Overtourism and crowds belong to the top 5 factors when deciding where, when and how to travel. I definitely do that as well. This list of top tips how to avoid crowds when travelling is based on my earlier mistakes.
Please don’t get me wrong. I have met some incredibly interesting travellers, who have been a joy to meet and listen to. And I was lucky because some of them even have become long-term friends. Meeting and sharing stories with those fascinating tourists is one of the biggest advantages of travel.
But excessive masses of fellow tourists can spoil even the best destination. And it is not necessarily anybody’s fault. It is just that there are so many of us travelling everywhere, specially after the Covid-19 restrictions.
However, I also firmly believe that, with some planning, you will have a great experience on your next trip, wherever you go. Even on a visit to Paris, Rome or Florence in July. In other words, it is possible to enjoy even the top sites without being overwhelmed by the tourist crowds.
Finally, if you avoid crowds when travelling, it will also save time and money. Similar to the airlines practice of load-based pricing, many railways and museums have various prices for the off-peak timeframes.
So what are the time-tested tips to avoid the crowds when travelling?
(1) PLAN YOUR TRIP
Spontaneity is excellent and sometimes a welcome change from a rigid itinerary. Who doesn’t like to wake up, listen to the body and decide what to do?
However, planning is essential to avoid crowds when travelling. You will prioritize your destinations, and adjust their sequence and length based on the plane / train / bus / hotel / museum availability. Thus, you will have an itinerary better suited to your interests. In addition, you will probably select timeframes when bookings are available and at reasonable rates. Stated differently, you will travel when there are fewer tourists. And you will save a bunch of money.
Moreover, the Australian surveys show that travellers are happiest BEFORE and AFTER the journey, but tired and frequently stressed during the trip.
So why not plan your itinerary when it is rainy and cold outside? Day dream about all those cool places you will see and all the excellent restaurants you will enjoy. This will definitely help during tougher moments at work at home in January.
(2) SWAP “TOP” FOR “LESSER KNOWN”
This is obvious. There are countless destinations, which will offer an amazing experience without the congestion. Some of those “second” places have been our most memorable sites.
“Second” cities to avoid crowds when travelling
In Italy, go to Pisa, Padua or Bologna instead of this long stay in Florence. Or leave Tuscany and Veneto altogether and head for Piemonte or deeper into Emilia-Romagna. Or even further still, stunning Sicily or Sardinia.
In France, Carcassonne, Beziers or Limoges instead of Lille or that long stay in Paris.
While in Spain, swap Barcelona for Cordoba, Granada, or Zaragoza.
In Portugal, leave Porto and Lisbon for the beautiful Madeira.
When visiting Eastern Europe, head for Budapest after a short peek in Prague.
For the ultimate remote place with world-famous history, visit Easter Island. Those moai are enigmatic and impressive in this tranquil place.
In Indonesia, instead of Bali consider Lombok, Flores or Sumba.
While in Thailand you might prefer Chiang Mai to Phuket.
For an ultimate Sahara experience, go to Djanet in Algeria. The Tadrart and Tassili N’Ajjer deserts are some of the most beautiful in the world.
When in Peru, the incredible Nazca lines instead of the overcrowded Machu Picchu. Arequipa and not Cusco.
In India head for the spectacular temples in Tamil Nadu instead of Taj Mahal.
“Second” countries
Luckily, there are entire countries with few visitors. If you like desert, Sahara in Algeria is incredible.
Colombia with its mountain, sea and zona cafetera instead of Peru.
Guatemala or Honduras instead of Cancun in Mexico.
Stunning Zimbabwe (yes, really) and not South Africa.
For excellent hiking, consider Kyrgyzstan or Tajikistan instead of expensive Switzerland.
For the Old World charm with little jet lag from the US or Canada, go to Buenos Aires in Argentina. An impressive city with stunning Art Nouveau architecture on par with Paris, and excellent grill (parrilla), and Spanish and Italian restaurants.
“Second” attractions to avoid crowds when travelling
The same “second” approach also applies to museums, temples or markets. Of course, everybody wants to see Notre Dame and Sacré-Coeur in Paris, or Westminster Abbey and St Paul’s cathedral in London. Their fame is well-deserved, but comes at the expense of permanent congestion.
In Egypt, the Karnak temple in Luxor is vast but plundered and ruined over the centuries. Consider Edfu, an impressive temple merging the Ptolemaic and Egyptian cultures 90 minutes away from Luxor. Excellent condition and impressive engravings. Best of all, you can wonder around at leisure as almost no other tourists around.
