Underrated Travel Spots to See Now, Before They’re Everywhere
Big names in travel draw big crowds. If you’d rather skip the long lines and elbow-to-elbow sightseeing, there are places that haven’t been picked over yet. These are cities and towns where the pace feels right, the scenery’s real, and you don’t have to share every moment with a hundred other tourists.
Maastricht, Netherlands
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A department store in Maastricht sits atop ancient Roman ruins. Glass floors let you peer into the past while browsing sneakers. Beneath the city, the Kazematten tunnels stretch for miles, once used to defend the city and now open to tours.
Northern Bali, Indonesia
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Northern Bali isn’t trying to impress anyone. In Munduk, the air smells like cloves, and you can hear farmers working before you see them. A trail past gardens and spice trees leads to a waterfall hidden behind a screen of leaves. Up by the lakes, Tamblingan and Buyan, the mornings are quiet.
Meteora, Greece
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The view from the Great Meteoron Monastery is gravity-defying. Monks built these monasteries atop cliffs in the 14th century to escape invaders. They hauled everything up here by hand and rope. You can still see the pulleys in action today. While most visitors flock to the islands, this UNESCO site offers hiking trails, painted frescoes, and jaw-dropping panoramas with room to breathe.
Chiloé Island, Chile
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Chiloé is steeped in folklore that still shapes daily life. Tales of the ghost ship Caleuche are passed down alongside local legends about forest spirits and sea creatures. In the town of Castro, colorful wooden stilt houses and palafitos sit over the tide, while UNESCO-listed churches showcase intricate woodwork.
Ljubljana, Slovenia
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The river through Ljubljana hosts floating bookshops, cafes, and the occasional poetry reading. A dragon statue guards each end of Dragon Bridge. Head up to Ljubljana Castle by funicular or on foot, and you’ll pass graffiti-covered student hangouts right next to 18th-century townhouses.
Traverse City, Michigan
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This city is home to the National Cherry Festival, but off-season, the vibe is quieter and just as sweet. Walk the TART trail for breezy lake views, or drive out to Mission Point Lighthouse, where Lake Michigan surrounds both sides of the peninsula. Local wineries dot the Leelanau Peninsula with tasting rooms in converted barns and schoolhouses.
Barichara, Colombia
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A hand-laid stone path called the Camino Real leads from Barichara to the even smaller village of Guane. This trail has existed since pre-colonial times, but hardly anyone walks it, which means no crowds or vendors, but more of big-sky views of the canyon. Barichara’s streets are so well preserved that it’s been nicknamed the most beautiful town in Colombia.
Quissico, Mozambique
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This is a tiny coastal village between the turquoise Indian Ocean and Lake Poelela. Here, fishing boats rest on reed mats dyed with tree bark and ash. The air hums with timbale music, played on handmade wooden xylophones during local festivals.
Bratislava, Slovakia
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Bratislava’s Church of St. Elizabeth, also known as the Blue Church, looks like it belongs in a cartoon. The old town is compact but lively, with oddball statues tucked into alleyways (keep an eye out for Cumil, a man popping out of a manhole). From the hilltop castle, you can spot Austria on a clear day.
Aarhus, Denmark
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Aarhus has its own pace. You can wander from the ARoS museum’s rooftop ring—where the whole city turns tinted under colored glass—to cobbled streets lined with old timber houses. Den Gamle By drops you right into everyday Danish life from different centuries. The place runs on coffee, bikes, and a steady stream of students who keep things curious instead of polished.
Sakhalin Island, Russia
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This island, a former tug-of-war prize between Japan and Russia, is home to black-sand beaches, abandoned lighthouses, and seafood markets selling smoked flounder. At Cape Velikan, basalt arches rise from the water like broken teeth, and brown bears casually wander the coast during salmon season.
Great Basin National Park, Nevada
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Everyone talks about Yosemite and Zion, but Great Basin barely registers. Campers here sleep under skies certified by the International Dark-Sky Association. The Lehman Caves shimmer with marble drapery formations, and Wheeler Peak bristlecone pines are some of the oldest living things on Earth. You can walk a glacier here.
Emilia-Romagna, Italy
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In Modena, balsamic vinegar doesn’t come in plastic squeeze bottles. It’s aged for 12 to 25 years in attic casks, passed down through families. Parma locals eat raw prosciutto like paper-thin candy. In Rimini, Roman amphitheaters peek out behind gelato shops. While tourists funnel into Tuscany, Emilia-Romagna stays focused on its specialties: flavor and full plates.
Tallinn, Estonia
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Tallinn’s Old Town is all medieval walls and narrow streets, but just outside that area, things change. Telliskivi is full of repurposed warehouses with small galleries, theaters, and places to eat. At the market, you can pick up a local snack before walking up Toompea Hill for a straightforward view over the city. It’s a mix of old and new that feels easy, not staged.
Nara, Japan
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At Todai-ji, school kids line up to crawl through a wooden column, trying to fit through a hole about the size of the Buddha’s nostril. In the nearby parks, deer mingle with visitors and wait for crackers. If you’re here in February, you’ll see thousands of lanterns lit around the shrines for the Mantoro Festival.