoon Art Museum, and Madame Tussauds make Fisherman’s Wharf one of the top tourist traps in the nation.

Read also:  Instagram-Worthy Spots in the US

Bourbon Street (New Orleans, Louisiana)

The history behind this French Quarter street dates back to the 18th-century reign of the French royal family, the House of Bourbon.

Today, the name is often associated with the street’s nonstop whiskey-induced party atmosphere, bursting with Mardi Gras revelers, overserved college students, and the entourages of brides and grooms-to-be.

Primarily a pedestrian-only thoroughfare, Bourbon Street hosts vehicles at certain times to maximize foot traffic to its 60-some-odd bars and restaurants.

To avoid overpriced drinks, expensive meals, and tacky gift shops, visitors should venture outside this 13-block stretch to discover the real NOLA.

Read also:  American Road Trips

The Hollywood Walk of Fame (Los Angeles, California)

Over 2,600 brass stars line this downtown LA walkway, honoring entertainment luminaries like Marilyn Monroe, Meryl Streep, Denzel Washington, Steven Spielberg, and Walt Disney.

A magnet for celebrity-obsessed visitors, the Hollywood Walk of Fame was established as a tribute to film, television, music, radio, and theater icons. Today, it’s also home to pushy street vendors peddling overpriced merchandise and memorabilia.

Read also: American Cities With Unique Art Scene

International UFO Museum & Research Center (Roswell, New Mexico)

Sensationalist tourists and alien enthusiasts are drawn to this New Mexico museum that capitalizes on the 1947 Roswell UFO incident.

Exhibits at this attraction are more kitsch than educational, and the town of Roswell has embraced its alien theme so much that it overshadows other aspects of the area’s history and culture.

Read also:  Quirky US Towns

Plymouth Rock (Plymouth, Massachusetts)

A symbol of colonial America, Plymouth Rock is precisely what its name entails—a rock. Its historical weight as the landing site of the Pilgrim Fathers has not been fully proven, and the site is often said to leave visitors questioning the hype.

Read also: US Hidden Treasures

Mount Rushmore National Memorial (Keystone, South Dakota)

A symbol of American heritage, this national landmark depicting presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and Theodore Roosevelt can disappoint tourists expecting a more substantial experience.

Seemingly colossal in photographs, the  Mount Rushmore stone sculpture is, in fact, just 60 feet tall. While still impressive, many tourists feel disappointed by the memorial’s size and isolated location.

Read also: Must-Visit US Landmarks

The Space Needle (Seattle, Washington)

If 360-degree views of Seattle are what you’re after, then a visit to the 605-foot-tall observation tower may be worth its substantial wait times and price tag.

Unimpressed visitors cite the Space Needle’s lack of knowledge as a drawback. Once you arrive at the top, there is little to no information about the surrounding buildings or the structure’s significance.

Read also:  US Destinations for Art Lovers

Niagara Falls State Park (New York State)

Niagara Falls is a natural wonder, but you can expect to pay top dollar for everything from water to parking. Visit the falls but skip the tourist-centric attractions in the park, such as Maid of the Mist basin tours and the Observation Deck.

Read also: Incredible American Landscapes

Salem Witch Museum (Salem, Massachusetts)

Not all tourists find this landmark bewitching. Housed in a historic New England church, the Salem Witch Museum takes visitors on a journey to the 1692 Salem Witch Trials.

Many see the experience as sensationalist and describe it as a staged display of witchcraft gimmicks and commercialism. Nevertheless, if lore is your thing, this archive of wizardry may cast a spell. 

Read also: US Towns With European Vibe

Waikiki (Honolulu, Hawaii)

While the white shorelines and turquoise waters of Honolulu’s iconic beaches are breathtaking, they are not secret. According to the Hawaii Tourism Authority, more than four million visitors descend on the exquisite two-mile stretch of sand each year.

Tourists can engage in water sports and activities, such as surfing, paddleboarding, and canoeing, while taking in the Diamond Head volcano on the adjacent island of Oʻahu.

Why watch out for this tourist trap? Finding a spot to relax for the day can feel like navigating a wall-to-wall maze of beach towels, especially when seeking a patch of solitude by the ocean.

Read also: Secret Beaches in the US

The Alamo (San Antonio, Texas)

This historic mission played a significant role in the fight for Texan independence, drawing crowds for its considerable past.

While the Alamo’s fame makes it a popular tourist destination, those looking for a quieter yet equally historical experience might find the San Antonio Missions National Historical Park—comprising four lesser-known missions—a peaceful alternative.

Read more:  Historical US Cities

Navy Pier (Chicago, Illinois)

One of Chicago’s most visited tourist attractions, Navy Pier offers captivating views of Lake Michigan and several entertainment options. While the pier hosts free programs and events throughout the year, its notoriety as a tourist trap is a byproduct of its averageness.

Its food hall boasting “authentic Chicago food” is riddled with chain restaurants like Potbelly Sandwich Shop, McDonald’s, Starbucks, and Ben and Jerry’s. Home to the Centennial Wheel, Navy Pier also has boat cruises, rides, and tours, but each amusement will set you back a penny or two.

It is costly to ride the Ferris wheel. Families or small groups should prepare to shell out big time when spending a day on the lake.

Read more:  Surprising US Cities with a Vibrant Nightlife Scene

SeaWorld (Multiple Locations)

A longtime magnet for family fun and marine life enthusiasts, SeaWorld has three US locations in Orlando, San Diego, and San Antonio.

Single-day tickets in Florida start at over USD 100, and visitors can add all-dining bundles and skip-the-line privileges for even more per person. Such steep price tags make this one expensive family outing.

Over the years, SeaWorld’s treatment of animals has come under scrutiny, leading the park to stop using orcas in park shows. As a result, tourists have increasingly questioned SeaWorld’s educational value and authenticity, making it a pass for many.

Read also: Best US Cities for Shopping

Lower Broadway (Nashville, Tennessee)

Lower Broadway, a major thoroughfare in Nashville’s Broadway Historic District, is the mecca of the city’s country music scene. The street is bustling with honky-tonk restaurants and bars like Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge, where Willie Nelson, Patsy Cline, and Kris Kristofferson got their start.

You’ll also find premium-priced restaurants, museums, and live music venues like the famous Ryman Auditorium here, making Lower Broadway a quintessential tourist trap.

Visitors should be prepared to shell out top dollar for food and drink, admission fees, cover charges, souvenirs, and parking. Plus, litter and garbage pile up quickly, given the foot traffic on Lower Broadway, especially after dark.

12 US Lake Destinations for a Relaxed Vacation

12 Wonderful American Wilderness Areas for the Ultimate Adventure 

12 Quaint US Harbor Towns for a Relaxing Seaside Vacation 

Unique Outdoor Honeymoon Ideas for Nature Lovers

Top 10 Cities in North Carolina To Visit

Discover the Yellowstone Lakes: A Visitor’s Guide

Things To Do at SXSW in Austin, Texas—Everything From Movie Premiers To Free Sushi

Loading…

Something went wrong. Please refresh the page and/or try again.

12 Top Tropical Beaches To Escape to in May

12 Destination Dupes Guaranteed To Save You Money

12 Destination Dupes To Save You Money

12 Hidden Islands for a Perfect Tropical Escape

12 Natural Wonders Around the World To Discover on Your Next Trip

12 Mesmerizing Northern Lights Viewing Spots in the World

Travel planning resources.

🛏️ Book hotels 🚗 Rent a car 🎡 Find tickets and tours ✈️ Book flights

🚕 Find airport pickup ⛴️ Book ferries 🚂 Find train tickets ⭐ Get travel insurance

Amanda Fayer is a professional foodie, travel enthusiast, expert sleuth, content strategist, and journalistically-trained copywriter, in that order. She’s also one of the few native New Yorkers to realize life exists outside Gotham. You can now find her living in the nation’s capital.

Share this:

Similar Posts

12 Caribbean Islands With the Most Spectacular Sunsets

12 Least Safe Cities in the World To Avoid

12 Must-Visit Beaches in the Caribbean for Your Bucket List

15 Unmissable Things To Do in Honolulu, Hawaii

12 US Cities with the Most Colorful Autumn Scenery

Discover more from World Wild Schooling

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Type your email…

Continue reading

U.S. Tourist Traps That Are Actually Pretty Great

U.s. tourist traps worth the price of admission.

You know the feeling. You’re midway through a long road trip. Your eyes are tired, and you wouldn’t mind a chance to stretch your legs. Suddenly, you see a sign along the side of the road, beckoning you to the “World’s Only Corn Palace” or “Largest Ball of Twine” or a museum inexplicably dedicated to a single, mundane product — like mustard.

These roadside attractions are often referred to as tourist traps because they tend to charge exorbitant entrance fees for ho-hum attractions that only an out-of-towner would be suckered into checking out. Except that sometimes the fees are reasonable (or non-existent), and the attractions are genuinely interesting. And you pull away with a renewed sense of energy and an impressively encyclopedic knowledge of mustard.

So, why not embrace the idea of the tourist trap and set aside some time to visit at least one on your next road trip? Any of the U.S.-based attractions included here are particularly worth the stop.

Dollywood, Tennesse

At the largest ticketed tourist attraction in Tennessee, the hairstyles (and cowboy hats) here are nearly as tall as the rides. While this theme park has been around since 1961, attendance numbers soared in 1986 when the park was rebranded with a little help from country music icon Dolly Parton. Now, it pulls in more than 3 million visitors a year.

Most of the rides don’t obviously relate to Parton or her career, but she makes regular appearances, and she’d probably approve of the visitors who bedazzle their jean jackets and cowboy boots in a delightfully Dolly manner.

The park closes in the winter, so plan to visit in the warmer months.

Hearst Castle, California

In his own lifetime, media mogul William Randolph Hearst typically referred to his California homestead as a ranch, but castle is an apt descriptor.

