25 Travel Spots Where Every Wrong Turn Uncovers Something New

Wandering off course isn’t always a mistake: it can be the very point. Some places reward curiosity over direction by luring travelers into winding alleys and maze-like quarters where GPS often fails. So, here are 20 destinations that make your journey less about ticking off landmarks and more about what you stumble upon when the map goes dark.

Venice, Italy

A thousand alleys and canals crisscross this floating city, and almost none lead in a straight line. Venice was designed to confuse invaders, and it still baffles tourists. Losing your way means finding hidden courtyards, obscure chapels, and quiet osterias. Take Calle Varisco: it’s one of the narrowest streets in the world at just 53 centimeters wide.

Fez, Morocco

Fez el-Bali, the world’s largest car-free urban area, is a 9,000-street labyrinth of souks and ancient mosques. Even lifelong residents get turned around in this UNESCO-listed medina. Hand-painted tiles and donkey carts add to the sensory overload. Try locating the Chouara Tannery, featuring pungent vats that have been in continuous use since the 11th century.

Kyoto’s Arashiyama Bamboo Grove, Japan

Paths weave through towering stalks that sway and creak above your head, muting city noise to a whisper. The Arashiyama Grove offers few directional signs and plenty of enchanting forks. Step off the trail and you may end up at the lesser-known Okochi Sanso Villa, a hillside retreat built by film star Denjiro Okochi.

Petra, Jordan

Carved into rose-red cliffs, Petra reveals itself in layers as you trek deeper towards its desert canyon. Most people enter through the Siq, a narrow gorge that hides the Treasury until the final turn. Dozens of less-traveled trails lead to tombs and shrines; one rugged route ends at the Monastery, reached after climbing 850 uneven stone steps.

Gjirokaster, Albania

Perched on a hillside, Gjirokaster is layered in steep, slippery lanes and crumbling staircases. This Ottoman-era stone city features slate-roofed homes and fortress walls, which make for disorienting strolls. The Bazaar Quarter feels especially timeless, and hidden behind it lies Zekate House, a fortress-like mansion offering a glimpse of 19th-century Albanian aristocratic life.

Antigua Guatemala

Volcanic backdrops and crumbling baroque facades frame this UNESCO-listed city. Side streets hide gems like Cafe No Se, a dimly lit speakeasy that doubles as the original home of the mezcal brand Ilegal. Despite its grid layout, Antigua invites a detour into cloistered ruins and vine-draped courtyards.

Varanasi, India

Sacred and chaotic, Varanasi defies navigation with its tight alleys and dead ends. Step away from the ghats, and you might stumble upon Kashi Labh Mukti Bhawan, a guesthouse where people with terminal illness check in to pass away and attain moksha. The smell of incense, the blare of horns, and chanting priests form a sensory maze.

Chefchaouen, Morocco

Everything in this hillside town, including walls and doors, is drenched in shades of blue, which makes directions feel irrelevant. Chefchaouen’s Medina is compact but designed to bewilder, with serpentine streets wrapping around its slope. While roaming, you might find the Ras El Ma spring, where locals gather to wash clothes and sip cool mountain water.

Seoul’s Ihwa Mural Village, South Korea

Art has transformed this once-declining neighborhood into a labyrinth of hidden staircases and vibrant surprises. Visitors often lose their way hunting for iconic artworks like the “Angel Wings” or “Fish Swimming Up Stairs,” which fade or get replaced annually. This village snakes up Naksan Hill with twisting alleys that double as canvases.

Buenos Aires’ San Telmo District, Argentina

Colonial buildings and spontaneous tango performances turn San Telmo into a nostalgic maze. Cobblestone paths intersect under wrought-iron balconies, and no two corners feel the same. Sunday’s Feria de San Telmo stretches over 10 blocks, but many visitors end up behind the stalls in courtyards where locals sip mate and debate futbol.

Sintra, Portugal

Mist often cloaks Sintra’s hills, adding an eerie charm to its winding trails and fairytale palaces. Roads twist unpredictably through dense forests and moss-covered estates. You may unintentionally discover the Initiation Well at Quinta da Regaleira, a spiral staircase descending into the earth like a Masonic symbol straight from a Dan Brown novel.

Jerusalem’s Old City, Israel

Divided into four quarters yet unified by chaos, the Old City packs centuries of history in tight, meandering streets. A wrong turn could lead you to the Church of St. Anne, known for its notable acoustics and often missed by pilgrims. Souks invade sacred paths, and maps often fail amid the confusion.

