There are places on the planet that are so famous that everyone flocks to see them, and they seem so familiar as you have seen their images so many times!
When I went to Egypt in January, I obviously loved seeing the Pyramids, but honestly I wasn’t as blown away as I expected to be. I actually found the temples in Luxor and even the Red Pyramid way more impressive. Maybe I’d overbuilt them in my head.
But then the Taj Mahal? I went thinking “okay let’s see what the hype is about” and I was completely awe struck. Same with Machu Picchu (especially arriving via the Inca Trail). Totally lived up to it.
So I’m curious, what’s one really “touristy” attraction that actually lived up to the hype for you? (Or one that didn’t?)
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To be honest, no ‘touristy’ attraction lives up to the hype.
There was a time when we could go to these places and contemplate; not any more.
Because of the hype, they are full of ‘touristy’ types.
The digital age has made it even worse, with selfie sticks and silly faces pulled for an iPad.
The person holding it and looking stupidly at the phone, actually has their back to the attraction. What’s the point of that?
They should turn around and appreciate where they are; maybe even try to take a more ‘creative’ memory of the attraction.
But no, it has to be…. ‘I was here’; have to ‘check in’ with a post to Facebook or Instagram.
Seriously, forget the hype; forget the selfies, and dig deeper for a more rewarding experience.
Funny you say this about the pyramids in Giza. I didn’t expect much but I was actually very impressed by them. Really blew my socks off. Very touristy but standing in front of them and just walking around the grounds I thought was very impressive.
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Going inside them is impressive too.
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In my opinion, it’s more about the experiences of being in a new place and a new culture that make the best memories. I remember a time in Beijing when we went to see the bird’s nest stadium and other nearby attractions. This was recently after the olympics there, so it was interesting to for us to check it out. But the real fun of the day was when we walked down a side road away from the stadium area and into the neighborhood where we found some authentic restaurants and had some of the best Peking Duck I’ve ever had.
So, yes, see those bucket list sights that you want to see, but also, get away from them and into the nearby neighborhoods.
But to answer your original question… for me some of the best “touristy” sights that are worth it:
- The Colosseum in Rome (so much history, even if it’s crowded)
- Some of the popular viewpoints at the top of the mountains in the Swiss Alps, such as Jungfraujoch, but there are many others
- Machu Picchu
- Edinburgh Castle
- Alhambra (Granada, Spain)
- Lalibela, Ethiopia
- The Blue Mosque in Istanbul
- Zion National Park
- Angkor
- The view from the Sacre Coeur in Paris (hey, it’s free!)
And for the pyramids in Egypt, I also found the smaller temples along the Nile to be more impressive.
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Some great places shared here. Agree that it’s sometimes quite hard to find enjoyment when visitings. Found that to be the case in Vientam and Japan. Intense crowds.
For me, the Niagara Falls (on the Canadian side) was quite a sight.
Then there is the Gion area in Kyoto: beautiful but densely overcrowded.
But also riding a bamboo boat on the Li River in Yangshuo in China (we had a spot with no tourists, so we were very lucky. But this was 8 years ago, I’m sure it’s more packed now)
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