25 Best Coffee Table Travel Books to Inspire Wanderlust

1) Lonely Planet's Ultimate Travel List 2: The 500 Best Places on the Planet... Ranked

The ultimate travel bucket list. Lonely Planet’s travel experts rank 500 amazing places to visit around the world. Big name attractions like the Taj Mahal battle it out with lesser-known hidden gems. It’s fun to see how many of the places you have visited (we’ve only been to 6 of the top 10), as well as get inspiration for future travels.

As you’d expect from Lonely Planet, the photography is beautiful and there are interesting details about each place. This second version, published in 2020, is updated to reflect the latest travel tastes and trends. 

2) Atlas Obscura, 2nd Edition: An Explorer's Guide to the World's Hidden Wonders

I love the Atlas Obscura website for finding unusual places to visit. Their book is full of off-the-beaten-track and quirky travel destinations including cemeteries, secret gardens, oddball museums, natural wonders and much more.

It’s divided by continent and country and includes over 700 locations with details on how to reach each sight. It inspires both wonder and wanderlust, and even if you don’t make it to any of the places, it’s a fascinating read.

This updated version includes over 100 new places, lots more photos, and 12 city guides. 

3) Destinations of a Lifetime: 225 of the World's Most Amazing Places (National Geographic)

National Geographic’s beautiful photographic tour of the world includes spectacular natural and human-made places, many of them I’ve never heard of (but now want to visit!).

There’s a good amount of information about each place including when to go and how to get there, so it’s a useful starting point for planning a trip. Or just enjoy the photos and dream!

4) The Travel Book: A Journey Through Every Country in the World (Lonely Planet)

Another stunning (and massive) Lonely Planet book, this one covers every country in the world with photos, a short overview, the top things to see and do, when to go, and how to learn more about the culture through books, films, music and food recommendations.

This would be fantastic for someone planning an around the world trip or anyone who wants to learn more about our beautiful world.

There’s also a kid’s version for budding explores aged 8 and up. It’s less photo focused and includes more interesting facts.

5) Ultimate Journeys for Two: Extraordinary Destinations on Every Continent

Travel couples will love this round up of 75 destinations, written by the couple behind HoneyTrek who have been on a honeymoon around the world since 2012.

Chapters are organised by interests (mountains, beaches, deserts, lakes etc.), and for each place, there are practical tips and ideas for couple adventures. It’s both informational and inspirational.

6) 50 States, 5,000 Ideas: Where to Go, When to Go, What to See, What to Do (National Geographic)

This book makes us want to go on an epic US road trip! It covers every state in the US with ideas on where to go, what to eat, local festivals, and little-known facts. It also includes 10 Canadian provinces. It’s not a guidebook but is a great starting point for planning a US adventure.

7) Explorers' Sketchbooks: The Art of Discovery and Adventure

This unique coffee table book showcases 70 sketchbooks kept by explorers through history including Charles Darwin and Sir Edmund Hillary and less well-known adventurers like Adela Breton, who trekked through the jungles of Mexico to record Mayan monuments.

It would be an ideal gift for historians, artists, adventurers, and armchair travelers.

8) Lonely Planet's Ultimate Eats

This is the foodie version of the travel bucket list—the world’s 500 best food experiences, ranked. From sushi in Tokyo to kushari in Cairo, this book will leave you drooling. Each listing includes tips on where to try it.

9) The World Atlas of Street Food

Another one for foodies, this book highlights the rise of street food around the world and shows readers where to hunt down the best food-on-the-go from Bangkok to Stockholm. It includes 70 recipes so you can try them at home too.

10) Beaches

This beautiful coffee table book by photographer Gray Malin features aerial photos of beaches in more than 20 cities across six continents. Descriptions are brief so it’s more inspirational than practical.

11) Wanderlust: A Hiker's Companion

Hikers will love this collection of the best walking routes around the world with beautiful landscape photos, maps, and trail details.

12) Epic Drives of the World (Lonely Planet)

This beautifully illustrated book includes 50 classic road trips including the Great Ocean Road in Australia, a self-drive safari in Zambia, and the Ho Chi Minh trail in Vietnam. Each trip includes a write-up of the experience, map, photos, directions, and three additional suggestions for similar trips.

