Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

People Describe The Most Disappointing Cities They've Ever Visited

Panoramic picture of Cairo
ferries along the city river banks near bridge with crossing cars
Photo by Ahmed Ezzat on Unsplash

Reddit user TheStylishInsider asked: 'What city disappointed you the most when visiting?'

Many people dream of traveling the world and visiting famous cities.

Determined to get pictures of themselves in front of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, at Big Ben in London, or in the Colosseum in Rome.


When your expectations to visit certain places are sky-high, it's almost inevitable that some things about certain cities will disappoint you.

In some cases, however, you might leave a vacation you've dreamed of going on all your life wondering if it was even worth it.

Redditor TheStylishInsider was eager to hear which of the world's major cities proved the biggest letdown to travelers, leading them to ask:

"What city disappointed you the most when visiting?"

"See The Pyramids Along The Way...

"Cairo."

"This was 2009 so some important things have changed but the country and people were so desperate for tourist dollars that it felt impossible to go anywhere or enjoy anything without feeling like you were being scammed."

"Also everywhere smelled like cigarettes and there was trash all over the streets."- Jer_Diamond

Egypt Cairo GIF by Arab American Heritage Month Giphy

Vegas Of The East... Or Is It?

"I blame a significant portion of my depression on Atlantic City."- GreenCity5

Simply Tragic

"Port au Prince, Haiti."

"Was taking a leak at an outhouse (plumbing was a luxury) beside a cantina -like dive and a kid popped up through the hole and begged for a quarter."

"This was before the earthquake made it worse."- Ohiostagecoach

Not Exactly Known For Their Nightlife

"That's hard because I usually know what I am getting into but I'll say Jackson, MS."

"I went to Jackson for work and stayed at a nice hotel downtown."

"Figured I would walk somewhere and get dinner."

"Got to my hotel and enjoying a few cocktails and it got about dusk and I looked out my window and it was 'I Am Legend' deserted."

"Like scary AF deserted."

"No people, no cars....nothing and it was like 7pm."

"I ended up getting room service."- MartyVanB

I Got It Mississippi GIF by Dear Silas Giphy

Here's NOT Looking At You...

"Casablanca Morocco."

"It was just really boring with nothing to really do."

'Which was nothing like the rest of Morocco where the people were super friendly with amazing food and lots to see."

"Marrakech was literally the complete opposite experience."- austic

One And Done

"Jamaica."

"The tourist experience was so bad as to make me never want to go back again."

"An unending horde of locals constantly hounding you for dollars."- JimTheJerseyGuy

But Did You See The Tower?

"Pisa, Italy."

"Aside from the tower and Cathedral, there is nothing to do."

"Pisa is a day trip, don't be like me and book three nights there."- andimacg

episode 8 GIF Giphy

A Mirage in The Desert, Maybe?

"I know this is a cliche at this point, but Dubai was just awful for too many reasons to list."- gobackclark

"Not Louisiana, Paris, France, New York Or Rome..."

"Gary, Indiana."

"I drove through it to get to Chicago."

"Didn't even get mugged once."- PhreedomPhighter

Not The Splurge You Were Expecting...

"Not a city but the hotel district in Tulúm, Mexico."

"It’s known for beautiful beaches with a jungle-to-urban interface, but the whole area was monetized to the max, making it hard to enjoy without spending outrageous money."

"I was half expecting it but sad to see it reduced to that."- Frequent_Yoghurt_92

Travel Mexico GIF by Caribe Mexicano Giphy

Did You Remember It Was The Capital?

"Topeka."- genzgingee

"My husband is from a small town outside of Topeka."

"The first time we went to visit his parents there I was like 'what do you mean the state capital doesn’t have an airport?'"

"It’s small and boring but the people are nice."- itsjustmeyasee

Money Isn't Everything...

" Weird reasoning, but Monaco."

"I went there for gratuitous displays of vulgar wealth and snobbishness, but all I got was a small dull city by the coast."

"It’s disappointingly bland."- Repulsive-Secret5914

Aloha...

"Waikiki."

"I’m from Hawaii, and grew up along the beach."

"Went back as an adult with kids (haven’t been back since I was 19), and I was so heartbroken and disappointed by how much everything declined or stagnated."- WifeOfSpock

Island Life Rainbow GIF by Nikki Elledge Brown Giphy

Little Rock, Big Disappointment...

"Little Rock, AR."

"My expectations were low, but f*ck, what a dump."

"Even the Clinton library looked like a double wide trailer."- SweetSexiestJesus

Objects Might Be Smaller Than They Appear...

"I drove passed Mt Rushmore once and as I approached I thought to myself 'Oh look, they have a mini Mt. Rushmore, too' only to realize that it was the actual Mt. Rushmore."

"A bit smaller than I expected."

"So I guess Keystone, South Dakota."- NoClipHeavy

Sometimes, we have such an idealized idea of what certain cities must be like, from famous books, movies, or TV shows, that we're simply bound to be disappointed upon arrival.

While some cities just might not be worth visiting...

More from Trending

Zuri and West Hamilton
@thenewmrshamilton/TikTok

Girl's Hilariously Iconic School Photos Have TikTok In Stitches After She Asked To 'Try Her Own Pose'

School picture day is one of those occasions that parents either plan for and get excited about, or ... absolutely dread.

And both are understandable, honestly. Parents are pressured to purchase expensive photo packages, while the pictures themselves often show their children looking less than stellar in a studio space with a photographer they've never met.

Keep Reading Show less
Brandon Royval; Donald Trump
Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC/Getty Images; Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

UFC Star Explains Why He Turned Down Offer To Fight At White House In Blistering NSFW Rant

Speaking on the In the Arena MMA podcast, UFC fighter Brandon Royval said he would turn down an offer to fight in a cage match at the White House, calling the idea "some f**king Hunger Games type of f**king s***."

Earlier this year, President Donald Trump announced there will be on a UFC fight on the White House grounds on July 4, 2026 to celebrate our nation's 250th year of independence.

Keep Reading Show less
Calum Worthy
Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Former Disney Star Sparks Backlash With His New AI App That Clones Your Dead Loved Ones

Saying goodbye to our loved ones and dealing with the grief of losing them is never easy, and pretending otherwise is probably not a good idea.

Former Disney star Calum Worthy wants to cash in on that, however. The actor may have once celebrated genuine friendship, music, and laughs during his time as Dez on Austin & Ally, but people are pretty convinced that he's gotten lost in the sauce, now that he's a co-founder for a very dystopian—and, dare we say, Black Mirror-infused—company.

Keep Reading Show less
Dolly Parton accepts the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award in a video message from her Nashville home.
Oscars/Youtube

Dolly Parton Was Just Awarded Her First Oscar—And Her Poignant Speech Has Fans Cheering

Where would we be without Miss Dolly P?

At the age of 79, the country legend achieved another milestone in her remarkable career by receiving the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award during the 2025 Governors Awards. Although she was unable to attend the ceremony in person, Parton accepted her first-ever Oscar through a recorded message from her home in Nashville.

Keep Reading Show less
Trans TikToker Goes Viral With Simple Explanation After Stranger Asks What 'Nonbinary' Means
@lillytino_/TikTok

Trans TikToker Goes Viral With Simple Explanation After Stranger Asks What 'Nonbinary' Means

In a world where it seems that everyone is angry all the time and assumes the worst of people around them, it can be refreshing to see two people have a reasonable conversation about a charged topic.

An example of this is a recent TikTok clip that went viral, in which trans TikToker Lilly Contino explained to a curious passerby what the word "nonbinary" means.

Keep Reading Show less