The definition of a great travel destination really depends on who you ask. Some people swear by sun-soaked beaches, while others chase the quiet of misty mountaintops or the adventure of a desert safari. But no matter where you go, there are certain red flags that just about anyone would agree are deal-breakers.
So, when someone on Reddit asked, “What popular travel destination did you visit and say ‘never again’?” the responses poured in. From getting robbed at knifepoint to being totally misled by Instagram photos, the stories were equal parts shocking and eye-opening. If you’re planning your next vacation, this brutally honest list might just save you a plane ticket and a whole lot of regret.
#1
Egypt. Was threatened with knife by a local man. Also being a blonde pale woman… Too many harrasing dudes who wanted to trade me for camels.
Image credits: relakas
#2
Probably the Hollywood walk of fame. I’ve been a couple times and it always feels disappointing. It’s just super grimey and tourist trappy. If you’re a big movie fan there’s much better places to visit in the Hollywood area.
Image credits: OppositionGuerilla
#3
Dubai
1 week was enough to do all 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).
Image credits: Chino_Kawaii
Most of us picture cities based on what we’ve seen in movies or TV shows: think the bustling streets of Manhattan or the dreamy coastlines of Australia. We build our expectations around iconic landmarks, romantic backdrops, and Hollywood magic. It’s easy to assume every corner of a place is as charming as a movie scene.
Add social media to the mix, and suddenly your feed is filled with stunning shots of travelers sipping lattes in Paris or taking perfect beach selfies in Bali. These snapshots show us the glamorous side of things 24/7. You start dreaming of booking a ticket right away. But is it always that magical?
#4
As a new zealander i got two: hobbiton and the longest place name in the world.
hobbiton is pretty much paying 120 bucks a head to look at some grass then go to a lotr themed pub, i get it if youre a lotr megafan visiting nz but for me it was just so underwhelming for the cost
the longest place name in the world
we have a tourist attraction about 2 hours away from me called “Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateaturipukakapikimaungahoronukupokaiwhenuakitanatahu” which is famous for being the longest place name in the world. People drive there to take photos with the sign of the name. I drove to it and it turns out its literally just a hill. Not even a special hill or anything, not like a tourist attraction type hill, just a normal a*s hill. the bit i hated though? no bloody sign lmao. they removed the long a*s sign everyone took pictures with, so now its literally just a two hour drive to see a hill. I dont even know why that hill even has a name in the first place tbh lol.
Image credits: YaBoiMarkizzle
#5
For me it’s not really a destination so I’m gonna be “that guy” it’s more cruises.
I’ll never do a cruise again.
Too many people
Too many disgusting people
Too expensive.
Image credits: PCDub
#6
Antelope Canyon in Arizona, USA. Tickets are crazy expensive and you get herded through like sheep. There isn’t even time to take your own photos, the guide takes your camera/phone from you and snaps the classic photos. If you pay extra you can get a few minutes to take your own pictures at the ‘perfect’ time of day.
Tours are literally timed to the minute and can be disorienting. With dust falling on your head from above and being kicked up from the ground by other tourists, it’s hard to breathe. Just all around unpleasant.
I understand it has received the hug of death from tourists worldwide and therefore needs to be heavily regulated. I get it, and I’m glad for the income it provides to the native population nearby. But it was not worth the time, trouble, and money IMO. I have fab photos but no pride in them.
I recommend The Wave instead. It’s also heavily regulated but the permitted crowd size is small and the long hike puts a lot of people off.
Image credits: mzskunk
Let’s be honest: filters, cinematic lighting, and curated content don’t always tell the full story. What you don’t see are the long queues, the overpriced meals, or the cramped hotel rooms with “a view.” Sure, the Eiffel Tower sparkles, but the pickpocket warning signs nearby aren’t as photogenic.
We’re often sold the polished version of travel experiences while the reality often involves missed trains and sunburns. Behind the curtain of glamour are destinations that simply don’t live up to the hype. It’s not always a postcard come to life. Sometimes, it’s just an expensive letdown in disguise.
#7
The Medina in Marrakech. Just a maze of exploitation, pollution and harassment.
Image credits: xwigglex
#8
I went to India. Probably better to visit a reactor in the Chernobyl.
Image credits: Nepit60
#9
Disney World. We did it up, spent a s*****ad 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. First off, the ads for the Animal Kingdom lodge are nothing but lies. You will be nowhere near the animals and most of them stay as far away as possible. The rides across all the parks are pretty terrible, with a few exceptions. The crowds are insane. Everything is so expensive and just flat out not worth it. Don’t even get me started on the character dining experiences. Universal Studios is much better if you like rides.
