Some of the world’s most historic and beautiful attractions are being damaged by mass tourism, undermined by commercialization or just tarnished by selfie-crazy masses.

From uncomfortable overcrowding and tacky souvenir stores to physical damage inflicted by a constant flow of visitors, we look at the impact commercialization has had on some bucket list destinations.

Mount Everest, Nepal

Mountain climbing and trekking on Everest is now a huge commercial operation. Come spring in the Himalayas and around 1,000 foreign climbers will head here for a chance to scale the world’s tallest mountain, whose summit was first conquered in 1953. So if you’re looking for a crowd-free, high-altitude adventure, you’ve come to the wrong peak.

In 2017, a total of 648 paying climbers reached the summit and thousands more trekked around the mighty peak. Unfortunately, this boom in tourism has left Mount Everest covered in debris too – huge piles of garbage are left behind on the mountain, not to mention human waste and sadly some bodies.

The overuse of trekking poles is also eroding the terrain and a dependence on tourism has changed the face of many Himalayan villages.

Machu Picchu, Peru

Peru’s national treasure tops many people’s travel bucket lists. The lofty “lost” Andean city is truly awe-inspiring, but the fragile site is suffering from its popularity.

Rediscovered by American explorer Hiram Bingham in 1911, the city housed a maximum population of 1,000 at its peak but now sees up to 5,000 visitors traipsing around its paths and steps in a day during peak season.

Despite the Peruvian tourism authorities restricting access to the ancient wonder a few years ago in a bid to reduce the flow, the magnificent Inca citadel in the clouds is still thronged with selfie-taking tourists unless you’re there very early.

However, despite the crowds due to its hard-to-reach location, Machu Picchu is refreshingly free of tacky gift shops.

Teotihuacán, Mexico

One of Mexico’s most magnificent and mysterious ancient cities, Teotihuacán is best known for its two huge pyramids: the Pyramid of the Sun and the Pyramid of the Moon. These mighty temples, an easy day trip from Mexico City, are the country’s most-visited archaeological site, attracting millions of visitors every year.

Unsurprisingly, it can be swarmed by vendors as well, keen to sell their wares to the visiting crowds. The site gets especially hectic during the spring and fall equinoxes when thousands descend on the site, believing the structures have a special energy.

With great crowds of people seen clambering up the pyramids’ steps there are concerns over damage to the ancient monuments.

The Great Barrier Reef, Australia

One of the world’s seven natural wonders, Australia’s Great Barrier Reef stretches 1,430 miles along the Queensland coast. A huge tourism industry has developed in resorts all along the coast to ferry tourists out to see the underwater splendors of the World Heritage-listed marine park. It receives around two million visitors a year.

As well as the worrying effect of careless tourists on the health of the world’s largest coral reef ecosystem, the sheer number of boats heading out to the reef can be off-putting.

There are approximately 820 operators and 1,500 vessels operating in the marine park and you can find yourself elbow-to-elbow with fellow snorkelers as you try to ogle a clownfish. Book a small boat tour to avoid sharing the water with hundreds of other day trippers, preferably to the outer reef or islands.

The Great Wall of China

Construction of this epic fortification, which extends thousands of miles in sections from Shanhaiguan on China’s east coast to Jiayuguan in the west, first began in 771 BC. It was built as a mighty line of defense against enemy invasions. Large parts of the Great Wall were built during the Ming Dynasty of 1368-1644.

Ironically, however, the country’s greatest historic site, which attracts 10 million visitors a year, is facing a more worrying onslaught.

It has sustained substantial damage from over-tourism as well as vandals stealing bricks or leaving graffiti. The most-visited stretches of the monument are those north of capital Beijing such as Badaling.

Galápagos Islands, Ecuador

Once a remote and isolated archipelago, the Galápagos have experienced a boom in tourism with people desperate to see their natural wonders. There were 1,000 tourists per year in the 1960s, when tourism first began, which swelled to 180,000 in 2007.

There are major concerns about the impact on the once-pristine environment. So much so that they were listed as an endangered UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2007 due in part to the impact of tourism.

