Travel-themed, beautiful coffee table books to fill your home with wanderlust
Hard covered, oversized and an eye-catcher: these are the main characteristics of travel coffee table books.
This article will let you know about some of the best travel photography books and beautiful travel books that will entice you to see the world.
And at the same time, you will find great coffee table books about travel to add to your collection.
You could even end up deciding to make a coffee table book of your travel souvenirs when you see these amazing beauties.
Indeed, travel coffee table books are great for guest entertainment and decoration of your living room alike. Particularly if you are a wanderlust-fueled soul.
These beautiful decorative travel books have been created to give your home a personalized note.
And often they are a great way to travel from your sofa to your favorite destination anywhere in the world.
The list features cool coffee table books falling in all price ranges and sizes.
You will find some extra large coffee table books, while at the same time, you will find some great cheap coffee table books as well.
What’s your favorite travel coffee book? Let me know in the comments!
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Psst..!!? Looking for more inspiration about dazzling books to read? …. here are a few of my favorite book guides:
Table of Contents
Overview: Beautiful Travel Coffee Table Books
Category | Name | Image | Price |
---|---|---|---|
Best under $50 | Lonely Planet's Ultimate Travelist | Check here | |
Best for Italy Fans | Italy | Check here | |
Best for France Lovers | Paris in Bloom | Check here | |
Best for Foodie Travelers | Food Trails | Check here | |
Best for Beach Lovers | The Life and Love of the Sea | Check here | |
Best for Nature Enthusiasts | Hide and Seek | Check here |
The Best Travel Coffee Table Books: General Travel
1. Destinations of a Lifetime: 225 of the World’s Most Amazing Places
Author: National Geographic Society and Dan Westergren
Do you find it really hard to stay at home and your wanderlust heart always looks for some new adventure?
Then start your collection of best travel coffee table books with Destinations of a Lifetime: 225 of the World’s Most Amazing Places!
This book is nothing short of a spectacular treat to sore eyes for those with wanderlust.
Through this book, National Geographic takes readers to a photographic journey of world-famous destinations paired with innovative trip ideas and vivid illustrations.
This is one of the best National Geographic coffee table books for those with serious wanderlust!
Dimensions: 9.5 x 1 x 12.2 inches
2. Lonely Planet’s Ultimate Travelist: The 500 Best Places on the Planet… Ranked!
Author: Luke Waterson
With Lonely Planet’s Ultimate Travelist: The 500 Best Places on the Planet… Ranked, you will get a list of 500 spectacular and downright intriguing places all around the world.
These destinations have been handpicked carefully so that your experience with them makes you humble, amazed, and surprised at the same time.
This is one of the top Lonely Planet coffee table books that also acts as an ultimate travel guide that you will love to flaunt on your coffee table.
Dimensions: 9.3 x 1.1 x 10.9 inches
3. The Bucket List: 1000 Adventures Big & Small
Author: Kath Stathers
Edited and compiled by Kath Stathers, The Bucket List: 1000 Adventures Big & Small is for all adventure lovers of all ages and one of the good coffee table books to start with.
This wonderful travel guide helps you indulge in amazing thrilling activities in almost every country in the world.
Whether you want an Asia, Africa or Europe coffee table book, this one has you covered.
This book also gives you eccentric ideas to explore natural wonders while having exotic cultural experiences.
It is definitely one of the most beautiful coffee table books for travel lovers.
Dimensions: 7 x 1.5 x 9.2 inches
4. Journey: An Illustrated History of Travel
Author: Michael Collins
When you wish to explore the illustrated accounts of human journeys, travel, discoveries, and explorations, you really shouldn’t miss Journey: An Illustrated History of Travel.
Consisting of hundreds of fascinating images, this coffee table book tells you everything that causes human travel and migration.
This is one of the most inspirational coffee table books and will make you want to see the world!
Many of its photographs give the feel of one of those black and white coffee table books.
Dimensions: 10.4 x 1.3 x 12.1 inches
5. The Bucket List: Places To Find Peace & Quiet
Author: Victoria Ward, active blogger and solo traveler
When you are looking to go on a journey to find your true inner self, The Bucket List: Places To Find Peace & Quiet should be a good read for you.
This book introduces readers to hard-to-find exclusive wilderness hideouts snuggled right in the urban jungles.
This inspiring book is full of spiritual meditations, retreats and ancient centers.
Dimensions: 7.2 x 1.4 x 9.2 inches
6. Overview: A New Perspective of Earth
Author: Benjamin Grant
What can be better than Overview: A New Perspective of Earth by Benjamin Grant when you want to cherish a birds-eye view of the gorgeous landscapes on earth?
