travel memoirs

Passions and Places

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12 Inspiring Travel Memoirs to Fuel Your Wanderlust

December 14, 2019 By Jen Ambrose 27 Comments

Updated February 12, 2024

For me, one of the small silver linings of the early days of the pandemic is that I finally got into the habit of reading. I’ve always loved books and reading, but it wasn’t until 2020 that it became part of my daily routine.

Now, I read almost every night before bed, and listen to audiobooks while cooking or cleaning, walking, driving, and riding on buses, planes, or trains. I’m usually in the middle of at least four books and one or two audiobooks at any given time. (Add me on Goodreads if you’re on there!)

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In a surprise to absolutely nobody, travel memoirs are one of my favorite genres – especially female travel memoirs, I think because their perspectives tend to resonate more. Likewise, there are some great fiction travel books out there, but I find it a lot easier to relate to non-fiction. Reading about things that actually happened and hearing a real person’s reflections just leaves a bigger impact on me, at least when it comes to travel stories.

For me, books about traveling are both a huge source of inspiration and a means of reflecting on my own experiences. I love reading about the types of travel experiences I’ve had myself and places where I’ve spent time. But I also love hearing about experiences I’ll probably never have (like sailing around the world, biking across the country, and working as a flight attendant).

My “To Read” list in this genre is literally never-ending, and I still haven’t read some of the obvious picks – like Bill Bryson’s In a Sunburned Country (which I do plan to read) and J. Maarten Troost’s The Sex Lives of Cannibals (which I don’t ). And one day I’ll re-read Elizabeth Gilbert’s Eat, Pray, Love to see how differently it lands now, compared to when I read it as a 20-year-old on study abroad in 2007.

But I wanted to share some of the best travel memoirs I’ve read so far. (Update: And I’m always adding to this list!) Whether you’re looking for serious travel inspiration, a fun vacation read, or gifts for travelers who love to read, one of these will surely be the perfect pick.

• 1. Love with a Chance of Drowning – Torre DeRoche

2. Kinky Gazpacho – Lori L. Tharps

• 3. The Yellow Envelope – Kim Dinan

4. Wild – Cheryl Strayed

• 5. Free Country – George Mahood
• 6. Cruising Attitude – Heather Poole
• 7. A Thousand New Beginnings – Kristin Addis
• 8. How Not to Travel the World – Lauren Juliff
• 9. Turn Right at Machu Picchu – Mark Adams
• 10. It’s Only the Himalayas – Sue Bedford
• 11. Adventures of a Continental Drifter – Elliott Hester
• 12. All Over the Map – Laura Fraser

More Memoirs About Traveling

The best travel memoirs, 1. love with a chance of drowning   –  torre deroche.

This is one of those travel books about an experience I don’t plan to ever have. While living in California, Torre falls in love with an Argentinian man whose dream is to sail around the world in his little boat named Gracie .

She’s prone to seasickness and terrified of deep water, but agrees to go on the journey anyway. They spend weeks at a time on the water with no land in sight, subsist on a diet mostly devoid of fresh fruits and vegetables, and brave storms that nearly capsize the sailboat.

While their time on the water is sometimes challenging, Torre and Ivan reap serious rewards, too. They make their way through the South Pacific, visiting idyllic islands that are pretty much only reachable by sailboat and far removed from globalization and mainstream tourism.

I also really enjoyed Torre’s follow-up, The Worrier’s Guide to the End of the World , which is a memoir about travel of a totally different kind. Instead of sailing, it’s mostly about walking pilgrimages – and instead of romance, there’s grief, heartbreak, and female friendship. I would recommend them both, but start with Love with a Chance of Drowning .

Recommended for anyone who dreams of sailing the world or just visiting a remote tropical paradise – and it’s the perfect choice if you’re searching for gifts for outdoorsy women !

There are travel memoirs that relay the story of a trip, and then there are those that weave history, culture, and personal identity with adventure. This book is definitely the latter.

Lori’s story starts with her childhood in Wisconsin, where she’s (no surprise) the only Black student at her school. She’s enamored with Spain from her first Spanish class, but her relationship to the country gets more complicated when she studies abroad there.

The book is a candid account of Lori’s experiences as an African-American in Spain, first as a student, then as part of a blended family over the years, and even as an investigative journalist uncovering the country’s hidden history of slavery. Reading this made me incredibly nostalgic for my year abroad in college, and it helped me think about travel from a perspective that’s totally different from my own.

Recommended for anyone who’s interested in Spain or the Black travel experience  – and this would be a great book club pick!

3. The Yellow Envelope   –  Kim Dinan

When I read this book, I related to it so much. Then I noticed a stark polarization in the reviews: people either related deeply to it like I did, or they absolutely loathed both the story and the author. Interesting.

Like many of the other writers on this list, Kim wanted something different than the career, house, wealth, and other material things we’re told we’re supposed to work for. So, she and her husband left their jobs and their home to explore around the world.  (Um, you’re probably starting to see why I related to it so much!)

They travel from Ecuador to India and many countries in between, sometimes staying in places they love for weeks at a time. The book chronicles their adventures and missteps, the people they meet, and Kim’s reflections on everything from travel to body image to her sometimes-difficult relationship with her husband.

Recommended for anyone who’s thinking of traveling long-term with a partner

I listened to Cheryl Strayed’s Pacific Crest Trail memoir while Ryan and I were walking the Camino de Santiago, which made it feel especially poignant (even though I was reminded every day of how the challenges of the Camino pale in comparison to thru-hiking!).

There are plenty of adventure memoirs out there, so why did Wild become a household name? The writing is beautiful, the stories are entertaining, and the insights are profound.

But I think it’s also because this book is fully a hiking memoir and also fully a memoir of Cheryl’s often-troubled life before the hike – and both threads are incredibly compelling. Interspersed with the PCT journey are her reflections on her unstable childhood, drug abuse, relationships, and most notably, her mother’s death from cancer at age 45.

My only gripe? That Cheryl Strayed didn’t narrate the audiobook herself! I always hate when memoirs are narrated by someone other than the author, especially when the author’s voice is already familiar.

Recommended for anyone who’s grieving, overcoming addiction, or interested in thru-hiking

5. Free Country   –  George Mahood

If funny travel memoirs are what you’re after, this is the one for you. I laughed out loud more than once while reading it, and really, I don’t see how you couldn’t. The premise? George somehow convinces his pal that it would be a fun adventure to cycle the 1,000 miles across Great Britain – with the completely absurd stipulation that they can’t spend any money.

Instead of letting the actual bike ride be enough of a challenge, they start in southern England with nothing – no bicycles, no food, not even any clothes (except their “pants,” as the British would say). The plan is to acquire those things along the way.

Throughout their journey, George and Ben make new friends, encounter all kinds of characters (or maybe they are  the characters), receive help from strangers, and get into more unlikely and hilarious situations than I can count.

George has another book called Not Tonight, Josephine , about road-tripping through the U.S., and it’s equally full of random mishaps, funny stories, and obscure places. It was also a great read, but I’d go with Free Country if I had to recommend just one.

Recommended for anyone who wants both entertainment and a reminder of the goodness in humanity

*The Kindle version of Free Country is currently available for free through Kindle Unlimited!

6. Cruising Attitude   –  Heather Poole

Heather spent 15 years working as a flight attendant, so she has plenty of fodder for this tell-all book about the job. From the strenuous training and hiring process to the high expectations and demanding schedules, being a flight attendant is not as glamorous as it might seem.

Packed with stories of drama involving passengers, pilots, flight attendants, and airlines (both in the air and on the ground), this book is as funny as it is eye-opening. Plus, it’s a quick and easy read – perfect for your next flight !

Recommended for anyone who’s ever been on a plane

7. A Thousand New Beginnings  – Kristin Addis

Kristin is the writer behind a travel blog I used to read while sitting in my office at my old job in Boston (yes, when I was supposed to be working), so I was excited when her book came out. The book follows her initial solo travel journey, a 10-month backpacking trip through Southeast Asia in her mid-20s.

Based largely on Kristin’s old journal entries, the book takes you on a day-by-day journey across Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Indonesia, and the Philippines, often to places far from the tourist trail. Some of the stories that stood out to me covered a silent meditation retreat in Thailand, a wild motorcycle trip, and all kinds of scuba diving adventures. With short chapters, it’s a quick and easy read, but an inspirational one that makes both solo female travel and long-term travel feel attainable.

Recommended for anyone who’s interested in solo travel or getting off the beaten path

*The Kindle version of A Thousand New Beginnings is currently just $2.99 on Amazon!

8. How Not to Travel the World   – Lauren Juliff

Another book by a  popular blogger , this one has a decidedly different bent. Lauren calls herself a walking disaster, and after reading her travel stories, it’s easy to see why. While she’s on the road, she gets scammed, attacked by sandflies, bitten by fish, caught up in a tsunami scare, and has a host of other problems.

In fairness, maybe some of Lauren’s disasters were the result of her carelessness or her sometimes shocking level of naiveté. . But anyone who’s felt unlucky or out of their element will relate to many of the stories, and the way Lauren faces her fears and challenges herself to grow and change is enormously inspiring. By the end of the book, you can’t help but admire her.

Recommended for anyone who feels anxious or insecure about traveling

9. Turn Right at Machu Picchu   –  Mark Adams

This was the slowest read of the books on this list, but that’s only because the travel narrative is accompanied by meticulously researched historical context on Peru. Travel writing that manages to simultaneously inspire a deep sense of adventure and provide a serious education is rare, but this book pulled it off.

Mark sets out to recreate the first recorded expedition to Machu Picchu – which is a massive undertaking for someone who’d never even been camping before (!). As he travels the Sacred Valley, he relies on his guides, treks to areas rarely visited by foreigners, and learns enough history to write a book (literally). It sounds like his books on traveling Alaska and searching for Atlantis are a similar mix of historical research and adventure memoir.

Recommended for anyone who loves history or hopes to visit Machu Picchu

10. It’s Only the Himalayas   –  Sue Bedford

Sue tells the story of a year-long trip she takes with her friend Sara, partly in an attempt to escape her waitressing job and try to figure out what she wants to do with her life. In one of the more memorable sections, the two are joined by their aging fathers to trek the Annapurna Circuit in Nepal, despite all four of them being utterly unprepared. They also tour Southern Africa, study meditation at an ashram in India , and unexpectedly take part in a death ritual on Borneo.

While I have to admit that parts of the second half of the book devolved into a blur of parties, drugs, and hook-ups with little attention to the actual countries Sue and Sara visit, the first half chronicles some seriously inspiring adventures.

Recommended for anyone planning to travel long-term with a friend

11. Adventures of a Continental Drifter   –  Elliott Hester

Another funny travel memoir, this one is truly a round-the-world story. After Elliott leaves his job as a flight attendant in the wake of 9/11, he spends a year traveling solo and ends up visiting more than 20 countries. He seems to be one of those people who just keeps encountering unexpected things on the road, and he writes about it all with a self-deprecating sense of humor that you can’t help but enjoy.

The book is a series of short stories, with tales from places as diverse as Argentina, Ethiopia, and French Polynesia. It’s a quick and easily-digestible read, and each story will keep you guessing. His first book is a behind-the-scenes peek into air travel and the life of a flight attendant, and it looks like it’s just entertaining.

Recommended for anyone who’s thought of leaving everything behind to travel the world

12. All Over the Map   –  Laura Fraser

This story of a solo female traveler breaks the mold of the 20-something globetrotter, something I’m coming to appreciate more and more. When Laura turns 40 at the beginning of the book, she’s already found career success and is torn between searching for love and wanting to be independent. So, she travels, sometimes on writing assignments, sometimes for love, and sometimes simply for the adventure.

No stranger to memoirs of travel, Laura’s even better known for her first book,  An Italian Affair , which tells the beginning of her story of post-divorce travel and romance .

