Originally Posted by letiole
I would say the difference in good touristy and bad is that good touristy sites are places that have a real history to them - the Acropolis, the Colisseum, Tower of London, etc. Bad touristy places are those that are fake - hula shows produced for tourists, the previously mentioned "cable" cars that aren't on cables, wax museums, theme restaurants and so on.
letiole, I agree w/ you. The good touristy stuff, no matter how crowded, how overprice, you gotta do it. The other touristy stuff, let the other tourists do it.
When I'm visiting a new place, I'll go to the famous monuments, museums, etc. However, I'll seldom go on bus tours, tourist markets or tourist restaurants.
One thing I like to do is head to some random residential area, and walk around. You're prob the only non-local in the area, and it's amazing how much "real life" you get to see.