One of the best ways to travel, without leaving the comforts of your home, is through books. Travel books inspire wanderlust, speak to our imagination, open our hearts, educate us, and ignite a deep inner longing to explore.
With so many wonderful travel books available it’s hard to decide which to read. With this in mind, we’ve put together this curated round-up of 20 of the best coffee table travel books!
1) Destination Wellness by Annie Daly
Fed up with the commercialization of the wellness industry after working in it for years, wellness and travel journalist Annie Daly embarked on an inspiring adventure through some of the world’s happiest and healthiest cities and villages to find out what we can learn from them.
Why We Love This Book
2) Roaming America by Renee Hahnel
For nature and adventure enthusiasts Roaming America is a visually stunning, practical guide to visiting the US National Parks. Combining breathtaking imagery, useful planning information for each national park, suggested itineraries, best-of recommendations, and more, Roaming America will give you all the inspiration you need to plan your next national park road trip!
Why We Love This Book
Hahnel covers all 59 US National Parks from her firsthand perspective after personally visited each park on one epic road trip. We love her Suggested road trip itineraries and a map featuring all of the national parks (plus a route you can take to travel to all of them in one go!).
3) Bliss Beaches by Randall Kaplan
From the coastlines of California, Hawaii, Florida, and Mexico to the idyllic shores of French Polynesia, Andalusia, the Amalfi Coast, and beyond, Kaplan shares his personal sanctuaries in this dazzling celebration of some of the world’s most alluring beaches.
Why We Love This Book
4) The Bucketlist by Kath Stathers
Why We Love This Book
We all have things we plan to do someday but work, family, school, money, and responsibilities get in the way. This fun guide features an eclectic range of ideas such as visiting cultural experiences, culinary delights, natural wonders, and more.
5) Dame Traveler by Natasia Yakoub
Why We Love This Book
Organized into sections on architecture, culture, nature, and water, each entry features travel information, plus tips, advice, unique solo-travel experiences, and wisdom from contributing Dame Traveler community members.
6) Where To Go When by DK Eyewitness
Why We Love This Book
This book contains over 100 destinations to choose from, brought to life through stunning photography. Each month of the year has a dedicated chapter, so you’ll know the perfect travel destinations for each week, month, and season.
7) InstaTravel by Aggie Lal
Why We Love This Book
If you’re passionate about wanting to fill your Instagram feed with stunning travel photos, Aggie’s InstaTravel guide can help you. Aggie also shares what you need to take with you for each destination, how to navigate cultural differences, and how to make the most of each experience.
8) Destinations Of A Lifetime by National Geographic
With Destinations Of A Lifetime, NatGeo takes you on a photo tour of the world’s most spectacular destinations, inspiring achievable ideas for your next trip. Travel to hundreds of the most breathtaking locations, illustrated with vivid images taken by NatGeo’s world-class photographers.
These images in this book, coupled with evocative text, feature a plethora of visual wonders: ancient monoliths, scenic islands, stunning artwork, electric cityscapes, white-sand seashores, rain forests, ancient cobbled streets, and both classic and innovative architecture.
Why We Love This Book
This book is loaded with useful information for each location: when to go, where to eat, where to stay, and what to do to ensure the most enriching and authentic experience in each destination.
9) Unforgettable Journeys by DK Eyewitness
There is no better way to see the world than to move through it, taking your time. These once-in-a-lifetime journeys will stay with you forever and inspire your future adventures.
Unforgettable Journeys is a travel book that celebrates taking the scenic route. Explore 200 inspirational journeys across the globe with this stunning visual guide that embraces traveling slowly, really immersing yourself in your surroundings, and above all enjoying the journey.
Why We Love This Book
This inspirational travel journal includes a wide range of different travel types from hiking to sailing. With this visually stunning book, you’ll discover the world’s most famous adventures like the Orient Express and driving Route 66, along with taking the road less traveled by doing less popular activities like cycling around Botswana or kayaking through Finnish Lakeland.
10) The Atlas of Beauty by Mihaela Noroc
Based on the author’s online photography project, The Atlas of Beauty features portraits of 500 women from more than 50 countries, accompanied by revelatory captions that capture their personal stories.
Why We Love This Book
This stunning collection reveals that beauty is everywhere and that it comes in many different sizes and colors. These moving portraits feature women in their local communities, ranging from the Amazon rainforest to London city streets, and from markets in India to parks in Harlem, visually juxtaposing the varied physical and social worlds women across the world inhabit.
11) 50 Adventures in the 50 States by Kate Siber
From the award-winning author of National Parks of the USA, this stunning book showcases a unique adventure activity to try in every single state. 50 Adventures in the 50 States features amazing outdoor activities, vividly illustrated and described alongside fascinating facts about the nature and geography of each activity location – the very best the U.S.A.
Why We Love This Book
There is something for everyone! Activities range from windsurfing the Gulf Coast in Texas or canyoneering in Utah to soaking in natural hot springs in Idaho, to stargazing from a train in Nevada, and witnessing the synchronous firefly displays in Tennessee.
12) Chic Stays by Condé Nast Traveller
Why We Love This Book
13) Ultimate Travel by Lonely Planet
Why We Love This Book
14) The Rainbow Atlas by Taylor Fuller
Why We Love This Book
Spectacularly colorful and packed with dreamy photographs, The Rainbow Atlas takes readers on a tour of the most vibrant landmarks the world has to offer.
15) Yellowstone by Christopher Cauble
Why We Love This Book
16) Patterns of India by Christine Chitnis
Why We Love This Book
17) Epic Journeys by National Geographic
Filled with more than 300 vivid photographs, Epic Journeys: 245 Life-Changing Adventures reveals over 225 of the planet’s best destinations for hikers, skiers, divers, rafters, and more. From rafting the Zambezi River’s 23 stomach-flipping rapids to hiking the Inca trail and sailing from island to island in Greece, the travel experts at National Geographic reveal the world’s best adventures in this inspirational guide.
Why We Love This Book
18) Pretty City London by Siobhan Ferguson
From secluded mews to undiscovered cafes, flower markets, and tree-lined streets, Pretty City London champions the quiet, gentle moments that allow you to escape into England’s city of London. If you know where to look, you will find that traditional shop fronts, vintage transport, artisan bakeries, florists, and bookstores are but a hop skip and a jump from the center, and some right bang in the middle.
Why We Love This Book
19) Italy by Gray Malin
Why We Love This Book
20) #wanderlust by Sabina Trojanova
Why We Love This Book
Coffee Table Travel Books Wrap Up
I hope you’ve found this coffee table travel book round-up inspirational. If you have any questions about any of the travel books on this list, or if you know of a book that you think should be included here, please let us know in the comments below. Happy reading!
We hope that this article has helped you discover travel books that you love. If you have any books to share please leave these in the comments below.
Want to share your own travel tips by guest writing for We Are Travel Girls? Go to our Contribute page for guidelines and to submit your article.
Read More About Travel Books & Films
- 10 Novels To Inspire Your Wanderlust
- 25 Of The Best Travel Movies
- 12 Of The Best Travel Documentaries
Author
We Are Travel Girls Co-Founder Vanessa Rivers
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Blazewing says
Thank you so much for the list. I’ll be adding these to my ever-growing “must-read” pile.
Becky van Dijk says
Thanks so much for reading, happy you enjoyed this post!