Recommended for anyone who dreams of travel and romance

Like I said, my “To-Read” list of memoirs about travel is never-ending – and these are some of the next ones on the list! Since I haven’t read any of these yet and can’t personally recommend them, I’m including the Goodreads rating for each one.

Catfish and Mandala – Andrew X. Pham (4/5) : After his sister’s suicide, Andrew quits his job to take a year-long bicycle trip, eventually heading to their father’s home country of Vietnam. Cycling from Saigon to Hanoi, the trip becomes his search for cultural identity.

A Cook’s Tour – Anthony Bourdain (4.1/5) : I’ve read (actually, listened to) two of Anthony Bourdain’s books and loved them both, especially Kitchen Confidential . This one was his first travel memoir, and I can’t wait to read it; I’m just sad he’ll never be able to record it.

Around the World in 80 Trains – Monisha Rajesh (3.8/5) : The title is literal – there really are 80 train journeys, covering 45,000 miles (twice the circumference of the earth). Monisha and her fiancé ride everything from Amtrak to the Trans-Mongolian to the world’s highest-elevation railway in Tibet.

Four Corners – Kira Salak (4/5) : Papua New Guinea is one of the least-visited countries in the world, and Kira spent three months traversing it solo. This is a book about places, people, and cultures you’re unlikely to read about anywhere else.

The Cat Who Went to Paris – Peter Gethers (4.1/5) : This was published in 1991, and is exactly what it sounds like. I can’t believe I haven’t read it yet. Former cat-hater Peter receives a kitten named Norton as a gift, falls in love with him, and from then on, they go everywhere together, including Paris.

What are the best travel memoirs you’ve read? Share your recommendations in the comments!

About Jen Ambrose

Jen Ambrose was born and raised in Montana, but has lived on both coasts and abroad. She and Ryan got married in 2016, and promptly got rid of their stuff, quit their office jobs, and left their Boston apartment to travel long-term. Now, they travel together (and occasionally apart) while working remotely, often housesitting along the way. Jen previously served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Rwanda and earned a Masters degree in International Development - both of which have shaped her passion for responsible tourism. She's also a yoga teacher and personal trainer, working both online and in many of the places she visits.

July 4, 2022 at 4:40 am

Heya, thanks for sharing your list and introducing me to a genre, which I’m usually not too fond of. I’ve tried Bill Bryson but couldn’t get access to his writing. The story about the waitress who ends up climbing a mountain unprepared sounds very much like me. I often run naively into travel mishaps but afterward they do make for the best stories, so I may give this one a try!

July 5, 2022 at 1:38 pm

In that case, I think you’ll definitely enjoy that one! 😀

December 1, 2021 at 2:22 pm

Thanks for sharing this list – I love these kinds of books and have already read several of those you’ve listed. (And now am adding the rest of them to my to-be-read list :o) Also I’d love to suggest my own family travel memoir – it’s about the 3+ years that my family spent living in a camper van driving from California to Argentina. “Monkeys on the Road: One family’s vanlife adventure south in search of a simpler life” by Mary Hollendoner. I’ll message you directly Jen to see if you might like to read it. If my comment is too self-promotional please delete it!

May 12, 2020 at 10:09 pm

I love this list! There’s some I’ve read and others I haven’t–the perfect list for right now when we can’t travel! Thanks for sharing (also saw that you’re a fellow Montanan from Practical Wanderlust).

May 14, 2020 at 9:13 pm

Thanks for commenting, Alex! I’m trying hard to find silver linings of the lockdowns, and reading more has definitely been one of them. 🙂 Where in Montana are you from? We both grew up in Great Falls, but Ryan also lived in Bozeman for quite a while and we love going back to visit!

May 14, 2020 at 9:22 pm

That’s so funny! I great up in Kalispell–been to both Great Falls and Bozeman many times, though. Love catching up with fellow Montanans!

May 14, 2020 at 9:36 pm

Ditto! And I’m looking forward to following your blog! 🙂

January 9, 2020 at 6:08 am

Thank you for sharing this! So many memoirs on here I have never heard of and they sound amazing. Will be checking my library for these titles now!

January 10, 2020 at 3:28 am

You’re welcome! Hope you find one you like 😀

December 22, 2019 at 10:49 pm

I really need to start reading all the wonderful books I keep hearing about, I get inspired just reading the summaries but I never seem to get around to it. That one about the guys who biked with no money sounds awesome, that’s definitely going to be the first one I check out!

If you like road trip stories, I’d recommend Chuck Klosterman’s “Killing Yourself To Live”.

January 2, 2020 at 9:22 am

Ooh, I haven’t heard of Killing Yourself to Live – thanks for the rec!

December 22, 2019 at 2:59 pm

Thanks for the great recommendations. This is a reminder that I definitely don’t read enough travel memoirs! I’ll be adding some of these to my list to keep me occupied on my 2020 travel!

December 22, 2019 at 9:45 pm

No better time to read one than on a trip! 🙂

December 21, 2019 at 6:58 pm

Can;t travel without books. Thanks for the great, great list! And keep it up!

December 22, 2019 at 2:14 am

Thanks Elsa! 🙂

December 21, 2019 at 2:44 pm

Great list! I will have to add some of those to my reading list, thanks for sharing!

December 22, 2019 at 2:13 am

Thanks for commenting! 🙂

December 21, 2019 at 2:01 pm

I feel like I already have wanderlust right now, but I’m definitely looking forward to adding these to my to-read list! The only one I’ve read so far is Wild!

December 22, 2019 at 2:12 am

I can’t believe I still haven’t read Wild!

December 21, 2019 at 10:54 am

Oh I love a book that gives me wanderlust. It was the book I am David that first inspired me to travel as a young girl.

Oh, I haven’t heard of that one – I’m going to look it up!

December 21, 2019 at 4:27 am

Travel Memoirs are an addiction of mine! I’ve read some of these but not all. I’ve just added a bunch to my list 🙂

December 22, 2019 at 2:11 am

Mine too! Usually I finish reading one book, and then add about 10 new ones on Goodreads. 😀

December 20, 2019 at 9:54 am

I’m always looking for new travel reads so this was great! Thank you for posting!

