Worst Cities In The World For Tourists

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Why These Cities Made the List

Before we go any further let’s clarify what actually qualifies a terrible city and set out how we tuned our “shitty city shit-o-gram” shall we?

Well there’s a few things we considered when compiling this list and those are:

• Pollution, air quality, cleanliness, amount of human excrement! 
• Weather (too hot, too cold, too humid?) 
• People – Are they pushy, hostile or even a bit rapey perhaps?
• Crime and danger – especially that directed at tourists like pick pockets and scams. 
• Traffic and congestion 
• Overtourism, crowds and their negative effects on local people and environments
• Expensive or lack of value for money 

Let’s cut the bullshit and get down to buisness, because I’ve got some shit talking to do! Here are the worlds worst cities to visit according to this rag tag group of misfits who happen to have stumbled across an online platform from which we can rage bait… enjoy, or not, whatevs!

1. São Paulo, Brazil

São Paulo is one of those places that, if you weren’t actually born and raised there, you’re likely gonna hate it after a little while.

The only difference if you are São Paulo, besides hating it you also love it because its home and because it legit has great qualities- afterall its modern monolithic Mecca (not an actual ‘Mecca’ which I am assures is also pretty shit for non-pilgrims).

São Paulo is a city with great potential. The whole place is a melting pot of different cultures that get together to deliver sick culture, food, and an overall great time. It is gargantuan MASSIVE, and it is very much so alive, brimming with restaurants, bars, dirty clubbing, street culture, concerts, social movements, cooperatives, and anything you can think of.

But unfortunately the city is not really well looked after (especially but not exclusively by the corrupt money grabbers supposedly in charge) and that creates a level of disparity I have not really seen elsewhere – anywhere.

It is a place where a lot of the country migrates to for them dollar bills, but it is also a place of extreme poverty and punishing social inequality. This all adds a certain level of instability, insecurity, and overall frustration in the air.

I ended up staying a total of two months there a couple of years ago because of family and an unexpected situationship, but by the end of it I was dying to get out. The city did teach me a lot, though. Brazil is a trip – and one I’m glad I did.

Tomás: Brand Specialist & Whizz-Kid

2. Saigon (Ho Chi Minh), Vietnam 

Welcome to the shit stain of the world. You’ll either have your soul crushed or you’ll make it out alive to tell the tale of the horrors of Ho Chi Minh. 

As soon as I stepped my trodden Birkenstocks in this overstimulating hellhole, my ears were penetrated by the infuriating sound of thousands of motorbikes beeping their horns every two seconds. Ah, the serenity. 

Forget all the road safety you’ve ever learnt, crossing the road is a death defying leap of faith. You’ll make it to the other side or be flattened by a family of 5 on a scooter with a fridge strapped to the back… hesitation will get you killed, my friend. 

If you’re driving, good luck. Ho Chi Minh is the worst city in the world for traffic, the roads are like a cluster fuck of motorbikes, cars and lorries that drive way too fast and disregard anything in their path… INCLUDING YOU.

Breathing in Ho Chi Minh feels like you’ve got a gas mask attached to a car’s exhaust pipe.

After three days of tasting petrol fumes, sewers, and fish sauce every time I walked the chaotic streets I was craving fresh air, which was nowhere to be found. 

I’ve heard people say it’s ‘vibrant’, ‘full of life’ and ‘ a city of culture’ when in reality it’s like an assault on your senses. Overcrowded, overwhelming and aggressively noisy. My advice is leaving this wet fart of a city as fast as you arrived.

Harvey: Editor & Double Protein Champ

3. Karachi, Pakistan

Thanks to cheap flights to its corrupt airport, many people begin their Pakistan trip in the country’s largest metropolis and think they’ll make their way south to north and “see it all.” At a first glance (i.e. from the window of an airplane) you may think you’ve arrived at a lovely city by the sea. I mean, the sea is there – as are thousands of towering buildings and a tropical temperature that regularly makes its way beyond 100 F. 

But once you actually get on the ground – you’ll realize that the entire stretch of sand is just about as littered as a garbage dump, and the waters of the Arabian Sea are mucked in with the sewage of more than 21 MILLION people.

Welcome to Karachi, a Pakistani megacity that was compared to Paris some 50-60 years ago but now is now one of the worst cities in the world (so actually maybe the Paris comparison was very apt!).

Aside from its terrifying trash problem, this place is no doubt the most dangerous locale in Pakistan. After living in the country for 4+ years, I’ve traveled to the vast majority of my government’s no-go zones within it, and Karachi (despite being laughably left off the list) was the only place I truly felt fear, especially while walking around with a camera.

While there’s no doubt some lovely people from the city, its high crime rate leads me to always advise people to leave it off their Pakistan travel list. Outside of December – February, the temperature is unbearable, with frequent power cuts, water shortages adding to the seriously bleak outlook.

The only good thing I found in the city was access to a beautiful fishing village (Mubarak) some two hours away, and another nice/secluded spot called French Beach an hour away. Oh, and I hear that there is a cracking black market for all the NATO and US Military Gear smuggled from Afghanistan.

