10 Hidden Gems Around the World Where You Can Fly for Under $400

1

The best travel discoveries happen when you least expect them. While everyone’s booking the same overcrowded hotspots, some of the world’s most incredible destinations are hiding in plain sight. They’re accessible, affordable, and surprisingly easy to reach from the US.

I’ve spent years chasing flight deals and stumbled across hidden gems that stopped me in my tracks. Places where $400 gets you a roundtrip ticket to medieval squares, Nordic design districts, or colonial Caribbean coastlines that rival any bucket list destination.

The secret? Knowing where to look and when to book. Smart flight tracking can unlock destinations you never knew existed, often for less than domestic trips. From Estonia’s fairytale capital to Colombia’s colonial gem, these 10 hidden gem destinations prove that the best adventures don’t always come with the biggest price tags.

• ✈️ Pro tip: Want alerts on flights to hidden gems straight to your inbox? Sign up for Going, a membership-based service that finds huge discounts, mistake fares, and points and miles deals. Their free service works great for the mainland US and the premium service also finds deals abroad for up to 90% off!

1. Tallinn, Estonia

• ✈️ Flight Price Range: $356–$470 roundtrip
• 🏰 Historic Sites: Medieval old town, UNESCO-listed city walls
• 🔄 Top Airline Deals: Finnair, Lufthansa, KLM

Tallinn is exactly the kind of place this list is about. It’s one of those hidden gems in Europe that most people overlook, but leaves you wondering why it’s not packed with visitors. The old town is seriously beautiful, with winding cobblestone streets, gothic spires, and little wine bars tucked behind stone archways. It’s touristy, sure, but not overrun. You still get that sense of discovery.

Outside the city walls, you get a whole other side of Tallinn. I spent a lot of time in Kalamaja, an old working-class neighborhood that’s turned into a low-key hub for artists, vintage shops, and great bakeries. It’s not trying too hard, and that’s what makes it feel good. 

Most of the city is easy to explore on foot, and even museum tickets or public transit won’t make a dent in your budget. I stayed in Kadriorg and paid less than I’ve spent on hostels in Western Europe. Plus, Estonia’s digital-forward culture means free WiFi everywhere and most locals speak excellent English.

✈️ Pro Tip: I recently found a Finnair deal on Going for $356 from New York. Tallinn doesn’t always have top-tier flight deals, so I recommend setting Going alerts for cities like Helsinki too. It’s only a short ferry away, and deals to both often pop up together.

2. Wroclaw, Poland

• ✈️ Flight Price Range: $350–$400 roundtrip
• 🎨 Highlights: Market Square, Cathedral Island, 300+ colorful dwarf statues in the city
• 🔄 Top Airline Deals: SAS, LOT Polish Airlines, Lufthansa

Wrocław (pronounced Vrots-wav) might be the most charming city in Poland that no one talks about. It’s got all the fairytale architecture of Kraków, but without the crowds or inflated prices. The central square is one of the most beautiful in Europe. I genuinely didn’t expect it to be so grand, and everything from the cathedral island to the tiny alley bars feels like a discovery.

The value here is unbeatable. You can get a massive plate of pierogi for $4, excellent local beer for $2, and stay in a boutique hotel right in the Old Town for under $70/night. The tram system connects everything, but honestly, you’ll want to walk because every street has something worth seeing.

Wroclaw is also full of quirks. Over 300 tiny bronze gnomes are hidden throughout the city, and stumbling across them became one of my favorite parts of wandering around. The entire city is stitched together by canals and bridges, which gives it this peaceful, meandering rhythm.

I recently found a roundtrip flight from Boston for just $361 through Going. For a place this rich in history and personality, that felt like a steal!

✈️ Pro Tip: Stay in or near the Old Town (Stare Miasto) if you can. It’s walkable, full of character, and most major sights are within 10 minutes on foot. For a quieter vibe, I’d recommend Nadodrze just across the river. It’s still central, but artsier and more residential.

3. Bucharest, Romania

• ✈️ Flight Price Range: $390–$470 roundtrip
• 🍷 Local Specialties: Sarmale (stuffed cabbage), mici (grilled meat rolls), țuică (plum brandy)
• 🔄 Top Airline Deals: Delta, Air France, KLM

Bucharest gets unfairly lumped in with “cheap Eastern Europe,” but trust me, this city has serious style. The architecture alone will stop you in your tracks. You’ll find Belle Époque mansions next to communist blocks next to glass towers, creating this fascinating urban collage that somehow works. The Old Town buzzes with energy until dawn, and the food scene has exploded beyond traditional Romanian fare into some genuinely exciting fusion spots.

If you’re used to Western Europe’s price tags, Bucharest feels refreshingly affordable. You can eat well for under $15 a day, stay in a stylish boutique hotel in Herăstrău or the Old Town for around $60 a night, and explore most of the city on foot. Neighborhoods like Amzei are perfect for wandering – full of hidden courtyards, murals, and old-world cafés that don’t feel staged. Don’t skip the Palace of Parliament tour, either. It’s wildly oversized and tells you everything about the country’s recent history.

