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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.

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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.

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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 .

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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.

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The world's 10 biggest tourist traps

If you've ever been on a holiday and found yourself looking for where to go, one might give it a quick Google search and to find the top recommendations.

While these spots are great, they're often crowded with hundreds of people, long lines and every second person trying to get the perfect selfie for their Instagram feed.

A recent survey revealed two in three American travellers tend to avoid visiting these so called 'tourist traps.'

To find the biggest tourist traps in the world, Casago first searched for the phrase 'tourist trap' on TripAdvisor without setting a location filter, which defaults the search setting to 'worldwide.'

Read on to see which worldwide destinations are the biggest tourist traps across the globe. 

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10. Guinness Storehouse, Dublin, Ireland

With 516 mentions, the Guinness Storehouse located in Ireland fell into the top 10.

Named after founder Arthur Guinness, the storehouse brewery has been visited by 22.2 million people since opening in 2000.

9. Hofbrauhaus, Munich, Germany

In ninth place with 522 mentions is Hofbrauhaus in Germany.

As one of the Munich's oldest beer halls – dating back to 1589 – it's understandable why anyone, especially beer lovers, would want to visit.

8. Cafe du Monde New Orleans, USA

Up next is the Cafe du Monde in the one and only Crescent City, New Orleans, with 643 mentions.

This delightful coffee stop in the heart of the French quarter is considered an iconic landmark known for their café au lait and delicious beignets.

7. Times Square New York City, USA

Of course Times Square, in the heart of the Big Apple, had to make the list with 661 mentions.

It's the concrete jungle where you'll find something new around each corner.

From street artists, to Broadway shows and giant neon billboards, we can definitely understand why Times Square made the list.

6. The Checkpoint Charlie Memorial, Berlin, Germany

It's the reminder of the former border crossing during the Cold War and the partition of Berlin – and Checkpoint Charlie had 664 mentions.

Located on Friedrichstraße, it now attracts many of tourists from Germany and abroad.

5. Blue Lagoon, Grindavík, Iceland

If we told you that you could relax in geothermally heated waters in a famous spa, which is renowned for is skin healing properties, wouldn't you say yes?

The Blue Lagoon in Iceland, which had 669 mentions, receives more than 500,000 visitors each year, and we understand why.

4. Temple Bar, Dublin, Ireland

Famous for all its different types of alcohol including beer, liquor, and over 450 different kinds of rare whiskeys, Temple Bar is the most well known bar in Ireland.

Making it to fourth spot on the list with 663 mentions, it houses Ireland's largest whiskey collection.

3. Dole Pineapple Plantation, Wahiawa, USA

Kicking off the top three is the Dole Pineapple Plantation with 708 mentions in Wahiawa, USA.

Dole Plantation is one of Oahu's most popular tourist attractions, with over one million visitors per year.

2. Las Ramblas, Barcelona, Spain

In second place with 793 mentions is Las Ramblas located in Barcelona, Spain.

Famous for its street performers as well as cafés, shops, galleries and bars, we can fully understand why it's a tourist hotspot.

1. Fisherman's Wharf, San Francisco, USA

Taking out the top spot as the biggest tourist trap destination in the world with 1049 mentions is the one and only Fisherman's Wharf.

Located in the heart of San Francisco, the wharf is home to bustling stores, the famous Boudin Bakery and is a short ferry ride away to Alcatraz Island.

Read on for the biggest tourist trap destination in Australia. It didn't make the top ten across the globe but it may surprise you. 

Darling Harbour, Sydney, Australia

According to Casago's resarch, Darling Harbour in Sydney is the biggest tourist trap in Australia.

Lucky for us, they've provided some tips on how to avoid these so called 'traps.'

• If you're heading to one of the world's most iconic landmarks, shop around for discounts and research the quietest times to go.
• Avoid 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.
• Have an authentic experience by going off the beaten track – dine where the locals recommend, take a scenic walk through quieter streets and scope out locally made crafts.

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?

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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

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New Study Reports These 14 Places are the Biggest Tourist Traps. Do You Agree?

W hen is a tourist trap not a tourist trap? It depends on who you ask. It’s sort of like one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. Think of a favorite place you visited on your last trip. Is it over-hyped? Is there really anything to do and see there? Is it overrun with visitors? Does it overflow with over-priced trinkets for sale? If so, it just might be a tourist trap.

“Tourist traps are often chided for their commercialized nature, steep prices, and lack of authenticity,” says Max Woolf from  photoAiD . “Yet, they are still a HUGE draw for travelers.”

Woolf uses Paris, France’s Eiffel Tower as an example, and I agree. Locals tend to shun the place while it would be hard for those traveling aboard to not go there. I had the chance to visit Paris a few years ago and it was on the top of my list of sites to see for sure. It’s magnificent and the view from the top is breathtaking. However, down below, you’ll find lots of opportunists trying to sell you miniature Eiffel Tower keychains.

PhotoAiD surveyed over 1,000 Americans to get their views and opinions on which places on their list were the “most trappy”. According to the study, there a number of factors that were considered when labeling a trap for tourists. The study focused on seven of them. Interestingly, these factors were fairly equal in size. Here are what people polled said:

Tourist traps…

 …can be marked by one with a low attendance or avoidance by locals.

… are places that feature amenities primarily designed for tourists.

… offer a lack of cultural or historical authenticity.

… feature high levels of foot traffic.

… offer aggressive promotion or sales tactics.

… feature an abundance of souvenir or gift shops

The study also found that on their latest tourist trap visit, nearly 70% of the people polled found that in general, tourist traps either diminished or significantly diminished their enjoyment compared to just under 13% who said that their enjoyment was enhanced or significantly enhanced. (The remaining 18% chose to stay neutral on the matter.)

So which places ranked highest for being the “most trappy?” Here is how seven global locations ranked followed by seven more U.S. locations.

Global Tourist Trap Locations

1. skylon tower (niagara falls, canada).

Similar to Seattle’s Space Needle, the  Skylon Tower  observation building overlooks both the American Falls in New York, NY and Horseshoe Falls in Ontario, Canada. It stands 520 feet tall. The three elevators can make it to the top in 52 seconds leading to two restaurants including the simply named, Revolving Dining Room.

2. Moulin Rouge (Paris, France)

Built in 1889, this “Red Mill” was a cabaret found on Boulevard de Clichy at Place Blanche. The original  Moulin Rouge  establishment was destroyed by fire in 1915. It was rebuilt in 1921. Moulin Rouge is known as the birthplace of the can-can dance and it inspired other cabarets across Europe.

3. Blue Lagoon (Grindavik, Iceland)

The  Blue Lagoon  is a geothermal spa is located in a lava field 3.1 miles from Grindavik. Studies from the 1990’s confirmed that the water has a beneficial effect for people with psoriasis. Due to a volcanic eruption, the spa had closed many times in 2023 having just recently re-opened in early April, 2024.

4. Checkpoint Charlie (Berlin, Germany)

Checkpoint Charlie  is known as a Berlin Wall crossing point between East Berlin and West Berlin during the Cold War (from 1947-1991). The name “Charlie” comes from the letter C in the NATO phonetic alphabet. It features a museum featuring photos and an exhibition on escape vehicles.

5. Capilano Suspension Bridge (Vancouver B.C.)

Built in 1889, the  Capilano Suspension Bridge  crosses the Capilano River in Upper Capilano, B.C. in North Vancouver. It is 460 feet long and rises 230 feet above the river. The site also features a “Cliffwalk” attraction which was added in 2011.

6. Hobbiton Movie Set (Waikato, New Zealand)

Both the  Lord of the Rings  and  The Hobbit  movie franchises from the 1990’s was filmed at  Hobbiton , a family-run farm serving as a Tolkien tourism destination with guided tours. There are 44 hobbit holes to see, but only a few can be entered.

7. Guinness Storehouse (Dublin, Ireland)

Located at St. James Gate Brewery, the  Guinness Storehouse  opened in 2000 featuring seven floors of artifacts and exhibits about the Guinness brand. The top floor features the Gravity Bar. A pint of the beer is included with the price of admission.

And in the United States…

1. fisherman’s wharf (san francisco, ca).

Built in 1884,  Fisherman’s Wharf  is known as a hot spot of tourist attractions including Ghirardelli Square, Ripley’s Believe it or Not Museum, Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum and the floating Forbes Island restaurant.

2. Winchester Mystery House (San Jose, CA)

This Victorian mansion was once the home of Sarah Winchester, the widow of William Wirt Winchester, treasurer of the Winchester Repeating Arms Company. Fearing evil spirits, Sarah was continually rebuilding the  Winchester Mystery House  until her death in 1922. It features 160 rooms, 2,000 doors and 10,000 windows and a lot of spookiness.

3. International UFO Museum and Research Center (Roswell, NM)

Located in a former movie theater, the  International UFO Museum and Research Center  opened in 1991. It features a library and exhibits related to UFO’s and alien encounters including theories on the 1947 Roswell UFO incident.

4. Calico Ghost Town (Yermo, CA)

The former mining town  Calico  in San Bernardino County was founded in 1881. It once had over 500 mines and a population of 1,200 people. By 1907, it was completely abandoned. In 1951, Walter Knott, owner of Knott’s Berry Farm purchased the town.

5. Pike Place Market (Seattle, WA)

Originally opened in 1907,  Pike Place Market  is one the oldest and largest markets in the country. More than 10 million visitors come every year. The market’s fish market is famous for throwing fish and the original Starbucks was founded here.

