Top 10 Underrated Towns and Cities Every Traveler Should Visit Before 2030.
We love little-known, underrated destinations. They might not top people’s “bucket lists” but discovering them is infinitely more rewarding than the over-hyped tourist hotspots that people flock to. Looking back at our first 6 years of full-time travel, it was those underrated towns and cities that left us with the most vivid memories. They are places void of the tourist hordes, where locals are still friendly and where your money stretches further.
In this post I cover some of our favorite underrated towns and cities.
Cultural travel platforms like https://dmc.travel/ often emphasize destinations like the ones covered below for those seeking authentic travel experiences.
Underrated Towns and Cities shaped by geography and nature
Prachuap Khiri Khan, Thailand
Dreaming of a Thai holiday? I’m sorry to tell you that most of Thailand’s beach towns are now over-developed, overpriced and overrun with international tourists.
An exception, and one of our favorite towns in Thailand, is Prachuap Khiri Khan on the gulf coast. The town has impressive karst geography, beautiful beaches, plenty of monkeys (including Dusky Langurs, protected as an endangered species) and is an authentic Thai town that gets few tourists. And you can still find accommodation for less than 40 USD/night, something unheard of a bit further south.
Imlil, Morocco
You could visit the Swiss Alps, they’re beautiful. But they are popular, expensive, and the tourist season is short.
An alternative are the High Atlas Mountains of Morocco, specifically the town of Imlil located 90 minutes from Marrakesh. Here you will find stunning geography that will remind you of the Swiss Alps. You can hike (I spent 3 days hiking Toubkal National Park), take mule rides or do cultural activities like cooking classes or visiting Argan oil cooperatives.
Ipoh, Malaysia
Georgetown (capital of the state of Penang) is a famous tourist destination and has over the years become too popular. 2 hours south of Georgetown is the wonderful city of Ipoh, the capital of Perak state. It has a rich colonial history and there’s much to explore downtown…but what makes this city special is the lush vegetation of the region and the karst geography, home of hot springs and huge cave temples.
Ipoh ended up being our favorite Malaysian city.
Underrated Towns and Cities shaped by history
Salamanca, Spain
A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Salamanca is known as the “Golden city” for the sandstone used in the construction of its buildings. It has the third oldest existing university in the world, one of the Top 10 cathedrals in Spain, and one of the most beautiful plazas in the country.
It is a city full of large churches, convents and palaces, all located in a beautiful (and very pedestrian-friendly) old town. And, besides all the beauty and attractions, it is a young, lively place with a lot of culture.
Lecce, Italy
Lecce is the highlight of the region of Puglia. It is often referred to as the “Florence of the South”. A small city of 100,000, it is full of charm – a (mostly) walled city full of churches, palaces and a Roman forum. But it is more than about any one sight. Lecce is so well preserved that you can walk around its squares and narrow streets and feel like you’ve stepped back to the 17th century.
Olomouc, Czech Republic
Olomouc is a spectacular city in the region of Moravia ((the Czech Republic’s easternmost province). It has the 2nd largest square in the country, a UNESCO World heritage Site (the Holy Trinity Column) and is full of churches and beautiful baroque buildings. Mozart even lived in Olomouc for a while and his Symphony No. 6 in F major was composed here.
Underrated Towns and Cities that take you off the beaten path
Tbilisi, Georgia
We stayed a month in Tbilisi, it is a fascinating city that attracts a different type of traveller. Tbilisi offers a mix of European and Asian cultures with incredible architecture, unique food and friendly locals. There’s a big fortress atop the city, Russian-era monuments and statues, an old town full of cobblestoned streets, a downtown waterfall and sulfur baths. A great city that CNN included in its list of “20 beautiful European cities with hardly any tourists”.
Note: Yerevan in neighbouring Armenia is another city on that list.
Edirne, Turkey
Few people know of this gorgeous city – Edirne was founded by the Romans and was later the capital of the Ottoman Empire (before the Ottomans defeated the Byzantines to take Constantinople, now Istanbul). Only 7km from the Bulgarian border, Edirne is a world away culturally with incredible mosques including the Selimiye Mosque, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. There’s a pretty old town with traditional wooden buildings, fountains and baclava stores. One of the most unexpected places we’ve ever visited.
Plovdiv, Bulgaria
Plovdiv (Bulgaria’s 2nd largest city) was chosen as co-winner of the designation of European City of Culture in 2019. A fascinating city full of hills (it is nicknamed the “city of the Seven Hills”), it was founded by the Romans – In the heart of downtown is the Roman Stadium which dates back to the 2nd century. Besides that, Plovdiv has an atmospheric old town which is full of restaurants, cafés and street art.
Vilnius, Lithuania
Our favorite of the Baltic capitals, Vilnius is a beautiful city with lots to see. The old town is a UNESCO world heritage site with lots of impressive squares, churches and cobblestone streets. In the middle of it all is a odd hill with a tower (Gediminas tower) – the history here dates back 5000 years. But besides all the attractions, Vilnius is a cool and friendly city that’s close to nature: we loved climbing the hills for different perspectives of the city.
Why these cities should be visited before 2030
We visited places like Prague, Budapest, Split and Cartagena before they became overtouristed destinations. While all are still beautiful places, something is lost when a place becomes a tourist hotspot.
The towns and cities I’ve listed above are, for the time being, overlooked and overrated. That will change in the next 5 years. Best to visit them before that happens.
Related: The Most Beautiful City in the World? Our candidates…and winner
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