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14 of the harshest TripAdvisor reviews of famous London landmarks

There's just no pleasing some people

Written by Hayley Spencer
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Nelson's column? 'Just a statue'. The Shard? 'A big meh'. Frankly: just give all of London's famous landmarks a miss. Because according to these TripAdvisor users they're all totally overrated.

Big Ben

Big Ben
Big Ben
'Absolutely terrible. I would never go again. I'm glad they blew it up in V For Vendetta. It's just a big clock. The whole experience left me unsettled.'

Want a second opinion? Here's Time Out's review.

Photo: Darren Bailey

Abbey Road

Abbey Road
Abbey Road
'I was told to check out the zebras crossing Abbey Road while in London, but didn't see any. Perhaps you have to come at night to see them. There were lots of people there looking for them, but we didn't see a single one! I'd reccommend London Zoo at Regent's Park over Abbey Road for zebras.'

If you want to see some zebras, head to London Zoo. We hear they have beetles there, too.

Photo: GrahamC99
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British Museum

British Museum
British Museum
'A lot of things in there were not British. Though we could see how great the empire was from the Iron Age and railways.'

Want a second opinion? Here's Time Out's review.

Photo: Ian Muttoo

The Shard

The Shard
The Shard
'Got to be a contrarian here. Perusing the comments, I'm going to conclude that it was just not my cup of tea... I guess it's a relative bargain if you consider that apartments start at £30,000,000.'

Let us be contrarian, too: here's Time Out's review.

Photo: Vilartino



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Natural History Museum

Natural History Museum
Natural History Museum
'Don't waste your time on the dinos... I saw more human armpits than dinosaurs during my miserable tour.'

If you're a fan of human glands and dino bones, then check out Time Out's review.

Photo: JoePhoto

Tower of London

Tower of London
Tower of London
'Totally boring. I love learning about torture and stuff, but seriously - I wouldn't pay to enter! Busy, small rooms with one piece of writing and that's it! Then rooms full of armour? Guess if you're into armour you'll love this but seriously - save your money and time and avoid!'

If you love armour then read Time Out's take on the Tower of London.

Photo: Bill Green
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Nelson's Column

Nelson's Column
Nelson's Column
'Nothing worth seeing. Just a statue of some bloke who died many years ago. His head is covered in pigeon faeces. And you too will get crapped on if you spend too long looking at his column.'

Perhaps Time Out's review will persuade you otherwise.

Photo: Al8574

Primrose Hill

Primrose Hill
Primrose Hill
'There's a great view from Primrose Hill, especially during sunset. But unfortuntely it's not great if you're afraid of dogs.'

Love dogs and hills? Here's Time Out's review.

Photo: Andrea Pucci
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Saatchi Gallery

Saatchi Gallery
Saatchi Gallery
'This gallery has a certificate of excellence and a whole bunch of great reviews, so I'm wondering if it's me misisng something, but I thought the artwork I saw in this gallery was among the worst I have seen anywhere in the world. I didn't see one piece that got me excited, and it didn't do much for my friends either!'

In case he's missing something, here's Time Out's review of the Saatchi.

Photo: Kasia Mijakowska

Tate Britain

Tate Britain
Tate Britain
'There was an 'exhibition' which was like a series of sheds shrewn with junk. Total rubbish. Catastrophic and difficult to find your way out. Was that supposed to be be part of the experience?'

Find out more about the Tate Britain's award-winning exhibits here. 

Photo: Stu Smith
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Victoria & Albert Museum

Victoria & Albert Museum
Victoria & Albert Museum
'A lot of useless pieces of nonsense. Disorganised, confusing. I failed to see the point. Keep walking to the free museum next door.'

We'd have to disagree. Here's our review.

Photo: Andrea Pucci

Tate Modern

Tate Modern
Tate Modern
'I must be really confused about what modern art is! Who are the people that classify this stuff as art? I see better art in my kids kindergarten class. I found this place to be the biggest waste of space I could think of: 5 floors and nothing important! My favourite part was the clean bathroom...'

Got a couple of hours to kill? Here's what's on now at The Tate Modern.

Photo: Jonathan Reid
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Buckingham Palace

Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace
'Massive part of English heritage, no doubt about that. And if you've ever been you should go - just to see some of our strange traditions. But it gets boring quickly and i don't think anyone would bother seeing it more than once.'

Still not deterred? Here's what we thought of the palace.

Photo: Tedz Duran

Westmister Abbey

Westmister Abbey
Westmister Abbey
'It's about the darkest drabbest place in London. There's simply no life in the Abbey. It's been sucked dry.'

Want a different opinion? Here's our review.

Photo: Jamie Koster
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