Also in the series are Epic Bike Rides of the World and Epic Hikes of the World.

13) Van Life: Your Home on the Road

If you know someone who has dreamed of living life on the road, this book by Foster Huntington is ideal. It showcases hundreds of funky vehicles and perfectly designed interiors where tiny spaces in the backs of vans have been transformed into cosy living spaces.

It also includes interviews with solo travellers, couples, and families who are living the van life.

14) The New York Times: 36 Hours USA and Canada

This New York Times book shares 150 short itineraries for a weekend away in the USA and Canada including things to do, where to eat, and plenty of photos and maps.

There are also 36 Hour guides to Europe and other regions of the world.

15) 59 Illustrated National Parks: 100th Anniversary of the National Park Service 

Stunning illustrated vintage posters of all the US National Parks with a brief history of each park.

16) Green Escapes: The Guide to Secret Urban Gardens 

A unique guide to the best secret gardens, courtyards, rooftop terraces, and tiny parks tucked away in more than 150 cities around the world. They are all open to the public and are a great way to get off the beaten track and find an oasis in a busy metropolis.

17) A Map of the World (Updated): The World According to Illustrators and Storytellers

This gorgeous collection of maps created by illustrators would be ideal for artists, designers, and travel lovers. It’s not a practical travel guide as there’s no information about the places, but you will find inspiration here with maps such as the Babylonstoren Gardens which we visited in South Africa. It’s a beautiful, fun book for browsing.

18) Maps

If you’re looking for an atlas for kids, these 52 illustrated maps include iconic animals and plants, cultural events, local personalities, historical sights, and quirky facts as well as geographical features. Adults love browsing it too.

19) TreeGirl: Intimate Encounters with Wild Nature

This unusual book for nature lovers features 50 tree species from 13 countries on four continents. The author Julianne Skai Arbor, a.k.a. TreeGirl―photographer, certified arborist, conservation educator, and forest ecotherapist, photographed herself nude with each tree (in a non-provocative way). She provides information about each tree and explores the relationship between humans and trees.

As she says, this book is an invitation for you to rediscover your bond with wild nature.

20) Make The Most Of Your Time On Earth (Rough Guides)

You’ll never run out of inspiration with these 1000 unique travel experiences. Entries are divided by region and go way beyond the usual tourist attractions to include quirky festivals, beautiful hikes, local bars, and other hidden gems. It’s not as photo heavy as other books on this list.

21) The Rainbow Atlas: A Guide to the World's 500 Most Colorful Places

A travel bucket list with a difference. Discover the 500 most colourful (and Instagram-worthy) places in the world from natural phenomena like the pink lakes of Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula to architectural wonders like the vibrant houses of Cobh, Ireland. 

A photograph of each destination is accompanied by a brief description and the best time to visit. 

22) Travel Home: Design with a Global Spirit

Those who love travel and interior design will adore this look through 20 homes of designers influenced by their adventures abroad in Marrakesh, Paris, Cuba, Tokyo, Portugal, and beyond.

The photos and interviews will give you ideas on how to decorate your own home with global flair. 

23) Comfortably Wild: The Best Glamping Destinations in North America

If you enjoy nature but don't want to give up your comforts for traditional camping, this beautiful coffee table travel book is for you. 

It includes roundups of unique outdoor accommodations at vineyards, wildlife sanctuaries, hot springs, state parks, and more. These unconventional places to stay are perfect for immersing yourself in nature and escaping everyday life. 

24) Wanderlust: A Traveler's Guide to the Globe

I'm a big fan of Moon Travel Guides as they focus on off the beaten path destinations. This bucket list coffee table book is perfect for finding inspiration for your next travel destination.

It's organised around themes such as the most beautiful lakes, grand national parks, idyllic islands, wine trails, best diving spots, and where to stargaze. It also features unique cultural experiences and festivals around the globe. 

25) Humans

Brandon Stanton's Humans of New York social media page began as a photographic census of life in the city and has become a storytelling phenomenon. 

In his latest book, the creator moves beyond New York and shares hundreds of photos and stories of the people he met in over forty countries while travelling the world. A moving reminder of how we are all connected.