December 21, 2019 at 3:43 am

Thanks for commenting, Mary! Hope you find one you like! 🙂

December 15, 2019 at 7:55 am

Beautiful! I love your list, and I’m inspired to pick at least a couple of them and read. Thanks for sharing!

December 20, 2019 at 7:47 am

Hope you like them as much as I did! 🙂

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12 Best Travel Memoirs of All Time

There are several life-changing books that have shook my being and made me question everything I have known to be true. Written words that have pushed me to keep going, travel solo and be the woman I am today. I think it’s important to surround yourself with people who motivate and inspire you. At first, those people might be authors.

I hope you find a book on the list to get lost in and befriend whether you’re at home or on an adventure.

Note: I will update this list with every new book I fall in love with. Cheers!

This post may contain affiliate links. If you use my links, I get a small percentage without costing you a thing. Thank you for using my links and supporting my blog! xoxo

My Best Travel Memoirs List

A list of my personal favorite travel memoirs that I love and cherish. The first couple are classics, I’m sure most of you have read these BUT if you haven’t, here’s your sign!

Wild by Cheryl Strayed

Wild is about a woman’s 1,100-mile solo journey across the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) . Cheryl Strayed’s journey is beyond physical; it’s a journey of self-discovery, addiction recovery, and mourning the loss of her mother. The book is relatable, inspirational, and warning: may cause you to start planning a long-ass hike . Her words are comforting and hilarious, you feel as though you are with her on her solo journey.

I am a Cheryl Strayed super-fan. I had the privilege of seeing her on stage at Travel Con . Spoiler alert: she’s even more inspirational in person!!! She also has a podcast called Dear Sugar that I love and recommend checking out!

Click here to purchase Wild on Amazon

“I knew that if I allowed fear to overtake me, my journey was doomed. Fear, to a great extent, is born of a story we tell ourselves, and so I chose to tell myself a different story from the one women are told. I decided I was safe. I was strong. I was brave. Nothing could vanquish me.” cheryl strayed

Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert

Gilbert is struck with a feeling that her perfect life isn’t so perfect. She yearns for more, more adventure, more purpose, more meaning in her life. When she can’t run away from the feeling any longer, she quits everything; her job, her marriage, and her “normal” life. She books a trip to Italy (eat), India (pray), and Bali (love) to leap out of her comfort zone and rediscover herself.

I’ve read Eat Pray twice in English, once in Spanish (language learning tip: read a familiar novel for practice!), and watched the movie about 7 times. Some say it’s a cheesy travel novel but it completely changed my life. I bought Eat Pray Love just before my first solo backpacking trip and read it during my first weeks in Lima, Peru. This book is like an old friend, a book I reread from time to time when I need the company.

Tip: I recommend reading the book before watching the movie!!! (although, this is a good rule of thumb and applies to all the books I mention!)

Click here to purchase Eat Pray Love on Amazon

“When I get lonely these days, I think: So BE lonely, Liz. Learn your way around loneliness. Make a map of it. Sit with it, for once in your life. Welcome to the human experience. But never again use another person’s body or emotions as a scratching post for your own unfulfilled yearnings.” Elizabeth gilbert

Under The Tuscan Sun by Frances Mayes

Under the Tuscan Sun is a classic (a travel memoir OG). The story is about Frances Mayes who discovers her husband is cheating on her. To bring herself out of a deep depression, her best friend encourages her to take a trip to Tuscany. In Tuscany, Frances ends up impulsively buying and restoring a villa in the Tuscany countryside . *sounds like a good idea right about NOW*

If you feel like visiting Italy this summer, read Under The Tuscan Sun to escape into the warm Italian culture of delicious food, delightful people, and neighborhood markets.

Click here to purchase Under the Tuscan Sun on Amazon

“Life offers you a thousand chances… all you have to do is take one.” frances mayes

Ten Years A Nomad by Matthew Kepnes

Matt took a short vacation from his 9-5 to Thailand that changed the course of his life. On this trip, he realized that living life was more than buying a car, paying mortgage, and moving up the corporate ladder. His Thailand trip inspired him to embark on a year-long trip around the world. Over 500,000 miles, 1,000 hostels, and 90 different countries later, TEN YEARS had passed .

Ten Years a Nomad is about his 10-year journey as a nomad – stories and life philosophies he has learned along the way.

Nomadic Matt is one of my idols in the travel blogging space. I bought his Business of Travel Blogging Course (highly recommend!!!) and shortly after bought his book. I think Matt’s story is worth reading especially those who want to be a nomad or travel blogger. I think it’s always a good idea to read books written by the most successful in your industry. Although it’s not my favorite on the list, I think it’s worth the read.

Click here to purchase Tens Years a Nomad on Amazon

Vagabonding by Rolf Potts

Vagabonding is LOADED with everything you would ever need to be a budget, long-term traveler. It is an information goldmine. If you are apprehensive at all about being a nomad, this book will make you buy your plane ticket, sell your shit and fly one-way to Guatemala.

Click here to purchase Vagabonding on Amazon

“And let me tell you something. That first morning, when you are in your country of choice, away from all of the conventions of atypical, everyday lifestyle, looking around at your totally new surroundings, hearing strange languages, smelling strange, new smells, you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about. You’ll feel like the luckiest person in the world.” rolf potts

Into The Wild by Jon Krakauer

The synopsis is literally on the cover of the book which makes my life too easy. Anyways, this guy sells everything, gives up his entire life to live simply. By live simply, I mean he quite literally moved “Into The Wild.” *lol*

This one is a classic. The moral of the story (much like other travel memoirs) is to value experience over materialism and do whatever the hell makes you happy. Read it. It’s amazing.

