- 2 weeks ago
Save your money and disappointment! Join us as we explore those famous attractions that promise magic but deliver headaches, crowds, and overpriced souvenirs. From ancient wonders surrounded by pushy vendors to overrated coastal boardwalks, we're exposing the places where expectations and reality rarely meet. Have you fallen victim to these wallet-draining destinations?
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00:00You don't normally see any of this, do you?
00:01You don't see that many buses there.
00:03It looks like it's sat in the middle of a nice desert.
00:06Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're looking at 10 tourist traps that you should avoid
00:10at all costs.
00:11We are going to the tippy top of the A-list.
00:14Who?
00:15Who?
00:16You'll see.
00:17Number 10.
00:19Fisherman's Wharf, San Francisco, USA
00:21Name a tourist attraction in the San Francisco area.
00:25Wharf!
00:27And then I'm like, be more specific, Fisherman's Wharf lures you in with promises
00:34of fresh seafood, salty sea breezes, and waterfront charm, but what you get is a maze of crowded
00:41souvenir shops and chain restaurants.
00:43Sure, the sea lions at Pier 39 are cute, but they're also the main source of genuine entertainment
00:49in an area built entirely for tourists.
00:51It is hopping this weekend, you know, everyone's after some hot chowder and things like that,
00:55so yeah, it's a nice vibe.
00:56And unfortunately, the area has fallen on some hard times as of late.
01:01So some of the iconic Good Eats and locales have closed, leaving behind empty storefronts
01:06and nostalgia for better times.
01:08If you're looking for authentic San Francisco culture, this non-stop commercial carnival
01:12ain't it.
01:14Visit for the atmosphere if you must.
01:15Just don't expect some quaint fishing village.
01:18Again, this ain't it.
01:19A far cry from the economic catastrophe that decimated the Wharf vibe during the pandemic,
01:24when the streets looked like a ghost town.
01:27Six of the city's largest seafood restaurants didn't survive, including Eliotto's, which opened
01:32in 1925 and was a main attraction for tourists and locals alike.
01:37Number 9.
01:38Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, USA
01:41Welcome to sunny Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
01:43There's a reason so many of you come visit us every year.
01:47Myrtle Beach markets itself as a sunny escape loaded with excitement.
01:51And to be fair, the beach is indeed sandy and the ocean is wet, but everything surrounding
01:57that natural beauty feels engineered to separate you from your vacation budget as quickly as possible.
02:03The boardwalk is a neon explosion of chain restaurants, ridiculous arcades and shops
02:09selling beach towels with loud slogans.
02:11General Manager Travis Thompson says Canadians usually make up about 25 percent of their
02:16reservations during July and most stay for 14 to 21 days.
02:21But in May, he says 85 percent of their Canadian reservations canceled and it was an unsettling time.
02:27And don't forget the relentless crowds and horrific traffic, which can turn a short hop
02:32to the surf into a half-day journey. If you love mini-golf and the beach, you'll find paradise.
02:38Otherwise, you'll wonder if a relaxing beach vacation should be giving you this many headaches.
02:43Uncle Pooch died in a car crash three months later while he was holidaying in Myrtle Beach.
02:48I still got way too much traffic there for my taste.
02:51Have you been noticing the buildup in traffic?
02:54Number 8.
02:55The Hollywood Walk of Fame, Los Angeles, USA
02:58Hey, I just had an idea. How about the Hollywood Walk of Fame?
03:01Murder tour walk of fame. We're not on the same page there, but your idea's better. It's good for kids, yeah.
03:06Pretty much the only good thing about the Hollywood Walk of Fame is that you don't have to pay for it.
03:11You go expecting to experience the glamour of Hollywood, only to get trash, sidewalk gum,
03:16and guys dressed as Spider-Man asking for tips. The stars themselves are nothing special either,
03:21just glorified stickers stuck to the sidewalk. And good luck even seeing them over the spilled coffee,
03:27and or graffiti, and or gaggle of tourists taking pictures.
03:30Three stars of the Hollywood Walk of Fame have been vandalized. Two of them are for famous and
03:35beloved Mexican-American singers. Jenny Rivera's star is one of them, and it was awarded less than two
03:41weeks ago. Meanwhile, you mustn't forget the surrounding stores, which consist of vape shops,
03:46overpriced restaurants, and souvenir places selling $20 keychains. Before long you'll be saying,
03:52yep, that's Tom Cruise all right. Can we go now?
03:55I am dying, dying to see Monty Hall star. He's the original host of Let's Make a Deal.
04:03Wow, well that is a cool vintagey factoid.
04:06Number 7. The Hard Rock Cafe, Various
04:09Hey, sorry I kept you waiting so long. Hey, that's okay.
04:12So, where do you want to go? Oh, uh, I think you know where I want to go.
04:16The Hard Rock Cafe? Yeah.
04:18The Hard Rock Cafe has convinced the world that the best way to experience a city's culture
04:23is to completely ignore it. Why try the local cuisine when you can eat the exact same burger
04:28and fries available in 70 other countries? No, that's not unique to the Hard Rock Cafe,
04:33but it gets worse. The walls are lined with memorabilia that is meant to draw in visitors,
04:38but these are often from the roadie-threw-this-away section of rock history.
04:42Pfft! Without that bill, this ain't a museum. The Hard Rock Cafe in Phoenix has better crap!
04:48We're talking old mic stands and tiny shirt fragments from musicians you either don't know
04:53or barely remember. So you're paying a gross markup in food for memorabilia that isn't even
04:59that good. Now that's the very definition of a tourist trap.
05:02You'll become another Hard Rock Cafe. T-shirts, souvenirs, and tourists lined up around the block.
05:09Number 6. Ripley's Believe It or Not Museums
05:12Various
05:13It has become an iDrive staple. Ripley's Believe It or Not,
05:17it is a museum dedicated to the odd and outrageous.
05:20You know you're in a tourist trap whenever you see a Ripley's Believe It or Not.
05:25These museums promise a thrilling exploration of weird wonders, and technically that's what you get.
05:30But they're pretty much all the same. Dim lighting, dusty oddities, and wax figures of uncertain
05:36relevance.
05:37So you find this in Thailand and you say,
05:39I've gotta have it.
05:40I gotta have it.
05:41You'll see a two-headed cow skull, endless trivia about people with abnormalities,
05:45and artifacts with super-vague stories like, believed to be from, that make you seriously
05:50question their authenticity. Families wander through, repeatedly saying,
05:54huh, that's weird, while slowly realizing,
05:57they spent $30 a ticket to stand next to a sculpture of a really tall person.
06:02Believe it or not, your wallet is drained.
06:04Did I tell you we could have a good time without gambling or what?
06:08Yeah. How about that Ripley's Believe It or Not Museum, huh?
06:12Yeah. You know what I couldn't believe? The condition of the women's restroom.
06:17Number 5. Hollywood's Celebrity Home Tours
06:20Los Angeles, USA.
06:21Paris Hilton's hosting a party in Vegas tonight.
06:24Where does she live? Can you find her house?
06:27Hollywood conjures images of glamorous mansions, red carpets, and A-list sightings,
06:32but these tours mostly offer bushes. Many of these home tours are huge disappointments.
06:38For one thing, there's a good chance that the house doesn't actually belong to the celebrity in
06:42question. Or it did once, 20 years ago.
06:45Looks like anyone who's ever been in a movie lives on this block.
06:48What exactly do you think we're doing in the 90210, Sally?
06:52I kind of pictured Tom Cruise living somewhere nicer.
06:55B-lister compared to who I got in mind, folks.
06:58And even the genuine houses are an enormous letdown. It's not like Leo is lounging in his
07:03driveway throwing beers to passing tourists, you know. And you'd be lucky to even see the houses at
07:09all, as they're usually well-hidden behind winding driveways, enormous fences, and lots of bushes.
07:15And here we come to Adam Sandler's house. Just trust us, it's back there somewhere.
07:20That'll be $50, plus tip.
07:21Hey, here's the big BS.
07:24It ain't Bob Marley.
07:26Number 4. Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA.
07:29Picture how pretty that made me tonight in Atlantic City.
07:35If you thought Vegas was a tourist trap, you've clearly never been to Atlantic City. It's like
07:40Vegas, only with a fraction of the fun shows, nice weather, world-famous hotels, unique attractions,
07:46or awesome casinos. It's WishVegas. We have Vegas at home.
