Most Overrated Tourist Attractions

Mona Lisa (Louvre, Paris)

You get 30 seconds behind a rope and a phone-glare glimpse of a small painting.

Avg. Entry Cost: $22Time Typically Spent: 5-10 min in lineCrowd Level: 10/10Worth-the-Hype Rating: 3/10Peak Popularity Era: 2000s-present

added by IJR

Times Square (New York City)

Blinding billboards, costumed characters hustling for tips, and wall-to-wall tourists.

Avg. Entry Cost: $0Time Typically Spent: 20-30 minCrowd Level: 10/10Worth-the-Hype Rating: 3/10Peak Popularity Era: 1990s-present

added by IJR

Trevi Fountain (Rome)

A gorgeous fountain buried under a sea of selfie sticks and pickpockets.

Avg. Entry Cost: $0Time Typically Spent: 15-20 minCrowd Level: 9/10Worth-the-Hype Rating: 5/10Peak Popularity Era: 1950s-present

added by IJR

Stonehenge (England)

You circle some big rocks from a distance behind a fence for a hefty ticket price.

Avg. Entry Cost: $27Time Typically Spent: 1-1.5 hrsCrowd Level: 7/10Worth-the-Hype Rating: 4/10Peak Popularity Era: 1980s-present

added by IJR

Hollywood Walk of Fame (Los Angeles)

Dirty sidewalk stars, panhandling mascots, and underwhelming surroundings.

Avg. Entry Cost: $0Time Typically Spent: 30-45 minCrowd Level: 8/10Worth-the-Hype Rating: 2/10Peak Popularity Era: 1960s-present

added by IJR

Buckingham Palace Changing of the Guard (London)

Huge crowds craning necks to watch guards march for a few minutes.

Avg. Entry Cost: $0Time Typically Spent: 45 minCrowd Level: 9/10Worth-the-Hype Rating: 4/10Peak Popularity Era: 1970s-present

added by IJR

Leaning Tower of Pisa (Italy)

A one-trick photo op town built entirely around a single tilted tower.

Avg. Entry Cost: $20Time Typically Spent: 1-2 hrsCrowd Level: 7/10Worth-the-Hype Rating: 5/10Peak Popularity Era: 1990s-present

added by IJR

Fisherman's Wharf (San Francisco)

Overpriced seafood and souvenir shops trading on the city's name.

Avg. Entry Cost: $0Time Typically Spent: 1-2 hrsCrowd Level: 8/10Worth-the-Hype Rating: 4/10Peak Popularity Era: 1980s-present

added by IJR

Great Wall of China (Badaling section)

The most accessible stretch is also the most packed and commercialized.

Avg. Entry Cost: $10Time Typically Spent: 2-3 hrsCrowd Level: 9/10Worth-the-Hype Rating: 6/10Peak Popularity Era: 2000s-present

added by IJR

Venice Canals & St. Mark's Square

Beautiful but suffocatingly overtouristed, overpriced, and smelly in summer.

Avg. Entry Cost: $0Time Typically Spent: 2-4 hrsCrowd Level: 9/10Worth-the-Hype Rating: 6/10Peak Popularity Era: 1990s-present

added by IJR

Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island (New York)

Long ferry lines and security checks for a distant view of a green statue.

Avg. Entry Cost: $24Time Typically Spent: 3-4 hrsCrowd Level: 8/10Worth-the-Hype Rating: 5/10Peak Popularity Era: 1980s-present

added by IJR

Alcatraz Island (San Francisco)

Solid history, but sold out weeks ahead and pricier than expected for the payoff.

Avg. Entry Cost: $45Time Typically Spent: 2.5-3 hrsCrowd Level: 7/10Worth-the-Hype Rating: 6/10Peak Popularity Era: 1990s-present

added by IJR

Sydney Opera House (exterior viewing)

Iconic silhouette, but most visitors never go inside and just snap a photo.

Avg. Entry Cost: $0Time Typically Spent: 30-45 minCrowd Level: 7/10Worth-the-Hype Rating: 6/10Peak Popularity Era: 1980s-present

added by IJR

Times of Egypt: Pyramids of Giza (crowds/vendors)

Truly ancient wonder undercut by aggressive vendors and camel-ride scams.

Avg. Entry Cost: $11Time Typically Spent: 2-3 hrsCrowd Level: 8/10Worth-the-Hype Rating: 7/10Peak Popularity Era: 1970s-present

added by IJR

Las Vegas Strip

Neon spectacle that's expensive, exhausting, and increasingly generic.

Avg. Entry Cost: $0Time Typically Spent: 3-5 hrsCrowd Level: 9/10Worth-the-Hype Rating: 5/10Peak Popularity Era: 1990s-present

added by IJRLas Vegas Strip

Blarney Stone (Ireland)

Waiting in line to kiss a germy rock for supposed 'eloquence'.

Avg. Entry Cost: $22Time Typically Spent: 1-1.5 hrsCrowd Level: 6/10Worth-the-Hype Rating: 3/10Peak Popularity Era: 1980s-present

added by IJR

Niagara Falls (Canadian/US side)

Impressive water but ringed by tacky wax museums and casino-town sprawl.

Avg. Entry Cost: $0Time Typically Spent: 2-3 hrsCrowd Level: 8/10Worth-the-Hype Rating: 7/10Peak Popularity Era: 1970s-present

added by IJR

Eiffel Tower (summit access)

Hours-long lines and steep prices just to stand on a crowded platform.

Avg. Entry Cost: $30Time Typically Spent: 2-3 hrsCrowd Level: 9/10Worth-the-Hype Rating: 6/10Peak Popularity Era: 1990s-present

added by IJR

Loch Ness (Scotland)

A pretty lake sold almost entirely on a myth you won't actually see.

Avg. Entry Cost: $0Time Typically Spent: 1-2 hrsCrowd Level: 5/10Worth-the-Hype Rating: 5/10Peak Popularity Era: 1970s-present

added by IJR

Manneken Pis (Brussels)

Tourists travel far to see a tiny statue of a peeing boy and leave confused.

Avg. Entry Cost: $0Time Typically Spent: 5-10 minCrowd Level: 6/10Worth-the-Hype Rating: 2/10Peak Popularity Era: 2000s-present

added by IJR