10 Travel Instagram Accounts to Inspire Your Next Holiday

Let the armchair traveling and the journey planning begin.

Sometimes, we wonder if it’s more exciting to plan a holiday than to actually be on one. There’s something about the anticipation period, that thrilling time before you’re actually away when your holiday is full of possibility and potential. Where will you go? What will you do? Who will you meet? What will you discover?

The planning period right before you jet off on an overseas adventure is one that we truly love, and nothing fuels that anticipation more than Instagram. We love to follow accounts that inspire us, introduce us to new places around the world and feed our wanderlust with beautiful imagery, travel tips, and destination information.

Wherever you’re going in the world and whatever your bucket list trip might be, these are some of our favourite Instagram accounts to follow for travel inspiration.

1. @travelandleisure

It’s one of the most popular travel accounts on Instagram and it’s easy to see why: Travel and Leisure is a trusted media brand celebrating all things travel, and their Instagram account is a curated ode to the perfect vacation. Not only will you find posts that link to useful articles about travel – city guides and hotel reviews, restaurant recommendations and perfect weekend getaway itineraries – the account also has some of the most luscious and gorgeous imagery around. You’ll lose yourself in the beautiful snapshots of Swiss mountains, open roads in Utah and that picture-perfect Parisian skyscape.

2. @prior

Prior is a members club for frequent fliers and travel fans founded by Australian travel writer David Prior. There are fees involved in signing up for the Prior service itself but their Instagram is free, which is fantastic news for us armchair travellers and future voyagers because their feed is so inspiring it has us dreaming of Egyptian cruises down the Nile, guided tours of Moroccan souks and cocktails on the rooftop of a swanky New York hotel. With an eye for luxury and impeccable design, Prior offers a curated look at the best in experiential travel around the world, for those who want their holidays to be truly next-level and unforgettable.

3. @lucylaucht

Lucy Laucht is a photographer and keen traveller whose Instagram account is full of beauty and life. Whether she’s exploring the English countryside around Cornwall and Devon or returning to some of her most favoured destinations around the world, including the southern coast of Italy and the island of Ischia, Lucy’s images always bring joy to our feed.

4. @cntraveler

Just like Travel and Leisure, Conde Nast Traveler is one of the world’s most respected travel publications, so following their Instagram account is a must for any budding world voyagers. Their account is a mix of posts pointing to stories on their website, including in-depth guides to some of the most exciting new cities in the world and plenty of reporting on hotels, spas and resorts, and then images and videos of every place you could dream of one day visiting.

5. @ericafirpo

A travel writer for multiple global publications, we’ve always loved following Erica Firpo’s account. Based out of Rome, her feed is focused on Italian cities and villages as well as Europe more broadly, and she also hosts the podcast Ciao Bella podcast, which will give you plenty of Italian holiday wanderlust. Anyone thinking of doing a big Italian vacation needs to follow her account for tips, tricks and hacks.

6. @abimarvel

What we love about fashion influencer and content creator Abisola Omole’s account are the in-depth hotel reviews. If you’re someone who loves a buzzy hotel, room service in bed and a bubble bath, Abi’s account is a must-follow. Because of her job as a content creator and creative director, with an eye for interiors and style, Abi travels the world regularly and often stays in some of the coolest new hotels. She always reviews them with honesty and attention to detail and gives us a window into where we want to book next. For example, she has us eyeing off the new Hotel Alma in Barcelona and Chateau Voltaire in Paris.

7. @elizabetheverywhere

Elizabeth Rhodes is the special projects editor for Travel and Leisure, which means that her day job quite literally involves travelling the world. Not bad, right? We love her account for the sneak peek it gives us into new openings, next-gen destinations and the must-visit places that everyone will be talking about in the coming months.

8. @jo_rodgers

This London-based writer is a frequent contributor to Conde Nast Traveler, where she has written about travelling on luxury trains like the Belmond Orient Express or the Royal Scotsman, makes her a must-follow travel inspiration account. She loves slow travel and quiet luxury, meaning that she always has great recommendations for anyone looking to plan a trip by train or ferry – instead of flying, a great option for those with time up their sleeve in Europe – and as a new mum of two, she also has great tips for those travelling with young children. Her pictures are immersive and elegant and her Instagram captions so evocative they’ll have you dreaming of your next big trip.

9. @skyemcalpine

For those who might be planning a holiday to Venice, we really recommend following Skye Mcalpine. The food writer and cookbook author is partially based out of Italy’s most romantic city, which makes her the perfect person to recommend where to eat when you’re in town – and let’s face it, that’s what holidays are really about, right? We love her tips on where to get the best coffees, pastries and gelato in Venice, as well as her recommendations for art galleries and boutiques to swing by when you’re in town.

10. @inbedwith.me

Photographer Rhiannon Taylor of In Bed With Me is dedicated to reviewing and photographing the most beautiful hotels around the world and asks us "Where are you staying tonight?". Those dreaming of a more luxurious getaway will swoon over her perfectly captured vignettes of hotels like Aman and Qualia.

Let the armchair traveling and the journey planning begin.