So I saw an article on Ranker the other day talking about the 28 worst tourist traps out there.  Okay okay I know that it’s just one of those clickbait style slideshow posts, but it did get me thinking about some of the crazy tourist traps out there.
a tourist trap is an establishment, or group of establishments, that has been created or re-purposed with the aim of attracting tourists and their money.
Some of the biggest tourist traps I’ve been to
Looking through that list, I definitely had to agree with some of the tourist traps in the list, starting with #1 on the list – Plymouth Rock
Not to mention that there is a decent amount of skepticism as to whether the Pilgrims even landed at Plymouth Rock. Â We visited Plymouth Rock back in 2001 and you get there and it’s pretty much like “Yup, that’s a rock”. Â You can’t even get anywhere close to it as it’s under glass in an enclosure.
A couple of other of the tourist traps on the list that I’d been to (and agree with) were #3 Hollywood Walk of Fame, and #5 Salem, Massachusetts, which they described as “This town was basically invented to separate tourists from their money. If you really feel like being cursed with the spell of ‘moneyus spengingus’ go in the off season; Salem is a nightmare from September through October” – something I totally agree with. Â We visited Salem back in 2001 (on the same trip as Plymouth Rock) and it was pretty lame. Â #25 The Tower of London was something we visited when we were in Europe last year and I’m glad we just checked it out from the outside.
We also just got back from #10 The Space Needle
And of course, I’ve already written about #11 Four Corners
(SEE ALSO: Four Corners: Bucket list worthy or total ripoff?)
Branson, Missouri is not on the list but is another place for tourists that is famous for…. having a lot of tourists. Â But when we were there a few months ago, we ended up having a lot of fun at the various things to do in Branson.
Still, a couple of places on the list seemed like they weren’t very tourist trap-py – things like #13 Times Square, #15 the Taj Mahal, #23 the Great Pyramid of Giza. My son and I were in Giza a few years ago and while yes, there were lots of people there, it didn’t really feel like a tourist tap per se.
(SEE ALSO: 1 Day in Cairo Egypt (Pyramids, Sphinx and traffic))
How many of these 28 tourist traps have you been to? Â What’s the biggest tourist trap you’ve ever been to?
This site is part of an affiliate sales network and receives compensation for sending traffic to partner sites, such as thepointsguy.com. This may impact how and where links appear on this site. Responses are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser. Some or all of the card offers that appear on the website are from advertisers and that compensation may impact on how and where card products appear on the site. Any opinions expressed in this post are my own, and have not been reviewed, approved, or endorsed by my advertising partners and I do not include all card companies, or all available card offers. Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers and other offers and benefits listed on this page. Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more. Other links on this page may also pay me a commission - as always, thanks for your support if you use them
User Generated Content Disclosure: Points With a Crew encourages constructive discussions, comments, and questions. Responses are not provided by or commissioned by any bank advertisers. These responses have not been reviewed, approved, or endorsed by the bank advertiser. It is not the responsibility of the bank advertiser to respond to comments.
Dan Miller travels with his wife and 6 (SIX!) children. He loves to help families travel for free / cheap, especially larger families. If you are looking for help, drop him an email at 
Times Square not a tourist trap? You’s a tourist!
Ha! You’re probably right. I’ve actually never been to NYC (though my daughter and I are going next month)
You’ve never been to NYC yet felt compelled to comment on Times Square?
While I agree with some of these, many seem to have been put on the list simply because there are lots of tourists there. To me, being crowded does not make something a tourist trap. I have been to the pyramids of Giza and would absolutely disagree that it is a tourist trap. It is an astonishing accomplishment that stood as the worlds tallest structure for 4 and a half millennia. Can people even conceive of building something today that would still be in existence in the year 6500, never mind still the worlds tallest structure?
On the other hand, I have been to the Tower of London twice, once in 1984 or 85 and again two years ago, and it was definitely changed in between those visits to be more of a tourist trap. It went from gritty and honest and at least a little bit scary, to sterile and basically a display case for the Royal jewels meant to separate tourists from their money.
I have also been to the forbidden city, which is indeed pretty much always crowded and wasn’t all that exciting for my family and I, but is not really set up to separate tourists from their money and a visit is a vital part of some Chinese people’s understanding of their country. Not my cup of tea, but not a tourist trap either.
