adventures travel book

13 Best Adventure Travel Books to Inspire Wanderlust

Written By: Louisa Smith

Inspiration

Updated On: January 7, 2024

Adventure travel is all about facing the unknown, braving your fears, and taking on the most challenging, and possibly dangerous, way to travel. For adrenaline junkies, it’s the ultimate way to travel , and there can be no doubt that it leads to some compelling stories. Perhaps they can even inspire you to take on your own adventures.

Table of Contents

Best Travel Adventure Books

In these adventure travel books, you’ll find incredible stories of individuals who embarked on life-changing expeditions, they traveled to off-the-beaten-path locations, chased their destiny, and defied death in the ultimate feats of survival.

If you’re a thrill seeker who loves to read stories about the most extreme travel stories, these adventurous travel books will be right up your street. They also make great travel gift ideas for the adventurer in your life. You may also like our 25 Best Books About Traveling the World

1. Tracks by Robyn Davidson

Tracks is possibly the most inspirational story about travel and self-discovery of all time. It’s the true story of Robyn Davidson, who decided to walk across the length of Australia with her dog and four camels. 

Braving the harshness of the Australian outback possessed all kinds of challenges. She comes face to face with poisonous snakes, the wandering eyes of creepy men, and aboriginal people who prefer the solitude of their own people.

The 1700-mile epic adventure took her 9 months to complete and was well documented by a reporter for National Geographic, Rick Smolan, whom she met in Alice Springs. 

Robyn never intended to write about her journey, she was merely driven by her love of Australia’s landscape. Fortunately, she did, as her book is so inspiring, especially for all the solo female travelers out there looking to embark on their own epic adventures. Get it on Kindle or Paperback

2. The Worst Journey in the World by Apsley Cherry-Garrard

The Worst Journey in the World is the real life story of Apsley Cherry-Gerrard, who was the youngest member of the team accompanying Robert Falcon Scott’s expedition to the South Pole. 

The expedition turned disastrous, leaving him the only survivor of the notorious journey. 

This novel recounts first-hand experiences, as well as sharing diary entries from his teammates, to give a detailed account of what happened during this legendary expedition. 

Apsley’s memoir not only keeps the memory of the brave Arctic explorers alive but tells of a remarkable feat of survival and one incredible adventure to a place most only hear about in books.  Pick it up on Amazon on Paperback or Kindle

3. Life Lessons From the Amazon by Pip Stewart

Pip Steward is an adventure traveler fueled by a zest for life. This travel book takes place over the course of three months, Pip and her team followed Guyana’s Essequibo River from its source to the sea. 

With the help of guides from the Waî Waî indigenous community, Pip and her team journeyed through dense rainforest, over perilous rapids, and across the mountainous Guiana Shield, battling off threats from poisonous insects and dangerous animals along the way.

Using everything she knows about survival, Pip encounters everything the rainforest could throw at her; from flesh-eating parasites to angry snakes. She also meets the indigenous tribes that call the forest their home.

In Life Lessons from the Amazon, you are not just given a detailed account of what a journey through the rainforest is like, but you learn about how the communities thrive here. 

It is a homage to the wilderness and one of the most thrilling adventure books of all time. Purchase it on Kindle or Paperback or Audiobook

4. Footloose: Twisted Travels Across Asia, From Australia To Azerbaijan by Mark Walters

Traveling has been made so easy for us with planes connecting every major city in the world. So in our modern-day society, it’s refreshing to read stories of people who travel without taking any flights – just trains, buses, and help from strangers along the road.

This is exactly how Mark Walters, an Australian adventure traveler, opted to travel. Wearing flip-flops for the entire journey, and failing to pack a towel or shorts, he traveled from his home in Australia across Asia and Europe using boats and land vehicles only. 

Along the way, he meets some risky characters whom he suspects as terrorists, comes face to face with Chinese tanks, and shares a beer with a naked ex-Soviet officer. If you’re looking for a hilarious travel book packed with adventure, this one will have you bent over laughing. Buy it on Amazon

5. Ghost Rider: Travels on the Healing Road by Neil Peart

Neil Peart had a devastating 10-month period where he lost both his wife and his daughter. Overcome with sadness and grief, he isolated himself from the rest of the world in his home by a lake.

Feeling lost and without direction, he decided to embark on an epic motorcycle journey across North America, Mexico, and Belize, covering a distance of 55,000 miles. 

This inspiring book follows Neil as he recounts his journey, he describes not only the memorable landscapes but the people who helped him back on the right emotional path. 

This is a personal odyssey of one man’s quest for self-discovery and healing. It reminds us that adventure is not just a way to explore off-the-beaten-path locations, but to find communities that teach us something, whether that’s how to deal with grief or learn a new meaning to life.  Check it out on Amazon

6. Tuk-Tuk to the Road by Antonia Bolingbroke-Kent

We’ve all heard of traveling by planes, trains, and buses, but how about traveling 12,000 miles in a tuk-tuk? Antonia Bolingbroke-Kent and her friend, Jo Huxster, decided to embark on an adventure no one else had done before.

They decided to buy a tuk-tuk in Thailand and drive it back home to Brighton, United Kingdom – a journey of 12,561 miles. The adventure was not just an inspirational road trip, but a way for the girls to raise money for the mental health charity, Mind, in which they raised £50,000.

Tuk Tuk on the Road describes the incredible journey they took across twelve countries and two continents. They tell of the people they met, how they endured an earthquake, and give a running commentary of every breakdown and hilarious moment.

This is an entertaining and honest travel memoir of sheer determination and prevalence. See it on Amazon / Kindle or Paperback available

7. Cycling Home from Siberia by Rob Lilwall

Cycling Home from Siberia is the thrilling adventure travel memoir by Rob Lilwall about his incredible journey cycling from Siberia to England, crossing the dense jungles of Papua New Guinea, through a cyclone in Australia, and across the war-torn Hindu Kush region of Afghanistan

Rob Lilwall used to be a high-school geography teacher, but all that changed when his sense of adventure took him and his bicycle to Siberia. 

Over the course of three and a half years, he cycles across the world, through some of the most perilous landscapes and encounters some of the most dangerous areas, to make it back home to England. This inspirational book will definitely get you itching to take on an adventure of your own. Get Kindle or paperback on Amazon

8. Riding With Strangers by Elijah Wald

Hitchhiking isn’t for everyone – it’s for the adventurous. Elijah Ward recounts the exciting journey he took hitchhiking his way across the United States in an effort to prove to the world that humanity remains hospitable. 

He recounts the pleasures and tribulations of the open road, as well as tells of the quirky characters he meets along the way – from regular people to businessmen to conspiracy theorists to friendly truck drivers. 

This memoir is funny and quirky, and a real eye-opening adventure travel book for the curious traveler. 

In Riding with Strangers, he aims to prove that hitchhiking is the ultimate form of adventure travel, not only because of the people you meet but because of the lessons you learn from them. See it on Amazon

9. Ubuntu: One Woman’s Motorcycle Odyssey across Africa by Heather Ellis

Ubuntu is an ancient African word that means humanity to others. It refers to how all mankind is bonded as one. It was a lesson that Heather Ellis learned while motorcycling across Africa in her late 20s. 

Leaving her small mining town of Jabiru, she headed to Durban of South Africa with her Yamaha TT600 and began her epic motorcycle road trip.

Her journey took her to the iconic Mt Kilimanjaro and the Rwenzori Mountains, across expansive deserts in northern Kenya, and across the mighty Zaire River.

Along the way, she meets a group of armed bandits and helps to rescue Turkana fishermen, battles against four aggressive Ugandan men, and aids many locals who were kind enough to take her into their homes. It was the people she met that made her truly understand the spirit of ubuntu.

This is a brave adventure travel book about a woman who defied all odds, traveled to the most extreme and dangerous places, and came out of it wiser and with plenty of stories to tell. You can buy it here for Kindle or paperback on Amazon

10. Motorcycle Diaries by Che Guevara

The Motorcycle Diaries is the highly acclaimed travel memoir by Ernesto “Che” Guevara, who is most famous for his role in the liberation of Cuba. This travel book is a classic for those who love cross country road trips.

In his early twenties, Che was a medical student, who left his home in Argentina to explore the countries of South America, before taking a volunteer position helping a leper colony in the Amazon basin.

On his 1939 Norton 500cc motorbike, which he called La Poderosa (or The Mighty One, in English), he and his friend Alberto Granado set out to see the sights they had only read about in books.

As well as historical landmarks and scenic nature spots, they also saw social injustice, poverty, exploited mine workers, the descendants of a tattered ancient civilization, and ostracized societies.

Che’s very real adventure memoir reminds us that although we see many fascinating sites on our travels, there is also poverty and injustice out there. It’s a travel book with a purpose, and this journey may have been the inspiration that sparked his future as a Marxist revolutionary. Buy it for Kindle or Paperback on Amazon

11. Adrift: Seventy-Six Days Lost at Sea by Steven Callahan

While being lost at sea isn’t exactly the plan, what you make out of a bad situation can turn into one heck of an adventure. And that’s what happened to Steven Callahan.

In 1981, Steven left the United States on a Napoleon Solo sailing boat in search of Bermuda. With his friend Chris Latchem, he reached Bermuda and then continued on to England, where he left Chris in Penzance, Cornwall. 

He then sailed for Antigua as part of the Mini Transat 6.50 single-handed sailing race. When he hit a storm in La Coruña, Spain, the weather sunk several boats and severely damaged Stevens’.

Determined to continue his voyage, he repaired his boat and continued on towards Antigua. He got caught in a gale that lasted several days until one night his boat hit an unknown object and created a bad hole in the boat. 

Unable to stay aboard the sinking boat, Steven was forced to abandon ship. He escapes in an inflatable life raft, and he dives aboard his boat to retrieve emergency supplies such as food, navigation charts, solar stills for creating water, and other rations. 

Eventually, the sailboat sank and he was alone in the raft. He spent 76 days lost at sea before he was picked up by fishermen. Adrift is the epic adventure story of Steven Callahan’s fight for survival while lost at sea. Get it now here.

12. Across the Empty Quarter by Wilfred Thesiger

Wilfred Thesiger was a British explorer who traveled across Saudi Arabia after the Second World War. 

He was hired to search for locust breeding grounds across Southern Arabia, which took him across the Rub’ al Khali desert and the Empty Quarter, from Oman to Yemen. 

With camels for company and Bedu’s as guides, he traveled through desolate lands that were threatened by tribal tensions, who opposed the presence of foreigners at the time. 

The journey showed a tremendous amount of strength, courage, and resilience. Across the Empty Quarter is the memoir of his travels from 19945-1950 and aims to bring to light the way of life of the Bedu which is vanishing from existence. 

Wilfred Thesiger’s life is of true adventure travel. He has lived in several African and Middle Eastern countries and didn’t return to England until 1990. He was Knighted in 1995. Available on Amazon

13. Into The Wild by Jon Krakauer

Into The Wild follows a young man from a middle-class family who seemingly had it all. Christopher Johnson McCandless had just graduated from college and was about to enter the world of work.

But instead, he abandoned his former life, changed his name to Alexander Supertramp, gave $25,000 to charity, and hitchhiked to Alaska.

Here he lived alone in the wilderness for four months just North of Mt. McKinley. One day, his body was found by a group of hunters, who also found his journal.

Jon Krakauer’s adventure novel, Into The Wild, is the story left behind in the journal, respectfully pieced together to retell what happened to this brave man whose solo adventure cost him his life. Get it on Amazon

So there you have it, the ten best adventure travel books to inspire wanderlust. Whether you’re looking for something action-packed and gripping, or something spiritual and enlightening, you’ll find something for everyone on this list.

If you are looking for more ideas for the best travel books, read our other recommendations at 25 Best Books About Traveling the World

These travel books are just the tip of the iceberg. There are so many inspiring stories from the usual suspects like Bill Bryson and Jack Kerouac that a person could get lost going down the rabbit hole of best sellers and favorite travel novels. What is your favorite? We’d love to hear about it in the comments below.

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About Louisa Smith

Louisa is the Founder of Epic Book Society , a book blog sharing the most epic reads. Louisa is a nomad traveler and travel content writer who has spent over five years living on the road. She has visited over 53 countries (and counting) and can often be found in the mountains or in far away, off-the-beaten-track locations. Follower Louisa on Facebook / Instagram

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2 thoughts on “13 Best Adventure Travel Books to Inspire Wanderlust”

I would also like to recommend…THE GREAT RAILWAY BAZAAR by Paul Theroux. I am 64 and read this as a teenager. I still find it fascinating and exciting to this day.

Interesting selection of books. I would add also Bill Bryson travel books. Thanks for sharing.

17 Best Travel Adventure Books

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Dreaming of an adventure? These travel adventure books will spark your wanderlust!

While I am an avid traveler, I am also a bit of a wimp. The extent of my “extreme” travel adventures was attempting (and failing) to summit a volcano in Guatemala.

When it came down to it, I opted to stay in the warmth of my tent instead of scrambling the final 1,000 feet to the top in the pitch darkness at four in the morning.

So it’s safe to say that while I may not be that adventurous myself, I LOVE getting swept away reading about crazy adventures that happened to other people.

There is nothing like being on the edge of my seat as I read about people facing peril and defying death as they survive after being stranded in the wilderness, hiking solo across large swaths of land, or brave a deathly mountain summit. It transports me without leaving the comfort of home!

So if you are craving an adventure too, these are the best travel adventure books that will fuel your wanderlust and have you staying up late to finish them.

Where we love to grab our travel adventure books:

• Sign up for a free trial of Audible:  Get 30 days of free access to thousands of audiobooks, and one free premium title of your choice. Perfect for listening on the go!
• Sign up for a free trial of Kindle Unlimited:  Get 30 days of free access to unlimited ebook reading on any device. You will unlock access to over two million titles instantly!
• Sign up for a free trial of Amazon Prime:  Get 30 days of a free trial offering free two-day shipping on all purchases, plus access to hundreds of new ebooks each month.

Best Travel Adventure Books

Wild by Cheryl Strayed

This travel memoir follows Cheryl’s journey hiking the Pacific Crest Trail solo. Driven by grief after her mother’s death, she embarked on a hike more than one thousand miles long at age twenty-six for an unforgettable experienced that maddened, strengthened, and ultimately healed her.

Buy on Amazon | View in Goodreads

Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer

This gripping nonfiction account of a disastrous Mount Everest expedition is told in a way that will have you flipping the pages long through the night until you’ve finished it. Jon Krakauer is a journalist who was invited along on a fateful expedition that left several of his fellow hikers dead.

Bad Karma by Paul Wilson

In the summer of 1978, twenty-one-year-old Paul Wilson jumps at the chance to join two local icons on a dream surf trip to Mexico, unaware their ultimate destination lies in the heart of drug cartel country. This exhilarating travel memoir will make you feel like you are there.

Lands of Lost Borders by Kate Harris

Canadian Kate Harris dreamed of adventures ever since she was young. In between studying at Oxford and MIT, she set off with her childhood friend on the adventure of a lifetime: bicycling the Silk Road. Her memoir follows her journey exploring remote Central Asia by bike.

Tracks by Robyn Davidson

Robyn Davidson completed an epic adventure when she walked alone more than 1,700 miles through the Australian Outback with four camels and her dog at age twenty-seven. Tracks is her memoir detailing the experience and the people she met along the way.

The Lost City of the Monkey God by Douglas Preston

Journalist Douglas Preston and a team of scientists embark on a harrowing adventure into the heart of Honduras, in search of a legendary lost city in the middle of the jungle.

Alone in Antarctica by Felicity Aston

Felicity Aston, physicist and meteorologist, took two months off from all human contact as she became the first woman, and only the third person in history, to ski across the entire continent of Antarctica alone. With just her cross-country skis, she embarked on an epic journey across the ice.

A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson

The Appalachian Trail is one of America’s biggest adventures, stretching over 2,100 miles from Georgia to Maine, a journey not for the faint of heart. Travel writer Bill Bryson tackles the trail and writes about his experience in this memoir, which is both funny and moving.

The Lost City of Z by David Grann

In 1925, a British explorer ventured into the Amazon rainforest in search of a fabled civilization. He never returned. Eighty years later, a journalist retraces his footsteps in an attempt to find out what really happened, and discover the truth of this mythical Amazonian city.

Wild by Nature by Sarah Marquis

Adventurer Sarah Marquis chronicles her ambitious journey hiking solo over 10,000 miles around the world, from the Gobi Desert to Siberia, in this travel memoir.

Touching the Void by Joe Simpson

This harrowing story follows two young hikers attempting to complete an unclimbed route in the Peruvian Andes when a horrific accident during their descent occurs.

438 Days by Jonathan Franklin

This is a remarkable true survival story about a Salvadoran fisherman working in Mexico when he got lost at sea for 438 days before washing ashore on the far side of the Pacific.

The Sex Lives of Cannibals by J. Maarten Troost

He expected paradise, but what he got was an entirely different story. This memoir chronicles the author’s hilarious two-year odyssey in the distant South Pacific island nation of Kiribati, and all the mishaps and misadventures he had along the way while he was there.

Dark Star Safari by Paul Theroux

A rattletrap bus, dugout canoe, cattle truck, armed convoy, ferry, and train are just some manners of transportation Paul Theroux takes on his overland journey from Cairo to Cape Town. In the course of his epic voyage, he endures danger, delay, and dismaying circumstances.

