I’ve Visited Every Country — These Are the Best and Worst Tourist Hotspots in the World

Tourist traps. Tourist hotspots. Overtourism. There are numerous names, pejoratives, and negative adjectives to describe places with what feels like “too many” tourists.

That said, not all of these places are actually bad. Some of them are worth a visit — in my opinion, at least. I’ve visited every country in the world, including the pyramids (the last standing of the traditional Seven Wonders of the World) and the New 7 Wonders of the World (which were decided by an online vote from 2001 to 2007).

Unsurprisingly, I’ve wound up at a fair few tourist traps along the way. Some weren’t worth a visit at all, some were worth a single visit (but not a return), and some I’d actually go back to again. With that in mind, here are the best — and worst — tourist hotspots I’ve been to.

The 4 Best Tourist Hotspots I’ve Been To

1. Bali’s Gate of Heaven

Despite loving off-the-beaten-path travel, I’ll start with a spot I visited that personifies overtourism in the Instagram age. In late 2023, my wife and I went to the Gate of Heaven at Lempuyang Temple in eastern Bali.

Once this spot got famous on social media, crowds soared — and so did the waiting times. We arrived at sunrise and got ticket No. 95. We waited over 2.5 hours for the 94 groups in front of us to take their numerous pictures.

Was it worth a visit while staying at the Alila Manggis less than an hour away? Sure, just to say we went and come home with a great picture. Would I go back again? Absolutely not.

2. Dujiangyan Panda Center in China

During my first visit to China in 2016, I went to the famous Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding in Chengdu, a megacity with over 10 million people. Since it was accessible by subway and on the outskirts of the city, it was crawling with tourists in every direction. I got hit in the head by quite a few selfie sticks.

During a visit in June 2024, my wife and I wanted to see pandas in smaller crowds and in a more natural-seeming environment. The Dujiangyan Panda Center was just 40 minutes from Chengdu by train, but it felt a world away. Sure, there were still crowds, but we visited during the peak summer travel season and still got pictures that didn’t have other people in them.

Unfortunately, if I hadn’t visited the Dujiangyan location, I might be putting the Chengdu center by itself on the “bad” list below.

3. Phillip Island Nature Park in Australia

South of Melbourne, Australia, you’ll find Phillip Island and its namesake Nature Park. It’s famous for penguins that return to land in droves each evening before settling into their burrows to get some sleep.

When you think of nature viewing, you probably don’t think of floodlights and bleachers with hundreds of tourists packed in like sardines. That’s the cheapest option for seeing the penguins at night, and we were shocked to see this setup when returning from a much better option.

General viewing costs AU$32 (about $20) per adult, but the Ultimate Adventure Tour was worth every penny of AU$120 ($80). Instead of sitting with the crowds, our group of 10 went into the darkness further down the beach, accompanied by a park ranger and sitting completely in the dark.

No pictures or lights were allowed, and the penguins walked past and among us en route to their burrows. They were close enough to touch, though that wasn’t allowed.

We didn’t see the grandstand setup until returning to the visitor center after our tour, and it reinforced the idea that the Ultimate Adventure Tour is the only option we’d recommend for anyone who can afford to pay for this tour instead of general viewing. This tour was one of the best things I’ve ever done on a trip.

4. Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt

I’ve been to all of the remaining Seven Wonders of the World, both ancient and new. Several of them are in this post, and that’s because of their popularity. The Great Pyramid of Giza is the only one on my “good” list, despite the numerous negatives at the most famous spot in Egypt.

This picture was taken right after the site opened in the morning, and you can already see crowds forming. Tour buses roll in throughout the day. It’s popular. It’s busy. And you can’t trust anyone who approaches you — especially if they talk to you first. That said, it’s still worth a visit.

Anyone who offers to take your picture, tries to sell you something, or lets you ride on their animal will likely rip you off, unfortunately. The internet is full of horror stories of people having to buy their phone or camera back from a seemingly friendly local who offered to take a picture.

If you keep to yourself and ignore everyone, exploring the pyramids is truly incredible.

The 4 Worst Tourist Hotspots I’ve Been To

1. Lake Titicaca Near Puno, Peru

Nothing ruins a nature visit more than a combination of funky odors, odd-colored water, and piles of trash at a famous lake. Combine that with a city that makes you feel dirty every time you walk down the street.