If you’re expecting an edge-of-the-world paradise, you’ll be disappointed. There’s been a massive population growth to match the tourist influx – clearly evident in the souvenir shop-laden Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz’s main town.

Tighter regulations are now in place to help preserve the fragile ecology and extraordinarily diverse wildlife, including limitations on boats, but you may have to dodge fellow camera-wielding visitors as you attempt to snap the photogenic locals.

Stonehenge, England

Britain’s most famous ancient landmark has lured visitors and pagan worshippers for thousands of years. Up until 1978, the public could wander freely among the pre-historic stones. They eventually were fenced off due to fears of damage as the number of people entering the site grew.

Today a visit to the enigmatic structure can be sadly underwhelming due to a procession of coach parties and the hum of traffic-clogged main road nearby. Visit during the summer solstice and you can see why the stones were fenced off as thousands of revelers arrive to see in the dawn of a new day.

Despite, ongoing controversies around the site, the opening of a $35.2 million (£27.5 million) visitor center in 2013 has done much to improve the landscape and overall visitor experience.

Petra, Jordan

Lost in the desert for more than 1,000 years, the spectacular rose-colored ancient city is now Jordan’s biggest tourist attraction and one of the world’s most famous heritage sites. Although visitor numbers have decreased here, as they have across the Middle East due to safety concerns, tourism is still taking its toll.

According to Responsible Travel, dangers to the precious sandstone structure include tourists riding donkeys up the steps to the monastery and simply walking around or leaning on walls.

Garbage and vendors peddling unethical souvenirs are another blight on the ancient treasure. The Petra National Trust has advice on how to visit responsibly.

Lascaux, France

The mere breath of tourists within the prehistoric cave of Lascaux in the Dordogne caused such irrevocable damage that it was closed indefinitely. The incredible display of around 600 cave paintings were discovered by teenage boys in 1940 and opened to the public in 1948.

Thousands flocked to see them, changing the caves’ atmosphere and causing algae and crystals to irreparably damage the artwork.

While you might not get to see the real thing, a spectacular and complete replica of France’s most celebrated cave art opened in 2016.

The striking center is set at the foot of the hill where the original cave art was found and is known as Lascaux 4.

The Valley of the Kings, Egypt

Another replica of a threatened heritage site was opened in the Valley of the Kings in 2014. An exact copy of the burial site of King Tutankhamun was painstakingly created after the original tomb was closed for restoration by the Department of Antiquities.

The painted burial chamber of the young pharaoh was showing the strains of countless heavy-breathing tourists pouring into it since it was first discovered by archaeologist Howard Carter in 1922.

It has since reopened. Other royal tombs in the vast complex have also seen damage to their walls and paintings from carbon dioxide and humidity.

Angkor Wat, Cambodia

The crown jewel in Cambodia’s tourism crown, Angkor Wat pulls in around two million tourists a year. The vast temple complex may have survived the ravages of time, nature and civil war but the impact of mass tourism is concerning. Controversially, authorities nearly doubled the entry ticket price for foreigners in 2017, partly as an attempt to curb numbers.

If it’s spiritual serenity you’re after, then you’ll be sorely disappointed as you edge past selfie-taking tourists at this holy site. Since the 1990s, visitor numbers have leapt from 7,650 in 1993 to 2.2 million in 2016.

This influx has not just ruined the magic of discovering this “lost” wonder but has also taken its toll on the delicate sandstone structures as people clambering up the narrow staircases and bottlenecks cause them to brush past its intricate carvings.

The Sistine Chapel, Vatican City

Michelangelo’s renowned masterpiece – the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel – is undoubtedly breathtaking, but you might want to think twice before visiting.

Sadly, the experience of viewing Vatican’s City most magnificent artwork can be a bit of a letdown – social media is awash with people complaining it’s “underwhelming” and “overrated”.

The queues to enter the Vatican Museums are horrendous. Once you’re in, you have to contend with huge crowds as you slowly traipse towards the chapel.

And as you finally peer up along with the neck-craning masses, you can’t help but think about how your presence could be damaging the 500-year-old artwork – the millions of annual visitors have taken a toll on the integrity of the precious paintings.