Click here to purchase Into The Wild on Amazon

“Make a radical change in your lifestyle and begin to boldly do things which you may previously never have thought of doing, or been too hesitant to attempt. So many people live within unhappy circumstances and yet will not take the initiative to change their situation because they are conditioned to a life of security, conformity, and conservation, all of which may appear to give one peace of mind, but in reality, nothing is more damaging to the adventurous spirit within a man than a secure future. The very basic core of a man’s living spirit is his passion for adventure. The joy of life comes from our encounters with new experiences, and hence there is no greater joy than to have an endlessly changing horizon, for each day to have a new and different sun. If you want to get more out of life, you must lose your inclination for monotonous security and adopt a helter-skelter style of life that will at first appear to you to be crazy. But once you become accustomed to such a life you will see its full meaning and its incredible beauty.” jon krakaur

The Good Girl’s Guide to Getting Lost by Rachel Friedman

Rachel, just like many college graduates, has no idea what to do next. All her life she’s been “the good girl.” On a whim, she buys a ticket to Ireland and it changes the course of her life. She meets a free-spirited Aussie and they become fast friends. Three continents and many adventures later, Rachel finds a passion for travel, but more importantly, the ability to live in the moment.

Click here to go on an adventure with Rachel

“Before, some places just seemed too far, too difficult to reach, but once you start traveling, you never want to stop. You want to hear other people’s stories, see where they live, eat their food. You realize–and of course, it’s a cliche, but like many cliches, it’s true–the way we are all interconnected.” rachel friedman

Without Reservations by Alice Steinbach

Alice Steinbach decides she needs a change (don’t we all?). She quits her job as a journalist and buys a plane ticket to France. Her children are grown, she’s divorced, and she yearns for something different. Without Reservations details Steinbach’s yearlong adventure through Europe.

Click here to be inspired by Alice

“Women would be better off when they no longer needed men more than they needed their own independent identities…How long a time it took me after my divorce to understand that being alone is not the same as being lonely.” alice steinbach

What I Was Doing While You Were Breeding by Kristin Newman

Kristin Newman spent much of her twenties and thirties watching her best friends get married and produce babies. Not ready to settle down and in much need from an escape from her job (fun fact: she was a writer for That 70s Show!), Kristin chooses to travel the world for several weeks each year. Kristin falls in love with cultures, countries, and attractive local men. She shares the good, bad, and ugly of her adventures and sex-capades.

This was one of those books that you can’t put down. It will “ruin” your Saturday, you will cancel all your plans to finish this damn book. It takes a special author to be able to speak to you. I felt like I was Kristin’s best friend observing her life.

Warning: it may lead to sudden bursts of laughter, crying, and/or breaking up with your partner to travel the world.

Read this book if you: are almost 30 or in your 30s. You’re welcome.

Click here to buy my favorite book in the world on Amazon

“The experience also illuminated another fact: regardless of how you travel, as you get deeper into your thirties you might be the only person your age out on the road at all, whether it’s in the hostels with the twentysomethings, or on the fancy cruises with the sixtysomethings. In your fourth decade, your compatriots are mostly at home, working, raising humans, getting husbands through rehab, living for someone besides themselves.  Suckers.” Kristin newman

Bonus: Favorite Travel Memoirs Recommended By Female Travelers

Submissions from you guys. You’re the best. Thanks to everyone who contributed!!!

Thru-Hiking Will Break Your Heart by Carrot Quinn

Like so many people, Cheryl Strayed’s “Wild” introduced me to the idea of hiking the Pacific Crest Trail. Since then, I’ve read numerous memoirs about adventurers who’ve walked from Mexico to Canada. However, no book—nope, not even “Wild” itself—has captured my imagination and allowed me to so fully picture myself on the trail like Carrot Quinn’s “Thru-Hiking Will Break Your Heart.”

Anyone who has ever said “I want more for my life” will appreciate and admire Carrot’s last-minute decision to walk the PCT. Her stream of consciousness narration makes you feel like you’re contemplating a chilly dip in a glacial lake, summiting snow-covered mountains and crossing the storied Bridge of the Gods right alongside her. From periods and hiker hookups to getting sick and running out of supplies, Carrot doesn’t hold back while providing an honest and raw account of life on the trail.

To say Carrot is a likable narrator is an understatement. In some sections of the book, Carrot waxes philosophical about the beauty of nature and the meaning of life. Then, just a few pages later, she’s back to being a person doing her best to keep putting one foot in front of the other. Carrot’s relatability keeps me rereading and recommending this memoir. 

If you’re anything like me, the final pages will have you in tears and wishing for another 2,600 miles with Carrot Quinn.

Submitted by: Alex Wittman, Backpacking Brunette

Click here to check out Thru-Hiking Will Break Your Heart

It’s Only The Himalayas by S. Bedford

“It’s Only the Himalayas” by S. Bedford is a hilarious tale of two Canadian twenty-somethings traveling around southern Africa and East Asia for a year.   The subtitle says it all: “And other tales of miscalculation from an overconfident backpacker”.  Bedford dives into all the mishaps and shenanigans they got into because of the belief that they had already overcome the impossible: leaving their jobs to travel the world.  Everything else should be easy, right?  Like hiking in the Himalayas in Converse… nothing could possibly go wrong. 

This memoir resonated with me when I read it on the heels of my first big backpacking trip around Europe in 2015.  I arrived home feeling like I should visit Machu Picchu next, or tackle Kilimanjaro.  Why couldn’t I trek the Annapurna circuit without any training or fancy equipment?  I picked up this book and was delighted that someone else shared my excitement, but I quickly reigned it in as reality hit me.  I appreciated Bedford’s candor; it helped me reflect on whether there is a ‘right way to travel’.  In the end, no matter what misfortunes we as travelers bring upon ourselves, learning through travel is the best education there is.   

Submitted by: Alexandra, The Adventure Classroom

Click here to check out It’s Only The Himalayas

It’s What I Do: A Photographer’s Life of Love and War by Lynsey Addario

It’s What I Do: A Photographer’s Life of Love and War by Lynsey Addario is a fascinating memoir recounting Lynsey’s life as a photojournalist traveling to some of the most war-torn countries in the world. Lynsey’s courageous travels immediately drew me in – she doesn’t shy away from trying new things, being willing to fail, and walking straight into danger to pursue honest and moving journalism. She takes readers on her journey to shine a light on the lives of others – particularly women – in countries many will never get to visit.

