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Best Travel Books

Embark on literary journeys with this compilation of the finest travel books, as celebrated by top book blogs and readers around the globe.

Recommendations from 146 articles, Barack Obama, Selena Gomez, Bill Gates and 158 others.
Best Travel Books
100 books on the list
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On the Road book cover
On the Road
Jack Kerouac - 1976-01-01 (first published in 1957)
Goodreads Rating
Embark on a journey of self-discovery with a group of friends as they explore the open highways of America in this timeless Beat classic by Jack Kerouac. Soon to be a major motion picture with a star-studded cast, this revolutionary masterpiece captures the essence of the Beat Generation and will leave a lasting impact on readers.
Wild book cover
Wild
A Journey from Lost to Found
Cheryl Strayed - 2012-03-20
Goodreads Rating
A woman who has lost everything decides to walk 1,100 miles of the west coast of America alone. With no experience in long-distance hiking, she sets out to piece together a life that has crumbled in the wake of her mother's death.
Eat Pray Love book cover
Eat Pray Love
One Woman's Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia
Elizabeth Gilbert - 2014-01-21
Goodreads Rating
Embark on a captivating journey through Italy, India, and Bali in search of pleasure and devotion with this heartfelt memoir. The author, Elizabeth Gilbert, left behind a successful American life to explore the true meaning of happiness. Discover her wisdom and humor as she navigates three different cultures, exploring the art of pleasure, devotion, and a balance of the two. A must-read for anyone searching for inspiration and transformation.
The Alchemist book cover
The Alchemist
25th Anniversary Edition
Paulo Coelho - 2014-04-15 (first published in 1988)
Goodreads Rating
Embark on a transformative journey with the tale of Santiago, an Andalusian shepherd boy who sets out from Spain to the Egyptian desert in search of buried treasure, only to discover the true wealth lies within. Paulo Coelho weaves a powerful and inspiring story full of wisdom and humanity, reminding readers of the importance of following our dreams and listening to our hearts.
Into the Wild book cover
Into the Wild
Jon Krakauer - 1997-02-01 (first published in 1996)
Goodreads Rating
Explore the captivating story of a young man who hitchhiked to Alaska in search of a new life, leaving everything behind. After abandoning his car, burning his cash, and taking on a new name, he wanted nothing more than to lose himself in the raw beauty of nature. But four months later, he was found dead, his body decomposed. Into the Wild follows this unforgettable journey of adventure, vision, and tragedy, and the mysteries that led to his untimely demise.
Recommended by
Gretchen RubinAkshay M
In a Sunburned Country book cover
In a Sunburned Country
Bill Bryson - 2001-05-15 (first published in 2000)
Goodreads Rating
Discover the wonders of Australia with a hilarious and informative travelogue from a bestselling author. Despite its deadly wildlife, Australia captivates Bill Bryson with its friendly locals, spectacular scenery, and fascinating history. This engaging performance combines humor, wonder, and curiousity to take you beyond the beaten tourist path and introduce you to a land of clean cities, cold beer, and constant sunshine. Let Bill Bryson be your perfect guide to this immense and fortunate land.
A Walk in the Woods book cover
A Walk in the Woods
Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail
Bill Bryson - 2006-12-26 (first published in 1998)
Goodreads Rating
Embark on a hilariously entertaining journey along the world's longest continuous footpath, The Appalachian Trail. Join Bill Bryson on this gruelling 2,000-mile hike through some of the most spectacular landscapes in North America, as well as its poverty-stricken and primitive backwoods areas. With Bryson's witty humor and unique perspective, A Walk in the Woods is the perfect adventure for any reader seeking a good laugh and a thrilling outdoors experience.
Recommended by
Tim Ferriss
Vagabonding book cover
Vagabonding
An Uncommon Guide to the Art of Long-Term World Travel
Rolf Potts - 2002-12-24
Goodreads Rating
Discover how to explore the world on your own terms with Vagabonding. From six weeks to two years, Rolf Potts shows how anyone with an independent spirit can finance, plan, and make the most of extended overseas travel. Learn how to adjust to life on the road, work and volunteer abroad, and handle travel adversity. Vagabonding is an outlook on life that fosters creativity, discovery, and personal growth. Join the Vagabonding community at www.vagabonding.net.