The Beach by Alex Garland

This is the book that inspired thousands of backpackers to make their way to Thailand in search of paradise. This novel is about a young backpacker who arrives in Bangkok, learning about a mythical location known only as “The Beach” that is the closest thing to Eden on Earth.

Vagabonding by Rolf Potts

Part travel memoir and part practical how-to guide, this book provides advice for the art of long-term travel, as told by veteran budget traveler Rolf Potts.

In a Sunburned Country by Bill Bryson

Travel writer Bill Bryson provides a wonderful glimpse into traveling Australia in his book  In a Sunburned Country . He brings to life the land of the friendliest inhabitants, the hottest, driest weather, and the most peculiar and lethal wildlife to be found on the planet.

These are some of the best travel adventure books.

Have you read any of these travel adventure books? Do you have any other favorite books that I should add to this list? Let me know in the comments below!

Related:  25 Brilliant Travel Memoirs by Women

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16 best travel books to inspire wanderlust and adventure in 2023

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During my twenties, I travelled a lot . I met my husband in Norway while travelling solo around Scandinavia, moved to Switzerland to live by the mountains, and followed the call to the world’s wild places, from Greenland to Mongolia.

Now that we’re settled in Denmark, we still love to travel – especially by train around Europe. But more than ever, I also love sinking into a comfortable armchair and exploring the world through the pages of a good book.

To inspire your wanderlust – or just enjoy a great adventure through a book – here are some of the best new travel books for 2023 .

Read on for my favourite new travel memoirs, beautiful coffee table books about travel, inspiring hiking memoirs, and stories of adventure to enjoy this year. I’ve also included some of the best new fiction books about travel. Enjoy the journey.

The best travel books for 2023 to inspire adventure

Leaving the comfort zone: the adventure of a lifetime by olivier van herck and zoë agasi.

Read Leaving the Comfort Zone for… a stunning hardcover (that would make a perfect coffee table book) about one couple’s adventure of a lifetime.

Gestalten publishes some of the most beautiful travel books you can find, and this new release is no exception.

Detailing a 40,000-kilometre journey spanning four years and accompanied by awe-inspiring photographs, it’s the story of a shared dream and a desire to break free from expectations.

Solo: What Running Across Mountains Taught Me About Life by Jenny Tough

Read Solo for… a fantastic story of self-discovery while running solo across mountains on six continents.

I’ve followed Jenny Tough and her incredible adventures for a few years now, and her time in the High Atlas mountains inspired my own trip to Morocco to hike Mount Toubkal.

After reading this book about adventure, independence, and the courage to meet audacious goals, you’ll find your wanderlust fuelled too.

The Half-Known Life: Finding Paradise in a Divided World by Pico Iyer

Read The Half-Known Life for…. a mesmerizing investigation of the different ideas of paradise and what they can teach about living well.

In this book of journeys – many of them inwards – Pico Iyer upends conventional ideas of what a travel book should be.

Read this unique travel book to explore the paradoxes of paradise and reflect on what peaceful living means to you.

Unforgettable Journeys Europe: Discover the Joys of Slow Travel by DK Eyewitness

Browse Unforgettable Journeys Europe for… a beautiful travel book covering 150 of Europe’s most incredible journeys that are best enjoyed slowly.

If I could, I’d always travel slowly, especially by train. A couple of years ago, Iain and I took the train journey of a lifetime: the Trans-Siberian Express through Russia, Mongolia, and China. But where to go next?

I love this wanderlust-inspiring collection of journeys on foot, by bike, road, rail, and water in Europe, from the snowy peaks of the Alps to the vivid fields of tulips in bloom in the Netherlands.

The Farthest Shore: Seeking Solitude and Nature on the Cape Wrath Trail in Winter by Alex Roddie

Read The Farthest Shore for… Alex Roddie’s story of searching for solitude, quiet, and wild nature in the Scottish Highlands during winter.

The Cape Wrath Trail is one of Scotla­nd’s most beautiful hiking paths… in summer. In winter? It’s an entirely different beast.

Escape into this unique travel memoir for a quietly captivating story of Alex’s 300-mile solo trek through the unforgiving Scottish landscape.

The Last Ride of the Pony Express: My 2,000-Mile Horseback Journey Into the Old West by Will Grant

Read The Last Ride of the Pony Express for… the spellbinding story of a 2,000-mile journey on horseback across the American West.

If you’re looking for something different than the usual hiking mem­oir, this book is a fantastic choice – and an incredible display of horsemanship, history, culture, and adventure.

Immerse yourself in cowboy and journalist Will Grant’s adventure of a lifetime: following the path of the Pony Express, the frontier mail service that spanned the high, dry, and lonesome American West in the 1860s.

How to Be Alone: An 800-mile Hike on the Arizona Trail by Nicole Antoinette

Read How to Be Alone for… Nicole Antoinette’s story of a goal she couldn’t for one second imagine completing: solo hiking all 800 miles of the Arizona Trail.

If you love books like Wild by Cheryl Strayed, How to Be Alone is one of the best hiking memoirs to read next.

This new travel book for 2023 is an immersive, raw, and honest story of one woman’s journey to push herself further than she ever had before – and finally break her habits of codependency and people-pleasing for good.

Windswept: Life, Nature and Deep Time in the Scottish Highlands by Annie Worsley

Read Windswept for… an awe-inspiring story of life today and millennia ago on Scotland’s west coast.

In this wonderful memoir for anyone who loves Scotland’s wild nature, Annie Worsley trades a busy life in academia for managing a croft in the Highlands.

Her book, structured by the solar year, charts the remarkable epic story of how Scotland’s valleys were formed by glaciers, how the earliest inhabitants found a way of life, and what it means to live in such a rugged yet beautiful place today.

Africa is Not a Country by Dipo Faloyin 

Read Africa is Not a Country for… a bright, insightful, and intimate portrait of modern Africa.

How much do you know about Africa’s history? (My English school’s curriculum seemed reluctant to go into details, for some reason.)

This travel book from 2022 offers a much-needed corrective to the ignorance (and harmful stereotypes) of a remarkable continent to tell a much more comprehensive story.

Brave the Wild River: The Untold Story of Two Women Who Mapped the Botany of the Grand Canyon by Melissa L. Sevigny

Read Brave the Wild River for… a vibrant untold story of botany, adventure, and ambition in the Grand Canyon.

With precipitous cliffs, menacing rapids, and boat-shattering boulders, the Colorado River was famed as the world’s most dangerous river in 1938.

However, two botanists, Elzada Clover and Lois Jotter, were tantalized by the prospect of being the first to survey the plants of the Grand Canyon.

This wonderful book traces their forty-three-day journey in a previously untold, breathtaking story.

In the Shadow of the Mountain: A Memoir of Courage by Silvia Vasquez-Lavado

Read In the Shadow of the Mountain for… a captivating story of adventure, resilience, and overcoming adversity on Everest.

Despite making her way in the elite macho tech world of Silicon Valley, in private Silvia was lost: hiding her sexuality from her family, repressing the abuse of her childhood, and struggling with alcoholism.

Her answer was to heed the call of mountains, where the risk, scale, and brute force woke her up – and she took her pain to the biggest ascent possible: Everest.

Accompanied by a group of young female survivors, this is Silvia’s remarkable story of endurance, strength, and healing.

Kinfolk Wilderness by John Burns

Browse  Kinfolk Wilderness  for…  one of the most beautiful travel coffee table books to fuel your wanderlust.

Known for their wonderfully well-made books and magazines,  Kinfolk’s new release for 2023 is the ideal treat for intrepid wanderers.

Mother, Nature by Jedidiah Jenkins

Read Mother, Nature for… the upcoming book from bestselling travel writer Jedidiah Jenkins, author of To Shake the Sleeping Self . (Preorder for November 7, 2023)

Jedidiah and his mother, Barbara, had found themselves divided by her version of a faith that views his sexuality as a sin.

But when she turned seventy, Jedidiah realised that his mother wouldn’t always be there.

This was the time for the trip they’d always talked about, and they knew exactly what they’d do: retrace the thousands of miles Barbara trekked with Jedidiah’s father in the 70s.

While the original journey became the basis for the bestselling “Walk Across America” trilogy, the goal of this adventure was different: to reunite mother and son.

The best fiction books about travel for 2023

Happiness for beginners by katherine center.

Read  Happiness for Beginners   for…  a heart-warming and nourishing read about the solace of wild places, the power of getting lost, and how to get back up after things fall apart.

Newly divorced at thirty-two, Helen Carpenter is desperate for a fresh start. She hopes that her brother’s suggestion of a wilderness survival course in the backwoods of Wyoming is just that, but instead, it’s a disaster.

However, it turns out that sometimes disaster can be exactly what you need to find your strength, courage, and way forwards.

If you love the book, you can enjoy the wonderfully escapist  Netflix movie adaptation of  Happiness for Beginners  soon (it’s due for release on July 27).

The Bird Hotel by Joyce Maynard

Read The Bird Hotel for… a sweeping story that spans four decades, penned with beautiful touches of magical realism.

After a heartbreaking childhood, Irene, a talented artist, finds herself in a small Central American village checking into a beautiful but decaying lakefront hotel at the base of a volcano.

With years of restoration ahead, the hotel, called La Llorona, will become Irene’s home and livelihood, as well as the setting for so much joy and companionship.

Lizzie & Dante by Mary Bly

Read Lizzie & Dante for… a luscious, romantic story about travelling to get your life back on track – and finding love (and good Italian wine) along the way.

This summer read from 2021 is the story of Lizzie Belford, a Shakespeare scholar on the heels of a difficult breakup and diagnosis, whose life turns upside down after meeting an enigmatic chef on vacation in Italy.

I'm Lucy – an adventurer, writer, author of Mountain Song: A Journey to Finding Quiet in the Swiss Alps, and creator of Live Wildly.

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9 best travel books to inspire your next adventure

From eco-minded ventures, to holidays by train – explore these wanderlust-fuelling titles, article bookmarked.

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A good book is always transportive. Especially a good travel book – which can have you scaling mountains, traversing deserts or exploring tropical islands with the turn of every page. The best travel reads not only make us feel like we’re there with the author, but they make us feel like the journey is our own.

After a couple of years of travel starvation, we are hungrier than ever for globetrotting reading. Even though we’re starting to explore in real life once more, packing up for beach breaks and city weekends, that hunger is difficult to satisfy.

The reality is that, for most of us, there are only so many calendar days in the year for real-life travelling – especially if you’re on a 28-day holiday allowance.

And so, we’ve brought you the list of our current favourite travel reads to inspire your next adventure and satiate your burning wanderlust.

Some are snapshots of a single place, presented in first-person by an enthusiastic author. Others are compendiums of individual essays, perfect if you need more general inspiration. Some employ the idea of travel a bit more broadly, speaking about ways of movement – the journey itself – rather than the destination.

• 8 best climate emergency books to better understand the crisis
• 10 best books to help you live more sustainably
• 10 best self care books for healing, growth and self love
• 7 best non-fiction books: From historical to self-help titles

How we tested

What our best travel books are not, are guidebooks. While there are many stellar examples of guidebooks around, when choosing our favourite travel books we were looking primarily for inspirational reads, not how-to information. Our best travel books are also not novels. While many fictitious reads are full of colour and insights, we don’t quite consider them “travel books”, as such.

Finally, we looked for a mix of reads that would appeal to different travellers. Not every book on this list will be for you, of course, but that’s OK. Not every destination will be either. That’s part of the joy of discovery.

The best travel books for 2022 are:

• Best overall – The Best British Travel Writing of the 21st Century, edited by Jessica Vincent: £16.99, Waterstones.com
• Best eco-travel read – Zero Altitude by Helen Coffey, published by Flint: £15.63, Whsmith.co.uk
• Best for family inspiration – Shape of a Boy by Kate Wickers, published by Aurum Press: £16.99, Waterstones.com
• Best for off the beaten track discovery – Islands of Abandonment by Cal Flyn: £8.49, Waterstones.com
• Best for walkers – Where My Feet Fall by Duncan Minshull: £18.99, Waterstones.com
• Best for rail junkies – Around the World in 80 Trains by Monisha Rajesh: £10.99, Waterstones.com
• Best classic – Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert: £9.99, Waterstones.com
• Best for Nordic adventure – Farewell Mr Puffin by Paul Heiney: £12.99, Waterstones.com
• Best non-guidebook guidebook – Scotland The Best: The Islands: £15.99, Waterstones.com

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The Best British Travel Writing of the 21st Century, edited by Jessica Vincent, published by Octopus Publishing Group

Best: Overall

Rating: 9/10

If you want a proper adventure from your armchair, this compendium of travel articles by some of the country’s best storytellers will fit the bill. When travel writer Jessica Vincent was grounded during the pandemic she had the brainwave to pull together some of the most inspiring essays published in British media in the past two decades, with extracts from the likes of Conde Nast Traveller , National Geographic Traveller and Suitcase Magazine .

The 30 reads are short – just a few pages each – but big in scope, rushing you along the tracks of a train in Baghdad, tracking snow leopards in Ladakh or sleeping under the stars in Malawi. Destinations are deliberately skewed in favour of the world’s lesser-known destinations and champion some emerging writers, providing bitesized nibbles of places you may never have dreamed of going – until now.

This book is as transportive as they come and yet compact enough for soaking up over a few spare moments on the tube, in the bath or when you’re tucked under the covers before bed.

Zero Altitude by Helen Coffey, published by Flint

Best: Eco-travel read

Rating: 8.5/10

Penned by The Independent ’s very own travel editor, Helen Coffey, this is a personal account of how one frequent flyer became convinced to go cold-turkey on the holiday industry’s biggest convenience: air travel. After years of zooming around on a near-weekly basis, Coffey had a revelation in 2019 when researching a story on flygskam (the Scandi concept of “flight shame”). In short, she realised quite how bad flying is for the environment.

This read traces her (not always easy) journey to becoming a frequent traveller at “zero altitude”, detailing what she’s learned so far and how she’s managed trips as diverse as the Scilly Isles and Croatia. Coffey manages to weave in the hard-hitting detail in a light manner, which means even when the book is delivering its most serious of arguments – such as the fact that polluting air travel is predicted to double by 2037 – it never feels preachy. Rather, you’ll feel inspired to make a change of your own.

Shape of a Boy by Kate Wickers, published by Aurum Press

Best: For family inspiration

Rating: 8/10

If you think zigzagging in a Cambodian rickshaw or sourcing dinner in Borneo sounds tricky, just imagine doing it with three young boys in tow. Kate Wicker’s funny and moving account of living her mantra, “have baby, will travel”, shows that being a parent doesn’t have to hold you back from exploring the world – in fact, it can even make your experiences richer. Kicking off with a visit to Israel and Jordan in 2000 while pregnant, then rambling through the years and destinations like Mallorca and Thailand with her growing brood of sons – Josh, Ben and Freddie – Wicker details the lessons that they learn from each place, and each other. It makes travelling the world as a family something to get excited about.

Islands of Abandonment by Cal Flyn, published by HarperCollins Publishers

Best: For off the beaten track discovery

Most travel books are about places people want to go. This one is different. It’s about those other, forgotten kinds of places. Places people have fled from, due to catastrophe (for example, Chernobyl), unrest (the Buffer Zone in Cyprus) or shifting politics (communist Harju fields in Estonia); places that have fallen from glory, such as industrial Detroit; and ones that nature has reclaimed, such as Amani botanical gardens in Tanzania.

Author Cal Flyn has meticulously researched the destinations and brings their stories to life through evocative writing. It can make for dark reading at times, but this book makes you realise travel and discovery is as much about the places we choose to avoid as much as it is about those we embrace.

Where My Feet Fall by Duncan Minshull, published by HarperCollins Publishers

Best: For walkers

If you think great travel writing is all about moving through places in another person’s shoes, then you need this collection of essays from 20 writers about the pleasure of putting one foot in front of another. From bustling walks through Karachi with Kamila Shamsie, to rain-soaked treks in Germany with Jessica J Lee, every entry comes with its own unique flavour and makes you realise that this most rudimentary form of transport can be one of the most evocative. Editor Duncan Minshull, who pulled the collection together, has written three books about walking, so he knows a thing or two about it.

Around the World in 80 Trains by Monisha Rajesh, published by Bloomsbury Publishing Plc

Best: For rail junkies

Does anything really sum up the thrill of travel like a rail journey? Whether you’ve fantasised about chugging your way across Europe or boarding a carriage further afield – say, the Trans-Siberian Express towards Beijing – this account by award-winning travel writer Monisha Rajesh will bring the dream to life. Rajesh’s easy, witty writing style is a big part of the joy, including her descriptions of the (sometimes quirky) characters she meets along the way. If you like this read, you may also want to give Rajesh’s preceding book, Around India in 80 Trains, a read.

Scotland The Best: The Islands

Best: Non-guidebook guidebook

Rating: 7.5/10

While we generally chose to omit guidebooks from this list, we’ve made an exception here – because it’s more of a photography book than anything else. The latest by bestselling travel writer Peter Irvine brings the islands of Scotland, big and small, to life through a collection of unexpected images. Some are snapshots of the big sights, such as the Callanish Stones – a rock formation on the Hebrides older than Stonehenge. Others are far less expected, such as a group of peat cutters or The Butty Bus – a fish and chips takeaway van on Harris.

