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Plymouth Rock, USA - It's just a glorified rock whose history—indicating the accepted disembarkation point of the Mayflower Pilgrims—is likely fabricated: the Pilgrims arrived in 1620, but the rock was only deemed important in the mid-18th century.

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Stonehenge, England - This prehistoric monument isn't a total waste of time, but it’s never quite as grand as one might expect, and the crowds take away the sense of eerie wonder surrounding the site. Plus, there are tons more impressive stone monuments sites all over the UK

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Sydney Fish Market, Australia - Although it markets itself as a tourist attraction, there isn’t much to see or do apart from buying overpriced fish. Plus, the view of the harbor is blocked by several large cement factories.

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Times Square, USA - New York City’s most overrated attraction is loud, commercial, tacky, extremely overcrowded and not very much fun.

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Blarney Stone, Ireland - You'll be waiting in line far too long to plant your mouth on a rock that's already slimy with the moisture of a million other lips.

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Niagara Falls, USA/Canada - Don’t worry, the waterfalls are amazing. The problem with the site is the entire mini-economy of cheap traps—gift shops, tacky restaurants, tourist-targeted experiences—that surround the falls.

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The Leaning Tower of Pisa, Italy - There is a tower of Pisa, it leans, and hundreds of people are constantly taking the same picture. You can also pay about US$20 to wait in line, ascend it, and be rewarded with a mediocre view of the Italian countryside.

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Four Corners, USA - At this remote location where Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah meet, there’s not much to see beyond a plaque in the ground and a bunch of state flags. Don’t go out of your way for an arbitrary point on a map!

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The 'Mona Lisa,' France - Millions of tourists flock to the Louvre in Paris and wait in line for hours to gaze upon Leonardo Da Vinci’s famous painting through bulletproof glass. The work of art is smaller than you imagine, plus the Louvre has so many other pieces that are equally beautiful and which you can actually see!

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Taj Mahal, India -

A very controversial addition on this list, the Taj Mahal’s fault isn’t the building itself, which is undeniably stunning. It’s the trek to get there, the unending lines, and the hundreds of other people ruining the palace’s serenity and missing the whole point of the building, which was built to mourn and honor a lost love.

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The Las Vegas Strip, USA - What you hope will be an experience akin to that seen in the movies is actually just a bunch of tourists swarming around fake (but cool) attractions in the desert heat, where everything costs too much and where you'll waste your time and money on fruitless gambling.

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Westminster Abbey, England - Yes, you'll see the graves of famous Brits like Charles Dickens and Charles Darwin, and you can walk the same aisle as Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge did on their wedding day. But you'll find no peace in the crowded church filled with guides leading herds of tourists around while yelling out information.

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Madame Tussauds, worldwide - You can find these overpriced wax museums all around the world—mostly in tourist destinations like Amsterdam, Paris, Sydney, London, Tokyo, and Las Vegas—but the collections of creepy wax figures are mostly just sad because they're far from the real thing.

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Versailles, France - If there weren’t so many people in it, Louis XIV’s palace would be amazing. But you're more guaranteed to see the back of strangers’ heads than the full scope of royal wealth.

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Wall Drug Store, USA - Probably on your way to or from Mount Rushmore, you’ll see hundreds of signs hyping up this South Dakota shop. Once a real drug store, Wall Drug is now a shopping mall that specializes in fake cowboy attire, tacky T-shirts, and overpriced food.

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South of the Border, USA - Even more gimmicky is this South Carolina tourist trap, developed in 1950 to include an arcade, a tiny amusement park, firework stores, and a crude caricature of a Mexican bandito.

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Pyramids of Giza, Egypt - The most visited pyramids in the world are in a desert and, as you may have heard, deserts are usually hot and dry. The difficulties lie in negotiating your entrance fee—different prices are set for different pyramids—and the fact that exploring the structures involves navigating long, dark, narrow, low tunnels to see a bunch of empty rooms. Oh, and then there's the lines.

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Hollywood Walk of Fame, USA - There are no real-life celebs associated with this California attraction, only stars set in stone. You’ll most likely end up watching superfans go wild while trying to avoid knock-offs of superheroes charging for photographs.

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Manneken Pis, Belgium - This inexplicably famous Brussels statue shows a little boy urinating into a fountain. If that's your thing, go for it!

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The Empire State Building, USA - This New York City landmark is featured in two of the greatest romantic movies of all time, but the steep entrance fee, massive crowds, and intense security check will definitely dampen any mood you were hoping for.

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Trevi Fountain, Italy - Hundreds of people wait in line to see Rome’s famed fountain and to throw a coin in it, as legend says that doing so promises that you will return to the city. Skip the crowds and use that coin towards a return trip, and do it alone!

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The Alamo, USA - The history surrounding this famous Texas site, and the courage of the people who died there, is compelling.  But the crowded, hot space takes itself too seriously while streamlining a complicated history into simplified ideas about bravery and sacrifice.

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Cancún, Mexico - What was once a collection of some of the nicest beaches in the world is now suffocated by extreme tourist infrastructure and spring-breakers. You're better off exploring the smaller villages along the coast!

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Tower of London, England - The crowds are unending, and you'll wait forever just to step on a moving walkway—which rolls past even the Crown Jewels—to maximize the number of people getting through the exhibit, and all for the weighty price of about £30.00 (US$40.00).

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Mount Rushmore, USA - Even if you have no issues with the presidents portrayed and the men who carved them, the impressive sculpture is set so high in the Black Hills of South Dakota, and so far from the viewing platform, that you'll need binoculars to really see it.

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Little Mermaid Statue, Denmark - It takes a long walk through Copenhagen to gaze at a 1.20-meter (4-ft) statue stuck on the waterside, and an even longer time jostling to get a clear view and a photo alongside loads of other tourists.

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Colosseum, Italy - It feels necessary to visit the nearly 2,000-year-old ruins, but the queues are long and disorganized, walking inside is difficult, and there are just too many people.

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Grand Canyon Skywalk, USA - When it opened in 2007, people were crazy about the idea of a glass walkway jutting out over the canyon. But it’s so crowded you can barely see your own feet, and the cheapest ticket is nearly US$50! It's better to stop at a good old-fashioned lookout point.

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Whale watching - Whales are majestic and beautiful creatures, but you can’t predict when a wild animal will breach and slap their tails around the surface, and you’re likely just going to be staring into the ocean for long periods of time, and for too much money.

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Statue of Liberty, USA - So many tourists are willing to sacrifice a good part of a day to get to the monument, but the truth is that the views out of the crown aren’t amazing, and you have to climb an extremely narrow staircase to get to it. For much less time and money, take the Staten Island ferry for a great view of Lady Liberty.

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Venice, Italy - Besides the extremely overpriced gondola rides, Venice is infamous for its ridiculous amount of pigeons, and consequent bird poop, plus even more tourists crowding the already narrow and confusing streets.

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French Quarter, USA -

The main draw of this New Orleans attraction is its charm, which is lost when filled with day-drinking tourists and businesses using cheap tricks to get people to drink even more. For a more authentic experience, try Algiers or the Garden District.

See also:  Mistakes to avoid when shopping at flea markets and antique shows 

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