Pompei in Italy is unique for an entire Roman town being excavated after the Vesuvius covered it with lava and ashes in 79AD. However, the Roman mosaics are more impressive at the Zeugma museum in Gaziantep, Turkey. Secondly, there is only a small fraction of the visitors there.
Alhambra in Spain is justifiably the top tourist attraction in Spain. However, please do not skip the Royal Alcazar in Seville close nearby. Smaller in size and less known but impressive with its well-preserved colors.
Even the baths there are mesmerizing.
There are countless other similarly impressive but uncrowded places. For example, in Bukhara, Uzbekistan, walk for 15 minutes from the old town center and visit the stunning and recently-renovated Qo’sh madrassah, which you will have for yourself.
Sorrento, Italy, is nice but touristy, especially when a cruise ship arrives. Instead, stay in Santa Agata up the hill, and you will be awarded with incredible views from your window.
In the busy Machu Picchu in Peru, climb on Huchuy Picchu, the mountain nearby overlooking the village remains. The views will be spectacular and way fewer people there.
If you are going on a safari to South Africa, instead of the Kruger Park please consider KwaZulu Natal or the malaria-free Pilansberg. Yes, the bragging rights will be less, but those anti-malarial pills have some serious side effects for some of us.
Or leave South Africa altogether and head for the incredible Tanzania’s Selous, Zimbabwe’s Hwange or Zambia’s South Luangwa. If you time it well and manage to visit Kenya or Tanzania during the annual animal migration, all other humans will appear inconsequential in this festival of nature.
(3) AVOID THE CURRENT TOP DESTINATIONS
Every year many major news outlets and travel publishers announce their top super awesome undiscovered destinations for the next year. They are definitely interesting and we always consider them.
However, we would never travel there the same year.
Why? Many other tourists would follow their advice and hit the road immediately. Absolutely, let’s go there after the next edition comes out. Last year’s places are not as popular or overhyped anymore.
In other words, you might want to look at last year’s or earlier recommendations.
As a reference, in late October 2022 National Geographic revealed its top destinations for 2023. Its Best of the World 2023 list per category is here:
Similarly, the Lonely Planet published its best 2023 places:
https://www.lonelyplanet.com/articles/best-in-travel-countries-2023
(4) AVOID MAJOR HOLIDAYS
Christmas, Diwali, Hanukkah, New Year’s Eve, Easter are usually the most expensive times of the year to travel. Fortunately, those peaks are usually short lived.
The Christmas season starts around 17 December when the prices quickly skyrocket. And they usually collapse as vehemently after the first Sunday in January.
Why? Most people can’t take more than two weeks off from work in one go.
Interestingly, November, first half of December and post-holiday January are usually inexpensive times. No school breaks. Cold, short and dark days in the northern hemisphere mean few passengers for the airlines and hotels. In return, they slash their prices to attract few visitors. Moreover, those are the flights when you book a single economy seat, and discover you have all three adjacent seats free all for yourself.
Therefore, if you can go away for a longer timeperiod, a great strategy is to leave just before Christmas at a good fare and no crowds. Park yourself in an exotic country with warmer weather, excellent food and great scenery, for example India or Colombia. Return in January after the crowds have already dispersed.
(5) UNDERSTAND FESTIVALS AND NATIONAL HOLIDAYS
Unless you specifically want to see some incredible festivals in India, Japan or Papua, avoid them. Secondly, in addition to all major international holidays above, each country has its own specific ones.
For example, in the United States avoid Thanksgiving, Independence Day and Labor Day. The airports and roads will packed with higher prices to pay.
Timkat in Ethiopia is fascinating to see but the word got out a long time ago. In addition to the local crowds, there are many tourist tours being scheduled just for this event.
In Japan, sakura (cherry blossom in the spring) or koyo (colorful leaves in the fall) are spectacular. The whole country is following the TV reports about their progress across the islands. Watching the trees has been a national pastime in Japan for centuries. The temples in Kyoto are truly stunning, but the local and international crowds are huge. If you are not interested in this nature’s spectacle, you might consider shifting your travel outside of those timeframes.
However, the overcrowding crown should probably go to the Golden Week in China. We made a mistake and did not pay attention to this important public holiday. We had enjoyed travelling in the lesser-visited Guangxi and Yunnan in south-western China. Suddenly, all flights became three-five times more expensive and the accommodation places literally disappeared overnight. Lesson learned.
