20 Inspirational Travel Coffee Table Books [Updated 2023]

Destinations Of A Lifetime: 225 of the World's Amazing Places

Destinations of a Lifetime is a very interesting book published by National Geographic. It features photographs of the most beautiful places in the world, including gorgeous islands, spectacular rain forests, breathtaking beaches, and much more.

From fabulous cities to scenic nature, Destinations of a Lifetime allows you to travel the world from the comfort of your couch. Also, each photograph is coupled with detailed information on the depicted place, making it very easy to schedule and plan trips to any of the world’s most beautiful places depicted in the travel coffee table book.

It’s worth noting that a lot of attractions featured in this book are one-of-a-kind places that you’re unlikely to stumble upon accidentally. The destinations featured in the book are truly something you visit once in a lifetime, making the book ideal for adventurous travelers who aren’t afraid to step off the beaten path.

The Bucket List: 1000 Adventures Big & Small

The Bucket List: 1000 Adventures Big & Small is a fascinating travel book. It features photographs from 1000 adventures, and they were taken across all seven continents. The coffee table book even has a country-by-country index, which offers travel tips for specific places.

With more than 300 stunning photographs, the travel coffee table book truly takes you on a photographic journey through some of the most exciting places on the planet. Discover stunning beaches, scenic islands, and ever-popular restaurants in various world countries!

In addition to that, this unique book also offers practical tips to do in these countries, which are anything but basic. Ideas for your next hiking trip, extreme sports locations, volunteering for an Orangutan sanctuary, and ziplining down the Alps are just some of the things included in this awesome coffee table book!

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

Ultimate Travelist: The 500 Best Places on the Planet – Ranked is a book published by Lonely Planet, widely known as one of the most relevant authorities on things related to travel. They often publish pocket travel guides for individual cities and countries, and this particular guide takes pretty much the best attractions of them all and groups them in one place.

The coffee table book features natural wonders, historic landmarks, fascinating cities, national parks, and pretty much all the world’s hottest travel spots.

Each of the 500 places selected for this book features a photograph and a short paragraph describing the location and its highlights, making it super easy to add any of these fascinating places in the world to your bucket list!

The Atlas of Beauty: Women of the World in 500 Portraits

The Atlas of Beauty: Women of the World in 500 Portraits is a rather unique travel coffee table book. It was created by Mihaela Noroc, and the book is entirely based on the author’s online photography project.

The photographer traveled the world from 2013 to 2017, photographing everyday women in all corners of the planet. This book aims to proudly showcase the incredible diversity with 500 photographs of women from 50 different countries in the world.

Each photograph tells a unique story and often includes elements that display unique things from these women’s cultures. With personal stories of all the different women, this coffee table book is truly an incredible work of art.

#wanderlust: The World's 500 Most Unforgettable Travel Destinations

#wanderlust: The World’s 500 Most Unforgettable Travel Destinations is a popular travel coffee table book with stunning photography. It features some 500 destinations in the world, from London City streets to iconic Spanish festivals.

Not only does the book include ideas for planning your next trip, but it also includes personal recounts of these places, as well as tips on the most Instagrammable spots in various destinations throughout the world.

Whether you’re looking for valuable insight into places worth visiting, tips for culinary delights you should try in different countries, or ideas on which unique events you should attend, this book has got it all!

The Hidden Tracks: Wanderlust Off the Beaten Path

The Hidden Tracks: Wanderlust Off the Beaten Path is the best of all coffee table books for hikers and outdoor adventurers. With vibrant photography depicting the lesser-known hidden gems of the world, this coffee table book is full of spectacular places avid hikers and campers can visit.

From the sand dunes of Mongolia to treks in South Africa, no corner is left out of the coffee table book. Also, the book doesn’t include just pretty photos of unique hiking trails – each photograph is followed by a detailed description of the trek, overview maps, and even travel tips on how to make the most of the hike.

The hiking adventures featured in this travel book are varied – there’s everything from a day’s hike just outside your hometown, to trekking expeditions halfway across the world. If you’re looking for fresh and exciting ideas on hikes worth your time, this book belongs on your coffee table.

Chic Stays: Condé Nast Traveller's Favourite People on their Favourite Places

Chic Stays: Condé Nast Traveller’s Favourite People on their Favourite Places is an interesting coffee table book that features the favorite places of famous people and celebrities chosen by Condé Nast.

This includes places like the luxe family retreat of Sofia Coppola and Kate Moss’s favorite beach in the Maldives, so it’s certainly an interesting take on a travel coffee table book – not that we’d expect anything less from Condé Nast.

