MERRIAM WEBSTER defines a tourist trap as “a place that attracts and exploits tourists.” It’s easy to fall into a tourist trap while traveling.

When experiencing a new city, you can get drawn into famous landmarks, expensive restaurants, and crowded areas. Before long, you’ve wasted money and time at inauthentic and even overrated establishments.

But there are ways to avoid these touristy spots by looking out for these red flags while traveling.

Avoid an overcrowded place

Elizabeth Becker, author of “Overbooked: The Global Business of Travel and Tourism,” said a good rule of thumb is if “the crowds at the monuments or beaches resemble the hordes of Black Friday shoppers in the United States,” then that should be a red flag. In fact, she refused to go to the temples at Angkor in Cambodia because the crowds ruined a place that was supposed to be sacred and holy.

Explore more of

the destination

When visiting a new city, it’s easy to get trapped at some of the biggest and most famous landmarks that everyone wants to see, and then you’ll end up at touristy hotels and restaurants.

“I always want to see the main tourist spot in a city, but never have that as my main reason for visiting,” said Katy Rebrovich, an agent at CIRE Travel. “What is a trip to Rome without seeing the Colosseum, after all? But once you’ve seen it, get off the beaten track and really explore. In major tourist cities, you have to work for the secret spots, but it’s worth it.”

Avoid places popping up

in social media feeds

Whether it be pictures of people soaking in the hot springs in Iceland or selfies at Chicago’s Bean, we repeatedly see the same pictures on Instagram and WeChat Moments from friends’ travels. That should be a red flag.

“My least favorite part about an Insta-famous destination is the type of crowd it tends to attract,” said Christy Woodrow of Ordinary Traveler. “I have found people are often disrespectful, they don’t bother learning any phrases of the local language, and they are only there to take a photo ... It’s actually quite a different experience than a place that’s gotten famous because of something other than Instagram.”

Likewise, if the landmark or restaurant has its own hashtag, you should stay away.

“Anything that has become so popular that it has its own hashtag is a pretty blatant sign that you’re about to walk into a tourist trap,” said Megan Jerrard, the avid traveler of Mapping Megan.

“I’m not saying completely avoid these places, but just be realistic about the fact that you’re going to stand in lines, possibly for hours, be pushing past a sea of girls in pretty dresses while their Insta husband takes photos from a million different angles, and have hawkers yelling at you to buy their #EiffelTower key chains,” Jerrard said.(SD-Agencies)