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30 Comparisons Of What Famous Travel Locations Actually Look Like In Real Life
Interview With Expert
The internet can be an amazing place to find travel inspiration and plan your next trip. That said, what we see online isn’t always what we get in real life.
Some travelers on social media, especially influencers, aim to portray their adventures in a flattering light. This can lead to a bit of a surprise when we finally go to their advertised destinations and find they’re not quite as we imagined. Take “Paris Syndrome”, for example, which describes the disappointment some Japanese tourists feel when they visit the French capital.
At Bored Panda, we’ve gathered some of those eye-opening moments from around the web. Find them below and let us know if you’ve ever had a reality check during your travels!
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
Went To See The Famous Neuschwanstein Castle And This Was Our View
RELATED:
#2
Instagram vs. Reality
In all seriousness, though, I still really enjoyed visiting Railay. Plus, I am also a tourist, so who am I to judge?
#3
Even Though The Trevi Fountain Is Possibly The Most Crowded Tourist Attraction In The World, It’s Still A Masterpiece You Cannot Miss When Visiting Rome
mandy the capibara 2 years ago
My best tip for Rome is: go there in the late evening. Totally different experience
#4
That Sure Didn’t Go As Planned
#5
I Traveled From UK All The Way To Germany To Take Photos Of The Devil’s Eye. This Is What I Saw When I Got There
#6
Expectations vs. Reality In Santorini
Luis Hernandez Dauajare 2 years ago
Go to any of the nearby islands. The exact same architecture and almost no crowds.
#7
Hard-To-Obtain Permits For A 10-Mile Hike To See Havasupai Falls
#9
The Mona Lisa
#10
On The Topic Of Unfortunately Timed Maintenance In Japan, Here Is What The Floating Torii Gate At Miyajima Looked Like When I Was There Compared To What It Usually Looks Like
StumblingThroughLife 2 years ago
That's the same issue as the Elizabeth Tower (Big Ben) in London. For the decade I worked/lived in London in the 80s, for three quarters of that time, it was shrouded by scaffolding and covers. The Royal Opera House was also covered - for even longer, btw, lol. It's well worth finding out if famous buildings are in the process of being maintained prior to booking a holiday, esp if they are very old. It's quite easy (most times) via Google Earth.
#11
I Traveled All This Way Because Of A Post I Saw
Mimi La Souris 2 years ago
same vibe as : "very disappointed not to have seen the fireworks of July 14 when I went to France in September" ...
#12
Buxton "Blue Lagoon"
Space Invader 2 years ago
They actually dyed it black to deter people from going there for fotos since it's toxic
#13
Tourist Site Instagram vs. Reality
#14
The Blue Lagoon, Iceland
Nils Skirnir 2 years ago
Why are folks upset when places are crowded with folks just like them? I.e. other tourists. Over tourism is now a plague.
#15
I Was In New York For The First Time In My Life
My wife and I spent almost 10 hours on a plane, crossed the Atlantic Ocean and flew 7,500 kilometers. We climbed to the top of the rock to enjoy a view of Central Park. We had only one day in New York and this view will always be with us.
Mimi La Souris 2 years ago
this is the only case where I sympathize with tourists, bad luck :/
#16
Went To Visit Casa Batlló In Barcelona
#17
Taking Pictures, Expectation vs. Reality
Dragon mama 2 years ago
In all these expectation pics the person is alone which is just not authentic because we all already know what lengths they will go to to get the shot and hate them for it. Who falls for this bs?
#18
Traveled 2,874 Miles To See The Cliffs Of Moher
The only Plueschopossum 2 years ago
Our weather there was similar to the right pic (1st week of January :D). Okay, just a little bit less foggy with some fine rain. But to be honest: I loved it! Windy and rough weather suit this landscape perfectly. Ireland is wonderful!
#19
Went To Visit The Cherry And Spoon At Sculpture Gardens In Minneapolis. Cherry Is Out For Repainting
#20
Sightseeing In Rotterdam
#21
I Was Finally Able To Travel To Paris, And The Arch De Triumph Looks Like This. It's An "Art" Project
#22
Hakone Shrine In Japan. Instagram vs. Reality
Remi (He/Him) 2 years ago
I think the one on the right is someone stumbling upon the shrine during a festival or other special event.
