North America Tourist Traps

  Crabs who gave their all
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      That's not snow -- it's the blooming...
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Most Viewed Tourist Traps in North America

1.

Times Square   New York City

Times Square, New York City

 49 Reviews  Do not buy anything over there, we thought to have a good deal but it turned out to be worth 175 instead of 700. Looking is good but go back and check the prizes on the internet before you go over... 

 See All 324 Tourist Traps in New York City

2.

Street Hustlers / Cabbie Kickbacks   Las Vegas

Street Hustlers / Cabbie Kickbacks, Las Vegas

 17 Reviews  Beware of not only street vendors but also vendors inside reputable stores such as CVS Pharmacy. These vendors just rent the space from the store and are not affiliated with them. One guy in CVS... 

 See All 159 Tourist Traps in Las Vegas

3.

Fisherman's Wharf   San Francisco

Fisherman's Wharf, San Francisco

 77 Reviews  I maintain there are two kinds of tourists: those who want a unique experience and seek to immerse themselves in the local experience, and those who don't put much thought into what makes a place... 

 See All 226 Tourist Traps in San Francisco

4.

Sears Tower or John Hancock Building   Chicago

Sears Tower or John Hancock Building, Chicago

 15 Reviews  Getting up there is not all too cheap. And before you get on the elevator, they force you to pose for a picture with a fake background. On your way out, they try to sell you that picture for nearly... 

 See All 89 Tourist Traps in Chicago

5.

Bourbon St.   New Orleans

Bourbon St., New Orleans

 21 Reviews  This is an area for adults only - especially at night. I was stunned by the amount of tourists dragging their children down bourbon street. Please just don't take kids with you. This is a tourists... 

 See All 101 Tourist Traps in New Orleans

6.

Walt Disney World   Orlando

Walt Disney World, Orlando

 16 Reviews  Unless you have hundreds of dollars to take your family to Cirque du Soliel then there is little here worth seeing. "It's free" they say....well walking is free. There is a Ghiradelli Chocolate shop... 

 See All 67 Tourist Traps in Orlando

7.

Hollywood Sign   Los Angeles

Hollywood Sign, Los Angeles

 15 Reviews  It is sad that tourists spend so much time and gas driving to see the sign when the only way to get really close to it is to hike up to it by parking just north of 6363 Deronda Dr, 90068. Or, see it... 

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8.

CN Tower   Toronto

CN Tower, Toronto

 30 Reviews  What was once the tallest tower in the world, CN tower is a Toronto and a Canadian pride. Built in the 70s, it stands at 553 feet. I haven't heard any good raves about the 360 Restaurant, overpriced... 

 See All 99 Tourist Traps in Toronto

9.

Bull & Finch Pub / Cheers   Boston

Bull & Finch Pub / Cheers, Boston

 23 Reviews  Yes, this is a local tourist trap. No, you will not be fooled. When you enter the Bull and Finch (Cheers) you know it is a tourist trap. But....YOU DO NOT CARE! This is where you came to see a little... 

 See All 75 Tourist Traps in Boston

10.

T-Shirt Shops   Key West

T-Shirt Shops, Key West

 12 Reviews  When going into this shop, ask for the price before you check out. This store attempted to charge me $96 for 3 t-shirts and a shot glass. When we refused to pay, the store employee threatened to call... 

 See All 57 Tourist Traps in Key West

11.

Crescent Street   Montreal

Crescent Street, Montreal

 10 Reviews  Before we get started, I have a complaint about Montreal. My complaint is with Rue Crescent. Please do not visit here. I wish someone had told me. This really is the worst street in Montreal.... 

 See All 72 Tourist Traps in Montreal

12.

Shopping-Prices   Cancún

Shopping-Prices, Cancún

 18 Reviews  This is an open market in downtown Cancun. The place is very charming and different. You can find jewelery and art and crafts. The place is just a a market to rip pleople off. The sales people are... 

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13.

Capilano Suspension Bridge   Vancouver

Capilano Suspension Bridge, Vancouver

 8 Reviews  Although the bridge is not really a tourist trap, it can be very overcrowded during the high season plus if you are on a budget, its $32 (2012 rate) (less 10% for us oldtimers) entrance fee for the... 

 See All 65 Tourist Traps in Vancouver

14.

Space Needle   Seattle

Space Needle, Seattle

 17 Reviews  This is definitely the biggest tourist trap in seattle. It's quite expensive, and you ride the elevator up and yes, it's a decent view. But in all honesty, you walk around the top and it will take you... 

 See All 66 Tourist Traps in Seattle

15.

