17 Formerly Peaceful Travel Destinations That Have Been Absolutely Ruined By Tourism

The other day I was minding my own business when I stumbled across this TikTok of Santorini during peak travel months:

terrastravels / Via tiktok.com

It was once a place I really wanted to visit. But now, thanks to its popularity among tourists, I'm not so sure.

A crowded street in Santorini, Greece with tourists, featuring signs for Blue Sky, Taverna, and Cafe, illustrating over-tourism. Text reads, "How Santorini Greece really is... Too many people..."
terrastravels / Via tiktok.com

The video left me wondering...what other (once peaceful) travel destinations have become absolute mob scenes due to tourism? Thankfully, Reddit user SomebodyNope had the same question for the Redditsphere. Here's what people had to say:

1."When you plan a weekend in Lucca, Italy, as the romantic end to your honeymoon, double-check and make sure it doesn’t coincide with one of Europe’s largest comic conventions held there. LOL. It didn’t ruin the trip, but it definitely wasn’t what we planned. At least we got a great story out of it."

Three individuals in vibrant cosplay costumes from the anime JoJo's Bizarre Adventure sit on a bench, with one holding a toy gun and pointing it forward
Tiziana Fabi / AFP via Getty Images

2."Versailles. I knew it would be busy, it was summer, but it was a massive bucket list visit for me. There were SO many people inside the palace that I could barely see the actual rooms and treasures (the Hall of Mirrors had no magic for me due to the crowds), and we felt like cattle being herded. However, we absolutely loved the gardens and other buildings (Petit Trianon, etc.), so overall, we still really enjoyed the whole day."

A crowd of tourists explores the expansive gardens at the Palace of Versailles, with statues, a large fountain, manicured paths, and wooded areas visible
Nurphoto / NurPhoto via Getty Images

3."Santorini. Went in October, and it was still packed! Some tourists were super rude, too."

People taking selfies and enjoying the sunset with views of white-washed buildings and the sea in Santorini, Greece
Nurphoto / NurPhoto via Getty Images

4."The Vatican inside St. Peter's Basilica. This was pre-COVID, so the experience may be different now, but there were sooooo many people. I wanted to stay inside the Sistine Chapel to admire the ceiling paintings, but I was being pushed along, and it was so noisy."

People admire the ornate ceiling and wall frescoes of the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City
Anadolu / Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

5."Yosemite. You go there for the peace and calm of a national park, only to be greeted with filled parking lots, illegally parked cars blocking others, TikTokers going way off marked trails, and bad human behavior everywhere."

A crowd of tourists, including a woman in a hat taking a photo, enjoying a sunny day outdoors in a natural park setting
George Rose / Getty Images

6."As a Canadian, tourism in the Banff National Park is destroying the environment. Hard to enjoy when you're seeing such disrespect for it constantly around you."

A serene lake with a distant red kayak, set against a backdrop of dense pine forest and towering mountains
Geoff Robins / AFP via Getty Images

7."The Time Out Market in Lisbon. Thousands of people packed cattle-style into a food court. People walking aimlessly or stopping abruptly in front of you while you try to carry a tray with drinks on it around, looking for a free space at a table that doesn’t exist."

People dining and socializing at a busy indoor marketplace with various food stalls. The atmosphere is lively, with patrons seated at communal tables
Ucg / UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

8."Christmas in Singapore. It was the lines and waiting that killed my experience going to touristy things."

A large crowd celebrates around a tall, illuminated Christmas tree in a bustling city square at night, with festive lights and artificial snow enhancing the atmosphere
Roslan Rahman / AFP via Getty Images

9."Angkor Wat. First time I went there in 2001, and monks were all over and the locals were genuinely friendly. Now you’re a number, and it’s so crowded and full of rules that it’s hard to enjoy."

Large crowd of tourists exploring the ancient Angkor Wat temple, bordered by palm trees, in Cambodia
Xinhua News Agency / Xinhua News Agency via Getty Images

10."Rio, Brazil. Actually, most of Rio was fine, but when we went to the Christ the Redeemer statue…holy crap. You could barely move, it was awful. I usually don’t go see things like that, but we had family with us who wanted to go."

Tourists gather at the base of Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro, taking photos and enjoying the view
Anadolu / Anadolu via Getty Images

11."Giant’s Causeway, Northern Ireland. I walked down the path to the shore, thought to myself, 'This would be really cool if there weren’t so many people,' then walked back up the path."

Giant's Causeway in Northern Ireland. Hexagonal basalt columns lead up to a green hillside under a partly cloudy sky. Tourists are visible in the distance
Andia / Andia/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

12."Phi Phi, Thailand. Amazing scenery and waters completely destroyed by vast seas of floating tourists in orange life jackets. The island is tiny and completely packed with hotels and bars. In the town, you cannot see anything except three-story buildings. The streets are packed; the beaches are packed. It is about as far from 'island paradise' as one can have nightmares about."

A group of tourists gathers on the beach at Maya Bay, Thailand, with the iconic limestone cliffs in the background
Eyepix Group / Future Publishing via Getty Images

13."Nothing was as bad as Prague in September. Wall-to-wall tourists, and all the shops sold cheap tourist crap. The main square was full of bad street performers that had nothing to do with Prague. It felt more like medieval Disneyland than a real city. We didn't like it at all."

A bustling crowd on Charles Bridge in Prague, with statues, historic towers, and church domes in the background during twilight
Anadolu / Anadolu via Getty Images

14."Kyoto. Just left the other day. I imagined Kyoto was some peaceful provincial antithesis of Tokyo. That is how it is marketed, anyway. But the crowds are absolutely intense. I’m talking tens of thousands of people amassing at the popular sites: Fushimi Inari, Arashiyama, Nishiki, Kiyomizu-dera, and Ninenzaka/Sannenzaka. Nowhere to move. Nowhere to escape. To me, Kyoto is the poster child of how Instagram (and the mass affluence of society) ruined nice things."

People walk through a bustling, traditional Japanese street lined with wooden buildings and shops under a bright sky. The image is used in an article about travel
Vcg / VCG via Getty Images

15."Machu Picchu. Don’t get me wrong, it was definitely beautiful, but way too many people. And nearly all of them just there to take photos of themselves."

A group of tourists listens to a guide lecturing at an ancient ruin site surrounded by mountains
Carolina Paucar / AFP via Getty Images

16."Mount Rushmore was packed with morons. Issues with parking, people just standing in everyone’s way, rudeness, kids screaming and running around. Had I not already been in the area, I wouldn’t have bothered."

Tourists at Mount Rushmore National Memorial, with a woman carrying a souvenir bag featuring images of the monument
Scott Olson / Getty Images

17.And finally, "Santa Monica in California. Used to be cool, but now it’s just so packed it’s hard to even enjoy."

A large crowd of people walking along a busy boardwalk filled with umbrellas, shops, and street vendors

—u/deleted

Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

What are some travel destinations that you think have been overrun by tourists? What was it like when you were there? Tell us in the comments for a chance to be featured in a BuzzFeed Community post or video!

Note: Some submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity