The internet can be an amazing place to find travel inspiration and plan your next trip. That said, what we see online isn’t always what we get in real life.
Some travelers on social media, especially influencers, often aim to portray their adventures in a flattering light. This can lead to a bit of a surprise when we finally go to their advertised destinations and find they’re not quite as we imagined. Take “Paris Syndrome”, for example, which describes the disappointment some Japanese tourists feel when they visit the French capital.
At Bored Panda, we’ve gathered some of those eye-opening moments from around the web. Find them below and let us know if you’ve ever had a reality check during your travels!
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
I Traveled All This Way Because Of A Post I Saw
#2
I Was Finally Able To Travel To Paris, And The Arch De Triumph Looks Like This. It's An "Art" Project
#3
Tourist Site Instagram vs. Reality
#4
Sightseeing In Rotterdam
#5
That Sure Didn’t Go As Planned
#6
Hard-To-Obtain Permits For A 10-Mile Hike To See Havasupai Falls
#7
Went To Visit Casa Batlló In Barcelona
#8
On The Topic Of Unfortunately Timed Maintenance In Japan, Here Is What The Floating Torii Gate At Miyajima Looked Like When I Was There Compared To What It Usually Looks Like
#9
Expectations vs. Reality In Santorini
#10
Even Though The Trevi Fountain Is Possibly The Most Crowded Tourist Attraction In The World, It’s Still A Masterpiece You Cannot Miss When Visiting Rome
#11
Taking Pictures, Expectation vs. Reality
#12
The Blue Lagoon, Iceland
#13
I Was In New York For The First Time In My Life
My wife and I spent almost 10 hours on a plane, crossed the Atlantic Ocean and flew 7,500 kilometers. We climbed to the top of the rock to enjoy a view of Central Park. We had only one day in New York and this view will always be with us.
#14
I Traveled From UK All The Way To Germany To Take Photos Of The Devil’s Eye. This Is What I Saw When I Got There
#15
Went To See The Famous Neuschwanstein Castle And This Was Our View
#16
Terme Di Saturnia
#17
Buxton "Blue Lagoon"
#18
Mount Fuji, Japan
#19
Railay Beach, Krabi, Thailand
#20
A Friend Went To Visit A Bamboo Bridge And Rice Field In Thailand That She Saw On Google, Unfortunately During The Dry Season
#21
Paris
#22
Traveled 2,874 Miles To See The Cliffs Of Moher
#23
This Is So Real
#24
Drove For Two Hours To See The Lighthouse
#25
I Traveled To Singapore A Few Months Ago. Went To See The Famous Singapore Merlion In Merlion Park... That Was Under Construction
#26
Great Wall Of China, Beijing
#27
The Mona Lisa
#28
Brooklyn Bridge, New York
#29
Went To Visit The Cherry And Spoon At Sculpture Gardens In Minneapolis. Cherry Is Out For Repainting
#30
Visited Mount Fuji For The First Time. The View Was Magnificent
#31
The Harsh Reality
#32
Touristy Thing In Rome
#33
Instagram vs. Reality
In all seriousness, though, I still really enjoyed visiting Railay. Plus, I am also a tourist, so who am I to judge?
#34
I Went On A Hike In Norway Expecting A Great View
#35
My Friend And I Were In Paris And Decided To Take The Pilgrimage To The Tame Impala Lonerism's Album Cover Gate. This Is What We Saw When We Got There
#36
The Taj Mahal, Agra, India
#37
Expectation vs. Reality London Edition
#38
"Afternoon Tea On The Thames With The Best View Of London Bridge" They Said
#39
A Few Years Ago I Traveled More Than 7000 Miles To See The Grand Canyon
#40
So We've Thought To Stand On The Same Spot For That Magnificent View (The Peak In Hong Kong). It Wasn't Foggy When We Went Up
#41
Hakone Shrine In Japan. Instagram vs. Reality
#42
Keukenhof
#43
Expectation vs. Reality Venice Edition
#44
Grutas De Tolantongo
#45
Instagram vs. Reality On Maya Beach In Thailand
#46
My Trip To Bali, Nusa Penida Island
#47
Months Of Savings, Traveled Over 5000 Miles And An 11-Hour Flight. Ladies And Gentlemen, The Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco, CA
#48
I Traveled Nearly 300 Miles To The Northernmost Point Of Vietnam So I Could See China - This Was The View
#49
I Drove 4 Hours (One Way) To See Radium Springs, One Of Georgia’s Natural Wonders... After A Heavy Rainfall
#50
Mount Fuji Perfect Picture Hunt, Day 2. Clouds 2 - Human 0 (5-Hour Trip - 2-Hour Walk. One Way)
#51
A Few Years Ago We Hiked A Mountain For The View On The Foggiest Day Possible
#52
We Were All Hyped Up To Check Out The Pink Lake In Torrevieja... Only To Be Greeted By The Sad Sight Of A Not-So-Pink Lake On The Day Of Our Visit
#53
Traveled 4000 Miles From The USA To Ireland To See The Cliffs Of Moher
#54
Hiking In Norway. I've Missed Traveling So Much. This Was Kind Of A Good Timing Reminder That It's Not Always That Glorious Anyway
#55
The Real Aare Gorge
#56
Maldives
#57
Looking Through My Pictures From The Last Few Days I Saw This And Thought: Can't Remember Being In Such A Beautiful Place. Because My Impression From The Days Is The Busy Harbor Side
#58
It's Beautiful There, But
#59
I Hope You Enjoyed It Despite The Crowds
#60
I Drove 21 Hours To Mount Rainier, And It Was Cloaked In Fog For Days
#61
I Was So Excited To See Mount Fuji During My Stay In Japan. Well This Is All I Saw All The Time
#62
Zanzibar Expectation vs. Reality
#63
Expectation vs. Reality
#64
We Loved Rosemary Beach And Already Planning Our Next Trip But We Were Not Prepared For The June Grass
#65
I Still Loved It
#66
Overnight Sleeper Train From Bangkok To Chiang Mai, Thailand
#67
The Rain Has Stopped Today. Look At This Gorgeous Place. Grateful
#68
In New Zealand, I Stumbled Across This Lone Tree Standing In The Middle Of A Lake
#69
Traveled For 30 Hours By Train, Then An Overnight Bus, Then Rented Bikes... For The Amazing Views
#70
Choose Your Travel Dates Wisely
#71
If You Know You Know
#72
Went To Visit Hook & Ladder Company 8
#73