What Makes a Tourist Attraction Overrated? So, before
We all know the story.
You’ve seen the place on Insta, you’ve dreamt about it for years, scrimped, saved, begged, borrowed and stolen to get yourself there. The excitement and anticipation have been building for years, finally, the wheels touch the ground and it’s about to happen.
You round the corner and that attraction you’ve booked the entire trip around appears… Yet it’s nothing more than a 1ft high statue of a kid pissing! Well hey, you’ve always got the waffles right!
There are some truly amazing places in the world that absolutely blow you away, some expectedly, some take you by complete surprise. Yet at the same time, there are heaps of overrated tourist attraction that just don’t live up to the hype at all!
I’m here to let you know which ones aren’t worth the effort!
I’m instead talking about places where I honestly don’t even know why they’ve become so overhyped. Places that are just bang average to visit and leave you wondering if you’re high or if everyone else has been lobotomised!
Alright, now you know, let’s take a look at our most overrated tourist attractions.
Here’s Our 10 Most Overrated Tourist Attractions
Right then, let’s get this show on the road with my top 10 disappointing tourist attractions in the world. Are they in a particular order, who knows, I just know number one made me rage even more than the shit excuse for chips those Belgians are flogging!
1. Manneken Pis – Belgium
This thing is literally just a small naked child having a piss! I mean ok, I get that it’s funny and all that his lil Willy Wonka is out but jeez Louise, it’s just downright shit! It’s so small you would quite easily just stroll past it if it wasn’t for the inexplicably large crowd gathering around. It’s a wonder they don’t put him off.
Then to add to that, they place something that’s about 1ft tall about 10ft up the wall, as if it wasn’t hard enough to see in the first place. I’ll be honest, I also found Belgium itself to be a little bit boring, it might even be one of the overrated tourist destinations in Europe and dare I say it, but one of the worst places to visit too.
Instead, I suggest you get on a walking tour where a local can show you all the actually interesting things to see in Brussels as well as showing you the best spots for chocolate and waffles!
2. Mona Lisa – France
This one is a classic right?
Now I am an arts graduate, a Master of Art in fact, and I’m still adding it to this list. One of the main reasons is that it’s so overhyped compared to all the other incredible works of art around the Louvre. Plus, it’s tiny, you have to jostle to even get close to it and if that’s all you’re going to the Louvre to see then it’s a pretty expensive 5 mins!
I mean, literally around the corner is one of my all-time favourite pieces of Renaissance art, “The Oath of the Horatii” by Jacques Louis David. Now this thing is impressive! It’s almost 340 years old, it measures 329.8 cm × 424.8 cm and is a masterpiece of symbolism and composition. Get around it!
3. Spanish Steps – Italy
I feel like I am hashing the same idea here when it comes to the 10 most overrated tourist attractions, but like, it’s literally just some steps! I don’t get the hype! Sure, they’re nice enough steps and I’ve seen worse on the piss-stained streets of Rochdale, but still, you’re in Rome for fuck’s sake!
To make matters worse there are also people stopping you from sitting down on the things. I mean, they could at least be a series of decent places to plonk your rear end, kinda like an amphitheatre. Don’t even bother traipsing to the top either, especially if it’s hot, the view isn’t one to write home about!
On the other hand, people will tell you Rome is one of the most overrated cities in Europe, but for sheer history and culture, it’s a wonderful place to visit. Just avoid the stinking hot summer months.
Instead, get on a walking tour with a local who will show you the highlights as well as some real hidden gems around the city.
4. Empire State Building – USA
Bear with me here. I love NYC, it’s one of my favourite cities in the world and there’s nothing like seeing it from above. But my advice, give the Empire State Building a miss and head to the Top of the Rock instead. Because the irony here is that you wanna see the view WITH The Empire State Building… not from it.
Doing both is just a total waste of money, and it’s not cheap either. It’s literally the same view from here but without one of the city’s most famous buildings. As a side note, I also think the Freedom Tower (or whatever daft name the Yanks have come up for it!) is wayyyyy too high to really appreciate the city from.
Stick to the Rockefeller! The Empire State Building is just one of the most overrated tourist attractions in the US.
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5. Little Mermaid Statue – Denmark
I reckon this takes the title when it comes to the most overrated tourist attractions in Europe! It’s almost a rinse and repeat of the pissing statue, but to make matters worse, it’s not even right in the centre of the city. Oh no, you’ve got to jump on a bike in the freezing cold to cycle all the way out here to be like … wtf is that!
Then you’ve got to tussle through a crowd of people to get a photo of the damn thing, because clearly it deserves a stop on my insta story… not! At least it’s free I suppose, well, the only thing it cost me was frostbite on my fingers!
