Although we are fans of E-books, we still like to have nice travel books in our hands. With all the wonderful stories and great photos, we can daydream away to new destinations that we wish to discover. Our bookshelves are full of the 20 most beautiful travel books. They certainly give us a lot of distraction on a rainy day and provide some of our best travel ideas.

The 20 most beautiful travel books

A lot of fantastic travel books have been published. We will list the most beautiful travel books for you. You will no doubt find inspiration for your next trip here and the books are also a fantastic birthday gift for someone who loves travelling. It’s a way to make someone really happy. We list the 20 most beautiful travel books in alphabetical order.

Amazing Boat Journeys

Experience 60 of the world’s greatest adventures on water – from sailing the Nile by felucca and cruising the Canadian Arctic, to exploring Pitcairn Island by cargo ship. With detailed accounts of each route, beautiful photos and practical tips.
Order Lonely Planet’s Amazing Boat Journeys

Amazing Train Journeys

Experience 60 of the world’s greatest and most unforgettable train journeys, from classic long-distance trips like Western Canada’s Rocky Mountaineer and Darwin to Adelaide’s The Ghan, to little-known gems on regular commuting lines.
Order LP’s Amazing Train Journeys: 60 Unforgattable rail trips and how to experience them

Before They Pass Away

This historic volume showcases tribal cultures around the world. With globalization, these societies are to be prized for their distinctive lifestyles, art and traditions. They live in close harmony with nature, now a rarity in our modern era.
Order the small hardcover edition of Before They Pass Away

Best in Travel 2020

This annual bestseller ranks the hottest, must-visit countries, regions, cities and best value destinations for 2020. Drawing on the knowledge and passion of Lonely Planet’s staff, authors and online community, this guide presents a year’s worth of inspiration to take you out of the ordinary and into the unforgettable.
Order Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel 2020

The Cities Book

The fully revised and updated The Cities Book from Lonely Planet is a celebration of 200 of the world’s most exciting urban destinations, beautifully photographed and packed with trip advice and recommendations – making it the perfect companion for any traveller deciding where to visit next.
Order LP’s The Cities Book

Complete National Parks of Europe

In these rich and informative pages, the travel pros at National Geographic bring you the premier guide to 460 national parks of Europe. Find your way to Snowdonia in Wales, offering more than 1,490 miles of walking trails through thick forests, coastal beaches, deep lakes, and jagged mountains.
Order National Geographic’s Complete National Parks of Europe

Complete National Parks of the United States

From creation areas and trails to historic sites, from nature hikes to seashores, this comprehensive travel guide and reference to the United States National Parks has been completely revised and updated, with more than 30 new photos, and 25 new properties that have been approved by President Barack Obama since the first edition.
Order National Geographic’s Complete National Parks of the United States

Culture Trails

Hemingway’s Paris, Finnish saunas, Renaissance Florence: from art and music to literature and cinema, there’s something for everyone in this travel book from Lonely Planet. In Culture Trails ideas and itineraries are presented for 52 weekends of culture heaven, packed with expert recommendations, maps and advice on how to get there and where to stay.
Order LP’s Culture Trails

Epic Bike Rides of the World

Discover 200 of the best places to ride a bike in this beautifully illustrated hardback. From sightseeing urban rides to epic adventures off the beaten track. Destinations range from France and Italy, for the world’s great bike races, to the wilds of Mongolia and Patagonia. These journeys will inspire – whether you are an experienced cyclist or just getting started.
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Epic Drives of the World

Buckle up for the Epic Drives of the World, a beautiful hardback that showcases 50 of the greatest road trips on Earth, from classic routes in America, Australia and Europe, to incredible adventures in Asia and Africa.
Order LP’s Epic Drives of the World

Epic Hikes of the World

With stories of 50 incredible hiking routes in 30 countries, from New Zealand to Peru, plus a further 150 suggestions, Lonely Planet’s Epic Hikes of the World will inspire a lifetime of adventure on foot. From one-day jaunts and urban trails to month-long thru-hikes, cultural rambles and mountain expeditions, each journey is truly epic.
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Guide to Travel Photography

The best-selling Lonely Planet’s Guide to Travel Photography is written by internationally renowned travel photographer Richard I’Anson. He shares his wealth of experience and knowledge about travel photography in this jargon-free guide to taking better photographs.
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The Iconic Photographs

Phaidon Press American photographer Steve McCurry is universally recognized as one of the finest image-makers and has won many top awards. This special limited-edition monograph brings together the most memorable and beautiful of his images. taken around the world over the last 30 years.
Order Steve McCurry: The Iconic Photographs

Journeys of a Lifetime: 500 of the World’s Greatest

This best-selling inspirational travel guide from National Geographic reveals 500 celebrated and lesser-known destinations from around the globe, from ocean cruises in Antarctica to horse treks in the Andes.
Order Journeys of a Lifetime (2nd edition): 500 of the World’s Greatest

Sahara

Michael Palin’s epic voyages have seen him circumnavigate the globe, travel from the North to the South Pole and circle the countries of the Pacific Ocean, but this was perhaps the greatest challenge yet: to cross the vast and merciless Sahara desert.
Order Sahara

Sustainable Escapes

This is Lonely Planet’s guide to the world’s best eco-friendly resorts and experiences. From eco-lodges with cutting-edge sustainability initiatives to tours designed to protect wildlife and empower communities, you’ll discover remarkable places where you can feel good about spending your time and money.
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The Travel Book: A Journey Through Every Country in the World

Take a journey through every country in the world. 850 images. 230 countries. One complete picture. With details of every United Nations-approved country in the world, and a few more principalities and dependencies besides, this book is the ultimate introduction to a world of travel and the essential travel reference book for every household!
Order LP’s The Travel Book: A Journey Through Every Country in the World

Ultimate Travelist: The 500 Best Places on the Planet…Ranked

This compilation of the 500 most unmissable sights and attractions in the world has been ranked by Lonely Planet’s global community of travel experts, so big name mega-sights such as the Eiffel Tower and the Taj Mahal battle it out with lesser-known hidden gems for a prized place in the top 10, making this the only bucket list you’ll ever need.
Order LP’s Ultimate Travelist: The 500 Best Places on the Planet…Ranked

Wonders of the World

From Antarctica and the Amazon to Victoria Falls and the Great Wall of China, Lonely Planet reveals 101 spectacular sights and how to see them on any budget. Inspiring and practical, with expert advice on how and when to visit, where to stay and a range of itineraries, you’ll discover how to visit the world’s wonders in a way that suits you.
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The World

The Lonely Planet has taken the highlights from the world’s best guidebooks and put them together into one 900+ page whopper to create the ultimate guide to Earth. This user-friendly A-Z gives a flavour of each country in the world, including a map, travel highlights, info on where to go and how to get around.
Order LP’s The World

Are these really the 20 best travel books?

We have naturally included our own personal preferences in this overview. There are, however, an incredible number of wonderful books written on travelling. If your choice is not listed here, take a look at the Lonely Planet, National Geographic or Amazon websites. Undoubtedly, you will find one or more of the 20 most beautiful travel books there for you!