That was our experience at Lake Titicaca in southern Peru, which led us to use “at least it’s not Puno” as a point of comparison whenever we have a bad experience while traveling.

On top of the weird smells and generally dirty experience at the side of the lake, the city felt like none of the buildings were finished, power went out repeatedly, and there was an unenjoyable layer of dirt on the road that passing cars kicked up — something that felt like it was stuck on the back of our teeth after walking a few blocks and that led us to wear bandanas over our faces when walking around.

And what about the lake? If you take a boat to any of the islands, you’re stuck there for a few hours, and the people on the islands know it. The hard sell for trinkets was awful, and we wondered if the vendors might start a physical altercation when we continued to not buy their wares. The boat couldn’t come soon enough.

Puno remains the only destination where my wife and I have paid to change our flights and leave early.

2. Great Wall of China at Badaling Section

One of the New 7 Wonders of the World, the Great Wall of China includes many areas along it that you can visit. And you absolutely should. It’s mind-blowing.

That said, you should visit any section other than Badaling. As the part of the wall closest to Beijing, it’s the most easily accessible for millions of people. That’s especially true with a high-speed train station under the wall and a bus depot just down the road. And the crowds multiply if you go on a weekend or during school holidays.

We had to shove our way through crowds at the train station, in line for tickets, in line for the cable car up to the wall, and on the wall itself. We walked for over an hour to get to the point in the picture below, trying to get away from the crowds.

I’ve also been to the Mutianyu Great Wall, which sees far fewer tourists each day. You need more time to get here from Beijing, but making a day trip was worth the improved experience. Numerous tour companies run day trips to the Mutianyu section from central Beijing, or you can get there independently with public transportation.

3. Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

I’ve been to this site on the New 7 Wonders of the World list multiple times, and it was chaotic each and every time. Whether you take the cable car or the train from Cosme Velho, you’ll deal with massive crowds to Christ the Redeemer nearly any time you go.

If you want to see the statue up close, your best options for beating the crowds are to hire a guide with connections who can book tickets in advance and get you to the front of the line or to be at the ticket office before it opens in the morning.

But what if you don’t care about being close to the statue? You still find crowds when trying to avoid crowds by heading to popular vantage points like Mirante Dona Marta in the Cosme Velho neighborhood of Rio de Janeiro. The proof is the people crowding into the background in my picture below.

Summary: It’s nearly impossible to avoid crowds if you’re trying to get a picture with you and Cristo Redentor, no matter where you head. Some spots are better than others, but bring your patience.

4. Anne Frank House in Amsterdam

I’ll always remember “The Diary of a Young Girl” by Anne Frank and being fascinated with the story and its context. Imagining life stuck in a small home with lots of people, trying to stay safe … it seemed surreal.

When my wife and I visited Amsterdam, of course the Frank family’s hiding place was on our list of places to visit. Luckily, we got a tip from friends who had been turned away at the ticket booth of the Anne Frank House. If you don’t buy tickets in advance, chances are slim that you’ll be able to get in.

Owing to its popularity, lines can stretch for blocks, and the front door isn’t the entrance you use to get in. Instead, there’s a new entrance with a gift shop and ticket booth that’s commercialized this site beyond what seemed tolerable for the context of what you’re visiting: a site remembering the lives of people who suffered in the Holocaust.

And what if you don’t buy tickets in advance? On rare occasions, you’ll be told to come back later that day, but it’s more likely that you’ll be told to come back on another day.

The home’s popularity with tourists and its small size mean only so many people can visit at once. The difficulty of securing tickets at a time we liked and the “enter and exit through the gift shop” vibe soured the experience for us, despite the fact we were glad that we went.

Final Thoughts

Not every place that’s popular with tourists is inherently worth visiting. Being popular also doesn’t make a place is inherently not worth visiting. I’ve enjoyed some very crowded places in my travels.

I loved seeing pandas in China, penguins in Australia, and the pyramids in Egypt, and there are ways to avoid the worst crowds at those spots. And, despite the crowds, I’m glad I went to the Gate of Heaven in Bali once in my life.

However, some sites were frustrating beyond what seemed reasonable, whether because of the crowds, sanitation, or an off-putting vibe at a solemn location.