To ask what famous landmark or must visit place/thing were you secretly underwhelmed by?

[Midge1978]

I went to stonehenge this year and whilst I was trying to get in touch with my inner druid, trying to project historical importance and mystery onto the place, I just couldn't escape the feeling that I was just looking at some very old stones and it was actually (whisper) a little bit boring!! Dh thought it was all marvellous though so I have never told him!!!

Another vote for the Mona Lisa. Rubbish.

I loved the Trevi Fountain though.

Agree with Prague Astronomical clock, Statue of Liberty, Mona Lisa. Very disappointing.

The pyramids are amazing. I didn't see mcdonalds and the hawkers were kept well away by the tourist police. We weren't hassled in any way although one of the stall holders offered my hubby a number of camels for me .

Petra also amazing. Yes, there are some hawkers about but a firm no thank you sees them on their way. The walk down the crescent canyon and that first view is incredible.

The valley of the kings was another memorable one. Your ticket covers king tut's tomb and three others. I actually fond the deep empty tombs more haunting and moving than tuts. You do have to remember n the gamut of street sellers on the way out. The key is don't stop do not engage.

Pompeii was great. Hot but great. Would love to do Herculaneum.

Niagra Falls wasn't disappointing per se but when you've seen Victoria Falls first, it does slightly pale in comparison.

The Trevi fountain is ruined by the police piping whistles at you if you even vaguely touch it never mind the rubbish and crowds and selfie sticks...
I got stuck on the floor doing my shoelace up, held the edge to steady myself and got a right telling off!!! I asked him to help me and was told no. Well fuck you. I'm holding it to get up from the floor before the hordes trample me!!

Love this thread.

I have always wanted to see Hadrian's wall, not sure I will bother now.

DCs were disappointed with the colosseum. I am not sure what they expected. Lions perhaps?

I think sometimes it depends on the way you first see these things that affects how good they look. When we saw the Leaning tower of Pisa, we were on a guided tour and the lady running it made the driver park the coach in a particular spot so that when we got off and walked to the tower, we came around a corner and - ta da! - there it was at its most leany of angles. Really got the wow factor. Just about every other approach would have not shown it off to its best.

I also get disappointed when things are smaller than expected. That's why I love Sydney Opera house - it's massive. I can't imagine why so many don't like it.

For years I believed that Michaelangelo's David was a little over the normal height of a man, say 7' tall? That's how it always seems to be depicted in cartoons etc anyway. It is of course as tall as a house and it is astonishing. (There is a good copy in the V&A by the way but the original is far better. His face!)

Uffizi- was a bit boring and although I'm a Catholic, the artwork was too religious for me. Florence itself was beautiful but the crowds (mostly American) sapped the magic.

Tower of Pisa... tiny.

Mona Lisa... the Louvre is amazing, but this painting belongs in the Uffizi...

Saw the mermaid, didn't realise it was a 'wonder', and laughed when this did coke to light.

Eiffel Tower... then I saw it at night and it's one of my favourite things ever.

The 12 Apostles on the Great Ocean Road, Australia. I was very bored, unimpressed and freezing cold (Winter). It made me feel more miserable that my DH thought they were so wonderful, yawn!

The 3 Sisters, Katoomba, NSW, Australia. Same reasons as above, although it was quite sunny and not that cold, but they just failed to impress me, as everyone looked on in awe.

I did Hadrian's Wall as a walk/camp and it was awesome in that respect.

Hoover dam. It's just a big wall of concrete..
Was also underwhelmed by San Francisco. It Was grey and miserable.

For Roman remains in Britain you have to remember it was the ends of the earth so everything was relatively crap. It's more of a journey of the imagination!

For maximum underwhelm seek out the traces of the Antonine Wall.

mrscharlie, I've got to ask. WTF were you expecting?

Another one for Sydney Opera house. It was a lot smaller than I was expecting

The Shard and the London Eye. Boring and not worth the money. You go up, you come down again.

I'd love to see the Hoover dam!

