10 overrated spots tourists flock to (and where travelers with actual taste go instead)

I'll never forget standing in front of the Mona Lisa at the Louvre, surrounded by what felt like a thousand other people all holding up their phones. I was squeezed between a tour group and a family with screaming children, craning my neck to catch a glimpse of a painting that, honestly, looked smaller and less impressive than I'd imagined. I spent maybe ninety seconds there before the crowd pushed me along like a human conveyor belt.

That moment made me realize something: just because everyone says you "have to" see something doesn't mean it's actually worth your time.

After years of trail running in different countries and volunteering at farmers' markets where I've met locals from all over the world, I've learned that the best experiences rarely come with crowds and selfie sticks. The places that actually change you? They're usually the ones you stumble upon when you veer off the beaten path.

So if you're tired of fighting through tourist mobs and want to experience places with a bit more authenticity and a lot less chaos, here are ten overrated spots you can skip, along with where the people with actual taste are going instead.

1. Times Square, New York City

Let's start with the obvious one. Times Square is basically a neon-lit traffic jam populated by people in knock-off superhero costumes trying to charge you for photos.

Yes, it's iconic. Yes, you've seen it in a million movies. But spending any real time there? That's like choosing to hang out in the most overwhelming, overstimulated corner of a shopping mall.

The actual magic of New York happens in neighborhoods like the West Village, where you can wander tree-lined streets with historic brownstones, stumble into cozy bookshops, and find incredible vegan cafes tucked into basement spaces. Or head to Prospect Park in Brooklyn, designed by the same landscape architects who created Central Park but with a fraction of the crowds.

New Yorkers avoid Times Square for a reason. Maybe take their lead?

2. The Leaning Tower of Pisa, Italy

Here's what happens at the Leaning Tower of Pisa: you wait in line, you take the photo where you pretend to hold it up, and then you wonder why you just spent three hours of your Italian vacation doing exactly what everyone else did.

The tower is fine. It leans. You've now seen it.

Instead, spend your time in nearby Lucca, a gorgeous walled city where you can bike along the top of Renaissance-era ramparts, explore quiet piazzas, and eat some of the best food in Tuscany without the tour bus crowds. The streets are filled with locals actually living their lives, not performers catering to tourists.

I ate the most incredible mushroom risotto of my life in Lucca at a tiny family-run restaurant. Nobody there spoke English, and I fumbled through ordering in terrible Italian, but that meal meant more to me than any famous monument ever could.

3. Hollywood Walk of Fame, Los Angeles

The Hollywood Walk of Fame is essentially a dirty sidewalk with names on it, surrounded by tourists looking disappointed and locals trying to sell you things.

That's it. That's the experience.

Los Angeles has so much more to offer if you know where to look. Head to the hiking trails in Griffith Park for stunning views of the city and the Hollywood sign without the chaos. Explore the arts district downtown for incredible street art, coffee roasters, and galleries. Visit the Venice Canals for a peaceful walk through a hidden neighborhood that feels worlds away from the tourist trap that Venice Beach has become.

LA rewards people who dig beneath the glossy surface. The Walk of Fame is just that glossy surface, and it's not even that glossy anymore.

4. The Little Mermaid statue, Copenhagen

People travel to Copenhagen and make a pilgrimage to see a statue that's about the size of a large dog, sitting on a rock, surrounded by crowds taking photos.

It's underwhelming in a way that's almost impressive.

Copenhagen is an incredible city, but the Little Mermaid isn't why. Instead, rent a bike like an actual Copenhagener and explore Christiania, the self-governing neighborhood with colorful buildings and a fascinating history. Visit

Assistens Cemetery, where Hans Christian Andersen is actually buried, and which serves as a peaceful park where locals picnic and relax. Or spend time in Nørrebro, a vibrant multicultural neighborhood with amazing food and vintage shops.

The best parts of Copenhagen are the ones you experience at ground level, on two wheels, moving at a human pace.

5. Checkpoint Charlie, Berlin

Checkpoint Charlie has become a tacky tourist trap with actors in military uniforms posing for paid photos. It's a sanitized, commercialized version of a place that once represented something genuinely significant.

Berlin's actual history is far more powerful and worth your time. Visit the Berlin Wall Memorial on Bernauer Strasse, where you can see preserved sections of the wall and learn about the real human stories of division and escape.

Explore the East Side Gallery, the longest remaining section of the wall, now covered in meaningful murals by artists from around the world. Or simply walk through neighborhoods like Prenzlauer Berg to see how the city has evolved beyond its divided past.

