The glass bridge across China's 'Grand Canyon' is a trippy architectural marvel that's all over Instagram - but in real life, it's a tourist's worst nightmare

Harrison Jacobs/Business Insider

• The Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon Glass Bridge in China is the longest and highest glass bridge in the world.
• It gained widespread popularity after opening in 2016 and has been featured in numerous viral videos showing tourists having thrilling and terrifying experiences looking through the glass floor.
• While the scenery was beautiful, the site was overrun with tourists and the glass was so scuffed it was hard to see to the floor below.
• The entire experience was underwhelming given the price point and the numerous difficulties to visiting.

Like many millennial travelers, I sometimes pick my vacation destinations based on something I see on the internet. Such was the case with a recent trip to China.

After seeing viral video after viral video of terrified tourists crawling over a futuristic glass bridge spanning a verdant gorge, I decided I had to visit.

Opened in 2016, the Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon Glass Bridge in Hunan, China is the tallest and longest glass bridge in the world. The walkway sits 980 feet above the canyon floor and is more than 1,400 feet long.

It had been billed as both breathtakingly beautiful and thrilling - a place, some might say, to get the ultimate selfie.

Soon after arriving, I learned a hard lesson in the difference between the glossy photos and videos of travel media and the reality for the average tourist.

Here's what it was like: