7 of the Most Overrated Travel Experiences You Should Skip

When you're on the road, there are those travel experiences you feel you have to try simply because they're iconic, and everyone tells you how great they are. While some of these adventures truly live up to the hype, like the Taj Mahal or Angkor Wat—others fall short, lacking that wow factor. Believe it or not, after visiting a few countries, you'll start building your own list of overrated travel experiences. To help save you time, energy, and money, we've put together a list of 7 popular spots that you might be better off skipping so you can focus your attention elsewhere.

The Eiffel Tower, Paris, France

The Eiffel Tower may be on the bucket list for most people visiting the French capital, but you might be slightly underwhelmed when you arrive. For an attraction that pulls in about 7 million people every year, you'd expect much more from it. Sure, it looks nice from a distance, but after you get your photo taken in front of it, you're bound to get annoyed with all the crowds and endless people asking you to take their snap. If you're willing to pay €35.30 ($38.63), you can go up to the tower's top floor, but when you think about it, that defeats the purpose because you can't even see the tower. Of course, the view of the Paris skyline is lovely, but it's not worth splashing out that much when you can find many other viewpoints in the city where you don't have to pay anything.

Lake Bled, Slovenia

In a country with nature as stunning as Slovenia, it's hard to understand why Lake Bled is so popular. Before anyone jumps to conclusions, we're not saying that Lake Bled isn't gorgeous; it absolutely is, but it's nothing more than a body of water that has a church in the middle of it. The area where Lake Bled is located has undergone quite a lot of development over the years, which also takes away from its charm. It's no longer this secluded location surrounded by the lush green Slovenian peak. Nowadays, there are lots of shops, hostels, hotels, and carparks filled with tour buses loaded with day trippers neighboring Italy and Croatia.

Arashiyama Bamboo Forest, Kyoto, Japan

The Arashiyama Bamboo Forest is one attraction that's fame has skyrocketed across social media in recent years. However, after you get there, you'll immediately feel underwhelmed. Unfortunately, edited photographs on the likes of Instagram and Facebook have made this location in Kyoto prettier than it is.

Often, you’ll see photos of an empty, bright green-colored forest and imagine yourself in complete isolation. But this isn't true; it's not someplace in the middle of nowhere that you'll have to yourself; there are always hoards of people here that obstruct the view, and it doesn't seem that authentic at all.

Checkpoint Charlie, Berlin, Germany

For somewhere as historical as Checkpoint Charlie in Berlin, it seriously lacks the magic as other similar locations. This was once the crossing point between East and West Berlin throughout the Cold War, but whatever they've done to it, they've turned it into some sort of weird movie scene that lacks character. At the actual checkpoint, there are people dressed in soldier costumes, but it just seems so staged. On top of that, the street is lined with fast-food chains like McDonald's and KFC, which completely ruin the experience of what it should be.

London Eye, London, England

Before we start off with the London Eye, let's be clear: we understand these types of Ferris wheels are located in many cities across the globe. But for the price they charge to go on this one, it's pretty ridiculous. Imagine spending £32 ($41.37) to get stuffed into a little ball with 20 other people for a little view of London; it's anything but authentic. The whole operation of the London Eye itself is well organized, but it just lacks that excitement you get from other attractions. The ride around takes about half an hour in total, but after ten minutes of seeing the views, you'll be bored. Throw that in with the insanely high fee, and you'll instantly regret wasting your time on this one.

Bondi Beach, Sydney, Australia

Ask a group of people who've been to Sydney once, and they'll likely tell you to check out Bondi Beach. Now, there’s nothing inherently wrong with Bondi; it’s a nice beach. But Sydney has so many other incredible beaches, like Tamarama Beach and Maroubra Beach, where you won’t have to fight for an area of sand to lay down your towel. Another common complaint about Bondi Beach is the insanely overpriced restaurants and cafés. Of course, Sydney is by no means a cheap city, but when you're paying higher prices for a coffee than you would in the center, you know you're getting ripped off just because it's Bondi.

Manneken Pis, Brussels

We might have saved the best one until last. The Manneken Pis makes it onto every second Brussels itinerary, but we hate to be the bearer of bad news; there's not much to see here. It's nothing more than a tiny statue of a little man urinating from a height with crowds of people taking photos that will most likely end up on their phones, never to be seen again. Nearby, there's also another statue of small-sized women urinating, too, but at a different angle. Her name is Jeanneke Pis, but honestly, you could live without seeing either of them unless you want to go there just for the sake of saying you went.

Skip These 7 Overrated Experiences on Your Travels

Let’s face it: you won’t fall in love with every sight you encounter during your travels. When your time in a country is limited, you want to make the most of every second, especially since you may never return. With this list of overrated experiences, we hope we've spared you from wasting any of your precious hours so you can concentrate on the more remarkable attractions during your next vacation.