07:50You know, Harry, there's only one thing missing?
07:52What's that, buddy?
07:53I wish we hadn't left that 250 grand in Atlantic City.
07:56The boardwalk seems nice at first, but it's full of kitschy souvenir shops. And while the
08:01casinos don't have the same brand recognition as those in Vegas, they'll drain your money just
08:06as fast. And don't forget the pricey restaurants, exorbitant resort fees, and street hustlers whose
08:12only goal is to separate you from your cash as fast as possible. And trust us when we say,
08:17don't wander too far. You won't like the surrounding area.
08:21This contest will run all month, and all of Boston will be
08:25playing the game for a fabulous, all-expense-paid trip to where? Atlantic City!
08:31Number 3. Clifton Hill, Niagara Falls, Canada.
08:35Wondering where to zip off to for an afternoon of family fun? Don't forget about Clifton Hill on
08:40the Canadian side of Niagara Falls. From miniature golf to giant wheels, the tourist attractions are open,
08:47even when the main tourist season is months away.
08:50Niagara Falls is a breathtaking spectacle of nature. And then Clifton Hill steps in and says,
08:56forget all that, come to Dracula's castle. This tourist strip is a chaotic mashup of haunted houses,
09:02wax museums, loud arcades, and the Tim Hortons. Because of course there's a Tim Hortons. Your entire
09:08vacation budget can quickly vanish if you're not careful, or if you don't say no to your child who just
09:14has to eat at the Burger King with the giant Frankenstein's monster on it.
09:18That fun pass includes the Skywheel, Movieland Wax Museum, the Ghost Blasters interactive ride,
09:25the Cosmic Coaster 3D experience, and your choice of dinosaur golf outside or the indoor wizard's golf.
09:33It's overpriced, overstimulating, and very loud. It's no exaggeration to say that the gross commercial
09:40exploitation of Niagara Falls is one of the gravest mistakes in the history of nature conservation.
09:45We've developed this awesome new go-kart track, it's really one-of-a-kind here in North America.
09:51Number 2. Stonehenge, Wiltshire, England.
09:54So let's hear your suggestion about that too. Stonehenge, it's the best production value we've
10:00ever had on stage. We haven't got the equipment, we haven't got Stonehenge.
10:03Stonehenge is undeniably fascinating. Too bad you can't ever go near the dang thing. It's not like you're
10:09walking through the ancient structure and touching its rugged stones, at least not without a more
10:14expensive special ticket, of course. For about 30 pounds, you get a shuttle ride to look at those
10:19stones from a distance, separated by ropes and security guards, and all while you listen to
10:24the constant drone of the nearby highway.
10:27You know, a lot of people think this is built by men from outer space.
10:29Oh, Clark, the consensus is that it's an ancient timepiece built by the ancient druids.
10:35Well, whatever, it's been here a long time.
10:36How mystical! The visitor center tries to fill the gap with displays and a gift shop selling
10:42stone-themed trinkets, and of course they aren't at all reasonably priced. You'll learn a bit,
10:47but you may also wonder whether you should have just watched a documentary and saved yourself the
10:51money.
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11:26Number 1. The Pyramids of Giza, Giza, Egypt.
11:29I mean, it's not even bits of old pyramid, is it? You've got all sorts… you've got bricks here,
11:33from, like, council houses and that.
11:35The Pyramids are one of the world's most phenomenal achievements — massive structures built with
11:40astonishing precision thousands of years ago. Unfortunately, the tourist elements surrounding
11:45them feel aggressively modern in the worst way possible. Two minutes into your visit,
11:49you'll be swarmed by people offering expensive camel rides, cheap trinkets at silly prices,
11:54unsolicited guiding services, and photo ops that come with surprise charges.
12:06It's hard to fully appreciate the ancient majesty while negotiating with every stranger who approaches,
12:12and hearing the constant drone of arriving and departing buses. And if anything screams
12:16majestic experience, it's turning around and seeing a pizza hut. In fact, you might as well just
12:22eat there and look at the pyramids from afar. You'll probably have a better time.
12:28It's like a game of Jenga that's got out of hand.
12:31Have you been to any of these places? What did you think? Let us know in the comments below!
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