6. Graceland (Memphis, TN)

Graceland  is the home of Elvis Presley (he was buried here too). It sits on 13.8 acres. The house has been a museum since 1982 and attracts 650,000 visitors each year. The site features a museum dedicated to the singer, a separate entertainment complex, an automobile museum, restaurants and more.

7. Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream Factory (Waterbury, VT)

Built in 1985,  Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream Factory  produces 350,000 pints of ice cream every day. 30-minute guided tours began in 1986. It features a playground, a “flavor room” and a “flavor graveyard” for those flavors that didn’t make it.

Read the  complete study  to find more information, advice and the methodology used when making this survey.

Niagara Falls ranked one of the biggest tourist traps in the world

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New York City’s Time Square, Paris’ Eiffel Tower, and Canada's Niagara Falls.

What do all of these popular attractions have in common? A new report has named them as some of the world's biggest tourist traps in 2023.

This may not surprise Ontarians, who probably only ever venture out to "the better side" of the falls when friends or relatives visit.

But Niagara Falls and other world-famous destinations didn’t make the list just because of how crowded they can get.

The report , conducted by vacation rental company Casago, defines the term "tourist trap" as a tourism hotspot with establishments that target travellers with overpriced experiences and souvenirs.

In order to parse out which attractions are actually worth the visit, and which ones are just cash grabs, Casago searched for the phrase "tourist trap" on Tripadvisor with no location filter applied.

It found global attractions with the most mentions of "tourist trap" in their reviews.

Niagara Falls made the list as the seventh biggest tourist trap in the world, and took first place in Canada.

Casago ranked the biggest tourist traps by country.

Casago found 475 mentions of "tourist trap" in the natural wonder's Tripadvisor reviews.

"One reviewer complained that ' every attraction dumped you into a gift shop ,'" reads the report.

Nothing like getting soaked on the classic Niagara Falls boat tours, only to dry off in the gift shop when you return.

But even though Niagara certainly entices tourists to splurge on Clifton Hills fun houses and tours that show every angle imaginable of the falls, it wasn't the list's main culprit.

Fisherman's Wharf was ranked the biggest tourist trap in the world by Casago.

San Francisco's Fisherman’s Wharf took the top spot for the biggest tourist trap in the world, with 1,050 mentions of the word in its reviews.

"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 ')," reads the report.

Following behind the California neighbourhood are Barcelona's Las Ramblas, Dublin's Temple Bar, and Iceland's Blue Lagoon.

Kalen Emsley

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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

The worst tourist trap in every state

• There's tons of sightseeing to do in the US but some spots have become tourist traps .
• Avoiding overcrowded landmarks like New York City's Times Square and New Orleans' Bourbon Street is recommended.
• Offbeat attractions like Nebraska's Carhenge or Maine's "desert" also aren't worth the hype.
• Visit Insider's homepage for more stories .

Maybe you're touring the US as a citizen out to see your homeland. Or maybe you're coming from afar to see what America has to offer. Either way, you probably want to make the most of your travels . 

While some tourist spots across the country have become legendary landmarks that everyone should see , others are just disappointing tourist traps . Some are blatant attempts to make money, others are plain weird, but either way, they should be avoided at all costs.

Save your time, money, and sanity by skipping these 50 tourist traps. 

Amy Daire contributed to a previous version of this piece.

ALABAMA: Ave Maria Grotto

This miniature city was built out of cement and trash by brother Joseph (formerly Michael Zoettl), a hunchbacked Benedictine monk. The little village is often referred to as  "Little Jerusalem," and features 125 tiny religious statues, grottos, and holy locations.

It's essentially a wacky, four acre holy shrine — you might be better off going to Legoland.

ALASKA: The North Pole

Did you really come this far, to one of the most beautiful, untouched, wild and untamed states , to see a fake little Christmas village?

On top of that, the North Pole is freezing in the winter, and actually really hot in the summer, and swarming with mosquitos.

ARIZONA: The Four Corners

Of course it sounds cool to technically be in New Mexico, Colorado, and Utah, all at the same time , but you'll find yourself in the middle of nowhere, far away from anywhere you'd ever want to be, in a sweltering desert, and all you'll have to show for it is a cheesy photo. EVEN BETTER, it's really just a brass, CD-like disk that's allegedly 1,800 feet from the actual intersection of those four states.

ARKANSAS: Crater of Diamonds State Park

While the idea of digging for diamonds sounds cool — the park is apparently the  only source of natural diamonds in the US that's open to the public —  the reality is a 3 7 ½-acre plowed field  of dirt. It's been open since 1906, so the chances of finding a diamond seem pretty slim to us.

CALIFORNIA: Hollywood Walk of Fame

The Hollywood walk of fame has become one of the biggest hotspots for tourists visiting California. Sadly, the stars that celebrities are so proud of are on a dirty, crowded sidewalk, surrounded by tacky street performers, and far from anything else worth a visit. 

COLORADO: Buffalo Bill Grave and Museum

Sure, it's the grave of one of the world's most famous cowboys — and outstanding hunter and accomplished showman — but a grave is a grave is a grave.

Plus, the  Buffalo Bill Grave and Museum  opened in 1921, and hasn't changed much since.

CONNECTICUT: Wild Bill's Nostalgia Store

People from all over the country stop at this quirky roadside pop culture  reliquary , which is most famous for being home to a (terrifying) Jack-in-the-Box that's said to be the world's largest. A sort of cabinet of curiosities where most curiosities are for sale, the shop is a little like a hyped-up flea market.  

DELAWARE: Rehoboth Beach boardwalk

Not technically overrated, but certainly overcrowded, Rehoboth Beach's boardwalk makes this list for being jam-packed with tourists, and chock-full of tchotke's aimed at them. Apparently, finding a parking spot is about as rare as spotting a unicorn, and many complain about inflated prices, and call the boardwalk "average," or even "extremely average."

FLORIDA: Epcot

Of the four Disney parks in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, Epcot is easily the most underwhelming. Unless you're a college student looking to "drink around the world" (for hundreds of dollars nonetheless), this theme park offers nothing. 

The experiences at each country in the park focus only on the most basic stereotypes of each culture, and the few rides this park has are disappointing to most children. 

GEORGIA: World of Coca-Cola

This huge tourist attraction in the middle of Atlanta brings in millions of visitors every year. Guests can see how the soda is bottled, take their picture with the famous polar bear, and taste several of the company's other drinks. 

The tickets aren't too costly, with adult prices at $17 and children's at $13, but battling the overwhelming crowds and long lines just to walk through what is essentially a huge advertisement, is downright silly. 

HAWAII: Waikiki Beach

Waikiki was basically designed with tourists in mind, and is a strip of luxury hotels, expensive stores, and chain restaurants flanked by an overcrowded beach. It looks like most of the rest of America, and is not representative of the stunning, tropical island paradise Hawaii really is.

IDAHO: Craters of the Moon

While the name evokes a surreal, alien-like landscape, the reality does not quite live up to it.

While it is quite pretty, it's only interesting for about 10 minutes. After all, how much time can you spend ogling volcanic rocks?

ILLINOIS: Chicago's Magnificent Mile

We're not sure what's so magnificent about a street that has a few shops and restaurants, but hey.

INDIANA: NCAA Hall of Champions

With surprisingly little memorabilia on display and in dire need of a renovation, you'll be in and out of this museum , which pays homage to student athletes, in 30 minutes or less. If you want to learn about Hoosier basketball, you're better off heading 50 miles east to the  Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame  in New Castle.

IOWA: Captain James T. Kirk's future birthplace

Trekkies the world over make the trek to this tiny town in Iowa, to a private yard behind a small house, to look at a gravestone-like plaque commemorating the "Future Birthplace of Captain James T. Kirk, Karch 22, 2228."

Now obviously that's not true, since "Star Trek" is fiction, but to add insult to injury, it was really just the doing of an intrepid Trekkie mayor who, upon reading "Making of Star Trek," saw that Kirk would be born in an unnamed small town in Iowa. He figured, 'Why not Riverside?' and plopped the plaque in the middle of town, declared it Kirk's future birthplace, and the rest, as they say, is history (or the future).

KANSAS: The World's Largest Ball of Twine

It’s a ball of twine.

KENTUCKY: Ark Encounter

Last year, this life-size arc and biblical theme park opened in Williamstown, Kentucky. The grounds feature a zip line, because what would a biblical theme park be without one?

The fact that this attraction is an ode to one of the most famous biblical stories ever isn't the trap, though. It's their outrageous prices that should make you think twice: tickets are $40 per adult and $28 per child, and zip lining costs at least $50 on top of that.

LOUISIANA: Bourbon Street

New Orleans is a beautiful, historic town filled with culture, and Bourbon Street just doesn't do it justice. It's essentially like Cancun during Spring Break — neon signs advertising cheap, tacky bars line a street that's full of drunk people throwing plastic beads at your head — when they aren't throwing up.

You're better off going to a jazz bar or something that will let you drink and experience a little local culture.

MAINE: The Desert of Maine

Despite its appearance, this block of land is not actually desert. The empty plot is a glacial silt surrounded by thousands of Maine's pine trees. People can gawk at the natural phenomenon that created a desert in the middle of New England, but with plaster camels and plastic sand-related souvenirs, it's hard to imagine what draws in 30,000 tourists every year . 

MARYLAND: Ripley's Believe It or Not!

There are several Ripley's Believe It or Not! "museums" all over the country. However, in a historical city like Baltimore where there is actual art and history to see, it's baffling why anyone would spend time in a place full of replicas and gimmicks. 

