It was recently announced that Japan’s iconic Mount Fuji will, for the first time, be capping the number of visitors it receives and charging a fee to protect the site from overtourism along the mountain's most popular route effective from July 1st. Drawing in hikers from around the world, this UNESCO World Heritage Site has recently seen an unprecedented number of visitors and it’s now becoming necessary to protect the environment from a build-up of rubbish pollution and unsafe foot-traffic jams along the route.

If this puts you off, why not head to Tottori Prefecture? Around a three-hour train ride from Kyoto, you can climb the lesser-hiked Mount Daisen, the tallest mountain in the Chugoku Region at 1,729 metres high. It even looks a bit like Fuji. Plus, while in the area, you can visit Japan’s desert dunes that look out over the Sea of Japan. Yep, Japan even has a desert!

Without a doubt, a visit to northeastern Hạ Long Bay will be up there on any must-see list of things to do in Vietnam. Understandably, the limestone islands that dot the emerald waters of this UNESCO World Heritage Site draw throngs of tourists as one of the most iconic natural settings in all of Vietnam, and last year received over 6.8 million visitors. Plagued by plastic waste pollution from tourist boats and nearby fishing communities, this once idyllic setting is now a stark reminder of the effects of overtourism, putting increasing pressure on the ecosystem.

While you can still visit, choosing a reputable cruise that can take you to lesser-visited areas of Hạ Long Bay is important. But if you want to skip Hạ Long Bay altogether, head east to Bai Tu Long Bay, a hidden gem with stunning karst mountain landscapes, fishing villages, beaches and caves to easily rival Halong Bay, but hosts a fraction of the tourists.

Peru’s famous Incan ruins started growing in popularity after being named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983, and then surged after a 2007 poll declared it one of the “New Seven Wonders of the World.” From there, concern over the impact of receiving such a high number of visitors on the preservation of the site grew, with good reason. Annually, Machu Picchu would draw around 10,000 tourists in the eighties, but recently those numbers have exceeded 1.5 million. 

Of course, this is an incredible site, so you can visit Machu Picchu, just take extra care to do so responsibly. You can follow the rules at the site, which include sticking to the path and not climbing the ruins, but also, just spending more time in the surrounding areas of the Sacred Valley or Cusco could help you get a better insight into the food and culture and spread your tourist money further.

Alternatively, you could visit the remote Choquequirao, meaning ‘Cradle of Gold’, which is considered Machu Picchu’s sister site. It’s a challenging but rewarding 4-hour trek to the site which is thought to be roughly three times the size of Machu Picchu, but it hasn’t all been excavated yet. It receives far fewer visitors, but with plans to construct a cable car to take visitors directly there, that might not last for long. 

You could also head to the lesser-visited north of Peru to check out the Lost Treasures of the Cloud Warriors to discover an amazing collection of pre-Columbian sites amongst some of the most fascinating and little-known in the entire Americas, including the mountain fortress of Kuelap that lies shrouded in myth.

From Santorini and Paros to Athen’s archaeological site of Acropolis, holidaymakers flock to Greece for its Instagrammable islands, gorgeous beaches and historical pedigree. 

Last year it was reported that during peak season, the Acropolis welcomed a record 23,000 visitors daily. The small island of Santorini has been struggling with high visitor numbers for some time, attracting 2 million a year, far outnumbering the 15,000 permanent residents of the island. Not only does this cause a bit of a congestion problem, but the effects on the environment and inflation turn this holiday paradise into anything but for those who call it home. In Paros, residents have protested over the illegal privatisation of beaches, with costly sun loungers reserved for tourists taking up all of the beach space.

Venturing away from these hotspots would make a world of difference, and really, there’s plenty of unspoilt Greece to be enjoyed in relative peace from the hoards. 

Head to Northern Greece and discover the awe-inspiring Meteora, where monks settled from the 11th century onward atop the oddly shaped sandstone peaks. Hiking amongst these epic landscapes, discovering two of the most important archaeological sites of northern Greece, Pella and Vergina, and supporting conservation efforts by visiting the Arcturos brown bear shelter in Nymphaio? You'll discover what more about what Greece is all about when you seek out more than selfie-stick-pierced sunsets.

In recent years, the world has become more aware of the treasure trove that is Uzbekistan, the heart of the Silk Road, attracting a growing number of tourists in the last few years (pandemic aside). 

While Uzbekistan is still relatively under the radar and isn’t nearly as popular as some of the other destinations on this list, getting ahead of the curve and making sure that the ancient UNESCO highlights aren’t put under unnecessary pressure, and because there is much, much more to the Silk Road than just its stunning architecture, we would recommend exploring beyond Uzbekistan's Silk Road cities, and even further still…

Experience rural culture in the Nurata Mountains, where you’ll find the Nurata Nature Reserve, or in the Ferghana Valley, known as the "Garden of Uzbekistan" to see a completely different side of the country. 

But if getting out into nature appeals to you much more than the buzz of ancient cities, head over the border to one of the most beautiful countries on earth, Kyrgyzstan. You’ll find some of the most epic, sweeping landscapes characterised by alpine lakes, raw mountain scenery and primal forest, where you can familiarise yourself with the Kyrgyz people's nomadic way of life.

If that’s not wild and remote enough for you, keep going and discover Tajikistan, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan, all of which have that unique, off-the-beaten-track appeal that is slowly starting to turn heads.

Egypt breathes frenetic life into the monumental scope of history it offers, enchanting visitors who wish to marvel at the feats of a melting pot of ancient civilisations. Reminiscent of the golden age of travel, absorbing the sheer scale of the Great Pyramids of Giza or perusing the tombs of the Valley of the Kings has appealed to travellers for hundreds of years. But tourists and time alike are gradually eroding these iconic structures. Last year 1.35 million tourists visited Egypt in April alone.

But there are sides to Egypt still ripe for discovery, as our Travel Expert Kenny recently discovered on a trip to discover some of the more hidden sides to Egypt. Travellers tend to concentrate on the same areas with busloads of tourists visiting in roughly the same time slots. So if you want to see the monuments at less busy times, that is an option, but we would also encourage doing something a little bit different.

Like, in popular Luxor, Kenny says, “A typical Luxor trip will focus on the Valley of the Kings and Queens, Temple of Hatshepsut, Karnak and Luxor Temples. While Luxor has another dozen sites, very few of them are actually on the itineraries of a typical Egypt trip.

Ever heard of Medinet Habu, Deir al Medina, Valley of the Nobles, or Ramesseum? These sites are as spectacular as the bigger names and having many of these nearly to yourself leaves a deep impression. The colouring in some areas of the Medinet Habu temple looks as if it was painted yesterday and no queuing is required to get into the richly decorated tombs in the workers’ village of Deir al Medina.”