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!!!

St Pancras too.

I love the exterior, I hate how much of the interior has been given over to retail. But not half as much as the butchery they performed on Kings Cross.

The Needles on the IOW. Much smaller than I thought they'd be. It was a 'is that it?' moment. They might have been better from the boat trip I suppose, but it was cold, damp and misty the day I went, and I wasn't in the mood for a trip in a boat.

Mine are some places in general first

New York, hated the place, hated everything. Statue of Liberty dirty with lots of weeds and plenty of torn flags.

Las Vegas, seedy, unfriendly, had a undercurrent about it, and that was 26 years ago when I went.

Sydney, just did not get the attraction at all, and I too was underwhelmed by the Opera House.

New Zealand in general, yes the scenery can be good, but I have seen better, and was fed up with being ripped off for charges for 'Once in a lifetime' must see/do activities and so many rude, miserable people serving in stores. And the drinking culture.

I suppose it's all a question of perspective. The pyramids are surprisingly close to the city, but look so much better viewed from the other side whilst galloping across the desert on an Arabian horse.

The Giant's Causeway- looks so much bigger and better in the pictures

Alhambra Palace- hugely disappointed until the last bit (the gardens which are the cheapest)

Blimey. I loved a lot of the places mentioned on here. We did a tour of the pyramids which maybe helped as our guide kept the hawkers away. I thought they were stunning.
Vatican/st peters took my breath away
Sorrento I thought was charming although we mainly used it as a base to get to Pompeii/Vesuvius/Capri, I wasn't expecting good beaches!
Rome was awesome. Love the fact history is just on the streets.
I dislike Brussels, including mannekin pis but I lived there so not sure that counts.

Not me but as I was busy gawping at the collosium in Rome I heard someone pipe up "it's a bit run down and scruffy and our NFL stadiums are much bigger "

Statue of Liberty and the Vatican, the Vatican as the restored paintings looked like cartoons.

Capri was horribly busy but not sure if that's the same as being underwhelmed

Flat Iron building. I was stood at the bottom with my map trying to figure out where it was, realised and was a bit, "oh that's it?!"

Everyone we go past it now we do a whole "wonder where the Flat Iron building is" routine (DH and DS find it hilarious..)

In the UK

Lands End. The commercial aspect.

Wales-Port Merion. I know its not a heritage site or anything but we spent 20 years not quite going so last trip to Wales I insisted. My minimum expectation wassomething pretty and interesting. It was overpriced and grim.

I live in Sydney and I do love it, but I was completely underwhelmed on my first visit. The Opera House in particular is very meh up close, the tiles are yellowish (apparently if they were white they would be blinding in the sun) and it's at the end of a peninsular which is full of ugly apartment buildings.
Sydney's heart is its beaches. I just spent a few days in Melbourne, it's an amazing city.

I was also underwhelmed with Lands End and Snowden

Pyramids. Great feat of engineering but expected them to be in the middle of the desert not right on the edge of the City.

New York, hated the place, hated everything. Statue of Liberty dirty with lots of weeds and plenty of torn flags

Ooh I love NY. Especially when you visit the "real" NY with the graffiti etc. I think it's such an amazing place.

Times Square is shit though!

The original igloo hotels in Finland (Kakslauttnen). Worst hotel imaginable. Bloody expensive. Soulless and hideously uncomfortable (stayed in an igloo & a cabin). They charged extortionate rates for everything. €50 for wood for the fire for example. If you wanted to meet Santa you'd need a second mortgage.

Last time I ever stay in a so called 'bucket list' hotel.

The leaning tower of Pisa. Walked mikes in blistering heat to find it and it was just so much smaller than I'd imagined. Very lovely but small.

Yes, yes, yes to the Sphinx and pyramids. Beautiful in themselves, but I wanted to be transported to the middle of the desert. Instead the coach dropped us off on the edge of Cairo with beggars, traders and police on camels who all wanted to be paid for anything and everything. I too have the impressive photo of the landmarks in the desert, but I had JFC and McDonalds behind me as I took it. Most disappointing.

Twin towers., trevi fountain.
Wished I'd seen the Statue of Liberty instead.
Most impressive?
Niagra falls, old faithful in Yellowstone. Pompeii.

(York Minster) I lived in York and the building never failed to fill me with awe

Me too - I can't get my head around the craftsmanship and skill required to construct that incredible building. Even today, with our technology, and engineering equipment, and computers to do the intricate bits etc, it would be a major undertaking. Then - WOW!

Course, there was no Health and Safety then - heaven alone knows how many poor souls were killed or maimed in its construction.

But it is amazing.

Sistine chapel really small and so crowded !

Natural History Museum. When I was a kid we did all the London museums, and I loved it. Took my kids back as an adult, and apart from the length of the queues (45 mins to even get in the door, another 45 mins to see the dinosaur hall) - the rest of it was just a bit unmaintained and rubbish....

This is the problem with any activity museum - they're all lovely for the first few months, but they're never maintained so you go back a couple of years later and half the exhibits are busted.

Rome is actually a city I was surprised by - yes it was over priced, yes the driving was hair raising, but the scale and quantity of 'old stuff' was amazing - I think it would be my top pick for a city weekend break.

Everything I've been disappointed in was due to the size. The Manekin Pis is minute - I honestly don't understand why it became a must see. Apparently there is a weeing girl statue too but no one ever mentions that.

I loved the Leaning Tower of Pisa, but again it seemed much smaller than it had in my imagination. I expected Stonehenge to be a lot bigger too.

I think as kids we see things in books and build them up in our minds, and things always seem huge to children. I did love Giants Causeway though, but I was 4 when I went!

With the pyramids I was initially
surprised how close they were to the city, but they are absolutely incredible. And Cairo itself is fascinating, so I didn't feel it ruined it.

YY to The Natural History Museum. A festival of fibreglass and dust.

Also The British Museum. Jesus Christ I was bored. So bored. So very, very bored...

Another vote for Stonehenge being underwhelming.
Also Ring of Kerry - narrow lanes with high hedges and persistent rain. Nothing better than Cornwall or North Wales.

Loved Grand Canyon but was lucky enough to fly over.
Niagara Falls for the immense power of mother nature.
Not been to the pyramids but a night tour of Luxor temple was amazing.