10 Places to Avoid This Summer and Where to Go Instead

Avoid: The Grand Canyon, Arizona

Traffic creeps along the Grand Canyon's South Rim, and tourists clog all the same viewpoints taking all the same photos in one of the country’s most visited national parks. Hikers face soaring canyon temps that can hit 120 degrees Fahrenheit (47 degrees Celsius) in summer.

Go Instead: New River Gorge National River, West Virginia

For a canyon experience without the crowds or heat, book a rafting trip through the New River Gorge, the deepest and longest river gorge in the Appalachian Mountains. Between these sheer West Virginia canyon walls is some of the best whitewater rafting in the world. Outfitters like Adventures on the Gorge offer trips that range from easy floats to in-your-face Class V rapids on the New River. Hikers can hit the renowned Endless Wall Trail, a 2.4-mile route that cuts through lush stands of hemlock and crosses a creek before edging along cliffs high above the river.

Avoid: Yellowstone National Park

Every summer, more than a million sightseers descend on Yellowstone National Park. Visitors sit in bumper-to-bumper back ups waiting for bison to cross the road, and press in around Old Faithful to get an Instagrammable action shot.

Go Instead: Sun Valley, Idaho

A five-hour drive west in Idaho’s Sun Valley wilderness you’ll find epic outdoor adventures you can have all to yourself. Mountain bike and horseback ride among gorgeous peaks and meadows similar to Yellowstone’s. Here on the legendary Middle Fork of the Salmon River, one of the country’s first protected National Wild and Scenic Rivers, go rafting with stops at safari-style camps with Far and Away Adventures. Or, like Ernest Hemingway, fly fish local rivers and creeks for Idaho’s prized brown or rainbow trout. Geothermal features are prevalent in Sun Valley, too, except here you can soak in one instead of just framing a shot from a busy boardwalk.

Avoid: Waikiki Beach, Oahu, Hawaii

Hawaii's iconic Waikiki Beach is a tourist hub all year long, with outdoor bars, shops, and locals hawking everything from snorkelling tours to surfing lessons. Beach chairs rent for about $6 per hour.

Go Instead: Waimanalo Beach, Oahu, Hawaii

Waimanalo Beach, Hawaii: A 45-minute drive across Oahu to the southeastern coast takes you to the quiet Waimanalo Bay, a white sandy crescent hemmed in by Bellows Air Force Station and local neighborhoods. En route, the highway climbs a mountain to a scenic lookout and lighthouse hike before it hugs the rim of magnificent sea cliffs then descends to the ocean. You arrive to find locals barbecuing and enjoying family gatherings on the beach. It’s a serene escape with a mountain backdrop similar to Waikiki’s Diamondhead. There are no hotels or bars. No shops. No one selling anything. Not even a concession stand. And there’s hardly a tourist in sight.

Avoid: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

This August, 10,500 Olympic athletes and more than 500,000 foreign tourists are expected to arrive in Rio for the Summer Games. The competition venues are spread across three of the city’s zones, so you can expect a crammed metro system and bottlenecks with Rio’s already notoriously bad traffic.

Go Instead: Buenos Aires, Argentina

Northern Hemisphere summer is Buenos Aires’ winter and low tourist season, with inexpensive lodging and daily temperatures in the 60s. The city is quieter but no less sexy, glamorous, and gritty. Buenos Aires Tango Festival (August and September) and Fashion Week (August) are on, and the nightlife is hot as ever. Soccer fans can catch a rowdy game or tour the stadiums and their museums. There are 300 theaters in town, including the internationally acclaimed Teatro Colón Opera House, which stages Puccini´s Tosca this August.

Avoid: Machu Picchu, Peru

It gets hard to move through parts of Peru's world-famous ruins during peak season in July and August. Long lines at the entrance are common. Even the Inca Trail hike to get to Machu Picchu can accumulate suffocating crowds.

Go Instead: Sacred Valley of the Incas, Peru

At the foot of Machu Picchu near Cusco, the Sacred Valley of the Incas, thought to have been the Incan Empire’s agricultural center, is quickly becoming a destination in its own right. Several lesser known archaeological sites (Ollantaytambo and Pisac are highlights) impress with ancient temples, forts and terraces, as well as homes that people still inhabit. The views are expansive and, without as many selfie-stickers jockeying for a position, you have more space and quiet for speculating about earlier civilizations. Trekking routes link farms with bustling cities and isolated weaving villages.