Image credits: Tangboy50000
To know more, Bored Panda spoke with Raj Vaidya, who’s been running his family’s travel business for over a decade, and he’s truly seen it all. “People usually show up with a bunch of dreamy screenshots from Instagram,” he laughs. “They come in saying, ‘I want to go here, here, and here,’ without understanding the logistics.” The excitement is understandable, but travel planning requires more than just swiping through pretty pictures online.
“One of the most common issues,” Raj explains, “is that travelers often forget to factor in time, budget, or actual feasibility.” They’ll spot a cool cliff or beach and assume it’s an easy detour. “But the reality can be hours of travel, steep costs, and maybe even a permit to get there,” he adds. Expectations are high, but reality often brings them crashing back to earth.
#10
We did a long day trip from Rome to visit the Amalfi Coast. My wife wants to go back and spend more time there, I can’t think of a less pleasant vacation.
It’s absolutely packed wall to wall with humans and the prices are outrageous.
Image credits: b00mshaw
#11
Unfortunately, Santorini. I went 7 years ago and it was horribly crowded, 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. The archaeology museum was nice, and I asked someone there if they felt like tourists were ruining their island. She agreed. I cannot even imagine how bad it is now with cruise ships. Cruise ships ruin everything in my opinion.
There have been places I’ve gone to 5 yrs ago off season in Europe that were lovely and you could have an authentic experience. Nowadays they are just packed and miserable with obnoxious tourists.
I would add Iceland to this list too- another place I went in winter about ten yrs ago and had a great time, very few tourists, lovely. I went last February again and wanted to scream with the mass hordes of tourists, many of whom were just terrible. I love you Iceland, but I just can’t anymore. I had thought about coming back in summer to do the West part of the island, but no.
Icelandair has done a fantastic job of selling Iceland to Americans, but at what cost? The airport is also now a nightmare to use for connections to other places in Europe – it is too small for all that traffic flowing through there now.
Image credits: hoppyrules
#12
I traveled to Paris in December, not my first time in Paris but my first time guiding myself. Paris is dense with worthwhile. Keep in mind that I have lived in cities like Denver, D.C., and NYC and have traveled to a handful of other major capitals in Europe so this isn’t necessarily some scared, naive travelers take.
Parisians are gross. It is the only major city I’ve ever seen so covered in dog feces, because people don’t pick up after their dogs nor do they guide them out of the walks; lots of people walk around with it on their shoes evidently because it is often stepped in.
Paris also smelt a lot like NY in the summertime with the scent of p**s wafting up in the evenings, but somehow it was just as pungent in the cold of December as NY’s is in July.
And a lot of Parisians, not most by any means but more than you would expect in most western cities, smelt of trailing body odor.
It is also the only place I’ve ever had to exit multiple Ubers because the cars were filthy and 2 out of 3 times smelt like cigarette ash. All but two of the rides we took didn’t smell of cigarettes in some way, but some were so bad I couldn’t breathe.
You are constantly reminded of pickpockets in Paris, especially when traveling. No doubt there is a reason for this and there are always sketchy people standing around the major tourist areas.
I kept my hands jammed in my pocket completely by the end of the trip, constantly making sure I still had everything with it. It wasn’t fun, it was honestly exhausting.
And the RATF or whatever runs the trains targets tourists specifically: they sell you an unlimited pass but unlike in every other system the world over, they want you to produce a 2×3 photo of yourself to keep in a secondary card and sleeve. They don’t tell you this when you purchase from an attendant, it is written in small text on the secondary card; there are plenty of accounts online of how they use this to target and fine tourists to the end that I have concluded it is a specific function, not a flaw. They got us, tried to have us arrested, wouldn’t explain anything but just shoved a card reader in our face and kept saying “fine or police.” We realized what was up after looking into it; we did win the fine dispute and ultimately paid nothing but not before being held hostage, having our requests for information or further help rufused, and spending a hundred Euro for nothing. It ruined our evening and we just elected not to take the train anymore.
Parisians in general seemed mostly insular and happy amongst themselves but vitriolic and needlessly rude towards tourists and “others.” They aren’t happy if you speak the language, they aren’t happy if you speak to them in English, they aren’t happy that you’re in their store, they aren’t happy that you’re in their restaurants was the impression I was left with. For all of the times we felt just tolerated, there were two instances where we felt outright unwelcome.