(6) AVOID WEEKENDS
Another obvious one how to avoid crowds when travelling, regardless of the destination.
Weekends are the busiest and most expensive parts of the week with many local and international tourists traveling. The Komodo tour in Indonesia, Tayrona National Park in Colombia, or almost any interesting satellite town around major cities will be packed and more expensive.
Secondly, for example the national parks in Indonesia have higher prices (up to 50%) during weekends. You would pay more and there will be more people there. Why do it if you can avoid it?
(7) TRAVEL DURING SHOULDER SEASON
Another obvious one, but much harder for families with children attending school. However, even in that case there are still choices. Paris will be less hot during the October school break than in the 36C (100F) heat in August.
The U.S. national parks will be almost deserted in the spring in comparison with the peak summer months. Yes, it will be chilly, but air will be crisp with good light and few tourists.
The hurricane season in the Caribbean is a gamble. All weather forecasts will be helpful and might tip the balance in your favor. If predicting correctly (or some would say, lucky), travelling to Turks and Caicos, St Lucia or St Nevis will be much cheaper and tranquil, as many tourist would stay away.
In Asia, after your Komodo tour in Indonesia, visit Riung (Flores) in September or October, and have one of the islands to yourself.
Moreover, many countries are operating peak vs off-peak season pricing (e.g., Samarkand and Bukhara in Uzbekistan). Exact months differ but always check when planning your trip.
Finally, shoulder or low season (e.g., January and February) in one place (e.g., the U.S. or northern Europe) is prime time in e.g., India before the heat and monsoon arrive. The temperature will be pleasant with no excessive humidity.
(8) STAY OVERNIGHT AND AVOID DAY CROWDS WHEN TRAVELLING
That’s a great strategy.
If you can stay overnight, YOU will decide where and when to avoid crowds when travelling.
The reason is that many interesting places are visited on day trips. Once the dreaded day tours are gone, you might have the place all to yourself.
For example, Mostar in Bosnia and Herzegovina with its famous bridge turns to a serene and atmospheric town once all tours buses depart back for Split and Dubrovnik in Croatia.
When visiting a well-preserved Silk Road town of Bukhara in Uzbekistan, stay overnight. On your evening walk you will be rewarded by some fantastic views with few people.
And if you continue to Samarkand (highly recommended), some other tourists do not matter when you have a view like this.
(9) TAKE PARALLEL STREET
This is one of the all-time favorites. When walking in NYC, unless you have a good reason, you probably do not walk along the busy 42nd street but rather sprint for the 43rd with an easier door to Grand Central.
Same in Rome. When walking from Forum Romanum, Pantheon or Piazza Navona to Vatican don’t walk along the busy and noisy Corso Vittorio Emanuele II. Take the parallel Via del Pellegrino, an atmospheric cobbled street with many trattorias excellent for lunch or dinner.
Or when in London you are getting back from the always-popular Notting Hill Saturday market to central London, do not take the uber-touristy Hop On Hop Off bus. Not only will you save, but you will also walk through one of the nicest parks in London, Hyde Park. You can even stop by the Kensington Palace and the Italian Gardens on the way back.
In Mardin: ancient Silk Road town, Turkey, please walk 5 minutes up the hill from the main touristy road. You will be rewarded by vast Mesopotamia views in complete silence.
The parallel street may also extend to a ferry ride with spectacular views. Instead of driving from Sorrento to Positano in Italy, you might want to take a ferry (speedboat). It takes approximately 60 minutes and will be one of the most stunning ferry trips ever.
(10) UNDERSTAND DOMESTIC TOURIST CYCLES
The domestic tourism clock in the southern hemisphere will be different from Europe, America and northern Asia.
Northern hemisphere largely is in the off-season mode, whereas this is absolutely the best time to visit the archeological sites in Egypt (October-February). In comparison, the Valley of the Kings in Luxor will be routinely 50C in July and August.
For example, South Africa, one of the favorite destinations on the continent, the top holidays occur during the Christmas period. For prices and congestion this is the worst time to visit.
Please look at the local school calendar when planning your trip. It is a good indicator of the travel seasonality in a particular location.
(11) UNDERSTAND ENTRANCE GATES AND OPENING TIMES
This is another all-time favorite. Please look at the map of your next overcrowded destination and understand your top places, entrance gates, their opening times and parking lots. Most sites have an official (or semi-official) route. If possible, you want to travel in the opposite direction, preferably starting at your top venue.
