I love travel. But I hate tourist traps. You know the feeling — standing in line for an hour to see something that looks exactly like the photos, surrounded by selfie sticks and screaming kids. It's exhausting. So I've spent the last three years seeking out places that are genuinely underrated: beautiful, unique, and still relatively quiet. In June 2026, these are the destinations that deserve your attention.
Before I dive in, a note: "underrated" doesn't mean "undiscovered." These places have tourists, just not the hordes you'll find in Paris or Rome. They're off the beaten path enough that you can actually enjoy them.
10. Kotor, Montenegro
Kotor is what Dubrovnik used to be before Game of Thrones ruined it. A medieval walled city on a stunning bay, surrounded by mountains. The old town is a maze of narrow streets, cathedrals, and tiny squares. You can hike up the city walls (1,350 steps) for a view that rivals anything in Croatia. The best part? In June, the temperature is perfect — low 80s — and the crowds are manageable. I spent three days here and saw maybe a dozen other tourists. Flights to nearby Tivat are cheap from most European hubs.
9. Gjirokastër, Albania
Albania is having a moment, but most tourists head to the coast (Saranda, Ksamil). Skip it and go inland to Gjirokastër, a UNESCO World Heritage city built on a hillside. The stone houses have slate roofs that look like they're from a fairy tale. The castle at the top is massive and mostly empty. I walked through it for an hour without seeing another person. The food is incredible — try the qifqi (rice balls with herbs) and the local wine. A meal costs about $8. Accommodation is absurdly cheap: I paid $30 a night for a room with a view of the valley.
8. Tbilisi, Georgia
Georgia (the country, not the state) is still flying under the radar. Tbilisi is a chaotic, beautiful city with sulfur baths, quirky architecture, and some of the best food I've ever eaten. The khachapuri (cheese bread) is life-changing. The wine is ancient — Georgia is the cradle of winemaking, with 8,000 years of history. I visited a family-run winery in the Kakheti region where they still make wine in clay pots buried in the ground. The host poured me glass after glass and refused to let me leave without singing a folk song. It felt real, not performative.
7. São Luís, Brazil
Everyone goes to Rio or Salvador. Few make it to São Luís, a colonial city on an island off Brazil's northeast coast. The historic center is a UNESCO site with over 3,000 tiled buildings — more than any other city in Latin America. The tiles are blue and white, brought over by Portuguese colonists. The city feels frozen in time. I walked the streets at sunset, and the light made the tiles glow. The beaches nearby are empty and gorgeous. It's a two-hour flight from São Paulo, but it feels like another world.
6. Wrocław, Poland
Kraków gets all the attention, but Wrocław is the underrated gem of Poland. The old town is beautiful — colorful townhouses, a massive market square, and a cathedral island. But the real charm is the dwarfs. Seriously. There are over 600 small bronze dwarf statues hidden around the city. It started as a protest movement during communist times, and now it's a scavenger hunt. I spent an afternoon finding them. The city is also a hub for craft beer, with dozens of microbreweries. A pint costs $3. It's also cheaper than Kraków and less crowded. Win-win.
5. Luang Prabang, Laos
Laos is often skipped in favor of Thailand or Vietnam, but Luang Prabang is one of the most peaceful places I've ever been. It's a small town at the confluence of two rivers, surrounded by mountains. The morning alms ceremony — where monks walk through the streets collecting offerings — is a spiritual experience if done respectfully. The Kuang Si Waterfalls are a short drive away: turquoise pools surrounded by jungle. I swam in them and felt like I was in a movie. The town also has incredible French-Lao fusion food, a legacy of colonialism. A meal of laap (minced meat salad) and sticky rice costs $5.
4. Matera, Italy
Matera has become more popular in recent years (thanks to being a European Capital of Culture and a James Bond filming location), but it's still not overrun. The city is carved into a canyon — houses, churches, and entire neighborhoods are dug into the rock. It's called the Sassi, and it's been inhabited since the Paleolithic era. Walking through the Sassi at night, with the lights flickering in the cave houses, is surreal. The food is rustic and delicious: handmade pasta, lamb, and local red wine. I stayed in a cave hotel that was literally carved into the rock. It cost $100 a night. In Positano, that would get you a closet.
3. Salento, Colombia
Salento is a tiny town in Colombia's coffee region, and it's the most colorful place I've ever seen. The buildings are painted in bright blues, yellows, and reds, with wooden balconies and flowering plants. The surrounding valley is covered in coffee plantations where you can tour and taste. I spent a day hiking through the Cocora Valley, home to the world's tallest palm trees (they reach 60 meters). The hike was muddy and tiring, but standing under those palms felt like being on another planet. A cup of freshly brewed coffee at a farm costs $1. The entire town feels like a postcard.
2. Chefchaouen, Morocco
Yes, Chefchaouen is on Instagram. Yes, it's becoming more popular. But it's still worth visiting. The entire medina is painted in shades of blue — from pale sky blue to deep indigo. The reason is debated: some say it repels mosquitoes, others say it symbolizes the sky and heaven. Whatever the reason, it's stunning. I wandered the narrow streets for two days, getting lost repeatedly. The locals are friendly and less aggressive with sales than in Marrakech. The surrounding Rif Mountains offer great hiking. I did a day hike to a waterfall and didn't see another soul.
1. Svaneti, Georgia
This is my number one because it's the most remote, beautiful, and surprising place I've ever been. Svaneti is a region in the Caucasus Mountains of Georgia, accessible only by a winding road that takes four hours from Zugdidi. The villages are made of stone towers — medieval defensive structures that look like something from Game of Thrones. I stayed in a guesthouse in Mestia, run by a family who cooked me dinner and poured me homemade chacha (grape vodka). The next day, I hiked to a glacier at 3,000 meters. The views were indescribable: snow-capped peaks, green valleys, and not another tourist in sight. I saw one other hiker all day. This place feels like a secret. Please don't tell everyone.
These 10 destinations are special because they haven't been sanitized for tourism. They're real places where people live, work, and cook dinner. If you visit, be a good guest. Learn a few phrases in the local language. Eat the street food. Get lost. That's the point of travel — to feel alive, not just to collect passport stamps.