Tijuana   San Diego

Tijuana, San Diego

 9 Reviews  Everyone should go to "TJ" at least once in their lives. It is incredible that so many people can be crammed into a space so small. ALWAYS haggle with the shop owners. Don't be too cheap - but they... 

 See All 48 Tourist Traps in San Diego

16.

5th Avenue   Playa del Carmen

5th Avenue, Playa del Carmen

 2 Reviews  The vicious feathered warrior-god beckons to you because you can't help but look his way. "Come, come! It's okay, have your picture taken with me." Excited, you go and stand beside him. The god... 

 See All 17 Tourist Traps in Playa del Carmen

17.

International Market Place   Honolulu

International Market Place, Honolulu

 7 Reviews  There's a stall or 2 that sell perfume. These look like name brand perfume (only slightly cheaper than Duty Free). We bought "John Gaulteir Le Male" for $50 yet on getting this home we found it was... 

 See All 53 Tourist Traps in Honolulu

18.

Liberty Bell   Philadelphia

Liberty Bell, Philadelphia

 5 Reviews  Many people call the Liberty Bell a tourist trap, but I cannot help but think it is because of the time spent waiting in line. After all, there is no charge for visiting the Liberty Bell. We visited... 

 See All 35 Tourist Traps in Philadelphia

19.

Souvenir shops in Vieux Quebec   Quebec

Souvenir shops in Vieux Quebec, Quebec

 5 Reviews  Don't buy the maple products, like sirup and cookies, at the tourist stores, it's too expensive. In the tourist area just buy the maple sugar candies because they don't have at the grocery stores. You... 

 See All 28 Tourist Traps in Quebec

20.

Byward Market   Ottawa

Byward Market, Ottawa

 2 Reviews  Byward Market... I just have nothing to say about this place exept it's probably the busiest place in Ottawa (which isn't much.) Nothing special here..exept maybe Beaver tails if you have never... 

 See All 15 Tourist Traps in Ottawa

21.

Underground Atlanta   Atlanta

Underground Atlanta, Atlanta

 13 Reviews  I have visited Underground many times and while it was alot better in the past I would not skip it on a visit to Atlanta. There are young hoodlums running around but they are nothing to worry about in... 

 See All 29 Tourist Traps in Atlanta

22.

Beaches/South Beach/Art Deco District   Miami

Beaches/South Beach/Art Deco District, Miami

 4 Reviews  but very crowded.....till we had to fight for a spot on the beach. The water look tranquil. Everyone is just interested in lying on the sand with the sunnies, topless, tanning and bay watching. Get a... 

 See All 17 Tourist Traps in Miami

23.

Clifton Hill   Niagara Falls

Clifton Hill, Niagara Falls

 33 Reviews  If you hop on the Skywheel expecting great views and great pictures, think again. We tried it one night, and our view of the falls was not only inferior to what we could see by walking along the... 

 See All 61 Tourist Traps in Niagara Falls

24.

Time Share   Puerto Vallarta

Time Share, Puerto Vallarta

 22 Reviews  Went out shopping and met a number of Mexicans offering bribes of anywhere from 2,000 to 6,000 Pesos. Some of them had small offices while others had no office at all! What we discovered is that you... 

 See All 47 Tourist Traps in Puerto Vallarta

25.

Galleria   Houston

Galleria, Houston

 6 Reviews  it's not as bad as everyone makes it out to be.......it is a monster of a mall though.....and it does have an ice rink but not a good one......the ice rink in the memorial city mall is much bigger and... 

 See All 17 Tourist Traps in Houston

Comments

Reviews from VirtualTourist Members

Baggage fees

by kelhan

NEVER FLY UNITED especially domestically in USA. They charge $25 USD per suitcase (and yes that INCLUDES your first one if you are like us and only travel with one suitcase each) from prior experience with United handling my bags, they routed them incorrectly, so I ended up waiting on return to Australia in baggage collection for my bags for an hour airport staff said I could not leave until all luggage was off plane and claimed by owners!!!!!!, I was the last person to exit the baggage claim area leaving with the staff as they turned the lights off, really nice at 3am in the morning)then I had to go back to the airport the following day to collect bags ( I live 3.5hrs from the airport) you seriously don't think I would have trusted them to get my bags 300km if they couldn't get them 30,000km if you check in online you can save a couple of dollars on the bag fees, but it's still...