History should make you feel something. Checkpoint Charlie just makes you feel like you're on a movie set designed for tourists who don't want to think too hard.

6. Fisherman's Wharf, San Francisco

Fisherman's Wharf is chain restaurants, overpriced crab, and sea lions that smell exactly like you'd expect. It's San Francisco for people who don't actually want to experience San Francisco.

The real city reveals itself when you venture into neighborhoods like the Mission, with incredible murals, authentic taquerias, and a thriving arts scene. Hike the Lands End trail for breathtaking coastal views and a glimpse of the

Golden Gate Bridge from an angle most tourists never see. Explore Golden Gate Park's lesser-known corners, like the AIDS Memorial Grove or the bison paddock.

I spent a morning trail running through the Presidio and felt more connected to San Francisco in those two hours than I ever did eating clam chowder out of a bread bowl.

7. Stonehenge, England

From a distance, Stonehenge is impressive. Up close, it's a roped-off circle of rocks that you view from behind a barrier while an audio guide tells you theories about why they're there.

You can't touch them. You can't get close to them. You mostly just take photos from the designated tourist path and then wonder if you should have skipped it entirely.

Instead, visit Avebury, a stone circle you can actually walk among and touch, located in a charming village where sheep graze between the ancient stones. Or explore the Cotswolds, where you'll find villages that look like they fell out of a fairy tale, rolling hills perfect for hiking, and pub gardens serving locally sourced food.

England has thousands of years of history scattered across beautiful countryside. You don't need to see the most famous rocks to experience it.

8. Bourbon Street, New Orleans

Bourbon Street is what happens when you take everything that makes New Orleans special and drown it in neon lights, drunk tourists, and strip clubs. It's the version of the city designed for people who want to party but don't want to think.

The soul of New Orleans lives everywhere else. Walk down Frenchmen Street for live music in intimate venues where actual locals go. Explore the Garden District's stunning architecture and oak-lined streets. Visit neighborhood joints in Tremé or Bywater for food that will change your understanding of what good cooking means.

New Orleans is a city of incredible depth, culture, and resilience. Bourbon Street is just the shallow end where tourists splash around.

9. The Blue Lagoon, Iceland

The Blue Lagoon is a geothermal spa that's been so aggressively marketed to tourists that it now costs a fortune and requires advance booking just to sit in hot water surrounded by hundreds of other people doing the same thing.

Iceland has countless natural hot springs that are free or cheap, less crowded, and infinitely more peaceful. Reykjadalur requires a short hike through a beautiful valley before you reach a warm river where you can soak surrounded by nature, not selfie sticks. The Myvatn Nature Baths offer a similar experience to the Blue Lagoon at half the price and a fraction of the crowds.

When I visited Iceland, I skipped the Blue Lagoon entirely and instead spent my time hiking to waterfalls, driving the ring road, and soaking in a local pool where I was the only tourist. Those moments felt real in a way that manufactured experiences never do.

10. The Champs-Élysées, Paris

The Champs-Élysées is a wide avenue filled with the same chain stores you can find in any major city. It's crowded, expensive, and offers nothing you can't experience elsewhere, probably better.

Paris reveals its true character in neighborhoods like the Marais, with its medieval streets, vintage shops, and incredible falafel. Walk along the Canal Saint-Martin to see where Parisians actually spend their time, sitting along the water with wine and cheese. Explore Belleville for street art, diverse food, and a view of the city from Parc de Belleville that rivals any famous vista.

The best version of Paris is the one that doesn't care about impressing tourists. It's the city you find when you stop following the guidebook and start following your curiosity.

Final thoughts

Here's what I've learned from years of travel and trail running in places both famous and obscure: the best experiences rarely come with the biggest crowds.

That doesn't mean famous spots are always bad or that you should avoid them entirely if you genuinely want to see them. But it does mean you should question whether you actually want to go somewhere or whether you just feel like you're supposed to.

The places that stay with you, the ones you think about years later, are usually the ones you discovered rather than the ones everyone told you to see. They're the neighborhood cafe where you had a conversation with a local, the hiking trail that challenged you but rewarded you with a view nobody else was there to see, the museum you wandered into because it was raining and you needed shelter.

Travel should expand your perspective, not just check boxes on a list.

So next time you're planning a trip, consider skipping the spot everyone insists you "have to" see. Take that time and curiosity and point it somewhere less obvious. You might not get the iconic photo, but you'll probably get something better: an actual experience that's yours alone.