City breaks – they are, for many, our first foray into international travel. A quick hop to Paris with your friends, a jaunt to Venice with a new love, a food extravaganza in Milan with family. With large transport hubs just a short distance from the centre, a city is an easy place to get to, maximising your time in the destination itself, and so we give them our weekends, popping to new metropolises for 48 hours like we’re collecting Pokémon – soaking up the rich cornucopia of culture that sits at the heart of a bustling collection of humans.

Sometimes, though, the number of other visitors can feel a little too much. The sheer scale of people wandering La Rambla can be suffocating; the number of visitors trying to take photos of the Bondi Icebergs infuriating. We can sometimes forget that there are swathes of cities out there sitting slightly under the radar that offer up exactly what we’re looking for from our city break with just a fraction of the visitors. From South America’s most exciting cultural hotspot to Italy’s undersung culinary capital and a windswept city in the middle of the Atlantic, these are our picks of the alternative cities to head to in 2025, filled with adventure rather than other tourists.

Instead of Barcelona try… Palma

Big cathedral? Check. Bustling city abutted by golden stretches of sand? Double check. Vermouth by the bucketload? Bingo. Swap Barcelona for Mallorca’s capital, Palma, and you’ll hardly notice the difference – except for the sparser crowds, that is. While hardly an under-the-radar destination, Mallorca tends to attract holidaymakers that immediately disperse to its beaches and mountainside towns, leaving the capital relatively tourist-free, particularly in the off-season. Wander the old town lanes, feast on market dishes at Mercat de L’Olivar, uncover the city’s thriving natural wine scene and end your day with a sunset stroll along the beach – Palma has all the fun of Barcelona with the slow pace of island life.

Where to stay: Can Alomar; canalomarhotel.com

Instead of Rome try… Bologna

The city of Bologna

Heading to Italy for the food? Skip the hordes and set your coordinates for Bologna instead. The home of ragù bolognese, tortellini in brodo and mortadella, it’s safe to say there is no shortage of good places to eat in Bologna – this is the city of la Dotta, la Grassa, la Rossa, after all. Translating to the learned, the fat and the red, it refers respectively to the city’s university which is the oldest in Europe, the abundant food culture and either the colour of the city’s medieval buildings or its communist history, depending on who you ask. It’s a statement that really is reason enough to draw you into this fitting alternative to overrun Rome.

Where to stay: Casa Conoscenti; booking.com

Instead of Athens try… Thessaloniki

While Athens has a lot going for it – thriving bar life, an exciting developing modern dining scene and more historical structures than you can shake a stick at – if you’re all acropolis’d out and are keen to explore another corner of Greece’s mainland, then set your sights on Thessaloniki. Nestled further north on the Thermaic Gulf, the city is a cornucopia of cultural influences, with lingering Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman touches that can be seen in everything from the food to the architecture. Named a ‘city of gastronomy’ by Unesco in 2021, Thessaloniki is the place to come to eat – its centuries of multicultural melding have led to a unique and robust culinary scene – so don’t miss dishes like soutzoukakia, a Turkish-style dish of spiced meatballs in tomato sauce; bougiourdi, which sees feta baked with tomatoes, peppers and, uniquely to this area, chilli; and bougatsa, a layered, cheese-filled filo pastry. Kali oreksi!

Where to stay: ON Residence; onresidence.gr

Instead of Sydney try… Perth

Sydney is quickly becoming something of an England-on-sea, with myriad British expats heading to the city for a slower pace of life by the ocean. It’s also top of most visitors’ lists and for good reason – try standing atop the Harbour Bridge at sunset and tell us if you’ve ever seen a metropolis as beautiful. But for similar energy with a fraction of the fellow travellers, head to Perth, the capital of Western Australia, which is finally having its moment in the sun (literally and figuratively). Whether you’re drinking craft beer in funky Fremantle, taking in the culture at the Art Gallery of Western Australia, or finishing the day watching the sunset at Cottesloe Beach, Perth can more than hold its weight against some of Sydney’s best attractions. Throw in easy access to the Margaret River wine region and the WA beaches and an exciting, growing food scene and you have all the makings of the quintessential Aussie city.

Where to stay: Como the Treasury; comohotels.com

Instead of Reykjavik try… Tórshavn

A new direct flight route from London Gatwick to Vagar Airport has made the Faroe Islands more accessible than ever. Located 300 kilometres off the northern tip of Scotland, this cluster of otherworldly islands is best known for its dreamlike landscapes, puffins and small, relaxed communities. The capital, Tórshavn, is a turf-roofed, red-clad city of just 20,000 residents, where birds outnumber humans and the pace of life is a fair amount slower. Use Tórshavn as your base for exploring the rest of the islands, cruising through scenic fjords and staring down the barrel of powerful waterfalls, before retreating to the city for world-class food and drink at places like Raest and Roks. Even better? With direct flights from Reykjavik, you can roll these two exceptional places into one mega-city break.

Where to stay: Hotel Brandan; hotelbrandan.com

Instead of Singapore try… Kuala Lumpur

With a fusion of Malay, Chinese and Indian flavours in its food, and art deco architecture sitting alongside traditional Malaysian buildings all in the shadow of towering skyscrapers, Kuala Lumpur mirrors neighbouring Singapore in many ways. The difference here, though, is that while tourists seem to have sought out every nook and cranny of Singapore, from the best Hainanese chicken rice to the ultimate speakeasy for a Singapore Sling, much of Kuala Lumpur remains ripe for discovery, packed with locals rather than tourists. Take, for example, Jalan Alor, where you can feast on typical Malaysian street food until midnight without having to try and navigate around hordes of visitors.

Where to stay: Else Hotel; elseretreats.com

Instead of Zurich try… Ljubljana

Centred around a river, with peak access to nature and a perfect balance between laid-back energy and vibrant city life, Ljubljana easily rivals Switzerland’s Zurich when it comes to a green-centric city break. Visit in the summertime for morning strolls down the Ljubljanica, afternoon aperitifs in the sun at bars like Vinoteka Movia and Kletvica, and Friday lunches at Odprta Kuhna, the open market. In the wintertime, the city transforms into something out of a storybook, with the snow-dusted castle looking out across it all.

Where to stay: AS Boutique Hotel; ashotel.si

Instead of New Orleans try… Savannah

If you’re looking for classic Southern architecture, music galore and an abundance of great places to eat and drink, swerve the bead-toting hordes in the Big Easy and make a beeline further south to Savannah, Georgia instead. Head down River Street for live music and bar hopping, settle in at the Grey for James Beard award-winning dining, and pop into Lone Wolf Lounge for a nightcap. When all that Southern heat becomes too much, make a break for Tybee Island, where seaside seafood shacks abound.

Where to stay: Perry Lane Hotel; perrylanehotel.com

Instead of Marrakech try… Chefchaouen

Ask any local where you should go in Morocco and it’s likely their answer will be The Blue City – Chefchaouen. Where Morocco is a whirlwind of sensory overload – from thronging crowds in the medina to bustling roads and neverending aromas and sounds as you walk around – Chefchaouen is, by comparison, an oasis of azul. Houses seem to stack on top of each other up the hillside, reminiscent of Greek islands like Santorini, and the central medina, while as mazelike as its larger counterparts, is comparatively tranquil to wander, while still full of all the exceptional Moroccan crafts and homewares to fill your suitcase.

Where to stay: Taj Chefchaouen; taj-chefchaouen.com

Instead of Rio de Janeiro try… Lima

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Want to know where the world’s best restaurant for 2023 was? Lima, of course. In the city alone there are over ten restaurants and bars that have been mainstays on the World’s 50 Best lists – so it’s safe to say you’ll be well fed and watered in the city that is slowly becoming South America’s food and drink capital. Despite all this, it has remained relatively under the radar, with many visitors being drawn elsewhere in the continent. This means you’ll have Lima’s golden swathes of sand free from too many tanning bodies – and you can stroll the Bridge of Sighs, or pose for pics in front of the colourfully lit Circuito Mágico del Agua without having to jostle for space. The boroughs of Miraflores and Barranco have an air of Los Angeles. ♦

Where to stay: Villa Barranco; villabarranco.com