MASSACHUSETTS: Faneuil Hall and Quincy Market

Sure, it's been open since 1742, but these days it's a glorified food court teeming with tourists that sells mediocre food and tacky souvenirs. Do like a local and avoid it.

MICHIGAN: Mystery Spot

There's a maze, mini golf, and a zip line, but their main attraction is several crooked shacks built into hillsides that trick kids into thinking everything is gravity defying. It's a cheap roadside tourist trap with gaudy billboards along the highway to prove it.

MINNESOTA: Mall of America

This mall is the largest shopping center in America, with 520 stores and so many square feet that the Yankee Stadium could fit inside of it nine times. But there's much more to do than just shop — there's an indoor theme park, a miniature golf course, and and aquarium — but all that adds up to is sensory overload.

The fact that it is crowded with hundreds of tourists each and every day ( 42 million visitors each year)  makes it all the worse. 

MISSISSIPPI: Birthplace of Elvis

It's a two room shack. The King may have been born there, but it's no palace. 

MISSOURI: Nuclear Waste Adventure Trail and Museum

This giant pile of rocks is essentially a mound of nuclear waste.

To be precise, it's 1.5 million cubic yards of hazardous waste entombed to create a small mountain that marks the spot that was home to the country's largest explosives factory turned uranium ore processing plant until 1966. After being left abandoned for over two decades, the US Department of Energy decided to cover it with rocks. Now, it features a museum and covered up  TNT, asbestos, mercury, radium and radioactive uranium. Enjoy!

MONTANA: 50000 Silver $ Bar

This Montana bar is home to over 50,000 silver dollars, and thus one of the largest coin collections in America. There's also a motel, tons of RV parking, a casino, and Montana's largest gift shop.

NEBRASKA: Carhenge

This quirky roadside site is  one of the highest-rated attractions in the state , though it's little more than 39 cars stacked to resemble England's famous Stonehenge. 

Sadly, this isn't the only ode to Stonehenge you'll see on this list.

NEVADA: The Venetian gondolas

While the entire city of Las Vegas could arguably be considered a tourist trap, the one place you should really steer clear of while you're there is The Venetian's gondola rides .

It might sound romantic, but once you see the gamblers and shoppers strolling by as you float through what is essentially a shopping mall in a chlorine blue pool water for less than 15 minutes, you might think differently. Even worse,  a p rivate gondola for two will set you back $116.

NEW HAMPSHIRE: Clark's Trading Post

Locals who have been going here for years seem to love it (and the fact that it hasn't changed at all). However, tourists who don't feel the nostalgia will likely feel differently. 

Their lackluster attractions include bumper boats, Segways, and a steam train, but their money maker is the trained bear shows, which many consider ethically questionable. 

NEW JERSEY: Atlantic City Boardwalk

Like a second-rate Vegas, Atlantic City's good ole days are long gone. All that's left are gaudy casinos, tacky souvenirs, and overpriced taffy.

NEW MEXICO: Roswell

The town of Roswell prides itself in being the alleged site of an alien crash landing in 1947, and has created an entire tourist industry around it.

The town is now a giant gimmick, where everything that could possibly be shaped like an alien or UFO, is. It's full of creepy alien toys, and all of them pretty low budget.

NEW YORK: Times Square

Locals avoid this spot at all costs, and so should you. Not only is it overcrowded, it's also full of expensive souvenirs and tacky chain restaurants that you can find anywhere else in the country.

NORTH CAROLINA: The Blowing Rock

The views of the  Blue Ridge Mountains are beautiful, to say the least. People rave about the sights you can see from your car or on trails throughout the many parks. However, The Blowing Rock, which gets a lot of praise for its stunning views and interesting rock formation, is a miss. 

It costs $10 dollars per person to visit, which might not break the bank, but why pay anything at all for a view you could see for free? 

NORTH DAKOTA: The Enchanted Highway

This collection of scrap metal sculptures stretches across 32 miles on a southern North Dakota highway. You'll see giant grasshoppers, families of fish, towering humans, and an all-seeing eye made of geese (yup). If you happen to be driving down the road, it might ease some road trip boredom, but it's certainly nothing to drive out of the way for.  

OHIO: "A Christmas Story" House

There are hundreds of ways you can celebrate the holidays. Waiting in a line and paying money to see the filming location of "A Christmas Story" should not be one of them. While the movie may be great, the basic house it was filmed in and the museum dedicated to it aren't anything to stop your car for. 

OKLAHOMA: J. M. Davis Arms & Historical Museum

A majority of the ~50,000 artifacts in the museum are firearms from a private collection that dates back to the 14th century. The West might have been wild, but this glorified gun museum is wilder.

OREGON: Undersea Gardens

This underwater room holds tourists for about half an hour as they watch divers interact with the natural wildlife. The realistic view (murky water and five fish, if you're lucky) is hardly worth paying for, especially when there are sea lions right above the surface that you don't even need to pay to see. 

PENNSYLVANIA: The Liberty Bell

This American history classic is the definition of underwhelming. After learning about it year after year in school, you'd think it'd be a large, spectacular bell. In reality, it's small and broken (obviously), not to mention surrounded by tourists. 

RHODE ISLAND: Mysterious Viking Tower

If you have an affinity for mysterious landmarks, then you might enjoy the tiny tower that sits in the middle of Newport. 

Unfortunately for most, these mysterious remains aren't that exciting. No one really knows who built it, but legend says that it was the Vikings, which would make it one of the oldest buildings in America. Most beg to differ. Either way, the speculating gets old quick.

SOUTH CAROLINA: South of the Border

South of the Border is nothing more than a large gift shop and adjoining restaurant. The "attraction" sits right below the border that separates North and South Carolina, and is intentionally tacky.

SOUTH DAKOTA: Wall Drug

This blatant tourist trap  makes over $10 million a year , but how they do it is a mystery. The drugstore turned makeshift mall became famous for offering free ice water back in 1931, and doesn't charge for attractions such as their snake pit and giant road side sculptures (see the dino, above). They do reel in tourists and road trippers with over 300 billboards throughout the state, though. 

TENNESSEE: Graceland

Elvis was a true prodigy, but touring his house for a minimum of $30 is a strange way to honor him. While the grounds are beautiful, there are far better ways to spend your time in Tennessee. 

TEXAS: The Big Texan Restaurant in Amarillo

The Big Texan restaurant is crawling with so much Texas décor you may go into sensory overload. With dead animals all over the walls, a souvenir shop with every kind of tacky Wild West memorabilia you can think of, and, of course, a Texas-sized   72 ounce steak eating challenge , this place is one big Texas cliché .

The food is also extremely mediocre, and many customers have   complained on Yelp   that the steak is tough and dry. For a real, authentic Texas experience, head to the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo where you can shop for genuine Texas souvenirs, watch bull riding, and chow down on delicious fair food.

UTAH: Moqui Cave

The sandstone erosion "cave" is touted as an ancient landmark and natural history museum, but it's not even a cave that was built or used by Native Americans. 

Even if you don't mind the ruse, people who have been claim that it's just a glorified gift shop. 

VERMONT: Rock of Ages

You can tour this giant granite quarry for a small price, but looking down into a hole that isn't the Grand Canyon is hardly worth it. The tour is provided by a company that mostly makes tombstones, which puts a damper on everything, and their gift shop sells overpriced granite gifts and jewelry.

VIRGINIA: Foamhenge

Like Stonehenge, but styrofoam. No further explanation necessary.

WASHINGTON: Gum Wall

This brick wall attraction near Seattle's Pike Place Market was covered in 15 years worth of gum until 2015, when it was removed to preserve the brick. The tradition of sticking used, germy chewing gum on the wall picked back up shortly after, and it is now almost back to its original, grimy glory. 

WEST VIRGINIA: The Congressional Bunker

For $34 a person, you can see where all the beloved (and not so beloved) politicians in America would have lived post-apocalypse. The bunkers, which were hidden in a hotel  at first, opened for tours in 1995 after someone spilled the beans about the secret hiding place. 

The idea is pretty cool, but there's no real need to spend 90 whole minutes and over $30 for a tour of wooden bunk beds, canned food, and white cinder block walls. 

WISCONSIN: Mars Cheese Castle

Wisconsin is known for its amazing cheese, and really, anything involving cheese can do no wrong. However, Mars Cheese Castle, which beckons tourists driving down I-94, is a pretty obvious trap. The gaudy building should be warning enough, but if it isn't, the inflated prices on the hundreds of cheeses, sausages, condiments, and crackers they sell might be.

Despite it being an obvious tourist trap, tourists and locals alike don't seem to mind at all .   

WYOMING: Frontier Prison

This old prison is basically a museum of torture the whole family can enjoy. It's no Alcatraz, but tour guides do let you sit in old gas chambers and see the "Punishment Pole," both of which will likely cause nightmares. 

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• Main content

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.

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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.”

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European Tourist Traps to Avoid

Every european country's worst tourist trap.

All 44 countries that comprise Europe have amazing things to offer visitors. But they also all have destinations and experiences that can easily be categorized as tourist traps. 

OK, maybe not all of them — Moldova, for example, isn’t a place with many tourist traps because it isn’t a place with many tourists. The United Kingdom, on the other hand, is full of foreign visitors and things designed to get their money while offering minimal actual value. 