To me, a tourist trap has to be false in some way and specifically designed or redesigned for tourists, specifically to get them to spend their money. Even then, places like Branson, Disney, and Vegas (which, bizarrely, did not make the list), which are honest about being just for tourists, would not be on my list of tourists traps, because they are not traps, they are up front about what they are about.
Great points – that is what how I felt about things like the Pyramids of Giza, or the Taj Mahal.
The fellow who wrote that article is #1 on my list of Worst Travelling Companions.
LOL. But at least he’d know 28 places you shouldn’t visit 😀
Been to 6. I’d agree with Niagara Falls from the Canadian side but we spent almost all our time in a state park on the NY side, surrounded by the river. There weren’t many people there and it was very relaxing and beautiful.
Plymouth Rock I’d agree with but it’s free so not as bad as say Four Corners.
Walk of Fame does have places to eat and if you (or your children) have a favorite celebrity that is there, it’s not all bad for them to enjoy a few moments at that particular person’s star.
I’d nominate the cable cars in San Francisco. The ride is nice but a 2 hour wait and $7 to go a couple of miles screams tourist trap to me more than a few things on this list.
That’s true – I forgot about the $5 “cover charge” for 4 corners (payable in cash only)
I have seen more tourists in the last couple of years, so more to trap.
Disneyworld is the biggest tourist trap. Yet, I have been many times and will continue to go.
Christ the Redeemer in Rio
I disagree completely with this “Central Tokyo” being a tourist trap. First off, I have no idea where this is supposed to be. Tokyo is actually huge with many centers of activity. I assume they are referring to Shibuya, as this appears to be a picture of same. Well, Shibuya is actually an amazing place, with the largest cross-walk ever (crazy to see thousands of people crossing the street in all directions), and the lights are quite beautiful at night. Japanese people just can’t get enough light at night. Also, the people watching is unsurpassed, with the Cos-players and other inexplicably dressed denizens patrolling the streets.
I walk around various metro centers in Tokyo (Shinjuku, Shibuya, and maybe a couple others) until late at night and love it. And as Tokyo is pretty safe with an excellent subway system, this is a fairly low-stress thing to do.
Yes…Tokyo is a major city. And there are a lot of people there. I guess by that definition, every major city is a tourist trap? Well if you are are a hick from the sticks that is afraid of concrete or being touched by someone, here’s a tip. Don’t go the one of the biggest cities in the world, and don’t whine about it being a city!
The Pyramids at Giza are not well-maintained and there are very pushy salespeople trying to unload junk on anyone who has a little bit of money. Still, it’s interesting to see, doesn’t cost much, and the Sphinx is right next door.
After Plymouth Rock, I’d put listening to Big Ben in London strike at noon or midnight right up there, particularly if you’re a little bit hard of hearing.
Anywhere you travel, be sure to talk with the locals and get suggestions. I lived in Salem, MA for eight years. It is a great little city with a lot of great places to visit (and a lot of bad places), but if you had talked to a local, you could have gotten the inside scoop and would have a completely different experience.
Wow – this list is …. really sad. What Negative Nancy’s you are. A lot of these locations have local and historical significance and if a tourist decides to “part with their money” that’s their choice. What do you think Disneyland is? THAT’S the biggest tourist trap of them all.
Well I have been in Dunn’s River Falls, Ocho Rios, Jamaica. Extremly costly time for eaters that left us with lighter wallets and a taste of burnt coffee in our mouths.
You did Salem wrong, sure the witch stuff is cheesy, but the city has a lot to offer, I recommend going in the summer, when the willows are open, and you can take a harbor cruise from the wharf to Boston. Additionally, if you went downtown, but you didn’t visit the Peabody Essex Museum then you wasted your time. Even the cheap halloween stuff can be fun if you’ve got the right attitude, and the people a great
I’m going to Salem/Boston etc in September. Can you give suggestions of places to go, things to see that are “touristy”?
Hard to believe this blog post is 8 years old.
Pure clickbait. I visited most of the places on this list including Graceland and loved them.
A real list would include Disneyland, Las Vegas and all other fake places.
why is this Clickbait from 2016 listed with a date of 2024?