For example, Ephesus in Turkey, which is hugely popular with tour groups. There are two entrances: upper on a hill and lower. As you might expect, the large parking lot for the tour buses is next to the upper gate. And it makes sense, because it will be easier for the groups to descend than to climb up.
However, the top two Ephesus attractions, the picturesque Celsius library and the amphitheater, are located next to the lower gate. In other words, if you are at the lower gate at the opening time of 8:00am (in the summer), you are almost guaranteed to be the first person to arrive at the library by 08:05am, and take those stunning unobstructed photos. The tours descending will start arriving approximately 30-45 minutes later.
A supremely private experience in a supremely overcrowded site for the remainder of the day. Here are the other Ephesus Visit – Top Tips.
Similar in London at the always-popular National Gallery in Trafalgar Square. Do not queue at the main line in front of the building, but take the side entrance on the left in the Sainsbury Wing.
(12) TIMED ENTRY TICKETS
The Louvre is Paris is more complicated because there is one main entrance under the lovely glass pyramid. Secondly, Louvre is currently not selling any pre- or post-open tickets at higher prices.
However, the regular tickets are timed and separate lines are being formed by the museum staff. You want to buy the tickets online in advance for the opening time AND arrive at least 30 minutes earlier. You probably want to be the first people in your line to get through the security barriers to the museum. This almost guarantees that you will see the ever enigmatic Mona Lisa first. After that you might want to rush to Venus of Milo, who probably will be still relatively deserted, as Mona Lisa is the top attraction according to the Louvre staff.
Once those two top items are crossed off your bucket list, you can enjoy the rest of this excellent museum almost at leisure.
Similarly, the Mezquita Cathedral in Cordoba, Spain, will look tranquil and different without the crowds later in the day.
(13) BOOK PRE-OPEN OR POST-CLOSE TICKETS
Some venues are selling higher priced tickets for before the regular open or after the regular close.
True, you will not skip the crowds altogether but you will skip main crowds during the peak periods. Burj Khalifa in Dubai operates prime vs non-prime hours with preferred tickets sold. More expensive but sometimes worth it.
(14) BOOK TICKETS IN ADVANCE
Another obvious one.
However, how many times did we forget to book the attraction ticket after the flight and hotel bookings?
Buying in advance has obvious advantages. Wider selection, more available timeslots, and the prices might be cheaper. Moreover, there is usually a separate desk to pick up your pre-ordered tickets with a much shorter line. You will bypass all the queues to the spot ticket sales. In Seville, you will be rewarded by a tranquil Alcazar (the Royal Palace) with no tourists (granted, during the winter months).
(15) CHECK BUSY PERIODS
Google Maps is offering real-time analytics on how busy a museum, street or restaurant is. They are probably using the count of cell phones using Android or any of the Google apps. Given almost everybody is using a Google product, it is a good indicator for the crowds at any given location.
Google is also providing the average busy periods per hour. Please incorportate this good indicator when planning your trip ahead of time.
(16) CHECK CRUISE SHIP ARRIVAL CALENDAR
Anywhere the large cruise ships arrive, the local shop and restaurant owners in the Caribbean or Mediterranean are checking the ship name and the number of passengers. They are an excellent indicator for the upcoming crowds in the tourist attractions.
We did try to time our visit to Dubrovnik and Split in Croatia between two days with three cruise ships arriving. It was still busy but supposedly much better than the adjacent days when the Diocletian’s palace was completely full.
Also, Kotor in Montenegro is nice. However, when the inevitable cruise ships dock, the tiny town will be overflown with their guests. Better still, stay in the neighboring Perast or Herceg Novi, atmospheric and full of Venetian architecture without the port docks.
Similarly, when coming to Funchal in the stunning Madeira, stay up the hill in the eastern part of town. Great views will greet you in the morning, far away from the packed city center below. Sometimes there are four or more cruise ships arriving with not enough docking space in the Funchal harbor. And each of those ocean cruisers has around 3,000 passengers.
There are several websites providing the cruise arrival calendar per location. Moreover, some even calculate a helpful daily crowd index, which incorporates cruises and local school and public holidays.
(17) START EARLY
Especially on vacation, everybody likes to start the day after a leisurely breakfast. As this applies to all of us, most places are less crowded in the mornings, with late mornings and early afternoons most packed.