Chapters are divided by geography. At the end of each one, Irvine lists a handful of his top recommendations of where to eat, stay and walk. But ultimately this is a book that inspires you to discover Scotland’s beautiful corners through your own lens.

The verdict: Travel books

If you want one book to transport you with every turn of the page, it has to be The Best British Travel Writing of the 21st Century . The fact that the writing is great is only one benefit – the digestible nature and mix of lesser-known destinations makes reading it feel like a proper adventure.

For any travellers who are conscious of our carbon impact – and that should be all of us – Zero Altitude is an eye-opener. Not only is Coffey’s writing style fun and engaging, but it packs in plenty of urgent detail on the impact of our addiction to air travel.

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15 Travel Books That Will Give You Serious Wanderlust

The end of the year is just that time for favorites lists – and I’ve written about the best travel books many times over! I love talking about travel books. Why? Because part of the tool belt of any traveler is a good book. Long bus, train, or plane rides can get pretty boring and can give you a lot of “dead” time if you haven’t mastered the art of the 10-hour blank stare. Additionally, reading travel books helps you learn about the destinations you are visiting. The more you know about a place, the more you can understand a place.

I am a voracious reader and even used to have a book club on this website where I shared all the books I read. Today is another one of those days where I share some of the books I’ve read recently! If you’re looking for some great reads, here are my current list of the best travel books to inspire you to travel to far-off lands:  

1. The Alchemist , by Paulo Coelho

2. Love With a Chance of Drowning , by Torre DeRoche

3. The Caliph’s House: A Year in Casablanca  by Tahir Shah

4. On the Road , by Jack Kerouac

5. Looking for Transwonderland , by Noo Saro-Wiwa

6. The Lost City of Z , by David Grann

7. The Beach , by Alex Garland

8. Vagabonding , by Rolf Potts

9. In A Sunburned Country , by Bill Bryson

10. Dispatches from Pluto , by Richard Grant

11. Turn Right at Machu Picchu , by Mark Adams

12. A Year of Living Danishly , by Helen Russell

13. The Art of Travel , by Alain de Botton

14. From Scratch: A Memoir of Love, Sicily, and Finding Home , by Tembi Locke

BONUS: Ten Years a Nomad: A Traveler’s Journey Home , by me!

Books about travel inspire us to go visit far-off lands and imagine us doing incredible things. Bryson’s In a Sunburned Country inspired me to visit Australia! I hope these travel books inspire you to travel the world and feed your wanderlust. If you have any suggestions that I can add to this best travel books list, leave them in the comments.

If you’d like to see some of the other books I’ve recommended (or are currently reading), check out this page I created on Amazon that lists them all!

You can also find them listed in our Bookshop store, which helps support locally-owned bookstores. If you’re in the US, click here to check out my Bookshop store!

Book Your Trip: Logistical Tips and Tricks

Book Your Flight Find a cheap flight by using Skyscanner . It’s my favorite search engine because it searches websites and airlines around the globe so you always know no stone is being left unturned.

Book Your Accommodation You can book your hostel with Hostelworld . If you want to stay somewhere other than a hostel, use Booking.com as it consistently returns the cheapest rates for guesthouses and hotels.

Don’t Forget Travel Insurance Travel insurance will protect you against illness, injury, theft, and cancellations. It’s comprehensive protection in case anything goes wrong. I never go on a trip without it as I’ve had to use it many times in the past. My favorite companies that offer the best service and value are:

• SafetyWing (best for everyone)
• Insure My Trip (for those 70 and over)
• Medjet (for additional evacuation coverage)

Want to Travel for Free? Travel credit cards allow you to earn points that can be redeemed for free flights and accommodation — all without any extra spending. Check out my guide to picking the right card and my current favorites to get started and see the latest best deals.

Need Help Finding Activities for Your Trip? Get Your Guide is a huge online marketplace where you can find cool walking tours, fun excursions, skip-the-line tickets, private guides, and more.

Ready to Book Your Trip? Check out my resource page for the best companies to use when you travel. I list all the ones I use when I travel. They are the best in class and you can’t go wrong using them on your trip.

Got a comment on this article? Join the conversation on Facebook , Instagram , or Twitter and share your thoughts!

Disclosure: Please note that some of the links above may be affiliate links, and at no additional cost to you, I earn a commission if you make a purchase. I recommend only products and companies I use and the income goes to keeping the site community supported and ad free.

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The Best Adventure Travel Books of 2020

These eight titles will keep your wanderlust fired up for when it's safe to travel again

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Opportunities to be transported around the world through the pages of a good read have been a balm for adventure seekers. And with so many great releases this year, we had some trouble narrowing down our list. So we asked eight authors whose own books recently took us to incredible places to recommend some of their favorites. These titles will sate you until it’s safe to travel again.

‘Rockaway’ by Diane Cardwell

According To: Bonnie Tsui , author of four books, including  American Chinatown and  Why We Swim .

Bonnie Tsui, who examines the draw humans have to water in her most recent book,  Why We Swim , returns to a similar theme in her recommended pick. In Rockaway , Diane Cardwell’s focus is on staying above water—literally and figuratively—as she navigates a “failed marriage” and fevered career. “This book is all about starting over and finding the thing—surfing!—that transforms that life into something hopeful and new,” Tsui says. Through a physically challenging endeavor, Cardwell helps readers understand how she has weathered the storm and offers hope to others trying to do the same.  

Why We Need This Now: In a year when the pandemic has added a layer of difficulty onto all of our lives, Rockaway  serves as a guidepost to survival and exploration in our own backyards. “Diane Cardwell’s experience of figuring out how to surf while living in New York City is a great read in a time when we are all desperately seeking newness closer to home. It also has a healthy dose of joy and altered perspective,” Tsui adds.

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‘Leave Only Footprints ’ by Conor Knighton

According To:  Mark Adams , author of four books, including Turn Right at Machu Picchu and Tip of the Iceberg .

“Every human on earth is going to need a long vacation next year, which, if rosy vaccine forecasts come true, could be the greatest road-trip summer in decades. In this charming survey of dozens of national parks, Conor Knighton self-medicates a broken heart by soaking up the wonders of America’s greatest outdoor hits,” explains Mark Adams, whose prolific travel writing career has included journeys that led him to search for the lost city of Atlantis and follow in the footsteps of explorer Hiram Bingham III in the mountains of Peru. 

Why We Need This Now: For Adams, the book offers a worthy distraction from the exhausting news cycle we’ve been faced with this year. “Knighton will have you thinking about better uses for your pent-up energy. Like pitching a tent.”

‘I Hold a Wolf by the Ears: Stories’ by Laura Van Den Berg

According To: Morgan Jerkins , author of three books, including Wandering in Strange Lands   and Caul Baby: A Novel .

One of Time ’s 100 Must-Read Books of 2020, Laura Van Den Berg’s  collection of female-focused horror stories may not seem like a travel narrative at first (unlike the writer’s previous novel, The Third Hotel ) but Morgan Jerkins says the author’s deft portrayal of Florida is just one example of how it is. “Florida is a character itself in the book. Van Den Berg deftly details the heat and nature as well as the people. It’s very distinct, and I’d put her in the group of young esteemed writers like Alissa Nutting and T Kira Madden who are carving out Florida as a necessary place in the literary canon,” Jerkins says.

Why We Need This Now: According to Jerkins, Van Den Berg’s ability to explore complex female emotion and transport readers to each destination offers readers a timely salve. “I think this is the perfect book about travel in 2020 because the author sets stories in different locations, both domestic and international, and the way in which she explores fear might be the sense of understanding we need in such an unprecedented time.”

‘Wanderland: A Search for Magic in the Landscape’  by Jini Reddy

According To: Gina Rae La Cerva, author of Feasting Wild: In Search of the Last Untamed Food .

In Jini Reddy’s memoir Wanderland , the London-based Canadian writer takes a magical journey through her adopted home’s natural landscapes to cope with feeling like an outsider. “Sometimes the best adventures happen in our backyards,’ Gina Rae La Cerva says. “Reddy follows her heart and a good dose of serendipity to explore Britain’s natural wonders. This book is a celebration of the joys of roaming and discovering who we are when we come face to face with nature’s mysteries.”

Why We Need This Now: La Cerva, whose own book is a world-spanning search of what foraging means to different cultures, understands how important connecting to nature is for our well-being. “For many people, the lockdown has made escaping into the wilderness more challenging. Reddy shows us that even the most mundane landscapes contain their own wild magic. I also love that this book is about a woman of color exploring her connection to nature, including the role of her Hindu upbringing in that relationship and her own feeling of otherness.”

‘Underland: A Deep Time Journey’   by Robert Macfarlane

According To: Tom Zoellner, author of eight nonfiction books, including Island on Fire: The Revolt That Ended Slavery in the British Empire and The National Road: Dispatches from a Changing America .

“Less a physical adventure than a startling intellectual journey, Underland invites us to become conscious of a base fact of our everyday existence: the ground we stand on conceals unseen chthonic layers,” says Tom Zoellner about Robert Macfarlane’s latest offering into underground spaces, which range from historic remnants, like nuclear waste burial chambers in Finland and the Paris Catacombs, to places that take us beyond easy accessibility, like Norway’s sea caves. “Macfarlane is like John Wesley Powell without the suntan, taking us on a psychological spelunking odyssey,” Zoellner adds. 

Why We Need This Now: As the world has seemingly shrunk during the pandemic, the idea of exploring our subterranean offerings gives a whole new meaning to appreciating our backyards. “Macfarlane gives us reasons to look deeper into pedestrian landscapes—not just the picturesque ones—and the language we use to make sense of them,” Zoellner says.

‘Spirit Run: A 6,000-Mile Marathon Through North America’s Stolen Land’  by Noé Alvarez

According To: Maggie Shipstead , author of three books, including Seating Arrangements and the forthcoming Great Circle (May 2021).

A quest for connection—to the land and his ancestors—is at the heart of the running journey that Noé Alvarez takes readers on over the course of his book . “The route [that Alvarez ran] was designed to pass through as many tribal lands as possible, and he found himself running alone on gravel roads or simple trails crossing through mountains, rainforest, punishing desert, volcanic moonscape, and sometimes urban centers, contemplating the relationship between Native peoples and the land taken from them,” explains Maggie Shipstead, whose own travelogue, set for release next May, also examines the connections forged on a journey across time (Prohibition through modern day) and place (America, New Zealand, and England). 

Why We Need This Now: “Alvarez is the child of Mexican migrants who endured decades of back-breaking labor [in Yakima, Washington] to make ends meet, and he weaves his parents’ stories into his account of the run, as well as those of the other [Indigenous] runners, many of whom have led crushingly difficult lives. For a lot of us, 2020 has been a year of grappling with the cruelties of the American system while also trying to make sense of mass suffering, and Alvarez’s memoir—deeply personal and moving in its rawness—does both,” Shipstead says.

‘The New Wilderness’  by Diane Cook  

According To: Rahawa Haile , author of the forthcoming In Open Country   (2022).

In her memoir about the Appalachian Trail, set for release in 2021, Rahawa Haile shares her experience of finding herself anew in wild frontiers. Diane Cook’s debut work does the same for its female protagonists who are fighting for their survival. “ The New Wilderness is a speculative novel involving a group of people who seek refuge in the last remaining wilderness when the air in the city is deemed too toxic for children,” explains Haile about the buzzy dystopian debut. “It’s an exhilarating and immersive work, centered on a mother and daughter, that deftly jumps between the physical and interpersonal challenges faced by those who have left everything behind for a chance at struggling anew.” 

Why We Need This Now: The book’s focus on the necessity of working with our neighbors—even those with whom we don’t share a similar life experience—to preserve the planet is timely. According to Haile, “This book is perfect for anyone who spent 2020 cooped up at home due to the pandemic while nursing a healthy anxiety about the climate crisis. If you wish to lose yourself in a story about the natural world set in the long-term consequences of unchecked extractive industries, this is your novel.”

‘Eat the Buddha’  by Barbara Demick

According To: Monisha Rajesh, author of Around the World in 80 Trains: A 45,000-Mile Adventure .

A trip to North Korea introduced Monisha Rajesh to   Barbara Demick’s Nothing to Envy , which she describes as “a gripping examination of the so-called hermit kingdom through the voices of six defectors.” In Eat the Buddha , Demick uses that same ability to turn out a “fair and measured narrative” to Tibet. “This time, she’s pieced together stories told by Tibetans from Ngaba County in China to shed light on the struggles that have taken place since China occupied Tibet [in 1950],” Rajesh explains. “Tracing and tracking down hundreds of eyewitnesses to events between 1958 to present day, she has conducted exhaustive interviews that allow her to recreate everything from the smell of burning villages and the screams of tortured grandparents to softer moments of salty yak butter glistening in tea.” Rajesh, who also visited Tibet by train for her own book, appreciated Demick’s even-handed approach. “We see the raw untouched land pre-invasion and witness the destruction of the natural surroundings as time goes on.”

Why We Need This Now: “Demick presents a nuanced take, explaining that many Tibetans, including the Dalai Lama, were initially open to Chinese assistance when it came to improving the lives of Tibetans, but not to the point that their culture and religion should be eroded,” says Rajesh about current-day acts of suppression against Uyghurs in Xinjiang Province . “This book is a very relevant read that sheds light on the way in which minorities are perceived and treated by the Chinese government and the reasons behind [their persecution],” Rajesh adds.

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Adventure , Opinions

23 must-read outdoor adventure books (updated 2023).

When we can’t actually get away from work or school to travel and explore, we satisfy our wanderlust with the adventures of others. I, for one, love reading outdoor adventure books. If it takes place on a river or mountain, perfect. If it’s a true story or memoir, even better. Continue reading for, what I believe, to be the best outdoor adventure books .

And why not forward this post to your adventure buddies? Choose a book and start an outdoor adventure book club!

23 Must-Read Outdoor Adventure Books

Endurance: shackleton’s incredible voyage.

By Alfred Lansing

This is the 22nd book to be added to this list and it’s going in the number one spot. I can’t believe I only learned about this book two weeks ago. It is perhaps the most incredible story I’ve ever read.

Endurance is a book written about Sir Ernest Shackleton’s incredible voyage and self-rescue in the Antarctic. Let’s set the scene. It’s 1915 and a team of 28 men hop aboard a wooden ship. They have 69 sled dogs and three lifeboats, canvas tents and wool clothing. There’s not an inch of Gore-tex or satellite communication to be found.

In the middle of 1915, their ship (named the Endurance) gets trapped in ice and the group is stuck on the ship for the long, dark nights of an Antarctic winter. Then the ship begins getting crushed by ice and they must move onto the floe. Once summer arrives, the floes begin to break and the team must move to increasingly smaller floes. I won’t go into the rest of the ordeal (believe me, it gets worse). But all 28 men survive. It’s the most miraculous survival story.

And what makes the novel itself so incredible is how it’s written. The author, Alfred Lansing, interviewed all of the men from the expedition at length. He read their diaries and included snippets throughout the story. Holy crap, I cannot believe the book I just read. If you take one recommendation from this list, let it be Endurance.

This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through one of these links, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. Your support is much appreciated! You can learn more by reading my full disclosure .

Touching the Void: The True Story of One Man’s Miraculous Survival

By joe simpson.

This book is a rollercoaster of emotions. It’s a lot of ‘ no way Joe survives this’ and ‘ he is definitely about to die ‘ until you remember Joe is the one who wrote the book, so clearly he does survive. But oh my goodness I don’t think I’ve read a better survival story.

Joe and his climbing partner are mountain climbing in South America, attempting a first ascent. On the descent, there is a terrible storm, Joe is injured and from there on it’s just disaster-miracle-disaster-miracle.

There’s tension when his climbing partner must decide whether to stay or abandon his partner. You’ll hold your breath as Joe dangles over a crevasse, about to drop. If you have high blood pressure, maybe don’t read this book. But if you love to be kept up at night on the edge of your seat, you’ll love this book.

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Wild: from Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail

By cheryl stayed.

In Wild, Cheryl’s life has just about hit rock bottom. She is grieving the death of her mother, her marriage has just ended, and she was dangerously close to a heroin addiction. Then, with no experience and very little guidance, she makes the impulsive decision to hike 1,000 miles of the Pacific Crest Trail alone .

If you don’t know anything about camping, this book will give you some confidence that it’s never too late to fall in love with hiking. If you do know camping, you’ll appreciate Cheryl’s descriptions of pain and perseverance on the trail. What’s beautiful about Wild is that it goes beyond just another trip report.

In the book, Cheryl tackles her demons throughout the hike and overcomes many of the barriers that had existed in her mind.

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A Woman in the Polar Night

By christiane ritter.

I read this book when I was on a 2-week canoe trip in the Canadian Arctic this summer and I couldn’t put it down. This is a first-hand account of the year Christiane spent living in Svalberg with her husband in the 1930s. Without modern luxuries like Gore-Tex, freeze-dried food, and satellite phones, it is truly incredible how resourceful and resislent people can be.

What I love about this book is its romanticism and lack of bravado. Christiane’s husband has spent many summers and winters in Svalberg, but it’s believed that Christiane was the first European woman to winter this far north. Everything is new to her as she adapts to the Arctic. For example, she struggles to mend socks (something she has done a thousand times back home) because she’s mending socks made of sealskin.

