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Embarking upon an international holiday is always exhilarating. The prospect of engaging with a new culture, seeing unique sights and sampling local cuisine is enough to inspire anyone to book flights. But after booking flights, the first step of any holiday prep is researching your destination, and deciding on which tourist hotspots to visit. Unfortunately, not all tourist sights and attractions were created equal, and as such, not all are worth visiting.
We’ve pulled together a list of popular tourist sites that really aren’t worth your valuable time.
1. Times Square, New York
New York is often the first stop for many first-time visitors to the United States of America. In fact, in 2018 the city welcomed some 65.2 million visitors, however, Times Square in New York may not live up to your expectations. It’s a sea of tourists, billboards and overpriced restaurants.
2. Piazza San Marco, Venice
Although beautiful, Piazza San Marco in the Italian city of Venice is often filled to the brim with tourists trying to take the perfect holiday picture, which is often spoiled by the coiling line of tourists trying to get inside the basilica, and the overpriced restaurants surrounding the square. The best time to see this square is at the crack of dawn, but Venice is home to many more beautiful, lesser-known piazzas worth checking out.
3. Little Mermaid, Copenhagen
While the Little Mermaid statue in the Danish city of Copenhagen is often on the list of must-see tourist hotspots, its’ actually just a small statute set a little of the shore, and is often swamped with tourists – making it impossible to see!
4. Avenue of the Stars, Hong Kong
Modelled after the Hollywood Walk of Fame, the Avenue of the Stars in Hong Kong is a lacklustre selection of statues of famous celebrities from Asian pop culture, and really only worth a visit if you’re a massive fan of one of the featured celebrities.
5. Manneken Pis, Brussels
One of the more disappointing tourist hotspots on the list, Manneken Pis is literally a small, child-sized statue of a little boy taking a wee. Enough said.
6. Sydney Fish Market, Sydney
Although marketed to tourists as one of Sydney’s must-visit locations, the Sydney Fish Market is literally a fresh seafood market with overpriced restaurants, and often underwhelming meals.
7. Hollywood Walk of Fame, Hollywood
Many people put the Hollywood Walk of Fame on their bucket list, but the reality is that it’s just a series of names embedded in a dirty street, filled with tourists.
8. Moulin Rouge, Paris
This infamous establishmen has sadly passed its heyday, and the audience that filters through the doors of the iconic Moulin Rouge are now more sneaker-clad tourists than Parisian citizens looking to enjoy a good theatre show. Spend your money to see a cabaret show at Le Crazy Horse instead.
9. Khao San Road, Bangkok
Khao San Road is a short street with overpriced restaurants and backpacker-filled bars, and street vendors trying to sell you their cheap and tacky tourist souvenirs. Expand your exploration of Bangkok to find a more authentic nightlife experience, or try one of the bars at Rot Fai Market.
10. The Mona Lisa at The Louvre, Paris
The Mona Lisa is heralded as a priceless piece of art painted by Leonardo Da Vinci, but in real life it’s a tiny painting measuring in at just 77cmx53cm, hung on a wall in a museum, behind a glass casing. Unless you’re a die-hard art fan, or keen to investigate the entire Louvre museum, give this one a miss.
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