So the best option is either to start early or start late.
Starting early is preferred, as it is more difficult for most people than to stay late. Secondly, it is more difficult to plan for the late start and you might run out of time.
It is a different feeling to see the spectacular Registan in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, at 08:00am when the gates open. You will have the stunning Tilla-Kari to yourself for the first 15 minutes. Just a completely different experience when you gaze at the elegance and workmanship of this Islamic school (madrassah) in complete silence. In other words, I was sitting on my bottom on the floor gaping at this artistic masterpiece in complete silence. What a difference it made.
Similarly in the ancient Egyptian archeological sites of Abu Simbel and Luxor (e.g., Karnak and Luxor temples on the East side), start early.
If you are starting for Abu Simbel in the lovely Aswan, you will have to depart by 4am. Depending on the road congestion, it will take at least 3.5 hours to get there. You will be rewarded by three things: (1) Abu Simbel is impressive, especially when tranquil, (2) the road is largely straight and in excellent condition, so you will be able to sleep most of the ride, and (3) should you decide to wake up for the sunrise, the views (and photos) will be amazing. When you arrive, there will be few other minibuses or tour buses, if any. Two hours later when you probably leave, both parking lots will be choke full.
In Luxor, if you show up at the gate of the Karnak and Luxor temples at 6am, you will have those world-famous sites almost to yourself. In the peak tourists months of November-February, do not forget a jacket or a hoodie, though.
(18) STAY IN LOCAL NEIGHBORHOODS, NOT TOURIST HUBS
Starting early will also be interesting in some local neighberhoods when, for example, the Verona or Lyon locals wake up and go for the morning coffee or croissant.
Every major city has a few areas, where tourist tend to congregate. The accommodation and restaurant prices are higher, locals are less friendly and sometimes you might feel like you are in NYC, Tokio, Shanghai, London or Munich.
However, there are usually some local neighborhoods close nearby. They might be across a busy road, highway or park. They are more quiet, authentic, with lower hotel and restaurant prices, and definitely better food.
On the other hand, you do not want to stay too far away and waste precious time, especially in the morning. If you want to avoid crowds when travelling, that has its price as well. Check the online maps for the distance and the best connections.
(19) AVOID MOVING AROUND DURING PEAK HOURS
Another intuitive way to avoid crowds when travelling.
Peak hours differ across countries, climates and cultures. The yellow “busy area” spots on Google maps are helpful to plan around them. Secondly, ask a local who will usually be happy to assist. Who doesn’t want to show their local knowledge to this new tourist?
Hit the top tourist attractions outside of those periods and park yourself in a second-tier place at peak times.
In some countries, it is still customary to take an extended break in the middle of the day. Shops close up and the streets empty up. And it makes sense in the hottest weeks.
However, the siesta is frequently also celebrated during the cooler months. This is the best time to avoid crowds when travelling around Italian or Spanish cities.
(20) CHOOSE YOUR AIRPORT WELL
We usually select flights into the country’s capital.
Why?
They are frequently most numerous, cheapest and we recognize their names first. Secondly, we frequently start planning our trip at the capital.
And some capitals are justified to be on our itineraries.
However, that is NOT always the case. For example, Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan, offers most flight connections. However, the city has limited tourist appeal.
You will probably come to Uzbekistan to visit magnificent Samarkand and Bukhara. It turns out they also have growing airports with daily international flights. Secondly, those airports are close to the city center.
So what is the trade off?
Tashkent flights are usually cheaper. However, you will probably pay for the hotel for the arrival night and lose a day from your precious holiday. You will also have to buy a train ticket for Tashkent-Samarkand or Tashkent-Bukhara.
Secondly, if you fly out from Tashkent, you will pay for all those again and lose another day to return.
In other words, it might make sense to buy a higher-priced ticket to the local airport if the price difference is not exorbitant and you do not have many days.
(21) BUY OPEN-JAW FLIGHT TICKETS
Beyond the city breaks, if you are travelling longer across few locations you might consider an open-jaw flight ticket.
Arriving in one airport but leaving from another at the end of your itinerary will save time and money. You will not have to backtrack to your arrival site, which will eliminate the need for the transportation back and probably one (or even more) accommodation nights.
THIS LIST IS DEFINITELY INCOMPLETE
Beyond those tips how to avoid crowds while travelling, there are countless others. How do you avoid crowds when travelling? Your comments below will help all of us.