As a young photographer, traveler, and feminist, every reread finds me more inspired by Lynsey’s ability to show how travel and photography can be hugely impactful in the world .

Submitted by: Jen, Glasses and Boarding Passes

Click here to check out It’s What I Do: A Photographer’s Life of Love and War

Another big thank you to those who contributed! Do you love travel memoirs? Have you read any of the books listed above? Have a favorite that’s not on the list? Comment below to share! <3

Need some new podcast recommendations? 18 Podcasts for Female Travelers (Updated 2020)

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13 Comments

The Traveling Tay

I loved reading this list! So many of my personal favorites & also some new reads that I can’t wait to check out. A personal recommendation is Love with a Chance of Drowning by Torre DeRoche. Torre’s story of leaving behind normal life to sail around the world with her new boyfriend continuously inspires me to take risks!

Chills! I want to read them all!!

Thanks a lot for sharing all these interesting titles, there are a few I haven’t read yet, perfect for my summer reading shopping list 🙂

Yay! Happy reading!!

What an inspiring post, I love it! I have read “into the wild” and I have to tell you that story still shakes me today. I recently watched Eat Pray Love on TV and the wanderlust came back.

Yesss love that movie!!! 💛💛💛

Jill Robbins

I’ve heard of some of these but there are lots of new ones for me to check out. Thanks for the recommendations.

Great list. I’d better get reading, I’ve only read two (Wild, and Into the Wild). If you’re looking for recommendations I’d say: We’ll Always Have Paris by Emma Beddington, and for a classic try A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway. Both great books, both very different but both loosely based around Paris.

Yeee thanks girl! 😊

My Favorite 50 Top Travel Memoirs - Fifty plus nomad

[…] are recommendations from Amazon, Smarter Traveler, Passion and Places, Courtney the Explorer, Matador Network, and CN […]

5 Travel Memoirs to Read When Your Stuck at Home – Choose 2 Wander

[…] in love with the world and has a slew of romances.  I’m excited to read this book because all reviews say it is an incredibly funny and frank book that is impossible to put […]

Mary Hollendoner

Thanks for sharing this list – I love these kinds of books and have already read several of those you’ve listed. (And now am adding the rest of them to my to-be-read list :o) Also I’d love to suggest my own family travel memoir – it’s about the 3+ years that my family spent living in a camper van driving from California to Argentina. “Monkeys on the Road: One family’s vanlife adventure south in search of a simpler life” by Mary Hollendoner. I’ll message you directly Courtney to see if you might like to read it. If my comment is too self-promotional please delete it!

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11 Travel Memoirs Written by Some of the World’s Most Adventurous Women

By Jen Rose Smith

All products featured on Condé Nast Traveler are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

All products featured on Condé Nast Traveler are independently selected by our editors. If you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Running behind a line of wild-eyed sled dogs, Blair Braverman skimmed over glaciers and Arctic plains. Cyclist Kate Harris ducked Tibetan army checkpoints as she pedaled between the Himalayas, while war reporter Martha Gellhorn wise-cracked across China by riverboat and rickety plane. In between, these authors struggled with self-doubt, found love, and pushed every possible boundary for a glimpse of wild and inspiring places.

The 11 travel memoirs of near misses and epic journeys that we've rounded up below, spanning the 1930s to today, are dispatches from the edges of the earth, and an open invitation for readers to dream big. Use them as a road map for browsing Iranian markets, spending nights under the Mongolian stars , or riding one of the world’s most iconic railways . Whether you’re planning a voyage of your own or piling up your fall reading list, these books are ideal companions for a trip into the unknown.

Lands of Lost Borders: A Journey on the Silk Road by Kate Harris

Pedaling alongside her childhood friend Mel Yule, Kate Harris covered 10 countries and 10,000 kilometers during a 10-month bicycle journey from Istanbul to India. While retracing the path of the ancient Silk Road trade route, the duo contended with Himalaya-sized hill climbs, unforgiving landscapes, and surly officials—to access the Tibetan Plateau, they had to sneak through an army checkpoint under cover of darkness. A lyrical writer who grew up on tales of Marco Polo’s adventures, Harris finds both wonder and sadness in the places she encounters.

Buy now: $13.99, amazon.com

The Valleys of the Assassins and Other Persian Travels by Freya Stark

A student of ancient languages and human quirks, Freya Stark blazed across the Middle East in the 1920s and '30s searching for the legendary mountain home of the Assassins, a warrior sect that defied both crusaders and caliphs. Dodging officials, the sharp-tongued Englishwoman would disappear into the desert; Stark also writes of bluffing her way through borders and into unruly places. Her fearless approach to discovery is thrilling, but it’s Stark’s keen eye for character that makes her writing compelling, whether she’s analyzing nomadic fashion or mingling with remote tribes.

Buy now: $15.99, amazon.com

Maiden Voyage by Tania Aebi

When 18-year-old bicycle messenger Tania Aebi set sail from lower Manhattan in 1985 for a round-the-world voyage in her 26-foot sloop Varuna , she had six months of sailing experience and just a cat for company. Two and a half years later, she became the youngest person to complete a solo circumnavigation , an adventure that she recounts in this free-wheeling book. In between learning to navigate and contending with squalls, Aebi dispatched columns to the sailing magazine Cruising World , made lifelong friends, and even fell in love with a dashing Swiss geologist.

Laura Kiniry

Blane Bachelor

Stacey Lastoe

Buy now: $19.99, amazon.com

Travels with Myself and Another by Martha Gellhorn

Dry wit and plenty of whiskey buoyed reporter Martha Gellhorn during terrifying flights, insect-infested hotel rooms, and tropical diseases as she chased stories across the globe. Her then-husband Ernest Hemingway appears in one journey through rural China, but even his outsized presence can’t distract from Gellhorn’s own charismatic pull. Believing that sunny tales of well-spent vacations are terminally dull, she collected the best of what she calls “horror journeys” into this wry account. It’s a testament to Gellhorn’s keen writing that whether she’s hallucinating with fever or stalled on the Serengeti, her worst trips make for riveting reading.