Construction began in 1919 and continued until 1947, a few years before Hearst’s death. In between, he regularly hosted celebrities and politicians — from Charlie Chaplin to Winston Churchill — at the estate. Guests could roam the grounds during the day, taking a dip in one of the estate’s two gigantic pools or wandering through its private zoo, then the world’s largest. At night, they’d dine with Hearst in an ornately decorated dining hall, where he’d ply them with wine (even during Prohibition) that he typically kept locked tight inside a subterranean vault.

Today’s revelers can explore the beautifully preserved grounds, pools and dining room as well — though, alas, the animals have left the zoo, and wine is no longer part of the experience.  

International UFO Museum and Research Center, New Mexico

Even if you’re not inclined to believe that tiny green men make frequent visits to Earth, you could still enjoy this out-of-this-world museum.

In 1947, an unidentified flying object crash-landed on a ranch near Roswell, New Mexico. Government officials say that it was a surveillance balloon, but ufologists had other ideas. In the years since, Roswell has become a hotbed for extraterrestrial enthusiasts, many of whom make regular pilgrimages to this museum, which occupies a historic theater near the town’s center.

Some of the exhibits on display (like a jumbled timeline of what supposedly happened in Roswell in the 1940s) are more likely to inspire confusion, or boredom, than wonder. But all in all the museum is a fun place to while away an afternoon, and worth its modest entrance fee.

Robert’s Western World, Tennessee

If Nashville is the queen of American honky-tonk culture, this historic establishment is the jewel in her oversized belt buckle. Some of the best country-western singers of our time have passed beneath the neon guitar that hangs above its doorway, and even the lesser-known musicians that play here are often stellar.

Visitors can hear live music at Robert’s seven nights a week, all while snacking on fried bologna sandwiches or moon pies. And the establishment never charges a cover.

The House on the Rock, Wisconsin

While the House on the Rock is located only a few miles away from Frank Lloyd Wright’s famous Wisconsin homestead, it bears more resemblance to a nightmarish theme park than an iconic work of mid-century architecture.

The interior of the vast house, perched atop a 60-foot-tall column of rock, is filled with architectural oddities, dubious antiques and strange exhibits. A 200-foot sculpture of a sea monster is suspended from the ceiling of one of its rooms. An animatronic symphony dominates another. And, deep within the bowels of its basement, the world’s largest carousel features 269 animals but not a single horse.

If you go, plan to spend several hours wandering through the wonderfully weird space.

Mount Rushmore, South Dakota

It’s a national memorial now, but at one point, Mount Rushmore was just a great marketing gimmick. South Dakota resident Doane Robinson figured that the state might entice more people to visit if it created an intriguing tourist attraction, like famous faces carved into the side of a mountain. And Robinson was right.

Some 2.5 million people now visit the attraction — which depicts the likenesses of Presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln — each year. And, in spite of its lackluster origin story, it’s become a symbol of American ingenuity and progress.

Madonna Inn, California

Travelers have been rolling into this California inn for decades, some of them enticed by its proximity to Route 101, others by its outlandish decorations. Each of its 110 rooms boasts a different name — Love Nest, Rock Bottom, Caveman Room — and theme. Rooms start around $100, but cash-strapped travelers can get most of the Madonna experience simply by booking a reservation at the steakhouse.

After all, the steakhouse is festooned with thousands of yards of pink fabric, making it look a bit like a real-life version of Barbie’s Malibu Dream Home. And in the men’s restroom adjoining the restaurant, guests can relieve themselves at an oversized urinal designed to look like a naturalistic waterfall, rocky outcroppings and all.

The City Museum, Missouri

Don’t let its name fool you. The City Museum, which spans 600,000 square feet of space on the site of a former warehouse in St. Louis, isn’t just some sad old repository for civic memorabilia. It’s more like a gigantic playground that appeals as much to adults as children, built largely from architectural remnants and discarded industrial objects.

On the first floor alone, there’s a life-sized replica of a Bowhead Whale, a slinky big enough to crawl through and a labyrinthine series of tunnels that can be reached via a 10-story slide. Elsewhere, there’s an on-site bar (yes, the alcoholic kind), a Ferris wheel and a massive rope swing dangling from the center of the building’s domed roof.

The Vegas Strip, Nevada

Where can you see Roman temples, Parisian landmarks and New York City skyscrapers stationed along the same street? The Vegas Strip, baby. The roughly 4-mile stretch of asphalt in the Nevada desert is the site of some of the largest and best-known hotels in the world.

And, contrary to popular opinion, you don’t need to gamble to have fun at the Sin City attraction. Window-shopping and people-watching are both free, and if you work up an appetite, you could easily work through several plates of greasy goodness at one of its all-you-can-eat buffets.

Winchester Mystery House, California

This sprawling San Jose mansion was once owned by Sarah Winchester, the widow of millionaire firearm magnate William Wirt Winchester. According to local lore, Sarah moved to California in 1884 to build a home large enough to house the ghosts of all those gunned down by Winchester rifles, and she kept construction crews working around the clock on the property until her death in 1922.

Whether or not that’s true, her house — which has been open for tours since 2017 — is well worth its admission fee. Inside, there are roughly 161 rooms, many of them full of stairways that lead to nowhere, windows that open into interior walls and other architectural oddities.

Pineapple Garden Maze, Hawaii

No, it’s not in Versailles — the world’s largest maze can actually be found in Hawaii, on the grounds of the Dole Plantation. Fittingly, the maze, which stretches across 3 acres and was crafted from 14,000 species of indigenous plants, takes the shape of a gigantic pineapple.

Tickets cost about $10 for adults, a bargain when you consider that a drink in a hip Honolulu coffee shop could set you back about as much and that you could easily spend at least an hour navigating the maze’s nearly 2.5 miles of paths.

Bearing that in mind, you might want to buy your Dole Whip frozen dessert befor e stepping inside.

Pike Place Market, Washington

Seattle’s most popular tourist destination is a gigantic farmer’s market full of food. What’s not to like?

Spend an hour or two noshing on free samples while admiring the public art (including a 550-pound sculpture of a pig named Rachel that many visitors rub for good luck) on display. Or settle in for a full meal at a sit-down restaurant like Lowell’s, a seafood spot that’s been a mainstay of the market since 1957.

Before you leave, be sure to visit the fishmonger’s stall, where employees toss fresh fish to one another to cut down on the handling time. Impressive when you consider that the salmon they sell can grow to be three feet long.

Disney World, Florida

Yes, it’s overpriced and overcrowded — more than 17 million people visited it in 2022 – but if the smiles on visitors' faces are any indication, Disney World may actually be the happiest place on earth. You could easily spend a full day in any one of its four parks or zip back and forth between them by bus or monorail.

Highlights include the classic rides at Magic Kingdom (Splash Mountain is still a must), the history of animation offered up at Hollywood Studios and the Animal Kingdom safari experience. 

Don’t forget: There’s a second Mickey Mouse mecca in the U.S. Disneyland in Anaheim, California, isn’t quite as bright and shiny and new as its Floridian sibling. But it’s equally charming.

Coney Island, New York

For the better part of a century, Coney Island was the largest amusement park in the United States, a place where travelers could sunbathe, ride roller coasters or even visit a brothel built inside a seven-story wooden elephant. A fire tore through the park in the 1940s, and the real estate developer Fred Trump (father of You Know Who) had one of the boardwalk’s three original amusement parks, Steeplechase Park, demolished in the 1960s to make way for planned Miami-style apartments. (He threw a demolition party in honor of the razing.)

Still, you can still see touches of Coney’s former glory here and there. Three of the rides — the Wonder Wheel, Cyclone and Parachute Jump — have been open for the better part of a century. 

Wall Drug, South Dakota

In 1931, Ted Hustead opened a drug store in the tiny town of Wall, South Dakota. But business didn’t really pick up until his wife suggested putting up a few signs along the highway, advertising free ice water for travelers en route to nearby Mount Rushmore. The signs brought in so many thirsty tourists that the Husteads began expanding on the ad campaign and the store itself — eventually erecting hundreds of signs and constructing additional attractions, like a cowboy-themed department store, a western art museum and an 80-foot-tall sculpture of a Tyrannosaurus Rex.

There’s something strangely endearing about the earnestness of the exhibits, though. As famed travel writer Bill Bryson once wrote: “It’s an awful place, one of the world’s tackiest tourist traps, but I loved it and I won’t have a word said against it.”

Bourbon Street, Louisiana

This street in the Big Easy was named for a French royal family. But it’s fitting that the word bourbon doubles as a type of booze because the crowded thoroughfare is lined with dozens of bars and restaurants.

Many straddle the line between classy and tacky (like the Channing Tatum-owned club Saints and Sinners, which attracts hordes of tourists nightly in spite of the fact that it looks like a seedy antebellum brothel). But there are authentic gems to be found along the glittering, bead-strewn avenue, too.

One of them, Pat O’Brien’s Bar, has been open since 1933 and is believed to be the first business to hire dueling pianists to serenade its clientele. It was also the first to serve the now-classic hurricane cocktail.

Cloud Gate, Illinois

On paper, the idea of plopping a gigantic, blob-shaped sculpture in the middle of one of the country’s busiest pedestrian thoroughfares is a terrible idea. In reality, “The Bean” is actually pretty great.

It lies in the middle of Millennium Park, directly between one of the most picturesque stretches of the Chicago skyline to the west and the glittering, green-blue expanse of Lake Michigan to the east. As visitors approach the 42-feet-tall artwork, they’re treated to distorted views of themselves and the surrounding scenery. And anyone who walks all the way underneath the seamless, stainless-steel plated sculpture will find multiple images of themselves stretching funhouse-style across its concave surface.

In other words, if you’re going to snap a selfie, you might as well do it in front of an internationally renowned work of public art that makes your legs look impossibly long.

Niagara Falls, New York

In recent years, Niagara Falls has become synonymous with the phrase tourist trap . And it’s easy to see why. There are several slightly sleazy casinos within the surrounding city, plus the expected hodgepodge of wax museums, indoor waterparks and all-you-can-eat buffets.