Hanoi’s Old Quarter, Vietnam

Hanoi’s Old Quarter is a sensory labyrinth of 36 guild streets, each one dedicated to a different trade. Here, lanterns dangle above tangled wires, and street names change block by block. Sometimes, tourists unintentionally find themselves at Bun Cha Huong Lien, where President Obama famously dined with Anthony Bourdain.

Essaouira, Morocco

Don’t feel bad if you mistakenly turn away from the main square. You might just be headed for the Spice Souk, where vendors mix ras el hanout blends from up to 30 ingredients. Windswept and walled, this city mixes Portuguese ramparts with Moroccan maze logic. Blue-and-white houses line paths that lead nowhere, and musicians play gnawa rhythms on hidden terraces.

Luang Prabang, Laos

This former royal capital flows slowly and dreamily along the Mekong River. You may suddenly reach the bamboo bridge to Ban Xieng Mene, a sleepy village that vanishes during the rainy season’s rising waters. Narrow lanes lined with teakwood houses wind past orange-robed monks and French colonial cafes.

Goreme, Turkey

Goreme’s cave dwellings and sunken churches are carved from volcanic rock and turn Cappadocia into a surreal maze. Dirt paths spiral through fairy chimneys and valleys named for love and swords. It is easy to miss Zemi Valley’s hidden chapel with faded frescoes dating to the Byzantine era, and it rarely appears on tourist maps.

Lisbon’s Alfama District, Portugal

Before GPS, even mail carriers got lost in Alfama’s medieval web of alleys and staircases. As Lisbon’s oldest neighborhood, the village is shaped by Moorish design and seismic survival. You might hear fado echoing from an out-of-the-way tavern or find yourself enjoying one of the city’s most romantic panoramic views.

Zanzibar’s Stone Town, Tanzania

Stone Town’s passageways shift with shadows, and its coral-rag buildings lean into each other like worn-out stories. Arabic arches and intricately carved doors blend Omani and Swahili styles. It is the birthplace of Freddie Mercury, whose house now hosts a modest but fascinating tribute to his life.

Prague’s Old Town, Czech Republic

Here, cobbled streets twist unpredictably, as if laid by whim instead of design. Prague’s Stare Mesto doesn’t lend itself to direct routes, especially with its tangle of passageways and concealed courtyards. Aimless wandering can uncover hidden pubs like U Zlateho Tygra, a literary haunt where Czech authors like Bohumil Hrabal once held court.

Lamu, Kenya

Lamu Old Town hasn’t changed much in centuries. To date, there are rarely any cars in Lamu, just donkeys and dhows. Maps are also useless here, and visitors often wander until they reach the Riyadha Mosque, a religious and cultural hub active since the 19th century. The town’s Swahili architecture creates tight corridors and hidden courtyards beneath carved coral stone.

Barcelona’s El Raval, Spain

Walking on the streets of El Raval, you might discover the Biblioteca de Catalunya, a stunning Gothic building hidden in a quiet former hospital complex. Streets crisscross in unexpected ways, hiding urban art and smoky jazz bars. Dense and slightly gritty, El Raval sits just off Las Ramblas but feels like a different world.

Bagan, Myanmar

One popular spot here is the Dhammayazika Pagoda, featuring a rare five-sided design and panoramic view at sunset, which rivals anything at Shwesandaw. Thousands of ancient pagodas sprawl across dusty plains; most aren’t on any official trail. Renting an e-bike and drifting off-course can lead to crumbling temples where you’ll be completely alone.

Montreal’s Underground City, Canada

This 4-square-mile subterranean network links 20 miles of passages. It resembles a futuristic maze and connects shopping centers and metro stations. While exploring, you may be lucky to find the Place des Arts complex, where world-class symphony events unfold above the food courts. Signs are sparse and turns often blur into one another under fluorescent lights.

Jaisalmer Fort, India

Jaisalmer is a living fort of golden sandstone, housing thousands of residents and temples within its walls. Narrow lanes twist through the fortress, with sudden stairways and overhanging balconies creating a medieval puzzle. Seek out the Laxminath Temple, which is less visited than the Jain temples but features striking sculptures and daily rituals.

Sucre, Bolivia

Whitewashed colonial buildings and tiled roofs blend into one another in this high-altitude city. Streets slope, loop, and confuse as they rise into quiet neighborhoods. The Recoleta Mirador is a scenic overlook with arches framing views of the Andes and the city’s brilliant red rooftops at sunset.