We’ve searched for some of the kitschiest experiences in every European country that we’d advise you to skip while offering up alternative sojourns that are far superior. Yes, Europe is filled with places you should visit. But it’s also home to plenty of places you should avoid at all costs.

Albania — Durres Beach

This tiny Balkan country has a gorgeous stretch of coast on both the Adriatic and Ionian seas. The most popular place to catch some rays and cool off is Durres Beach outside the capital city of Tirana. But good luck finding even a grain of sand among the throngs of thonged tourists. This is where folks go for bubble parties and sickly sweet cocktails. 

Instead, check out Gjipe Beach. It’s lightly traveled, farther south on the Ionian Sea and well worth the effort. 

What Visitors Have to Say About Durres Beach

View this post on Instagram A post shared by TravellerMom UK | TR (@gezentianne)

"Well ... this place is typical Dhermi place that rips off every tourist they reach ... soulless." — Livia A., Tripadvisor

Andorra — Ski Resorts

Stuck between Spain and France is the mountainous paradise of Andorra. Naturally, most folks come for the winter sports, booking stays at local ski resorts. The problem? During peak season, this can make overcrowding a serious problem. Plus, these resorts are often pricey.

Savvy visitors are better off ditching their snow gear and warming up in the Caldea thermal spa instead. It’s Europe’s largest thermal spa and worth every relaxing penny.

What Visitors Have to Say About Andorra Ski Resorts

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Anna Verdu (@annaverdu)

"Just wasted a week of my daughter's life at the snow garden where the children were hoarded in and sat down for an hour and a half with no activities. They then went outside to just stand there in a line for two hours, getting around three turns to ski about two meters. Absolute rubbish." — Sarika B., Tripadvisor

Austria — Mozart and Strauss Concerts

Vienna is a classical music lover’s dream. Many of the greatest composers hailed from the Austrian capital — but that was many, many years ago. Nowadays, most tourists remember the greats at Mozart & Strauss concerts at the Kursalon, showcasing songs by the two musical legends.

Geared toward tourists, these shows are numerous, expensive and frankly not high-quality enough to justify the cost, especially when they're packaged with overpriced dinners. 

Instead of spending your money on one of these kitschy performances, see a live show at the uber-famous Musikverein, where all the greats performed in their day. 

What Visitors Have to Say About Mozart and Strauss Concerts

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Aan (@aanfidelia)

"Music OK. Room hot, stuffy, crowded. Selfish people obstructing view." —Anonymous

Belarus — Old Town Minsk

Avoid the “Old Town” that’s not really very old in Minsk — many of the original 17th and 18th century houses here were recreated in the 1980s — and go literally anywhere else in the capital city, such as the Palace of Art. 

Note: Visa-free tourism has been allowed in Belarus only since 2017, so there aren’t exactly traditional tourist traps around the country. 

What Visitors Have to Say About Old Town Minsk

View this post on Instagram A post shared by aleksander karachun (@aleksanderkaracz)

"The historic center of Minsk is minuscule, but it contains quite a few churches, some squares and a handful of old houses. It's so well maintained that it could be in Disneyland, so it's not very authentic. Good for a stroll." — Cinbkk, Tripadvisor

Belgium — Mini-Europe and Atomium

Brussels is home to not one, but two ho-hum tourist attractions. Mini-Europe is a cheesy amusement park featuring replicas of European Union monuments that frankly aren’t all that impressive. (The scale is 1:25.)

The park sits at the foot of Atomium, a bizarre structure made of stainless steel spheres that was constructed for the 1958 Brussels World Expo. Today, it’s a museum that mostly seems dedicated to getting you to buy stuff at the gift shop. 

The names of these places are cool, but that’s about it.

Instead, go to the Grand Place in Brussels, especially if you’re visiting in August when the entire square is covered in a blanket of flowers. 

What Visitors Have to Say About Mini-Europe and Atomium

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Carolina M. (@camamoro)

"Very expensive, no real reduced prices for kids. The magic of such an attraction is in the automatic scenes, but here most of them are out of service, there are sunken boats, broken models ... not a soul fixing anything, makes you wonder what you are paying for." — Carmeron_vdb, Tripadvisor

Bosnia and Herzegovina — Stari Most

Stari Most, the famous bridge in Mostar that dates back to the 16th century, is actually quite impressive and high, measuring 79 feet. 

Just don’t fall for the diving scam here, in which handlers take bets on whether or not a young man will jump. These hucksters only want your money, and if you stand around you’ll almost certainly see the same diving action for free.  

What Visitors Have to Say About Stari Most

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"The bridge isn't original. It was bombed in the '90s. It's also overrun with tourists and tacky tourist shops." — Jenn L., Tripadvisor

Bulgaria — Sunny Beach

Sunny Beach is full of tourists ready to party hard. If you’re between the ages of approximately 18 and 22, and enjoy getting wasted on cheap booze while throngs of people act like idiots around you, be our guest.

Everyone else should head to another beach town on Bulgaria’s Black Sea Riviera, like Ahtopol or Irakli. Both are clothing-optional and offer plenty of excitement, sans the hordes of intoxicated carousers. 

What Visitors Have to Say About Sunny Beach

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"This funfair was awful. We have never been to such a miserable place before. The staff was like 'we do not care.' We bought tickets for the happy hour from 17 to 20, and it turns out that we can't use them whenever we wanted." — Joanne Rick, Tripadvisor

Croatia — Dubrovnik

Dubrovnik is quite a stunning walled fortress, but it’s absolutely mobbed with tourists from every corner of the world. For that, we can largely “thank” “Game of Thrones,” which used the location as a stand-in for King’s Landing and turned the destination into an over-touristed mess. (On that note, avoid the tourist-trap GoT tours here, too!)

Instead, check out one or two of Croatia’s thousand-plus islands or Dalmatian Coast towns like Zadar and Split. All offer scenic beauty with a modicum of breathing room.  

What Visitors Have to Say About Dubrovnik

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"Dubrovnik is just too expensive. Prices for parking tickets can't be real. 1 hour 50 kuna? What can you see for 1 hour? Daily ticket is 600 kuna? Insane! Food and drinks?? Horrible ... Don't waste your money here." — _almicaaa_, Tripadvisor

Czech Republic — Expensive Beer in Prague

Yes, this sounds weird as a tourist trap, but when you’re in the famous city and want to enjoy some of the world’s best suds, make sure you’re not paying more than 50 CZK (a little less than 2 euros) for the common brands. Some craft beers will go for more than that, but it’s a baseline you should always be aware of. 

Otherwise, you could find yourself getting ripped off, as far too many tourists are.

What Visitors Have to Say About Expensive Beer in Prague

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"This is obviously targeted at tourists who do not know the normal price of beer. I went there with some friends, ordered a round of beers and after being told the price we drunk the beer and left. 57 czk [Czech koruna] for Pilsner is quite a lot. The same price for Rychtá? is ridiculous. 73 czk for Lobkowicz? Seriously?" — Martin Melka, Google

Denmark — Little Mermaid Statue

The diminutive Little Mermaid statue is one of Copenhagen’s top tourist attractions, which is exactly why you should avoid it. At a mere 4 feet tall, you’ll be lucky to catch a glimpse of it through the dense crowd. 

Instead, check out Gefion Fountain. Much more artistic, it depicts the Norse goddess Gefjon driving a group of animals. 

What Visitors Have to Say About the Little Mermaid Statue

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"Copenhagen's most overrated attraction. There are much more beautiful and fascinating statues nearby (for example, the Zinkglobal)." — Lorenzo Casadei, Google

Estonia — Tallinn

Tallinn, the capital city, is impressive and filled with interesting history. But it’s also where basically all the tourists to Estonia go, which means plenty of overpriced attractions and not a lot of elbow room. 

Instead, check out the neo-classical vibes of Tartu, a college town south of the capital. Or for a true Estonian experience, head to the resort city of Parnu on the Gulf of Riga and relax in a smoke sauna. 

What Visitors Have to Say About Tallinn

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"There is nothing special to say. Just for a walk around it is OK. But recommend not to eat or drink there. Restaurants and bars are unreasonably expensive. If you want to eat or drink, you better do it outside of old town. There are plenty of places even in the city center to eat and drink. Restaurants and bars in old town are a complete rip-off." — Rainis_Enely, Tripadvisor

Finland — Rovaniemi

If you’ve come this far, you probably wanted to truly get away from it all. So there’s no reason to go to the mega-touristy Santa’s village of Rovaniemi, where it’s Christmas 365 days a year (sounds like a Tim Burton movie from hell). 

If you’re way up in Lapland, you’re in one of the peak positions to view the incredible natural phenomenon called Aurora Borealis, or the Northern Lights. This is a way better use of your precious time.  

What Visitors Have to Say About Rovaniemi

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"It's like a shopping mall, but expensive. You have to pay for nearly everything, even if you want to see reindeers. Wouldn't recommend." — Christian W., Tripadvisor

France — Eiffel Tower

We would never tell anyone to avoid the Eiffel Tower. Except that’s exactly what we’re doing.

The world’s most iconic radio tower is also the world’s most visited paid monument. Get close enough to take some photos, but avoid those crazy lines by heading to Paris’ second-tallest skyscraper, Montparnasse Tower, for equally if not more awesome panoramic views of the city. 

What Visitors Have to Say About the Eiffel Tower

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"This tower attracts a huge crowd, but it is not maintained at all. View is not worth it in daytime, but I am not sure about night." — Muhammad Tayyab, Tripadvisor

Germany — Oktoberfest

We love boots of beer as much as anyone, but we also value streets free of sots and their watery discharges. Oktoberfest is for most attendees a drunken blur. That’s why Munich has so many medics on site and police, albeit friendly police, to try to keep order and peace. 

