A top attraction that lives up to its hype. You can avoid the crowds by going at sunrise or sunset. An alternative? Embrace the scrum, interact with the touts and talk to other tourists.
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Acropolis/Lykavitos Hill (Greece) —
The climb up is hot and crowded -- but at the top, you'll see why a million people do this every year. This is Athenian culture refined and placed on a pedestal 150 meters high.
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London Underground —
The most literal "tourist trap" on this list, London's tube system often turns commuters into prisoners, if only for a few minutes. But the complexity of the underground means shortcuts and alternate routes are available, if you do a little research.
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Khao San Road (Bangkok) —
Travelers hit Khao San Road precisely because it's thrillingly chaotic -- the noise and crowds are the price of that excitement.
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Sacre Coeur (Paris) —
Most visitors take the same route to and from the basilica, one lined with souvenir shops and tourist scams. But you can also find quintessential Parisian cafes, tree-lined streets and hidden alleyways nearby.
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Stonehenge (UK) —
Teeming crowds. And most visitors don't get this close. But go anyway -- it's the crowning monument in a staggering archaeology-rich landscape and one of the most famous prehistoric monuments in the world.
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Christ the Redeemer (Rio de Janeiro) —
This 98-foot-tall statue is Rio's most famous landmark, and therefore usually heaving with crowds. You can avoid the crush by going on a weekday, or when the sky isn't totally clear.
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Grand Canyon (Arizona) —
A whistle-stop trip to the edge, or even to the Skywalk, is fine but doesn't do this amazing site justice. If you can get down inside this 17-million-year-old landmark you really get a sense of its depth.