I think modern feminists will dislike how Christiane is responsible for all of the homemaking duties and is treated differently than the two men she lives with, but I think it needs to be remembered that this was the 1930s, and division of labor was necessary for survival. Christiane cooks, cleans, and mends clothing in their remote arctic cabin while the men are hunting – this is her role to keep the group alive and it is a vital role. And she performs plenty of male-dominant tasks as well, like learning to hunt and ski over glaciers.

While this book doesn’t have the adrenaline or excitement of others on this list, it’s a beautiful story about what the day-to-day was like in the Arctic back then. I highly recommend this book!

Into the Wild

By jon krakauer.

It’s likely you’ve already seen the movie Into the Wild , but I’d still urge you to read the book. If you haven’t read or seen it and you have no idea what it’s about, here is a quick summary. Into the Wild is the story of Chris McCandless.

Fed up with the commercialism and lack of authenticity in society, he donates all of his possessions, abandons his family and hitchhikes his way to Alaska. Both the movie and book are emotionally moving, however, the book provides more context.

Plus, Jon Krakauer draws a parallel between the reckless decisions both he and Chris made in their young lives, and how luck worked out in one person’s favour, but not the other. This novel sets the standard for outdoor adventure books – it’s a true classic.

Kings of the Yukon: A River Journey in Search of the Chinook

By adam weymouth.

While I was reading this book, I was always trying to convince people it was more interesting than it appeared. “ Mikaela, you’re reading a book about salmon?!? ” On the surface, it’s a story about paddling the Yukon River (Adam is in a canoe, after all) but the story goes so much deeper than that.

This is the journey of the Chinook Salmon and the communities along the Yukon River whose lives have been forever altered by the salmon’s near disappearance. The story goes into the history of the Chinook and Indigenous communities; it details salmon farming throughout the world; it reveals some (alarming!) information about the salmon we find in the grocery store.

Meanwhile, it’s all set in wild and vast Alaska. I know it sounds like a book about fish, but it’s seriously worth the read.

River of Fire: Conflict and Survival on the Seal River

By Hap Wilson

Hap Wilson is the father of modern canoeing, having paddled over 60,000 km, completed 250 expeditions and created the first canoe guide books for many of the most popular rivers we paddle now.

In River of Fire, Hap recounts his experience paddling the Seal River during an enormous and dangerous forest fire (one of the worst the Boreal Forest has ever seen). He has a terrible co-guide and two completely inexperienced clients. And this was during a time when you didn’t have satellite phones to call for help.

And all of this is set amid the beautiful scenery of the Seal River. I love Hap’s descriptions of the estuaries and eskers, the big sky and spiny trees.

I really enjoyed this book, though there were parts where I wanted to scream at Hap. There are so many red flags ahead of the trip and I know, personally, I never would have set out on this trip. I imagine that, were Hap in this situation today, he wouldn’t either.

But it’s because he moves forward with the trip, despite the emerging problems, that we get to read such an entertaining and thrilling account of a nearly disastrous trip. So I definitely recommend this book!

Beyond the Trees: A Journey Alone Across Canada’s Arctic

By adam shoalts.

I was so excited to read this book. I liked Adam’s first book (Alone Against the North, featured below) and I also love the arctic . So, no surprise I loved this book (much more than his first, actually).

In Beyond the Trees , Adam recounts his nearly 4000 km journey across Canada’s unforgiving arctic, alone.

It’s a race against time; he must reach his destination before winter sets in, so he cannot rest or make mistakes. On his journey, he battles gale winds, paddles upriver and has a handful of close wildlife encounters.

I want to emphasize just how much upriver paddling he does, because anyone who has paddled a whitewater river knows it takes skill to paddle down the river; paddling up seems impossible. Yet Adam manages to paddle up the Coppermine River.

It isn’t thrilling the way Touching the Void or River of Fire is, but instead of thrills, the reader will get a deep look into a landscape untouched by modern development. I found the book to read kind of like an elaborate love letter to the wilderness. Plus, Adam is so damn funny in his prose. I love it.

Check prices Here

Welcome to the Goddamn Ice Cube

By blair braverman.

This book will surprise you in many ways. Blair Braverman is a tough girl obsessed with the North. She has lived in Norway and Alaska, working with sled dogs and guiding on glaciers.

You’ll be fascinated by her descriptions of attending dog sledding school, panic when she gets trapped in snow, fear for her as she navigates empty tundra at night. And yet, while the story is exciting in nature, there is so much more to the book than sled dogs and chilly environments.

The novel also confronts the fear of living in extreme environments, sexism in adventure guiding, owning your story and your own body, among other topics. Also, Blair is a total badass and it’s an entertaining read. As far as outdoor books go, this one is a total knock-out.

Trails and Tribulations: Confessions of a Wilderness Pathfinder

I first learned about this book while researching the Missinaibi River before a summer of guiding. I came across a passage from the book about more than 30 fatalities that occurred on the river due to mistakes on the topographic maps (critical portages and waterfalls were incorrectly marked or missing altogether).

Years later I returned to read the book in its entirety and found it to be incredibly interesting. The book, written by canoeing legend Hap Wilson, resembles a memoir in parts but goes much further than that.

Hap details what it was like working as a wilderness guide in the 70s and 80s and how the canoeing infrastructure (both social and physical) has evolved over time. He touches on Indigenous history and I found the sections on Thunderhouse Falls and the Bloodvein River to be particularly chilling. There’s also stories of conservation efforts, especially in regards to Temagami and the old growth forest of Wolf Lake.

This is a great book for anyone, but I think it’s an especially important read for young wilderness trippers (myself included). The book illustrates a history for the recreational canoeing we’re familiar with now; it also provides insight into how the fight to conserve these areas is not over (and probably never will be).

A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail

By bill bryson.

I love the way Bill Bryson writes. In A Walk in the Woods , Bill Bryson and his recovering alcoholic friend set out to walk the entire length of the Appalachian Trail. Neither are experienced hikers, so you can imagine the blunders encountered along the way.

This book is very different from all the others on the list because it isn’t about an impressive expedition or an insane survival story. In fact, the walk itself is pretty mundane. But then again, Bill Bryson wrote an entire (best selling) book on home furniture , so Bill can make literally anything an amusing book to read.

Honestly, this book will have you laughing out loud, thinking of your own hiking memories and continuously turning the pages. I found a few sections to be a little frustrating (the lack of preparation! ahh!) but once I let that go I found it very funny.

No Shortcuts to the Top: Climbing the World’s 14 Highest Peaks

By eric viesturs.

This story takes you to the peaks of the world’s tallest mountains. Eric Viesturs was the sixth person to ever each of the 14 8,000 meter-plus mountains and in this memoir, he details everything from his early obsession with the mountains to the logistics of mountaineering and finally, the incredible feat that is climbing the tallest mountains in the world.

This is one of those “he did an impressive thing so let’s have him write a book about it”. I wasn’t taken on an emotional rollercoaster; there were no long nights where I couldn’t put the book down. That said, it was interesting learning about what goes into an expedition and how your mindset changes as you navigate an obsession.

Alone Against the North

In this book, Adam Shoalts sets out to paddle an unnamed river in the Hudson Bay Lowlands that has no record of ever being paddled. Without a map, anything can lie beyond the river bend (say, a 20 ft. waterfall…) and I can only imagine the courage it takes to paddle not knowing what you’re in for.

In total honestly, this is my least favourite Adam Shoalts book. When he began his journey as explorer-author, I think he placed a little too much emphasis on ‘discovery’ and ‘conquering the land’. He’s evolved so much as a story teller since this book and I don’t have this critique for anything else he’s written.

Despite it being my least favourite, I still think it’s a great read. Adam has incredible determination and courage to face the unknown, on his own, and the book is entertaining.

I’d recommend this book to anyone who loves canoeing, but even if you don’t you may find it sparks a desire in you to go paddling (or never get in a boat again).

Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mount Everest Disaster

Here is another book by Jon Krakauer (who also wrote Into The Wild ), and this is the epitome of outdoor adventure books. Into Thin Air is an exhilarating and heartbreaking account of the Mount Everest disaster of 1996. John, a writer for Outside Magazine , joins an Everest Expedition led by one of the world’s most celebrated climbers, Rob Hall.

On the summit day, a huge storm hits and those who did not abide by the 2:00 pm turnaround time get caught in it. Over the next day, eight people die, including Rob Hall. Jon does extensive research to support the personal account of what happened and he interviews survivors after the fact.

Honestly, it isn’t one of my favourites (I’d recommend Touching the Void over this one), but it’s celebrated enough to command a spot on this list.

The Climb: Tragic Ambitions on Everest

By anatoli boukreev.

While Into Thin Air gets all the press and fanfare, it’s been brought to my attention that The Climb: Tragic Ambitions on Everest is a more accurate depiction of the events of the 1996 disaster. I haven’t read this one personally, so I don’t know how good it is.

Check it out Here

Alone on the Wall

By alex honnold with david roberts.

Alex Honnold is a legend in the climbing community, and the outdoor adventure world overall. In this book, we get to see the world through Honnold’s eyes and the thoughts he had while alone on a sheer rock face.

In total honesty, I didn’t like this book (part of it is because Alex Honnold didn’t write it himself). If you want to learn more about Alex and his climbing, I would recommend watching the documentary Free Solo instead. That said, it’s a largely celebrated book so who am I to say it doesn’t below on this list?

Braving It: A Father, a Daughter, and an Unforgettable Journey into the Alaskan Wild

By james campbell.

In Braving It, James Campbell and his daughter make three trips to the Alaska wilderness, each progressively more difficult. The first visit is a summer trip to help a friend construct a cabin, the second a visit to the constructed cabin in the winter, and the third a canoe trip.

Overall, I really liked this book. It was easy to read and provided vivid imagery of Alaska. I saw parts of myself in James’ daughter and could relate to her fascination and enthusiasm with the north.

While the book will have you longing for a trip to the Alaskan backcountry, I think the real story is about the connection between fathers and daughters. The worrying from both sides, the acknowledgment that not all feelings need to be said to be shared. It’s made me even more eager to plan a camping trip with my dad.

Paddling My Own Canoe

By audrey sutherland.

This book was excellent. I’ll admit I bought the book because it had the word “canoe” in the title and was disappointed that she isn’t actually in a canoe for much of the book. The misleading title, however, allowed me to read a book I’d likely never pick up otherwise – and I’m so glad I did.

In this story, Audrey is mesmerized by the Molokai coastline one on of Hawaii’s islands. With a terrain so rugged, walking the coastline is impossible. The waves are too much for a boat – something more nimble is needed… So Audrey elects to swim the coastline. She nearly dies on her first attempt, but her second is much more fruitful. In addition to being an amazing story, the imagery itself is lovely.

Also, I love this edition of the book specifically. There are beautiful watercolour paintings to illustrate the Hawaii coastline, and it really adds to the vivid descriptions Audrey uses. I love turning a page and seeing an illustration of the cascading waterfall I’ve just read about, or the bright yellow fish swimming under breaking waves.

Read it Now: Paddling My Own Canoe Paddling My Own Canoe

Paddle to the Amazon: The Ultimate 12,000-Mile Cano e Adventure

By don starkell.

I don’t know much about this book – other than that it involves canoeing the Amazon – however, if you scroll down to the comments this is the #1 recommendation (I even get people emailing me about this book so it must be good).

Read it Now: Paddle to the Amazon: The Ultimate 12,000-Mile Canoe Adventure

Currently Reading: A Woman in the Polar Night

Based on the recommendations below, I have picked up a copy of A Woman in the Polar Night . This is a memoir written in 1934 by the Austrian painter Christiane Ritter. She and her husband spend a year on the Spitsbergen, a remote island in the arctic.

For the first section of the book, Christiane isn’t a big fan of the arctic. It’s cold and barren and desolate. But over time she starts to fall in love with its charm. It reminds me a lot of my time in the arctic, where I spent the first part painfully lonely but completely fell in love with the region.

So far it’s been really good!

Find It Here: A Woman in the Polar Night

Currently Reading: The Dangerous River: Adventure on the Nahanni

By rm patterson.

I was supposed to paddle the Nahanni River with my dad in 2020 but a pesky little virus cancelled those plans. Then we were supposed to in 2021 but couldn’t because of this gosh darn persistent pandemic. So while our Nahanni plans are on hold, I’ve gotten a copy of The Dangerous River: Adventure on the Nahanni to tide me over.

In this memoir, RM Patterson details two journeys down the Nahanni River in the 1920s. After leaving a comfortable banking job in England, RM Pattersere journeys to the Canadian wilderness in search of gold. He hunted, trapped, fished, and explored, ultimately falling in love with the landscape.

Along the Nahanni River, he faced all of the hardships characterized by a wild, northern river. I am very excited to read this book next!

Find it Here: The Dangerous River: Adventure on the Nahanni

On the Reading List: The Last Season

By eric blehm.

Unlike most of the other books on this list, this is not a memoir. In The Last Season, Eric Belhm tells the story of an incredible park ranger in the Sierra Nevada. Randy Morgenson, a seasoned ranger of 28 years, protected the mountainous landscape and its visitors with introverted enthusiasm.

But then Randy faces a series of setbacks; tie in the intense isolation, and many suspected his disappearance as being a suicide… or the result of foul play.

So what happened? Well, read the book and piece the puzzle together yourself!

Find it Here: The Last Season

On the Reading List: To Shake the Sleeping Self

By jedidiah jenkins.

I haven’t jumped into this book myself, but it’s been recommended to me by quite a few people. The memoir is written about 2019 when 30-year-old Jedidiah quits his jobs and bikes from Oregon to Patagonia. He documents his travels on Instagram, winning over hundreds of thousands of followers – all the while questioning, what makes a life worth living?

Perhaps I am judging a book by its cover (well, specifically, its synopsis) but I don’t have a lot of desire to read a “meaning of life” book written by someone just 5 years my senior.

That said, I can’t deny that biking from Oregon to Patagonia is bloody impressive, so I’ll give it a try and let you know what I think.

Find it Here: To Shake the Sleeping Self

What’s your favourite outdoor adventure book?

This is an evolving list. Comment below your favourite outdoor adventure books and I’ll do my best to give them a read and add it to the list!

Mikaela | Voyageur Tripper

Mikaela has been canoeing, hiking and camping for over ten years. She previously worked as a canoeing guide in Canada, and spent a season guiding hiking and kayaking tours in the high Arctic. Mikaela is a Wilderness First Responder and Whitewater Rescue Technician.

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33 thoughts on “ 23 Must-Read Outdoor Adventure Books (Updated 2023) ”

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You should definitely read Mother of God by Paul Rosolie, he is a conservationist who works to protect the Amazon Rainforest!

Oh that sounds really interesting! Thanks for sharing Abby, I’ll be sure to check that out 🙂

The Climb: Tragic Ambitions on Everest by Anatoli Boukreev is another account of the tragic events on Everest in May 1996. A good read after diving into Jon Krakauer’s Into Thin Air. I also really enjoyed Latitude Zero by Mike Horn. The stuff this guy did on this journey is nuts!

I think Boukreev’s book is much more honest that Krakauer’s. Also of interest is Left For Dead by Beck Weathers, who was also a member of that ill-fated expedition.

Oh my goodness! An amazing article.

Thanks Gabriel! I hope you find your next great read!

You should read Only Fools & White Horses by Colin Skeath – The epic story of the first circumnavigation of the UK by open canoe

I haven’t heard of that one – I’ll check it out! Thanks Katrina!

Mikaela, nicely done blog and list of book recommendations. I’ve been a lifetime reader of outdoor adventure books and I’m always on the look out for new titles. A DON’T MISS recommendation is “A Woman in the Polar Night” by Christiane Ritter. Written in 1934, it chronicles her time spent on Spitsbergen Island in the Arctic. The writing is luminous. For a time, it was one of the most popular books amongst German speakers.

Hi Sam! Thanks for your comment! I haven’t heard of that book but it sounds right up my alley! I’ll check it out once I finish my current book and add it to the list. Thanks!!

The Last Season by Eric Blehm. Story is about a very knowledgeable and seasoned park ranger who goes missing. It’s was fantastic!

Thanks for the suggestion, Cade! That sounds super interesting – I’ll add it to my to-read list 🙂

Paddle to the Amazon is one of my favourite books of all time!

Thanks Rob! I think I’ll read this one next! So many people have suggested it – must be a good one!

“Paddle to the Amazon” by Don Starkell. A father and two sons set off from Winnipeg in a canoe to paddle to the Gulf of Mexico and then to the Amazon. It is a crazy read. Followed by “Paddle to the Arctic” also by Starkell of his attempt to kayak the North West Passage. Then you need to read “Kabloona in the Yellow Kayak” by Victoria Jason, also of Winnipeg, who accompanied Starkell on his first portion of the Arctic trip but ended up kayaking the Mackenzie river and then through the North West Passage by herself. She’s my hero! Then of course there are Freya Hoffmeister’s books about kayaking around Australia and South America and now the first one of kayaking around North America.

Those are some great recommendations – thanks so much Elizabeth! I’ll check out Paddle to the Amazon next and then, of course the one about the arctic. Though I’m keen to read Kabloona too – I’ve heard some great things about it

I have mixed feeling with Beyond the trees, I like that his trip is up north as I can relate because I live in the Yukon but there a bit too much of “nobody has done this river like I’m doing it and bla bla bla) I could die here and this and that” sort of feel a bit egocentric especially from the second half of the book. I really like the book “To shake the sleeping self” by Jedidiah Jenkins he bikes from the US to Patagonia.

