The best view is often the one no one else is looking for.
A trip to one of the world’s most famous landmarks can often be a frustrating experience of long lines, dense crowds, and a constant jostle for the same, clichéd photo. The secret that seasoned travelers know is that for almost every major tourist hotspot, there is a nearby, underrated spot that offers an equally beautiful, and often more interesting, perspective without the crowds.
These are the hidden corners and alternative viewpoints that will give you a much more peaceful and unique experience of a world-famous sight.
1. Near the Eiffel Tower, go to the top of the Tour Montparnasse.
The line to go up the Eiffel Tower can be hours long, and once you are at the top, the one thing you can’t see is the Eiffel Tower itself. For a much better, and far less crowded, panoramic view of Paris that includes the iconic tower, head to the observation deck at the top of the Tour Montparnasse, a skyscraper in the 15th arrondissement, as mentioned by Indie Traveller.
The view, especially at sunset as the Eiffel Tower begins to sparkle, is absolutely breathtaking. You will get a much better photo and a much more relaxed experience.
2. Near the Trevi Fountain, discover the ruins of the Vicus Caprarius.
The Trevi Fountain is a beautiful but incredibly chaotic and crowded scene. Just a few steps away, however, is a fascinating and quiet underground archaeological site known as the Vicus Caprarius, or the “City of Water.” This is the site of an ancient Roman apartment building and the original aqueduct that still feeds the Trevi Fountain to this day, according to The Roaming Renegades.
You can go underground and see the water flowing through the ancient channels, a peaceful and fascinating experience that gives you a much deeper appreciation for the famous fountain above.
3. Near the Vatican Museums, visit the Capitoline Museums.
The Vatican Museums are a world-class institution, but the experience of visiting them can be a truly miserable, shoulder-to-shoulder shuffle through a sea of tour groups. For a much more relaxed and equally impressive museum experience, head to the Capitoline Museums, CNN reports. Located on the beautiful, Michelangelo-designed Capitoline Hill, this is the oldest public museum in the world.
It houses a spectacular collection of ancient Roman sculpture, and because it is not as famous as the Vatican, you can often enjoy the masterpieces in relative peace and quiet.
4. Near Times Square, escape to the oasis of Bryant Park.
The sensory overload of Times Square, with its flashing billboards and massive crowds, is something that most people can only handle for a few minutes. Just a few blocks away, however, is a perfect and peaceful antidote: Bryant Park. This beautiful, European-style urban park, located behind the New York Public Library, is a true oasis of calm.
You can relax on the large lawn, play a free game of chess, or enjoy a drink at one of the park’s outdoor cafes. It is where the locals go to escape the madness of Midtown.
5. Near St. Mark’s Square in Venice, climb the San Giorgio Maggiore tower.
The line to go up the famous Campanile bell tower in St. Mark’s Square can be incredibly long. For a much better and less crowded view, take a short vaporetto ride across the water to the small island of San Giorgio Maggiore. You can take an elevator to the top of the bell tower of the beautiful Palladian church on the island.
From here, you get a breathtaking, panoramic view of the entire city of Venice, including St. Mark’s Square and the Doge’s Palace. It is arguably the single best view in all of Venice.
6. Near the Grand Canyon’s South Rim village, drive to the Desert View watchtower.
Most visitors to the Grand Canyon’s popular South Rim will spend all of their time at the crowded viewpoints around the main village. A fantastic and much less-visited alternative is to take a scenic, 25-mile drive east along the rim to the Desert View Watchtower. This historic, 70-foot-tall stone tower was designed by the famous architect Mary Colter.
The tower offers a completely different and unique perspective of the canyon, with a stunning, wide-open view of the Colorado River making its sharp turn to the west. It is a much more peaceful and contemplative experience.
7. Near Hollywood’s Walk of Fame, find peace at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery.
The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a chaotic, crowded, and often dirty experience that is a disappointment to many visitors. For a much more peaceful and fascinating dose of old Hollywood history, head to the nearby Hollywood Forever Cemetery. This beautiful, historic cemetery is the final resting place of a huge number of Hollywood legends, from Judy Garland to Cecil B. DeMille.
It is a beautiful and quiet green space, and in the summer, it is a popular local spot for outdoor movie screenings. It is a much more authentic and interesting connection to the history of the movie industry.
8. Near Buckingham Palace, relax in St. James’s Park.
The area in front of Buckingham Palace is a chaotic scene, packed with thousands of tourists all trying to get the perfect photo of the guards. For a much more peaceful and beautiful royal experience, simply walk across the street to the stunning St. James’s Park. This is arguably the most beautiful of London’s royal parks, with a lovely lake, beautiful flower beds, and a resident flock of pelicans.
The park offers a beautiful, tree-framed view of Buckingham Palace from a distance. It is the perfect place to have a quiet picnic and to escape the crowds.
9. Near the Acropolis, climb Filopappou Hill for a better view.
The Acropolis is a magnificent but very crowded and sun-exposed site. For a much more relaxed and arguably even better view of the Parthenon, take a short and pleasant walk up the adjacent, pine-covered Filopappou Hill. From the top of this hill, you get a perfect, panoramic, postcard-shot of the entire Acropolis, with the city of Athens spread out below.
It is a favorite spot for locals and photographers, especially at sunset. You can enjoy the world-class view in peace and quiet, away from the thousands of tourists on the hill opposite you.
10. Near Florence’s crowds, explore the Oltrarno neighborhood.
Most tourists in Florence will spend all of their time on the north side of the Arno River, where the Duomo and the Uffizi Gallery are located. To escape the crowds and to experience a more authentic side of the city, simply cross the famous Ponte Vecchio bridge into the Oltrarno neighborhood. This is the artisan quarter of the city, filled with the workshops of local craftspeople.
The neighborhood has a more quiet, local, and bohemian feel, with a number of fantastic, family-run trattorias that are a fraction of the price of the tourist traps across the river.
11. Near Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco, visit the Hyde Street Pier.
Fisherman’s Wharf is a crowded and very commercialized tourist trap. For a much more authentic and interesting taste of San Francisco’s maritime history, walk a few blocks to the historic Hyde Street Pier, which is part of the San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park. Here, you can actually board and explore a magnificent collection of historic, 19th-century sailing ships.
It is a fascinating and often very quiet museum that offers a real connection to the city’s past as a great port. It also offers beautiful and less-crowded views of Alcatraz and the Golden Gate Bridge.
12. Near Stonehenge, wander among the stones at Avebury.
The prehistoric monument of Stonehenge is iconic, but the experience of visiting it is often a disappointment. You are kept at a distance from the stones, herded along a roped-off path with hundreds of other tourists. Just a short drive away, the village of Avebury is home to a massive, and arguably more impressive, Neolithic stone circle that you can actually walk among and touch.
The huge circle, which is so large that it encircles the entire village, offers a much more intimate and powerful connection to the ancient past, and it is almost completely free of the commercialism and the crowds of its more famous neighbor.