29 travel hacks to make the world's top tourist attractions even better

Savvy sightseeing

Don't let fears of mile-long queues, camera-wielding crowds and extortionate ticket prices put you off visiting some of the world's most famous tourist sites. There are plenty of ways to organise your visit to get the most out of these iconic monuments – from sneaky entrances and discount cards to strategically timing your arrival.

Read on to see our top travel hacks that will help you have a better experience at the world's best sights...

Grand Canal, Venice, Italy

Sure, it's touristy, but taking a gondola on the Grand Canal really is a bucket-list experience, and there's no better way to see Venetian life than from the water. You don't need to pay a doge's ransom to do it – instead take one of the traghetto (large gondolas) for just €2 (£1.68/$2.17). The traghetto cross the canal at seven points between the train station and St Mark's Basin.

Vatican Museums, Vatican City

The waiting times for the Vatican Museums are notoriously long – think two-to-three hours for the Sistine Chapel. Book online for slightly shorter queues or better still go with a guide. Guides will be able to access a special exit from the chapel to take you to St Peter's Basilica which is out of bounds to independent visitors. Another option is to visit the museums on a Wednesday morning, as most people head to the square to attend the weekly papal audience.

Machu Picchu, Peru

Don't let your time at this awe-inspiring site be marred by crowds. Instead, book to visit as it opens – Machu Picchu now operates a strict visitor cap that spaces visitors through the day, so the only way to see the site empty is to get in first. You could also splash out on a room at the Sanctuary Lodge Hotel, which is the only hotel right by the ruins. Or for fantastic views of Machu Picchu without the hordes, climb Huayna Picchu, a small mountain behind the ruins.

Table Mountain, Cape Town, South Africa

Ascending this natural landmark is an absolute must-do in Cape Town, but catching the cable car up to the summit can mean jostling with the masses for the best view. For a more intimate experience, think about walking up from Kirstenbosch Gardens. It'll take you around four hours and the hike is challenging at times, but the reward is relative tranquillity and sensational views every step of the way.

Taj Mahal, Agra, India

There's no sure-fire way to beat the crowds at India's world-famous mausoleum, but getting up early is still solidly your best bet. On normal operating days the Taj Mahal opens 30 minutes before sunrise and 30 minutes before sunset. Sunset is always packed, so head over to Mehtab Bagh gardens across the river instead – for a small fee you can see views of the Taj with fewer crowds. Or book a room with a view at a nearby hotel for your very own vista.

Petra, Jordan

If you're staying overnight in Petra you'll get a nearly 50% discount on a day pass – 50JD (£55/$71) as opposed to 90JD (£98/$127) – but go for the two-day ticket to save even more (55JD). You must buy tickets at the visitor centre and you will need ID. Get to the ancient city early to beat the intense heat and the crowds. The famous way to approach the Treasury is through the Siq (a rock-cut tunnel) but a less-trodden path can be found to the north – Siq al-Barid, or Little Petra.

Sugarloaf Mountain, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Don't wait in line for the crammed cable car to scale Sugarloaf Mountain, instead leave the queues behind and hike the trail that leads up the back of the rock. A scenic path that few visitors know about leads from the car park where the first leg of the cable car starts. Follow walkers and joggers along the trail for incredible views out over Rio. There's a small section of rock scrambling but after that you'll be rewarded with even more awesome views.

Grand Canyon, Arizona, USA

It's hard to comprehend the scale and raw beauty of this ancient canyon until you've visited it. Its majesty is best admired in silent contemplation, but with crowds and helicopters coming and going that can be easier said than done. Most people head to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon National Park, so if you're after solitude plan to visit the far quieter North Rim instead. You can't easily nip over, though. It's a four-hour drive from south to north.

The Uffizi Gallery, Florence, Italy

If anything's going to burst your Florence-city-break bubble, it's the sight of the queue snaking its way out of the Uffizi Gallery. As the city is swamped from April to September you'll need a sightseeing strategy. We recommend picking up the pricey but worthwhile sightseeing pass, the Firenze Card (€85/£72/$92). It'll get you into pretty much all the city's sights across a 72-hour period and allow you to bypass the long lines outside the city's best-loved galleries.