Buy now: $13.60, amazon.com

Welcome to the Goddamn Ice Cube by Blair Braverman

Chasing adventure, Blair Braverman left her California hometown at 19 for dogsledding school in the Norwegian Arctic . While her vivid account offers plenty of thrills and high-flying danger from Norwegian snowdrifts to Alaskan glaciers, Braverman’s wrenching descriptions of sexual assault and abuse are some of the book’s most moving passages. Braverman recently completed the 1,000-mile Iditarod dog-sled race from Anchorage to Nome, Alaska—she recounted the experience on our Women Who Travel podcast —and now lives in northern Wisconsin with her husband and 21 huskies .

Buy now: $17.22, amazon.com

West with the Night by Beryl Markham

From a childhood spent roaming the bush near her father’s ranch in Kenya to adventures at the dawn of aviation, Markham’s romping autobiography blends grit with bygone glamour. She made her mark by training horses, scouting African wildlife herds from the air, and racking up a who’s-who of famous lovers. When she set off from England in 1936 to attempt the first solo nonstop east-to-west flight across the Atlantic Ocean, she was betting on her steely nerves, keen navigation skills, and a jury-rigged reserve fuel system. After a near-miss midway through the flight, she crash-landed on Cape Breton Island and stepped into the record books.

Buy now: $11.75, amazon.com

Honouring High Places: The Mountain Life of Junko Tabei by Junko Tabei

When Japanese alpinist Junko Tabei pulled herself onto the summit of Mount Everest in 1975, she became the first woman to take in the view from the earth’s wind-whipped ceiling. For decades, Tabei juggled family life with boundary-pushing mountaineering, and this book recounts her love for what she calls “unforgiving terrain.” Translated into English and compiled from several of Tabei’s memoirs, Honouring High Places combines gripping accounts of high-altitude danger with a fascinating glimpse into the writer’s bold life.

Buy now: $31.22, amazon.com

Alone in Antarctica: The First Woman to Ski Solo Across the Southern Ice by Felicity Aston

Along with jigsaw ice fields and scouring winds, Aston grappled with two months of solitude and self-doubt on her ground-breaking ski trip across Antarctica . Not only was Aston the first woman to complete the solo journey, she was the first person to make it on her strength alone, without the wind-powered sails and kites used by other Antarctic skiers. Aston’s account of her frigid voyage is a bracingly honest look at the daily grind of adventure, physical exhaustion, and fear.

Buy now: $14.54, amazon.com

A Visit to Don Otavio: A Traveler’s Tale from Mexico by Sybille Bedford

Toting a traveling case stocked with cocktail glasses, a writing board, and a miniature pepper grinder, British traveler Sybille Bedford escaped the confines of New York City for a rambling trip through Mexico in the 1940s. Preferring serendipity to guidebooks, Bedford wandered the country on local buses and encountered remarkable hospitality in Don Otavio’s hacienda by Lake Chapala. “Four days on a train is an armistice with the world,” Bedford wrote of her departure towards Mexico, and her finely wrought account of her time there retains a dreamy, timeless charm.

Buy now: $12.29, amazon.com

Rough Magic: Riding the World's Loneliest Horse Race by Lara Prior-Palmer

When she urged her horse to the starting line of the 620-mile Mongolian Derby, 19-year-old Lara Prior-Palmer was blithely unprepared for the challenges she’d find on the steppe. Spoiler: She won anyway. Her book about the iconic horse race blends humor with a sense of enchantment and wildness. “Girl on erotic power animal traverses the exotic,” she writes with a literary eye roll. Join her for the race of a lifetime.

Buy now: $14.67, amazon.com

Tracks: A Woman’s Solo Trek Across 1,700 Miles of Australian Outback by Robyn Davidson

Four camels and a dog named Diggity followed Robyn Davidson from the edge of Alice Springs when she set out to cross Australia on foot in 1977, and this award-winning book recounts the nine months she spent in the outback. Along the way, she meditates on the power of solitude and Aboriginal knowledge—and meets up with a National Geographic photographer for some wilderness romance.

Buy now: $12.24, amazon.com

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25 Brilliant Travel Memoirs by Women

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Best Travel Memoirs by Women

Are you looking for travel memoirs by women to read?

Here are some of the best travel books written by women to inspire your wanderlust!

When I was in college, I took a class about travel writing while studying abroad in Paris. Every week we studied different topics in travel writing, and every author we read was male. One week, our topic was “women in travel writing.” That was the only week we read female authors.

So I wanted to use this list to spotlight the best travel memoirs by women.

I have always enjoyed reading memoirs, and travel memoirs are no exception. There’s no better way to travel vicariously through someone else than by reading about their own travel experiences in a memoir. These incredible stories by female travel writers will transport you to faraway places, and have you planning your next travel adventure ASAP!

Here are the best female travel memoirs to add to your reading list:

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1.  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.

2.  Eat, Pray, Love   by Elizabeth Gilbert

This classic memoir was made into a hit movie and is about one woman’s journey through three countries on a mission to eat, pray, and love. After her life fell apart in her early thirties, Elizabeth set off on a pilgrimage to Italy, India, and Indonesia on a journey of self-discovery.

3.  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.

4.  The Year of Living Danishly   by Helen Russell

British writer Helen Russell relocated to Denmark with her husband when he got a job at the LEGO headquarters. She decided to spend a year trying to uncover the secrets of the World’s Happiest Country in this delightful, well-researched, and engrossing book about Danish culture.

5.  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.

6.  How Not to Travel the World   by Lauren Juliff

Professional travel blogger Lauren runs the website Never Ending Footsteps, where she shares unfortunate and often hilarious mishaps from the road.  How Not to Travel the World  chronicles some of her funniest travel mistakes from a self-proclaimed disaster-prone backpacker.

7. Travels With Myself and Another   by Martha Gellhorn

Martha was a fearless writer and journalist who covered wars and conflicts around the world. From the Spanish Civil War to Nicaragua to the Vietnam War, she traveled both alone and accompanied at a time when it was uncommon for women to do such things. Her memoir describes her globe-spanning adventures, in a sharp, insightful way.

