Best Travel Writing of 2023

“Iyer’s meditation on paradise... is much more than a diary of his country-spanning travels," writes Elle’s Lauren Puckett-Pope in her warm endorsement of the latest from a beloved novelist and essayist. "It’s a work of philosophy, probing the scientific and the spiritual to understand why the most beautiful places often become such sources of pain, and how paradise might be re-discovered."

Holly Hebert wrote glowingly of this Andrew Carnegie Medal of Excellence longlister in Library Journal: “With a sharp wit, the book unearths travel truths with a humorous bent that delivers several laugh out loud moments… Fans of travel writing, history, and travel writing itself will find this quick read a delightful, eye-opening one that fuels more insatiable wanderlust.”

If books about traveling in Italy are your cup of tea (or espresso), then this is the title for you. Writing for the Washington Independent Review of Books, journalist Darrell Delamaide was filled with praise for this book which seeks to rewrite the unflattering narrative around the Mediterranean’s second largest island. Delamaide lauded the book as "a successful and well-written blend of history, travel, art, literature, and culture... [and] a rich account of a complex region."  

In this memoir, the technologist and mountaineer Vasquez-Lavado recounts her transformative journey from Silicon Valley to Mount Everest's summit alongside a group of young female survivors, highlighting the challenges, moments of healing, and the unyielding spirit of resilience which propelled her to the peak.

Von Bremzen, the acclaimed international food writer and award-winning author of Mastering the Art of Soviet Cooking, delves into the intertwined histories and futures of six iconic global cuisines, revealing how countries shape their dishes and vice versa. In the New York Times, professor Irina Dumitrescu described it as “a fast-paced, entertaining travelogue, peppered with compact history lessons that reveal the surprising ways dishes become iconic.” 

Kinfolk Wilderness stands out among books for travelers by blending vibrant photography, reflections on land stewardship, and unique itineraries from five continents, encouraging a profound connection with nature. Emphasizing travel as a mindset, this guide offers entrancing glimpses into the European countryside, hiking trails in Iraqi Kurdistan, and stargazing in California's deserts, ultimately enriching our appreciation for both distant landscapes and the familiarity of home.

Part memoir, part travelogue this book from the founder of the feminist travel magazine, Unearth Women, recounts the life-changing journey that led Vargas to abandon a promising advertising career in order to pursue a new life on the road. Forbes' Lois Alter Mark wrote glowingly, "A good travel memoir will inspire you to start researching destinations and planning your dream trip. Call You When I Land will motivate you to actually buy the tickets."

This book provides an insightful glimpse into the lives of those who call Vegas their home and whose labor is essential to making Sin City everything that it is. Kirkus praises the book's "zippy profiles of success and struggle on a variety of socioeconomic levels" and says, "Readers will gain a dynamic sense of how the city channels extraordinary flows of money and hope through its complex infrastructure, nourishing seductive promises amid sparkling eclecticism."

This collection of 150 iconic and lesser known scenic journeys through Europe, comes complete with stunning photographs and routes mapped out and organized by various modes of transportation, to help you make your wildest travel fantasies a reality.

This collection of more than 100 watercolor and ink paintings, accompanied by observations and analysis, from lifelong New Yorker, Jill Gill, traces the transformation of the architectural landscape of America’s cultural capital over the course of nearly 50 years.