Some of my earliest childhood memories are linked to the Nancy Drew Mystery series. I can even trace my love of reading to a specific book, The Hidden Staircase, by Carolyn Keene. In this captivating story, Nancy, a teenage detective with a knack for cracking cases, discovers a haunted mansion filled with dark passages, a hidden staircase, and plenty of riddles.
These tantalizing tales kept me awake at night. I would crack my bedroom door open wide enough so the hall light would spill onto the pages. Then I could continue reading past my bedtime. I just couldn’t sleep until I knew the secret of the old clock or the password to Larkspur Lane. If I could have traveled to River Heights, Illinois, Nancy’s sleepy midwestern hometown, I’d have done so in a heartbeat.
Years later, my love of reading hasn’t waned. But the irony is that while I can now stay up as late as I want, I usually fall asleep by 9 pm.
Books are transportive. Whether a Scandi-thriller set in Stockholm or a historical fiction novel set in France. Books take us out of our everyday lives and into new worlds, both real and imagined. They rocket us into other galaxies. They sink us deep into the Amazonian jungle. Books expand our imagination, vocabulary, and minds.
These days, books are also taking us to places physically. Literary tourism, also known as book tourism, is emerging as a distinct travel trend. In an era where travelers follow hashtags more often than traditional guidebooks, some of the most engaging travel inspiration now begins with a novel, not a map.
So how can we take our love of plot, character development, and setting into our travel lives? I have a few ideas. Literary tourism is the travel trend that has given bookworms like me a reason to get off the couch.
What exactly is Literary Tourism?
Simply put, literary tourism is the practice of exploring destinations linked to books, characters, and authors. This practice can be executed in many ways. For instance, by visiting a brick-and-mortar bookstore in Nashville that your favorite author owns (Ann Patchett fans, you are my people). Or, wandering around the hometown of a historical figure.
Literary tourism can involve stepping into a famous library, attending a literary festival, or going to the real-life location that inspired a science fiction novel. It could also mean visiting a writer’s former home, grave site, or even following in the footsteps of a favorite protagonist.
Literary tourism is where place and page intersect. It’s where travelers go not just to see, but to experience the destinations authors have so thoughtfully described. These cultural pilgrimages can take readers to places like Platform 9¾ at King’s Cross Station or Paddington’s deepest, darkest Peru. It’s a way for readers to step inside the minds of both authors and characters and to immerse themselves in the settings of books they adore. That kid with the lightning bolt scar is particularly popular.
Travel, By The Book
I enjoy reading books set in remote, faraway locations. I call it escape reading—when books take me light-years away from my everyday life. One recent favorite includes Nathaniel Ian Miller’s Memoirs of Stockholm Sven, which takes place in Arctic Norway. Miller’s book prompted my expedition to the Arctic Circle last year, where I walked in Sven’s snowy footsteps while circumnavigating the Svalbard archipelago.
During my years in Tokyo, I lived above a writer. I hardly ever saw her, and from what I could tell, she rarely left her apartment. Min Jin Lee embodied the quintessentially reclusive writer. Years later, after I’d moved back to the US, I was in a local bookstore. The beautifully illustrated cover of a novel called Pachinko caught my eye, written by none other than my old neighbor. Lee’s book not only became an instant bestseller and TV miniseries, but also inspired readers to visit Jeju, South Korea, and Osaka, Japan—two locations where the book was set.
While George R.R. Martin’s Game of Thrones books were fictional, the TV series was filmed mainly in Croatia. This blockbuster hit was directly responsible for a surge in tourism to the walled city of Dubrovnik. When we visited Croatia a few years ago, we couldn’t walk ten feet without coming upon a Game of Thrones guided tour group, complete with White Walkers and Sansa Stark wannabees. For those who want to go back in time to the Seven Kingdoms, Croatia is the place to do it. Don’t forget to pack some Valyrian steel.
The Great British Getaway
Chances are, if you love a particular British book or series, you’re not alone. Enamored with Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, or Beatrix Potter? Take a guided literary journey through England’s Lake District with a company like Smithsonian Journeys. No country has a richer literary tradition than our composed neighbor across the pond. Amble through Ambleside and tour Beatrix Potter’s historic cottage or taste gingerbread in Grasmere, where Sarah Nelson’s original 1854 recipe will have you longing for simpler times.