Tower of London, London, England, UK

This grisly prison is a London must-do but the queues can make you want to chop off your own head. Tuesdays and Wednesdays tend to be quieter and you can beat some of the crowds by getting there before 9am – some tourists wait to visit until after 9.30 when travel on the metro is cheaper. You can save a bit of money by buying tickets online too. You can also skip purchasing the guidebook by joining one of the Beefeaters' free hour-long tours. They leave every 30 minutes from the main entrance.

The Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam, Netherlands

Friday night might not be your preferred time to mooch around a museum but you can be sure of a more peaceful visit if you swing by Amsterdam's excellent Van Gogh Museum then. It's open until 9pm on Fridays. Don't worry, this playful city stays up late, so you can still enjoy a fun Friday night after getting your cultural fix.

Stonehenge, England, UK

Stay in nearby Salisbury and arrive at dawn to beat the traffic and get in line to see the sun rise over these world-famous prehistoric stones. To guarantee a more intimate adventure, consider booking onto a Stone Circle Experience. Attendees can get up close and personal with the stones outside normal hours – either in the evening or early morning. Places are limited – you'll be one of only 30 people on the spiritual site.

Dubrovnik city walls, Dubrovnik, Croatia

The tiny old town of this pretty Croatian port is often mobbed with cruise ship visitors, so be sure to plan your walk around the walls outside of peak times. July and August see the most extreme crowds, while May to June and September to October can also be busy. Thursday to Saturday tend to be the busiest days. Check out the cruise ship schedule online and if you can see that several cruise ships are due in, give the walls a wide berth.

Empire State Building, New York City, New York, USA

Among the world's most iconic tourist spots, the observation decks of this Art Deco skyscraper can get a little busy. The best advice is to either go early or late – closing times vary throughout the year, ranging from 11pm to 1am during summer, so check before you go. Purchase tickets online, and opt for the VIP express pass to the main deck if you want to bypass the queues. Or skip the skyscraper entirely for the equally excellent and cheaper Rockefeller Center instead.

Pompeii, Naples, Italy

This vast archaeological site is incredible, but it's also incredibly overwhelming. Overstretch yourself and you could give up and miss out on the best bits. A top tip is to hire a private local guide who'll show you the key sights (and possibly get you access to cordoned off areas) and generally help you navigate the confusing maze. As there's so much to see and so much ground to cover, it's definitely a good idea to tackle it over a few days.

London Eye, London, England, UK

While queues are pretty much inevitable for the London Eye, you can make them a little more tolerable if you're willing to spend more. Splash out on a fast-track ticket (cheaper when bought online) and you will get speedier entry through a dedicated entrance. For an especially magical view, time your visit with sunset, although note that plenty of other people will have had the same idea.

Chichen Itza, Yucatan, Mexico

Get here before 8am and you should breeze into Mexico's most famous Maya ruin before the masses arrive. You can stay in nearby town Valladolid the night before so you're first in line. Sundays are particularly busy and best avoided as entry is free for Mexican visitors then. Brace yourself for a raft of souvenir and food vendors near the entrance, but find somewhere more authentic (and cheaper) to eat in nearby village Piste.

Statue of Liberty, New York City, New York, USA

Book tickets early online to avoid queuing for ferry tickets to Liberty Island, especially if you want to climb Lady Liberty's crown. Access is limited, but the organised few are rewarded after scaling the 363 steps with incredible city views. Set aside most of a day to do justice to this New York landmark and the fascinating Ellis Island. It's well worth taking a picnic over with you and look out for the free and informative ranger-led tours on Liberty Island.

Angkor Wat, Siem Reap, Cambodia

Splashing out on a private driver is a good way to avoid the obvious routes and dodge the big tour groups around this mammoth temple complex. It should be cheaper if you hire one from Siem Reap rather than inside the Angkor Wat park, and you can split the fee between a few people. Get a good one and they'll act as your guide too, helping you uncover some of the many secrets of this fascinating place. Set aside a few days to do this awe-inspiring monument justice.

Eiffel Tower, Paris, France

Hate queues and want to work off all of those croissants? Opt for the €14.20 (£11.90/$15.40) stair ticket and you can skip the lift queues to climb the 704 steps to the second floor of the Eiffel Tower. Alternatively, see the Parisian landmark's famous views in style by reserving a table at the fine-dining restaurant Le Jules Verne on the second floor. Guests here enjoy a separate entrance.

