Some years back, travel writer Gregory Dicum (of Dicum.com) was visiting Bangkok with his wife. The two made their way to the legendary Khao San Road and were shocked at the truth of the supposedly must-see destination: The neighborhood consisted almost entirely of backpackers, hardly a native in sight. Rather than interesting local color, the street was lined with the standard assortment of souvenir shops, hair-braiding stands and cafes.
"Khao San Road came to exist just for the travelers. It's so bad that locals actually go to gawk at them," Dicum says.
He and his wife walked on, and just a couple minutes away they discovered a seemingly secluded Buddhist temple hosting a lively festival. The two were invited in, offered trays brimming with coconuts and bananas and treated to a wonderful meal with utter strangers. Not a fellow tourist was in sight.
"Ostensibly all those backpackers were looking for the authentic Thailand experience, but none was willing to walk 200 meters," Dicum says. "That's the thing about tourist traps. Instead of seeing the place itself, you see other tourists."

Behold, then, your guide to avoiding the worst offenders. It's not that an $11 bowl of official San Francisco clam chowder at Fisherman's Wharf doesn't hit the spot. And, granted, there's no substitute for an authentic replica of the Great Pyramid at Giza. But not all overcrowded, merchandise-swollen travel hot spots are created equal, and some deserve to be flagged as full-fledged tourist traps.

Weighing crowds against breathing room, bulging postcard racks against actual scenic vistas, and most of all hype against reality, we've compiled a list of ostensibly beloved destinations that you might consider striking from your global to-see list—no matter how glossy and luscious those brochures make them seem.

Sometimes, a thin line separates the tourist trap from the packed-but-worthwhile destination. Travel writer Bruce Northam of AmericanDetour.com says you know a real tourist trap by the noise level and inflated price tags. Avoid places that sound "more or less like a car alarm going off" where "you're paying incredibly exorbitant prices for goods and services that would be better enjoyed five miles away, for a fifth the cost."