✈️ Pro Tip: I highly recommend signing up for Going’s Premium tier. It’s how I found a roundtrip deal to Bucharest from Boston for just $399! Premium members get email alerts for international deals from the U.S., including rare fares to places like Romania that barely show up in regular searches.

4. Bergen, Norway

• ✈️ Flight Price Range: $380–$450 roundtrip
• ⛰️ Mountain Access: Gateway to fjords, Mount Fløyen funicular, hiking trails from city center
• 🔄 Top Airline Deals: SAS, Norwegian, Lufthansa

Bergen has this effortless magic that bigger Scandinavian cities try too hard to achieve. Picture colorful wooden houses cascading down hillsides, with the North Sea on one side and dramatic peaks on the other. It’s like someone designed the perfect Nordic postcard, then forgot to tell anyone about it. The UNESCO-listed Bryggen wharf feels authentically lived-in rather than museum-like, and locals still use the centuries-old fish market for their weekly shopping.

What I love most about Bergen is how the mountains literally start at the city limits. You can take advantage of deals like the $386 SAS flight I recently spotted on Going from Newark, grab lunch at the fish market, then be hiking above the clouds within two hours of landing.

The Mount Fløyen funicular drops you into a network of trails that offer some of Norway’s most accessible fjord views. Stay in Nordnes neighborhood for half the price of harbor hotels, and you’re still a 10-minute walk from everything that matters.

The food scene here surprised me too. Aside from the expected seafood, Bergen has developed an interesting fusion of traditional Nordic flavors with modern techniques. And unlike Oslo, you can actually afford to eat out more than once!

✈️ Pro Tip: Bergen’s weather is famously unpredictable, so pack layers even in summer. The upside? Rain creates dramatic misty fjord views that make every photo look like a movie scene. I recommend visiting during shoulder season (May or September) for the best balance of decent weather and fewer cruise ship crowds.

5. Quito, Ecuador

• ✈️ Flight Price Range: $200–$360 roundtrip
• 🌋 Natural Attractions: Cotopaxi volcano day trips, cloud forest hikes, thermal springs
• 🔄 Top Airline Deals: LATAM, Delta, American
  

Quito might be one of the most underrated capitals in South America, and one of the most rewarding to explore. It’s wild how much is packed into this high-altitude city: colonial architecture, bustling markets, quiet hillside neighborhoods, and some of the most dramatic sunsets I’ve ever seen. Plus, the setting is unreal. You’re walking around at 9,000+ feet with views of volcanoes on the horizon and hummingbirds flitting past cafe patios.

I stayed in the historic center, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site, and honestly, just wandering the streets felt like a day’s adventure. You can take the TelefériQo cable car up to 13,000 feet for crazy panoramic views, then be back in time for canelazo and empanadas at a family-run restaurant. There’s plenty of fun things to do in Quito, but it still feels relaxed, unpolished in the best way, and full of personality.

Day trips from Quito are spectacular. Cotopaxi National Park is 90 minutes away, where you can hike around an active volcano. The cloud forests near Mindo offer bird watching and zip-lining. It’s like having an entire adventure playground in your backyard!

✈️ Pro Tip: I recently spotted a $346 roundtrip fare from JFK to Quito – normally it’s closer to $650. That’s over $300 in savings… for a membership that costs $49 a year. Going’s Premium tier catches these kinds of international deals all the time, and this one alone would’ve paid for itself six times over.

6. Helsinki, Finland

• ✈️ Flight Price Range: $360–$420 roundtrip
• 🎨 Cultural Highlights: Design District, Temppeliaukio Rock Church, Market Square
• 🔄 Top Airline Deals: Icelandair, Finnair, Lufthansa

Helsinki isn’t the first city people think of when they hear “Europe,” and that’s exactly what makes it feel like your own little discovery. It’s sharp and quiet, full of modernist design, sea air – and good bread!

I stumbled across a $365 deal from Newark using Going and it reminded me how underrated this city is. The design scene here is unreal. You can spend entire afternoons getting lost in concept stores and galleries in the Design District that would bankrupt you in other Scandinavian capitals.

The coffee culture alone makes it worth the trip. Plus, you’ve got saunas everywhere, including public ones along the waterfront where you can experience a real Finnish experience for less than $15. The food halls are incredible too. Fresh Baltic fish, reindeer if you’re feeling adventurous, and Nordic cuisine that doesn’t come with Copenhagen price tags.

Suomenlinna fortress is a quick ferry ride away and feels like discovering a secret island. Even in winter, Helsinki has a cozy, lived-in energy that bigger cities try to manufacture but can’t quite nail. It’s one of those places where you keep thinking “why doesn’t everyone know about this?”

✈️ Pro Tip: Download the HSL app for public transport. It covers trains, trams, buses, and even the ferry to Suomenlinna. One day pass gets you everywhere and costs less than a single London tube ride.

7. Bilbao, Spain

• ✈️ Flight Price Range: $369–$450 roundtrip
• 🎨 Cultural Highlights: Guggenheim Museum, Basque cuisine, riverside architecture
• 🔄 Top Airline Deals: Iberia, Vueling, Air Europa

If you think you know Spain but haven’t been to Bilbao – you don’t. This northern city feels miles away (in vibe, not distance) from the flamenco-and-fiesta stereotype. It’s moodier, greener, and deeply proud of its Basque roots. 