I enjoyed our trips to the countryside infinitely more than Paris and we ended up eating a lot of Italian food just because it was a consistent means of ensuring friendly service. I still think most people should see Paris but avoid people and transit as much as you can, which is the exact opposite advice I’d give for literally any other major city I’ve been to.
Image credits: anon
Raj is upfront about what’s worth visiting and what’s best skipped. “Tourist traps are real,” he says. “There are places hyped beyond belief that end up being a waste of time and money.” While he and his team try to gently warn people, “some clients insist on going just to tick it off their list.” And once they’re there, the disappointment shows, visibly.
Crowds are another major letdown. “People imagine they’ll be alone on this scenic cliff,” Raj says, “but then there are a hundred other tourists with tripods.” The charm fades fast when you’re packed elbow to elbow with selfie sticks. “And sometimes,” he sighs, “clients come back asking why we didn’t tell them. But we did.”
#13
Riverwalk in San Antonio
Everything is overly touristy, it feels dirty and aged, and there are aggressive homeless people everywhere.
Unless it gets a major overhaul, never again.
Image credits: Popular_Course3885
#14
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.
Image credits: chocolatechipninja
#15
Dolphin Swimming in Dominican Republic, total rip off and poor dolphins.
Image credits: a_passionate_man
Influencer content, he believes, has played a huge role in misguiding travelers. “They show the best angles, the perfect lighting but not the four-hour trek it took to get there.” Raj adds, “Nobody posts the mosquito bites or the overpriced coconut water you had to buy just to stay upright.” The curated online world sells a very different version of travel.
#16
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, hard to breathe, I’m s**t at haggling prices, shopkeepers and taxi drivers constantly hassling you, got food poisoning first day (ate at Pizza Hut the rest of the time out of fear), saw cats jumping up and licking spoons and the servery at a buffet, can only drink bottled water, and when I went to the men’s room at (what I was told was) an up-market shopping location, I had to flush the toilet with a bucket, and then when I went to wash my hands, I saw a guy next to me washing his balls in the sink.
Nice beaches though…
Image credits: seph200x
#17
Sadly, Prague. I’ve been to Prague 3 or 4 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. Anywhere you go, you get drunken, loud groups of people ruining everyone else’s time. And most places have also adapted to cater to these groups, so the quality has gone down as well… it’s a shame because I love the city, but when i was tehre last year, I kept thinking “oh well, looks like there’s no point in coming back”.
Image credits: Tattoo-oottaT
#18
Disney World.
Yes, it’s federal law that you have to drag your kids there at some point. But it’s just one big money extraction device. Crappy rides, cheesy entertainment, and overpriced….well…everything wrapped up in some faux magical aura delivered by cartoon characters.
This isn’t an attraction. It’s a confidence trick. A few dozen square miles of gimcrack and chintz built with no other intention than to siphon off cash from the gaping rubes. I mean, Universal is a little bit away, but it’s way more fun.
When we took the kids, I wandered around Epcot with a running tally in my head, like the meter of a New York cab idling in traffic. I distinctly remember thinking, ‘Here we are in fake Europe when we could be in the real thing for less money.’
What’s even crazier is that people go back. Like repeatedly. Two or three times a year. To the same cheesy shows, the same s****y food, the same lame rides.
That always leads me to ask, “Are you goldfish? Do you swim over to one side of the bowl and, having reached it, forget what was on the other side needing to swim back? What in the name of all that’s holy keeps you coming back? Don’t you know there’s a big wide world out there filled with stuff more amazing than the fakery you see here?’.
Image credits: AnybodySeeMyKeys
“There’s also so much editing involved,” Raj points out. “What you see online is rarely what you get.” Locations are saturated with filters, changed skies, and smoothed-over imperfections. “We have to remind people that it’s marketing, it’s not meant to reflect real-life travel.”
Safety is another overlooked factor. “Some places that trend online aren’t even safe,” he says. “There are routes that require experience or special gear, but people show up in flip-flops.” His team has had to reroute more than a few travelers away from danger zones masked as scenic gems.
#19
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).
There aren’t really any remaining public beaches anymore, nearly every square inch is occupied by inclusive resorts and private beach clubs. A protected wildlife reserve south of Tulum is being destroyed to build more of these, sewage/waste from this overdevelopment is being dumped into the cenotes (natural underground water sources) and the local population has been forced into poverty. Prices for going out are those of major US and European cities. The infrastructure in the area is crumbling and there’s a lot of cartel/dirty cop/scam taxi activity because of the “woke” yuppies that party on d***s in the beach clubs. The government looks the other way because a lot of money is being pumped out of the tourists.