#23
My Trip To Bali, Nusa Penida Island
#24
A Friend Went To Visit A Bamboo Bridge And Rice Field In Thailand That She Saw On Google, Unfortunately During The Dry Season
Nonplussed Puss 2 years ago
Most of these disappointments are just not checking the season/weather.
#25
Brooklyn Bridge, New York
#26
Railay Beach, Krabi, Thailand
Bob Brooce 2 years ago
A short walk and a bit of swim would have put you in the right place Untitled-6...8598f9.jpg 
#27
I Went On A Hike In Norway Expecting A Great View
#28
We Were All Hyped Up To Check Out The Pink Lake In Torrevieja... Only To Be Greeted By The Sad Sight Of A Not-So-Pink Lake On The Day Of Our Visit
#29
Expectation vs. Reality Venice Edition
#30
Terme Di Saturnia
BewilderedBanana 2 years ago
Can't really complain here. You can't expect reality to look like a heavily edited, filtered photo. And if you think you're going to be the only one there, you must be seriously delusional
#31
Mount Fuji, Japan
#32
Visited Mount Fuji For The First Time. The View Was Magnificent
#33
Instagram vs. Reality On Maya Beach In Thailand
Stephanie A Mutti 2 years ago
I am sick to death of people posing. It is the WORST thing that the internet has brought out in humanity. This belief that we are this person whose life is worth documenting to unknown folks. I think our younger folks don't even know how new this is and how unimportant and how they are sacrificing their individuality for "likes".
#34
My Friend And I Were In Paris And Decided To Take The Pilgrimage To The Tame Impala Lonerism's Album Cover Gate. This Is What We Saw When We Got There
#35
I Traveled Nearly 300 Miles To The Northernmost Point Of Vietnam So I Could See China - This Was The View
#36
Drove For Two Hours To See The Lighthouse
Comfortably Numb 2 years ago (edited)
Hatteras lighthouse, outer banks NC USA. There's like 5 other beautiful lighthouses within a few miles of here
#37
I Drove 4 Hours (One Way) To See Radium Springs, One Of Georgia’s Natural Wonders... After A Heavy Rainfall
#38
Expectation vs. Reality London Edition
#39
A Few Years Ago I Traveled More Than 7000 Miles To See The Grand Canyon
#40
Looking Through My Pictures From The Last Few Days I Saw This And Thought: Can't Remember Being In Such A Beautiful Place. Because My Impression From The Days Is The Busy Harbor Side
#41
This Is So Real
#42
Great Wall Of China, Beijing
#43
Grutas De Tolantongo
#44
I Still Loved It
#45
Mount Fuji Perfect Picture Hunt, Day 2. Clouds 2 - Human 0 (5-Hour Trip - 2-Hour Walk. One Way)
#46
The Taj Mahal, Agra, India
Fellfromthemoon 2 years ago
Squat down, then you'll have the same angle. Go there at sunrise, and you'll have that gorgeous light. Bonus: at dawn, it is less crowded.
#47
Hiking In Norway. I've Missed Traveling So Much. This Was Kind Of A Good Timing Reminder That It's Not Always That Glorious Anyway
#48
Choose Your Travel Dates Wisely
#49
I Traveled To Singapore A Few Months Ago. Went To See The Famous Singapore Merlion In Merlion Park... That Was Under Construction
#50
"Afternoon Tea On The Thames With The Best View Of London Bridge" They Said
#51
Traveled 4000 Miles From The USA To Ireland To See The Cliffs Of Moher
#52
I Drove 21 Hours To Mount Rainier, And It Was Cloaked In Fog For Days
#53
So We've Thought To Stand On The Same Spot For That Magnificent View (The Peak In Hong Kong). It Wasn't Foggy When We Went Up
#54
Traveled For 30 Hours By Train, Then An Overnight Bus, Then Rented Bikes... For The Amazing Views
#55
A Few Years Ago We Hiked A Mountain For The View On The Foggiest Day Possible
#56
Paris
BewilderedBanana 2 years ago
looks exactly the same with slightly different weather (and no filters)
#57
Keukenhof
Auntriarch 2 years ago
I don't understand this one, we went and obviously there were lots of people, but you could see all the displays
#58
Overnight Sleeper Train From Bangkok To Chiang Mai, Thailand
René Sauer 2 years ago (edited)
And don´t see the problem? The upper picture was probably taken shortly before/after departure. It will probably look the same as the lower one in a few hours.
