30 Best Travel Books of All Time for Every Wanderers

The story begins on a boring day, three young English men suddenly feel bored with the city. They decided to take a summer vacation. After fierce discussions and equally silly arguments, they decided to row a boat on the River Thames. The trip also has the presence of a cunning dog.

With a flowing voice, Jerome not only creates a British witty work, attached to the historic River Thames but also gives readers meaningful perspectives on a journey. From there, you have the opportunity to discover the deep layers of history, culture, and human behavior toward nature.

Published in 1938, Homage to Catalonia is considered a book of political history, part autobiographical and a bit exploratory. This is considered a most vivid work about the chaotic city of Barcelona.

As a prophecy of the bad, the author told of his mission while in the Spanish civil war. When he was hit by a bullet, he returned and told the locals that “sleeping the deep, deep sleep of England, from which I sometimes fear we shall never wake till we are jerked out of it by the roar of bombs”.

Sal Paradise and Dean Moriarty’s cross-American adventure is based on the true travels of Jack Kerouac and Neal Cassady, two of the most important faces of the Beat Generation.

On the Road is a novel that makes readers want to immediately hit the road, grab the current date and live, live to the end. The work promotes freedom in the soul, the ambition to live naked, the passion for adventure trips, and considers “that road is their life”.

A novel for wild hearts. The book is suitable for those who are wondering to find the true meaning and value of their own life.

With a humorous pen, A Short Walk in the Hindu Kush is an autobiographical book about the author’s adventures through the mountains of Nuristan province, Afghanistan. The travel book is written in English and first published in 1958. Definitely, it’s one of the best travel books to inspire adventurers.

Published in 1958, a year later Our Man in Havana was adapted into a film of the same name.

The novel is written in the context of Cuba in the late 50s of the last century. The writer Graham Greene takes you to visit the ancient capital of Habana in South America.

First published in 1959, the book follows an adventurous journey through the Arabian desert. Through the book, you can partly witness the lives of the Bedouins as well as the inhabitants of the Arabian peninsula.

A year after its publication, Venice won the W. H. Heinemann Award and became an international bestseller. With delicate descriptions, the pages give you a lot of information about the history of Venice in northeastern Italy, the most romantic city in the world with hundreds of small islands intersected by canals and traffic crossed over 400 bridges.

In 1960, author John Steinbeck and his dog Charley went on a trip across the United States in a truck. The book was born from there, which is considered a vivid perspective on the whole landscape as well as the people the author meets on the road.

Through the series of events and the inner thoughts of the characters, he has partly shown the change in America in the past five decades.

This travel book records what author Anagarika Govinda witnessed during her time in Tibet. His journey took place between the 1930s and 1950s.

The author has interacted with many monks, visited many remote ancient temples, and recorded what he has seen and heard in the travel book The Clouds Road Through the Snow Country. Thereby, the spiritual life of Tibet comes to life through each chapter in the book.

This book is truly a huge inspiration for a spiritual trip to Tibet. It’s one of the best travel books ever.

An autobiographical symphony, the 1971 travel novel Vas Vegas – Fear and Disgust, tells the story of Raoul Duke’s wild journey to the American dream. Read it and you will know why it’s one of the best travel books of all time.

The novel is set in a chaotic 1960s world that pushes the characters to meet each other. Each character is a piece of life, a separate fate, but all are running away from the present life.

Joe, a student evading draft orders. Britta flees a cramped, cramped life in Norway. Monica wants to leave the shadow of her father, a failed British diplomat in Vwarda, a fictional African country.

Cato flees the war because racism seems to be winning in Philadelphia, USA. Yigal wants to get rid of the emotional turmoil when he has to choose between US and Israeli citizenship. And Gretchen wanted to escape the trauma of the sexual abuse when he was arrested by the police after the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, USA.

They all met by chance in Torremolinos, Spain.

The Great Railway Bazaar is Paul Theroux’s journey through Asia in 1973. Even many years later, that journey is still known and shared by millions of readers around the world as one of the best travel books of all time.

The book records four and a half months with more than 30 trains from London to the Middle East, through India, stopping in Southeast Asia, stopping in Japan, and then trans-Siberian to return to Europe.

A splendid and resplendent Orient appears on the page with many aspects of life. To illustrate, Bangkok is noisy and hot with terrible contrasts like temples and brothels. Calcutta smelled of death and Bombay smelled of money. Tehran with oil and become a city of foreigners. Singapore is clean and disciplined,…

In Patagonia is considered a masterpiece of travel, history, and exploration. The book is about the author’s own journey in 1972 from the Rio Negro region to the southernmost city of the world Ushuaia. It’s one of the best travel books of all time that you should read.

In 1944, Lewis arrived in the southern Italian city of Naples as an intelligence officer. His job was to keep in touch between the army and the locals. The diary paints a wonderful picture of the city of Naples where he comes from, as well as the life and culture of its people.

Naples, with its tropical fish in a tank, devoured by hungry people, is also where women are forced into prostitution, and also where he tells about people beyond imagination: the character of a productive doctor, a faculty, and a widow.