This amazing coffee table book travel includes architecture, industrial, and natural wonders from around this beautiful planet.
One of the best travel coffee books, this is a mesmerizing collection of images taken from satellites.
Feel like a true astronaut while turning the pages of this book!
It is one of the coffee table books for people who are interested in satellite imagery.
Dimensions: 10.7 x 1.2 x 11.4 inches
7. Secret Journeys of a Lifetime: 500 of the World’s Best Hidden Travel Gems
Author: National Geographic Society
Secret Journeys of a Lifetime is part of the ongoing Journeys of a Lifetime series of National Geographic coffee table books.
As a collection of 500 trips to the world’s best secret destinations, it is one of the most comprehensive coffee table travel books available.
Here you’ll find all the best places you’ve never heard of, as well as pictures and plenty of top ten lists for you to enjoy.
This is one of the best destination coffee table books for anyone looking to explore.
Dimensions: 23.5 x 3.2 x 30.8 cm
8. Vogue on Location: People, Places, Portraits
Author: Editors of American Vogue
A great addition to your travel books coffee table, Vogue on Location covers 100 years of Vogue-based travel writing and photography from all over the world.
This is a Spain coffee table book, an Italy coffee table book, an India coffee table book, a Yellowstone book, the list goes on.
This coffee table book travel anthology contains illustrious writers such as Truman Capote, Frances FitzGerald and Lesley Blanch as well as photographers like Annie Leibovitz, Helmut Newton and Irving Penn.
As well as having gorgeous photographs found in the best coffee table travel books, you’ll also learn about historic moments in the travel and fashion industries.
Dimensions: 23.9 x 3.5 x 31.3 cm
9. #wanderlust: The World’s 500 Most Unforgettable Travel Destinations
Author: Sabina Trojanova
Like a printed version of Instagram, #wanderlust is a coffee table travel book for anyone looking for advice on picking a destination.
Browsing the best Italy coffee table books, for some inspo on your next trip, for example?
This one will tell you the best spots and provide inspiration for where to go next, for Italy and much more.
For all 500 destinations in this book, you’ll get pictures, advice, quotes and personal insights, all wrapped up in one of the most decorative travel books available.
So grab your travel coffee, books, backpack, sunscreen and walking shoes, head out and step into a Europe coffee table book of your own!
Dimensions: 17.8 x 2.6 x 21.6 cm
10. Accidentally Wes Anderson
Author: Wally Koval
What began as a bucket list on Instagram is now one of the best coffee table travel books for lovers of aesthetically pleasing places.
Based on the visual design elements of Wes Anderson movies, this hardback collection of 200 vibrant and often symmetrical destinations is a visual treat.
Accidentally Wes Anderson is also one of the most well-organised coffee table books about travel.
Fortunately for the writers, this book is authorised by Wes Anderson himself.
Along with stunning photographs of vistas and objects with a strong cultural flavour, you’ll also get stories and narratives with sometimes unexpected turns.
As one of the best coffee table books, travel has never looked better than this.
Dimensions: 19.3 x 3.7 x 23.7 cm
The Best Cheap Coffee Table Books for Travelers
11. Door J’Adore: A Celebration of the World’s Most Beautiful Doors
Author: Nick Rowell
Door J’Adore: A Celebration of the World’s Most Beautiful Doors deals with a completely different, yet intriguing topic which is… ‘doors’!
You might have seen thousands of doors but this book will change your perspective for sure!
This book brings those beautiful doors around the world with a hint of mystery.
It is a good choice for those looking for an architecture coffee table book.
Dimensions: 17 x 2 x 21 cm
12. Vanlife Diaries: Finding Freedom on the Open Road
Author: Kathleen Morton
If you are more into a nomadic lifestyle, Vanlife Diaries: Finding Freedom on the Open Road is your soulmate, for sure!
This book is a collection of more than 200 photographs depicting fascinating rolling homes along with some good advice on living a life on the road.
This book is perfect for modern-day nomads who ditch the conventional life in search of freedom on the road.
Dimensions: 9.4 x 1 x 7.6 inches
13. A Year Off
Author: Alexandra Brown and David Brown
A Year Off is a beguiling story of traveling the world and how to make it happen for everyone who aspires for such a journey.
This is not just a pretty coffee table travel book but it is an inspirational piece that will instill courage in your heart to set your journey for the unknown.
This is a perfect blend of memoir, travel guide, and documentation with lots of jaw-dropping snaps.