The book offers a rare insight into places that you might never know of otherwise. With sneak peeks into private properties and depictions of some rather luxurious hotels, it’s certainly worthy of a spot on your coffee table.

Yellowstone: A Land of Wild and Wonder

Yellowstone: A Land of Wild and Wonder is the ultimate guide for Yellowstone National Park. Created by Cristopher Cauble, this coffee table book really showcases his unique photographic style that really allows the viewers to immerse themselves in the captured scenes.

The book also presents a different view of the famous national park – it’s Cauble’s view of Yellowstone, and it’s absolutely fascinating. There are more than a hundred photographs in the book, depicting Yellowstone’s dramatic scenery, mountain peaks, valleys, and countless animals that roam through the national park.

This coffee table book is like a photographic tour of one of the most famous national parks in the US, and it’s definitely worth a read if you’re into outdoor adventures and gorgeous photographs.

Italy

Italy is one of the books in Gray Malin’s bestselling photographic series and it’s easily one of the best coffee table books about this Mediterranean country. Malin is a bit in awe of the beauty of the Mediterranean, so the majority of the book focuses on his epic road trip through Italy’s Mediterranean coast.

Gorgeous beaches, spectacular ocean views, and charming coastal towns are all depicted in this visual guide to Italy. Sicily, the Amalfi Coast, Puglia, and Portofino are just a few of the places photographed in this book.

It’s worth noting that Italy is not really a travel guide, but more of a work of art. The focus of the book is showcasing the beauty of the country, so don’t expect tips on popular restaurants and things to do in these places. In that sense, it’s a true coffee table book that inspires and intrigues, but also leaves a lot to the imagination.

Unforgettable Journeys: Slow Down and See the World

Unforgettable Journeys: Slow Down and See the World is a travel book published by DK Eyewitness. It features 200 locations from all over the planet accompanied by stunning photographs and descriptions.

It focuses more on spectacular destinations off the beaten path, with ideas and tips for both iconic and lesser-known adventures. The book depicts everything from travels on the Orient Express to kayaking trips in the Finnish Lakeland, making it the perfect book for travel lovers who need ideas on where to head next.

Whether you’re looking for the most dramatic coastal scenery or hikes in the world’s tallest mountains, you’ll find it in this coffee table book. It’s available both as a hardcover book and as an e-book for transport readers, so you can take this coffee table book along with you on your travel.

Patterns of India: A Journey Through Colors, Textiles, and the Vibrancy of Rajasthan

Patterns of India: A Journey Through Colors, Textiles, and the Vibrancy of Rajasthan is a colorful tour of the state of Rajasthan in India. The best and most famous landmarks in India are all very vibrant and colorful, and this coffee table book truly brings them to life.

There are more than 200 photographs in the book that depict everything from the colorful outfits of local women to the intricate detailing on sandstone facades. There’s also not a lot of text in the book – the focus is on the beauty of the details, so don’t expect travel guides and tips in this coffee table book.

The various landmarks depicted in the photographs are all named, so when you see something you absolutely love, it’s easy to figure out what it is and how you can find out more about it.

Roaming America: Exploring All the National Parks

Roaming America: Exploring All the National Parks is a detailed guide to all the 59 national parks in the United States. It’s the perfect gift for any avid camper and adventurer, particularly if you’re shopping for someone who truly enjoys road-tripping, RVing, and exploring national parks.

From the rocky beaches of Acadia to the iconic peaks of Zion, this coffee table book leaves no stone unturned. Also, it’s important to note that you don’t just get pretty pictures of national park scenery – the authors also offer road trip itineraries, planning advice, facts about each of the national parks, and so much more!

The authors of this book are Renne and Matther Hahnel, a couple who left Australia in order to travel through the United States in their van. Some of the photographs in the book are cliches, but the insider travel tips are invaluable.

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

The Rainbow Atlas: A Guide to the World’s 500 Most Colorful Places is a proper visual journey to some of the most colorful places on our planet. From Mexico’s famous Pink Lake to the colorful festivals of Ecuador, this book is the perfect gift for anyone who enjoys beautiful and colorful imagery.

In addition to the eye-catching photographs, the coffee table book also offers intimate insights into these places, as well as the best times to visit them to get the most out of your trip. Each photograph includes the exact longitude where it was taken, so you can quickly locate these places on a map and add them to your next travel itinerary!

Wanderlust: Hiking on Legendary Trails

Wanderlust: Hiking on Legendary Trails is a great coffee table book for all avid hikers and outdoor adventurers. It’s only available in a hardcover version so it’s not exactly the ideal travel companion, but the information in it is priceless and easy to copy to your phone.

This book features photographs, maps, and insider tips on the most legendary hiking trails in the world. This includes trails like Spain’s Caminito del Rey, the hike to Machu Picchu, and Norway’s famous Trolltunga.