Avoid: Cancun, Mexico

This powdery white sand beach destination along Mexico's Caribbean coast heats up in summer, with average high exceeding 90 degrees F (32 degrees C). Hurricane season runs June through November, so summer vacations here come with an added weather risk.

Go Instead: Aruba

Among the Caribbean islands, Aruba is one of the surest bets for avoiding hurricanes. It's located below the hurricane belt and hasn’t been hit since 2007; and before that, 1961. Aruba doesn’t have a rainy season and claims it has more sunny days than any other Caribbean island. Temperatures hover at a balmy but comfortable 82 degrees F (28 degrees C) most of the year. More travelers visit Aruba in the winter to escape the cold at home, making summer the delightfully less expensive, less crowded low season. It’s the perfect time to wander among the brightly colored houses of Oranjestad or scuba dive The Antilla, the Caribbean’s largest shipwreck dive.

Avoid: The French Riviera

For Europeans with a month off in August, the French Riviera is the classic go-to beach destination. On any given day in August, up to 600,000 visitors flock to the sand, restaurants, and shops along this tony Mediterranean coastline.

Go Instead: Dalmation Coast, Croatia

Often called the French Riviera of the east, Croatia's Dalmation Coast and its 1,000-plus islands lure vacationers away from Nice and St. Tropez every summer. The pebbly Dalmation Coast does get hot and touristy, but it’s still a cheaper and much less crowded seaside getaway. Here you can swim in the crystal clear Adriatic Sea, savor fresh seafood, explore a string of ancient walled cities, and go winery hopping. To truly appreciate the coast, visiting the islands is a must: try Korčula for its charming Old Town and Hvar for its lavender fields and hip, glitzy buzz.

Avoid: Rome, Italy

First-time visitors often make the mistake of arriving in Rome during summer, unprepared for the heat and humidity. They walk most places and then wait uncomfortably in shadeless lines at attractions like the Forum ruins and St. Peter’s Basilica.

Go Instead: Paestum, Italy

An hour south of Naples in a serene countryside setting along the coast, the ancient city of Paestum is an excellent alternative to Rome. You’ll see three majestic and well-preserved Greek temples, a Roman forum and amphitheater, massive defensive walls, and ancient tombs. The city’s National Architectural Museum offers an interesting perspective on the archaeological sites. There’s plenty of shade and hardly any waiting in Paestum. If the heat gets to be too much, you can easily hit the beach—Lido Mediterraneo is only 10 minutes away.

Avoid: Paris, France

If you travel in August you’ll find, for the most part, a Paris without Parisians. Tourists still arrive in droves, driving up airfare costs and lining up at the Eiffel Tower, but many boutique and café owners close down businesses to take their holidays, depriving the city of its local charm. And major museums avoid scheduling their biggest exhibitions in high summer.

Go Instead: Bordeaux, France

Midway through a major urban overhaul, Bordeaux, the capital of French wine country has recently restored 18^th century buildings and added eye-catching new ones in reclaimed industrial spaces. Here, you’ll find museums and monuments without the Paris-sized crowds. This summer saw the opening of Cité du Vin, a wine culture museum experience with exhibits, tasting areas, a virtual fly-over ride, and direct access to the dock where Garonne River boat trips depart for vineyard tours. Fun festivals run throughout the summer, and visitors can drop in on outdoor concerts and riverbank dances. Next summer, a new high-speed rail link opens with two-hour service to Paris.

Avoid: Great Wall, China

Just outside of Beijing, in Badaling, tourists flock to the Great Wall’s famous three-mile section that has become a staple of travel itineraries. Summer is peak season, when visitors crush in, hotels raise their rates, and train tickets sell out.

Go Instead: Xi'an City Wall, China

Constructed during the same era as the Great Wall, the 40-foot high wall around Xi’an is one of China’s most complete surviving ancient city walls. Four watchtowers and an encircling moat are part of the wall’s original military defense system. The city was considered a great ancient capital of civilization and still marks the start of the Silk Road. Rent a bike and ride the 8.5-mile wall’s cobblestone path high above the rooftops of Xi’an, stopping for dumplings at De Fa Chang Restaurant. At night, walk under the glow of red lanterns. Off the wall, don’t miss Xi’an’s renowned Terracotta Warriors.