I preferred the " ruined" valley next to Yosemite that had been dammed..

The most disappointing place for us was London, Madame Tussauds was packed to bursting ou couldn't see anything for the crowds, the tower of London to see the Jewels was a real letdown the security (dressed in Beefeater uniforms )were horrible to us treated us like sheep shouting at us to move along ,after queuing for ages it was horrendous they were really nasty to us.

I should've also added previously:

Sydney, Australia. Most of it felt very unsafe and edgy, from the centre to the suburbs, and the trains were very dirty. I'm a born and bred Londoner, and used to a high crime rate and grime etc, but I felt very uneasy here.

The Gold Coast and Surfer's Paradise, Australia. Huge let downs. Crowded, noisy, full of sluts and guys who think they're God's gift, and shops selling tat for a high price. A very fake and unfriendly atmosphere.

Melbourne was on the whole lovely, but after a few weeks, I was bored stiff as there just are not enough shops and good enough clothes, nor things to see or do.

Sorry Australia for the knocking I'm giving you, but after visiting many areas, I wasn't very impressed and do not understand the hype you receive. Give me France or Croatia any day.

The Whitsunday Islands were beautiful though.

Stonehenge here too.

I went to Carnac this year - lots of people raved about it, but it was just a shit load of stones standing upright - at least at Stonehenge they made some sort of effort

Disney

London Eye - got bored by the time it reached the top. They should speed it up a bit

And Paris - sorry, I know it's supposed to be amazing and romantic and all that jazz, but I just thought it was a bit shit really

Oh, and the Tate Modern

I just didn't get it. I spent most of my time there going 'WTF??'

Especially when we got to the installation that just looked like scattered dog turds and the photos that looked a bit like one I once took by accident of the back of my knee

i have only this minute found out Michelangelo david is that tall. I genuenly thought he was only a bit taller than a person

Often I think the slightly less impressive/famous example is a better experience. Herculaneum rather than Pompeii, Avebury rather than Stonehenge. Probably because less overcrowded and more possible to go right up/inside whatever it is rather than having to stand well back behind a barrier.

And I found Iceland incredible but we went camping off road in the highlands. A different experience altogether to crowding into Gullfoss or the blue lagoon.

Mona Lisa. Rubbish

This just made me

Reminds me of Dom Joly "I'm at the theatre...no, it's rubbish!"

Yeah, I went to the Grand Canyon via Vegas so I probs got the Vegas Version if you will, rather than being taken to the best bit of the Canyon.

I got engaged the Trevi fountain to my psycho ex so I hate it for that reason! (Also I got an on the spot fine for paddling in it!)

Eden Project. Never again.

Agree about the Mona Lisa. But then I am frequently unmoved by supposedly great works of art.

With you OP. Stonehenge. It's a bit over-rated, and you have to PAY to get close to it, otherwise you're half a mile away. Seven quid each when we went. We just took a few pics with it in the background, spent half hour there, and then went back to Southampton where we were staying.

Also, yeah the Mona Lisa is tiny, and a bit shite.

Statue of Liberty was OK, but a bit over-rated I feel.

Lands End AND John O'Groats. Don't know what I was expecting, but they were both SO underwhelming!

Been to 2 Disneys - Florida and Paris. Found them both over-priced and crowded. We got on 5 rides in about 8 hours - utterly disappointed. Wouldn't go to any of them again.

Didn't think the White House was small. But I am not sure what people were expecting. Were they picturing something the size of Buckingham Palace?

I am also shocked at the Great Barrier Reef and The Grand Canyon being underwhelming. I thought they were both stunning. I also loved the pyramids in Egypt. York Minster is amazing too. Maybe it's all subjective. I HALF agree about Harrods and Hamleys; both huge, but massively over-rated and stupidly expensive and ALWAYS rammed with people!

I have also heard St Petersburg is much better than Moscow too.

And apart from Hamleys and Harrods, I love most places in London - and also New York and Paris impressed me too! I adore Manhattan, and could walk around it for days.