#59
I Was So Excited To See Mount Fuji During My Stay In Japan. Well This Is All I Saw All The Time
#60
It's Beautiful There, But
#61
Months Of Savings, Traveled Over 5000 Miles And An 11-Hour Flight. Ladies And Gentlemen, The Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco, CA
#62
In New Zealand, I Stumbled Across This Lone Tree Standing In The Middle Of A Lake
#63
We Loved Rosemary Beach And Already Planning Our Next Trip But We Were Not Prepared For The June Grass
#65
I Hope You Enjoyed It Despite The Crowds
#66
The Real Aare Gorge
#67
If You Know You Know
Happy Onion 2 years ago
Skip the sign and walk to the Pinball Hall of Fame. It's SO close to this spot.
#68
Went To Visit Hook & Ladder Company 8
#69
The Rain Has Stopped Today. Look At This Gorgeous Place. Grateful
#70
Zanzibar Expectation vs. Reality
#71
Things Don’t Always Go As Planned
Auntriarch 2 years ago (edited)
This is just ridiculous, there is a queue and when you are at head of it you will get the view that you came for. This is not a problem at all
#72
Expectation vs. Reality
BewilderedBanana 2 years ago
All these people thinking they're the only person to want to take that photo... the landscape looks identical in both photos, there are just a few more people in the "reality" shot. if you're making a big deal out of this, i guess you're not enjoying much of life in general :)
#73
Touristy Thing In Rome
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What do you think ?
Donkeywheel 2 years ago (edited)
Quick summary : in real life there are crowds, maintenance works, and the weather is not always ideal. What a surprise!
Bored something 2 years ago
On instagram there are so many filters that people really should expect reality to be nothing like the internet.
Load More Replies... Luis Hernandez Dauajare 2 years ago (edited)
Some pics are really sad or a case of bad timing, but a lot of these pics are "Oh no, who would have thought this amazingly popular tourist attraction would attract so many tourists?"
Mimi La Souris 2 years ago
to have experienced it, I sympathize with people who did not have a good weather while the season is good (happens to me but I do not complain everywhere for that), on the other hand, those who left without information, without doing research and who hopes that real life is like on the internet, well done for them.
Tempest 2 years ago (edited)
Totally agree with you! Sometimes even on days with a perfect weather forecast, it can change in an instance. But people can research the climate and plan better. For example, avoid monsoon experiencing countries during such periods or high elevation hikes during winter if you want a clear view...
Load More Replies... Donkeywheel 2 years ago (edited)
Quick summary : in real life there are crowds, maintenance works, and the weather is not always ideal. What a surprise!
Bored something 2 years ago
On instagram there are so many filters that people really should expect reality to be nothing like the internet.
Load More Replies... Luis Hernandez Dauajare 2 years ago (edited)
Some pics are really sad or a case of bad timing, but a lot of these pics are "Oh no, who would have thought this amazingly popular tourist attraction would attract so many tourists?"
Mimi La Souris 2 years ago
to have experienced it, I sympathize with people who did not have a good weather while the season is good (happens to me but I do not complain everywhere for that), on the other hand, those who left without information, without doing research and who hopes that real life is like on the internet, well done for them.
Tempest 2 years ago (edited)
Totally agree with you! Sometimes even on days with a perfect weather forecast, it can change in an instance. But people can research the climate and plan better. For example, avoid monsoon experiencing countries during such periods or high elevation hikes during winter if you want a clear view...
Load More Replies...
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