Dimensions: 21.3 x 2.5 x 16.3 cm
14. Humans of New York
Author: Brandon Stanton
Your idea of the true vision of the USA will remain incomplete without Humans of New York.
This marvelous coffee table book represents heart-touching portraits and interviews of people from every nook and corner of New York.
This book speaks of American dreams, hope, struggle, and freedom through some fabulous photographs.
It is one of the best New York coffee table books which will show you a different side of the city.
Dimensions: 18.6 x 2.5 x 23.6 cm
The Best Travel Coffee Table Books for Beach Lovers
15. The Life & Love of the Sea
Author: Lewis Blackwell
Take a plunge into the deep blue sea of wonder with this ravishing travel book titled The Life & Love of the Sea.
There are very few journals like this one that you may come across in a lifetime and that showcases spectacular underwater snaps.
All the shots were taken by a hoard of renowned nature and marine photographers making it one of the best nature coffee table books.
This splendid book is a visual tour into the ocean and beyond and is a great choice in the selection of beach coffee table books.
Dimensions: 12.5 x 1 x 12.5 inches
16. Beaches
Author: Gray Malin
When you are a blue-blooded beach-lover, how is it possible not to own the Beaches by Gray Malin?!
This book is a magnificent collection of aerial photographs of stunning beaches all around the globe.
All his photographs convey a very playful and vibrant way of celebrating life in different shapes, shades, and perspectives.
Beaches is a synonym of life to Malin and he conveys it best through the snaps of this book.
Dimensions: 33 x 1.9 x 25.4 cm
17. 100 Dives of a Lifetime
Author: Carrie Miller
Check on Amazon
Expand your horizons to as many as 100 scintillating scuba diving sites with 100 Dives of a Lifetime.
This book includes both world-famous and little-explored scuba diving spots, ranging from the cenotes of Mexico to the brilliant wreck in Micronesia.
There are more than 350 high-definition National Geographic images in this travel coffee table book.
These not just boost your imagination, but also help the ardent scuba lovers to make an ultimate bucket list to follow.
This is one of the best coffee table books for people who love to dive.
Dimensions: 8.8 x 1.2 x 8.8 inches
The Best Travel Coffee Table Books for France Aficionados
18. Paris in Bloom
Author: Georgiana Lane
Flowers have always been an integral part of Parisian life and author Georgiana Lane has portrayed the same through her book Paris in Bloom.
This book allows readers to have a glance at the “City of Love” through its vibrant flower markets, flourishing trees, and perfectly manicured public gardens.
This book is a journey that takes you to an invigorating floral tour of the whole city and you will love to savor its stunning photographs, again and again.
It is one of the best Paris coffee table books that will show you the city in a new light.
Dimensions: 18.7 x 2.2 x 23.8 cm
19. The Best Loved Villages of France
Author: Stephane Bern
If your wilted heart is so very sick of living amidst the concrete jungle, it is time to turn the pages of The Best Loved Villages of France.
This is not just a book but an insider’s tour of the most spectacular and beloved villages of France.
This book encompasses more or less 44 gorgeous destinations from the country along with their picturesque surroundings and well-kept secrets.
This illustrated trip is going to inspire you to explore those destinations, for sure!
Dimensions: 7.8 x 1.1 x 9.9 inches
20. Paris in Colour
Author: Nicole Robertson
Do you want to see the best of Paris? Then pick Paris in Color.
Composed of high-quality photographs, this journal gives you an amazing scope to know the romanticism of this beguiling city through Robertson’s sumptuous photography.
When you put together all images from this book, it evokes a sense of unexpected celebration of life like no other place in the world.
Paris in Color will surely delight the senses of every Paris lover.
Dimensions: 21.6 x 1.9 x 21 cm
The Best Travel Coffee Table Books for Italy Fans
21. Italy
Author: Gray Malin
After successfully portraying fascinating numerous destinations around the world, Grey Malin took the burden of presenting the charming beaches, coastlines, and landscapes of Italy.
Through his book simply titled Italy, he captures everything that this country has to offer.
Malin, with his impeccable photographic sense, captured the unmatched beauty of the Amalfi Coast and serenity of Cinque Terre along with many more wonderful places in Italy.
This book is a must-have for “Bella Italia” lovers and as one of the best coffee table books, Italy is a joy for anyone who loves this amazing country.
Dimensions: 10.2 x 1 x 13.4 inches
22. Italian Views
Author: Gail Albert Halaban & Francine Prose
How can your photographic journey to Italy be completed without Italian Views?
This book is a marvelous continuation of the author’s series “Out My Window” and is one of the best Italy coffee table books.
