There are travel destinations you can’t get enough of, then there are some overrated sites that will make you go “Meh”! To make sure you don’t fall victim to such tourist traps, we are sharing the world’s most overrated tourist destinations that failed to live up to the hype.
These tourist attractions are undeniably charming and pleasing to the eyes, but fleecing cost, crowd, and pollution leave many tourists with disappointment. While it is natural to feel inclined towards visiting a destination that everyone is fawning over, sometimes reality cannot be farther than the truth. It is hard to believe but the infamous Hollywood Walk of Fame, The leaning Tower of Pisa, and The Mona Lisa are rated as some of the most overrated tourist destinations in the world.
Take a look at the worst tourist traps before you book a ticket to Hollywood. Did these famous tourist attractions live up to everyone’s expectations? Maybe or maybe not!
The Mona Lisa at the Louvre – Paris
Leonardo Da Vinci’s painting of The Mona Lisa brings a horde of tourists to the Louvre Museum in Paris. For some, it is a masterpiece worth pushing through the crowd to admire upfront. While for others, it turned out to be one of the most overrated tourist destinations.
When visiting Mona Lisa at the Louvre, you expect to watch her closely and take some amazing shots with the infamous Mona Lisa smiling behind your back. Contrary to what you expect, you won’t find the large portrait hooked up on a wall. Instead, the small portrait is framed and cannot be scrutinized from up close. Firstly, there are guards near the painting who won’t let you get nearer. Secondly, you will find yourself struggling to cut through the mass of tourists. All that trouble to admire an A4 sized painting that you can’t even see clearly? I will take a raincheck.
The Blarney Stone – Ireland
The Blarney Stone is the legendary castle in County Crook, Irelands. Its traditional value to the Irish and the Legend of Gab prompts the tourists to visit the famous Blarney Stone. Despite this fact, the Lonely Planet Travel guide deemed it one of the most overrated tourist destinations. The centuries-old structure in the middle of Fern garden is undoubtedly attractive, but the attraction ends there.
Expect to wait in the long queue because there are a lot of tourists waiting to perform the centuries-old tradition to receive the gift of gab. That is, kissing the Blarney stone. After that, ascending over 100 steps to kiss the legendary stone wall at an awkward angle, it has turned away many tourists. So much so that a survey reported that 73% of respondents didn’t find it worth the hype.
If this tourist trap is on your bucket list, you might want to reconsider going there. After all, kissing the stone wall that thousands of tourists have kissed before doesn’t sound too tempting or hygienic.
The Leaning Tower of Pisa – Italy
The only interesting thing about the leaning tower of Pisa in Italy is the crooked tower. That’s it. There is not much to explore nearby. To wait in line for hours to click some cliched shots around the leaning tower seems like a waste of time. And each year, one million people visit this place to do that. There are far more exciting places you can visit in Italy.
However, if you are bent on taking a photo with the tower in the view, the top of Guelph Tower offers a beautiful view of Pisa tower for just $2. You can gaze at it, take photos, and save your time doing something far more interesting than staring at the slanted stack of stones. The leaning tower of Pisa is therefore regarded as one of the most overrated tourist destinations today.
Hollywood Walk of Fame – California
According to Stasher’s survey, the Hollywood walk of fame was ranked as one of the most overrated tourist destinations in the world. The sidewalk with the iconic walk of fame stars is not as fancy in real as it sounds. If you are lucky enough, you will catch sight of some famous star in person, not the sidewalk one! The trash scattered around and the mob of people stepping on the stars while taking photos leaves tourists feeling underwhelmed.
Besides, the hotels in the vicinity are not up to par. This tourist attraction has officially been rated as one of the worst tourist traps in America. Still, want to go to the Hollywood walk of fame? Well, think twice before travelling there.
Bran Castle – Romania
Bram Stoker’s fans visit the Bran Castle in Romania with high expectations of seeing something that resembles Dracula’s castle. Unfortunately, the Transylvania castle doesn’t live up to their imaginations. A tourist trap brimmed with visitors strolling through the “Dracula Castle” snapping photos while exploring the Medieval Fort. Romania is an exquisite Transylvanian Region with incredible landscapes and beautiful countryside. You should rather visit amazing places in Romania other than the most overrated tourist destinations like Bran Castle.
Loch Ness – The Highlands of Scotland
Loch Ness is a stunning lake located in the Highlands of Scotland. Tourists visit this lake in hopes to catch a glimpse of the infamous Loch Ness monster, Nessie. And they are sorely disappointed when they find a pretty lake surrounded by mountains and castle ruins on the bank, minus the monster. Not too different from any other attractive landscape, I would say!
If you are willing to travel 4 hours to the North of Edinburgh to explore the Scottish countryside, by all means, catch a ride. But don’t expect the Nessie to reveal herself and greet you.
Stonehenge – England
Stonehenge is a popular travel destination in England. The prehistoric rock forms look intriguing at first, but the presence of too many tourists steals away its charm. What is more disappointing is that you can’t see them up close or touch them. Also, the stones are not as high and magnificent as we would have liked them to be. There are far more intriguing historical rock formations in the UK than Stonehenge. The mediocre set of stones are classified as one of the most overrated tourist destinations in the world.
The London Eye – London
London’s big observation wheel called “The London Eye” is not only a popular attraction but also one of the most overrated tourist destinations. The 360-degree view of London from the top of the wheel entices tourists to try it out. You will be confined in a capsule with a horde of people trying to take photos, it kind of ruins the experience. Moreover, London is expensive, and so is the ticket for the overhyped tourist trap. The standard ticket costs around 27 GBP. Not worth the trouble of waiting in queue for a painfully slow 30 minutes ride.
Mount Rushmore – South Dakota
Tourists are often duped by the appearance of the carvings of American presidents on Mount Rushmore in South Dakota. While the carved up mountain looks captivating on screen, the view is not up to scratch in reality. Mount Rushmore is no doubt one of the popular attractions in the USA. But you have to go out of your way to admire the monument that is somewhat smaller than you expected. For that reason alone tourists find it to be one of the world’s most overrated tourist destinations.
Tokyo Disneyland – Japan
It seems crazy for Disneyland to be one of the most overrated tourist destinations in Japan. How can the magical Disney world be a letdown? Well, it’s not about the lack of entertainment or activities in Tokyo Disneyland. It’s the hours-long queue, pricey rides, and the overwhelming crowd. If you have to stand in line for hours to buy tickets, you cannot see much in the magical place. You can visit Disneyland in your country or any other country. But, to be in Japan and not explore the culturally and historically rich tourist attractions like the amusement park, Fuji-Q Highlands at the base of Mount Fuji, it will be a mistake.
Conclusion: World’s most overrated tourist destinations
Travelers wait for months or sometimes years to check these travel destinations off their bucket list. And when they finally visit any of the overhyped hotspots, it might fall short of expectation. What could be worse than that? Despite that, people flock to the tourist traps to see for themselves what all the fuss is about and return disheartened. You might want to avoid these crowded, polluted, overpriced, and most overrated tourist destinations to spend your vacations at the places worth visiting 🙂