Top Travel Destinations For Book Lovers
Hey fellow bookworms! If you’re anything like me, then the smell of old books and the promise of a good story is enough to get you packing your bags.
Yes, there’s nothing more powerful than that feeling when a book transports you to another world. But, what if I told you that you can step right into the story itself?
The rush I’m feeling right now just remembering the feeling of sitting in a cafe where literary greats once wrote or wandering through centuries-old libraries filled with the scent of aged paper is hard to describe.
This journey is a love letter to stories, storytellers and most importantly to you, readers!
So grab your reading glasses, and let’s get started on this literary adventure!
1. Paris, France
The city of love, lights, and… literature.
Picture yourself sipping hot chocolate at Café de Flore, once the haunt of Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir. It’s like stepping onto the pages of a classic novel. Walk along the Seine with a book in hand, breathing in the aroma of freshly baked croissants and old paper. Bliss!
Next, wander into Shakespeare and Company, a legendary English-language bookstore. This is where dreams are made.
Every corner whispers tales of writers who found inspiration here. Make sure to leave a note in their writer’s room. It’s tradition! So, why not add Paris to your bookish bucket list? Your inner bibliophile will thank you.
2. Dublin, Ireland
Can you hear the calling of the heart of Irish storytelling?
I strongly recommend you start at the James Joyce Centre! Every room unfolds literary magic. You’ll feel the spirit of Joyce himself as you explore.
Next stop? Trinity College Library. Trust me, this place is straight out of a dream. The Long Room is a towering hall lined with ancient books, the kind of place that makes you want to whisper out of pure respect.
And before you leave, stop by Hodges Figgis, one of the oldest bookshops in Ireland, where you’ll probably end up buying way more books than your suitcase can handle.
3. London, England
If you love books, London is your dream city.
Every street, every pub, and every hidden corner seems to have a connection to some of the greatest writers of all time.
We’re talking about Shakespeare’s First Folio, handwritten Beatles lyrics, Jane Austen’s writing desk, and even original manuscripts from Da Vinci. How’s it possible that all of this is one place?
Here comes the sweet part! If you’re a Harry Potter fan, don’t miss Platform 9 3⁄4 at King’s Cross Station or a visit to House of MinaLima, the shop and gallery filled with original artwork from the films.
4. Edinburgh, Scotland
Let’s talk about Harry Potter some more, if you don’t mind. Want to know which place inspired Rowling to write this amazing story? You’re reading about it!
Here great writers once sat scribbling ideas and every street in this city tells a story. It’s no wonder Edinburgh was named the first-ever UNESCO City of Literature! This place is an absolute dream for bookworms.
Rowling wrote much of the series here, and you can visit The Elephant House Café, where she famously worked on the early books.
Stroll through Victoria Street, the curved, colorful road that inspired Diagon Alley, and pop into Armchair Books, a secondhand bookshop so cozy and crammed with stories it feels straight out of a novel.
I’m stopping, I promise!
5. San Francisco, USA
I don’t know about you, but I love thought-provoking writing. Well, San Francisco is the place that inspired this type of writing in the last century.
Its beautiful streets and the Golden Gate Bridge are stories for themselves, but you, bookworms, want to visit this literary soul.
Each neighborhood unfolds a new chapter waiting just for you to read them. Start your literary adventure at City Lights Bookstore. It was founded by Lawrence Ferlinghetti in 1953. It’s an absolute must-visit for all book lovers who love radical literature, poetry and books that challenge the status quo.
Unleash a rebel and a dreamer within yourself, and feel the power of words that can shake the world.
6. Hay-on-Wye, Wales
If there’s one place in the world that feels like it was designed for book lovers, it’s Hay-on-Wye. This tiny town on the Welsh-English border is home to fewer than 2,000 people, but over 20 bookshops. Yes, you read that right.
This is the world’s first “Book Town,” and every street, alleyway, and even castle wall is lined with books.
Start your literary adventure at Richard Booth’s Bookshop, a multi-level paradise filled with rare finds, cozy reading nooks, and even a café where you can sip coffee while flipping through your latest purchase.
If you ever get tired of this, don’t forget the Hay Festival, which is held every year. Bill Clinton once called it “the Woodstock of the mind”.
Here, books are as important as people!
7. Buenos Aires, Argentina
With more bookshops per capita than any other city in the world, Buenos Aires is a paradise for readers, writers, and dreamers.
One of the most mesmerizing spots for book lovers is El Ateneo Grand Splendid, a bookstore so breathtaking it feels like something out of a novel.
Long ago it was a grand theater. But, today this masterpiece of a bookshop still retains its ornate balconies, red velvet curtains, and ceiling frescoes. Curl up with a book in one of the old opera boxes or sip coffee under the grand lights.
