We hear a lot about which destinations are overrated, too crowded, expensive, full of scams, suffering from overtourism, etc.

But which ones do you think are deservedly popular? Which ones justify the hype?

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[–] 69 points 8 months ago (10 children)

Most national parks. Especially Yellowstone is amazing.

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  • [–] 20 points 8 months ago (4 children)

    You know how the grand canyon always looks kinda crazy in photos? It looks just as crazy in person and it is wild.

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  • [–] 2 points 8 months ago (3 children)

    Have you actually been to Yellowstone recently? It's pretty awful now unless you leave the tourist areas.

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  • [–] 7 points 8 months ago (1 child)

    I went around 2018. Did some research first to determine when was a good time to go to avoid crowds. Spent over a week there, and while some areas and days were quite crowded, it didn't really detract much from the experience, and I still got to enjoy large areas of the park with barely any other humans around.

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  • [–] 3 points 8 months ago

    I went in early 2020 and everywhere had thousands of tourists. Going anywhere took hours because there was always a line of hundreds of cars.

    The worst were the Asian tourists that completely ignored lines and shoved their way in front of everyone else as well as ignoring barriers.

    Definitely a way different experience than when I went in the 2000s.

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  • [–] 42 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (1 child)

    The highlands in Scotland. Beautiful in their entirety.

    Pictures don't do it justice, I'd recommend a guided tour. Also you get to feed highland cows. They're all pets btw. This is Honey.

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  • [–] 35 points 8 months ago (5 children)

    Gullfoss Falls in Iceland:

    Just stunningly beautiful and close to Reykjavík. It'd be a massive mistake to visit Iceland and not see this

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  • [–] 7 points 8 months ago (4 children)

    Will be visiting Iceland next month. Can’t wait to see things like this IRL.

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  • [–] 3 points 8 months ago (3 children)

    If you want some more recommendations I'd be happy to share. I really enjoyed my tour around the country in 2023

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  • [–] 4 points 8 months ago (2 children)

    Thanks. We just decided to sign up for this self-driving 8 day tour.

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  • [–] 19 points 8 months ago

    Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum. Not a "nice" or "beautiful" tourist experience, obviously, but an extremely impressive one. I'm not a very emotional person, and have no personal link to the Holocaust, but one of the few times of my adult life I cried was when I visited the memorial site.

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  • [–] 18 points 8 months ago (2 children)

    Montreal is beautiful and fun. People were always polite, food and coffee was amazing. Can't wait to go back

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  • [–] 17 points 8 months ago

    Machu Picchu. It does get crowded but we went first thing in the morning and it was peaceful. And it is stunning in a stunning place.

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  • [–] 15 points 8 months ago

    Ive been living in Outback Auatralia for almost 14 years. Got to visit Uluru once.

    Took my breath away when it came into view. Over 1000km (thibknitsncloser to 1500km) away from the ocean. Middle of nowhere. A massive rock just sitting there. Of course you feel a spiritual connection.

    I don't fully understand the cultural significance behind it, but I 110% respect the owners of the land, and what they believe in.

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  • [–] 13 points 8 months ago (1 child)

    The North Shore of Lake Superior, in Minnesota. You need a car, though.

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  • [–] 13 points 8 months ago (1 child)

    Loch Ness. I thought it was gonna be kinda cheesy and a regular lake beyond that. I can see why Aleister Crowley and Jimmy Page chose to live there now. Absolutely stunning.

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  • [–] 3 points 8 months ago

    For real. As a kid, I was enamored with the idea of Nessie, so when I went as an adult a couple of years ago, I just figured it wouldn’t live up to my childhood ideal. Little did I know that the area around Loch Ness is totally gorgeous. I loved every bit of it and would go back in a heartbeat to spend more time there.

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  • [–] 23 points 8 months ago (1 child)

    The Black Forest in Germany. Although you might want to skip the mass produced cuckoo clocks.

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  • [–] 11 points 8 months ago

    The Grand Canyon is pretty sweet. Yellowstone too.

