It鈥檚 a travel paradox: Many of us profess to want 鈥渉idden gems,鈥 鈥渂est-kept secrets,鈥 and destinations 鈥渙ff the beaten path.鈥 And yet, it鈥檚 estimated that 80 per cent of travellers converge on 10 per cent of the world鈥檚 tourist destinations. Here, some expert advice on how to avoid going where everyone else is heading, too.
Rethink hot spots in the high season
Avoiding crowds isn鈥檛 just a matter of where you go, but when. 鈥淏eing in the right city or destination at the right time, it really does make a difference,鈥 says Jamsheed Pocha, co-founder of , a Toronto-based luxury travel planning company and a Virtuoso member agency. Take, for example, Italy鈥檚 perennially popular capital city, which is set to be even more crowded than usual this summer.
鈥淓verybody鈥檚 talking about how this year is the ,鈥 says Pocha, referencing the major Catholic event that started on Christmas Eve 2024 and will continue until Jan. 6, 2026. The Vatican expects it to draw an estimated 32 million pilgrims from around the world. By comparison, Vatican City attracts closer to seven million visitors in a more typical year.
If you鈥檙e not intent on joining the Jubilee, 鈥渢hat鈥檚 a place to maybe avoid, especially in June, July and August, when it will be extremely busy,鈥 says Pocha, highlighting Switzerland and Austria as worthy summertime alternatives.
A view from the Castle of Gjirokast毛r, Albania. Many tourists miss the country, which remains budget-friendly.
Unai Huizi / EnvatoConsider the 鈥榠gnored鈥 places
They tend to be more affordable, too. For example: 鈥淎lbania is one of Europe鈥檚 best-kept secrets,鈥 recommends Matt Kepnes, also known as Nomadic Matt, author of the new book .
鈥淭hough it increases in popularity each year, tourists largely ignore the country because many still think of it as a post-Communist backwater 鈥 as if the world hasn鈥檛 changed in the past 30 years. Yet is full of friendly people, incredible history and food, and (varied) landscapes, from Adriatic beaches to stunning gorges, lakes and forests,鈥 adds Kepnes, suggesting the capital city of Tirana, as well as Shkod毛r in the north, and Gjirokast毛r in the south. 鈥淧lus, it鈥檚 very budget-friendly.聽You can easily get by on $75 (U.S.) per day without sacrificing comfort.鈥
The Rosewood Miyakojima just opened on an island in the Okinawa archipelago, a quiet, beachy part of Japan that鈥檚 close to Taiwan.
Rosewood MiyakojimaIn trending countries, stray from the predictable
鈥淲e鈥檝e had so many requests (for) Japan, and so many of our clients have travelled there,鈥 says Pocha of the Pelican Club. The stats back up the country鈥檚 fashionable status: According to the Japan National Tourism Organization, nearly 36.9 million international travellers visited in 2024, handily beating pre-pandemic figures and setting a new record.
If Japan is on your wish list, venture beyond Tokyo, Kyoto and other obvious favourites. Last year, the Hokuriku Shinkansen bullet train was extended to add multiple new stations in the 鈥 a part of Japan that tourists usually overlook. The area isn鈥檛 lacking attractions: It鈥檚 the fossil-rich dinosaur capital of the country (with a dedicated to prove it), and it鈥檚 also home to a historic Zen landmark, (鈥渢he temple of eternal peace鈥), opened in 1244.
Another 鈥渙ff-the-beaten-path鈥 destination is the 鈥 south of Japan鈥檚 mainland, and closer to Taiwan. Far from Tokyo鈥檚 neon streets, it鈥檚 all white-sand beaches, coral-reef diving and subtropical weather. Here, the opened on Miyako Island this month. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a stunning property and has built the resort experience out there,鈥 says Pocha.
Rotterdam is a second-city alternative to Amsterdam, which has taken measures to combat overtourism.
Vaidas Bucys / EnvatoDetour to second cities
In recent years, Amsterdam has taken multiple measures to curb overtourism, announcing restrictions on hotel development (a new one can鈥檛 be built unless another closes) and plans to shutter its central cruise port. Instead of heading to a place that would rather be less popular, consider the Netherlands鈥 second city.
鈥淥K, let鈥檚 get this out of the way: doesn鈥檛 have any canals, or houseboats, or really the same old-world charm as Amsterdam,鈥 says Tim Johnson, a Canadian travel writer who has been to more than 100 countries (and counting). 鈥淏ut instead, it offers ultra-modern architecture, and so many Dutch treats in a market that feels like it鈥檚 from the future (). There鈥檚 a bustling harbour filled with boat tours, and lined with former warehouses that are now shops and restaurants.鈥
Similarly, if you don鈥檛 want to jockey with the masses in Paris, try Lyon. 鈥淭hey are two very different cities, but both have an amazing cathedral, cobblestone streets and a beautiful river (two actually in Lyon),鈥 says Johnson. 鈥淎nd even Parisians will tell you 鈥 some of them anyway 鈥 that Lyon is France鈥檚 culinary capital. It was home to聽Paul Bocuse, called the 鈥榩ope of French gastronomy.鈥 Today, the vast food halls here bear his name.鈥
For an uncrowded safari experience, choose a responsible tour operator that works to conserve private land.
Wirestock / EnvatoBook your tour operator wisely
You may expect that adventuring out in the wilderness would automatically mean escaping the crowds, but even on safari in Africa, you could be spotting lions and leopards alongside a lineup of jeeps. 鈥淭here is overtourism in some national parks. When you鈥檙e in Kruger (in South Africa) or the Serengeti (in Tanzania), and you鈥檙e staying in one of the lodges 鈥 there could be 15 different lodges in a certain area, all sending out multiple vans at the same time to see the same things,鈥 says Pocha.
Picking the right, responsible tour operator makes all the difference. He favours companies with conservation specialists that look after land associated with them. Operators offering a more exclusive, authentic safari experience, according to Pocha, include , which has a 33,000-acre private concession within Kruger National Park, and , which works to conserve over 6 million acres of private land across eight countries in Africa.
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