We all want to tick off those magical bucket list destinations: Venice, Iceland, Machu Picchu... But before booking your flight and joining the hordes of tourists flocking to these popular spots, spare a thought for the locals. Over-tourism is a real problem that’s not just affecting the environment and the local population, but also the quality of these revered sites themselves. Here are some of the destinations that are urging you not to visit, and where you should go instead.

Anyone who has been to Venice recently will have felt the full force of over-tourism first-hand. From pushing and shoving in omnipresent crowds to being offered selfie sticks from hawkers every few minutes, tourism is out of control in this beautiful city thanks to the influx of cruise ships, the fleeing of Venetian residents and increasing numbers of day trippers from nearby resorts. UNESCO have threatened to place it on its “in danger” list, with experts predicting that the native population of Venice could be zero by 2030.

However, despite locals begging authorities to put a cap on the number of visitors to Venice, the government is instead aiming to persuade tourists to visit less famous but equally beautiful parts of Italy. One of these places is Puglia, Italy’s “heel”. It has the architectural appeal of Venice without the crowds, with grand cathedrals, impressive castles and ancient towns, while the culinary culture and picturesque shoreline are quintessentially Italian.

It's many a traveller's dream to get lost in Bari’s old city, with surprises around every corner from imposing churches, like the Basilica di San Nicola, to simple but brilliant restaurants. Lecce is an architectural feast for the eyes thanks to its opulent, Baroque structures, while the maze-like city of Ostuni is full of narrow alleys packed with traditional shops and restaurants. The up and coming Matera (pictured), once one of Italy’s most impoverished cities, is set to be 2019’s European capital of culture.

Everyone wants to go to Iceland. Whether because of an international publicity campaign after the 2010 eruption of Eyjafjallajökull, the rise of low-cost flights or the popularity of Game of Thrones-inspired tourism, tourist numbers have skyrocketed in recent years, with visitor numbers now up 59%. More American tourists visit Iceland every year than there are Icelandic natives, and now the Icelandic government has restricted Airbnb rentals in an attempt to cope with the tourism surge.

Instead of joining the millions in Iceland, why not break the mould and head for the world’s largest island, Greenland? The exciting Arctic country is a paradise for adventure lovers, with endless opportunities for hair-raising activities in dramatic landscapes, from dog sledding and snowmobiling to heli-skiing and mountaineering.

But Greenland’s not just about incredible scenery and outdoor activities: it has also got the bucket list adventures Iceland is so famous for without the crowds. Visit the geothermal springs on the island of Uunartoq, catch a glimpse of the mysterious northern lights in Kangerlussuaq, and explore varied museums, quirky shops and diverse restaurants in Nuuk, Greenland’s capital and largest city (pictured). If you are hell-bent on going to Iceland though, check out our off-the-beaten-track tips. 

It’s not just cities that are experiencing the downsides of too much tourism: Utah’s Zion National Park is also considering a cap on visitors to overcome eroding soil and overrun facilities. Established over a century ago, the park has seen a 35% increase in visitors in the last 10 years, and now park officials are worried about potential negative impacts on the land and their overwhelmed operations.

If you still want to go to a national park but don’t want to be part of the problem, head to Nevada’s Great Basin National Park, near the border with Utah. Running along a road nicknamed “The Loneliest Road in America”, there’s no need to worry about winding queues or selfie sticks here: you could hike for hours in the magnificent park without ever seeing another person thanks to the park’s low tourist numbers and expansive natural spaces.

The park is filled with natural delights, from 5,000-year-old trees to glittering mountain lakes. Particular highlights include the Lehman Caves, where you can view striking cave features like stalactites and stalagmites, and Wheeler Peak, the second highest peak in Nevada (pictured). There are plenty of natural adventures to enjoy too, from self-guided trails with gorgeous mountain views to stargazing after sunset.

It’s one of South American’s most famous sights, so it’s no surprise that visitors to Peru all want to take a trip to the 15th-century Inca citadel of Machu Picchu. However, in a bid to protect the ancient site, Peru has announced a new permit system to ensure a sustainable flow of visitors, with two separate entry periods. In peak season, the precious site was welcoming an average of 5,000 people a day, double the visitors recommended by UNESCO.

However, Machu Picchu is far from the only Inca treasure in Peru. Get away from the crowds and consider visiting the remote Inca ruins of Choquequirao, where no permits are needed and only a handful of people visit every day. Said to be up to three times the size of Machu Picchu, the citadel is so untouched that less than half of it has been freed from the jungle.

There are plans to build a cable car across the valley, making the trip, which is currently a strenuous four-day hike, into a breezy 15-minute journey. The cable car would be able to take three thousand visitors a day to the ruins, so visit before this lost city also becomes overpopulated with tourists.

Venice isn’t the only European city to be well and truly fed up with its tourists: Barcelona’s residents are regularly overwhelmed by tens of millions of visitors, half of them only visiting for the day. Locals, who according to one survey think that tourism is the city’s biggest problem, have protested in their thousands against the influx of visitors. In response, the city has cracked down on the number of illegal apartments, and this year even threatened to expel Airbnb from the city.

If you’re keen to visit Catalonia but want to avoid the overcrowding in its capital, Barcelona, consider Girona instead. Sure, it might not have the modernist Gaudi structures Barcelona is famous for, but it’s full of architectural intrigue on a smaller scale, especially in the historic old town, which features some of the region’s major buildings such as the Girona Cathedral and the Basilica of St Felix.

Girona is best explored on foot via the one-mile Passeig de la Muralla on top of the city’s ancient walls. Recent construction work on the city’s Roman fortifications have made the walk possible, from which you can enjoy sweeping views of the city as well as the Pyrenees Mountains. When you get peckish, don’t miss a trip to El Celler de Can Roca, voted as the world’s best restaurant.

The number of people living in the beautiful Croatian city of Dubrovnik has plummeted in recent years, with the noise and hordes of tourists forcing residents out. With tens of thousands of tourists descending on the Old Town, many of them cruise passengers and day-trippers, the city is at breaking point. There are already surveillance cameras monitoring the number of people entering the ancient complex, but there are new plans underway to dramatically cut the number of visitors.

While the Istrian peninsula still gets its fair share of tourists in the summer months, it’s a breath of fresh air compared to the hordes you’ll find in Dubrovnik. While its beautiful coastline is popular with Central European tourists in the summer, it’s still possible to find a quiet spot to yourself from which to enjoy the clean, sparkling seas and charming rocky beaches. For incredible Roman architecture, head to Pula to admire the enormous, well-maintained amphitheatre.

Istria also offers plenty for outdoor adventurers, with great cycling routes and exciting caving opportunities. Baredine Cave is an otherworldly monument, full of stalagmites, stalactites and fascinating wildlife. Pazin Cave is also a memorable place to visit, where you can descend hundreds of feet below the largest, best-preserved castle in Istria. Cyclists should take the Parenzana route from Trieste to Poreč for stunning views of the Adriatic and a trail through vineyards and olive groves.

The small, mysterious kingdom of Bhutan, located in the eastern Himalayas between India and China, should give masterclasses in limiting tourism to protect its unique charm. The country prides itself on “high-value, low-impact tourism”, and tries to only attract the sort of tourist who will respect its citizens. Bhutan charges every tourist $200 or $250 per day, depending on the season, which includes accommodation, food, guides and transport. This includes a sizeable "Sustainable Development Fee".

Instead of having everything meticulously planned out and organised in advance for a trip to Bhutan, have a more spontaneous trip in Nepal. The trekking opportunities in here are some of the best in the world, no matter what your level of experience: you could spend weeks traversing over challenging mountain passes or spend half a day hiking from Kathmandu to see magnificent Himalayan views.

As well as world-class trekking, there’s plenty more adventure to be had, from mountaineering and canoeing to mountain biking and paragliding. But it’s not all physical exertion: it’s just as fascinating to get lost in the cultural and spiritual side of Nepal. From magnificent monasteries where you can study meditation for months, to colourful festivals that you can take part in, the experiences you'll have here can’t be easily replicated anywhere else in the world.

It looks like paradise, right? It might seem so, but last year, Thailand closed the idyllic Koh Tachai island, part of the Similan National Park, saying that over tourism was having a detrimental effect on the environment, marine ecosystem and natural resources in the park, and accelerating coral bleaching. Though the island could accommodate 70 people, it was often overrun by over a thousand tourists. While a few dive sites are still accessible, it's not known if or when the island will reopen.

With over 24 miles of white-sand beaches, Koh Rong off the tip of Cambodia's Boutum Sakor National Park is a brilliant alternative paradise island. Its verdant interior is ripe for exploring on guided walks, or alone, and at night you'll find phosphorescent plankton twinkling atop the waves that lap the pristine shores.

Adored by the social media generation, it doesn’t get much more picturesque than Italy’s Cinque Terre, five small, colourful coastal villages in Liguria. However, in a story that’s told too often, the postcard-pretty area has introduced a ticketing system after being put at risk by millions of tourists pouring in via cruise ships and coach trips. Tickets are sold in advance, with an app even showing tourists which villages are busiest. Roads have even been fitted with crowd-detecting devices.

Not far away in Liguria is the gorgeous Portovenere, an equally colourful, pretty town without the relentless onslaught of tourists. The historic fishing village has the quirky, bright architecture on the harbour and winding alleyways of Cinque Terre, as well as medieval sights, an impressive 12th-century church and plenty of great restaurants. Its lack of train station, unlike Cinque Terre, means you’ll need to get there by bus, taxi or ferry, but on the plus side, that keeps the crowds away.

A favourite with honeymooners and cruise-goers, the Greek island of Santorini always looks postcard-perfect in photos, but the reality is different. With nearly two million tourists set to visit this year, Santorini’s mayor has admitted the island is at “saturation point”, and has capped cruise visitor numbers to 8,000 a day. Although that still sounds a lot, there have been days where the island has welcomed 18,000.

Small, picturesque and undeniably cool without the crowds, the Greek island of Kastellorizo in the Dodecanese is just two miles off the Turkish coast, far from the endless crowds of better-known islands. Unlike many Greek islands with their traditional white buildings, the harbour greets visitors with a collection of pretty, brightly-coloured homes. This isn’t the place to come for beaches, but you can't beat a dip in the clear sea straight from ladders and diving boards in the harbour.

The tiny island is also famous for its beautiful grotto, the Blue Cave, or Cave Parasta, a formidable rival to Capri’s Grotto Azzuro. Enjoy the astonishingly blue colour of the water, the sight of dramatic stalactites, and the extraordinary, colourful effects of the sunlight hitting the water at just the right time.