But the falls themselves — the most powerful in North America — are still one of the world’s most majestic natural landmarks. And if you drive around to the Canadian side of the river, you can enjoy unobstructed views of the water, and its staggering 160-foot drop, while walking through stately Queen Victoria Park.

Cadillac Ranch, Texas

Most people consider rusted-out cars abandoned along the side of the road an eyesore. But not Chip Lord, Hudson Marquez or Doug Michels. The three men — members of an art collective called Ant Farm — convinced an eccentric millionaire named Stanley Marsh to help them partially bury 10 cadillacs, nose first, in a field in Amarillo in the 1970s.

Today, the cars, which are visible from the nearby highway, are a popular target for aspiring graffiti artists. And that’s just fine with the members of Ant Farm. “We wanted it to be an interactive monument,” Doug Michels once said, “so people could express themselves.”

Fittingly, all 10 cars were painted a flat black when Michels died in 2003. The first taggers arrived less than 24 hours later.

Dinosaur Kingdom, Virginia

Some people believe that dinosaurs coexisted with humans for thousands of years. But Mark Cline of Glasgow, Virginia, might be the first to suggest that dinosaurs A) were still alive during the Civil War and B) fought for the Confederacy.

In 2005, Cline opened a theme park that asks its visitors to imagine that paleontologists discovered dinosaurs in the South in 1863 and that, when the Union Army tried to weaponize them, they turned on the troops. The park is full of alarmingly detailed dioramas depicting animatronic dinos attacking or eating Union soldiers. It’s weird as hell and well worth its modest admission fee.

Dinosaur Kingdom isn’t the only off-the-wall tourist attraction that Cline has created. He’s also responsible for Foamhenge, a full-scale styrofoam replica of the ancient English monument Stonehenge.

Times Square, New York

New Yorkers love to hate it. But that’s only because the novelty of the bright lights and bustling street traffic that make Times Square the most-visited destination in the world fades over time.

If you’re visiting the Big Apple for the first time, or even the fifth, you should absolutely add it to your must-see list. Some of the best theaters in the country are within spitting distance of the square, and there’s a non-zero chance that you may see a famous actor if you hang around long enough.

Just be sure to avoid it during the New Year’s Eve ball drop, unless you’re into the idea of standing in close quarters with more than a million other people, without any way to relieve yourself, for hours on end.

Mall of America, Minnesota

The heyday of the American mall has come and gone. But in the suburbs of Minneapolis, the 1990s mallrat ethos still seems alive and well. Here, in the nation’s largest retail mecca, you can find more than 500 stores, from Auntie Anne’s to Zara. You can also find some decidedly less traditional attractions, like an indoor theme park that features a full-sized roller coaster and a 1.3-million-gallon aquarium.

All told, the mall encompasses nearly 3 million square feet, allowing visitors to spend hours strolling through a climate-controlled shopping oasis even while in the midst of one of America’s most notoriously chilly cities.

The best thing about the mall, though? You’re never more than a few hundred feet from your next meal.

Salvation Mountain, California

About 100 miles south of Joshua Tree National Park, in one of California’s inland deserts, a strange mountain of sorts rises above an otherwise flat landscape. In the 1980s, outsider artist Leonard Knight began hauling large quantities of straw and adobe over to the site, mixing them together to create an artificial mountain range. He then painted his creation, covering it with inspirational — often biblical — quotes and imagery.

Knight passed away in 2014. But a public charity was established to maintain the site, which has become a popular pilgrimage for folk-art aficionados and adventurers alike. Former California Senator Barbara Boxer has described it as “a national treasure ... profoundly strange and beautifully accessible, and worthy of the international acclaim it receives.”

Biosphere 2, Arizona

Someday, humankind may begin to terraform other planets in our solar system. Until then, we’ve got Biosphere 2, the largest closed ecological system ever created.

In the early 1990s, a group of scientists volunteered to spend two years living inside the sprawling artificial ecosystem, intent on proving to the world that they could create all the food, water and air they’d need to live. When the experiment ended, their oxygen levels were low, and their morale, even lower. But they managed to (more or less) achieve what they set out to do.

Now, visitors can sign up for tours of the space to see where the scientists lived and how they maintained the seven distinct biomes — among them a rainforest and miniature ocean complete with its own coral reef — located within the biosphere.

Reading Terminal Market, Pennsylvania

Newer isn’t always better. Philadelphia’s most famous public market opened in 1893 and quickly became famous for its state-of-the-art refrigerated storage spaces, which allowed merchants to keep seasonal products in stock year-round.

These days, it’s better known for its contemporary, home-cooked fare — DiNic’s roasted pork sandwich was voted the “Best Sandwich in America” by the Travel Channel. But you can still find traces of its early history in its ornamental exterior and in the names of the businesses that occupy its older stalls (two of the current vendors are direct descendants of original tenants).

Strangely, like another destination included in this list (Seattle’s Pike Place Market), it also features a sizable sculpture of a pig. His name is Philbert, and he’s the market’s unofficial mascot.  

Enchanted Highway, North Dakota

Midwesterners are acutely aware that their coastal neighbors often complain about how boring it can be to drive through the vast plains and prairies of Middle America. With that idea in mind, the artist Gary Greff began constructing enormous scrap-metal sculptures along a sleepy, 32-mile stretch of road in North Dakota. Since he began working on the project in 1989, he’s completed seven sculptures — most of which depict enormous animals, like pheasants, geese and grasshoppers — and is currently working on an eighth.

In 2012, Greff also opened the Enchanted Castle, an eccentrically decorated inn (completely with its own drawbridge) near the highway in the town of Regent. Greff hopes to drive more tourism to small towns in rural America that have suffered since many of the country’s scenic two-lane highways were abandoned in favor of much larger and less picturesque freeways.

The Willis Tower, Illinois

As a rule of thumb, tourist attractions of the observation-deck-at-the-top-of-a-tall-tower variety tend to disappoint. After all, if you’ve ridden an elevator to the top of New York City’s Empire State Building you probably have a pretty good idea of the sort of view that’s waiting for you atop Seattle’s Space Needle.

That being said, the Willis Tower (still commonly called the Sears Tower in Chicago) is worth a trip for two reasons. One, it’s still one of the tallest buildings around. And two, it’s 103rd-story Skydeck features a glass bottom that extends four feet beyond the edge of the skyscraper, allowing visitors to imagine (maybe a little too vividly, for some) what it would be like to walk among the clouds.

The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Ohio

The Louvre it isn’t. But since opening in 1995, Cleveland’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has outgrown its reputation as a glorified Hard Rock Cafe and become a legitimate bastion of music history. In 1997, the museum began showcasing special exhibitions (the first being “I Want to Take You Higher: The Psychedelic Era, 1965 – 1969”). And to date it’s inducted hundreds of musicians into its Hall of Fame.

It’s worth noting that the museum receives its fair share of criticism from music insiders, many of whom believe that the Hall of Fame nomination process is opaque and unfair. But that sense of controversy doesn’t make the museum any less worthy of a visit — just bear in mind that the selection process is more subjective than scientific.

Hole N’ The Rock, Utah

Its name couldn’t be more accurate. About a century ago, Albert Christensen began carving a small hole into the side of a sandstone cliff in Moab, intent on providing his boys with a fun place to camp out at night. His ambitions grew along with the hole, though. And over the course of about 12 years, he chiseled out 50,000 cubic feet of sandstone, transforming the space into a 14-room home for him and his wife, Gladys.

When Albert died in the 1950s, Gladys converted the home into a gift shop of sorts and began inviting travelers inside to tour the unique homestead. Gladys is no longer around either, but the tours are still available.

Golden Gate Park, California

You’d be hard-pressed to spend more than a few hours in San Francisco without setting foot inside Golden Gate Park. The 1,017-square-foot green space stretches east to west and is significantly larger than New York City’s Central Park.

It’s not nearly as well known as its northeastern neighbor, though. And that’s a shame because some of the city’s best tourist attractions— the De Young Museum. and the California Academy of Sciences — can be found nestled within its borders. It’s also home to both the oldest Japanese garden and the oldest wooden conservatory in the United States. Both make great destination choices for travelers who want to escape the hustle and bustle of the city for an afternoon.

• Destinations
• United States

The Biggest Tourist Trap In The United States Isn't What You Think

Tourist traps are everywhere, especially in Los Angeles and New York, the country's most populous cities (via Investopedia ). Think the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Times Square, and the Statue of Liberty, to name a few. However, according to data gathered from Tripadvisor in 2023 by Casago , a vacation rental agency, the biggest tourist trap in the country is neither of these. It's also not found in LA or NYC. It's Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco. The city is a pricy but popular vacation destination in the U.S.  

Fisherman's Wharf is near various landmarks in the city, including the Presidio of San Francisco and Coit Tower. The waterfront neighborhood became a hub for San Francisco's maritime industry in the late 1800s. Per the San Francisco Chronicle , it did not evolve into a tourist destination until the 1960s. Now, Fisherman's Wharf is home to various attractions designed to lure in tourists, such as Madame Tussauds, Ripley's Believe It or Not!, and the Museum of 3D Illusions. 

The same can be said about its dining options, like Boudin Bakery Cafe, known for serving clam chowder in a bread bowl. That said, some reviewers on Tripadvisor say that Fisherman's Wharf is trashy, busy, and expensive. Others praise its distinctiveness. Nevertheless, visitors continue to pour into Fisherman's Wharf yearly, perhaps with good reason. 

Fisherman's Wharf is nostalgic

Even with its negative reputation, one thing's for sure: Fisherman's Wharf is a quintessential San Francisco destination. Visitors are met with ocean views, classic cable cars traversing the neighborhood, and old-school charm. Several attractions make Fisherman's Wharf noteworthy. This includes Musée Mécanique on Pier 45. It has vintage arcade games, music boxes, and more on display. Think of it as an antique arcade; yes, visitors can play with these games. Musée Mécanique is open daily from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Admission is free. 