That’s interesting! I had mixed feelings when I read his first book, Alone Against the North, again as it has a “I’m here to conquer this never paddled river” and that rubbed me the wrong way. But still incredible trips! I’ll check out To Shake the Sleeping Self- thanks!

I think you will be both impressed AND appalled by Paddle to the Amazon. It’s amazing that he and his sons survived given how many things they did wrong…

But if you would accept a book recommendation from me, ‘A Dangerous River’ by RM Patterson who explored the Nahanni and met people like Albert Faille is absolutely fantastic!

That’s next on my list! And I’ll check out A Dangerous River too – thanks!

The Worst Journey in the World. Its Epic…..

Oh I’ll check that out – thanks Darryl!

Check out Dude, Where’s My Walking Stick? by Kevin Moore. Great little adventure across New Zealand’s Te Araroa

I love the title of that – I will check it out! (My reading list has gotten so long haha!)

My favorite book is: Lands of Lost Borders by Kate Harris

The lost city of Z is a really good book. It’s a true story about a British explorer in the early 1900s looking for a lost city in the Amazon. Amazing what these guys put themselves through without modern conveniences.

ALONE AT THE TOP by Lonnie Dupre with Pam Louwagie. Easy read, but most definitely an inspiring story of a solo journey to the summit of Denali in the dead of winter. My wife and I met Lonnie at an outdoor expo in Denver a few years ago. I had no idea who he was until he handed us his book. After reading it, I wish I would have known of him before I met him. Much respect for him.

Oh that’s so cool! I’ll check out the book – sounds like a really cool story!

Great list! I can’t wait to order some of these. I came across your site while looking for some inspiration for spring reads. My favourites – The Sun is a Compass (Caroline Van Hemert), This Much Country (Kristin Knight Pace), Chasing Rivers (Tamar Glouberman).

Those all sound like great books! I’ll check them out!

Thanks for the list, I’ve already read several of these. Shackleton is great. You might enjoy these: 1. One Man’s Wilderness: An Alaskan Odyssey by Richard Louis Proenneke, Sam Keith , et al.

2. Outermost House by Henry Beston (Cape Cod)

and of course my favorite: 3. My First Summer in the Sierra by John Muir

What a great list, so nice to stumble on this in a search. I would HIGHLY recommend the Emerald Mile which is perhaps the greatest book ever written about whitewater river running that wraps in histories of John Wesley Powell, Glen Canyon Dam, Martin Litton and the introduction of dories to whitewater all wrapped around three crazy guides’ attempt to break the speed descent of the Grand Canyon during the historic flood/Run-off of 1983. Compellingly written, impossible to put down, If you have even an inkling of interest in rivers this is a must read.

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Blog – Posted on Wednesday, May 01

100 best adventure books of all time.

The first adventure novel that you ever read is hard to forget: after all, we all remember the first time our imaginations were lit by whispers of buried treasure, lost worlds, and faraway jungles. As Jane Eyre says: “It is in vain to say human beings ought to be satisfied with tranquility: they must have action; and they will make it if they cannot find it.”

Luckily, we’ve made the act of finding action easy for you! We have 100 of the best adventure books for you in this post, ranging from rollicking journeys over land to tales of high-stakes survival on the sea. Who knows where your next book will take you? Let’s find out.

If you're feeling overwhelmed by the number of amazing adventure books on hand, you can also take our 30-second quiz below to narrow it down quickly and get a book recommendation that's personalized for your tastes  😉

Which adventure book should you read next?

Discover the perfect adventure book for you. Takes 30 seconds!

Classic Books of Adventure

Or: the books that started it all. From Don Quixote to Treasure Island , they invented many of the tropes that we still see in adventure novels today.

1. Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes

Regarded as one of the greatest works in literature, Don Quixote recounts the adventures of Alonso Quixano: a middle-aged man so obsessed with chivalric books that he decides to imitate them and become a knight-errant. So begins his journey to find a faithful squire, save damsels in distress, and fight windmills.

2. The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas

In this classic by Dumas, a young man named d’Artagnan joins the Musketeers of the Guard. In doing so, he befriends Athos, Porthos, and Aramis — the King’s most celebrated musketeers — and embarks on a journey of his own.

3. Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson

Written by Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson, this story of “buccaneers and buried gold” launched a million tropes of treasure maps, sea chests, Black Spots, and deserted islands.

4. King Solomon's Mines by H. Rider Haggard and A. C. Michael

The first English adventure novel set in Africa, this 1885 book is considered to be the origin of the Lost World literary genre. It boasts six adaptations, including a 1937 British film and a 2004 American television miniseries.

5. Journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne

Journey to the Center of the Earth is exactly that: a trip to the inside of the world, which is where German professor Otto Lidenbrock theorizes that volcanic tubes will lead. Another one of Jules Verne’s magnum opuses — and one of the most famous examples of subterranean fiction.

6. The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas

Part adventure story and part revenge thriller, The Count of Monte Cristo is the tale of Edmond Dantès, a man who is falsely imprisoned without trial in an island fortress off France. That is, until one day he escapes and seeks out the men who conspired against him. You’ll find yourself coming for the adventure, but staying for the vindication.

7. Ivanhoe by Walter Scott

First published in 1819, Ivanhoe is a tale of heroism set in 12th-century England after the failure of the Third Crusade. Looking for jousting tournaments, romance, kidnappings, and witch trials? Then you’ve come to the right book.

Adventures in the Jungle

There’s more to the jungle than just The Jungle Book . From boa constrictors to alligators, there’s danger lurking behind every tree in these classics.

8. Tarzan of the Apes by Edgar Rice Burroughs

Immortalized by the Disney adaptation, Tarzan of the Apes by Edgar Rice Burroughs launched the legend of an orphaned boy who is adopted by apes in the African jungle. Named Tarzan, the boy eventually has to prove himself on two fronts: the animal kingdom and the even more menacing world of humans.

9. Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad

One of the most famous and acclaimed English novels in history happens to be a grim adventure story. This 1899 novella by Joseph Conrad tells the doomed story of Charles Marlow, who wishes to leave behind the civilized world and sail up the Congo in Africa. But he does not encounter what he anticipated in his journey into the metaphorical — and very literal — heart of darkness in the middle of the jungle.

10. Hatchet by Gary Paulsen

Brian Robeson is only 13 years old when his bush plane crashes in the forest. Now he must survive — with nothing but a hatchet. This book won the 1987 Newberry Award and has since gone on to spawn four sequels.

Congo by Michael Crichton

Another one of Michael Crichton’s famous adventure-and-science-fiction books, Congo relates the gripping story of an expedition’s desire to find the Lost City of Zinj in Africa — despite the horrors of the jungle and previous deaths.

12. The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling

Rudyard Kipling published this book in 1894 as a collection of stories about a “man-cub” Mowgli who grows up with wolves in the forest. Here’s your chance to meet the original conceptions of these beloved characters yourself: from Baloo the bear to Bagheera the black panther and the villainous tiger Shere Khan.

13. The Lost World by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

An expedition to an Amazon basin in South America to find prehistoric dinosaurs goes awry in this 1912 novel by Sir Arthur Doyle. Sherlock Holmes is nowhere to be found, but this book does introduce the notorious character of Professor Challenger, the founder of the mission.

Adventures of the Sea

The world is 71% sea, which might explain why so many adventure novels take place on these thrashing, unknown waters. From Moby-Dick to 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, they dive under the surface to find the heart of adventure.

14. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne

Hop on board Captain Nemo’s Nautilus to explore the Red Sea, Atlantis, Vigo Bay, and more — everything taking place in (as of 1870) a wild new frontier: the sea.

15. The Cruel Sea by Nicholas Monsarrat

Before The Perfect Storm was The Cruel Sea . This 1951 novel, which takes place during World War II, is considered one of the foremost portrayals of the Royal Navy’s battle against both the sea and the Germans.

16. Captains Courageous by Rudyard Kipling

Fifteen-year-old Harvey Cheyne Jr. is the privileged, arrogant son of a powerful businessman. That is, until he almost drowns in the Atlantic Sea. Luckily, he’s saved from certain death by Portuguese fishermen. Thus begins his life onboard a ship that cares not a whit for his wealth — and his eventual journey back to America.

17. The Long Ships by Frans G. Bengtsson

Written by Swedish writer Frans G. Bengtsson, The Long Ships today remains one of the most widely-read books in Sweden. In it, a kidnapped boy grows up as the son of a Swedish chieftain before setting out on a long adventure to find promised treasure.

18. Moby-Dick by Herman Melville

Call me Ishmael , begins this epic story. Acclaimed as one of the greatest books of the sea that’s ever been written, Moby-Dick relates the timeless story of a voyage to hunt and kill the great white whale that rules the ocean and haunts cruel captain Ahab’s mind.

19. Jaws by Peter Benchley

The 1974 book that inspired Steven Spielberg’s blockbuster movie — which then made beach attendance drop dramatically in 1975. Jaws is the story of three men’s quest to kill a human-eating great white shark. It’s a high-stakes adventure on the sea, which holds more dangers than anyone could have ever imagined.

20. The Odyssey by Homer

You won’t get any story closer to a purer definition of an adventure than The Odyssey . Homer tells the famous story of Odysseus in this Greek epic poem: from the moment that Troy falls to the journey that he must take to get home over the course of ten years.

21. The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket by Edgar Allan Poe

Famed for his short stories, Edgar Allan Poe only ever wrote one actual novel: The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket . But what a thrilling adventure it is, as we follow the life of a young stowaway on a whaling ship who encounters shipwreck, cannibalism, and the South Pole along the way.

22. Life of Pi by Yann Martel

Piscine Patel, nicknamed Pi, relates the story of how he lived on a small lifeboat with a spotted hyena, a zebra, an orangutan, and a tiger for 227 days. But is Pi telling the whole truth? This revelatory book has sold more than ten million copies worldwide and has been adapted into a Hollywood blockbuster.

23. Eric Brighteyes by Henry Rider Haggard

There is one thing that we don’t see enough in adventure fiction, and that’s Vikings. Eric Brighteyes fixes this for us. In this epic Viking saga, a young Eric Thorgrimursson (nicknamed “Brighteyes”) faces drama, love, and rousing adventure as he grows up in 10th century Iceland.

Adventures in the Desert

Remote, isolated, and desolated: what better setting for an adventure than a desert? Meet scorpions, nomadic tribes, and golden sands in the below books that feature desert adventures.

24. Dune by Frank Herbert

The first installment of the Dune series, Dune is an interstellar adventure that revolves around several different noble houses battling to control the desert island Arrakis, upon which the coveted spice mélange resides.

25. Desert Solitaire by Edward Abbey

An autobiographical work, Desert Solitaire is American writer Edward Abbey’s account of his experiences in the southwestern United States — a region that remains largely swathed in desert.

26. The Riddle of the Sands by Erskine Childers

An adventure novel that functions in the guise of spy fiction, The Riddle of the Sands is a fantastic example of how a regular yachting trip might quickly become a madcap investigation of the German’s plan to invade Britain. Plus, it’s perhaps one of the first modern thrillers ever written.

Adventures in Space and the Sky

It’s the X-factor in our knowledge of the world that has yet to be mapped: space and all that it implies. These books breach that border, and boldly go where no man has gone before.

27. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

The British phenomenon by Douglas Adams that is still widely quoted everywhere today. When Earth is destroyed, only one man survives: Arthur Dent. He is picked up by Ford Prefect, an alien writer who’s working on an electronic book called The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy . What follows is an adventure through the grandest landscape of all: the galaxy.

28. Around the World in 80 Days by Jules Verne

If you had a spare 80 days, what would you do with it? Phileas Fogg and his valet Passepartout decided to use the time to circumnavigate the world. The £20,000 wager helps, of course — but so does the adventure that lies ahead of them. Another shining adventure story that Jules Verne (him again!) published.

\n From \'America’s nerviest journalist\' ( Newsweek )--a breath-taking epic, a magnificent adventure story, and an investigation into the true heroism and courage of the first Americans to conquer space. \'Tom Wolfe at his very best\' ( The New York Times Book Review ) \n

29. The Right Stuff by Tom Wolfe

The Right Stuff directly confronts the unknown, as a group of American pilots engage in the space race against Russia. Inspired by the launch of Apollo 17, Tom Wolfe wrote this book to explore the courage that propels an astronaut to take to the air.

30. Children of the Comet by Donald Moffitt

In the far future, a small community resides in space and harvests frozen air to make a living. But what happens when hunters from neighboring comets — and humans on starships — appear on the scene? This is a cosmic adventure in a very literal sense, as our young hero, Torris, tries to survive on a comet made entirely of ice.

31. The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers

Becky Chambers fundraised this adventure via a successful Kickstarter campaign . Re-published by Hodder & Stroughton, it tells the tale of a human named Rosemary Harper who joins the crew of the Wayfarer as a file clerk. Accidents and adventures ensue!

The Martian by Andy Weir

In the year 2035, a surprise dust storm traps botanist Mark Watney alone on the planet of Mars. Discover how Mark survives alone on this unexplored frontier in this book that took the literary world by a storm when it was self-published in 2011.

Adventures Featuring Animals

What’s better than a regular old tale of adventure, you might ask? Well, an adventure with animals. These books take readers on a journey into another world: where nature reigns supreme and a blade of grass can be the height of the Empire State Building.

33. The Call of the Wild by Jack London

Set in Canada during the 1890s Klondike Gold Rush, this story recounts the adventures of a dog named Buck, who must survive other dogs, nature, and man’s cruelty, to answer the call of the wild.

34. White Fang by Jack London

Considered to be a thematic mirror of The Call of the Wild , Jack London’s White Fang is about a titular wolfdog who is dragged from the wild into domestication — and all that that entails along the way.

35. Watership Down by Richard Adams

Rabbits? What on earth could be exciting or adventurous about rabbits? As it turns out, many things. When Hazel, Fiver, and company escape their warren and struggle their way to Watership Down in this classic book of valor, you’ll find yourself rooting hard for this brave, resourceful group of hoppy adventurers.

36. Raptor Red by Robert T. Bakker

Unlike any other book out there, Raptor Red is told entirely from the third-person point of view of Raptor Red, a female Utahraptor. Robert T. Bakker, the author, expertly draws upon heartfelt research about the Cretaceous Period to bring a prehistoric Earth to life as Raptor Red struggles to survive in a dinosaur-eat-dinosaur world.

Adventures of Identity

By day, you might be another nameless clerk at a nameless company. But when you put on the mask, the Earth opens up to you — along with a whole world of adventures.

Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore: A Novel by Robin Sloan

The US book cover of Mr Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore glows in the dark. Not already enough adventure for you? Then you can dive into the story to follow Clay Jannon’s sojourn as a worker for Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore — which is not, as you might expect, all that it may seem.

38. The Mark of Zorro by Johnston McCulley

Originally published as The Curse of Capistrano , this is the first book to feature Señor Zorro: a mysterious, masked vigilante who defends the people of 19th-century California against villains like Captain Ramon and Sergeant Gonzales.

39. Scaramouche by Rafael Sabatini

A romantic adventure against the backdrop of the French Revolution. Scaramouche is named after its hero, a lawyer who becomes a revolutionary and an actor playing “Scaramouche,” or a stock clown character in comic theatre.

Shipwrecked Island Adventures

You might think that you’re lucky to have survived a plane crash or shipwreck… until you realize that you’ve got a whole other problem on your hands: you now have to survive on an inaccessible island, with no rescue in sight.

40. Lord of the Flies by William Golding

A group of stranded schoolboys. One island. Limited resources. The adventure of a lifetime. What could go wrong? As it turns out, many things, as William Golding’s classic novel brilliantly and darkly illustrates.

41. The Swiss Family Robinson by Johann Wyss

Written by Swiss pastor Johann David Wyss, this book about a family shipwrecked in the East Indies ignited Europe’s imagination in 1812. Read it if you like your adventure stories with a dose of family values and moral lessons.

42. The Mysterious Island by Jules Verne

Another adventure story by Jules Vernes, The Mysterious Island is actually a crossover sequel to Verne’s famous Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea and In Search of the Castaways . Five prisoners of war escape by balloon but crash onto an unknown island off the coast of New Zealand. There they try to survive, not knowing that they may soon get a visitor: for they are residing on (spoiler alert) Captain Nemo’s home port for the Nautilus .

43. Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson

The full title of this acclaimed 1886 book by Robert Louis Stevenson is (deep breath): Kidnapped: Being Memoirs of the Adventures of David Balfour in the Year 1751: How he was Kidnapped and Cast away; his Sufferings in a Desert Isle; his Journey in the Wild Highlands; his acquaintance with Alan Breck Stewart and other notorious Highland Jacobites; with all that he Suffered at the hands of his Uncle, Ebenezer Balfour of Shaws, falsely so-called: Written by Himself and now set forth by Robert Louis Stevenson . That tells you nearly everything you need to know about this book — except that every page of it is a great adventure.

Robinson Crusoe (Signet Classics) by Daniel Defoe

The full title of this book is (another deep breath): The Life and Strange Surprizing Adventures of Robinson Crusoe, Of York, Mariner: Who lived Eight and Twenty Years, all alone in an un-inhabited Island on the Coast of America, near the Mouth of the Great River of Oroonoque; Having been cast on Shore by Shipwreck, wherein all the Men perished but himself. With An Account how he was at last as strangely deliver'd by Pyrates. Again, we think that this tells you just about all that you have to know about the novel before you start reading it. But, as a sidenote, it’s good to mention that this might perhaps be the first English work of realistic fiction ever written.