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  • [–] 10 points 8 months ago

    My personal one that's not overrated. Hiroshima in Japan.

    It's a wonderful city to visit even after you've been to the Museum, which should be a bucket list item for everyone.

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  • [–] 9 points 8 months ago

    Nice try. I'm not spoiling them by sharing.

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  • [–] 8 points 8 months ago

    The Roman Forum. The Colosseum is cool but way overrated. The Forum is so huge you can easily spend multiple days just wandering around enjoying its history.

    10/10 would recommend.

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  • [–] 8 points 8 months ago

    Kauai and Maui. Only two Hawaiian island I've been to. Kauai if you want scenic hikes and Allerton Gardens is a must see. Maui if you want great food.

    Door County Wisconsin and associated Washington Island when the lavender fields are in bloom.

    House on the Rock in Spring Green Wisconsin. I don't care how far away you live, you should see this place. It's either a monument to a man's ascent to brilliance... Or of his decent into madness. Words really cannot do this place justice, it's just insane.

    Red River Gorge, Kentucky. One of the greatest concentrations of natural bridges and arches in the world. I have spent years hiking in and around this area and still don't think I've seen all the arches. Come with your hiking boots and be prepared for moderate to difficult hikes that can include some climbing.

    Banff Canada: Took a ski trip to that area back in 1999. It's an absolutely spectacular area. Lake Louise is still my favorite place to ski after all these years.

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  • [–] [S] 7 points 8 months ago

    My own answer that prompted me thinking - French Riviera/Cote d'Azur

    I think I somehow expected it to be full of massive resorts like so many seaside destinations.

    Don't get me wrong, 100% of that coast is built up, no unused space at all. But in such a way that it's still beautiful.

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  • [–] 6 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (4 children)

    Gaudi architecture is legit amazing and worth the wait and crowds. Didn't even have time to see the sagrada familia, just the hotel and the park. Then we had the worst meal of my life in a tourist trap resteraunt on las ramblas. Even including that, so worth it.

    Jiufen, taiwan - the village that people falsely claim inspired miyazaki's spirited away - is also just incredible. The views, the winding lantern-bedecked staircase, the teahouses. It's crowded and full of touristy knick knacks but i still took everyone who visited.

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  • [–] 4 points 8 months ago (2 children)

    The sagrada familia is really cool. I highly recommend people get a guide (either the audio version or a real one) because the amount of detail is overwhelming.

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  • [–] 2 points 8 months ago

    It's one of the most mind blowing man-made things I've ever seen. The only thing I can think of that was similar to walking into it was walking into the building at Kennedy space centre with the Saturn V in it.

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  • [–] 2 points 8 months ago

    Honestly La sagrada familia is my second favorite Gaudi work, the first one being La casa Batllo. Hope you get to see it next time, and if you do pick up either dawn or dusk, the light through the windows is awe inspiring. Also, yeah, the Rambla is mostly tourist traps, also every single restaurant around the park Güell is an extra nasty tourist trap. There are some good places nearby, but realistically you're probably better off eating at a Tapa Tapa (the McDonald's of tapas) than a random place at the Rambla.

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  • [–] 6 points 8 months ago*

    My spare bedroom. It's great and can be yours for the low low price of £200 per night. Breakfast included!

    ^but if its a Friday night you have to put the bins out.^

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  • [–] 6 points 8 months ago (1 child)

    Prague! Went there last September and had a great time. Beautiful and very walkable city, friendly people, and very affordable too. The city castle is an impressive site to behold, and one of the most touristy ones, but very doable if you go in the morning. But there are many other notable things to do and visit, such as the cold-war bunker under the Yalta hotel and the alchemy museum in the Jewish district. If you decide to visit, I would also recommend branching out for a couple of days to visit other cities like Pilsen (where pilsner beer comes from) or Liberec.

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  • [–] 6 points 8 months ago*

    Banff, Jasper, and all the Canadian Rockies in between. Especially if you like hiking in out-of-the-way locations.