Additionally, it is the author’s way of showing his love for the place he’s from. So, Lewis once said, “Italy would be my choice” when he was asked, “If I had the chance to be born again.”

Colin Thubron is known as a famous British travel writer. With a delicate and gentle pen, Among the Russians recalls an image of Russia in a tumultuous period.

With deep knowledge of Russian history, an understanding of cultural architecture, and especially love for the people here, the author released this masterpiece in 1983.

Coasting tells the story of the author’s four-thousand-mile journey around England in a small 32-foot boat with only a compass to guide him.

As a story about a long trip at sea, this is also a personal memory of his 40 years old (1982), hidden under the life of the character Raban.

The Alchemist is the world’s best-selling book, second only to the Bible. The novel was written in Portuguese, and first published in 1988 in Brazil.

This is the magical story of the shepherd boy Santiago’s journey to find treasure. Along the way, he discovered the power of listening to his heart and following his dreams and passions to the end.

All the experiences in his adventure in pursuit of his destiny have helped Santiago understand the deepest meaning of happiness, and harmony with the universe and people.

In the book, travel tips are cleverly put into the work by the author. It is the valuable experience that he has drawn, and passed on to everyone, and the noble humanistic meanings that have helped many travel enthusiasts find true value in life. The Alchemist is also one of the best travel books that I always gift my friends to inspire their wanderlust.

In each chapter of the book, Bill Bryson’s travel anecdotes take you to another country in Europe. Carefully documenting hiccups across the continent, his enthusiasm and outspoken honesty make it easy to believe you’re looking for the Northern Lights in Norway despite the crazy traffic in Norway. Paris is right next door.

Bryson’s subtle storytelling incorporates sarcastic commentary on everything. Neither Here Nor There openly judges other travelers for their moments of innocence, and honestly admitting your shortcomings – you will struggle to finish a page without laughing out loud.

The work Notes From a Small Island, first published in 1995, is a journey across England by author Bill Bryson. The author’s pen is a combination of humor and touching about homesickness.

From a modern perspective, a series of whimsical landmarks of England as well as far less passionate regions are humorously mentioned, providing interesting entertainment for readers through each page of the book.

Released in 1996, more than 20 years have passed, the book tells the strange true story of the young Alexander McCandless who crossed the US and then “lived alone in the forest” which still attracted many people’s curiosity and interest and then haunted them.

From the first page to the last, Jon Krakauer leads the reader on an amazing adventure in nature. The story is both like a camera recording the entire journey of Christopher McCandless, and like a professional guide, helping readers enjoy all the beauty of the landscapes and people during that trip.

Published in 1996, The Beach tells the story of an English traveler’s quest to the world’s paradise beaches. Along with the film adaptation, The Beach inspired a large generation of college students, inspiring them to step into the far East.

This work is considered a powerful symbol of the sense of escapism and innovation that tourism brings.

You are once again following Bill Bryson and his unlucky friend, Stephen Katz, on an interesting challenge. Actually, it wasn’t long before they found out that the challenge was much more difficult and complicated than they initially imagined. Although difficult, they have achieved certain successes. They are: Hiking the Appalachian Trail in the Eastern United States. This is a huge 3,500 km stretch of land stretching from Georgia to Maine.

This journey has given the two men the experience of a great adventure. Along the way, the two have overcome many of their own fears to move forward bravely. Their experiences also bring you a lot of laughs!

The Diary of Captain Cook is the autobiography of himself – Captain James Cook – the most advanced and innovative figure on the list of 18th-century explorers on groundbreaking voyages.

Reading the book, you will follow Captain Cook to visit the islands of the Pacific Ocean, as he leads three explorers from Antarctica to Australia and New Zealand waters.

The autobiography is the author’s journey in search of herself after a broken love.

According to the author’s reminiscent naming, the book’s title represents 3 countries with characteristics. They are Italy where she came to enjoy delicious food; India for spiritual prayer after the collapse of her marriage; Indonesia to regain her spirit, and find love and balance in life again.

During her travels, she met and made many new and kind friends. It was they who helped her open her heart to live happily and enjoy the beauty of the country and the people where she was present.

The work inspires those looking to find inner peace, urging you to come to better and more exciting things in the world out there.

John Gimlette is also a veteran writer for Telegraph Travel. The new Wind Boat, published in 2011, tells about experiences in Guyana, and Suriname – the most beautiful places in South America.

Wild Coast is one of the best travel books that you will find interesting and inspiring to read.

Turn Right at Machu Picchu is also a good book for your wanderlust. The book will bring you the best experiences about the lost city of Machu Picchu. After reading the book, the secrets of this special city will bring you more curiosity and inspire you to buy a ticket to the place. Surely, this is one of the best travel books that you shouldn’t miss reading.

Wild is Cheryl Strayed’s memoir of a 1,770km hike along the Pacific Crest Trail when she was 26 years old.

After going through years of decay, disorientation, the death of her dear mother, and a painful divorce, she was determined to pack her bags and go. And during the journey of more than 1000 miles, she has met many people, overcomes many seemingly impossible challenges, and then re-examined her life and found herself.