Adventure Taken by Foot

When human beings didn’t have planes, trains, or automobiles to travel, they still had their feet. These novels feature adventures that were all taken by putting one foot in front of the other.

45. The Last of the Mohicans by James Fenimore Cooper

The second installment in James Fenimore Cooper’s The Leatherstocking Tales and perhaps the most famous, The Last of the Mohicans recounts the journey of Alice and Cora Munro to Fort William Henry. Mark Twain once wrote a scathing review of Cooper’s dubious writing abilities , but the spirit of adventure in this book remains true.

46. True Grit: A Novel by Charles Portis

You might have watched the Academy Award-winning movie already — but, as always, the book is better! 14-year old Mattie Ross’s quest to avenge her father’s death takes her from one end of Arkansas to the other.

47. The Road by Cormac McCarthy

If you like your adventures grim, The Road might be the book for you. In this 2006 novel by Cormac McCarthy, an unnamed father and his son walk through a bleak and desolate post-apocalyptic landscape. What will happen to them along the way is anyone’s guess.

48. Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain

Mark Twain’s Adventures of Huckleberry Finn might be a cutting satire of society and racism, but at its heart, it is just that: a young boy’s adventure along the Mississippi River. Frequently called one of the Great American Novels, it’s one that you don’t want to miss.

49. The Man Who Would Be King by Rudyard Kipling

The tin on this 1888 story written by Rudyard Kipling says it all. Two British explorers venture out in India, not knowing that one day they might end up being kings in Afghanistan.

Adventures Set in Foreign Countries

If you’re dreaming of escaping to another country, look no further than these adventure books, which can transport you anywhere from Transylvania to India.

50. A Passage to India by E.M. Forster

Adela Quested and Mrs. Moore travel to India in the 1920s, where Adela is to be engaged to Ronny Moore in Chandrapore. Set against the backdrop of the Indian independence movement, this is a formative text that deals not only with adventure but also with postcolonial discourse.

51. Kim by Rudyard Kipling

Kimball O’Hara, Kim for short, is an orphaned white boy scraping by in the streets of Lahore, India. But his life changes the day that he befriends a Tibetan Lama — and he embarks on an adventure of espionage and enlightenment in the Himalayas.

52. Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts

One of Australia’s most wanted men escapes Victoria’s Pentridge Prison and flees to India — where a dramatic adventure awaits him. Featuring Bollywood, the Mumbai underworld, and trips to Afghanistan, this book is so realistically well-drawn that many questioned whether or not it was an autobiography when it was first published.

53. Dracula by Bram Stoker

If you’re bored of the traditional historical adventures , we have an answer for you: vampires. More specifically, Dracula . Written by Bram Stoker, this novel the archetypical vampire fantasy in which the forces of good must battle against Dracula and the undead. Go here if you like creepy, electrifying adventures in Transylvania. 

Fantastical Adventures

Sometimes the best adventures are the ones that originate from our heads — and these fantasy adventure novels certainly bring us worlds that we couldn’t have begun to imagine for ourselves.

54. The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien

One day while grading essays, JRR Tolkien wrote, “In a hole in the ground lived a hobbit,” on the back of a student’s paper. That single sentence launched this beloved children’s story about one unwilling hobbit who is dragged there (and back again) onto an adventure to the Misty Mountains.

55. The Phoenix on the Sword by Robert Ervin Howard

One of the first stories that launched the legend of Conan the Cimmerian. Conceived by American writer Robert E. Howard, this sword and sorcery tale follows the adventures of its hero in the pseudo-historical Hyborian Age.

56. The Books of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin

Regarded by many as one of the most influential series in fantasy, Earthsea is also an adventure that takes readers across the mountains and plains of — where else? — Earthsea. A Wizard of Earthsea is the first book published in the series, introducing us to Ged, a young boy who will become Archmage.

57. Alanna: The First Adventure by Tamora Pierce

A classic adventure for all young adults. When Alanna of Trebond switches places with her twin to train as a page at the castle of King Roald, she gets more than she bargained for. So begins her epic journey to become a legend in her land.

58. Stardust by Neil Gaiman

One of Neil Gaiman’s earlier works, it’s nonetheless one of the most charming coming-of-age adventures that you’ll find. Young Tristan Thorn grows up in the village of Wall, not once stepping foot into the magical land of Faerie that lies just beyond the border. That is, until a star falls in the distance and he tells his sweetheart that he will do anything to fetch it for her…

59. Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift

Humorist Jonathan Swift chronicles the travels of Lemuel Gulliver in this satirical masterpiece of 1726. Read it if you like a healthy dash of satire with your adventure.

Arthurian Adventures

Camelot was the birthplace for many of the most famous adventures, from Gawain and the Green Knight to the eternal hunt for the Holy Grail. Here are some of the most classic novels that render King Arthur’s adventures faithfully.

60. Le Morte D'Arthur by Sir Thomas Malory

Is there an adventure that’s more iconic than that of King Arthur and his Round Table? Sir Thomas Malory’s rendition of Camelot is perhaps the best compilation of this beloved tale, from the birth of Arthur to his ultimate death in Avalon.

61. The Once and Future King by T.H. White

Based upon Le Morte d’Arthur , T.H. White’s The Once and Future King may be a more gentle reinterpretation of Arthur’s journey to become king — but it’s no less iconic or rich with adventure, danger, and intrigue.

Adventures in a Series

If one standalone book isn’t enough to sustain your thirst for adventure, check out these acclaimed adventure series.

62. Master and Commander by Patrick O'Brian

A cracking nautical adventure set during the Napoleonic Wars, English author Patrick O’Brian’s epic Master and Commander series is grounded by the friendship between Jack Aubrey, the Master and Commander of his ship, and Stephen Maturin, his naval surgeon.

63. Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton

Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past two decades, you’ve probably heard of this story. In 1989, billionaire John Hammond contacts paleontologist Alan Grant and paleobotanist Ellie Sattler, inviting them to go on an adventure into the past — and the darkest parts of human ambition.

64. Sharpe's Tiger by Bernard Cornwell

The Richard Sharpe series by Bernard Cornwell is famous for its exhilarating depictions of the British Army during the Napoleonic Wars — and Sharpe’s Tiger is no exception. As the chronological first installment, it introduces readers to the “brilliant but wayward” hero and features a thrilling jaunt through India during the Siege of Seringapatam in 1799 to boot.

Non-Fiction Adventures

Nowhere is the phrase, “The truth is stranger than fiction,” more accurate than in the context of adventure non-fiction . These authors serve up true stories of some of the most daring, hazardous, and tragic journeys that humankind has ever undertaken.  

65. Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer

Bestselling author Jon Krakauer recounts his own experience climbing Everest. And it is a traumatizing story: Krakauer was a part of the doomed 1996 Mount Everest expedition, in which eight climbers were lost and many stranded by an errant storm.

66. The Great Railway Bazaar by Paul Theroux

Paul Theroux is one of America’s foremost travel writers, and he shows why in this seminal travelogue about his journey by train through Europe, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia. He returns by — what else? — the Trans-Siberian Railway.

67. Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert

The international bestseller that’s been adapted into a Hollywood blockbuster starring Julia Roberts, Eat, Pray, Love is the true story of one woman’s search for truth. As it so happens, that quest takes her all over the world, from India to Indonesia.

68. Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer

In 1990, Christopher Johnson McCandless gave away all of his money and left home, never to return. Two years later, he headed into the forest in Alaska, where his body would eventually be found. This is his story, related by adventure writer Jon Krakauer.

69. A Cook's Tour by Anthony Bourdain

Anthony Bourdain’s exuberant, witty voice is as alive as ever in this bestselling book. Like other travel accounts, A Cook’s Tour documents Bourdain’s travels across the world. But there’s a twist in this fun travelogue: he’s in search of the perfect meal.

70. The Sea Runners by Ivan Doig

Based on a true story, The Sea Runners is a riveting account of four indentured servants’ plot to escape their Russian work camp in Alaska. But their plans reach a snag when they encounter their greatest foe: the Pacific Northwest coast. Masterfully written, this book pits man against all the elements that nature can throw him.

71. Into The Heart Of Borneo by Redmond Ohanlon

If you’ve never read a travelogue, start with this one. In 1983, a group of three friends embark on an expedition to the center of Borneo. Written with wit and sincerity, writer Redmond O’Hanlon brings the jungles and wilds of Borneo alive in this treasure of a book.

72. A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson

Bill Bryson is synonymous with humor when it comes to travel writing — and this might be one of his most famous installments. In the 1990s, Bryson takes up the challenge of hiking the entire Appalachian Trail with his friend Stephen Katz. Mishaps expectedly occur along this adventure. But, of course, it’s the journey and not the destination that counts.

73. A Voyage for Madmen by Peter Nichols

In 1968, nine men set out to race each other around the world on boat. Only one would eventually cross the finish line. This is the true story about that fateful race, its “sad, heroic characters,” and how one decision can spell life or death.

74. Wild by Cheryl Strayed

Cheryl Strayed’s account of her trek along the 1,100-mile Pacific Crest Trail instantly became a New York Times bestseller when it was published. Fans of Eat, Pray, Love will particularly fall in love with this book.

75. Green Hills of Africa by Ernest Hemingway

One of Ernest Hemingway’s rare nonfiction books, Green Hills of Africa documents the month that he and his wife spent on a safari in East Africa. It’s a sparse, tightly-written book about the hunting that he pursued there, with some choice nuggets about writing interspersed in between.

76. Travels with Charley by John Steinbeck

In 1960, John Steinbeck took a road trip around the United States with his poodle (who was named Charley). From New York to California and back again, Travels with Charley is a ruminative reflection of America and everything that the country Steinbeck loved stood for.

77. The Worst Journey in the World by Apsley Cherry-Garrard

You might think the title is an exaggeration, but let us be the first to assure you it’s not. This book is a memoir of the tragic 1910 British Antarctic Expedition led by Robert Falcon Scott, who wished to be the first in the world to reach the South Pole. The entire party to the Pole died on the journey. This memoir, written by a man on the support team, explains why in grim detail.

78. A Tramp Abroad by Mark Twain

Famous for writing perhaps the greatest work of American literature in The Adventure of Huckleberry Finn , Mark Twain was nevertheless an accomplished traveler. This book details his travels through central and southern Europe. A must-read, if only for his chapter on ants.

79. Mawson's Will by Lennard Bickel

Sometimes adventures must be read in order to be believed. Douglas Mawson faced disease, snow, Herculean winds, the death of his dogs and only companions, starvation, and thirst — and still somehow survived while managing to map nearly 1,500 miles of the Antarctic coastline. This is the dramatic story of the expedition.

80. In the Heart of the Sea by Nathaniel Philbrick

Welcome to the true story that inspired the events of Melville’s Moby-Dick . In 1820, a whaling expedition was foiled when a sperm whale sunk the ship, Essex. For three months afterward, the crew lived on three small boats, facing wild winds, the sea itself, and cannibalism to survive.

81. Wind, Sand and Stars by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

The memoir of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry isn’t just a contemplation of life: it’s a full-fledged adventure book in its own right. Saint-Exupéry was an accomplished aviator and once crashed in 1935 in the Sahara Desert without water or food. This is his story.

82. In Patagonia by Bruce Chatwin

In November 1974, Bruce Chatwin flew to Peru and then made his way down to Patagonia. He would spend six months in the region, traveling over untraveled ground and writing down everything that he saw. This is the seminal work for anyone who wants to know more about this wild, beautiful, and desolate part of the world.

The Road to Oxiana by Robert Byron

Published in 1938, The Road to Oxiana is one of the premiere examples of travel writing. You might not want to miss out on Robert Byron’s account of his ten-month travels in the Middle East, credited by writer Paul Fussell as being to poetry what Ulysses was to the novel.

Adventure Books for Children and Teens

Ignite the spirit of adventure early! From Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland to Wizard of Oz , these classic children's novels will show that people of any age can go on a journey.  

84. The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle by Avi

Avi’s popular tale of intrigue on the high seas. 13-year old Charlotte Doyle finds herself the only passenger on a sea voyage that bristles with danger. Features a murder trial, cruel captains, and a brave young girl who has to use all of her wits and resources if she wants to survive.

85. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

Ready for an adventure that’s the darling of children’s book world? Lewis Carroll wrote this book in 1865 but Alice’s journey through Wonderland (which she enters by falling through a rabbit hole) remains one of the most cherished — and extraordinary — stories in English literature.

86. The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis

This children’s classic all began with The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe , in which the four Pevensie siblings step into a wardrobe… and into Narnia, where an entirely magical journey begins. Complete with talking animals, evil queens, and Turkish Delights.

87. Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson

When fifth grader Jesse Aarons befriends his new neighbor, Leslie Burke, a beautiful friendship — and kingdom — is born. Terabithia is the imaginary sanctuary of their minds, but the consequences of building it might be more tragic than they anticipated in this children’s book.

88. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by Lyman Frank Baum

Does The Wizard of Oz even need an introduction? This whimsical story by Frank L. Baum turned into one of the most treasured children’s books in history, spawning spin-offs, sequels, movies, and even musicals. Follow Dorothy as she travels along the Yellow Brick Road in the magical Land of Oz, meeting a Scarecrow, Tin Woodman, and Cowardly Lion in her quest to return back to Kansas.

89. The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo

Edward Tulane is a china rabbit. Bet you didn’t expect that twist, did you? But life can get hard for china rabbits, as Edward falls into the sea and spends 297 days on the bottom of the ocean. One thing’s for certain: it’s a long way back to the surface.

90. Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones

You haven’t really read an adventure unless you’ve read Diana Wynne Jones’ timeless Howl’s Moving Castle ! This is the story about Sophie Hatter, the oldest of three sisters, and how she becomes an old crone and meets the powerful Wizard Howl. Delightful, charming, and twisty.

91. The BFG by Roald Dahl

Did you know that Big Friendly Giants provide the best adventures of all? That’s because of all the land they can cover with one stride — and you get an even better view if you’re sitting on their shoulders as they do so,. Follow Sophie and the BFG as they go into a world of frobscottles and snozzcumbers to battle the Fleshlumpeater.

92. The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo

You’ve probably never met a hero like Despereaux Tilling: a young but noble mouse. Now he is on a quest to rescue Princess Pea, a human girl, from evil rats. Beware of underestimating Despereaux: he might be small, but he’s as brave as the biggest adventurers.

93. Martin the Warrior by Brian Jacques

Though Redwall is the first book that Brian Jacques published in the celebrated Redwall series Martin the Warrior is one of the first books chronologically — and it’s one of the more adventurous installments overall. A young heroic mouse named Martin escapes enslavement under the maniacal stout, Badrang the Tyrant. But then he must journey across the land to build an army that will be able to defeat Badrang once and for all.

94. The Princess Bride by William Goldman

The book that spawned the line, “Hello, my name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die.” By turn brilliant, witty, romantic, and thrilling, The Princess Bride (along with Buttercup, Westley, and company) have enchanted hearts across the world. A rollicking adventure through a fantastical world that was later immortalized in film.

95. Coraline by Neil Gaiman

Neil Gaiman came up with the idea for this book when he miswrote “Caroline” as “Coraline” one day. In this dark fantasy novella, Coraline Jones moves into an old house with a mysterious door. A neighbor tells her: “Don’t go through the door.” Of course, Coraline goes through the door — only to find a world that she could never have imagined.

Adventurous Short Stories

You don’t necessarily need 50,000 words to bring the thrill of adventure to life! If you only have 30 minutes on hand, the below short stories will be able to whet your appetite.

96. “The Sea Raiders” by H. G. Wells

Squid monsters. Need we say more? H.G. Wells wrote this short story in the fashion of Moby-Dick and the 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea , but the tentacle-y thrills of this short story are all his own.

97. “A Sound of Thunder” by Ray Bradbury

Time travel has become a reality in 2055 — and a company called Time Safari Inc is advertising a chance to travel back in time to hunt dinosaurs. A lot of things can go wrong — and they do, in this masterful short story by Ray Bradbury about the butterfly effect.

98. “To Build a Fire” by Jack London

As you might be able to tell already, Jack London had a thirst for adventure and the wild. His famous short story, “To Build a Fire,” deals with one man’s struggle against the arctic winter in the Yukon Territory.

99. “Sandkings” by George R. R. Martin

Before A Song of Ice and Fire , George R.R. Martin wrote this fantastically dark novelette that won the Hugo Award, the Nebula Award, and the Locus Award in 1980. Set on the fictional planet of Baldur, it’s about a playboy named Simon Kress who doubles as an exotic animal collector and one day comes across a terrarium filled with creatures called sandkings… and what happens next becomes the kind of dark adventure that only GRRM can write.

100. “The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber” by Ernest Hemingway

Ernest Hemingway was a big-game hunter, and he drew from his own experiences to write “The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber.” In it, Francis Macomber, his wife, and a friend are in Africa hunting buffalo, which does not turn out as they wanted.