Super sad to see, it’s surprising that people can travel to this area and simply look the other way while enjoying a lavish vacation.
Image credits: ClaireClover
#20
Jamaica. Monterey Bay to be specific. It’s dirty and we were hastled at every second corner. BTW, I’ve been to at least 10 other Caribbean destinations and did not experience this level of harassment at any of them.
Image credits: Shoddy-Stress-8194
#21
Helen, Georgia…
Not in the same category as NY, Disney or London… but a place lots of people describe as a super cute, fairy tale town, created in the form of quaint German enchantment…
It was gross.
Cheap..plastic…**smells like pee and stale beer.** Hordes of super ghetto white trash walking up and down the main strip buying s**t food and c**p.
Image credits: ABCWeekendSpecial
Raj’s advice? “Don’t believe everything you see online, whether it’s too good or too bad,” he says. “Travel is personal. What one person finds magical, another might find boring.” He encourages clients to research, ask questions, and plan with flexibility in mind.
#22
Naples, Italy is horrible. The whole place is dirty and sketchy. And the residents there are openly hostile to anyone not from Naples, including other Italians. Avoid Naples and go to a burn unit at a VA hospital. You’ll have a much better time by comparison.
Image credits: ODoyle37
#23
Afghanistan.
– Locals very rude, and aggressive.
– accomodation poor, just a sleeping bag and rock for pillow provided
– food was awful, ate the same bland ration packs everyday.
0/10 would not recommend.
Image credits: SickBoylol
#24
New York. Litter everywhere, homeless people s******g in the streets and eating out of bins, and the water is poisonous. One sewer grate was spewing up into the street, we got harassed at least twice on every subway ride, and the cafe we visited served our breakfast in a puddle of oil.
The people there are miserable and angry, even in central park you see the skyscrapers looming over the tree lines, reminding you that you’re caged, and every surface is covered in graffiti from people trying to prove they existed before the city consumes them. All this under the watch of a thousand waving flags.
It’s the least human place I’ve ever seen.
Image credits: Clomeaway
“Sometimes,” Raj concludes, “the best travel memories come from unexpected detours, not viral locations.” He urges people to slow down and enjoy the journey, not just the destination. “And most importantly,” he grins, “pack some patience with your passport.”
#25
Positano in August- the amount of stairs you have to climb to go anywhere is INSANE. Also insanely crowded and expensive. Icing on the cake for me was getting a terrible stomach virus that left me trapped in my hotel the last 2 days of my trip. Never going back lol.
#26
I wouldn’t say “never again” but I’ve outgrown Las Vegas, and I have no particular desire to go back. I mean, I’d go for a wedding or conference or something like that.
#27
Plymouth Rock. The cranberry museum was more interesting.
Image credits: drosen32
Well, these posts are definitely eye-opening! Whether it’s a famous tourist spot or a hidden gem, it’s always a good idea to stay alert and manage your expectations. Which one of these stories surprised you the most? Have you had a similar experience while traveling? We’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!
#28
Yellowstone
Went multiple times as a kid and young adult and loved it. Went again with my husband a few years ago (in September, not even peak season!), and it was just jam-packed with people, especially big tour buses. You can’t really enjoy any of the major features there because of the massive crush of people and the insane traffic.
Go to the Grand Tetons instead if you’re in the area.
Image credits: KnittedParsnip
#29
Istanbul. I’ve been there twice and i get the feeling that people are kind of rude and there is a lot of scammers on the loose. And I was expecting a rich gastronomy but it was pretty basic. I hope I can visit other parts of Turkey and change my mind.
Image credits: Commercial-Matter-43
#30
Amsterdam, too many tourists and expats. I live there, so take my word for it.
#31
Philippines – had a person from an organized crime syndicate call my hotel room pretending to be a driver for prearranged travel. Hotel said someone must have leaked my personal information – and moved me to another floor. I contacted my travel agent – requested a different hotel, they said I was already in the safest hotel in Manila.
Image credits: mikebrown33
#32
Seoul was just not my vibe. All the main sites were just Instagram traps, I found people quite rude and food was meh for the price. I’d rather fly to Japan.
Image credits: onesecondofinsanity
#33
St Lucia. Beautiful island, but people constantly bother you while trying to relax. Start up fake conversations to sell you something. Ask for tips and get mad when you don’t. Wonderful island, not such wonderful people. Made the entire honeymoon non-relaxed.
Image credits: Pp4U69420
#34
Hawaii. Not a fan of resorts, did the island in a camper van. It was beautiful but on the north side it was sometimes hard to feel safe at night. The first night I stayed in a hostel in Honolulu. I locked my backpack up in one of the designated lockers and left for a few hours. Someone broke into the locker and stole my stuff. .
#35
Indianapolis. No disrespect intended, but I was completely underwhelmed. Hotel called the downtown location was a 15 minute taxi from downtown. There was simply nothing to do entertainment wise. Food was almost all mid fast food. Hooters, Buffalo Wild Wings, etc. People were nice, but the place was so boring. Went for Big 10 basketball tourney. The city didn’t even seem to notice. If there were any outside events, they were not promoted. Even the venue was lame. And the food there was worse than 7-11. Way worse. Like, middle school cafeteria free food bad. I feel sorry for Pacers fans.
#36
Seville, Spain. Happened to go there right at the beginning of Feria last year. It was 96F (35C) during the day in April, lows in the upper 70s (27C) and I genuinely don’t understand how people were wearing full-on suits and thick-a*s dresses without passing out.
Food was cheap, but also just… not great. The croquets were just breaded fried hunks of meat+cheese that didn’t have much going on in terms of flavor or character. The Spanish restaurants in my end of California are *miles(kilometers)* better than what we had in Seville. The coffee/espresso was awful too.
My wife passes as both white and hispanic (she is half Irish and half Mexican), so initially the locals thought she was also Spanish. But the moment she started to speak *Mexican* Spanish, they instantly turned from friendly to scowl – god forbid we try and speak *their* language. The men were misogynistic as hell.
The buildings were super pretty, though.
(On another note, Dublin was a 10/10 experience. Even the super-touristy Guinness Brewery tour was great, and I highly recommend doing the private tasting experience. Food in Dublin was actually, really, really good and orders of magnitude better than Irish food in rural Ireland. We still have our taxi driver’s phone number and he chatted with us about pretty much everything during our trip, and made us feel like we were coming home. The Irish countryside was absolutely beautiful.).
#37
Russia, Moscow specifically, it’s the arsehole of the Universe.
Such miserable, unhelpful twats.
And it smells like the 70’s – oil, petrol, bleach, poverty, cabbage, tramps.
Don’t think of going unless you’re on a “tour”.
#38
Montreal. Overly touristy, everything felt very fake, the locals clearly didn’t like tourists nor want them there, it was dirty, and the homeless population were aggressive.
#39
Mallorca – It’s a beautiful island, peaceful and full of nice people. However it’s almost exclusively tourists, there are so many that you feel like you are essentially just ruining somebody’s otherwise lovely home by your visit. I wouldn’t visit Spain again, beautiful place, great food, fantastic culture, but I’d rather leave it for the Spanish to enjoy.
#40
I just came back from Tulum and I wholeheartedly agree! 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.
#41
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.
#42
Cairo, Alexandria, Luxor in Egypt. Simply put, just go somewhere else, especially if you’re a woman – worse if you have blond hair.
#43
Paris. The city is beautiful, but the streets kinda smell like p**s.
#44
Bourbon St, New Orleans. Filthy, foul smelling, and I’m way beyond my party til you puke stage.
#45
Rome, thiefs everwhere, police wont do a thing (ig they are also involved) and every 2 minutes some indian guy is trying to sell you a selfie stick.
#46
Barcelona. Truthfully I didn’t hate it and had a nice time, but seeing the *tourists go home* graffiti and subsequently reading about the problems of overtourism made me decide it’s best not to go again. Also I’ve been to Malaga and Andalucia and the food and overall *vibe* was much better in both places.
#47
Niagara Falls.
My parents were insistent on being there for two days. Way too touristy for my liking. I was also 18 at the time so I couldn’t even take advantage of being able to have a drink or go to the casinos on the Canadian side.
#48
I really didn’t enjoy China. The other nations in the region were delightful. China was uncomfortable.
#49
Los Angeles.
Poverty, dereliction, homelessness.
Everybody had nothing to do, or in a big hurry to be somewhere else.
At least we saw the stereotypical overturned car causing a huge tailback on the freeway.
Only saw downtown and route to/from airport.
#50
Gili islands. Horrible abuse of ponies made to transport items and tourists around. I would never have gone if I knew and I’ll never return.
#51
Peru because my body hated it (the altitude it seems; even with medication) and the food wasn’t good. But I’m still glad I went and saw it! I felt great while we hiked the Inca Trail and visited Machu Picchu because that’s actually some of the lowest elevation there.
#52
Colombia. Got robbed buying candy in broad daylight. Got robbed waiting for my cab to the airport. Just no.