Recommended by
Tim Ferriss
Travels with Charley in Search of America book cover
Travels with Charley in Search of America
John Steinbeck - 2002-02-05 (first published in 1961)
Goodreads Rating
Embark on a journey with an iconic American writer as he travels across the country with his furry companion, in search of the real America. John Steinbeck's "Travels with Charley in Search of America" is more than just a travelogue - it's a reflection on the American character, exploring themes of racial hostility, loneliness, and unexpected kindness. Experience the sights, sounds, and smells of a diverse nation through Steinbeck's eyes, as he drives through interstates and country roads, encountering truckers, bears, and old friends.
The Geography of Bliss book cover
The Geography of Bliss
One Grump's Search for the Happiest Places in the World
Eric Weiner - 2008-01-03
Goodreads Rating
Embark on a global journey in search of happiness with this humorous and unconventional self-help guide. With stops in Iceland, India, and America, the author explores the concept of bliss and shares moments of "un-unhappiness" along the way. Part foreign affairs discourse, part hilarious travelogue, this book is a must-read for anyone in pursuit of happiness.
Recommended by
Derek Sivers
Turn Right at Machu Picchu by Mark Adams
Blue Highways by William Least Heat Moon
The Art of Travel by Alain de Botton
The Beach by Alex Garland
Dark Star Safari by Paul Theroux
Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts
A Year in Provence by Peter Mayle
Under the Tuscan Sun by Frances Mayes
In Patagonia by Bruce Chatwin
The Great Railway Bazaar by Paul Theroux
The Road to Oxiana by Robert Byron
Harry Potter And The Sorcerer's Stone by J. K. Rowling
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thompson
A Short Walk in the Hindu Kush by Eric Newby
The Innocents Abroad by Mark Twain
Born a Crime by Trevor Noah
Bossypants by Tina Fey
The Lost City of Z by David Grann
How Not To Travel The World by Lauren Juliff
Desert Solitaire by Edward Abbey
Atlas Obscura by Joshua Foer
Becoming by Michelle Obama
Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
Seven Years in Tibet by Heinrich Harrer
Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer
A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway
Marching Powder by Thomas McFadden
The Places In Between by Rory Stewart
The Snow Leopard by Peter Matthiessen
Tracks by Robyn Davidson
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis
Arabian Sands by Wilfred Thesiger
Love with a Chance of Drowning by Torre Deroche
Tales of a Female Nomad by Rita Golden Gelman
1,000 Places to See Before You Die by Patricia Schultz
Video Night in Kathmandu by Pico Iyer
Neither Here nor There by Bill Bryson
Travels with a Donkey in the Cévennes by Robert Louis Stevenson
Holy Cow by Sarah MacDonald
West with the Night by Beryl Markham
Great Plains by Ian Frazier
The Year of Living Danishly by Helen Russell
Around the World in 80 Trains by Monisha Rajesh
The Sex Lives of Cannibals by J. Maarten Troost
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert M Pirsig
What I Was Doing While You Were Breeding by Kristin Newman
The Motorcycle Diaries by Ernesto Che Guevara
The Good Girl's Guide to Getting Lost by Rachel Friedman
Life of Pi by Yann Martel
Catfish and Mandala by Andrew Pham
The Lost Continent by Bill Bryson
World Travel by Anthony Bourdain
A Time of Gifts by Patrick Leigh Fermor
Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan
Yes Please by Amy Poehler
DK Eyewitness Italy by Eyewitness
How to Travel the World on $50 a Day by Matt Kepnes
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
What If? by Randall Munroe
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
Endurance by Alfred Lansing
The Travel Book by Lonely Planet
Rice, Noodle, Fish by Matt Goulding
Down and Out in Paris and London by George Orwell
My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante
Maximum City by Suketu Mehta
All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
The Shadow of the Sun by Ryszard Kapuscinski
My Life in France by Julia Child
In Search of Captain Zero by Allan Weisbecker
As I Walked Out One Midsummer Morning by Laurie Lee
A Fortune-Teller Told Me by Tiziano Terzani
Venice by Jan Morris
Black Lamb and Grey Falcon by Rebecca West
The Caliph's House by Tahir Shah
Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris
Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
Notes from a Small Island by Bill Bryson
Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov
Four Seasons in Rome by Anthony Doerr
Out of Africa by Isak Dinesen
Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson
Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter
The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Charlotte's Web by E. B White
The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien
Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden
Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty