“It’s Wild How Different This Made Our Experience”: Travelers Are Sharing Their Best Hacks For Escaping The Tourists In Popular Destinations

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“The Sun Never Set And We Were The Only Ones Around”: People Are Sharing How To Beat The Crowds At Tourist Attractions Around The World”We got there right before the sun came up, and almost no one was around. No noise except the sounds of the birds chirping in the trees. I went back a few hours later when all the tourists arrived, and it felt like some of the magic had been sucked out of it.”

There’s a reason why tourist attractions are called tourist attractions. They draw in the crowds! But with proper planning and smart tactics, you can actually catch some of these world-famous places without the hordes of tourists. Redditor u/alextoria asked, “I’m a huge fan of getting up at sunrise to avoid crowds when traveling. Which ‘crazy busy’ tourist locations have you gotten all to yourself?” Here’s what travel lovers from Reddit and the BuzzFeed Community said (and I also included one of my own favorite travel experiences).

1.

“I got to see much of Iceland to myself, not by getting up early, but by staying up late. In the middle of the summer, the sun basically doesn’t set. We were often at some of the top tourist sites around midnight, with no one else around.”

2.

“Charles Bridge in Prague is a great place to watch a sunrise. Also, up in Petrin Park, on top of the tower, it is empty, as are the gardens up there in the morning. You can watch the sun come up over Prague.”

3.

“Just did Edinburgh Castle at the opening, rushed straight to the exhibits towards the back upon entering, and enjoyed about half the castle has to show all by myself; any questions I had were instantly answered by staff as I was the only one there. Could take photos (in areas where photography was permitted) completely uninterrupted. I worked my way back towards the entrance and there were still minimal crowds. An early morning ticket is the way to go 👍.”

4.

“Went to the Fushimi Inari shrine in Kyoto last May and went at the crack of dawn (around 6 a.m.). I had the whole place to myself except for a couple of other early risers. It was SO peaceful and tranquil to hike up without another soul in sight, and I got some absolutely perfect pictures. Coming back down around 8 a.m., the lower levels were already packed with people. It was crazy how different the experience would have been if we waited just a few hours.”

5.

“My husband and I were on the first shuttle out at Zion National Park two days in a row on our trip last month, and it was the smartest thing we’ve ever done. We were the first-day hikers in the Narrows who made it to Big Springs. We did a sunrise at the Grand Canyon a few days later and were the only ones at the spot we chose along the South Rim.”

6.

“I visited the Taj Mahal before sunrise; I have a picture of the sun coming up, and the place is empty. Not one person in sight.”

7.

“My wife and I stayed in Valletta, Malta, and our flight leaving Malta was at 7:30 a.m. We left our Airbnb at about 4 a.m. to get to the airport on time. Walking through the streets of Valletta at that time, we were 100% alone (except for the occasional stray cat).”

8.

“The British Museum, London. I was there at opening time; I planned my visit to start in the Egyptian area (the most crowded). I had all the mummies to myself for a good 30 minutes before school groups started arriving.”

9.

“The Colosseum in Rome. We showed up at 7 a.m. in July, and it was just me, my mom, and my sister for a solid 30 minutes. Then another couple came in. It didn’t fill up until 8 a.m. when normal opening hours are, but we had the Roma Pass and got early entry. It was phenomenal.”

10.

“I was staying in Oia, Santorini, which is well-known for its sunsets. The area becomes so busy when the sun goes down that the view is almost unenjoyable. But I woke up just a few minutes before sunrise (which, during September, wasn’t even that ungodly of an hour) and strolled the streets from my hotel as I walked toward Ammoudi Bay, which was spectacular. There was almost no one else awake, and the colors of the sunrise were just as amazing as the famous sunsets.”

11.

“The Lincoln Memorial and National Mall. I went on a trip to DC a few years back with some buddies and wasn’t drinking at the time. We went out for Cinco de Mayo and bar-hopped until around three in the morning, got food after, and then while driving back to our Airbnb, one of my buddies decided to see the Lincoln Memorial. I didn’t realize that since it’s a national monument, it’s open 24/7. We got there right before sunrise and explored the Lincoln Memorial, the Vietnam Memorial, and the Mall. There was no one around, and almost no noise except the birds chirping in the trees, and the reflection pool looked so majestic. I went back a few hours later, and it was tourist central, and some of that magic had been sucked out of it. One of those travel experiences I’ll never forget.”

12.

“The Great Wall of China. There are ways to escape the crowds. Most people visiting the Great Wall travel an hour from Beijing to see the most overcrowded and renovated section. I recently visited Beijing and rode for about three hours to visit a nearly empty, authentic, and beautiful part of the wall, which made the experience.”

13.

“There is an early morning tour with breakfast at the Vatican, where only a few tickets are available. I did this, and it made the experience more relaxed and personal.”

14.

“I was in Venice standing on Accademia Bridge and watching the sunrise. It was just me and maybe 12 other early birds in St. Marks Square. I didn’t have to throw elbows to see the bridge of sighs. There was hardly a soul at Rialto Bridge. Incredible.”

15.

“Cinque Terre. Most of the big overcrowding is caused by day cruise visitors. I planned my hikes (like the Corniglia to Manorola hike, which has especially stunning views) during the day and timed them so I’d arrive in the villages in the evening for a bite to eat once the day crowds had mostly dispersed. I stayed in Corniglia, one of the quietest villages, as there’s a hefty staircase or a bus trip from the train station up to the village.”

16.

“I went to Versailles Palace on a windy, rainy day and had the gardens all to myself. I’ll never forget it.”

17.

“The Alhambra in Granada is absolutely gorgeous, and it’s even better if you go there when it opens before the hordes of people trickle in.”

18.

“Arashiyama Bamboo Forest is beautiful and even a bit spooky at night, plus, there are fewer people there once the sun goes down. I recommend going around sunset to get some daylight and then checking out the forest at night. I got there after sunset, but walking through and listening to the wind in the bamboo was still amazing.”

What is your best trick or tip for beating the crowds at a popular tourist destination or attraction? Tell us in the comments or in this anonymous form.

Note: Submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity.

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