8.  Under the Tuscan Sun   by Frances Mayes

Frances Mayes, a poet, writer, and gourmet chef, embarked on a life-changing journey when she moved to Italy to renovate an old Tuscan villa. Her evocative memoir has inspired countless others to follow their dreams, whether that is booking a flight to Italy or elsewhere.

9.  Cruising Altitude   by Heather Poole

Have you ever wondered what it’s like to be a flight attendant? While it may seem like a glamorous job that allows you to travel the world, Heather’s memoir  Cruising Altitude  provides an insider look at what it’s REALLY like to be a flight attendant: the good, the bad, and the ugly.

10.  Tales of a Female Nomad   by Rita Golden Gelman

At the age of forty-eight, on the verge of a divorce, Rita left a comfortable life in Los Angeles to follow her dream of traveling the world, connecting with people in cultures all over the globe. She sold all her possessions and set off on an epic journey to far-flung places around the world.

11.  Without Reservations   by Alice Steinbach

Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Alice Steinbach wrote this travel memoir about her experiences around Europe as she set off on a voyage to find her true self and be an independent woman.

12.  The Lost Girls   by Jennifer Baggett, Holly Corbett, and Amanda Pressner

Three friends, each on the brink of a quarter-life crisis, make a pact to quit their high pressure New York City jobs and leave behind their friends, boyfriends, and everything familiar to embark on a year-long backpacking adventure around the world. What followed was an epic journey across four continents in this fun memoir about friendship and travel adventures.

13.  What I Was Doing While You Were Breeding   by Kristin Newman

Kristin spent much of her twenties and thirties buying dresses to wear to her friends’ weddings and baby showers. Not ready to settle down herself and in need of an escape from her fast-paced job, Kristin instead traveled the world, often alone, for several weeks each year. Her memoir chronicles her many experiences (and whirlwind romances) on the road.

14.  The Good Girl’s Guide to Getting Lost   by Rachel Friedman

After playing it safe for most of her life, Rachel buys a one-way ticket to Ireland, where she meets a free-spirited Australian girl. Her new friend spurs her on to turn her trip into a year-long odyssey around the world, with plenty of adventures along the way.

15.  Wanderlust   by Elisabeth Eaves

Spanning across 15 years,  Wanderlust  is a travel memoir chronicling the author’s travels on five continents (and the many romances she had along the way.)

16.  Undress Me in the Temple of Heaven   by Susan Jane Gilman

In this hilarious and harrowing travel memoir, Susan Jane Gilman describes her unconventional gap year in the 1980s with her best friend in the People’s Republic of China.

17.  An Embarrassment of Mangoes by Ann Vanderhoof

This memoir follows Ann and her husband, two forty-something Canadians dreaming of life in paradise, who quit their jobs and moved onto a 42-foot sailboat in the Caribbean.

18.  Miss-adventures   by Amy Baker

Humorist Amy Baker decided to quit her job and backpack South America, where she quickly found herself in many hilarious travel predicaments. Her book  Miss-adventures  chronicles her many travel mistakes, and the advice she should have listened to along the way.

19.  A Thousand New Beginnings   by Kristin Addis

This is a memoir written by travel blogger Kristin Addis, who runs the website Be My Travel Muse. Her book provides a deeper look at her backstory, and the time she left her job, boyfriend, and familiar life at age twenty-six to backpack Southeast Asia alone for a year.

20.  Alone Time   by Stephanie Rosenbloom

Set between Paris, Istanbul, Florence, and New York,  Alone Time  is a memoir about traveling solo and the joys and pleasures that solitude can bring in our hectic lives.

21. Confessions of a Middle-Aged Runway   by Heidi Eliason

Feeling suffocated by routine and longing for adventure, 45-year-old Heidi quit her job, sold all her belongings, and purchased an RV. What followed was a five-year RV journey with her trusty dog Rylie, as she discovered new places and experienced freedom like she had never known.

22. If Your Dream Doesn’t Scare You, It Isn’t Big Enough   by Kristine K. Stevens

For her fortieth birthday, Kristine sold her house, quit her job, and embarked on a solo adventure around the world. She braves a monsoon in Zanzibar, trekking in Nepal, kayaking in Thailand, caves in Laos, lava in Hawaii, and grizzly bears in Alaska in this memoir of her travels.

23.  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.

24.  Return to Glow   by Chandi Wyant

In her early forties, Chandi’s world implodes in the wake of a divorce and traumatic illness. Determined to embrace life by following her heart, she sets out on Italy’s historic pilgrimage route, the Via Francigena, to walk for forty days to Rome.  Return the Glow  chronicles it all.

25.  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.

26.  The Same River Twice   by Pam Mandel

When California native Pam Mandel was sent off on a youth tour of Israel at age seventeen, she didn’t realize she was in for the adventure of a lifetime. What started as a poorly-chaperoned trip turns into a journey leading her from London to rural Pakistan to the Nile River Delta to the Himalayas and back on an adventure that would shape the course of her life forever.

27.  Open Road   by T. W. Neal

On the brink of her fiftieth birthday and stuck in the routines of “normal” life, author T. W. Neal realized she needed a new adventure. She and her husband embark on a 12,000 mile journey through America’s national parks in this travel memoir about rediscovering yourself.

These are some of the best travel memoirs by women.

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

Related:  17 Best Travel Adventure Books

One Comment

Yes! I’d love to add The Locust and the Bird by Hanan Al-Shaykh. It’s a beautiful memoir set in Lebanon about her mother’s life.

Thank you so much for compiling this list. I came across it for exactly the same reasons you wrote it except that I was reading a how-to book on travel writing. The author weaved in lots of “expert” advice, recommendations and quotes, but I was shocked by the lack of female representation. Out of 36 book recommendations for further reading only 4 were by women.

Jane Robinson’s Parrot Pie for Breakfast is another great read for anyone who thinks women travel writers are a rarity.

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