Samantha: Travel Writer & Adventure Expert

4. Cancun, Mexico

Cancun is the ultimate Mexico holiday destination for those seeking sun, sea, and bottomless cocktails. For families working the 9-5+, 50 weeks per year (ie Americans), you’ve got yourself the complete package. The long stretch of hotels along the white, sandy beaches gets those holiday brochures raking in those dollars.

However what people don’t mention about staying in Cancun is that it’s horrendously horrible and shit! Everything is operated by the Cartel and there sketchy looking guys (and gals) peddling all manner of illicit kicks on manky street corners, taxi drivers ready to pull out their flick knives if you dare to touch that Uber app and haughty waiting staff ready to shoot you should you dare not tip them enough for offering lackadaisical service standards. 

Cancun is an utter stain on Mexico and Mexican culture.

Why people choose to go to Cancun is beyond me. In the surrounding Quintana Roo you’ll find way better beaches, nicer people, and elevated culture. Tulum is almost as bad these days but it’s a mere hour to Playa Del Carmen if you’re desperate. If you’re looking for a good place not for tourists.

Aiden: Gear Manager & Senior Editor

Travel Insurance For The Worst Cities

While some of the terrible cities on this list are just plain old grim, others can be quite bloody dangerous – Cancun as a case in point. For this reason, it pays to have some form of travel and medical insurance in place just in case you are forced to squeeze a day-trip to the emergency room in your itinerary.

We can’t emphasise this enough, but you really do need to consider getting yourself decent travel insurance mofo’s if ya planning on galavanting through the streets of Manila, Delhi and LA… ya mad bastards! Don’t say we didn’t warn you.

These days most of Team Backpacker use SafetyWing who offer excellent and simple travel health insurance cover for long term travellers and digital nomads.

For full details, you can read about their Nomad Essential and Complete Plans here. Or alternatively you can just bash the buttons below to go directly to their site.

ALWAYS sort out your backpacker insurance before your trip. There’s plenty to choose from in that department, but a good place to start is Safety Wing.

They offer month-to-month payments, no lock-in contracts, and require absolutely no itineraries: that’s the exact kind of insurance long-term travellers and digital nomads need.

SafetyWing is cheap, easy, and admin-free: just sign up lickety-split so you can get back to it!

Click the button below to learn more about SafetyWing’s setup or read our insider review for the full tasty scoop.

5. Manila, Philippines

If you fancy a bit of disaster tourism while backpacking the Philippines then Manila is the place to be.

From dirty street kids to traffic that makes Beijing look like a spa town, it’s got it all. Walking is quicker than taking a cab but you’ll have to fight your way through the smog in sweltering temperatures if you’re going to make it through the shanty town to the gated community of old, fat, white men!

No wonder the Spanish fucked off from this place! 

What I saw while staying in Manila was some of the most extreme examples of poverty I have ever witnessed and to be honest it was one of the most eye opening experiences I’ve had whilst travelling. In some ways, as much as it’s, let’s be honest, a pretty shit place to visit in terms of sightseeing and pina coladas, it has it’s value. 

It might actually be exactly what travelling vs tourism really is, hard hitting reality that isn’t all beaches and palm trees but a slap in the face to complacency and entitlement. 

Anyway, if you want paradise, this ain’t it, but if you want a different perspective and a reality check whilst galavanting the globe, have a mooch.

Nic: Senior Editor & Roaming Renegade

6. Los Angeles, USA

When most people think of LA, they think glamorous Hollywood stars and million dollar mansions. But in reality, it is the worst city in the US, actually… the worst city in the world and truly makes me embarrassed to be American.

I’ve travelled the world extensively and I’ve NEVER felt as unsafe as I did in LA, Whilst here I literally got held at knifepoint by crackheads and was a victim of attempted sex trafficking, so glamorous right??

This city literally smells like piss, everywhere you go and its takes hours to get across it. Public transport is also incredibly limited and of course, everything is bloody expensive.

You know that famous Boulevard in Hollywood – the one with all the stars on the sidewalk? Yeah… I went there and I was stepping over bloody heroin needles and saw way too many male genitalia for my liking. I also witness a guy OD’ing yards away from a Movie Premier at the Chinese Theatre.

Do yourself a favor – and trust me – skip Los Angeles, head to (literally anywhere else in the world) Or go south to Laguna Beach or San Diego.

Audy: Editor & Hitchhiking Hero

7. Delhi, India 

Ahh yes, Delhi, or New Delhi if that makes you feel any better, the smoggy piss stained capital city of India. Unfortunately for many who comes to visit the colourful, overwhelming, chaotic, beautiful and strange land of India, this is their entry point. 

I think most of us who have travelled this challenging but enriching county will agree we left with a love-hate relationship that firmly started with a piss smelling, lung busting, ear shattering punch to the face that was Delhi… and it took us a few weeks to recover from there! 

