Best Travel Writing of 2024 So Far

After his family was expelled from Egypt, the Aciman family fled to Rome to begin a new life. Though young Andre was initially reluctant to embrace his adopted city, his obsession with novels eventually opened his heart up to Italy’s ancient capital. In Roman Year, Aciman conjures the unforgettable sites, sounds, smells, and people which make Rome a truly singular place.

Glynnis MacNicol spent sixteen months in isolation following the pandemic in New York City. Springing at the opportunity to leave that life behind and sublet in Paris, she began a radical journey of enjoyment filled with food, sex, and friendship, and this memoir traces her travels and more importantly, her quest for the ultimate way to pursue pleasure.

After quitting his job to become a Colorado River guide, Kevin Fedarko and his photographer best friend decided to embark on an end-to-end expedition of the Grand Canyon. Their ordeal in America's most famous national park builds a moving and transcendent story of the singular canyon and why there's nowhere quite like it.

The award-winning British travel writer, Simon Parker, set out to discover if the America he had dreamed of as a child in the UK, still existed. Across more than 4,000 miles, Parker tries to uncover the country hidden behind the headlines and Trump slogans.

This illuminating work of reportage from travel journalist Paige McClanahan, unshrouds the industry which accounts for one and ten jobs worldwide and generates almost ten percent of global GDP. Revealing both dark and hopeful truths, McClanahan offers “a levelheaded defense of tourism that proposes a genuinely helpful framework for thinking about our own voyages,” writes The Atlantic’s Chelsea Leu.

Beverly Armento was effusive with praise in the New York Journal of Books, calling this unique travel memoir, “a genre-expanding noir memoir-detective story, full of drama, intrigue, bizarre characters, even more bizarre behavior, and unexpected twists. With spare, incisive language, and straight-faced humor, Dr. O’Neill takes the reader on a journey from Poughkeepsie, NY to Daejeon, South Korea to discover family secrets.”

In this memoir, one family’s history acts as a conduit to understanding the making of modern China. The award winning diplomatic correspondent for The New York Times, Edward Wong, traces his father’s journey from fighting in the Korean War, to escaping to Hong Kong after becoming disillusioned with the Communist Party, to eventually relocating to the United States. Along the way, Wong recounts his own experience reporting from China under the rule of its most powerful leader since Mao.

The guide features lists for the best countries, regions, and cities, along with sustainable and budget friendly destinations, to visit voted on by Lonely Planet’s staff and community along with detailed itineraries and practical advice for each location profile.

From past to present, walking has always been a strong force for writers. In this collection, the UK's "walking laureate" brings together reflections from Herman Melville, Mark Twain, and Matsuo Bashō in the ultimate collection about walking, spanning from the 1500s to the present and from the streets of Rome all the way to the frigid waters of Antarctica.

Over centuries, there have been certain sailors who have decided to forgo any other help in order to sail the open seas alone. In this history of the terrifying, daring, and absurd lengths some have gone to cross the seven seas, Richard King recounts stories ranging from modern teenagers to Joshua Slocum, the first person to sail the globe alone.