Holidaymakers are sacrificing sleep – and patience – to capture the perfect Instagram snap abroad, as the world’s most impossible photo locations are revealed.
New research commissioned has named ten tourist hotspots where crowds are most likely to ruin the shot, with the Mona Lisa, Buckingham Palace, the Taj Mahal and the Colosseum among the worst offenders.
The study shows how far people are willing to go for the perfect picture, with more than a quarter of Brits (27 per cent) admitting to sacrificing their holiday lie-in to arrive early, with some even reaching landmarks before 6am to beat the crowds.
This is most common among Gen Z, with 40 per cent waking up at the crack of dawn to secure the ideal shot.
Older generations seem less than willing to make the same sacrifice, as 59 per cent of Gen X say they would never wake up early just for a photo free of people.
Topping the list of the hardest photos to take is Times Square in New York, where flashing billboards, packed sidewalks and a constant flow of tourists make a crowd-free picture almost impossible at any time of day.
Following closely behind is the Eiffel Tower in Paris, which draws crowds from all corners of the globe, scrambling for the perfect angle beneath the iconic landmark.
Also making the top ten are Rome’s Trevi Fountain, the Mona Lisa at the Louvre, London’s Buckingham Palace, India’s Taj Mahal, and the Colosseum in Rome.
The top 10 tourist hotspots where crowds are most likely to ruin the shot have been named – and Times Square in New York City takes the lead
Following closely behind is the Eiffel Tower in Paris, where tourists jostle for the perfect angle beneath the iconic landmark at all hours of the day
Rounding off the list, in the research commissioned by Samsung to celebrate Galaxy AI, are the Great Wall of China at Badaling, Canada’s Niagara Falls and Tokyo’s Shibuya Crossing.
At the other end of the scale, though still busy at the best of times, Machu Picchu and viewpoints at the Hollywood Sign are reported to have shorter waits thanks to more space for photos.
Crowds appear to be a major turn-off for British holidaymakers – enough to actually have them walking away from a photo opportunity altogether.
Seven in 10 say they feel genuinely frustrated when someone walks into their shot, and one in five admits to telling strangers off for committing photography faux pas.
While nearly half see the humour in accidental photobombs, many – particularly millennials – say they would rather simply edit unwanted people out of their pictures.
Meanwhile, recent research analysed 101 of the world’s most iconic landmarks and narrowed them down to the 10 worst-rated tourist attractions based on the responses of travellers who’d visited them.
To calculate an overall score out of 10 for each site, Stasher used a comprehensive system, combining Google Reviews ratings, average TikTok likes, distance from major airports, country safety rankings, and local accommodation quality.
The Hollywood Walk of Fame in Los Angeles was named the world’s worst major tourist attraction, scoring just 2.67 out of 10, in the research, proving that celebrity nostalgia doesn’t necessarily guarantee a quality experience.
In third place is Rome’s Trevi Fountain, which sees tens of thousands of visitors each day during peak season
The Dead Sea (3.51) ranks as the second-worst, located 66 km from the nearest airport and burdened by a concerning safety rating of 3.108.
Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar (3.86) struggles in third place, despite its cultural significance.
Jacob Wedderburn-Day, founder of Stasher, said: ‘Famous doesn’t always mean worthwhile.
‘Poor transport links, overcrowding, or locations that require significant effort to reach all impact whether a destination lives up to expectations built by decades of photos and films.’