This intriguing photo book contains snaps revealing the captivating domestic portraits of Italian cities including Naples, Florence, Venice, Milan, and Rome.
The photographs were all praised for their cinematic backdrops and beautiful subjects.
Dimensions: 12.2 x 1 x 14.5 inches
23. Best-Kept Secrets of Italy
Author: Gordon Kerr
Doesn’t matter whether you have visited Italy or not, you must grab a copy of Best-Kept Secrets of Italy.
Through this book, you can embark on an illustrated journey to Italian destinations that are a perfect amalgamation of romance and culture.
Photographs of this book encompass all distinctive regions and lifestyles of the country making it one of the best destination coffee table books for Italy enthusiasts.
Starting from the sophisticated urban life to the simplicity of the Italian countryside, you can behold everything that your heart can wish for with the help of Best-Kept Secrets of Italy.
This is one of the best Italian coffee table books.
Dimensions: 9.2 x 0.9 x 8.6 inches
The Best Travel Coffee Table Books for Nature Enthusiasts
24. Cabin Porn: Inspiration for Your Quiet Place Somewhere
Author: Zach Klein
When you are looking for solace in a rural and unfussy lifestyle, your best companion will be Cabin Porn: Inspiration for Your Quiet Place Somewhere.
This book is a remarkable collection of snaps of handmade homes from the backcountry of America and many other places.
The book explains through photographs how to build an alluring quiet place far away from the hustle and bustle of the city.
Each picture from this book tells the reader how to bring beauty and serenity together with help of simple construction ideas.
Dimensions: 18.8 x 3.2 x 23.2 cm
25. Wanderlust: Hiking on Legendary Trails
Author: Gestalten and Cam Honan
Nature evokes some of the best coffee table book ideas and helps you fall in love with nature again!
Explore enchanting hiking and trekking trails of the globe through Wanderlust: Hiking on Legendary Trails.
This book covers almost every sort of hiking terrain, including thin ice, coastal trails, desert sands and forest tracks.
Mind-blowing photographs of this journal not just treat your eyes with great views, but also inspire you to plan your next hiking trip soon.
Dimensions: 9.8 x 1.1 x 12.1 inches
26. Hide and Seek: Cabins and Hideouts
Author: S. Borges
City life is surely vibrant and stimulating, but sometimes our heart longs for an escape to leave the hectic life far behind.
Hide and Seek: Cabins and Hideouts is a beautiful collection of contemporary hide-outs and cabins.
All of these places are meant to offer instant relief from the chaotic urban life.
All high-quality photographs of the journal help readers to understand the decor and basics of individual structures to ensure an exceptional getaway from monotonous city life.
Dimensions: 24.8 x 2.7 x 30.8 cm
27. Epic Hikes of the World (Lonely Planet)
Author: Oliver Berry
Epic Hikes of the World (Lonely Planet) is the tale of 50 breathtaking hiking routes spread across more than 30 countries.
This book along with its incredible photographs is enough to inspire you to explore the world on foot.
As one of the best hiking coffee table books, every journey in this book is indeed an epic one!
Each hiking trip is described through marvelous snaps and lucidly designed maps.
In addition, the book includes advice on how to reach, what to pack, where to stay, and what to eat for every individual trip.
Dimensions: 21 x 3 x 26.8 cm
28. Off the Grid: Houses for Escape
Author: Dominic Bradbury
Off the Grid: Houses for Escape is an ultimate guide to treat yourself with some of the most environmentally-friendly sustainable cabins, retreats and houses around the world.
With the help of this book, the author describes how unconventional architecture has made living not just feasible in remote areas but has also made those houses self-sustainable.
High-definition photographs of the book help you to cherish the warmth of those houses and to draw inspiration from them.
Dimensions: 23.9 x 3 x 29.7 cm
29. The Hidden Tracks: Wanderlust Off the Beaten Path
Author: Cam Honan
Set your journey for a series of exciting and captivating walking trails with The Hidden Tracks: Wanderlust Off the Beaten Path.
This book is nothing short but a treasure trove that holds the secrets of some of the exotic off-beaten trekking trails along with the celebrated ones across the globe.
Stunning imagery paired with trail details and overview maps makes your imagination take an instant flight.
This is definitely one of the best nature coffee table books for those who love the extraordinary.
Dimensions: 24 x 2.6 x 30 cm
The Best Travel Coffee Table Books for Foodie Travelers
30. Wine Trails: 52 Perfect Weekends in Wine Country
Author: Luke Waterson and Helen Ranger
Wine Trails: 52 Perfect Weekends in Wine Country is the first book from Lonely Planet’s “Perfect Weekends” series.