Maybe Shakespeare or Wordsworth is more your cup of tea? Attend a performance at the Royal Shakespeare Theater in Stratford-upon-Avon or wander the ancient cemetery at St. Oswald’s Church in Grasmere, where Wordsworth is buried. The fairy tale villages of the Lake District are transporting and timeless.
Furry Friends and Frenemies
Perhaps you grew up enjoying Michael Bond’s A Bear Called Paddington? Or maybe your kids are bear obsessed? Some travel companies have replicated this loveable character’s journey from Peru to London, taking guests through the mystical Andes in the paw prints of Paddington. Hike part of the Inca Trail and shop in Lima’s bustling markets. Find a jar of marmalade to take home as a sweet memory.
Even hotels have jumped on the book bandwagon, offering to guide clients through Elena Ferrante’s Italy in honor of her book “My Brilliant Friend.” The four novels in this series have become a literary phenomenon, inspiring travelers to experience the working-class neighborhoods where Lila and Elena met and came of age. Ferrante fans will revel in old-world Naples, wandering the streets and passing by fruit carts and cobblers that bring back the tense drama of their ill-fated friendship.
Book Festivals Are The New Cultural Pilgrimage
It’s not uncommon to travel to a music or food festival. But what about a literary festival? Lit-fests aren’t only for haughty, high-brow, grammar-correcting intellectuals. Literary festivals are for all book lovers. And they’re taking center stage with buzzy locations from Buenos Aires to Berlin. With author readings, panel discussions, and rows of illustrated tomes to peruse, bookworms will not only meet like-minded readers but also have the opportunity to craft an entire adventure around the festival’s destination.
Some popular annual lit-fests include the Tucson Festival of Books, the Hay Festival in Wales, and the Jaipur Literature Festival in India. These festivals are true causes for celebration, set in locations where one can explore far beyond the page. In India, tack on a trip to Ranthambore National Park to spot Bengal tigers. Meander through Dolbadarn Castle in Wales, or walk among the massive saguaro in Arizona.
Book festivals—go for the festivities. Stay for the adventure.
Lit-Fest at Sea: Just Don’t Call it a Cruise
Cunard’s take on literary festivals may be the most unique, not to mention the most decadent, on the planet. Each year, Cunard’s Queen Mary 2 offers guests the chance to sail from New York to Southampton, England, aboard a ship filled with self-described bookworms. Not a cruise person? Me neither! Reframe it as a literary expedition—that’s what I did in Antarctica.
The Cunard website invites guests to “find themselves in literary heaven, surrounded by authors, journalists, historians, and fellow book lovers, on a seven-night sail dedicated to the power of the pen.” The idea of having seven nights to read, talk about reading, and listen to someone reading, all while floating across the Atlantic Ocean? Literary heaven sounds divine. Make PJs the dress code, and I’ll put down a deposit today.
For those who are truly and deeply transfixed by books, this cruise, I mean expedition, is a dream. The journey is filled with thought-provoking conversations, Q&As, and celebrates writing in all its forms and genres. And with intimate workshops and a few special guests on board, who knows, you may find yourself enjoying high tea on the high seas with your favorite author.
Ann Patchett? Amor Towles? Abraham Verghese? Consider this an open invitation.
Destination Bookstores
I always seek out bookstores when I travel. And I don’t even mind if the titles are in Japanese, Spanish, or Swahili. I love getting lost among the tall, dusty shelves of a bookstore, admiring the beautifully designed covers, smelling the scent of paper and ink. I especially love it when, in a foreign country, I have the opportunity to focus on other parts of the bookshop that have nothing to do with printed pages.
Bookstores have become popular travel destinations these days as much as hotels or museums. But even if you aren’t willing to travel for a bookstore, should you find yourself in one of the following places, take a detour. Many of them are architecturally noteworthy in their own right—not to mention Insta-worthy.
5 Bookstores Worth the Trip
Portland, Oregon: Powell’s City of Books occupies four stories on a full city block; you will need a map to get around! Open since 1971, Powell’s is not only a famous landmark, but it’s also the world’s largest independent bookstore. Its mission is to be ‘the world’s best destination for readers, a place that fosters a culture of reading and connects people with books they’ll love.’ Mission accomplished, Powell!
Buenos Aires, Argentina: El Ateno Grand Splendid is one of the world’s most spectacular book-worshipping destinations. It first opened as a theater in 1919 and was famous for its nightly tango performances. By 2000, it was converted into a bookstore. And today, over one million visitors pass through its opulent doors, readers and non-readers alike. The red velvet curtains and ornate balustrades remain, making it a worthy stop on any Buenos Aires itinerary.
