10 Tourist Hotspots That Just Aren't Worth It

10 Tourist Traps You’ll Regret Visiting

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re looking at ten tourist traps that you should avoid at all costs.

#10: Fisherman’s Wharf

San Francisco, USA

Fisherman’s Wharf lures you in with promises of fresh seafood, salty sea breezes, and waterfront charm. But what you get is a maze of crowded souvenir shops and chain restaurants. Sure, the sea lions at Pier 39 are cute, but they’re also the main source of genuine entertainment in an area built entirely for tourists. And unfortunately, the area has fallen on some hard times as of late, so some of the iconic good eats and locales have closed, leaving behind empty storefronts and nostalgia for better times. If you’re looking for authentic San Francisco culture, this nonstop commercial carnival ain’t it. Visit for the atmosphere if you must - just don’t expect some quaint fishing village. Again, this ain’t it.

#9: Myrtle Beach

South Carolina, USA

Myrtle Beach markets itself as a sunny escape loaded with excitement, and to be fair, the beach is indeed sandy and the ocean is wet. But everything surrounding that natural beauty feels engineered to separate you from your vacation budget as quickly as possible. The boardwalk is a neon explosion of chain restaurants, ridiculous arcades, and shops selling beach towels with loud slogans. And don’t forget the relentless crowds and horrific traffic, which can turn a short hop to the surf into a half-day journey. If you love mini golf and the beach, you’ll find paradise. Otherwise, you’ll wonder if a relaxing beach vacation should be giving you this many headaches.

#8: The Hollywood Walk of Fame

Los Angeles, USA

Pretty much the only good thing about The Hollywood Walk of Fame is that you don’t have to pay for it. You go expecting to experience the glamor of Hollywood, only to get trash, sidewalk gum, and guys dressed as Spider-Man asking for tips. The stars themselves are nothing special, either, just glorified stickers stuck to the sidewalk. And good luck even seeing them over the spilled coffee and/or graffiti and/or gaggle of tourists taking pictures. Meanwhile, you mustn’t forget the surrounding stores, which consist of vape shops, overpriced restaurants, and souvenir places selling $20 keychains. Before long, you’ll be saying, “Yep, that’s Tom Cruise alright. Can we go now?”

#7: The Hard Rock Cafe

Various

The Hard Rock Cafe has convinced the world that the best way to experience a city’s culture is to completely ignore it. Why try the local cuisine when you can eat the exact same burger and fries available in 70 other countries? No, that’s not unique to The Hard Rock Cafe. But it gets worse. The walls are lined with memorabilia that is meant to draw visitors, but these are often from the “roadie threw this away” section of rock history. We’re talking old mic stands and tiny shirt fragments from musicians you either don’t know or barely remember. So you’re paying a gross mark-up in food for memorabilia that isn’t even that good. Now that’s the very definition of a tourist trap.

#6: Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Museums

Various

You know you’re in a tourist trap whenever you see a Ripley’s Believe It or Not! These museums promise a thrilling exploration of weird wonders - and technically, that’s what you get. But they’re pretty much all the same: dim lighting, dusty oddities, and wax figures of uncertain relevance. You’ll see a two-headed cow skull, endless trivia about people with abnormalities, and artifacts with super vague stories like “believed to be from…” that make you seriously question their authenticity. Families wander through repeatedly saying “huh, that’s weird” while slowly realizing they spent $30 a ticket to stand next to a sculpture of a really tall person. Believe it or not, your wallet is drained!

#5: Hollywood Celebrity Homes Tours

Los Angeles, USA

Hollywood conjures images of glamorous mansions, red carpets, and A-list sightings - but these tours mostly offer bushes. Many of these home tours are huge disappointments. For one thing, there’s a good chance that the home doesn’t actually belong to the celebrity in question. Or it once did. Twenty years ago. And even the genuine houses are an enormous letdown. It’s not like Leo is lounging in his driveway throwing beers to the passing tourists, you know? And you’d be lucky to even see the house at all, as they’re usually well-hidden behind winding driveways, enormous fences, and lots of bushes. “And here we come to Adam Sandler’s house! Just trust us, it’s back there somewhere. That’ll be $50 plus tip.”

#4: Atlantic City

New Jersey, USA

If you thought Vegas was a tourist trap, you’ve clearly never been to Atlantic City. It’s like Vegas, only with a fraction of the fun shows, nice weather, world-famous hotels, unique attractions, or awesome casinos. It’s Wish Vegas. We Have Vegas at Home. The boardwalk seems nice at first, but it’s full of kitschy souvenir shops, and while the casinos don’t have the same brand recognition as those in Vegas, they’ll drain your money just as fast. And don’t forget the pricey restaurants, exorbitant “resort fees”, and street hustlers whose only goal is to separate you from your cash as fast as possible. And trust us when we say - don’t wander too far. You won’t like the surrounding area.

#3: Clifton Hill

Niagara Falls, Canada

Niagara Falls is a breathtaking spectacle of nature - and then Clifton Hill steps in and says, “Forget all that, come to Dracula’s Castle!” This tourist strip is a chaotic mashup of haunted houses, wax museums, loud arcades, and a Tim Hortons, because of course there’s a Tim Hortons! Your entire vacation budget can quickly vanish if you’re not careful - or if you don’t say no to your child, who just HAS to eat at that Burger King with the giant Frankenstein’s Monster on it. It’s overpriced, overstimulating, and very loud. It’s no exaggeration to say that the gross commercial exploitation of Niagara Falls is one of the gravest mistakes in the history of nature conservation.

#2: Stonehenge

Wiltshire, England

Stonehenge is undeniably fascinating. Too bad you can’t even go near the dang thing. It’s not like you’re walking through the ancient structure and touching its rugged stones. At least not without a more expensive “special” ticket, of course. For about £30, you get a shuttle ride to look at the stones from a distance, separated by ropes and security guards, and all while you listen to the constant drone of the nearby highway. How mystical. The visitor center tries to fill the gap with displays and a gift shop selling stone-themed trinkets, and of course they aren’t at all reasonably priced. You’ll learn a bit, but you may also wonder whether you should have just watched a documentary and saved yourself the money.

#1: The Pyramids of Giza

Giza, Egypt

The Pyramids are one of the world’s most phenomenal achievements, massive structures built with astonishing precision thousands of years ago. Unfortunately, the tourist elements surrounding them feel aggressively modern in the worst way possible. Two minutes into your visit, you’ll be swarmed by people offering expensive camel rides, cheap trinkets at silly prices, unsolicited guiding services, and photo ops that come with surprise charges. It’s hard to fully appreciate the ancient majesty while negotiating with every stranger who approaches and hearing the constant drone of arriving and departing buses. And if anything screams majestic experience, it’s turning around and seeing a Pizza Hut. In fact, you might as well just eat there and look at the pyramids from afar. You’ll probably have a better time.

Have you been to any of these places? What did you think? Let us know in the comments below!