Overbooked flights / Volunteering Seats

by mafootje

I realize this is a lot of text but if you ever consider volunteering a seat this could give you some helpfull hintsOn Friday June 13, 2003 we had our first experience with volunteering our seats. We started the first part of our two part trip in New Orleans, our original flight was cancelled because of weather conditions because we had arrived early for our 14:35 flight the called us at the gate and asked if we wanted to take an earlier flight.That was no problem to us, especially because this part of the New Orleans airport was very boring and we guessed that the Newark airport would be a better place to spend to time. We arrived around 16:00 at Newark airport at a new terminal which lots of shops and eateries, because our plane to Amsterdam wouldn't leave till 22:15 we decided to have something to eat at the Garden State Diner. After this we killed some time by walking around the...

Niki waiting for the paperwork being done...
Nassau Bahamas , Branson ...

by Luthorkeeper

Nassau Bahamas , Branson Missouri ( sucks ) most of Florida , Orlando in particular what a pile of smelly American crass commercialism . Vegas . Anywhere in Ohio . Anything remotely related to Texas . ( ick )

Off all the museums which...

by DCgirl

Off all the museums which boast excellent exhibits, the Museum of American History seems like the oddest. How can a museum on American history not feature any native Americans or even artifacts from the civil war? But, the last time I visited was a year ago and maybe that's changed. Also, a museum dedicated just to the Native American Indians is reportedly in the works on the Mall as we speak( July 2002) . But really....a display of furniture from the 1950s? Since its free, you don't waste money. But your time is better spent elsewhere. The dinosaur bones in the Musuem of Natural History are much more interesting.

Florida in general. Especially...

by Belinda_Owen

Florida in general. Especially the theme parks. A plastic, sterile environment. Similar to the container that houses a BigM*c. And the humidity and heat, well, Palm Springs or Palm Desert are a lot more interesting!

You know, Fisherman's Wharf in...

by Probot

You know, Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco is a tourist trap like you won't believe, but it is so much fun and there are lots of great restaurants in the area. The smell of crab and fish is prevalent, but after awhile you barely notice it. What is also nice is that Pier 39 is right there as well and it, too, has some great restaurants, so if you are in the mood for great food try one (or two!) out. I forget the name of it, but there is a fantastic restaurant all the way at the end of Pier 39 that has an incredible view of Alcatraz and the Golden Gate Bridge that is very beautiful at sunset. Entrees hover around $20, but the food is delish!

Key West is nice if ya like to...

by hansash

Key West is nice if ya like to PARTY,But, bewarned the police aren't nothing nice and it's hella expensive! Trust me I lived there and we had a card to get discounts everywhere because;Milk can be up to $4.50 a gallon and Finding room at the hostel is hard!They hate Hitchhickers and Hippies. If you go eat at Island Pharmacy and get the cheeseburger made famous by:Jimmy Buffet's song 'Cheeseburger in Paradise' it's inexpensive and good! Check out the Botanical Gardens...It's free and gorgeous! Otherwise...Bring cash and your American Express and then some more just in case!!!!

Check out hotels thoroughly...

by venusdmoon72

Check out hotels thoroughly before booking. Make sure you research the little things they forget to tell you. Like if there is parking, is it free, or is there a fee? They can make a hotel sound really grand but when you're in there it's average for what you're paying.

Pier 39 definitley. It's a...

by Tamaya

Pier 39 definitley. It's a cute pier with lot's of candy, t-shirt and your typical tourist shops. But if your really seeking the true culture of San Francisco you won't find it there. And parking is hell.

I went to see world on Ohau,...

by pbrfan

I went to see world on Ohau, Hawaii and even though I paid half price for being a travel agent, I still feel I was taken and charged too much. Worst park I have ever been to in my life and I have been to some pretty bad ones.

Top 3 Hotels in North America

Casablanca Hotel  New York City

 1 Review and 2412 Opinions  This is a Hotel /Bed and Breakfast. It is a oasis in the middle of Times Square. It is quiet inside... 

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Argonaut Hotel - A Kimpton Hotel  San Francisco

 4 Reviews and 2395 Opinions  There's no doubt this hotel, provides a level of luxury and convenience, that many travellers will... 

 Hotels in San Francisco

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Four Seasons Las Vegas  Las Vegas

 9 Reviews and 1852 Opinions  Amazing hotel! Everything about our stay was excellent. Our room was gorgeous, service was... 

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North America Tourist Traps

Reviews and photos of North America tourist traps posted by real travelers and locals. The best tips for North America sightseeing.
Map of North America

North America Members Meetings

May 26, 2013 
Vacation amongst greater southerners!
Jun 20, 2013 
it will be brief
Jun 22, 2013 
Come Explore the Burbs
Jun 22, 2013 
canceled

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