The breathtaking photographs don’t just inspire you to pick up your hiking boots ASAP, but they also give you valuable insight into what awaits on the trail. The author also offers insight into trail conditions and difficulty, as well as what skills or equipment you might need for any specific hike – pretty much everything you need to know to arrive at the trailhead perfectly prepared.

Paris in Color

Paris in Color by Nicole Robertson is a detailed account of one of the prettiest cities on the planet. The coffee table book is a visual journey through Paris, showcasing everything from its ancient cobbled streets to colorful details from all over the city.

Paris is a city on pretty much everyone’s bucket list and this book is an excellent introduction to what to expect. It’s also a very different kind of take on Paris – instead of just featuring photographs of the city’s most famous landmarks and attractions, Robertson’s book boasts images of buildings, vehicles, and all sorts of other details grouped by color.

A Year Off: A Story About Traveling the World—And How to Make It Happen For You

A Year Off is a great travel book, especially for those of you who are toying with the idea of taking a year off to travel the world. It’s a combination of a guidebook, memoir, and travelogue, written by a married couple. Alexandra and David Brown took a year off to travel the world, and they documented it all in this book.

There are loads of gorgeous photographs in this book, but they’re certainly not the most important thing about it. The tips and tricks on what you need to do in order to really be able to take a year off to travel are certainly the highlights of the book.

The authors covered everything, from the first steps you need to take to start preparing for a year off, to managing your expectations and eventually making it back home. In case their own experience doesn’t entice you to drop everything you’re doing and travel the world, the spectacular photographs of all the wonderful places they visited certainly will!

Elements: In Pursuit of the Wild

Elements: In Pursuit of the Wild is the first book published by Rucksack Magazine, which is an internationally acclaimed travel magazine. They publish themed journals with stories and photos relating to nature and travel, and this book is a collection of everything they haven’t previously published online.

In addition to beautiful photos, this book also features stories and interviews of some of the world’s most beautiful locations. Most of the places featured here are wild and remote, known for breathtaking and untouched nature.

Some of the locations featured in this mesmerizing coffee table book include the Faroe Islands, Scotland, and Scandinavia, among others. It’s named “Elements” because most of the photographs are divided into four categories according to the elements. There’s Air, Fire, Water, and Earth, and each category boasts an impressive collection of some of the most beautiful photographs you’ve ever seen.

Beaches

Beaches by Gray Malin is a visual journey through the world’s most beautiful beaches. It’s a work of art, just like all his other books in this photographic series, and the perfect coffee table book for all beach-lovers.

The mostly aerial photographs feature countless umbrellas and towels that can be found on the prettiest sandy beaches in the world. From Australia to Saint Tropez, the photographs in Beaches depict some of the prettiest, most iconic, and even secluded beaches on our planet, and the author is more than successful in capturing their beauty.

Food Trails: Plan 52 Perfect Weekends in the World's Tastiest Destinations

Food Trails is a foodie’s travel guide to the world. The book is published by Lonely Planet, and it includes more than 300 pages on the different cuisines of the world. There’s everything from Argentina to Vietnam, and each chapter includes insider tips on the cuisine of a specific destination.

You’ll also find tips on the best restaurants and bars, as well as where to shop the best food in each destination. Lonely Planet’s Food Trails guide also includes a short section with essential travel tips, such as where to stay and what to do in each of the destinations. Seriously, this is easily the perfect gift for any foodie who is addicted to travel!

It’s worth noting that this isn’t a traditional coffee table book, in the sense that there’s a lot more text than photographs inside it. If you’re looking for something with lots of pretty pictures, this isn’t the best book for you. But if you’re looking for a proper travel guide that includes highlights of 35+ countries from all over the world, Food Trails is absolutely the best book by far.

Paris in Bloom

Paris in Bloom is a book by Georgianna Lane that combines two very photogenic subjects – the city of Paris and the many flowers that can be found through it. The book has four distinct chapters on the various parks and gardens of Paris, its floral boutiques, flower markets, and floral displays.

The location for each photograph is indicated in the index, so you can easily recreate some of these photographs during your trip to Paris. It’s worth noting that the book isn’t a proper guide to Paris or even a guide to flowers – it’s mostly just beautiful photographs of the iconic city and its prettiest floral locations.

Visually, this is one of the prettiest coffee table books you can buy – even the cover is absolutely gorgeous. Also, it’s important to note that the book includes some tips on how to create a Parisian-style bouquet, the different kinds of flowers and shrubs in the city of Paris, and the best places to tour in the spring, but all these tips take up just some 10 pages of the 160-page book.