Instagram vs. Reality: What Famous Tourist Attractions Look Like IRL

Social media lies and so do people. A little Photoshop here, a different angle here and a few filters there, and you’ve got a travel location that’s too good to be true.

Here are some famous tourist attractions that failed to meet expectations…

Instagram: The Great Wall of China

Pretty much every traveler has this 13,000-mile barrier from ancient times on their list of places to see. And we all delude ourselves into thinking we’ll be the only ones trying to cross or attempt to cross the wall and take a cool selfie.

Reality: The Great Wall of China

If you thought you were the only person on the planet who wanted to visit the Great Wall of China, guess again. Tourists come from far and wide to get a snap while standing on this majestic landmark, so prepare to get photobombed.

Instagram: Eiffel Tower

You can go to Paris, France, and speak the language of love all you want. You might even want to take a romantic pic just like this one in front of the Eiffel Tower, and who could blame you?

Just don’t expect to actually get to do it unless you have a professional photographer and some bodyguards.

Reality: Eiffel Tower

There are long lines, tons of security and bag searches and of course, a very big crowd. But if you walk around and test all the different angles of the Eiffel Tower, you might get a pretty decent selfie. Keyword: might.