Upon landing my first impressions were, well, hazy! Yeah, airquality was at record highs and it was that smoggy the pilot had to adopt emergency procedures and I couldn’t see the end of the plane from the sky bridge! Well, that’s ok, at least the pick up sent from the hostel that turned out to be a scammers paradise where you had to walk past an open public urinal wasn’t a death trap shit box of a car with a maniac for a driver… oh yeah, it was! Cool cool!

I mean, then there are Delhi’s “attractions”. Head to the Red Fort where you’ll be lucky to get out still wearing the clothes on your back because every fucker in there in attempting to pick pocket you. Or head maybe to the wild streets of Chandni Chowk – if the food poisoning, rabid monkeys and wild dogs don’t get you, then don’t worry, because you’ll get scammed by your tuk tuk driver instead.

Delhi travel tip: Keep your must-have items safe with Personalised Lanyards from GSJJ. Add whatever design/logo you want, your contact details and then attach them to your phone, wallet and passport to prevent loss or theft. Very handy when exploring Delhi’s bustling local markets and busy tourist hotspots.

From air that makes your eyes weep and your lungs burn to incessant beeping the likes of which I’ve never experienced before, poisonous water you can’t even brush your teeth in and literally human piss, shit and rubbish everywhere, I’m lowkey surprised I got out alive! 

Anyway, the country gets much more serine, quiet and sparkling clean after that. Just kidding! Does it fuck! But it’s at least manageable, unlike the steaming turd that is Delhi. Enjoy mother fuckers!

Nic: Senior Editor & Roaming Renegade

8. Sa Pa, Vietnam

I’m not happy to be writing about Sa Pa. My expectations for this “quaint little mountain town” that I’d heard so much about was sadly, severely let down upon arrival.  Skip to the image below if you wan’t to see what I mean.

The landscapes surrounding Sa Pa are some of the most beautiful we saw while backpacking Vietnam. So, I get why people are flocking here. However, what used to feel like an authentic, mountainside town is now choker with fancy, foreign-owned hotels, pulsating neon-signs and a shit load of tourist touts. There is even a HUGE Starbucks in the centre of the town…

Keen to go on one of the infamous trekking tours in Sa Pa? Firstly, it’ll set you back about $40 USD – that’s $40 bucks just to go for a walk. On top of that you’ll be hunted down by herds of sales ladies convincing you that because they have walked with you for an hour you must buy their headbands for 5x the price you’d pay in a shop. Like sharks with their prey, they sniff us out and will chase us with extreme might. You will end up buying that overpriced headband, so wear it with pride and use it to deter the next touter.

It’s extremely sad to see what over-tourism can do to a place, and its people. Especially when there seems to be such a strong pride and connection that the locals have with their culture and history. 

But on the bright side, it’s got some solid backpacker hostels and it’s the cheapest place to stock up on your Northface jackets… so that’s a plus 🙂

Dani: Editor & Oceanic Explorer

9. Sihanoukville, Cambodia

I know this post is meant to stir the pot with a few spicy city takes, but there’s absolutely nothing controversial about this one. There is absolutely no reason why you would plan to go to Sihanoukville in 2026. Maybe it was beautiful 20 years ago when it was a sleepy village town discovered by hippies wanting something off the beaten path ,where the weed was cheap and the beaches weren’t a byproduct of a construction wasteland – but 20 years ago J.K. Rowling was considered hip.

That Sihanoukville is long, long gone never to return.

There is no other city I could write about in detail than the bizarre, dystopian Cambodian city that is Sihanoukville. Nowadays, travellers have the regrettable task of passing through it to get to the dreamy islands of Koh Rong et al.

What greets them is a metropolis of casinos rubbing shoulder to shoulder—whether they’re open, shut, or a front for something shady is anyone’s guess. Throw in a notorious reputation for online scams and dodgy call centres, and you’ve got yourself a perfect storm.

An amalgamation of unfortunate circumstances—locals being priced out, COVID, and changes to Cambodia’s gambling laws—has led to an eerie ghost town. I’ve never seen a city built so specifically for one demographic: the Chinese gambler. Chinese-owned and built hotels and casinos litter the place, doing a solid job of obliterating what used to be a beautiful stretch of coast. 

I’ve been hopping around Southeast Asia for two years and this is by far the most unsafe I’ve felt walking around. Honestly, it’s the strangest place I’ve ever frequented. Still not convinced it’s anything other than a simulation.

Taya: Editor & Resident Foodie

A few more warnings from us to you before you head on out!

Alright guys, there you go, the worst countries in the world to visit. Whilst this is fair warning for how grim they can be, I mean, why no not visit them and have a shit old time in shitsville! 

In all seriousness, this post is actually a bit of a laugh poking fun and some of the places we’ve visited that were a lil bit shit! But that’s not to say there isn’t value in visiting them; some of them taught us lessons we’ll never forget. Whether that be giving us a new perspective on our privilege growing up in the West, or at the very least, not to eat lukewarm milk-based products on a street corner in Delhi… every day is a school day on the road! 

Where are the worst cities you’ve visited? Go on, give it some welly and go all in! We’d love to hear it! And if ya’ll get mad, just remember, we baited you mother fucker!