It’s easily one of the most beautiful bookstores in the world.
8. Porto, Portugal
Here, I felt like Belle from The Beauty And The Beast! There is no place for book lovers that is more beautiful than this one!
I’m talking about a must-visit for any bookworm, Livraria Lello. It’s often called one of the most beautiful bookstores in the world.
With its dramatic red staircase, stained-glass ceiling, and towering bookshelves, stepping inside feels like entering a fairytale. It’s even rumored to have inspired J.K. Rowling when she lived in Porto! So if it gives you Harry Potter vibes, you’re not imagining things.
Want a truly unique book-buying experience? Visit one of Porto’s outdoor book markets, like the one in Praça Carlos Alberto, where you can find everything from Portuguese classics to rare vintage editions.
9. Sharjah, UAE
You might think of Dubai’s skyscrapers or Abu Dhabi’s luxury, but let me tell you, Sharjah is the real gem for book lovers.
First up, you need to check out the Sharjah International Book Fair, one of the biggest book fairs in the world. Imagine millions of books, thousands of authors, and entire halls filled with literary magic.
If you time your visit right, it’s the kind of event that’ll have you leaving with a suitcase full of books and zero regrets.
Need a chill spot to read? Al Rawi is a cozy book café where you can sip Arabic coffee while getting lost in a novel. It’s the kind of place that makes you want to stay for just one more chapter. My kind of place. What about you?
10. Saint Petersburg, Russia
If books could shape a city, Saint Petersburg would be proof. This place isn’t just a backdrop for literature! It breathes with the words of Dostoevsky, Pushkin, Nabokov, and countless other literary giants.
If you love books, this city will pull you in like the first line of a masterpiece.
First stop? The National Library of Russia, one of the largest and oldest libraries in the world, housing over 38 million items. Yes, million!
And let’s not forget Dom Knigi, the city’s most famous bookstore, housed in the stunning Singer Building. With gorgeous views of the Kazan Cathedral, endless bookshelves, and cozy reading corners, it’s the perfect place to get lost for an afternoon.
11. Tokyo, Japan
If you love books, Tokyo will sweep you off your feet in the best way possible.
I know, when you think of Tokyo, the first thing that comes to your mind are neon lights and futuristic tech. But, actually is a home to some of the coolest, strangest, and most beautiful book spots in the world.
The first stop you need to visit is Tokyo’s legendary Book Town. Picture this: over 150 bookstores packed into a few streets, selling everything from rare first editions and classic Japanese literature to secondhand gems and vintage manga.
I’m sure you’re hooked already! Ready for a new book obsession?
12. Reykjavik, Iceland
In a country with more books published per capita than anywhere else in the world, reading isn’t just a hobby—it’s a way of life. From Viking sagas to modern Nordic noir, Icelanders have been telling stories for centuries.
Start your bookish adventure at the Reykjavík City Library, where contemporary Icelandic literature meets Viking-era manuscripts. Then, dive into history at the National Library of Iceland, home to some of the oldest Icelandic texts.
If you love mythology, folklore, and epic tales, this is where you’ll find their roots.
One final tip: visit during the winter. You want to share the Christmas joy when Icelanders gift books to each other on Christmas Eve and spend the night reading. Seriously, could anything be more magical?
13. Cartagena, Colombia
Some places feel like fiction, and Cartagena is one of them. With its colorful colonial streets, swaying palm trees, and salty Caribbean breeze, it’s no surprise that Gabriel García Márquez, the master of magical realism, found endless inspiration here.
Your first stop has to be Casa Museo Gabriel García Márquez, a tribute to the Nobel Prize-winning author whose novels, especially Love in the Time of Cholera and One Hundred Years of Solitude, capture the essence of Cartagena’s charm, mystery, and romance.
This is truly the place where fiction and reality mix together perfectly.
14. Antigua, Guatemala
Some places simply feel like they were made for wondering. This UNESCO-listed city is as breathtaking as the stories it inspires.
Start your literary adventure at Librería Sophos, a charming independent bookstore hidden away in Antigua’s historic center. With a beautiful selection of books in Spanish and English, plus a cozy café, it’s the kind of place where you’ll want to linger.
On the other hand, if you’re in the mood for something rare, explore the markets and street stalls where you might stumble upon vintage books or old Guatemalan folktales.
Write a new chapter in the book called Your Life.
15. Nashville, USA
You might know Nashville as the Music City, but did you know it’s also a haven for book lovers?
Kick off your literary tour at Parnassus Books, the beloved independent bookstore co-founded by best-selling author Ann Patchett.