Sydney Harbour, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

The walk around Circular Quay offers great views but board a ferry and you're in for spectacular ones. Sydney's picturesque harbour is best admired from the water and ferries are generally inexpensive. Get an Opal card if you're here for a while and whizz over to Manly on the North Head or Watson's Bay on the South Head. You'll have a fantastic vantage point to snap that iconic Sydney Harbour Bridge and Opera House view. Soak up more scenes at the Opera Bar – a great little spot for cocktails and nibbles.

Parthenon, Athens, Greece

Buy a combo ticket for €30 (£25/$32) and you can visit all of Athens' main archaeological sites over five days rather than spending €20 (£17/$22) on the Acropolis and its slopes alone. As you'd expect, the queues for the Parthenon can be overwhelming at peak times and the site can be oppressively hot, so go early or late for relative cool and quiet. If you visit the Theatre of Dionysus first, you can walk up to the Parthenon via the peripatos, an ancient sanctuary-lined path that goes around the sacred rock.

The Peak, Hong Kong, China

Rattling up the side of the Peak on a historic and vertiginous tram is a Hong Kong must-do, but be prepared to queue. Visiting before noon helps you avoid peak times, so much so that the tram offers a 20% discount for tickets during that time. If you want to enjoy the mountain views more cheaply, hop on the 15 bus from Central instead. It costs around a third of the price of the tram, but takes longer. Alternatively, get your trainers on and join locals for an early morning hike or run up the Old Peak Road.

Great Wall of China, China

One of the world's greatest manmade wonders, this immense fortification is as varied as it is vast. It's also one of the world's most popular tourist attractions and things can get pretty crowded on certain sections, a lot of which are an easy day trip from Beijing. Look out for day trips by private tour groups that will take you to some of the less crowded parts. Or, if you're going it alone, arriving later in the afternoon can be a good strategy for avoiding the masses.

Edinburgh Castle, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK

From Edinburgh and Stirling castles to Skara Brae's Neolithic village, Scotland is crammed with historic sights. So much so that visiting them all can make a sizeable dent in your holiday budget. If you're planning to tour the country and visit more than a few castles and stately homes then purchasing the Historic Scotland Explorer Pass is a very good idea. It's £44 ($57) for an adult but that gives you access to a whopping 56 sites.

The Louvre, Paris, France

It's big. It's busy. And it's brilliant. So be sure to approach your visit to Paris' most popular museum with a strategy. Avoid the main Pyramid entrance and make use of the sneaky Porte des Lions in the Denon (south) wing instead. Buy tickets online and you can expect a 30-minute wait at most. Avoid the rush altogether by visiting after 6pm on Wednesdays and most Fridays when it's open until 9pm. Avoid Tuesdays when it's closed and the first Friday of each month after 6pm, when there is free entry but enormous crowds.

Windsor Castle, Windsor, England, UK

This handsome royal home can get very busy, particularly in summer, so try getting there in the afternoon to avoid the coach trippers. Avoid visiting on Sundays as St George's Chapel is closed for services. Didn't manage to see it all? You can get free readmission for a year by buying a one-year pass directly from the Royal Collection Trust. Time your visit for the changing of the guard – it's more engaging than the Buckingham Palace event as you can see the guardsmen and band march up from the barracks and along the high street.

Sagrada Familia, Barcelona, Spain

Avoid queue-rage at Gaudi's Sagrada Familia by pre-booking a slot online (bookings open roughly two months before). Opt for early morning on a Monday, as some visitors assume that the basilica is closed like many other sites in Spain. It'll cost you more to visit the spires, and there are arguably better views to be found in the city, including from the gorgeous Park Guell. The Barcelona City Pass is good value and includes skip-the-line entry to both sights, plus hop-on-hop-off bus passes and discounts for other attractions.

Niagara Falls, USA and Canada

As beautiful as they are, these falls are among the most touristed and over-crowded sightseeing spots in North America. The most jaw-dropping views can be found on the Canadian side, but so too can most of the hordes and tourist traps. To experience both sides, take your passport and hop over the bridge between the two.

Read on to see our pick for the most beautiful attractions in North America