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The Best Books of 2022

This Year's Must-Reads

The Ten Best Books About Travel of 2022

After two years of limited travel opportunities, we’re ready to explore the world once more

Jennifer Nalewicki

Travel Correspondent

Traveling is about much more than your destination—it’s about the people who live there, and for many travelers it’s the experiences they have alongside locals that are the most memorable. Take, for instance, the story of a journalist who lived with an Iñupiaq family of whale hunters in Alaska before setting off with her toddler to follow the gray whale migration, or a young woman who traveled solo 6,800 miles by bike from Europe to the Middle East, often turning to local farmers and villagers to help her navigate unfamiliar territory. Both women adapted their experiences into books where they relive the laughter (and the pain) they shared with members of the local communities that go far beyond anything found in a guidebook.

Here are ten travel book releases from 2022 that are inspiring us to dust off our passports and experience new locales alongside the people who make them unforgettable.

The Catch Me If You Can: One Woman’s Journey to Every Country in the World by Jessica Nabongo

Visiting all 195 countries in the world is no small feat and a goal that most people can only dream of. Luckily, armchair travelers can live vicariously through author Jessica Nabongo’s epic worldwide adventure in her book The Catch Me If You Can . From retelling the blow-by-blow of a scooter accident in Nauru (an island nation in Micronesia that also happens to be the world’s least visited country) and dog-sledding in Norway to swimming with humpback whales in Tonga and learning the art of making traditional takoyaki (octopus balls) in Japan, the 38-year-old, who’s also the first Black woman to travel to every nation in the world, introduces readers not only to bucket-list-worthy places but also to the people who live there.

The Catch Me If You Can: One Woman's Journey to Every Country in the World

In this inspiring travelogue, celebrated traveler and photographer Jessica Nabongo―the first Black woman on record to visit all 195 countries in the world―shares her journey around the globe with fascinating stories of adventure, culture, travel musts, and human connections.

Soundings: Journeys in the Company of Whales by Doreen Cunningham

In an everchanging world threatened by climate change, whales have learned to adapt. Irish British author Doreen Cunningham takes that notion to heart in Soundings , which blends science and nature writing with memoir as she shares her own experiences as a struggling single mother and journalist. Together with her toddler, she follows the migration route of gray whales as they make the long journey between Mexico and Alaska (where years earlier she spent time with Iñupiaq whalers), experiencing from a distance the familial bonds, not unlike her own close relationship with her son, of the marine mammals. “What at first seems a reckless, near-mystical pursuit of an imagined being leads her to find a human pod of her own,” writes the Guardian ’s Edward Posnett.

Soundings: Journeys in the Company of Whales: A Memoir

A story of courage and resilience, Soundings is about the migrating whales and all we can learn from them as they mother, adapt, and endure, their lives interrupted and threatened by global warming.

Bridges of the World by Giancarlo Ascari

Italian cartoonist and journalist Giancarlo Ascari has a degree in architecture, so it’s no wonder why he’s fascinated with bridges. Packed with illustrations by Pia Valentinis , Ascari’s book Bridges of the World highlights recognizable spans like the brightly painted Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco and the Victorian Gothic-style Tower Bridge in London, while also highlighting less obvious examples, including the stretch of wire French high-wire artist Philippe Petit strung between the Twin Towers in New York City and dangerously crossed in 1974. In total, Bridges of the World features 50 human-made and natural wonders accented by interesting facts and anecdotes.

Bridges of the World

Fifty bridges from all over the world to be crossed on foot or with one's imagination.

Black Lion: Teachings from the Wilderness by Sicelo Mbatha

When Sicelo Mbatha was a child, he watched in horror as a crocodile viciously attacked his cousin. Rather than shy away from the cruel realities of nature, the Zulu author, who goes by the nickname Black Lion, confronted them head on to become a wilderness guide. Over the years, he’s volunteered at Imfolozi Game Reserve in KwaZulu-Natal, a province located along the coast of South Africa. Because of his childhood encounter, he has learned to approach the savanna and the lions, elephants and other animals that inhabit it from a spiritual perspective. He has since fostered a deeper connection with the local fauna and hopes to pass that mindset on to visitors on his guided excursions as well as readers of Black Lion , his debut book.

Black Lion: Alive in the Wilderness

Wilderness guide Sicelo Mbatha shares lessons learnt from a lifetime’s intimate association with Africa’s wildest nature.

The Writer’s Journey: In the Footsteps of the Literary Greats by Travis Elborough

Ask any writer, and they’ll likely confirm that a story’s setting plays as critical a role as its plot. Case in point: Would Bram Stoker’s Gothic novel Dracula be as compelling if it wasn’t set in macabre Transylvania? Like Stoker, many literary greats were inspired by places they traveled to before sitting down to write. In The Writer’s Journey , British author and cultural commentator Travis Elborough explores 35 experiences around the globe that influenced authors and helped shape their writings, including Herman Melville’s perilous 1841 whaling voyage on the Atlantic and Jack Kerouac’s cross-country escapades in the late 1940s over “all that raw land that rolls in one unbelievable huge bulge over to the West Coast.”

The Writer's Journey: In the Footsteps of the Literary Greats

Follow in the footsteps of some of the world’s most famous authors on the journeys which inspired their greatest works in this beautiful illustrated atlas.

South to America: A Journey Below the Mason-Dixon to Understand the Soul of a Nation by Imani Perry

What comes to mind when you think of the American South? The Civil War? College football? Gone with the Wind ? Imani Perry , an award-winning author and African American studies professor at Princeton University, tackles all of these topics in her New York Times best seller South to America . Combining history with culture, Perry brings readers on an eye-opening journey south of the Mason-Dixon line, from her native Alabama to Appalachia, focusing not only on past civil atrocities that have scarred the region and the country as a whole, but also on the immigrant communities, artists and innovators leading the way to a brighter future.

South to America: A Journey Below the Mason-Dixon to Understand the Soul of a Nation

An essential, surprising journey through the history, rituals, and landscapes of the American South—and a revelatory argument for why you must understand the South in order to understand America

The Slow Road to Tehran: A Revelatory Bike Ride Through Europe and the Middle East by Rebecca Lowe

While the Syrian War rattled the Middle East in 2015, journalist Rebecca Lowe embarked on a yearlong 6,800-mile grand tour via a bicycle she affectionately named “Maud” from her home base of London to Tehran. During her epic ride, she cycled through Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, Sudan and the Gulf, often relying on the knowledge and assistance of farmers, villagers and other locals she met along the way. For her travel memoir The Slow Road to Tehran , she weaves her own experiences as a woman traveling alone through the mountains and deserts of the Middle East with tales about the people and cultures she encountered. Tom Chesshyre of the Critic calls it “modern travel writing at its very best, full of vim and vigor, painstakingly researched, laced with wry humor, political (without being too political), adventurous and rich with anecdote.”

The Slow Road to Tehran: A Revelatory Bike Ride through Europe and the Middle East

One woman, one bike and one richly entertaining, perception-altering journey of discovery.

Antarctica: A History in 100 Objects by Jean de Pomereu and Daniella McCahey

On January 17, 1773, Captain James Cook made the first crossing into the Antarctic Circle aboard the Royal Navy sloop Resolution . Now, on the 250th anniversary of this monumental journey, historical geographer Jean de Pomereu and historian Daniella McCahey have come together to highlight 100 objects (culled from the National Maritime Museum in London, the Library of Congress, the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History and many other collections) that define the world’s least-visited continent. Items that made the cut and are featured in their co-written book Antarctica include the tiny, 22-foot lifeboat used by Irish explorer Ernest Shackleton and his crew after their ship struck ice and sunk in 1915; a sealing club fashioned out of the penis bone of an elephant seal; and skis that Norwegian explorer Olav Bjaaland used in the early 1900s.

Antarctica: A History in 100 Objects

This stunning and powerfully relevant book tells the history of Antarctica through 100 varied and fascinating objects drawn from collections around the world.

This Contested Land: The Storied Past and Uncertain Future of America’s National Monuments by McKenzie Long

Despite their federal designation as protected land, national monuments in the United States come under threat. Just look at Bears Ears National Monument, a 2,125-square-mile expanse of red sandstone, cliff dwellings and petroglyphs in the Utah desert held sacred by many Native Americans. The Trump administration decreased the monument in size by 85 percent to allow for oil drilling (only for the Biden administration to later restore its protections). In her debut book, This Contested Land , author and graphic artist McKenzie Long sets out by ski, foot and fin to explore 13 sites across the country, including Maine’s Katahdin Woods and Hawaii’s Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, in a series of compelling essays that convey the importance of protecting these natural resources from the threats of development and climate change.

This Contested Land: The Storied Past and Uncertain Future of America’s National Monuments

One woman’s enlightening trek through the natural histories, cultural stories, and present perils of 13 national monuments, from Maine to Hawaii

Crossed Off the Map: Travels in Bolivia by Shafik Meghji

The world’s highest metropolis is La Paz, Bolivia, home to two million inhabitants living at 13,600 feet above sea level (higher than Mount Fuji). However, not many people know this fact, nor much about the South American country, for that matter. In Crossed Off the Map , author, travel expert and Amnesty International editorial consultant Shafik Meghji introduces readers to the landmarks, history and current issues of Bolivia. Fellow travel author Tim Hannigan says in the book blurb, “Shafik Meghji is a natural travel writer with a ready mastery of history, anecdote and atmosphere, and [this] is the best sort of travel book—an informed and informative portrait of Bolivia that doubles as a vicarious journey for readers on an epic scale, through high mountains, across the altiplano [high plains] and into deep tropical forests.”

Crossed Off the Map: Travels in Bolivia

Blending travel writing, history and reportage, Crossed off the Map: Travels in Bolivia journeys from the Andes to the Amazon to explore Bolivia’s turbulent past and contemporary challenges.

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Jennifer Nalewicki | | READ MORE

Jennifer Nalewicki is a Brooklyn-based journalist. Her articles have been published in The New York Times , Scientific American , Popular Mechanics , United Hemispheres and more. You can find more of her work at her website .

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Giant daisies, polar bears and a full circle moment: how Liz Carlson is living out all of our wildest dreams 

Liz Carlson has one-upped all of our childhood dreams. In fact, I’d go as far as to say that she’s redefined them. In her 35 years, she’s seen more than 100 countries and had more adventures and mishaps than Indiana Jones.  

There’s something fascinating about how every kid growing up in the 80s and 90s seemed to dream of becoming a marine biologist at one time or another.  

I like to think it was less about a shared affinity with The Little Mermaid and more about how each of us imagined a wild future filled with adventure. Whether in the form of a career under the sea or not – I think we all longed for a chance to explore beyond the confines of our everyday lives. 

And if that is the case, well, Liz Carlson outdid us all.  

This becomes apparent when I ask Liz about her favourite travel memory. First, she tells me about the month she spent riding horses across Mongolia. ‘I was riding with the Kazakh eagle hunters, and suddenly, everyone just started galloping together. And then they all started singing, and I was galloping with them.’  

She quickly interrupts herself. ‘There was also the first time I saw polar bears in the Arctic. ‘But going to South Georgia and the sub-Antarctic islands, too…’

She interjects with another pivot.  

‘There’s this one island called Campbell Island, and it has these plants called megafauna – they’re prehistoric plants, so they’re like giant purple daisies that are two metres tall. And there was an albatross, just so big, sitting among the flowers.’   

Together it reads like the wildest fever dream, but it’s all real.  

Liz has built a successful career around her appetite for a life less ordinary as a blogger, author, conservationist, influencer and, most recently, Antarctica expedition guide. Still, it was no accident that this once small-town girl went on to lead such a big life. 

Small town, big dreams  

When a Thursday morning video call connects my office in Australia to Liz’s plant-filled loungeroom in New Zealand – the country she’s called home for over a decade – the memories she shares take us back in time and all around the world.  

I’m surprised to learn this big life of travel and never-ending list of favourite memories wasn’t always her reality. Quite the opposite. She tells me how she grew up in a small town in rural Virginia in the United States.

I always dreamed of seeing the world and doing big things.

‘We went to the beach, like, once a year,’ she laughs. ‘That was my only travel as a kid, but I always dreamed of seeing the world and doing big things. I used to rip out travel stuff from magazines and brochures and tape it to my bedroom wall.’    

‘But no one ever really left my hometown,’ she adds.  

I can’t help but wonder, how does a girl living in a town that no one leaves not only get the inspiration to get up and go but actually… do it ?  

‘People said I was crazy [for wanting to travel] and I was like, well, there’s my motivation,’ Liz tells me ‘Nothing makes you work harder than someone telling you you can’t do it.’  

She took her first international trip to Europe during high school, hitting the major hotspots like London , Paris and Madrid . Later, during university, she spent a year studying in Spain .  

That’s when her blog, Young Adventuress , started taking shape. 

Just something to do  

Liz’s big dreams and aspirations emerged alongside some equally neat storytelling abilities. And so, she tells me, ‘I blogged in Spain, just for something to do.’  

‘I just wrote everything I wish I had known about moving to Spain, travelling solo and being an expat. I just love writing, I love storytelling,’ she says nonchalantly. ‘And then I realised a lot of people were following me [online],’ she adds. We both smile at how casually she puts it. 

She was blogging before it was trendy and long before people were making careers of it. So, she says she set out to change that. But I get the feeling it was less about making money and more about tying a source of income to her desire to get out into the world – so no one could ever tell her ‘you can’t do it’ again. 

In the years that followed, with a little strategic direction, some new passport stamps and a whole lot of passion, Liz grew Young Adventuress into one of the world’s largest travel blogs, with millions of visitors each year. She wrote a lot about solo travel and how women can go it alone safely, and candidly shared everything she learnt along the way. And then, when Instagram came along, she came face-to-face with a brand-new online audience, equally enthralled by her travel tales and mishaps. 

Over the years, she amassed a following in the hundreds of thousands and had her powerful storytelling featured by media juggernauts like BBC Travel, The New York Times and Forbes. Conde Nast even dubbed her one of the most powerful women in travel in 2019. From here, she worked with a whole bunch of brands, including Intrepid, which sent her on her first trip to Antarctica as an influencer. 

Looking at things differently  

Liz smiles as she tells me how moving to New Zealand – with its fresh air, towering mountains and epic scenery – from the States in 2013 gave her a new perspective. The change of scenery sparked an even greater interest in nature and conservation, but one defining moment shifted everything.  

She recounts the day she came across a mass beaching of more than 140 pilot whales during a remote hike with a friend on New Zealand’s Stewart Island. 

‘It’s sunset, and we’re exploring all over these rocks. And we come around to this little bay, and we just see this stuff in the surf, and we’re like, what’s that?’ She pauses before continuing. ‘Then we realise it’s black whales rolling in the surf, right on the shore, just flipping around. And so we ran into the water, but there was nothing we could do.’ 

‘It was just a really good moment for me to think about my work and be like, okay, I really need to focus on this sustainability and conservation side that I already care a lot about.’ 

From there, she began peppering more of her work with stories designed to bridge connections between people and nature. You won’t catch Liz simply posting a pretty view – or a cool brand – online; her work urges us to think beyond what’s right in front of us and consider the impacts of our travels. 

The journey (back) to Antarctica  

Liz spent the better part of 15 years travelling, minus a covid-induced travel freeze and the launch of a successful plant shop (a story for another day). When your career, spanning almost two decades, is a chronological mash-up of adventures and accolades, and you have a longing to make a real difference in the world, where do you go from here?  

Liz fondly remembers her first Antarctic trip with Intrepid back in 2017.  

We landed in South Georgia… And I got out of the Zodiac and just sat down and started to cry.

‘We landed in South Georgia, and we went to this place called St Andrews Bay, which has half a million king penguins on this beach and big glacial mountains behind it.’ 

‘There were albatross flying around, elephant seals farting and making noise in the sand, and there were just so many penguins. And I got out of the Zodiac and just sat down and started to cry.’  

That’s the moment Liz knew she wanted more of this. 

Coming full circle, Liz recently joined Intrepid in Antarctica again. This time, not as an influencer but as a guide, sharing her knowledge of nature and conservation with a new generation of wide-eyed travellers. 

When I ask what she loves most about her role, she sincerely tells me she loves inspiring people to care, to really care, about the places they’re seeing. 

‘It’s really cool to see everyone come on board and not know that much or just come into it like eyes wide open and then watch them leave, and they’re just so excited – every moment was important to them.’ 

‘I also love seeing the whales… alive and happy,’ she smiles. 

When she’s not driving Zodiacs and hanging with penguins in Antarctica, Liz is working with brands aligned with her mission and sharing important messages that are helping to ‘build an army’ of conscious travellers. She’s also about to write her second book (as you do). 

I’m not sure what the latest generation of kids dream of becoming when they grow up, but I wouldn’t be surprised if those who follow Liz have aspirations to build a life of adventure like her – exploring wild places and ignoring the naysayers. 

Travellers can catch Liz, alongside Intrepid’s brilliant team of guides, on a selection of trips in Antarctica next season. You can also find her on Instagram and read more on her blog, Young Adventuress .   

All images supplied by Liz Carlson.

Feeling inspired?

Danielle McDonald

Dani is a copywriter and storyteller whose love for words is matched only by her love for travel. She's gone far and wide in the pursuit of adventure and, to dig a little deeper into local cultures, she's lived in several countries around the world. She's now based on the sunny Gold Coast, Australia, although she still feels most at home when she's on the road.

