A lake in China's Jiuzhaigou Valley. Shutterstock There are some tourist attractions that can't be missed: The Vatican in Rome, the Eiffel Tower in Paris, Westminster Abbey in London.

These are the kinds of places friends and family expect travelers to go.

But there are plenty of places to see that are under the radar; often known only by locals.

Inspired by this Quora list asking about the best travel destinations most people never knew existed, we put together our own list of the 25 hidden gems around the world that are worth the trek.