I'm a travel writer who's visited nearly 20 countries. These 6 'tourist traps' are actually worth visiting from the Statue of Liberty to the Eiffel Tower.
- I'm a travel writer and try to travel to new destinations each year. So far, I've been to 19 countries.
- Each place has its share of "tourist traps," and it's hard to tell which ones are worth visiting.
Much has been said about avoiding tourist traps, both domestically and abroad, while traveling. They're bemoaned as too crowded, too tacky, too expensive, and often don't give you the full picture of a place's culture.
Some, however, succeed at ensnaring thousands of visitors for a reason: because they're truly extraordinary.
In my travels, which have taken me to nearly 20 countries, I've been able to see both sides — the places I can't wait to get out of and the places that I actually enjoyed and would visit again.
Stateside, I thought the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island were must-visits for tourists and locals alike.
Last year, during my first visit to the Statue of Liberty, I was surprised by how much I got out of the experience.
I took a tour with my parents, departing by ferry from Manhattan's Battery Park neighborhood. Our general admissions tickets, which were about $25 each, got us access to two destinations: The Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island.
The first stop was Liberty Island, home to Lady Liberty herself, where we walked around its perimeter, admiring the monument and city views.
What I really enjoyed, and will recommend to anyone visiting New York, was Ellis Island. Having seen millions of immigrants pass through, Ellis Island and its accompanying museum are a remarkable reminder of the country's immigration history.
My only regret was that I couldn't spend more time walking through the museum.
Petra, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the seven wonders of the world, is a timeless feat of human ingenuity.
Known by many for its role in "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade," Petra is a city in Jordan carved into a red sandstone canyon.
According to UNESCO, the city has been inhabited since prehistoric times, serving as a home to Nabateans, Romans, Christians, and Muslims for centuries.
Tickets to get into Petra were pricier, coming in at about $70 per person. But walking through its canyons, looking up at the remains of homes, Monastery, and Treasury — its most famous facade — felt like stepping into humanity's past and is worth the money.
I stayed just for an afternoon in late 2022, but with the ancient city spanning more than 100 square miles, I wished I'd carved out an entire day to explore the city. There's so much more to see than just the Treasury, and it's well worth allocating a full day or two to explore.
I actually loved visiting the Eiffel Tower, Paris' most iconic landmark.
When I first visited Paris last summer, I, like many travelers, knew I would need to see the Eiffel Tower.
Unconvinced that the view from the top would really be that remarkable, I had no real interest in paying to go to the top. Instead, I packed a light dinner from a local grocery store and took it to a free park facing the monument.
The surrounding area was flush with other tourists and vendors selling little trinkets or water bottles, but the space was big enough to spread out and didn't feel too crowded.
I was happy to sit on the grass, eat dinner, and people-watch, and I would do it again the next time I visit.
I think it's worth it to pay for a ride in one of Cuba's classic, candy-colored cars.
This one is less of a place and more of an activity, but I still recommend it.
During the mid-1900s, Cuba imported 125,000 American vehicles, Insider reported. But in 1959, while the country was under Fidel Castro's control, a ban was placed on imported cars — essentially freezing the streets in the 1950s.
That led to the image of Cuban cars many people keep today: bright and shiny cars like Cadillac's and Chevrolet's on every street.
While in Cuba in 2018, I took a few rides in the pastel-colored cars. My travel partners and I took a brief trip around Havana, then hailed one for a drive from the capital to Matanzas, a town about two hours away.
I don't remember the exact cost, but I remember deciding it was worth it. And although it seems like something that every tourist to Cuba does, I think that's for a good reason — because it's an absolute blast.
I returned several times to Marrakesh, Morocco's bustling, vibrant medina.
Visitors to Morocco would be hard-pressed to leave without visiting a medina, and Marrakesh's sprawling old city is often the top pick.
I lived in Morocco for four months during college and visited the medina several times. Its central square, Jamaâ El Fna, is filled with vendors, fruit stands, restaurants, and performers and is a main attraction for people visiting the city.
Beyond Jamaâ El Fna is a labyrinth of narrow streets lined with homes, shops, and mosques. It's a maze that's easy to spend a day — or more — navigating. It's a version of the medinas found in cities across the Middle East and Northern Africa. I found it to be an accurate, albeit undoubtedly commercialized, representation of other medinas I've visited.
Though I found it overwhelming at times, I mostly enjoyed wandering and sometimes getting lost in its winding streets, and I consider it a must-visit when considering touring Morocco.
Popular Right Now
Advertisement