Per Tripadvisor, Pier 39 is one of the top-rated things to do in the city and in Fisherman's Wharf. At Pier 39's K-Dock, visitors can view sea lions lavishing in the often gloomy San Francisco weather. Likewise, Magowan's Infinite Mirror Maze provides visitors with a colorful and trippy experience. This attraction costs $10 and is open daily from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Uniquely, Pier 39 has daily performers that include everything from jugglers to rope-walkers.  

Head to The Buena Vista for a comfort meal like corned beef and cabbage or fish and chips. This classic Fisherman's Wharf eatery has been around since 1916 and is known for serving Irish coffee, which combines coffee with Irish whiskey. Another Fisherman's Wharf staple is the Ghirardelli Square. It includes an ice cream and chocolate shop housed in an old Ghirardelli factory dating back to the 1800s.

Alcatraz Island: a must-visit San Francisco tourist trap

While opinions on Fisherman's Wharf are divided, this is not the case with San Francisco's Alcatraz Island. The former prison is less than two miles from the mainland and famously housed Al Capone and other notorious names. It also inspired "Escape from Alcatraz" starring Clint Eastwood, regarded as one of the best island movies . While it is technically considered a tourist trap, publications like USA Today, Business Insider, and more have written that it should not be missed during a trip to the city. Alcatraz is historical and, most importantly, educational. 

Visitors must take a 15-minute ferry from Pier 33 at Fisherman's Wharf to get to the island. Likewise, they can choose between three tours: a Day Tour, a Night Tour, and a Behind The Scenes Tour. Visitors can expect a similar experience on Alcatraz regardless of their choice. This includes exploring the cell house, viewing exhibits, listening to audio guides, and more. 

However, the Behind The Scenes Tour is regarded as the most exhaustive option of the three, and with tickets costing over $100, it is the most expensive. On the other hand, visitors can expect to pay around $45 for the Day Tour and around $56 for the Night Tour at the time of this writing. 

According to the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy , Alcatraz Island receives 1.4 million visitors annually. Simply put, this is a highly coveted attraction, and you should book a tour as far out as possible to secure your spot. All three tours are available on City Experiences . 

Recommended

This Ontario city was just named the biggest tourist trap in Canada

Niagara Falls has been deemed Canada’s top spot for attracting tourists who have money to burn.

According to a newly released report  by U.S.-based vacation home rental and property management company Casago, the kitchy Canadian border town is the country’s biggest tourist trap. On a global level, Niagara Falls came in seventh place.

• Download our app to get local alerts on your device
• Get the latest local updates right to your inbox

Back in January, the team at Casago started doing unfiltered worldwide searches of the phrase “tourist trap” on TripAdvisor.

They then gathered the names of attractions/places, addresses, and the number of mentions of “tourist trap” in thousands of accompanying reviews.

The world’s top 10 biggest tourist traps were deemed to be those with the highest number of mentions of “tourist trap” in their reviews.

Casago then repeated this process by changing the location filter for each country and each U.S. state removing entries that indicated that the attraction/place was not a tourist trap.

Worldwide, they set a minimum threshold of 10 mentions of the phrase ‘tourist trap.’

In both cases, the threshold was set at five or more mentions.

The data found that four of the 10 biggest tourist traps in the world are located in the United States with San Francisco’s Fisherman’s Wharf topping the list with 1,049 mentions of the phrase in reviews. Each year, the west coast city’s Fisherman’s Wharf neighbourhood attracts roughly 12 million visitors.

Barcelona’s Las Ramblas street, which received 793 mentions, was found to be the second-biggest tourist trap in the world, followed by Oahu, Hawaii’s overpriced Dole Plantation (708 mentions).

The Dole Plantation was also the second place finisher in the U.S, followed by New York’s Times Square.

Casago is offering a number of tips to visitors so they don’t fall into a tourist trap.

The first piece of advice was to shop around for discounts when ticket prices for “must-see places” are exorbitant and to research when the quietest times to visit are as admission to events and attractions may be cheaper in off-peak periods.

“See if you can buy a ticket in advance as well to save on long lines and crowds at the ticket booth,” they said, pointing to advice from Insider that suggests tourists avoid places with long lines, crowded areas, and gift shops, and attractions that are popular on Instagram and have their own hashtag.

When it comes to getting something to eat, Casago is urging visitors to keep away from restaurants with employees outside trying to draw you in.

“One of the best ways to have an authentic experience of a new place is to go off the beaten track, dining where the locals recommend and taking a scenic walk through quieter streets,” they urged.

“If you’re on the lookout for a souvenir, consider skipping the keychain and scoping out locally made crafts instead.”

Toronto Top Stories

Norovirus spreading at 'higher frequency' than expected in Canada

Tentative agreement reached with Gate Gourmet, union says

Ontario to ban use of cellphones in school classrooms starting in September

One person critically injured after motorcycle, vehicle collide in Mississauga

Suspect allegedly made anti-2SLGBTQI+ comments towards victim in downtown Toronto: police

JUST IN | Motorcyclist critically injured in east Toronto collision

Auston Matthews' illness 'lingering' as desperate Toronto Maple Leafs look to stay alive

'Do not consume': Gift Chocolate recalled due to undeclared milk, soy

Ctvnews.ca top stories.

NEW | These two chemists were friends for decades. A DNA test revealed they were actually cousins

Jim Arner was always interested in genealogy and discovering more about his ancestry. But after submitting his own DNA test, he learned an old work colleague was actually a distant cousin.

'Deeply unhappy' grocery shoppers plan to boycott Loblaw-owned stores in May

A boycott targeting Loblaw is gaining momentum online, with what could be thousands of shoppers taking their money elsewhere in May.

U.S. CDC says it's identified 1st documented cases of HIV transmitted through cosmetic needles

Three women diagnosed with HIV after getting 'vampire facial' procedures at an unlicensed medical spa are believed to be the first documented cases of people contracting the virus through a cosmetic procedure using needles.

Ontario is introducing a suite of measures that will crack down on cellphone use and vaping in schools.

Road closed in Oak Bay, B.C., so elephant seal can cross

Police in Oak Bay, B.C., had to close a stretch of road Sunday to help an elephant seal named Emerson get safely back into the water.

Deadly six-vehicle crash on Highway 400 sparked by road rage incident

One person was killed in a six-vehicle crash on Highway 400 in Innisfil Friday evening.

Aerial photos show wide devastation left by a deadly tornado in China's Guangzhou

Aerial photos posted by Chinese state media on Sunday showed wide devastation in part of the southern city of Guangzhou after a tornado swept through the day before, killing five people, injuring dozens others and damaging more than 140 buildings.

Putin likely didn't order death of Russian opposition leader Navalny, U.S. official says

U.S. intelligence officials have determined that Russian President Vladimir Putin likely didn't order the death of imprisoned opposition leader Alexei Navalny in February, according to an official familiar with the determination.

Murder charge laid after man falls to death from Toronto apartment balcony

One person has been charged with second-degree murder in connection with the death of a man who fell from a balcony following an altercation inside a Toronto apartment building.

Shopping Trends

The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at CTV News. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop.  Read about us.

Editor's Picks

16 night creams that'll work magic on your skin while you sleep, 17 practical things for your backyard that you'll want to order immediately, 19 of the best mother's day gifts under $50, 17 backyard decor and furniture pieces you need before summer arrives, 15 cleaning products that'll have you working smarter not harder, our guide to the best fans in canada in 2024 (and where to get them), 22 of the best mother's day gifts to give in 2024, 17 unique mother's day gifts your mom definitely wants, but probably won’t buy herself, if your mom needs a bit of rest and relaxation, here are 20 of the best self-care gifts for mother's day, 20 affordable amazon beauty and skincare products you'll probably repurchase over and over again, if you suffer from dry skin, you'll want to add at least one of these hydrating moisturizers to your cart, 14 of the best tinted lip balms you can get online right now.

Quebec to invest $603 million to protect the French language

Quebec is investing $603 million over the next five years to counter what its French-language minister describes as the decline of the French language in the province.

Students vow to 'stand their ground,' show solidarity with Palestinians at McGill encampment

Hundreds of students are still camping out on McGill's University's campus this weekend in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.

Quebec eyes new bill to force online streaming giants to show more francophone content

Quebecers could soon see more homegrown content on streaming services like Netflix and Disney+. The provincial government announced that it plans to introduce a new bill within the next year to force online streaming giants to add more made-in-Quebec media on their platforms.

NEW THIS MORNING | Ottawa looks to move photo radar and red light camera tickets out of provincial courts

A report for the city's finance and corporate services committee recommends the city implement an administrative penalty system for adjudicating parking and camera-based offences, with municipally appointed hearing officers adjudicating ticket disputes instead of the provincial courts system.

Community group looks to help as Ottawa Food Bank sees a surge in demand

While food banks across Ontario continue to experience a surge in use, one Ottawa community group is working to fight food insecurity. The Food for All Ottawa Facebook page has been bringing in 150 to 200 new members a month, connecting food donors directly with people in need.

Northern Ontario

Special weather statements issued in northern Ont. for freezing or heavy rain

Environment Canada has issued special weather statements warning of freezing or heavy rain from Chapleau, Ont. to Sturgeon Lake, Ont.

Northern OPP detachment lays 3 impaired driving charges in 13 hours

Impaired drivers recently kept a northern Ontario Provincial Police detachment busy this weekend. The Temiskaming detachment charged three people with impaired driving in only 13 hours.

Chemical leak near Brantford Municipal Airport

Some Brant County residents were temporarily moved while emergency responders dealt with a chemical leak near the Brantford Municipal Airport.

Man found unconscious and seriously hurt in Kitchener parking lot, police investigating

Waterloo regional police are investigating after they found a man unconscious in a Kitchener parking lot with serious injuries.

'We have an ability to create change': Waterloo Region residents mourn those who never returned from work

Waterloo Region residents, workplace safety advocates, and politicians all gathered at the Worker’s Monument in Cambridge’s Riverside Park for the National Day of Mourning.

Fog advisory in effect for parts of the region, showers and thunderstorms expected

Sarnia and Lambton County can expect areas of dense fog, including portions of Highway 402. Visibility may be significantly and suddenly reduced to near zero and travel could be hazardous due to reduced visibility in some locations.

PLAYOFF TRACKER | London remains undefeated as Knights crush Saginaw 3-1 on home ice

The London Knights have taken a 2-0 series lead on the Saginaw Spirit in the OHL Western Conference Final after a 3-1 win Sunday. The 10-0 start to the playoffs is the best in franchise history during the internet era.

Dougall Ave reopened after Sunday evening crash

A portion of Dougall Avenue has reopened to traffic following a crash. Around 8:45 p.m., police posted to social media that the southbound lanes of Dougall were closed from South Cameron to the Expressway westbound on ramp.

PHOTOS | High tea and big hats galore as Rotary Club fundraiser hits 10-year milestone

Since 2014, the Rotary Club of LaSalle Centennial has been holding its annual Big Hats and High Tea Social. The fundraising event returned Sunday at the Essex Golf and Country Club.

Police searching for man on Lake Muskoka after possible drowning call

Police and search and rescue crews in Gravenhurst are trying to locate a man after reports of a possible drowning.

Barrie driver caught speeding on Hwy 69 near Sudbury

A Barrie driver was travelling more than 50km/h over the speed limit on Highway 69 south of Greater Sudbury.

A timeline of the Jeremy Skibicki case

The trial for the man accused of killing four Indigenous women in Winnipeg is set to get underway on April 29.

Nichushkin scores hat trick to lead Avalanche to 5-1 win, leaving Jets on the brink

The Jets will look to avoid elimination in Game 5 on Tuesday night at Canada Life Centre.

Siloam Mission launches housing strategy, aims to solve chronic homelessness in Winnipeg

A Winnipeg-based non-profit organization is hoping to tackle chronic homelessness in the city with a newly launched housing strategy.

Murder charges laid after homicide on Oromocto First Nation: N.B. RCMP

A 38-year-old man has been charged with second-degree murder after a homicide in New Brunswick on Saturday.

One man charged after armed robbery in Eskasoni, N.S.: RCMP

One man has been charged after police responded to a report of an armed robbery at a business on Shore Road in Eskasoni, N.S., on Friday.

Saint John Fire Department responds to latest encampment fire

There were no injuries and minimal damage reported in Saturday encampment fire in Saint John.

Voice of 'Hockey Night in Canada' Bob Cole never considered moving out of St. John's

Legendary sportscaster Bob Cole was a Newfoundlander through and through, and his daughter says his connection to the province was 'everything' to him.

Cenovus fined $2.5 million for biggest oil spill in Newfoundland and Labrador history

Cenovus Energy has been ordered to pay a $2.5-million fine for its role in the largest offshore oil spill ever recorded in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Canada recognizes housing as a human right. Few provinces have followed suit

As more Canadians find themselves struggling to afford or find housing, the country's smallest province is the only one that can point to legislation recognizing housing as a human right.

Man dead after motorcycle crash on Highway 16 Saturday

A man is dead after he reportedly lost control of his motorcycle in Strathcona County Saturday night.

Woman killed in crash near Fort McMurray International Airport Saturday morning

A woman was killed after crashing into a water truck near the Fort McMurray International Airport Saturday morning.

Oilers add depth with recall of Jack Campbell, Philip Broberg from AHL

The Edmonton Oilers are adding depth for the playoffs by recalling goaltender Jack Campbell and defenceman Philip Broberg from the American Hockey League's Bakersfield Condors.

Elliot Page criticizes Alberta government for trans policies at Calgary Comic Expo event

Actor and activist Elliot Page offered a parent some guidance and blasted the Alberta government Sunday at the Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo.

Hundreds of Calgarians step up in Crescent Heights to help end homelessness

About 300 people laced up their runners and tackled the McHugh Bluff staircase to help bring an end to homelessness in Calgary.

Pedestrian suffers ‘life-altering’ injuries after getting run over twice in Bridgeland parking lot

Calgary police are investigating after a hit-and-run Saturday afternoon in Bridgeland that left a pedestrian hospitalized with serious, life-altering injuries.

Day of mourning for workplace tragedy attracts large crowds in Regina

Canada's National Day of Mourning on April 28 is dedicated to those who have been injured or lost their lives due to workplace tragedy.

Regina Rebels seize gold at U-18 National Women's Hockey Championship

The Regina Rebels made history over the weekend — taking home gold for the first time ever at the U-18 women's hockey national championships.

London Drugs shuts down all western Canadian stores 'until further notice' following cyber incident

London Drugs has announced all of its locations in western Canada will be closed until further notice following a cybersecurity incident.

Saskatoon Public Schools says budget increase won't cover growing enrollment or class complexity

Saskatoon’s public school board says that despite “record” funding from the province this year, the ministry’s allocation to the division doesn’t make the grade.

Saskatoon care home workers escalating strike action

Workers at group homes run by LutherCare Communities in Saskatoon are escalating their strike action.

'It's a shame': Community holds vigil for White Rock stabbing victim

Dozens of people gathered to mourn at the waterfront promenade in White Rock Sunday, where 27-year-old Kulwinder Sohi was stabbed to death last week.

Canucks pull off comeback, top Predators 4-3 in OT

Elias Lindholm scored 1:02 into overtime and the Vancouver Canucks came all the way back to beat the Nashville Predators 4-3 in Game 4 of their first-round playoff series on Sunday.

'Cybersecurity incident' shuts down London Drugs stores across Western Canada

All 79 locations of pharmacy and retail chain London Drugs were shut down Sunday after it was the victim of a “cybersecurity incident.”

Vancouver Island

Stay Connected

Are These Really The Biggest Tourist Traps In The United States?

Researchers compiled a list of major tourist traps to avoid. You decide if they’re right.

Has there ever been a stop on your summer vacation that you totally regretted? Say, that over-crowded visit to Times Square? Or that incredibly long line to get beignets at Café Du Monde, in New Orleans? Or are you planning a vacation now and questioning whether to visit certain attractions or landmarks ?

Vacations ideally give you great family memories that will last a lifetime. But some stops were made to be skipped. A report from vacation rental company Casago (via Digg ), ranked the destinations in the U.S. that are, at least according to visitors, the biggest tourist traps in the world.

Casago asked, “With so many sights to see and so little vacation time, how can we tell which attractions might not be worth the visit after all?”

To find the answers, researchers analyzed the phrase “tourist trap” on TripAdvisor to find the attractions in the U.S. that had the highest mentions of that phrase in reviews from visitors. There had to be at least five mentions of the attraction being a “tourist trap” in order for it to be considered.

Casago then compiled a list of the top tourist traps in the U.S. (and in the world) and found some deeply interesting results. For global results, the researchers found that four of the top 10 biggest tourist traps globally were in the U.S. — and that Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco was No. 1 in both the U.S. and the world.

The researchers also revealed the biggest tourist traps in each state and found some that may be surprising to visitors and full-time residents alike. For example, Graceland was the biggest tourist trap in Tennessee and Mystic Pizza (of Mystic Pizza movie fame) was the biggest in Connecticut. Meanwhile, Pike Place Market in Seattle (home to the famous, albeit gross, Gum Wall ) and the Mall of America in Minnesota are also deemed tourist traps.

It’s important to note that your mileage may vary. First of all, some tourist traps may still be more than worth it or have provided a great time and memories for you and your family. These places are generally popular for a reason. And yes, sometimes places are overcrowded, expensive, and a little stressful, but they’re pieces of American history.

What do you take from a vacation? What matters to you? And when does something feel like a tourist trap, and when does if not? What’s worthy of our free time and family time is, of course, highly subjective. Maybe you like to do a little bit of exploring off the beaten path and a little bit of tourist-trap travel. That’s valid, too!

And although Casago ranked the biggest tourist traps by state, it also ranked the overall top 10 biggest traps nationwide. Here’s what the company found:

The 10 biggest tourist traps in the U.S. based on online mentions:

• Fisherman’s Warf in San Francisco, California
• Wall Drug in Wall, South Dakota
• Dole Plantation in Wahiawa, Hawaii
• Times Square in New York City, New York
• Café Du Monde in New Orleans, Louisiana
• Navy Pier in Chicago, Illinois
• Big Texan Steak Ranch in Amarillo, Texas
• Hyman's Seafood in Charleston, South Carolina
• Historic River Street in Savannah, Georgia
• Union Oyster House in Boston, Massachusetts

Anyway, do whatever you want. Have fun visiting the Alamo, or the Elvis birthplace museum in Tupelo, or every overpriced seafood joint on the East Coast. Do you!

To see more on tourist traps, including other ones across the globe, check out the full report from Casago .

Create an account

• Gain access to free articles
• Daily free newsletter(s)
• Ability to comment on most articles
• Build your 3D avatar and gain points

• Everything in the Free plan
• Ad-free reading and browsing
• Unlimited access to all content including AI summaries
• Directly support our local and national reporting and become a Patron
• Cancel anytime.

Forgot password

Please enter your email and we'll send you a new password request code.

Please complete your profile to unlock commenting and other important features.

, time to level up your local game.

We have a favour to ask.

Narcity is looking to transition to a more sustainable future where we are no longer as reliant on advertising revenue. Upgrade now and browse Narcity ad-free and directly support our journalism.

This is a Pro feature.

Time to level up your local game with narcity pro..

These Are The Biggest 'Tourist Traps' In The World & 9 Canadian Spots Made The List

Do you want to visit these places?

The Capilano Suspension Bridge in Vancouver.

If you're travelling, it's natural to end up visiting a tourist trap or two. But if you're looking to avoid an expensive or crowded day out, a new study has ranked some of the biggest "tourist traps" around the world.

