Undoubtedly, London is one of the world’s most fascinating cities with a plethora of amazing things to see and do. From famous landmarks and museums, to renowned squares and sights!
However, with so many things to experience, it’s only natural that not all will be everyone’s cup of tea…
But which London landmarks do people tend to NOT like the most?
Here at Stasher, we gathered some of the most popular sights and landmarks in London and evaluated each one based on their:
- Google reviews
- Tripadvisor reviews
- Expedia reviews
- Yelp reviews
Plus, we used a social listening tool to determine the sentiment analysis score of each landmark (in other words if users online tend to speak more positively or negatively for them).
We then gathered all that data and came up with our own score (we called it Stasher Score), in order to actually determine based on data which London sights and landmarks are the “worst”.
The good thing is that most people had a positive view of the majority of them, so in the following list we had to include 5 London landmarks that people liked the least.
Note: Data is valid as of March 2023.
Landmark #5: The Shard
Number 5 on our list is The Shard, aka London’s tallest building standing at a height of 310 meters (1,016 feet)!
It was completed in 2012 and is characterized by its distinctive pyramid-like shape and glass façade, which gives it a sleek and modern appearance.
It is quite magnificent to see, but not much more to say besides being the city’s tallest skyscraper, since its offices are home to several companies.
Although it does offer some great views from the top, many online reviews about the “landmark” don’t seem to be overly fond of it.
Plus, despite the fact that most landmarks we studied had significantly more positive or neutral online mentions based on our sentiment analysis, we can see below that The Shard’s negative mentions in the last 3 months have mostly been more than the positive ones.
Although to give it some credit, the positive mentions are on a steady uptrend!
In a nutshell, if you’re all about the views then The Shard is a solid choice, but many reviews suggest to not expect much from the whole experience.
Average online rating: 4.3/5
Negative/Positive mentions ratio: 1.26
Stasher Score: 6/10
Landmark #4: The Gherkin
Next up on our list we have another skyscraper, The Gherkin!
If you’ve been in London then you’re definitely familiar with the oval-shaped building standing at 180 meters (591 feet) tall.
In essence, The Gherkin has become an iconic landmark on the London skyline and is widely recognized as one of the city’s most distinctive and innovative buildings.
It’s primarily used as office space and is home to various businesses and organizations. It also has a restaurant and bar on the top floors, offering panoramic views of the city!
“But why is it on this list?”, you might be wondering.
Well many people online tend to mention that “the only good thing about it are the views” or that “it’s best not to eat there”.
When it comes to our sentiment analysis, over the past 3 months positive online mentions have been steadily more than the negative ones, but the latter are nevertheless increasing.
Similarly to The Shard, if you want a great view of the city then The Gherkin is a great choice, but don’t expect too much.
Average online rating: 4.1/5
Negative/Positive mentions ratio: 0.6
Stasher Score: 5.5/10
Let’s continue.
Landmark #3: Madame Tussauds
Even if you’ve never been to London, you’ve definitely heard of Madame Tussauds or seen photos online.
Madame Tussauds features lifelike wax figures of celebrities, historical figures, sports personalities, world leaders, and other famous individuals.
Visitors can explore different themed sections within the museum, such as the Royal Family, Hollywood Stars, Music Icons, Sports Stars, Historical Figures, and many more!
Many have found the museum fascinating, while for others it’s clear that it isn’t their cup of tea, since on platforms like Yelp it’s described as “extremely disappointing”, “overrated” or “too expensive”.
Positive mentions are steadily more than the negative ones, but both seem to be on an uptrend.
What seems to concern most people online is the price of the tickets (£42 per adult) and the fact that it’s often overcrowded, leading to big queues.
Nevertheless it’s undoubtedly one of London’s most iconic places to visit.
Average online rating: 4/5
Negative/Positive mentions ratio: 0.16
Stasher Score: 5/10
Moving on to our next landmark
Landmark #2: Sherlock Holmes Museum
Next on our list we have the Sherlock Holmes Museum.
The museum is pretty self explanatory, since it is dedicated to the famous fictional detective Sherlock Holmes!
It’s housed in a Georgian townhouse which has been furnished and decorated to resemble the fictional 221B Baker Street as described in the Sherlock Holmes stories.
Visitors can explore rooms filled with artifacts, wax figures, and exhibits related to Sherlock Holmes and his adventures, so if you’re a fan then it’s definitely worth a visit… right?
Well many visitors haven’t been too impressed, mentioning that “it’s not worth the time or money”, “it’s a tourist trap” or that it’s simply “boring”.
When it comes to analyzing the museum’s online sentiment over the past months, once again positive mentions outnumber negative ones, but not with much of a difference.
Overall, a great deal of people online refer to the museum as “shabby” or relatively disappointing compared to the price required to visit (£16.00 per adult).
Average online rating: 3.8
Negative/Positive mentions ratio: 0.2
Stasher Score: 4/10
Let’s move on to our list’s last landmark *drum roll*
Landmark #1: The London Dungeon
Our list’s worst (or “least liked”) London attraction is the London Dungeon.
If you’ve never heard of it before, it’s a themed entertainment venue that presents a mix of live actors, special effects, and historical exhibits to recreate various gruesome and macabre events from London’s history, particularly focusing on events related to crime, punishment, and the darker aspects of the city’s past.
In a nutshell, its purpose is to both entertain as well as educate visitors, through an immersive experience.
So why is it #1 on our list?
Primarily because it has the lowest average rating from the rest of the landmarks (3.7/5), with many users citing it as “a let-down”, “disappointing”, “overpriced”, “gimicky”, as well as the “worst attraction ever”.
To give credit where it’s due though, the venue’s team has a lot of imagination when replying to bad reviews.
So thumbs up for that!
Apart from the average rating, our sentiment analysis also shows that the negative mentions online outnumber the positive ones, for the first time on this list in fact.
So it’s clear that the London Dungeon – unfortunately – tops our list of the worst sights and landmarks in London.
Average online rating: 3.7
Negative/Positive mentions ratio: 0.11
Stasher Score: 3.5/10
Final Thoughts
So there you have it, that was our list with the worst sights and landmarks in London!
Although our list was based on online data, we suggest you take it with a pinch of salt and ideally experience the landmarks on your own.
After all, you might love them, who knows?
