With tourism growing more aggressively every year, you would think the world would eventually run out of undiscovered places. But somehow, most people just keep recycling the same destinations over and over again. Paris. Dubai. Bali. Santorini. Repeat.
Not that there is anything wrong with those places, of course. They are popular for a reason. But sometimes the best travel experiences happen in the destinations people are not constantly posting ten times a day on Instagram.
The places where you are not spending half your holiday in queues. The places that still feel a little untouched, a little surprising, a little more personal.
Thankfully, there are still quite a few of those left.
Here are a few underrated destinations worth considering this summer if you are looking to escape the usual travel clichés.
So, even if you hate feeling like you’re playing office politics, here are 5 things you should do:
- Cape Verde
Let me start with what might genuinely be one of the most underrated countries on the planet.
For a lot of people, Cape Verde barely even registers as a travel destination, which is honestly wild considering how much it offers. You have volcanic landscapes, incredible hiking trails, crystal-clear waters, beautiful reefs, colorful towns filled with music, and some of the warmest energy you will ever encounter.
The island of Santo Antão especially feels like the kind of place travel documentaries are made for. Mountains, dramatic coastlines, winding trails, tiny villages perched between cliffs, it almost does not feel real at times.
What also makes Cape Verde fascinating is the blend of influences. Because of its large diaspora across places like Portugal, the Netherlands, and the United States, the country has this unique mix of African and European cultures that reflects in everything from the architecture to the food and music.
It is also one of the safest and most politically stable countries in Africa, which makes it incredibly easy to travel through comfortably.
Honestly, if you are looking for somewhere that still feels refreshing and different without sacrificing beauty or convenience, Cape Verde deserves far more attention than it gets.
- Albania
Albania might not stay underrated for much longer.
Between 2019 and 2024, it quietly became one of the fastest-growing tourism destinations in the world, largely because social media finally discovered its southern coastline. Places like Ksamil started blowing up online as the so-called “Maldives of Europe,” which, to be fair, is not entirely inaccurate once you see the water.
But beaches aside, Albania’s biggest appeal to me is actually its history and character.
For decades, the country existed in near-total isolation under a communist dictatorship, earning it the nickname “the North Korea of Europe.” That isolation shaped Albania differently from neighbouring countries like Greece or Italy, giving it a distinct identity, language, and culture that still feels incredibly unique today.
It is one of those places where you can spend the morning exploring Ottoman-era towns, the afternoon on turquoise beaches, and the evening eating absurdly good food for prices that make Western Europe feel like financial terrorism.
And despite tourism growing rapidly, Albania still feels far less commercialised than many of Europe’s bigger destinations.
- Oman
Oman feels like one of the Middle East’s best-kept secrets.
Tourism has been growing steadily, but most people still know surprisingly little about the country beyond its name on a map. Which is a shame because Oman is stunning.
One of the things that makes it so special is how dramatically the scenery changes within just a few hours of driving. Endless orange sand dunes suddenly give way to turquoise water, rugged mountains, deep gorges, ancient villages, and quiet coastal towns.
It almost feels like multiple countries stitched together into one road trip.
What stood out to me most, though, was how peaceful the experience felt. The country is incredibly safe, the roads are excellent, and the people are remarkably welcoming without the aggressive tourist pressure you sometimes encounter elsewhere.
Even the markets feel calmer.
And if you are someone who enjoys travel that combines nature, adventure, history, and genuinely beautiful landscapes without overwhelming crowds, Oman absolutely deserves a spot on your list.
- Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka is one of those destinations that somehow manages to pack an absurd amount of variety into a relatively small island.
Beautiful beaches in the south, lush mountains in the interior, historic temples, wildlife, modern city life in Colombo, tea plantations, elephants casually existing in the wild, it genuinely feels like several different holidays merged into one.
Tourism had been growing rapidly before the 2019 terrorist attacks dealt a major blow to the industry. And even though those attacks were isolated incidents, they understandably affected how many people viewed the destination afterward.
But Sri Lanka remains an incredibly beautiful country with so much to offer.
It is vibrant, layered, affordable, and still somehow overlooked compared to many destinations that receive half the hype online.
- Vienna, Austria
Vienna is probably the least “underrated” place on this list, but I still think it deserves far more love than it gets compared to Europe’s heavyweight destinations.
People rush toward Paris, London, Rome, or Barcelona while Vienna quietly sits there being ridiculously beautiful.
The city has this interesting balance between elegance and calm. Parts of it feel like Paris, while other parts feel like the charming smaller towns you find across Germany and Central Europe. Everywhere you look there is history, architecture, art, music, and grand old buildings that make you feel underdressed immediately.
And somehow, despite all that beauty, Vienna still feels less chaotic and exhausting than some of Europe’s more overcrowded tourist hotspots.
If you have already done the usual European circuit and want somewhere that still feels culturally rich without being completely overwhelming, Vienna is a fantastic option.