This isn’t just a bookstore! It’s a book lover’s paradise, filled with carefully curated shelves, cozy reading nooks, and a passionate community of readers and writers. Don’t be surprised if you walk in for one book and leave with a stack.
This is a city that loves to celebrate stories. It doesn’t care in what way: through music, books or history. All of it sounds awesome!
16. Hobart, Tasmania
What stories can be found at the edge of the world?
Hobart is not a name of the novel, just a perfect setting for one.
This Tasmanian gem is the kind of place where you can lose yourself in a book while sipping coffee in a sunlit café or get inspired to write one yourself.
Visit MONA (Museum of Old and New Art), where contemporary storytelling meets mind-bending art, or take a walk through Battery Point, a historic neighborhood that feels like stepping into a 19th-century novel.
Or if you want a truly atmospheric reading spot, find a quiet bench at Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens.
17. Toronto, Canada
Toronto is a city of diversity and innovation, and offers a dynamic literary scene.
The city’s independent bookstores, like Type Books, provide a wide choice of reading material.
Its love for books goes beyond the shelves.The Toronto International Festival of Authors draws literary figures from around the world, offering a platform for diverse voices. Explore the city’s literary landmarks or enjoy a cozy reading session in one of its many cafes.
The blend of cultural richness and literary activity makes it an exciting destination for book lovers.
18. Havana, Cuba
Okay, hear me out! Havana is basically a book that you can walk through. Every street, every sun-faded building, every tiny bookstall tucked into a colonial plaza feels like it has a story to tell. If you love books, history, and a little bit of mystery, you’re going to fall in love with this city.
First stop? Plaza de Armas. It’s the kind of place where you’ll pick up a book just because it feels like it has a story beyond the pages. You might even find something rare, something that’s passed through countless hands before making its way to yours.
Honestly, Havana is one big story waiting to be explored.
19. Seoul, South Korea
Alright, you need to come to Seoul because this city? It’s an absolute paradise for book lovers. I’m talking futuristic libraries, hidden indie bookshops, and centuries-old literary history all in one place. It’s like someone designed it just for you.
First, you have to go to Starfield Library. And no, this isn’t just any library—it’s this beautiful, two-story book haven with massive floor-to-ceiling bookshelves right in the middle of a luxury mall.
Imagine standing there, surrounded by thousands of books, soft golden lighting, and cozy reading corners.
It’s the kind of place that makes you want to sit for hours and pretend you live there.
20. Oxford, Mississippi, USA
I went to Oxford, Mississippi, and I cannot stop thinking about it.
If you love books even a little bit, this place will steal your heart in the best way possible. It’s got Southern charm, a ridiculously good indie bookstore, and some serious literary history that makes you feel like you’ve stepped into a novel.
I walked through Rowan Oak—William Faulkner’s actual home. I swear, you can still feel his presence there. His typewriter is still in the house, his handwritten notes are literally scribbled on the walls, and the whole place feels frozen in time.
Of course, there is Square Books. It’s truly one of the best indie bookstores I’ve ever been to. Don’t blame me if you buy too many books.
I’m telling you—Oxford is the kind of place that gets under your skin in the best way.
21. Luang Prabang, Laos
This is a kind of place where time slows down. You can spend hours wandering through quiet streets, reading in peaceful cafés, and soaking in the history that lingers in every temple and riverside corner.
One of my favorite discoveries was L’Etranger Books & Tea, a cozy little bookshop and café where you can sip strong Laotian coffee while flipping through travelogues, novels, or poetry. It’s the kind of spot that invites you to sit for a while, listening to the soft hum of the town as you lose yourself in a book.
Luan Prabang is not flashy or fast-paced, and this is exactly what makes it so special.
22. Marrakech, Morocco
This is the kind of place where you’ll feel like you’re in the middle of your best novel.
Everything is combined together, and there’s no way to take it all in. Alley of the Medina, loud souks filled with books, spices and handmade treasures, all in one place!
When you feel like you need a little break from the crowd, go to Le Jardin Secret! Don’t forget your book and sit under the palm trees.
I’m not sure what will linger longer with you – this city or its stories!
23. Vilnius, Lithuania
Vilnius is one of those cities that quietly surprises you.
It may not be the first place that comes to mind when you think of literary destinations, but once you step into its streets, tucked-away bookshops, and historic libraries, you’ll realize this is a city where stories have been written, hidden, and rediscovered for centuries.
One of the most fascinating stops is the Vilnius University Library, one of the oldest in Eastern Europe. Walking through its halls lined with centuries-old books and frescoes, you can almost hear the whispers of scholars who studied there long before us.
It’s the kind of place where you feel the weight of history in the best way possible.