6. Bondi Beach – Australia
Bloody Bondi! Everyone rushes over to what is one of the world’s most overrated tourist destinations. Ok, it’s a nice enough beach, but it’s nothing special and it’s, as my Aussie mate puts it “a fucking rich c**t hole!”
You’re in Australia mate, home to some of the world’s best beaches and coastline. Think The Whitsundays, Great Ocean Road and Wineglass Bay.
Even Sydney has better beaches than Bondi! If you’re looking for overcrowding, expensive bars and restaurants, waves that will try to kill you and on top of that a journey that requires a train AND a bus from the CBD, then crack on mate because you’ll find me over at Parsley Bay Beach instead! If there’s one thing I’ve learnt whilst travelling, it’s that the most popular beaches are usually the shittest!
7. Park Guell – Spain
This is another place where I just don’t get the hype at all. It’s up a ridiculously steep hill a long walk away from the nearest metro station and it’s literally just a mosaic lizard and some fancy seating! I really don’t get what all the fuss is about.
Ok, so Gaudi stuff is pretty cool and all, but you’ve got heaps more impressive stuff right in the heart of Barcelona itself. Casa Mila and Sagrada Familia are worth your time and money way more than what I reckon is one of the world’s most overrated tourist attractions!
Plus, the only bits that are actually worth seeing involve queuing to get into, and then when you do, you’re like… hmm, is this it?
But I will tell you this, if someone tried telling you Barcelona is one of the most overrated cities in Spain, ignore them. I love this city and it’s a great destination if you’re a digital nomad or just want a short city break. But yeah, just skip this attraction!
8. Leaning Tower of Pisa – Italy
Apart from the fact that it leans, well, it’s pretty much just a tower! I mean, if you’re passionate about suspect foundations then have a go, but like yeah, that’s all there is to it. Ok, it’s a nice tower and I’ve certainly seen worse in Rochdale but once you’ve done the classic pose, that about completes the job. It’s got to be one of the lamest tourist attractions in the world!
Oh, that is unless you want to pay an extortionate fee to climb up the thing where you can precisely see nothing of interest because (similar to the Empire State Building but worse), you’re standing right on the only attraction in town! Truly one of the most overrated tourist attractions in the world. I mean, if you want to visit Europe on the cheap I suppose it’s free to look at at least!
Pisa itself has to be one of the most disappointing cities in Europe, and the restaurants close to the tower are a bloody rip-off too, so the best thing you can do here is take a food tour with a local.
9. Ha Long Bay – Vietnam
This was a place I’d built up in my mind for a long time, and in the end, it turned out to be one of the most overrated places to visit in Vietnam. Firstly, when it comes to Vietnam, this is an attraction that is relatively expensive and you’ll need to book a cruise to be able to see it.
When you do, you’ll be greeted with a polluted bay filled with other tourist boats jostling for space. Being on a tour means you’re on someone else’s schedule, often including stopping off in the same bays as everyone else or some tacky restaurant or “floating village” where you’ll be expected to buy overpriced souvenirs.
Add to this that the weather here is ridiculously unpredictable so you’ll more than likely find yourself in a gloomy overcast bay with low visibility!
All in all, one of the most overrated tourist attractions in Asia. If you want epic scenery you can explore on your own terms. I suggest heading to Ninh Binh, or even better, if you can, to Phong Nha Ke Bang National Park or the Ha Giang Loop.
I feel like if you’re not religious, then Christ The Redeemer is one of the top overrated attractions in the region.
For starters, it’s mega touristy and overcrowded, and to make matters worse, many of the tourists up here tend to be loud Russians with absolutely no manners. It’s also much smaller in person than you might have imagined, which when combined makes getting any decent pictures almost impossible.
Then there’s getting here. You’ll either have to queue for a pricey tram or shuttle ride or take an exhausting 2-3 hour hike up here. Most people who visit agree that whilst Christ The Redeemer is one of the most overrated tourist attractions they’ve seen, the view from Sugarloaf Mountain is what truly redeems this place (see what I did there!) – The best way to see it, from above of course!
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Final Thoughts on the Most Overrated Tourist Attractions in the World
Right then folks, there you have it. Whilst this post was intended to warn you off spending your hard-earned money on some of the overrated tourist destinations in the world, it was also intended as a bit of fun too!
Let’s be honest, we’ve visited all these places, so who are we to tell you not to visit? Whether it’s one of the most overrated cities in the world or an attraction that didn’t live up to the bill, we’ve all been there!
So we’d love to know what would make your list of the most overrated tourist attractions and what you’d take off this one.
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