The study from USA Today has revealed 100 of the world's biggest "tourist traps" and while the top 10 is largely dominated by spots in the United States, one Canadian tourist attraction was also mentioned.

The study looked at over 23 million Google reviews of the world's 500 most popular tourist attractions to determine how often the term "tourist trap," "overrated," or "expensive" was used when talking about the spot, compared to the total number of reviews.

See on Instagram

The top 10 biggest tourist traps worldwide according to the study were:

• Four Corners Monument, Arizona, U.S.
• Salem Witch Museum, Massachusetts, U.S.
• Calico Ghost Town, California, U.S.
• Crazy Horse Memorial, South Dakota, U.S.
• International UFO Museum and Research Centre, New Mexico, U.S.
• Blue Lagoon, Grindavik, Iceland
• Voodoo Donut, Oregon, U.S.
• Capilano Suspension Bridge, B.C., Canada
• Penang Hill. Penang, Malaysia
• Pike Place Market, Washington, U.S.

In fact, it came second in the world in USA Today's separate list of the most "overpriced" attractions, behind Iceland's Blue Lagoon.

Canada's Wonderland and the Calgary Stampede were also in the top 10 "overpriced" attractions.

• Locals Shared The 6 Biggest Banff  Tourist Traps & What They Think Is Overrated ›
• You're Not A True Ontarian Unless You've Been Caught In 7 Out Of These 14 Tourist Traps ›
• Ontario Has One Of The World's 'Biggest Tourist Traps' & It's Worse Than The Eiffel Tower ›
• Canada's 'most disappointing tourist attraction' is in Ontario and it's not Niagara Falls - Narcity ›

Already have an account? Log in

Create an account to keep reading.

1. choose a plan.

Limited access to free articles

Unlimited access to all content, AI summaries, ad-free browsing and directly support our reporting by becoming a Patron 🙏. Cancel anytime.

2. Create your account

10 of the best places in canada for first-time visitors, according to the narcity team, 11 must-see destinations in canada for newcomers, according to the narcity team (photos), canada's 'most disappointing tourist attraction' is in ontario and it's not niagara falls, you're not a true ontarian unless you've been to at least 7 of these 15 iconic attractions, 9 incredible tourist attractions in ontario that aren't niagara falls, canada travel news: travel advisories, all-inclusive vacations & more you may have missed, 9 breathtaking natural wonders of canada that are 2 hours or less from major cities, these are canada's 11 'most magical' locations that you have to visit at least once, this ontario travel experience was just named one of the top 20 in the world for 2024, i played tourist in toronto as a local. here are the spots worth visiting and the ones to avoid, 8 of the most beautiful cities & small towns in canada, according to canucks, 8 beautiful canadian small towns & cities to visit in 2024 if you'd rather be in europe.

Share this story

• 21 of the Hottest Places to Eat Brunch in New Orleans Right Now
• Where to Eat in Orange Beach and Gulf Shores, Alabama
• Where to Eat Magnificent Mexican Food in New Orleans

New Orleans Top Tourist Traps That Are Actually Worth a Visit

Don’t hate these spots just because they’re popular

• Share this on Facebook
• Share this on Twitter
• Share All sharing options

Share All sharing options for: New Orleans Top Tourist Traps That Are Actually Worth a Visit

New Orleans embraces tourism so much so that the city hosted nearly 11 million visitors last year, a number sure to be topped in 2018 — the city’s Tricentennial year. Because many tourists come to New Orleans to experience the city’s culture, food, music, and neighborhoods, it makes sense that they’ll discover some amazing homegrown experiences along the way. But do throngs of tourists really make a place bad? There’s a reason tourist “traps” are popular, so jump down off of that high horse and dive right in.

New Orleans hums with excellent restaurants known as much for the food and/or experience as they are for the lines of tourist stretching out the door. Consider this just a sample to get you started.

For New Orleans’ best classic restaurants , head right over here.

Let us know in the comments below or through the the tipline if you think we omitted a great one.

French Market

Wander down Esplanade towards the Mississippi early in the morning, and run smack into the French Market as it’s coming to life, a beehive of sellers unpacking their wares, artists setting up shop, and food vendors preparing all manner of delectables. The market, originally a Choctaw trading post dating back to 1791, is a six-block open-air colonnade of produce, souvenirs, and under-appreciated freshly prepared local dishes ranging from Gulf oysters to muffulettas. Check Meals From the Heart for good-for-you dishes and Alberto’s for a muffuletta rivaling that other place across the street.

• Open in Google Maps

Also featured in:

Where to Get a Great Muffuletta in and Around New Orleans

Best places to take a stroll in New Orleans

Central Grocery and Deli

Located across from the French Market, Central Grocery invented the muffuletta sandwich in 1906, an ethereal combination of cured meats like ham, mortadella, salami, and cheeses including provolone, Swiss, and sometimes mozzarella, piled into a (usually) round seeded loaf and dressed with a piquant olive salad. The iconic grocery on Decatur still has its family flag planted on one of the best versions in town, a monster of a sandwich perfect for sharing. You might have to wait on line, but it’s worth it.

Pat O'Brien's

Hurricanes may be the patron saint of booze along Bourbon Street, but Pat O’Brien’s signature drink actually has a rightful place in New Orleans history. Pat O’s birthed the potent mash-up of passion fruit, citrus, grenadine, and rum in the 1940s and it’s still served in a tall glass shaped like a hurricane lamp. If you’ve never sung along to the dueling pianos at Pat O’s, hurricane in hand, what are you waiting for?  

27 Iconic French Quarter Dining Experiences

A Guide to New Orleans’s Haunted Bars and Restaurants

Huge Ass Beers

With three locations on Bourbon Street, Huge Ass Beers is the ultimate testimony to proof in advertising. Try to get your whole hand around the giant cup of very cold beer, and sway along with the live music while you sip. This is what Bourbon Street promises and delivers, so order up and enjoy.

Gumbo is a hotly contested specialty in New Orleans, with the best version usually made by your mama. And while arguing over which roux is darker and who serves the best gumbo can be fighting words, the Gumbo Shop in the French Quarter is a surprisingly good place to get a fix of the iconic homey dish. Pick from seafood and okra, chicken and andouille, or gumbo z’herbes: All three are excellent.

Cafe Du Monde

Adored by locals and visitors alike, beignets are a treat any time of day — a possibility since the original Cafe du Monde in the French Quarter is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. These deep fried pillows of dough come three to an order, hot from the fryer, and dusted with powdered sugar, best enjoyed with chicory-laced cafe au lait on the side in the open-air cafe on Decatur Street. Get them to go and munch watching the river for a seminal New Orleans experience. Good to know: Head around to the river side of the restaurant to peek in the window at the beignet-makers at work .

Where to Find New Orleans’s Most Iconic Dishes

Where to Eat the Best Beignets in New Orleans

Sign up for the newsletter Eater NOLA

Sign up for our newsletter.

Thanks for signing up!

Check your inbox for a welcome email.

Oops. Something went wrong. Please enter a valid email and try again.

A rite of passage, Brennan’s bananas Foster should punctuate any meal at the storied restaurant that has anchored Creole dining on Royal Street since 1946. A flaming blend of bananas, butter and rum-fueled goodness that was invented by Owen Brennan in the early 1950s, the cinnamon-scented spectacle is the perfect ending to chef Slade Rushing’s creative take on Brennan’s Creole cuisine. And yes, dessert is served at breakfast, an orgy of indulgence served from 9 a.m. during the week and 8 a.m. on the weekend.

• Book with OpenTable

New Orleans’s Essential Breakfast Restaurants

The Essential French Quarter Dining Guide

Steamboat Natchez

For a city that owes its life to the river, Mississippi experiences can be few and far between. That’s why a ride on the Steamboat Natchez isn’t just for tourists.  A throwback to the days when steamboats cruised for commerce and pleasure, the Natchez connects locals and visitors to the working river. Skip the lunch and dinner cruises, the food is nothing special. Instead, sign on for live jazz and be sure to order one or three of what might just be one of the best Bloody Marys in town.

15 New Orleans-Area Restaurants With Great Views

11 Jazz Brunches to Keep the Beat in New Orleans

Acme Oyster House

Acme Oyster House , the French Quarter bivalve landmark, often draws lines that snake down Iberville Street. An expansion a few years ago cut down the wait, but not Acme’s popularity. The well known restaurant regularly shucks more than three million oysters per year, a statistic best appreciated from a seat at the scarred marble oyster bar.

18 Houston Restaurants With Dishes Made for Sharing

Where to Find Crab Cakes in Houston

New Orleans Original Daiquiris

The thrill in the freedom of ordering a daiquiri from a drive-thru window simply adds to the pleasure of this sweet, braining-freezing treat. Try a frosty cold margarita, piña colada or white Russian daiquiri at the much-loved New Orleans Original Daiquiris chain with locations from Metairie to the Riverbend , and Mandeville to Bourbon Street. Good to know: Hanging at a daiquiri shop is a thing in New Orleans, so give it a try if you haven’t before. And while you’re at it, make it a double.

New Orleans’s Most Refreshing Frozen Cocktails to Beat the Heat

10 Spots to Get a Frozen Eggnog Daiquiri in New Orleans Right Now

Ruth's Chris Steak House

Sure, Ruth’s Chris is now a 100-plus unit chain of high-end steakhouses run by a hospitality group based in Florida. But that doesn’t change that more than 40 years ago, Ruth Fertel, a divorced mother of two, mortgaged her home for $22,000 to buy a 60-seat restaurant in New Orleans named Chris Steak House. When she relocated the chophouse, she renamed the restaurant Ruth’s Chris Steak House and ran it herself, doing everything from cutting meat to greeting politicos and celebrities until 1999, when failing health caused her to sell off controlling shares. Ruth’s Chris still make the steaks the way she insisted, sizzling and perfect.

