Summer is in full swing, which means tons of travelers are heading to the usual vacation hot spots, the museum lines in Rome are long, the café terraces in Paris are packed, and sunset dinner reservations in Santorini require some serious planning ahead. Across the Atlantic, many National Parks in the U.S. and Canada are nearly impossible to visit without months of prep and a bit of luck getting permits. So where do you go when everywhere feels at capacity and even the so-called “hidden gems” are packed to the brim?
It’s time to get a little more creative with your itinerary:
Explore the Stockholm Archipelago
With over 30,000 islands scattered across the Baltic Sea, the Stockholm Archipelago is where many Swedes go to escape the city — and with that many islands, you’re bound to find one all to yourself. It’s a classic vacation spot and weekend trip destination, but thanks to its sprawling size, even in peak summer, it rarely feels crowded.
Watch the boats pass by in Grinda, bike the trails of Utö, or stay in a cabin on Möja, or better yet, hop on a ferry and visit them all. Spend your vacation swimming in quiet coves, lingering over a slow dockside lunch, and forgetting what day of the week it is completely. This is Swedish summer at its best, uncrowded, unhurried, and refreshingly under the radar.
Not Your Average National Park
Located nearly at the Canadian border and accessible only by ferry or seaplane, Isle Royale National Park is one of the lesser-known and least visited national parks in the United States. But that may not stay true for long, with no roads, no cars, and hardly any cell service, it offers a rare opportunity to fully unplug and feel like you’ve stepped off the grid.
Still, the isolated island offers plenty to do. Whether you’re camping in the pine forest, kayaking around Lake Superior, or keeping an eye out for moose on a backcountry trail, you just might feel like you’re a kid at summer camp all over again. Late summer is an ideal time to visit, the weather is mild, the bugs have calmed down, and the water is as warm as it gets. It takes a bit of work to arrive here, but once you make the lake crossing, you’ll be rewarded with peaceful seclusion.
America’s Other Best-Kept Secret
On the other end of the National Park popularity spectrum is Yellowstone, a special place that deserves to be on everyone’s bucket list, but one that requires navigating online reservation systems and traffic jams just to get a glimpse of the good stuff. But what many Yellowstone visitors don’t realize is that Wyoming has another side, one that’s quieter, more vast, and worth exploring in its own right.
Just a few hours east, the Bighorn Mountains offer alpine lakes, wildflower-filled meadows, and views you won’t have to share. You’ll find trails that lead to actual solitude, starry nights untouched by car headlights, and scenic byways with switchbacks that’ll make your jaw (and your stomach) drop. Wyoming might be the most underrated state in the U.S. when it comes to natural beauty, and late summer is when it really earns that title.
Head Down Under (But Not Too Far Down)
Even though it’s technically wintertime in Australia, don’t forget that the northern coast has a tropical climate. In places like Darwin and tropical Queensland towns such as Cairns, August and September are the dry season, meaning blue skies, low humidity, and reliably great weather. It’s the best time of year for outdoor adventures: you can hike through Kakadu National Park, sail around the Whitsunday Islands, or make that bucket list visit to the Great Barrier Reef while the visibility is excellent.
Sure, there will be domestic tourists from Melbourne and Sydney escaping the cold back home, but international crowds are at a minimum, and the vibe is laid-back this time of year. It’s an ideal opportunity to act like a local while checking off a bucket list destination.
Take the Opposite of a Group Tour
Most safari-seeking travelers flock to East Africa this time of year, but if you want stunning landscapes and big game sightings with a fraction of the crowds, Namibia just might be your place. August and September offer prime wildlife viewing in Etosha National Park, sandboarding in the Namib Desert, and morning walks through the fossilized trees of Deadvlei without the scorching heat.
What really sets Namibia apart is its emptiness, you can drive for hours without seeing another car. The roads are rough and the fuel stops are sparse, but that’s part of the adventure. If you’re trying to avoid summer crowds, heading to one of the least densely populated countries on Earth isn’t a bad idea.
Count the Stars, Not the People
Continuing in the Southern Hemisphere, it’s a great time of year to visit Chile’s Atacama Desert, the days are dry, the nights are crisp, and the tour buses are noticeably scarce. The main hub, San Pedro de Atacama, will still have plenty of visitors, but it’s nothing like the wave of tourism that rolls in come December or January.
While winter means low season for other parts of Chile, up in the high desert it means daytime temperatures that are ideal for exploring salt flats, active geysers, and the chance to see wild flamingos. It’s also a fantastic time for stargazing — the Atacama has some of the clearest skies on Earth, and you’re almost guaranteed to see the Milky Way overhead once the sun sets.
Japan Has Surprising Range
It’s perhaps best known for its spring cherry blossoms, fall foliage, and winter ski trips, which is exactly why summer is Japan’s most underrated season to visit. In ski towns like Hakuba and Niseko, you’ll find hiking trails, swimmable lakes, and empty onsens. And when the mountains are done calling, head south to Okinawa, where the beaches will fool you into thinking you’ve just stepped into the Mediterranean.
Summer even seems to take the edge off the usual frenzy of the big cities. Sure, it’s hot, but not so hot that it stops anyone from enjoying a stroll through Shinjuku Gyoen or slurping a late-night bowl of ramen. If you’ve only seen Japan in peak season, summer’s a good reason to come back and see it from a different angle.
Final Thoughts:
Nobody wants to spend their holiday stuck in endless lines or dealing with overbooked tours. With fewer crowds and a little more room to breathe, these in-season but slightly off-the-radar destinations offer the chance to slow down, explore at your own pace, and return home feeling like you actually had a chance to relax, just make sure to visit them before the secret gets out.