If you’d like to sample Germany’s incredible beer, do so anytime of year anywhere in the country except late September and early October in Munich. 

What Visitors Have to Say About Oktoberfest

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"It's just not my kind of fun. That being said, there are reasons why I don't like Oktoberfest.

• The crowd and the squeezing
• Tourists, infinite amount of tourists. Vomiting tourists, tourists sleeping on the sidewalk, tourists occupying haupt bahnhof and therefore annoying homeless people, tourists trying to hook up.
• Terrible terrible music
• (So many) people who cannot handle their drinks
• Cold! It's cold." — thisisntsummer, Tripadvisor

Greece — Acropolis

If selfie sticks, glossy rocks and massive crowds are your jam, then by all means make the pilgrimage to the Acropolis, Athens’ ancient citadel and home of the Parthenon temple. But the city, and all of Greece for that matter, is filled with other archaeological sites that contain a fraction of the tourists. 

Many are located around the base of the Acropolis, so while you’re enjoying Hadrian’s Library or the Ancient Agora, you can snap a few photos of the Parthenon without traversing the slippery slopes or having to dodge tourists from all directions. 

What Visitors Have to Say About Acropolis

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"Huge queue, entry intervals from two hours. Very hard to take pictures from outside, so you are forced to pay and wait." — Iaroslav-Andrei Hapenciuc, Google

Holy See — Basically All of It

Also known as Vatican City, this microstate and headquarters of the Catholic Church is essentially one big tourist trap. Visitors to the Sistine Chapel, for example, are herded through like donkeys and given only fleeting glimpses of the incredible frescoes. 

There’s only one way to actually enjoy this destination, and that’s by booking in advance a 7:15 a.m. breakfast at Vatican Museum on a weekday, to enjoy one of the most extensive art collections in the world while most people are still in bed. 

What Visitors Have to Say About Vatican City

"Don't bother. So busy with the groups. The groups are the issues because there were hundreds of them so you basically see nothing. We ran past every group we saw. We couldn't wait to leave. The audio guide is really hard to use as well." — Sun_Love2003, Tripadvisor

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Hungary — Budapest

It’s easy to think of Budapest and only Budapest when visiting Hungary. The city rightfully earned the title of “Paris of the East” thanks to its incredible architecture and Danube River that cuts it in two. It’s full of castles and terrific food, but also hordes of tourists. To only spend time there would be a mistake. 

Hungary is full of spectacular little towns and cities, such as Sopron on the Austrian border. The concentration of protected buildings and official monuments here — 240 in total — make for a Baroque and medieval architecture wonderland.  

What Visitors Have to Say About Budapest

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Regarding one of Budapest's main attractions, the Hungarian Parliament Building:  "It is amazing from outside especially at night. But about inside? No, you need to wait in queue, pay for a ticket and then you will have a tour of about 15 mins of a building with less than 150 years history. I do not recommend visiting inside." — Samira1358, Tripadvisor

Iceland — Blue Lagoon

This little island nation is one of the least-visited countries in Europe, so it doesn’t exactly have what one might consider traditional tourist traps. However, where there are tourists and a few bucks to be made, there will be less than ideal adventures and attractions.

So instead of paying $94 for the most basic experience at the Blue Lagoon geothermal seawater spa (it can get as expensive as $622 for the complete package), check out the Secret Lagoon for less than $25. 

What Visitors Have to Say About the Blue Lagoon

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Lena Nguyen (@lena21nguyen)

"Subpar experience, well below expectations! We went at 5 p.m. in December. It was dark already and overcrowded. The experience from start to finish was that of a factory production line.

There are multiple tour groups which didn’t help with the experience either.

Ninety seven euros for a factory production line was too much. Secret lagoon was much better." — Alex Thomas, Google

Ireland — Oliver St. John Gogarty Pub

For a relatively small country, Ireland packs in a ton of attractions and attracts a ton of tourists. That makes it especially important to wade through the fluff to find truly unique experiences. 

The Oliver St. John Gogarty pub and restaurant in Dublin’s Temple Bar neighborhood should be avoided at all costs. It was designed specifically for tourists who think Ireland is all about potatoes and Guinness — and you will pay a premium for that stout. 

Instead, try something like Mary's Bar and Hardware Shop, which is a throwback to Ireland’s old village pub scene, when a bar was tucked inside a grocery or DIY shop. 

What Visitors Have to Say About Oliver St. John Gogarty Pub

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"Don't bother coming here, worst service ever seen, overpriced menu, food tasted like cr*p. Please take my advice, don't come here." — Kenard T., Yelp

Italy — Piazza Navona

Public squares, or piazzas, are big in these parts, especially Rome. The most famous is easily Piazza Navona, which is beautiful but full of tourist traps like bland restaurants, cheesy street performers and folks hawking cheap souvenirs. It’s also wildly crowded with camera-wielding visitors. 

So after you get a whiff of Navona, keep walking a bit and find Campo de Fiori. This public square is a hopping outdoor marketplace by day and a restaurant and nightlife destination by night. 

What Visitors Have to Say About Piazza Navona

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"Piazza Navona is located perfectly for a tourist visit to Rome. Just don’t go to the piazza. It’s filled with vendors trying to sell you all kinds of junk and surrounded by restaurants with staff outside trying to pull you in. Best advice - Skip it. Walk straight through." — BMB65, Tripadvisor

Latvia — Jurmala

When it heats up in summertime, everyone heads to the seaside resort city of Jurmala outside the capital of Riga. The crowds can be overwhelming at these beaches, so it makes more sense to check out another town on the Gulf of Riga like Saulkrasti, or even to opt for a lake experience at the family-friendly Kisezers. 

Visitors will find the same warm sun and cool waters, but none of the 80-year-old men in thongs. 

What Visitors Have to Say About Jurmala

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"The toll on the bridge to Jurmala is a state-organized tourist trap! If you dont understand the Latvian-only toll warning signs and miss the exit to the ticket machines, you will be pulled over by the police (hand picked for your foreign license plate) and definitely fined for 20-40 lats." — Partel L., Tripadvisor

Liechtenstein — Winter in the Alps

Liechtenstein is small — its capital city, Vaduz, has only about 5,000 residents — but the mountainous country is full of wonders, all of which can be experienced in a relatively short trip thanks to the country’s compact size. 

Tourists come here for winter sports in the Alps and lakeside lounging in warmer months, both of which can be had in a million other locales. Visitors would be wise to instead trek through the castles and museums of Vaduz and the Roman ruins of Schaan, which is actually more populated than the capital city. 

What Visitors Have to Say About Winter in the Alps

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"We stopped there as part of a day tour and really was not worth it. It was just one of those awful tourist traps that have tatty overpriced souvenir shops everywhere. The lovely views on the way in and out are the only thing of great worth in coming to that area." — Oldgrumblebum, Tripadvisor

Lithuania — Hill of Crosses

Unless you’re on a Christian pilgrimage, there’s no reason to make the trek all the way to the Hill of Crosses, which is exactly what you’re picturing in your head. And “hill” is being generous; it’s more like the Mound of Crosses. 

Instead of driving three hours north of the capital Vilnius, just stay right there in the city. Its Old Town is a UNESCO World Heritage site and the city as a whole was the center of Europe’s largest medieval state, famous for its Baroque, Gothic and neo-classical architecture. 

What Visitors Have to Say About the Hill of Crosses

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"I do not understand this place, mountain of crosses and everything. What is there to look at. Tourists come for 10 minutes maximum. Parking fee, honestly sorry for the money spent for parking, as there is nothing interesting here." — Jevgeni SM, Google

Luxembourg — Grand Ducal Palace

This landlocked microstate is famous for its dozens of castles — 130 by some estimates — meaning that if you make your way to Luxembourg you’re probably going to visit plenty of these historic structures. 

That makes it doubly important to avoid the most boring castle of all: Grand Ducal Palace. This is where the Grand Duke of Luxembourg lives and conducts his business, and it has virtually nothing interesting going on. Your time will be better spent checking out the castles of Vianden, Beaufort, Bourscheid, Larochette or Clervaux.

What Visitors Have to Say About Grand Ducal Palace

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"Couldn't get in even though we queued at the entrance for ages. When we got to the top, we were told go elsewhere for tickets. No directions given. No signage. Then when we got to ticket office, no tickets. Disappointing." — Christine Casey, Google

North Macedonia — Fortress Kale

This small Balkan nation, not to be confused with the northern Greece region, is full of historic ruins and extremely wild wildlands. Most start their journeys in the capital city of Skopje, where all would be wise to avoid the Byzantine-era Fortress Kale. It lacks basic signage and upkeep is nonexistent. 

For a dose of North Macedonian history, visit the Archaeological Museum of Macedonia. 

What Visitors Have to Say About Fortress Kale

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"The only good thing is the landscape. Garbage and waste everywhere, nothing you can really visit, entrance hard to find, probably when tourists come close signs fade due to embarrassment for the shameful state of the fortress. Keep away." — Andrea Mondello, Google

Malta — Comino

Malta is comprised of three islands just south of Sicily, which means it’s a popular Mediterranean destination for sun and surf. Most beaches are fairly crowded, naturally, but some are more insane than others. Comino, the smallest of the three islands, should be avoided at all costs, unless you dig swimming with thousands of strangers and sunbathing next to even more. 