The Guggenheim is obviously the headline act, but honestly, just walking around reveals how much thought went into redesigning this former steel town.

The food scene here is incredible. I’m talking about pintxos bars where $20 gets you a proper feast, and the local wine scene that nobody outside the Basque country seems to know about. I found myself eating better here than in some of Spain’s more famous food cities, and spending way less doing it!

Bilbao’s the kind of place that doesn’t shout. It wins you over slowly – with food, with friendliness, with all those “wait, this is beautiful” moments you didn’t expect. And it’s small enough to explore without a plan, which always earns bonus points in my book.

✈️ Pro Tip: I recently saw a $369 roundtrip fare from Boston to Bilbao. Going consistently spots great fares to Spain throughout the year, especially to cities like Madrid, Valencia, and Barcelona. Finding one to Bilbao is the kind of off-radar deal that makes Going Premium worth it, and this city definitely deserves the spotlight.

8. Porto, Portugal

• ✈️ Flight Price Range: $370–$450 roundtrip
• 🍷 Local Specialties: Port wine cellars, francesinha sandwich, pastéis de nata
• 🔄 Top Airline Deals: Iberia, TAP Air Portugal, Lufthansa

Porto is the rare kind of city that immediately feels like somewhere you could stay longer than planned. The light hits the azulejo tiles just right in the mornings, the air smells like espresso and river fog, and the rhythm of the city never seems to rush you. It’s postcard-beautiful, but without the burnout that comes with bigger-name spots.

I stayed in the Bonfim neighborhood and would do it again in a heartbeat. Here, there’s fewer tourists, better bakeries, and it’s a short walk to the Ribeira district. Take the tram out to Foz do Douro for golden-hour by the sea, or spend a lazy afternoon doing port tastings in old wine caves carved into the hills. If you eat meat, don’t leave without trying a francesinha at Café Santiago. It’s legendary for a reason – cheesy, saucy, over-the-top in the best way, and totally worth the food coma!

I saw a roundtrip fare to Porto from Boston for just $373. Going tends to find great Portugal fares throughout the year, but most folks only look at Lisbon. Porto is where you go when you want the charm and the calm in one place.

✈️ Pro Tip: Take the vintage Tram 1 to Foz do Douro for epic Atlantic views, then walk back along the coast. The entire journey costs €3 and gives you the best free sightseeing tour in Europe. Trust me on this one.

9. Valencia, Spain

• ✈️ Flight Price Range: $380–$450 roundtrip
• 🏖️ Beaches Nearby: Malvarossa Beach, El Saler Natural Park, 15-minute metro ride from city center
• 🔄 Top Airline Deals: Air France, Iberia, Delta

Valencia makes a strong case for skipping Madrid and Barcelona altogether. There’s just as much sunshine, food, and culture here, with fewer crowds, lower prices, and a noticeably more relaxed pace. It feels easy going without being sleepy, and polished without feeling overrun. If you’ve already been to Porto or Bilbao or want somewhere that balances beach time with city life – this is the one to pick.

Valencia is perfect for people who want a little bit of everything: a historic old town, a futuristic science and arts complex, warm sand just a tram ride away, and a food scene that’s way better than it gets credit for. I’d stay in Ruzafa if you like morning markets and natural wine bars, or El Cabanyal if you want to wake up walking distance from the sea.

✈️ Pro Tip: Going often spots roundtrip fares to Valencia for under $400, especially from East Coast cities. It’s one of those routes that doesn’t show up in every search, but it’s well worth watching if you want Spain with more breathing room.

10. Cartagena, Colombia

• ✈️ Flight Price Range: $248–$380 roundtrip
• 🏖️ Beaches Nearby: Isla Barú, Playa Blanca, Rosario Islands
• 🔄 Top Airline Deals: Copa, Avianca, JetBlue

Last but not least, Cartagena is one of the easiest escapes from the U.S. – and somehow still flies under the radar. Though it’s technically not as “hidden” today as it was when I first visited 7 years ago, it’s definitely cheaper and lesser-known than Bogota and Medellin. I spotted a $248 roundtrip fare from Orlando recently on Going, which happens more often than you’d think. Florida airports see great deals to Colombia, and Cartagena often comes in cheaper than Bogotá or Medellín.

What makes it a real hidden gem is how much you get for so little. The walled city is a stunner – all colorful balconies and bougainvillea – but head just a few blocks out and you’re eating $3 arepas under streetlights while salsa plays from a local bar.

Days here start slow and stay that way. Wander the old fortress walls before it gets too hot, grab fresh mango with lime and salt from a street vendor, and take a lancha to the Rosario Islands for turquoise water and a fried fish lunch you’ll dream about later. 

✈️ Pro Tip: Book accommodations inside the walled city (Ciudad Amurallada) rather than the modern Bocagrande district. The extra $20-30/night gets you the full colonial experience, and you can walk to everything that matters without dealing with traffic or taxis.

Looking to travel internationally in 2026? Use my discount code JON25 to save 25% on Going’s Premium Version.