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A guide to dreamy stargazing adventures in L.A. and beyond

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I’ll never forget my first stargazing experience in Southern California. It was during a spring camping trip to Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, not long after nearby Borrego Springs was designated the state’s first dark sky community in 2009. There were no telescopes or binoculars to enhance the view; yet the night sky was like nothing I had seen before — an endless array of shimmering stars against a black-velvet backdrop. It was hard to believe we were only about 150 miles from L.A.

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Since then, I have discovered there is no shortage of excellent stargazing spots in Southern California. (And even the rare opportunity to see the aurora borealis or a solar eclipse !) But the variety of options, locations and organized events can be overwhelming, especially if you’re new to the area or the hobby.

This roundup focuses on what to expect in the celestial skies over the next few months and how to plan accordingly to maximize your chance of spotting some spectacular sights. Whether it’s a public star party at Griffith Observatory or a private astronomer-led tour in Joshua Tree, there is a proverbial universe of activities to meet your desires (and, hopefully, your schedule).

An off-season for planets

In general, this summer won’t be very impressive for planet viewing, says Tim Thompson, a science advisor at Mt. Wilson Observatory. (Though take note, on June 3 around dawn Jupiter, Mars and Saturn will be visible in the eastern sky.)

Instead, the main attraction will be the Milky Way. Thompson says the starry band is typically the most prominent object in the northern hemisphere summer sky and best viewed in remote locations like the Southern California desert between July and September.

The fuller the moon, the less visible the stars. In Joshua Tree, the best moonless nights for observing the Milky Way are the first eight days of June, July and August. The national park has designated stargazing areas , or you can line up private tours with experienced guides.

The desert is also an ideal place to view the perseids , the reliably spectacular meteor shower that sends bright trails of light streaking across the sky every summer. Last August’s perseid show drew record crowds to Joshua Tree. This summer, the perseids are expected to peak on Aug. 11 and 12, but they won’t be as luminous as last year’s shower since the moon will be about 50% full.

Local stargazing options

Neither the Milky Way nor the perseids will be visible in the city of Los Angeles, but there are still plenty of opportunities here to witness the wonders of the night sky.

Griffith Observatory hosts star parties once a month (there’s one this Saturday from 2 to 9:45 p.m.). Its Zeiss refracting telescope is open for public viewing, along with about 30 high-powered telescopes operated by local astronomy groups on the west lawn. It’s a chance to see a variety of views of the night sky, each one slightly different, notes Spencer SooHoo of the Los Angeles Astronomical Society (LAAS). “People are thrilled when they see the moon for the first time through a telescope,” he says. On any given evening (except Monday) up to three observatory staff members set up and run telescopes on the observatory lawn between 7 and 9:30 p.m.

A lesser-known local spot is Garvey Ranch Observatory in Monterey Park. Run by LAAS, it’s open for stargazing every Wednesday evening from 7:30 to 10 p.m. There’s even a broadcast feed for those who can’t climb the narrow steps to the observatory’s 8-inch refractor telescope. Admittedly, there’s some light pollution, but it’s a great place to chat with experts and get help setting up your own telescope.

Up on Mt. Wilson, the observatory’s summer roster includes public ticket nights , which allow a limited number of visitors access to its historic 60-inch and 100-inch telescopes. Tickets, which range from $110 to $230, sell out fast. But more nights will be added throughout the summer.

Still want more info on stargazing? The Griffith Observatory’s website is a terrific resource, with monthly sky reports and links to dozens of active local astronomy clubs and planetariums. And don’t forget to check the weather. Dense clouds and the marine layer (also known as June gloom ) will dim your prospects for a starry night.

3 things to do

1. Ride a bike or take a stroll near the Port of Los Angeles CicLAvia is holding a mini-version of its popular car-free events Sunday and shutting down a 2.75-mile stretch of the neighborhood of Wilmington between its Waterfront Park and Banning Park. Expect a pedestrian-focused experience featuring street games, music, art activities and free tours of the historic Banning Museum. It all takes place between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. For more information, visit ciclavia.org .

2. Clean up the San Gabriel River in Whittier Last year, Heal the Bay volunteers removed more than 22,000 pounds of trash from the L.A. watershed. The environmental group is taking its mission inland on Saturday with a trash cleanup event from 10 a.m. to noon at the San Gabriel River near Whittier Narrows Recreation Area. Anyone is welcome to help pick up plastic and other harmful items before they get washed downstream to the San Pedro Bay. Supplies will be provided and environmental educators will be on hand to explain water’s journey from the Sierras to the Santa Monica Bay. You can register at healthebay.org .

3. Take a wilderness walk in Redondo Beach Just a few blocks from the ocean, Hopkins Wilderness Park is a peaceful 11-acre natural area with four ecological habitats, including a pond, forest and meadows. On Monday, representatives from the South Bay Parkland Conservancy will lead a free hourlong walk through the park aimed at promoting the health benefits of connecting with nature and the community. Also sponsored by the Beach Cities Health District, the walk begins at 10:15 a.m. and you can register at bchd.org .

The must-read

Blue and humpback whales typically arrive in Southern California in May from their breeding grounds in Mexico and hang out until December. Here’s a timely article by Times reporter Hayley Smith about the profound effect that noise pollution caused by cargo ships can have on whales and other creatures that pass through the Santa Barbara Channel . A study found that the once-quiet environment of the channel is about 30 times louder than it once was, and that can reduce an animal’s ability to detect and interpret sounds used to mate, feed and migrate. Sean Hastings of the Channel Islands Marine Sanctuary said the findings drive home the need for slower ship speeds and other efforts to mitigate ocean noise and protect wildlife.

Happy adventuring,

The L.A. Times just published its 101 best West Coast experiences , a guide to essential things to do in Baja, California, Oregon, Washington and British Columbia. A few of travel writer Christopher Reynolds’ favorite adventures: communing with whales in Baja, paddling rapids on the South Fork of the American River, hiking beneath the falls in Yosemite’s Hetch Hetchy Valley and walking above a misty forest on Vancouver’s Capilano Suspension Bridge. Check out the whole list here . Or if you’d prefer a print copy, you can now pre-order the “West Coast 101” zine, which is the perfect size to pack in your travel bag.

For more insider tips on Southern California’s beaches, trails and parks, check out past editions of The Wild . And to view this newsletter in your browser, click here .

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We’ll help you find the best places to hike, bike and run, as well as the perfect silent spots for meditation and yoga.

Laura Randall is a Los Angeles-based writer and author of several Southern California hiking guides. She has written about hiking and travel for a variety of newspapers and magazines and is the author of “60 Hikes 60 Miles: Los Angeles” and the Wilderness Press guide to the Pacific Crest Trail in Southern California. When she’s not hiking, she can usually be found reading L.A. noir novels at the beach or being walked by a headstrong golden retriever named Boris.

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Choose your own adventure: Where to go and how to save on summer vacations

Revenge travel is so last year.

“It's not necessarily about just getting out of the house anymore,” said Sydney Stanback, Global Insights and Trends lead at Pinterest, which has seen more than 1 billion travel searches and more than 10 billion travel saves over the past year. 

Sure, many of the usual suspects are once again among the most popular destinations across multiple search engines this year, but she said this summer, “It's more so about traveling with intention.” 

According to NerdWallet’s Summer 2024 Travel Report , 45% of Americans plan to take a trip requiring a hotel stay or flight this summer with expenses averaging just under $3,600. A fifth of those travelers expect to go into debt to pay for vacations.

Here’s what to consider when booking a summer trip, including where to go, when to travel and how to save:

Learn more: Best travel insurance

What is the best place to travel in summer? 

The answer is subjective, especially this summer.

“Everyone's kind of choosing their own adventure based off of what their needs are for travel,” Stanback said. 

Pinterest’s Summer 2024 Travel Report found summer travelers are most interested in adventure, exploring mysterious or uncharted destinations, and rest. Searches for “quiet life” jumped 530%, but that doesn’t mean the same thing to everyone.

“My mother actually just took a yoga retreat to Panama,” Stanback said. “That's what she needed to do in order to get the rest that she needed and the well-being that she needed. But for me, when I think of rest and restoration, I simply think about going to a beach spa and just sitting and being by myself.”

Solo travel remains popular. Solo travel searches reached an all-time high in Google in January, but again, not for everyone.

“For Gen Z specifically, that need is to gather and reconnect with their community because they were in isolation for so long and during very meaningful moments in their lives,” Stanback said. She noted group travel and road trips are of keen interest to Gen Z.

“It's not necessarily about traveling and going out and going to restaurants and going to bars and clubs,” she added. “We actually see that a lot with younger generations. They’re kind of stepping away from that and really considering their well-being when they're taking time off.”

Where do most tourists go in summer?

Expedia’s Summer Outlook and Google Flights identified the same cities among their most searched summer 2024 destinations based on flights, though rankings varied by platform.

Top 5 domestic destinations 

◾ Orlando, Florida

◾ Los Angeles

◾ Las Vegas

Top 5 international destinations

◾ Cancun, Mexico

◾ Paris, host of the Summer Olympics

Allianz Partners found slightly different results in their analysis of “more than six million flight itineraries for trips between five and eight days in length for travel booked between Memorial Day weekend and Labor Day.”

Instead of LA and Vegas, Allianz named Boston and Honolulu among this summer’s top five domestic destinations. Internationally, San Jose del Cabo, Mexico; Oranjestad, Aruba; and Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, made Allianz’s top five, instead of Rome, Paris and Tokyo.

“I am expecting crowds to rival last summer's in popular overseas cities,” Expedia’s travel expert Melanie Fish said, noting how places like Barcelona and Venice are trying to curb overtourism. “They're trying fees and if that's not enough, they're going to have to go even further.”

How can I save on a trip?

Summer trips are already costly for many travelers. “Americans with household income under $100,000 accounted for nearly half (46%) of intended leisure travel spend in summer 2023,” according to Deloitte’s Facing travel’s future report from April.

Expedia’s Fish shared five tips for booking summer 2024 vacations:

◾ Bundle your trip. Booking airfare and a hotel at the same time can earn you deep discounts.

◾ Travel midweek or later in the summer if it's an option. You'll save money and save yourself from fighting crowds. 

◾ Fly early in the day … The early bird who takes the first flight of the day will typically get a better price and a lower chance of delays and cancellations.

◾ Book once, earn twice. You can stack rewards from your travel credit card (and) your airline.

◾ Just go. Don't pressure yourself to create the trip of a lifetime … Do it in a bite-sized chunk if possible. 

'Expensive in every way': What travelers should expect this summer

How far ahead should I book travel?

“The sweet spot is now,” Fish said. “We're within that 21- to 60-day pre-travel window to save around 15% on airfare, so now is the time to plan. That means ready, set, but maybe wait until August to actually go.”

She said travelers can save an average of $250 on international flights if they wait until the peak summer travel season passes. 

“It's 15% cheaper on average to fly domestically in August versus June, 30% cheaper to fly to Europe in late summer, and 55% cheaper to fly to Mexico and the Caribbean in August,” she said. “Of course, August is peak hurricane season , so that has something to do with that price dip.”

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From scratch: adventures in harvesting, hunting, fishing, and foraging on a fragile planet audible audiobook – unabridged.

In an effort to help us reconnect with the food that sustains our lives, David Moscow has spent four years going around the world, meeting with rock star chefs, and sourcing ingredients within local food ecosystems—experiences taking place in over twenty countries that include milking a water buffalo to make mozzarella for pizza in Italy; harvesting oysters in Long Island Sound, and honey from wild bees in Kenya; and making patis in the Philippines, beer in Malta, and sea salt in Iceland.

Moscow takes us on deep dives (sometimes literally) with fisherfolk, farmers, scientists, community activists, historians, hunters, and more, bringing back stories of the communities, workers, and environments involved—some thriving, some in jeopardy, all interconnected with food.

The result is this travel journal that marvels in the world around us while simultaneously examining the environmental issues, cultural concerns, and overlooked histories intertwined with the food we eat to survive and thrive. Through the people who harvest, hunt, fish, and forage each day, we come to understand today's reality and tomorrow's risks and possibilities.

• Listening Length 8 hours and 43 minutes
• Author David Moscow, see all
• Narrator David Moscow
• Audible release date January 17, 2023
• Language English
• Publisher HighBridge, a division of Recorded Books
• ASIN B0BRYNQRD8
• Version Unabridged
• Program Type Audiobook
• See all details

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A Gentleman in Moscow: What to expect from the Paramount+ series? Explored

A Gentleman in Moscow promises to be a fascinating story about a Russian Count banished to a hotel for life. The story is set against the backdrop of the Bolshevik Revolution. Ewan McGregor plays Count Alexander Rostov, a charming and well-mannered gentleman, punished to a life of confinement, in times of social and political upheaval.

The upcoming Paramount+ TV with Showtime series also stars Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Johnny Harris, Leah Harvey, and Beau Gadson in prominent roles. The eight-part mini-series will be released on Friday, March 29, 2024, with new episodes every week.

Which book is A Gentleman in Moscow based on?

The series is based on a 2016 novel of the same name by Amor Towles and revolves around a Russian count put under house arrest in a hotel attic. The book was among the New York Times bestsellers when it was released and received favorable reviews.

It was on the bestseller list for over 40 weeks, received wide critical praise, and was featured in several Best Books of the Year lists.

What is A Gentleman in Moscow TV mini-series about? Plot explored

It is set in Moscow, around the Bolshevik Revolution, when Alexander Rostow is arrested for writing counter-revolutionary poems. By the courtesy of a few powerful friends, he is spared from execution. But he is condemned to life imprisonment inside a hotel.

Count Rostow is a man of strong belief. He is always composed and is a perfect gentleman. Rostow spends decades in this hotel but never loses his refined manners. His time in the grand Hotel Metropol leads to interesting encounters and charming conversations.

This unique setting is aided by the themes of freedom and hope and is told through intriguing characters, captivating scenes, and smart dialogues.

What to expect from A Gentleman in Moscow TV mini-series?

The show looks visually stunning in the trailer, with elements of suspense, drama, comedy, and political intrigue. Here's what fans can expect from the series.

1) Suspense

The Russian Revolution was one of the most important events in the history of the world. It marked an end to the reign of the Romanovs and the beginning of socialist rule under Vladimir Lenin.

The revolution flipped the country's politics, not just with the hammer and sickle, but also with gunpowder and bullets. The powerful lost power, and the aristocracy became a symbol of vulgar opulence, class oppression, and corruption.

The story about a noble aristocrat set in that era is bound to give the audience elements of suspense. One wrong move or word can become a matter of life and death.

2) Playful relationships (young girl helping him escape the hotel)

The trailer also featured Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Beau Gadson, Leah Harvey, etc, as characters who would encounter Rostow in his imprisonment. The unusual relationships the protagonist builds with the people around him will be a source of interest for the viewers.

The trailer showed a young girl helping Rostow escape from the hotel. Would they succeed or end up in front of a firing squad?

3) Plot twist (Entry of the actress)

Mary Elizabeth Winstead plays Anna Urbanova, an actress who 'stars in bad movies', as said by one of the characters in the trailer. She catches Rostow's attention upon her arrival at The Metropol Hotel . The diva and the prisoner incite steamy stares and flirtatious exchanges. During his confinement at the Metropol, her presence stir things around.

4) Meaning and Symbolism

"They can take away everything, but they can't take away who you are."

When a nation adopts a new ideology and undergoes a socio-political transition, new symbols of unity are simultaneously created. This story, spanning over three decades primarily, revolves around the protagonist's struggle to preserve his identity against those who want to erase it.

What happens when the world you were born into becomes nothing more than a memory? In A Gentleman in Moscow, Amor Towles uses subtle moments of clever comedy to elevate the humane drama. The trailer promises to be an honest attempt to bring the brilliant book to life .

A Gentleman in Moscow will be released on Paramount+ on March 29, 2024.

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Meesapulimala beckons adventure lovers to its scintillating peaks

Visitors have been flocking to Meesapulimala, the tourist spot that gained a must-see destination status after Dulquer Salmaan's character spoke about it in the film Charlie. The misty spot, which is 24 km from Munnar, is renowned for its picturesque scenery and cool drizzles. One of the tallest peaks in South India, Meesapulimala is also the hotspot of the highly adventurous. The rain clouds look fluffy and beautiful from atop the hill. Meanwhile, the Kerala Forest Development Corporation organises exciting trekking trips to Meesapulimala. Trekkers need to reach the Rhodo Mansion in Silent Valley from Munnar in an off-road vehicle. The remaining four kilometres stretch consists mostly of 'motta kunnu' or hillocks. Two-wheelers aren’t permitted here.

A popular shooting spot Meesapulimala has been one of the top destinations for movie-makers in the country for the last couple of years. Rohit Shetty's blockbuster 'Chennai Express' was shot here. Meesapulimala has been a favourite in the Tamil movie industry too. Dhanush romances Amyra Dastur in the song ' Roja Kadale' from the movie Anegan here. Dulqur Salman's movie Vai Moodi Pesuvam was also shot here. How to book Those who need to see the sunrise should reach Rhodo Mansion (base camp) at 5.30 am. The trekking begins from 9 am onwards. Rs 1,000 is charged per head for the trek and Rs 2,360 for tent camping. For three meals, accommodation, trekking and the service of a guide, Sky Cottage and Rhodo Mansion charge Rs 3,540. Book the trek at this website . Contact details: Kerala Forest Development Corporation Munnar Office Ph: +91 4865 230332

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