Check out the hidden gems — that require a bit of effort to reach — in Imgiebah Bay, Qarraba Bay and St Peter’s Pool for actual R&R.

What Visitors Have to Say About Comino

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"Horrific!! Stay away. It is a pit of drunk kids - techno beats and kebab smell. Way WAY to many people on to small space. Trash everywhere and close to impossible to have a dip in the sea." — Oslo-TJ, Tripadvisor

Moldova — Nothing!

It’s hard to pinpoint any tourist traps in the third least-visited country in Europe, where just 121,000 international tourists go each year.

So instead of avoiding places in Moldova, travelers should just go there, period. Why? It has interesting museums, cultural attractions like monasteries, archaeological ruins (including three UNESCO sites) and plenty of big-city charm in the capital of Chisinau, with zero real tourist traps to speak of. 

What Visitors Have to Say About Moldova

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"Had a great day visiting the two most famous wineries with our guide Veaceslav Gorita. Very smooth organization and an all-round excellent trip. Our guide was great to chat with (in excellent English) about the trip and Moldova and its history more widely. He recommended a really nice, inexpensive place for lunch out in the suburbs of Chisinau we would never had considered otherwise. Both wineries are excellent, though the atmospheres are very different." — Alex C., Tripadvisor

Monaco — Monte Carlo District

The land of millionaires is among Europe’s least-visited countries and one of its smallest with about 40,000 residents. Still, its casino, auto race and Mediterannean seaside attract well-heeled visitors and those who want to gawk at yachts and cars that cost as much as a studio apartment in San Francisco. 

Most visitors will head for the Monte Carlo district, where the people-watching is prime but the meals are way overpriced and most people lose their shirts at the casino. For a more alternative and affordable experience, check out the flora and incredible views of the Mediterranean from the Jardin Exotique garden. 

What Visitors Have to Say About the Monte Carlo District

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"What a letdown this place was. In fact, the whole of Monaco itself. Ugly buildings with the odd nice one, full of massive tour groups off cruiseliners, construction everywhere and little greenery...don’t bother!" — intervallo, Tripadvisor

Montenegro — Old Town Kotor

Often overlooked in favor of its more popular neighbors of Croatia, Italy and Greece, Montenegro is a beautiful and dynamic little country on the Adriatic Sea. Its capital, Kotor, is one of the oldest cities in the Balkans and boasts plenty of charms.

But while its walled Old Town is a throwback to medieval times, it’s also the most touristy part of the city and can make you feel like the locals are grabbing at your pockets every minute. 

A better option? Find your way to the Adriatic jewel that is Sveti Stefan on the Budva Riviera.

What Visitors Have to Say About Old Town Kotor

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Alina Raulea (@alina.raulea)

"Gridlocked pollution-filled tourist trap. One day is more than enough. The traffic is at standstill because of the sheer volume and creates dirty fume clouds that choke you when you walk. The beautiful bay is hidden by numerous obscenely sized cruise ships that totally spoil the view and bring thousands of tourists to clog the streets." — RJW121, Tripadvisor

Netherlands — Heineken Experience

Looking for a nice pint or several of Dutch beer? Then avoid the Heineken Experience at all costs. 

What used to cost 1 euro for a full brewery tour and all the beers you could drink has become an 18-euro advertisement for a global alcohol brand with kitschy “experiences” like creating your own Heineken label. And all you get to drink is two half-pints of awful beer. 

Instead of imbibing propaganda, check out the Netherlands’ incredible craft-beer scene, found in cities from Haarlem to Amsterdam to The Hague.

What Visitors Have to Say About the Heineken Experience

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Antonio Carlos • Mr Carudao (@mrcarudao)

"I only had a few hours in town, and thought this would be a great tour. I was extremely disappointed. You know the short animation that a movie theater shows you before the movie starts? It’s like that, merged with a commercial Disney ride.  It was by far the strangest tour I'm have ever been on." — Dan Vennard, Google

Norway — Pulpit Rock

Most visitors come to this Scandinavian paradise for the natural beauty — snowy mountains and deep-cut fjords — and the dearth of other people. 

But though Norway is huge and lightly populated, in recent years tourists have been making it much more crowded . If you want to enjoy anything resembling solitude, avoid places like Pulpit Rock, a 1,900-foot cliff overlooking a fjord that can only be enjoyed after waiting in a long line. The Trolltunga rock formation and port town of Ålesund have also suffered from over-tourism.  

Look for guided tours of Norway’s true wildlands or opt for off-the-beaten-path destinations like Rjukan, Åna-Sira or Folldal to discover the peace and beauty that made this country so popular to begin with. 

What Visitors Have to Say About Pulpit Rock

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"This hike attracts a massive number of non-hiker types who will do anything to get that selfie at the top. It was not a pleasant experience. Heavy hiker traffic in both directions over steep, slippery rocks. Aggressive, inconsiderate hikers trying to push through and overtake at all times. Not a safe situation. Trash on the sides of the trail." — Runyogagirl, Tripadvisor

Poland — Upside Down House

There are numerous mountain resort towns in Poland that offer memorable experiences in all seasons, and one of the best is Zakopane in the Tatra Mountains. But whether you’re there for wintertime skiing or summertime hiking, there is one major tourist trap to cross off the list: the Upside Down House. 

It’s meant to symbolize the decades of the Polish People's Republic in the Eastern Bloc and how twisted, or upside down, the country was during this time. We’re down with that kind of rebellion, but not so much with the huge crowds. The house is also really small, making a tour of the inside a waste of time and money. 

Save a few euros by snapping a quick photo from the outside, then spend the rest of your day exploring the rest of this cool little mountain town.  

What Visitors Have to Say About the Upside Down House

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"This is a total rip-off, tourist trap. Overpriced and really showing nothing of value. Better rent a kayak or explore neighboring lakes. Waste of your time." — TheKrizizzy, Tripadvisor

Portugal — Sintra

Tourists have only recently discovered the wonders of Portugal, so it’s pretty easy to avoid the crowds and have a truly authentic experience. Many visitors will start their journey in Lisbon, the capital city, and take day trips or short excursions in all directions. One of the first towns people flock to is Sintra, and for good reason — it’s a gorgeous slice of UNESCO-protected history. 

But it’s also super-crowded and filled with people looking to make a quick buck off hapless tourists. The dining is overpriced and tours of places like the Sintra Palace cost way more than they should (up to 27 euros per person !). 

Just as gorgeous, and far less touristy, is Viana do Castelo in the north of the country. Rent a car and take a four-hour road trip you will not soon forget. 

What Visitors Have to Say About Sintra

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"I'm not sure what there is to see here. It's the western most tip of the Eurasian landmass, tick." — hollaab, Tripadvisor

Romania — Casa Vlad Dracul

If you’ve made it all the way to Romania, congratulations. It’s well worth a visit and none of your friends have ever been there or can even locate it on a map (it’s in southeastern Europe). 

Once there, you will likely want to visit the beautiful forests and mountains of Transylvania in the north. And you might even have designs on cozying up with the world’s most famous vampire, Vlad the Impaler (Dracula). He was a ruler of old Wallachia and is still revered in the country.

Vlad was born in Sighisoara, a romantic little town and UNESCO site. By all means visit Sighisoara — just avoid Dracula kitsch like Casa Vlad Dracul. It’s reputedly the home where Vlad was born, but it's been completely rebuilt since he was there . The onsite restaurant is mediocre, and a tour amounts to walking into a tiny room and getting jump-scared by a guy dressed in a cheap Count Dracula costume. 

Simply enjoying the town on foot is a far better way to go. 

What Visitors Have to Say About Casa Vlad Dracul

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"Not worth the admission fee, just an overrated 'haunted house' with no haunting. A couple of Halloween decorations and a silly jump scare. No effort put into it at all and the place has a weird smell." — Anca P., Tripadvisor

Russia — Lenin's Mausoleum

Say what you will about Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov, aka Vladimir Lenin, but the father of the Soviet Union still attracts huge crowds. That’s because his corpse has been lying in state since his death in 1924. See it for yourself in Moscow if you must, but know that there are much better ways to spend your time in the Russian capital. 

The queue for Lenin will take forever, and all you’ll get is a glimpse of the body before being shuffled along. If it’s Soviet-era relics you desire, there are numerous tours and attractions offering exactly that and more. 

What Visitors Have to Say About Lenin's Mausoleum

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Martin Dixon (@martin_dixon)

"The organization of the line is a huge disaster. There's no organization at all! Don't go past 11:00 a.m. or you can end up waiting 1 hour and 45 minutes just to see how they close the fence in front of hundreds of people and your waiting time will be for nothing." — Iñigo Cámara, Google  

San Marino — Shopping

One could make a case that this microstate with millions of visitors a year is one big (er, small) tourist trap. Its tax-free status has made it a haven for shoppers looking to buy generic stuff for much less money. As they say, when in (somewhat nearby) Rome… 

In all seriousness, if you’re looking for a break from the beaches of Rimini, you could do a lot worse than a San Marino day trip. Located in the Apennine Mountains, the views are stunning and the history is fascinating (it’s the world’s oldest republic ). Go for the sightseeing and avoid the shopping crowds. 

What Visitors Have to Say About Shopping in San Marino

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"In the hope of doing some good tax-free shopping, this was a huge disappointment. Only a few shops. Fifth floor closed. Very boring." — Eddyvdbr, Tripadvisor

Serbia — Ski Resorts of Zlatibor

It’s difficult to fault the popular destinations of Belgrade, which is one of Europe’s cooler if grittier cities. So how about the ski resorts of Zlatibor? Why would anyone come to Serbia for skiing? 

