10 Books That Will Inspire You To Travel

10 Best Travel Books To Inspire Your Next Trip

Why read travel books?

Travel books help you learn more about the destinations you are visiting. Often times, they’ll provide you with a deeper understanding of the culture, the people, and the place. The more you know about a place, the more you can really experience it.

The books in this list are some of my all-time favorites, and I think they are definitely worth a read. Some of them serve the purpose of discovering new places, while others are meant to inspire you to get out there and travel differently. Grab one of the books below and kickstart your next travel adventure!

Please note: This post contains affiliate links. You won’t be paying a cent more for any of your purchases, but the small affiliate commission I receive will help keep the content coming to you. Thanks!

Travel Discovery Books

The 2 AM Principle: Discover The Science Of Adventure

This is an excellent read applicable to both behavioral science and travel adventures. You’ll learn plenty, but the first lesson is easy: nothing good happens after 2 AM—except the most EPIC experiences of our lives. You’ll learn how to create deeper experiences as you travel, connect with people, and make lifelong memories.

The Bucket List: 1000 Adventures Big & Small

With 1,000 adventures for all ages, it’s never too soon or too late to begin the things you’ve only dreamed of doing. This invaluable guide to fun, once-in-a-lifetime activities features an eclectic range of travel activities related to self-improvement, adrenaline drivers, natural wonders, cultural experiences, culinary delights, and more. With ideas spanning all over the globe, The Bucket List is the perfect gift for the passionate traveler.

Destinations of a Lifetime: 225 of the World’s Most Amazing Places

NatGeo takes you on a photographic tour of the world’s most spectacular destinations, inspiring tangible ideas for your next trip. Travel to hundreds of the most breathtaking locales—both natural and man-made—illustrated with vivid images taken by the organization’s world-class photographers. Loaded with hard service information for each location, Destinations of a Lifetime has it all: when to go, where to eat, where to stay, and what to do to ensure the most enriching and authentic experience.

How to Travel the World on $50 a Day: Travel Cheaper, Longer, Smarter

If you’ve ever dreamed of traveling the world, flying off to Europe, a honeymoon the Seychelles, or just taking your family to Disney or a trip to London, How to Travel the World on $50 a Day will give you the practical, step-by-step instructions to get your there – from start to finish on $50 a day (or less). Matt reveals the tips, tricks, and secrets to comfortable budget travel that you won’t find anywhere else with over 100 new pages of updated content in this third edition. He interviews dozens of other travelers about their success on the road and how you can apply that to your own trip.

The Ultimate Man’s Survival Guide

A good read for travelers who want to pick up survival skills such as how to fight off alligators, create a tourniquet out of a t-shirt, and rescue a drowning person. Also just a generally fun read. It’d make a great gift or even a hard-to-put-down bathroom book.

Atlas Obscura: An Explorer’s Guide to the World’s Hidden Wonders

It’s time to get off the beaten path. Inspiring equal parts wonder and wanderlust, Atlas Obscura celebrates over 700 of the strangest and most curious places in the world. I love everything about Atlas Obscura.

Destination Books

The Geography of Bliss: One Grump’s Search for the Happiest Places in the World

Part travel memoir, part humor, and part twisted self-help guide, The Geography of Bliss takes the reader across the globe to investigate not what happiness is, but where it is. In a unique mix of travel, psychology, science and humor, Eric Weiner travels to the “happiest” countries and writes about them, offering travelers of all moods some interesting new ideas for sunnier destinations and dispositions. One of my all-time favorite books that combine the topics of travel and happiness.

La Bella Figura: A Field Guide to the Italian Mind

Although La Bella Figura will take you to legendary cities and scenic regions of Italy, your real destinations are the places where Italians are at their best, worst, and most authentic. This book is so great because Severgnini doesn’t give you the typical idealized version of Italy. Trust me, you’ll understand Italians a lot more after reading this.

Love with a Chance of Drowning

A highly rated travel memoir by Torre DeRoche. New love. Exotic destinations.
A once-in-a-lifetime adventure. What could go wrong? This memoir is set against a backdrop of the world’s most beautiful and remote destinations. equal parts love story and travel memoir, Love with a Chance of Drowning is witty, charming, and proof positive that there are some risks worth taking.

Into the Wild

Into the Wild is an international bestseller which has been printed in 30 languages and 173 editions and formats. Krakauer recounts the haunting and tragic mystery of 22-year-old Chris McCandless who disappeared in April 1992 into the Alaskan wilderness in search of a raw, transcendent experience. His emaciated corpse was discovered four months later. Great read.

New And Unique Travel Gifts For Every Type Of Traveler For 2018

The Best Travel Backpacks and Carry-On Bags For Your Next Trip

Get These 25 Best Free Travel Apps For Your Next Trip