Disappointed Tourists Trash Top Destinations for Good

19 March 2026

If you’re considering a new travel destination but are unsure if it will live up to the hype, you’re not alone. Many travelers have shared their experiences with places that didn’t meet expectations. Here are some of the most passionate responses from a Reddit thread where people discuss destinations they won’t revisit.

Popular Destinations That Fell Short

“As a New Zealander, I got two: Hobbiton and the longest place name in the world.”
“Probably the Hollywood Walk of Fame. I’ve been a couple of times, and it always feels disappointing. It’s just super grimey and tourist-trappy. If you’re a big movie fan, there are many better places to visit in the Hollywood area.”
“Dubai. One week was enough to do all the interesting things; otherwise, there’s nothing to do, it’s just an unwalkable city (apart from the beach and the ‘old’ part of the city).”

“Sadly, Prague. I’ve been to Prague three or four times, and the first few times were lovely. The city is beautiful and rich in history. They have great restaurants and obviously great beer. But, unfortunately, the city has become a Bachelor(ette) party destination, and the whole aura of the city has been ruined.”

“I just came back from Tulum. The taxis were a rip-off ($110) just to go 8 minutes down the road, the beaches were full of sargassum seaweed, and most of the food was subpar.”

“Antelope Canyon in Arizona, USA. Tickets are crazy expensive, and you get herded through like sheep.”
“Disney World. We did it up, spent a** of money and stayed at the Animal Kingdom Lodge for a week. We visited all the parks and at the end of the week went home with a lot of regrets.”

“The Riviera Maya in Mexico (Cancun down the coast to Tulum). My family went in 2001 when I was young, and the area was not at all developed. We stayed in Merida in January and did a few road trips, and decided to stay in Akumal for 3 nights (not in a resort).”
“Indianapolis. No disrespect intended, but I was completely underwhelmed. The hotel, called the downtown location, was a 15-minute taxi ride from downtown. There was simply nothing to do entertainment-wise.”
“New York. Litter everywhere, homeless people shitting in the streets and eating out of bins, and the water is poisonous.”

“Unfortunately, Santorini. I went 7 years ago, and it was horribly crowded, with tour buses everywhere. My hotel was lovely, had the classic view out the Caldera thing and was tucked away and hard to find, but not so hard that I didn’t have tourists coming onto my deck and taking engagement photos my entire three days there.”

“Venice. Beautiful city. Completely overrun with tourists. It’s so crowded that you are literally touching shoulders with people in the streets. Almost no one lives there. The city is nearly empty after 7 p.m.. St. Mark’s Square seems to flood daily.”

“New Delhi. Well, I don’t know how popular it really is, but I never ever want to go back. Felt like I had smoked 50 cigarettes and got tricked at every corner.”

“The Medina in Marrakech. We were there for five days, apart from a day trip into the Atlas Mountains, which was very much the highlight. As soon as I stepped out of the Riad, we were getting mowed down by mopeds chucking out thick smoke, harassed and deliberately misdirected by locals, and money demanded if you stopped for more than 0.5 seconds.”
“No desire to go back to Tunisia. We got a resort and flew in, but for some reason, they didn’t accept any of my credit cards. I had to go to a bank to withdraw cash. There were so many notes that they handed it to me in a box, and I had to walk back to the hotel carrying a box of money. That felt unsafe, to say the least.”
“Egypt. I was threatened with a knife by a local man. Also being a blonde pale woman… Too many harassing dudes.”
“Bali is a very popular place for Aussies to visit. I went for four days at the end of my honeymoon. It was hot and sticky, and hard to breathe. I’m **** at haggling prices–shopkeepers and taxi drivers are constantly hassling you.”