Paris, France: No literary lover should miss the opportunity to visit Shakespeare and Company while in Paris. An English-language bookshop opposite Notre-Dame, this famed boutique was opened in 1951 by American writer George Whitman. It quickly became a gathering place for the literary-minded to meet, discuss books, the arts, and the state of the world. I can only imagine the discussions going on these days.
Porto, Portugal: Livraria Lello is as renowned for its old-world architecture as it is for its extensive collection of books. Its undulating staircase, which may or may not have inspired the interior of Hogwarts, is jaw-dropping. Livraria Lello, often cited as one of the most beautiful book stores in the world, opened in 1906. It’s attracted creative minds ever since.
Santorini, Greece: There may not be another book shop with views that compare to Santorini’s Atlantis Books. It was inspired by two American men, college undergrads, who visited Santorini in 2002. After running out of reading material, they realized the island had no bookshops and decided to open their own. Is anyone else impressed that these young men wanted to read while on vacation in Greece? Overlooking the Aegean Sea, and with an iconic white-washed exterior with stone accents, Atlantis is worth seeking out for more than its collection of books.
A New Chapter in Experiential Travel
I think back to my Nancy Drew years—when reading was a solitary endeavor, something I did by a sliver of light on the floor of my bedroom. When I was a college intern, a book became my trusted companion as I commuted to and from NYC each day. When I moved to DC, a book was often my lunch date.
But with the rise of literary tourism, readers like me can extend a love of books well beyond those final riveting pages. Whether that emerges as a trip to Jane Austen’s England, a soulful retreat to Bali in the vein of Elizabeth Gilbert’s Eat Pray Love, or experiencing magical realism in Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s native Colombia, the choices are endless.
Traveling with novels as our guides enriches our experiences, deepens our connections to place, and makes our journeys even more immersive. Stories have always taken us places in our minds. Now they can take us places physically—long live literary tourism.
Now, I just need the strength to stay awake long enough to see how the story ends.
Novels That Will Inspire You to See the World
The Island of Sea Women, by Lisa See: See’s historical fiction novel takes place on Jeju, an island off the coast of Korea. Volcanic eruptions formed Jeju over millions of years, and See’s epic tale takes us through decades of its history, all the while painting the beauty of Jeju as if with a fine-tipped paintbrush. A story that is poignant and at times, very sad, it will educate readers on a period of time many of us know very little about. Jeju was designated a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site in 2007.
House of Doors, by Tan Twan Eng: This brilliantly illustrative novel, set in 1910 Penang, follows a fictional interpretation of W. Somerset Maugham’s life, alongside other richly written characters. Eng’s description of Penang, its blend of Chinese, Malay, and Indian communities, is vivid and alive. Whether describing the fragrance of a frangipani or the terror of an oncoming monsoon, the book is transporting and gives readers a unique glimpse into British colonial Malaysia.
Lonesome Dove, by Larry McMurtry: Very few books capture the raw and majestic beauty of the American West like Lonesome Dove. McMurtry’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel is one of those books. It spans hundreds of miles, following two Rangers as they take a cattle drive from Texas to Montana, captivating readers with its sheer beauty. McMurtry somehow manages to turn the land into a distinct living character.
The Hungry Tide, by Amitav Ghosh: This novel, set in the little-known Sundarbans, is so intricate and intense that it seems otherworldly. The Sundarbans, a mangrove forest area in the Bay of Bengal, India, are renowned worldwide for their endangered species, including the Bengal tiger, Irrawaddy dolphin, and estuarine crocodile. It’s here that we meet a young Indian-American marine biologist and follow her unlikely relationship with a local fisherman and her translator. The setting is as captivating as the characters. And as an astonishing sidebar, according to the WWF, there are only 92 Irrawaddy dolphins left on the planet.
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My husband and I are friends of your dad and Terry.i am a big mystery fan and love mysteries set in all different countries including Elizabeth George, Donna Leon, Dana Stabenow, Deborah Crombie, Laurie King and others. I recommended the Correspondent to Terry. I really enjoy reading your pieces. We’ll see them New Year’s Eve.
A lovely article on literary tourism and a great choice of books to set off on adventures from the comfort of home!
Thank you for the kind comment! Your website looks really intriguing. I’m excited to look through it. I love combining books and travel! -Jamie