This book is loaded with splendid imageries and it introduces you to the secret gems from regions like Tuscany, Napa, Burgundy, and Sonoma.
This piece also takes you to off-the-beaten regions of Greece, Georgia, and far beyond.
You can draw innovative ideas from its detailed itineraries to plan your next wine trip to your favorite region.
Dimensions: 19.6 x 3.3 x 24.6 cm
31. Food Trails: Plan 52 Perfect Weekends in the World’s Tastiest Destinations
Author: Amy C. Balfour and Daniel McCrohan
For every foodie and travel enthusiast, Food Trails: Plan 52 Perfect Weekends in the World’s Tastiest Destinations is a must-read!
This book not just describes the culinary journey with local delicacies, but it also helps you to savor them through those stunning photographs.
The book vividly flaunts food trails to Buenos Aires steak, Puglia’s gastronomic treats, Parisian patisserie, and French Canadian delectable dishes.
Dimensions: 7.6 x 1.2 x 9.7 inches
The Best Travel Coffee Table Books for National Park Buffs
32. Yellowstone: A Land of Wild and Wonder
Author: Christopher Cauble
There is no place better than Yellowstone National Park to behold nature at the paramount of its beauty.
And there is no better national parks coffee table book than Yellowstone: A Land of Wild and Wonder by Christopher Cauble to see something beyond that beauty.
Thanks to the breathtakingly stunning snaps of the author, this book allows you to take a remarkable escape through Yellowstone.
Showcasing some awe-inspiring wildlife portraits and spectacular landscape shots this Yellowstone book is a must for nature lovers.
Dimensions: 10.4 x 0.6 x 10.8 inches
33. National Parks of America
Authors: Amy C Balfour, Greg Benchwick, and more
America is a land of stunning national parks and no wonder that these national parks feature some of the best gems of Mother Nature.
Lonely Planet, a leading travel publisher, has compiled the details of all the American national parks under the cover of National Parks of America.
Thanks to the gorgeous pictures and useful information, you can treat this book as an ultimate inspirational guidebook to 59 national parks in America.
Dimensions: 8.5 x 1.2 x 10.7 inches
34. 59 Illustrated National Parks
Author: Joel Anderson
59 Illustrated National Parks is surely the illustrious celebration of a century of thrilling wilderness at the 59 outright stunning national parks in America.
This perfect coffee table book is certainly a collector’s piece as it includes national park posters, historic snaps, 12 beautiful oil paintings, facts, and travel tips apart from outstanding imageries.
Not surprisingly, this is one of the best gifts for national park lovers.
Dimensions: 9.1 x 0.7 x 12 inches
35. Forever Wandering
Author: Emilie Ristevski
Born from the Instagram account @helloemilie, this compilation of landscapes and photographic studies is one of the best nature coffee table books.
If you follow the call of the wild and yearn to get back to nature and explore the great outdoors, Forever Wandering is one of the travel coffee table books for you.
While the photographs shown here are beautiful, the anecdotes that accompany them offer an insight into Emilie’s thoughts and feelings during the moments that she took them.
This helps build a strong connection between the reader and the photographer, and makes Forever Wandering a strong human element.
Dimensions: 17.8 x 2.6 x 22.9 cm
Short FAQ about beautiful travel coffe table books
What is a coffee table book?
A coffee table book is an oversized, often hard-covered book whose purpose is for display on a table in an area of the house in which one entertains guests and from which it can serve to inspire conversation or pass the time.
How to make a coffee table book?
You can easily make a coffee table book yourself by collecting and printing your best travel souvenirs.
What are the best travel coffee table books of all time?
Some of the best travel coffee table books are “Destinations of a Lifetime: 225 of the World’s Most Amazing Places“, “Lonely Planet’s Ultimate Travelist: The 500 Best Places on the Planet… Ranked” and “Journey: An Illustrated History of Travel“.
What are the most beautiful travel coffee table books?
Door J’Adore by Nick Rowell and Accidentally Wes Anderson by Wally Koval are both beautiful travel coffee table books on this list.
What are the best Lonely Planet coffee table books?
There are plenty of Lonely Planet coffee table books that are available for plenty of countries and regions, and they are all of a high quality. Just choose your favorite place!
Hola! I’m Paulina, a seasoned travelette who crossed the Atlantic Ocean by Boat HitchHiking. On my blog, find expert insights for an extraordinary holiday through outdoor and sustainable travel like hiking, cycling, and sailing. Let’s embark on unforgettable journeys together! 🌍🚀