The country spent a lot of time and money trying to make these resorts destination-worthy, and sadly, those efforts did not pay off. The resorts are small and the slopes offer little in the way of exciting runs. 

Instead of coming here for snow sports, check out the country’s amazing wildlands when the ice melts. There’s Djavolja Varoš (Devil’s Town), where the legend goes that petrified wedding guests make up the eroded rock formations. Then there’s Mokra Gora village, Uvac Canyon or Derdap Gorge — all breathtaking and one of a kind. 

What Visitors Have to Say About the Ski Resorts of Zlatibor

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Dragana Gaga (@stress_free_zone_22)

"The new trail they brag about is a mild horror, for two days it was a mixture of ice and mud, not to mention the holes. It takes them two days to 'fix' it. We haven't even seen the black trail because it hasn't worked for five days. When you call, they tell you that the ski resort is open, but you have to ask if the trails are open. All the worst." — Mona Simic, Google

Slovakia — UFO Observation Deck

There are thousands of visitors to the UFO Observation Deck, but none of them are extraterrestrials. The attraction’s name, disappointingly, refers to its spaceship-like shape.

Still, if you’re keen on being 300 feet above the capital of Bratislava and eating expensive “authentic” food, this is your spot. Just don’t show up if you use a wheelchair, as it’s inaccessible. 

For better views and some actual Slovakian history, head to the Bratislava Castle above Old Town. The site dates to the Stone Age and contains a museum and restaurant serving traditional Slovak food. 

What Visitors Have to Say About the UFO Observation Deck

View this post on Instagram A post shared by metthouse movie (@metthouse_movie)

"Not worth it. Go to the castle. Grounds are free, and the view is nice. (And the elevator smells a bit ... off-putting.)" — Joie Finley, Google

Slovenia — Lake Bled

Many visitors to this former Yugoslavian state will no doubt check out Lake Bled. It’s often considered the country’s biggest tourist trap, although not necessarily in the avoid-at-all-costs kind of way. Visitors should, however, know a few things before they set out for the lake. 

Most things you will want to do are anything but free of charge, including parking. Taking a boat to the little island with the medieval castle can cost 10 to 15 euros per person, and there’s a charge for seeing Savica Falls as well. It’s only a few euros, but most hikers don’t expect to pay anything after trekking for hours to get there.

Oh, and parking tickets are common around the lake, so look out for signs or pay 20 euros for a pass. 

What Visitors Have to Say About Lake Bled

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"If you are type of people who likes pure nature, this is not the place for you. Everything here is paid (e.g., swimming in the lake) and so many tourists!" — Adriana Valkova, Tripadvisor

Spain — La Rambla

La Rambla might be Barcelona’s most iconic street, but these days it doesn’t live up to the hype. 

Years ago, it was a fascinating place to see oddball street performers and even weirder items for sale, like exotic plants and pet birds. However, all that charm has been replaced with tourist tat. Also gone are the tapas bars and traditional Catalan food, replaced by overpriced restaurants with bland menus catering to international travelers.

Instead, head to Rambla del Poblenou for its culture, food, people-watching and shops, famously connecting the sea to the mountains. 

What Visitors Have to Say About La Rambla

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"Absolutely swarming with prey, I mean tourists, it's a haven for scams and theft, while offering nothing in return for the risk. Guess I don't get it. The food is terrible and overpriced, people are constantly trying to sell you drugs, toy helicopters, beer, or those unbelievably annoying, squeaky mouth things." — Nick A., Yelp

Sweden — Gamla Stan Restaurants

When in Stockholm, be sure to visit the old town called Gamla Stan. It’s full of incredible sights such as the Nobel Museum, and the architecture is stunning. Peruse the streets and enjoy the ambiance.

Just don’t dine here. 

With so many tourists, the restaurants are overpriced and the quality is low compared to the rest of the capital city. Instead, go to the Östermalm neighborhood for its array of interesting eateries. The area is slightly sleepy overall, but the dining scene is on fire. 

What Visitors Have to Say About Gamla Stan Restaurants

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"Terrible! Looked as if they dropped the fish on the floor, and picked it up again. Waiting too long. Only one poor waiter, running! Absolutely not recommended." — 857kirstenn, Tripadvisor

Switzerland — Matterhorn

Tourists will likely seek out the Matterhorn area of the Alps when in the land of skiing and chocolate, but that will come with some downsides. Yes, the mountain is spectacular, but the crowds are not.

There have also been recent concerns over the mountain’s safety . At least six people have died while trying to climb it this year. 

Luckily there are tons of alternatives, such as Gemmipass. There you will find some of the country’s best hiking and plenty of family-friendly activities, plus much smaller crowds. 

What Visitors Have to Say About the Matterhorn

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"The Swiss government or the tourism industry must be praised for their clever marketing as they have been able to sell off a boring mountain to the tourists and rip them off.

This is one of the most boring mountains I have seen and not much to do if you're not a winter sports lover." — Tyronne W., Tripadvisor

Ukraine — Chernobyl

We’re pretty certain that if you’re visiting this former Soviet republic you can do a lot better than touring the site of the world’s worst nuclear disaster.

Before the war with Russia, Chernobyl tourism was increasing as, apparently, more and more folks just are throwing caution to the wind for a chance at some voyeuristic experience. (A 2019 HBO hit show made matters even worse .) Even if they tell you the radiation levels are too low to be harmful, we can’t think of a single reason to visit the area. 

There is an entire country surrounding Chernobyl that is far more worthy of your time. Check out Kyiv for big-city life, Odessa for a seaside jaunt or the Carpathian Mountains for rural adventures. 

What Visitors Have to Say About Chernobyl

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"I want to say first everything you read about Chernobyl is true - it is a really fascinating place.

However, the guides we had for this tour are some of the worst I have ever had." — Carkyshark, Tripadvisor

United Kingdom — London Eye

London is easily one of the world’s most interesting cities, so what exactly compels someone to spend upward of £40 ($53) to wait in line for an hour to ride a Ferris wheel? 

Apparently, nearly 4 million people queue up for the 440-foot London Eye every year, which means you should not. Want an incredible view of the city? Try climbing up Primrose Hill. OxoTower has an observation deck as well, and the Sky Garden is free. 

What Visitors Have to Say About London Eye

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"Not worth it. Not at all. Take the boat cruise, that is sooo worth it." — Tracy Rider, Google

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)

World Wild Schooling

Avoid These 12 Tourist Traps in Spain for an Authentic Experience

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Spain is one of the world’s most fascinating, beautiful, historical, and culturally rich countries. The country has everything from picturesque beaches and towering mountains to vibrant cities and charming seaside towns. However, like most countries, Spain has its fair share of tourist traps.

Beneath its enchanting allure, Spain has numerous tourist traps, whether iconic spots overwhelmed with crowds, underwhelming experiences, or steep prices. To experience Spain to its fullest and avoid unauthentic experiences, it’s critical to avoid these tourist traps. To learn more, here are 12 tourist traps you need to avoid. These locations are overrated, overcrowded, and overpriced.

La Rambla, Barcelona

Most Barcelona itineraries and influencers on Instagram will tell you to visit La Rambla, a well-known street in Barcelona. While this street may be one of the most iconic streets in Spain, you should avoid it to make sure you have an authentic experience. 

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Admittedly, the architecture along La Rambla is magnificent, but that’s about it. Other than that, you can expect to be greeted with large crowds, in-your-face street vendors, and restaurant staff trying to get you to visit their restaurant. The entire 7.5-mile (12-kilometer) length of La Rambla is busy, so you can’t escape the hustle and bustle, either. For a more authentic experience, you’d be much better off visiting the Gothic Quarter.

Read also:  Unmissable Things To Do in Barcelona

La Sagrada Familia, Barcelona

Another iconic tourist attraction in Barcelona that’s become a tourist trap is La Sagrada Familia. La Sagrada Familia is a 140-year-old church famous for being the largest unfinished church in the world. An Antoni Gaudi masterpiece, this UNESCO World Heritage Site is expected to be completed in 2026. 

There’s no denying that La Sagrada Familia is a breathtaking sight. However, due to its unique story, the site has become overwhelmed by tourists. Almost all day, the church is surrounded by tourists looking for the best photo spot. Considering the church isn’t complete, it might be worth discovering less visited but equally impressive works in the Eixample district, such as Barcelona Cathedral and Palau de la Música Catalana.

Read also:  Must-Visit Cities in Europe

La Boqueria, Barcelona

Barcelona hasn’t escaped yet, as La Boqueria is also one of Spain’s tourist traps. The Mercat de Sant Josep de la Boqueria is a famous market in the city’s Ciutat Vella district. La Boqueria is widely regarded as one of the best and most famous markets in the world, and with its entrance at La Rambla, it’s one of Barcelona’s most iconic landmarks.

However, the market has lost much of its appeal. Unfortunately, La Boqueria now has far too many stalls selling novelty items, sweets, Mexican takeaway food, and tropical juices instead of traditional Spanish products. On top of that, the markets are almost always busy. Now, markets like Mercat De Sant Antoni offer a more traditional experience.

Read also:  Charming Small Towns in Europe

Puerto del Sol, Madrid

Puerto del Sol is a public square in the heart of Madrid. Madrid’s version of Times Square is often the site of festivals and events, including New Year celebrations. However, aside from that, it’s generally just an overcrowded meeting spot. To make matters worse, because Puerto del Sol is so famous, the area is a hot spot for scam artists and pickpockets . 