    Also New Zealand’s South Island.

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  • [–] 5 points 8 months ago

    Milford Sound, especially when it’s raining, especially if you an trek there.

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  • [–] 5 points 8 months ago (2 children)

    Venice. Nothing close to it anywhere on earth.

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  • [–] 1 point 8 months ago

    Venice would be my pick too. I was there to see the Vogalonga, which was spectacular. I spent a week wandering the canals, toured the Fenice and a hundred churches. I also had a lesson in rowing Venetian style, in the canals and out on the lagoon. The locals I met (mostly while food shopping) were gracious and friendly. . Magic city.

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  • [–] 4 points 8 months ago (1 child)

    I've heard the Grand Canyon is impressive as hell and worth a look.

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  • The Alhambra is just majestic. By far my favourite palace in Europe and that counts the ones in France (I haven't explored the German ones yet though). Spain as a whole is a very culturally rich country.

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  • [–] 4 points 8 months ago

    I went to the Meiji Jingu in Tokyo on a rainy day (so less crowded) and... Yeah, wow. Didn't even take any photos, I was just enraptured the whole time. Beautiful environment, beautiful shrine.

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  • [–] 3 points 8 months ago

    Mt. Fuji was beautiful. Ideally you should hire a car and drive around it, theres a series of small lakes, and each time you round a corner you get another beautiful view of the mountain over a different waterfront.

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  • [–] 3 points 8 months ago

    EDC Vegas ✌️ fantastic time, everyone's so thrilled to be there.

    https://lasvegas.electricdaisycarnival.com/

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  • [–] 5 points 8 months ago (2 children)

    Jacksonville. Never heard a good thing about it.

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  • [+] 4 points 8 months ago (11 children)
  • [–] 18 points 8 months ago (4 children)

    Which country is "our country"?

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  • [–] 2 points 8 months ago (1 child)

    I haven't been to Florida for it, but the one in CA is great. Knott's Scary Farm is also great.

    For both of you want to have a great time. Pay for the front of the line passes. Halloween horror nights can have 3 plus hour lines for an event that only lasts like 6 hours.

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  • [–] -5 points 8 months ago (2 children)

    I split my year between my homes in Jackson Hole, Wyoming and Orlando, Florida. I agree with your sentiment 100%.

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  • [–] 4 points 8 months ago (1 child)

    you..... have multiple homes?? Damn. I can barely afford the one I'm in now.

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  • [–] 4 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago)

    Its the privledge of having been around before prices went crazy and being accustomed to smaller spaces. I know it seems crazy now, but a little over ten years ago you could buy a one bedroom condo (what we live in) for about ~$120k and at a low interest rate.

    EDIT: To be clear, this isn't luck, good or bad. In the past ~15 years, homes have become unaffordable mainly because funds and investors are gobbling them up and turning them into rental (short or long term). Younger generations are getting fucked and no regulatory action has or will be taken by either party anyntime soon...if ever.

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  • [–] 1 point 8 months ago

    Kentucky as a whole. Ignoring the politics, the place is beautiful.

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  • [–] -5 points 8 months ago (2 children)

    The reason any tourist destination is overcrowded or expensive is because it is awesome.

    Tourist Destinations that are awesome:

    • Many sites in NYC: Times Square, The Brooklyn Bridge, The Met, Central Park etc.
    • Disneyland is awesome. One of the most fun I ever had on a bar crawl was Epcott.
    • Warner Brothers Studio
    • So many places in Paris, shout out to the Louvre and shout out to Le Relais de l'Entrecôte, be prepared to wait in line and no need to read the menu as there are only three options.
    • So many places in London, shout out to The Tower of London
    • So many places in Washington DC, Shout out to The Smithsonian Museums
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  • [–] 2 points 8 months ago

    I remember telling someone my sister and I were going to the Dordogne in France. He said, "Oh but it's so touristy."

    We went anyway, and it was awesome! The cave paintings alone made it worthwhile, but there was also beautiful scenery, great food, interesting towns. Highly recommend.

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