New Orleans’s Essential Steakhouses

23 Kid-Friendly New Orleans Restaurants Even Adults Will Love

Drago's Hilton

The genius notion to add butter and garlic to a raw oyster’s natural brine, using the shell as a ready-made serving dish straight from the grill, is nothing short of brilliant. It occurred to Tommy Cvitanovich a couple of decades ago at Drago’s , his family’s revered oyster palace with an original location in Metairie that opened in 1969 and a very tourist-friendly location in the HIlton Riverside at the edge of the Quarter. Drago’s makes some of the best charbroiled oysters you’ll ever taste — juicy, topped with herbs and a blend of Romano and parmesan cheese, sizzling with butter.

More in Maps

Related maps, follow eater new orleans online:.

• Follow Eater New Orleans on Twitter
• Follow Eater New Orleans on Facebook
• Follow Eater New Orleans on Youtube
• Follow Eater New Orleans on Instagram

Site search

• Los Angeles
• New Orleans
• Philadelphia
• Portland, OR
• San Francisco
• Twin Cities
• Washington DC
• Neighborhoods

The 20 biggest tourist traps in Canada

Posted: July 12, 2023 | Last updated: July 12, 2023

From the awe-inspiring Niagara Falls to the many charming and quirky roadside stops along the Trans-Canada Highway, tourist attractions dot the vast landscape of Canada, giving tourists plenty of opportunities to snap selfies, soak up their surroundings, and sometimes cringe at their choice of destination. When it comes to tourist traps, the Great White North has got plenty. Its biggest ones are places most Canadians would defend to the end because they either boast natural beauty, historical significance, or architectural charm. They are considered tourist traps, however, not because they lack splendour or cultural significance, but because they may not be worth your time and money. These attractions either have exorbitant admission fees (we’re looking at you, Toronto’s CN Tower), huge lineups and crowds (hey there, Alberta’s Lake Louise), or overpriced food, drink, and accommodations (listen up, Montreal’s Place Jacques-Cartier). Take a look at the 20 biggest tourist traps in Canada.

Niagara Falls, Ontario

With a tourism campaign rallying to declare it the 8th Wonder of the World in 2016, it’s hard to deny the awe-inspiring allure of Niagara Falls . Straddling the U.S.–Canada border, Niagara Falls attracts tourists from all over the world each year to its beautiful cascading waters. However, while the site itself may be a wonder, the attractions in the area are enough to declare it one of Canada’s biggest tourist traps —from the expensive admission fees to attractions on the Clifton Hill strip and boat tours, to its overpriced food options and accommodations. For a taste of what the region truly has to offer without all the razzle-dazzle, nearby Niagara-on-the-Lake ’s sprawling vineyards, quaint shops, and art galleries will charm even the most skeptical travellers.

Capilano Suspension Bridge – Vancouver, British Columbia

A wonderful tourist site showcasing all the scenic beauty that Vancouver’s North Shore has to offer, Capilano Suspension Bridge twinkles with lights in the Christmas season and draws tourists from all over during the summer months. However, if you’re not a resident of British Columbia , get ready to pay an arm and a leg to be a part of this now-commercialized canyon experience packed with tour buses and crowds. Snapping a selfie on the bridge becomes a challenge when there’s a lineup of tourists impatiently waiting to get the exact same shot. Opt for a more local experience down the road at Lynn Canyon Park & Suspension Bridge , lauded as the area’s “best-kept secret.”

West Edmonton Mall – Edmonton, Alberta

Proudly carrying the title of North America’s Largest Mall each year, West Edmonton Mall attracts tourists in the millions with its 800 stores and services, more than 100 dining options, an urban bazaar, a zoo, a skating rink, a mini-golf course, water slides, an amusement park, an artificial lake, and more across 490,000 square meters (5.3 million square feet)—the size of a small city! While this mall is a hoot for families and visitors from all walks of life, it doesn’t come cheap. If you’re going to visit Alberta, you could skip this indoor tourist trap in favour of Alberta’s natural attractions, like the Canadian Rockies .

CN Tower – Toronto, Ontario

Towering over Toronto at 553 metres (1,815 feet), the CN Tower was until recently the world’s tallest freestanding structure. In 2009, Dubai's Burj Khalifa was erected at 160 storeys, dethroning Toronto’s tower, yet leaving its reputation as one of Canada’s top tourist traps intact. The CN Tower continues to charge sky-high prices (pun intended) to visitors wanting to catch a bird’s-eye view of the city from the Main Observation Level or those brave enough to do the Edge Walk . Instead, for the price of a cocktail, head to Hotel X Toronto’s Valerie rooftop spot for soaring views of the Toronto skyline from the 28th floor.

Place Jacques-Cartier – Montreal, Quebec

In the heart of Montreal’s historic neighbourhood is Place Jacques-Cartier ; built in the first part of the 19th century, it sits on an archeological site where people gathered for many years prior to the construction of this concrete square. A picturesque spot to meet up with friends, it's more of a crossing ground rather than a place to hang out, as the cost of anything in and around this Canadian tourist trap is double what you’ll pay anywhere else in the city. Snap some selfies, bring your own snack, and move on to see the other stunning sites in Old Montreal .

Magnetic Hill – Moncton, New Brunswick

Off the Trans-Canada Highway in New Brunswick, Moncton’s famous Magnetic Hill has perplexed tourists since the 1930s. On this gravity hill, if you take your foot off the brakes and put your car into neutral, you’ll watch in amazement as the car rolls backward uphill! However, you’ll be the judge if this tourist attraction—or trap—is worth the park admission fee to find out whether there is an actual magnetic field in play here, or whether it’s simply an optical illusion . If you’ve come all this way to see the attraction, you might as well stick around to visit the zoo, Magnetic Hill Wharf Village, and the Magic Mountain Water Park.

Gastown Steam Clock – Vancouver, British Columbia

A stroll through Vancouver’s historic Gastown wouldn’t be complete without a visit to the Steam Clock . Treating tourists, including the cruise ship crowds, to a whistle and steam show every 15 minutes, this tourist attraction is a charmer. While it’s among the six working steam clocks around the world, it lacks the historical significance of an iconic landmark. In the 1970s, this steam clock was actually built to deter unhoused people from sleeping on the warm grates it stands on in the winter months. Resembling New York or Toronto’s Flat Iron buildings, Hotel Europe in Gastown might be an alternative, as this heritage building has a fascinating history that includes ghosts .

Underground City – Montreal, Quebec

While you may be imagining a maze of cool pathways and alleys with a history resembling the abandoned underground streets of Seattle , Montreal’s Underground City is officially called le RÉSO (the network). Rather than a tourist attraction, this is a 33-kilometre (20-mile) pedestrian path linking subways stations. It’s lined with 1,700 shops, 200 restaurants, a skating rink, movie theatres, and everything you need to escape the bitter cold in the winter months. Stick around to grab a bite while you shop, but if you’re visiting Montreal in the summer months, head to the above-ground Old Montreal for some great sites.

Canada’s Wonderland – Vaughan, Ontario

Boasting 17 roller coasters, including the world’s longest dive coaster in the world, Canada’s Wonderland is north of Toronto, and attracts thrill-seekers, families, and camp groups in the thousands each year. It’s a hoot—however, it’s not cheap. Visitors will pay top-dollar admission prices in addition to high markups on food, parking, and souvenirs. Plus, the only way to beat the hours-long lineups is either to ride solo or shell out more money for a Fast Pass. If you plan on visiting the park more than two times from May to October, then it’s worth springing for a Season Pass .

Miles Canyon – Whitehorse, Yukon

With an epic geological history, Miles Canyon is considered one of the most beautiful sites in Whitehorse, Yukon. There is no denying that this Canadian tourist attraction is stunning and worth the visit. However, admission to this breathtaking region comes in the form of costly hiking tours and arctic expeditions, with some seven-day dog sledding tours costing over US$2,000 per person. Half-day sledding or overland tour packages might be a more affordable way to see the area.

Hôtel de Glace – Valcartier, Quebec

Imagine a hotel that disappears each spring and then reinvents itself for only four months each winter. Built with 500 tons of ice and 15,000 tons of snow, the Hôtel de Glace in Quebec features 85 bedrooms, as well as amenities like a nightclub and art gallery, made completely out of natural elements. With rooms starting around US$300 a night, however, if you anticipate the novelty of staying in an ice hotel might wear off before the end of a three-night stay, then opt for a day pass instead and stay outside the pricey Valcartier resort area.

Rocky Mountaineer train

Cruising through some of the country’s most dramatic landscapes and viewpoints, the Rocky Mountaineer train trip is on the bucket list of many travellers. With short trips costing over US$2,000 per person, this is definitely a luxury travel option . While some may deem it worthwhile, those looking for a budget-friendly ride might consider the soaring price tag a “tourist trap.” A more cost-effective option through the Rockies would be with the country’s local VIA Rail line, which will get you there for a fraction of the cost.

Lake Louise – Banff, Alberta

One of the most iconic natural landscapes in the country, this scenic spot is a popular Canadian tourist attraction for good reason. Charming visitors with its turquoise waters, snowcapped peaks, and natural symmetry, Lake Louise is a fan favourite. Teeming with tourists, especially in the summer months, Banff will cost you a pretty penny in food and accommodations. Seeing over 4 million tourists per year, the area is notorious for its overtourism problem and car traffic. Even though the neighbouring Moraine Lake has also been plagued with increased foot and car traffic over the years, if you time it right it’s still possible to enjoy a quiet moment paddling by the sprawling pines and rocky landscape.

World’s Largest Dinosaur & Royal Tyrrell Museum – Drumheller, Alberta

The World’s Largest Dinosaur in Drumheller is a top tourist attraction for dino lovers and budding paleontologists. Beyond its prehistoric allure and cool factor, the oversized T-Rex could be considered campy and the speculation about whether or not the fossils in the neighbouring Royal Tyrrell Museum were replicas caused the museum to respond via Twitter about why they must keep some fossils on display and others in storage. It’s still worth the visit, but rather than as a destination, perhaps as a short stopover on a road trip to Banff National Park to see the wildlife that walks the Earth in this area today.

