The 10 Worst Tourist Attractions for Your Money

Caroline Morse Teel is the Managing Editor for SmarterTravel Media. Follow her adventures around the world on Instagram @TravelWithCaroline.

See recent posts by Caroline Morse Teel

Notice: Undefined offset: 4 in /nas/content/live/stagingstmllc/wp-content/plugins/smartertravel-shared/includes/ads/includes/api.php on line 92

Notice: Undefined offset: 5 in /nas/content/live/stagingstmllc/wp-content/plugins/smartertravel-shared/includes/ads/includes/api.php on line 92

Notice: Undefined offset: 6 in /nas/content/live/stagingstmllc/wp-content/plugins/smartertravel-shared/includes/ads/includes/api.php on line 92

Notice: Undefined offset: 4 in /nas/content/live/stagingstmllc/wp-content/plugins/smartertravel-shared/includes/ads/includes/api.php on line 98

Notice: Undefined index: pass_through_args in /nas/content/live/stagingstmllc/wp-content/plugins/smartertravel-shared/includes/ads/includes/api.php on line 158

Notice: Undefined index: wrapper in /nas/content/live/stagingstmllc/wp-content/plugins/smartertravel-shared/includes/ads/includes/api.php on line 159

Hate tourist traps? You’ll want to give these attractions a pass on your next trip. Travel website ParkSleepFly analyzed the cost of admission to the world’s top 30 tourist attractions, and then cross-referenced the price against the number of “poor” and “terrible” reviews. The points of interest with the highest ticket costs and worst reviews were ranked as the worst value for the money.

According to the survey, the Empire State Building is the worst value tourist attraction. Although this Manhattan landmark is an iconic part of the skyline, it’s best viewed (for free) from outside. Visiting the main observation deck costs $44 and has a 4.2 percent negative review rate from disappointed tourists.

As one disappointed Google reviewer points out, “Too much hope for this place. There’s rooftop bars around that give excellent views and drinks. $80 just to stand at the top isn’t worth it.”

The World’s Worst Value Attractions

Three images, from left to right, of the Empire State Building, The Palace of Versailles, and the London Eye — BRIAN_KINNEY & Photocreo Bednarek & Wirestock | Adobe Stock

Rank	Attraction	Location	Ticket Price	% of Bad Reviews	Value Score /10
1	Empire State Building	New York City	$44.00	4.2%	1.03
2	Buckingham Palace	London	$40.53	3.3%	1.90
2	Stonehenge	Wiltshire	$26.35	8.0%	1.90
2	Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum	New York City	$25.00	18.1%	1.90
5	London Eye	London	$36.48	4.2%	2.07
6	Museum of Modern Art	New York City	$25.00	4.7%	2.59
7	Palace of Versailles	Versailles	$22.67	9.5%	2.76
8	Petra	Ma’an	$70.52	2.5%	2.93
9	Vatican Museums	Vatican City	$19.27	8.2%	3.28
10	Edinburgh Castle	Edinburgh	$23.64	2.9%	3.97

ParkSleepFly

However, there are plenty of places around the world that ParkSleepFly deemed as worthy of your money. Admission to the Great Wall of China varies depending on where you enter, but the average ticket price is fairly low, and reviewers are generally impressed by this attraction which is one of the New Seven Wonders of the World.

The World’s Best Value Attractions

Three images, from left to right, of the Great Wall of China, The Eiffel Tower, and the Colosseum — yuri_yavnik & Ekaterina Belova & beatrice prève | Adobe Stock

Rank	Attraction	Location	Ticket Price	% of Bad Reviews	Value Score /10
1	Great Wall of China (Mutianyu)	Beijing	$6.31	0.5%	10.00
2	Taj Mahal	Agra	$14.61	1.0%	8.28
3	Forbidden City	Beijing	$6.31	2.5%	7.76
4	Prague Castle	Prague	$11.66	2.4%	7.59
4	Eiffel Tower	Paris	$12.13	2.2%	7.59
6	Grand Canyon	Arizona	$20.00	0.7%	7.42
7	Victoria Peak	Hong Kong	$9.61	2.5%	7.07
7	Colosseum	Rome	$18.14	1.3%	7.07
9	Acropolis of Athens	Athens	$22.67	1.6%	6.21
10	Louvre	Paris	$17.00	2.5%	5.86

ParkSleepFly

You Might Also Like:

• Panama Travel Guide: What to Do in Panama
• Is Amazon Prime Day Worth it for Travelers?
• 10 Amazon Prime Day 2023 Secrets That Will Save You Even More Money
• The 10 Best Beaches in America for 2023
• This New Tool Will Tell You Exactly When to Book Your Flight for the Best Price

We hand-pick everything we recommend and select items through testing and reviews. Some products are sent to us free of charge with no incentive to offer a favorable review. We offer our unbiased opinions and do not accept compensation to review products. All items are in stock and prices are accurate at the time of publication. If you buy something through our links, we may earn a commission.