The main reason you would visit Puerto del Sol is to take photographs, but because of the swarms of tourists, capturing a good photo is only possible if you get up early. There is no real draw for visitors or a good reason to visit this square, so we recommend visiting somewhere like Plaza del Callao instead.

Read also: European Countries With Highest Rates of Pickpocketing

Plaza Mayor, Madrid

Like Puerto del Sol, Madrid’s Plaza Mayor is a famous landmark. Only a few blocks away from the square, Plaza Mayor was once the center of the Old Town. It was built during the reign of Philip III of Spain in the 17th century. Surrounded by grand buildings and portico arches, the plaza is beautiful.

Unfortunately, though, the plaza is filled with street vendors pushing odd souvenirs on tourists, overpriced cafes, and expensive restaurants. It can get hectic, too, taking the shine away from a lovely location. Plaza de la Villa is a much quieter plaza with stunning architecture, no crowds, and no overpriced cafes and restaurants.

Read also: Safest Cities in Europe

Puerto Banus, Marbella

Puerto Banus is a luxurious marina located in the Nueva Andalucían neighborhood of Marbella on the Costa del Sol. Built by José Banús in 1970, the marina is best known for its designer stores, luxury yachts, and upscale restaurants, so much so it’s often considered a playground for the rich and famous.

Therefore, if you don’t have much cash, Marbella and Puerto Banus are simply expensive tourist traps. In our opinion, though, even if you have plenty of money to spend, Puerto Banus is still overrated. There’s very little to do other than spend your money. Places like Estepona are much more affordable.

Read also:  Best Value European Beach Destinations

Playa de las Americas, Tenerife

The following tourist trap on our list can be found in Tenerife. Playa de las Americas is one of the most popular beaches in the Canary Islands. It’s much loved for its upscale resorts, turquoise waters, good surf, and lively nightlife. However, the reality of this iconic beach is very different. 

Playa de las Americas isn’t your place if you enjoy peace, tranquility, and authentic experiences. You’ll find large crowds, noisy tourists, loud beach bars, and unauthentic restaurants serving big breakfasts, steak and chips, and all-you-can-eat buffets here. If you’re looking for a more authentic beach experience in Spain, you’d be better off visiting destinations like Nerja on the mainland.

Read also:  Wonderful European Cities to Visit in Spring

Benidorm is a famous seaside resort located along the eastern coast of Spain. Until the 1960s, Benidorm was a small fishing village. Now, it’s a hugely popular Mediterranean vacation destination famed for its skyrise hotels, affordable resorts, sandy beaches, and vibrant nightlife.

Unfortunately, Benidorm is a fine example of how tourism can ruin a destination. It has become a big tourist trap, filled with tacky bars, English pubs, nightclubs, and overcrowded beaches. Sadly, there is very little Spanish influence left in the resort. Perhaps the only advantage of Benidorm is that it’s an incredibly cheap place to visit. A more traditional Spanish seaside resort is Santander along the north coast.

Read also:  Budget-Friendly European Cities

Ibiza, Balearic Islands

Another Spanish tourist trap that’s overwhelmed in the summer with partygoers from across Europe is Ibiza in the Balearic Islands. Ibiza is a beautiful island with gorgeous beaches, turquoise waters, and stunning scenery. However, the island is better known for its party scene. 

The party scene draws swarms of tourists to the island yearly, leading to overcrowding, a loss of traditional Spanish influence, and tension between tourists and locals. Furthermore, the island’s food, drink, and accommodation could be more affordable. Things are so bad that a group of locals calling themselves Enough Ibiza are planning protests to restrict tourism on the island.

Read also:  Romantic European Destinations

Magaluf, Mallorca

Like Tenerife, Mallorca is one of Spain’s most famous beach tourist destinations. However, while the island might be dotted with pristine beaches, rolling mountains, and picturesque small coves, most tourists are drawn to the clubbing resorts of Magaluf. As such, this beachside town is often overcrowded, overpriced, and overrated.

In peak summer, you’ll struggle to find anywhere to relax and unwind. Instead, you’ll be surrounded by hordes of 18-30 year olds, garish clubs, and British pubs. If you fall into the trap of only staying in Magaluf during your trip to Mallorca, you’re making a huge mistake. Instead, stay somewhere quieter like Alcúdia, where the atmosphere is more relaxed, and you’ll find more traditional Spanish influences. 

Read also:  Spring Getaways in Europe

The Central Market, Valencia

The Central Market, known locally as Mercat Central, is a lively public market in central Valencia, Spain. Located across from the Church of the Juanes and Llotja de la Seda, this market is a fantastic place to find local food. The market itself is also a beautiful example of Valencian Art Nouveau.

However, it’s hard to enjoy the market because of the overpriced food stalls, expensive coffee shops, and hordes of tourists that visit. You’ll find that most locals buy food and drink from the streets surrounding the market. If you still want to experience the Central Market, visit early and leave before the crowds arrive. If you want a good alternative, visit Mercat de Russafa instead.

Read also:  Underrated Tropical Destinations

Muelle Uno, Malaga 

The final Spanish tourist trap on our list is Muelle Uno in Malaga. Malaga is a port city on southern Spain’s Costa del Sol. It’s best known for its rich history, art heritage, seaside resorts, and golden-sand beaches. Like most seaside resorts in Spain, Malaga has its fair share of tourist traps, Muelle Uno being one of the worst.

Muelle Uno is Malaga’s new port area. The open-air complex dominates the Malaga waterfront with contemporary shops, bars, and restaurants. Unfortunately, there’s nothing traditional or authentic about the complex. It’s home to international restaurants and overpriced shops. We recommend avoiding Muelle Uno and walking through Paseo del Parque instead. 

Read also:  Hidden Islands in Europe

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Georgia Konidari is a nationally syndicated writer and the creator of World Wild Schooling, a digital platform dedicated to travel. She is on a mission to explore the globe and share her experiences with fellow travelers. She has been featured on MSN, the Associated Press Wire and more. You can follow Georgia on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, Pinterest and YouTube.

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7 notorious tourist traps in America

TRAVEL TRENDS , UNITED STATES Updated : May 23, 2024, 10:42 IST

From coast to coast, the United States has a plethora of attractions that draw millions of visitors each year. However, amid the allure of iconic landmarks and popular destinations, some tourist traps lurk, promising unforgettable experiences, but often delivering disappointment. Here's a rundown of seven of the worst tourist traps in America, and caution you to tread carefully.

Hollywood Walk of Fame, Los Angeles

While Tinseltown's renowned sidewalk, embellished with the stars of Hollywood icons, might appear as a must-visit for movie enthusiasts, the truth presents a different picture. Teeming with crowds, congested pathways, and flanked by souvenir shops peddling overpriced knick-knacks, the Hollywood Walk of Fame frequently disappoints visitors, leaving them feeling both underwhelmed and inundated by the tourist frenzy.

Times Square, New York City

The epitome of urban chaos, Times Square dazzles with its neon lights, towering billboards, and bustling crowds. Yet, beneath the surface, this iconic intersection is more of a tourist trap than a cultural gem. Filled with chain restaurants, overpriced Broadway shows, and aggressive costumed characters vying for tips, Times Square can quickly drain both your wallet and your patience.

South of the Border, South Carolina

Promoting itself as 'America's Favorite Highway Oasis,' South of the Border attracts travelers with its flashy billboards advertising quirky attractions and kitschy souvenirs. However, beneath the vibrant exterior lies a worn-out roadside stop filled with tacky gimmicks, mediocre eateries, and a pervasive sense of neglect. Approach with caution, or you might find yourself ensnared in this tourist trap.

Fisherman's Wharf, San Francisco

Perched by the waterfront, Fisherman's Wharf lures visitors with the allure of fresh seafood, picturesque vistas, and lively street entertainment. However, beyond its superficial appeal lies a tourist hub bustling with pricey eateries, kitschy souvenir stores, and assertive seagulls eager for a share of your fish and chips.

The Alamo, San Antonio

Steeped in history and mythology, the Alamo stands as a symbol of Texan pride and independence. However, the reality of this iconic landmark often fails to live up to expectations. Surrounded by a downtown landscape devoid of its former grandeur, the Alamo's diminutive size and lacklustre exhibits leave many visitors feeling underwhelmed and questioning its status as a must-see attraction.

Gum Wall, Seattle

The Gum Wall, located in Seattle's Pike Place Market, is notorious for being a tourist trap due to its unconventional yet intriguing nature. Over the years, visitors have contributed to its growth by adhering chewed gum to the walls, creating a colourful and sticky mosaic. While some find it quirky and amusing, others consider it unhygienic and unappealing. Despite its status as a popular attraction, the Gum Wall's appeal primarily lies in its novelty rather than any significant historical or cultural significance.

Bourbon Street, New Orleans

Famed for its lively nightlife, live music, and energetic ambiance, Bourbon Street encapsulates the spirit of New Orleans' French Quarter. Yet, beneath the surface festivities, it's a tourist hotspot filled with pricey drinks, noisy crowds, and a multitude of attractions clamoring for attention. While Bourbon Street provides a glimpse into the city's renowned joie de vivre, discerning travelers are wise to seek out the quieter, more genuine aspects of New Orleans beyond the tourist hustle and bustle.

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I.C.C. Prosecutor Requests Warrants for Israeli and Hamas Leaders

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