21 Tourists Reveal the Shocking Cities They Regret Ever Visiting—And Why You Should Avoid Them Too
Ever set off on a trip buzzing with excitement, only to land somewhere that leaves you wondering if the travel brochure was written by a prankster? Yeah, me too. Traveling can open your eyes and feed your soul — but let’s be honest, not every destination lives up to the hype. Some cities feel like tourist traps with more flash than substance, while others… well, they’re just downright dull or, honestly, kind of tacky. Curious which cities have earned the collective groan of the travel community? We tapped into a lively Reddit thread where folks spilled the beans on their biggest travel letdowns, and even got some insider insight from Macca Sherifi of An Adventurous World. Buckle up, because these stories might make you rethink your next itinerary — or at least pack a better attitude! <ahref="https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/1bdb9ka/inyourtravelswhichcitywasthebiggestletdown/”>LEARN MORE
Traveling can be a magical, eye opening experience, but not all locations are made equally. From tourist traps to just plain old boring and tacky cities, some places are not worth it.
Someone asked “In your travels, which city was the biggest letdown?” and netizens shared their worst experiences. We also got in touch with Macca Sherifi from An Adventurous World and he was kind enough to answer some of our questions. So get comfortable as you read through, upvote your favorites and be sure to comment your own experiences below.
More info: An Adventurous World
Image credits: ElisaBelloo
Dubai. It’s like Vegas with no soul. I never thought Vegas had a soul, then I visited Dubai.
Dewthedru:
It’s like Vegas but for business. Huge advertisements everywhere. Big, gaudy towers and shopping places seemed to be the main attractions. And zero people doing any work are from there. It’s just a big, bright, and expensive facade. No soul at all.
Niagara Falls, Ontario. Not the falls themselves. They’re spectacular. The town is awful.
veebs7:
Tacky, touristy hellhole next to one of the most beautiful natural wonders in the world. I guess if you’re a family with young kids, there’s plenty to do aside from the falls, but otherwise, ugh.
Imaginary_Airport_43:
It used to be the #1 honeymoon destination for Americans before it was over-commercialized. Supposedly, during the Victorian era, it still had a wild and magical aura about it, but it was lost once it became developed and touristy.
Las Vegas, all fun for 2 nights, but we made a mistake and stayed for 4 nights. Couldn’t wait to leave.
ositola:
You arrive bright-eyed and full of energy. You leave dehydrated and don’t open any banking apps until you get paid again.
Dallas, Texas. I cannot believe how boring that city is. I’ve had much more fun in every other Texas city I’ve visited (Austin, San Antonio, even Fort Worth!).
TheBigC87:
I grew up in Ft. Worth. This is so accurate. DFW is a huge suburban sprawl where the character has been sucked dry. San Antonio is the best city in Texas for tourism.
r0n0c0:
For all of its hype and local pride, Dallas is a disappointment. I went there for business once. It’s historic and fun, people said. They were wrong.
Tel Aviv as a teen Christian thinking they were our allies and friends. Israelis spit on my mother, called us goyim, and everyone ripped us off. The men were perverted and rude. I’ve also never been to a city where people argue amongst themselves so much. We got scammed for dinner, our airbnb tried to overcharge us, we got scammed at markets and stores, and laughed at for being christians and americans on several instances. They say Tel Aviv is famous for hospitality but thats only true if you are hebrew. Also most outwardly racist place I’ve been. Another family with our church was mexican and the israelis thought they were arab, so the way they were treated was disgusting. They got spit on twice. .
I live in Korea but not in Seoul. I’ve been to Seoul many times and I had this feeling that it’s all a front. Ppl are miserable. Housing crisis. Over worked zombies. Underpaid zombies. A city of zombies. They smile robotically and wave around their Samsung phones in elation to their leaders – Kpop and Instagram. This city is designed for Instagram and social media. There’s no restaurant with soul. (no pun). There’s no business that seems true to itself.
Atlantic City is a once in a lifetime experience. As I’m never going there again.
The most heartbreaking sight was all the kids on the steps of the casino, waiting for their parents who “just went for a quick spin of the roulette wheel”. Those poor kids were waiting nearly all day and night.
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