Mac the Moose – Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan

Moose Jaw’s local Mac the Moose stands tall at 10.36 metres (34 feet) along the Trans-Canada Highway in Saskatchewan. This large roadside attraction is more than what it seems. It recently reclaimed its title of tallest moose statue in the world , beating out the pristine moose “Storelgen” in east-central Norway. World records and international acclaim aside, Mac has been dissed for resembling a papier mâché dog by one late-night talk-show host. Perhaps the statue is only worth it as a short stop rather than the final destination of your Saskatchewan road trip.

Casa Loma – Toronto, Ontario

Built by a financier in 1914 and used as a military hospital in World War I, Casa Loma is a modern-day castle that towers over midtown Toronto, drawing over 650,000 visitors a year. It’s a well-rated venue for private events and outdoor concerts, but the crowds and high admission prices make it a tourist trap, especially during peak times of the year when you need to book a time slot to experience f rights on Halloween and lights at Christmas . Instead, head an hour and a half up the road to Dundurn Castle in Hamilton for a less commercialized castle experience.

Big Nickel – Sudbury, Ontario

One of the biggest tourist draws to Sudbury is the Big Nickel ; at 9 metres (30 feet) high, it is a replica of a 5-cent piece from 1951. If it weren’t for the recent additions of Dynamic Earth and Science North supporting facilities, the Big Nickel might be a tough sell on its own. Make it a proper visit by touring all the facilities and getting to know the rich history of Canada’s mint and this celebrated mining region.

Peggy’s Cove Lighthouse – Peggy’s Cove, Nova Scotia

The darling tourist attraction of the Maritimes, Peggy’s Cove Lighthouse is one of the most iconic—and maybe most photographed—lighthouses in Canada. The lighthouse and fishing village are most certainly worth the visit—if you’re not deterred, that is, by the cruise ship crowds and touristic nature of this iconic Canadian travel destination. For a more serene vibe, check out the Bay of Fundy’s charming Cape d'Or Coastal Park .

UFO Landing Pad – St. Paul, Alberta

Backed by the Government of Canada when it was first built in 1967, the UFO Landing Pad sits in the town of St. Paul. While it’s become a symbol of unity and acceptance, the history behind why exactly it was built is unclear . The gift shop might be more of a draw than the actual site itself, offering items from local artisans. Once you’ve grabbed a souvenir and a selfie, perhaps checking out the town’s museum across the way might make this experience more than just a roadside stop.

Banff Upper Hot Springs – Banff, Alberta

For those who have been to popular hot springs in Canada like the naturally-formed Sloquet Hot Springs and Tofino’s mineral pools in Maquinna Marine Provincial Park , Banff Upper Hot Springs is likely to disappoint. The price may be right, but these hot springs are more like a set of jacuzzis against the backdrop of the country’s most dramatic landscapes. Perhaps the views and atmosphere, rather than the hot springs themselves, are what draw so many tourists to this destination each year. Check out the natural hot springs listed above for the real spa experience.

More for You

Here's How Much These Iconic Antiques From the Past 30 Years Are Worth Now

28 celebrities you probably did not know are nonbinary

Moment $26,000 Ukrainian drone takes out $7.5million Russian radar system

The most striking-looking Cadillacs ever made

Donald Trump is running against Joe Biden. But he keeps bringing up another Democrat: Jimmy Carter

Check Out the Top Must-Watch Movies Coming Out This Summer

8 Things You Must Buy at Sam’s Club While on a Retirement Budget

The biggest song in country music history, according to data. Plus, see if your favorite is in the top 100.

Map shows which parts of UK could be underwater by 2050

25 Classic 1980s Sitcoms We Still Watch Today

Trump calls RFK Jr ‘wasted protest vote’ after strong polling with independents

These Are the 9 Most Expensive Cities in the World

US veterans spark controversial comments after taking a stance on pro-Palestine protest and Gaza

The best WWI movie of all time, based on data—plus, see if your favorite made the top 25

Bronze Age rock carvings found perfectly preserved

Here's What 15 Things Cost 100 Years Ago

Crew chief says Judge should have been called for interference on slide during Yankees' rally

25 Actresses Who Aced the Art of Playing Villains

Israeli airstrike kills 13 in Rafah as Palestinian leader urges US to stop ground offensive

50 classic 'SNL' sketches that will make you laugh just reading about them

Kokoda Track in 'worst condition' in more than 30 years amid falling tourist numbers

Charlie Lynn led trekkers across the rugged Kokoda Track for three decades — guiding Australians as they paid tribute to soldiers who fought and died there in World War II.

But after his 101st trip last year, he decided enough was enough.

The mountainous 96-kilometre trail — a place of pilgrimage for tourists commemorating one of Australia's pivotal military victories — has fallen too far into disrepair, according to Mr Lynn.

"It's in the worst condition it's ever been in, in the 32 years that I've trekked across it," he said.

He described parts around Brown River, far inland on the track, as "death traps".

"You would hardly call it a track. It's about 10 metres above the river and if anybody has a misstep with their pack on … you will never find them again," he said.

Mr Lynn, the son of a WWII veteran, led one of the first Australian tourist groups across the famous track on the 50th anniversary of the battle in 1992.

Since then, it's become an important source of income for villagers along the trail, bringing in 50 million kina ($20.4 million) annually to PNG's economy.

But amid a decline in visitor numbers and concerns about the management of the Kokoda Track, PNG's tourism authority is seeking oversight of the agency tasked with managing tourist operations on the trail.

Trail has become 'the wild west'

The Battle of Kokoda is among the most celebrated Australian victories of WWII, when Australian soldiers and Papua New Guinean villagers repelled the Japanese advance on Port Moresby along the mountain trail.

It forged an enduring bond between Australia and Papua New Guinea, which is now symbolised by the track — something that Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will mark as he walks part of it on Anzac Day after arriving in PNG on Monday.

At its tourism peak in 2008, about 5,600 trekkers crossed the Kokoda Track.

Since then, Mr Lynn says, numbers have dropped 46 per cent, and some believe the trail is not fulfilling its tourism potential.

Mr Lynn said the experience for tourists had suffered as management of the trail had declined.

"There's not one decent toilet across the trail for them," he said.

"What you'll have is two or three groups of 50-60 arriving at a campsite that only has capacity for 25 and they'll be having heated arguments for who stays there that night.

"It's become the wild west."

Another trekking operator, Mick O'Malley, isn't as critical and says he has seen improvements.

"We are head and shoulders above where we used to be when I first started trekking," he said.

"I agree … it would be great to have amazing toilets but, by the same token, toilets in Australia aren't run by the government. It's private enterprise.

"It's not the government's responsibility to make sure toilets and guest houses are clean and up to standard."

Researchers Kyline Koroka and Shahar Shalom Yadin, who published a paper on the Kokoda Track in the Journal of South Pacific Law, are calling for authorities and tourism operators to consult more with local communities that host the trail.

A 'semitrailer in a sedan car park'

The Kokoda Track Authority (KTA), established about 20 years ago, oversees tourism operations on the trail and sits under PNG's Department of Provincial and Local-level Government Affairs (DPLGA).

However, deputy chairman of the PNG Tourism Promotion Authority, Andy Abel, said it was put in the hands of the wrong department.

"It should have been parked within the PNG Tourism Promotion Authority because Kokoda Trail trekking … is a tourism asset," he said.

"It's like parking a semitrailer in a sedan car park.

"When I realised how the tourism authority was spending millions of kina promoting the trail in Australia, but we had no control over it, I made it my business to correct it."

Mr Abel is spearheading a push to shift the management rights of the Kokoda Track Authority from the DPLGA to the PNG Tourism Promotion Authority.

He expects it to be approved within three months.

"I've met with the minister for tourism, I've met with the governor, I've met with the prime minister … so it's now just a matter of time, and not when, for that National Executive Council submission to go before cabinet and that transfer to take place."

The ABC approached the Kokoda Track Authority for comment.

KTA chief executive Julius Wargirai has previously defended the agency, saying it is working to improve transparency and grow the benefits of the track for local people.

He has also said the KTA had limited power to increase the benefits for people living on the track.

In the meantime, there are plans to encourage more tourists back to PNG by funding improvements to the Kokoda Track and building more WWII attractions in Port Moresby.

Mr Abel and Port Moresby Governor Powes Parkop have signed a memorandum of understanding with Canada Bay Council in Sydney and not-for-profit organisation Network Kokoda to make the improvements.

Mr Parkop said under the plan, historic sites such as Paga Hill, Wardstrip and Sabama would undergo development for new memorials.

He said he would like memorial sites built in the Central and Oro provinces as well.

"The plan from our city is to also encourage tourism in the area of war pilgrimage," he said.

Mr Parkop said the National Capital District government (Port Moresby) would work with Network Kokoda and memorial designers to come up with ideas for installations.

One idea included placing WWII aircraft at Wards Airstrip, which was used by heavy bombers and transport planes during the conflict.

And Mr Parkop wants to extend the tourism market beyond Australia.

"There is a very big gap in the market," he said

"I think the potential for us to get more numbers here than Gallipoli is there, but the government hasn't really developed and harnessed this potential to create the facilities.

"And of course, the other market is the Japanese and USA. We want to invite them too so they can tell their story and their version of things, so they can pay respect to lost loved ones."

• X (formerly Twitter)

Related Stories

These rusting shipwrecks are a big drawcard for divers. they're also ticking time bombs.

Bone fragments in PNG underwater wreck identified as Australian WWII crew

Inside this brightly coloured pod is white slimy gold. Tiny PNG villages are cashing in

Two Australian businessmen bought a casino in a tropical paradise — only to shut it down

• Foreign Affairs
• Papua New Guinea
• Tourism and Leisure Industry
• Travel Health and Safety
• Travel and Tourism (Lifestyle and Leisure)
• World War 2