56 Wanderlust Quotes to Ignite Your Travel Bug

Are your feet itching to go out? Our collection of Wanderlust Quotes is here to intensify your desire for an adventure. And if you have doubts and fears about venturing into a new place, these messages explore the joys of exploration and new places. By the end of this compilation, you will start drafting an itinerary.

Originating from Germany, "wanderlust" literally means a lust for wandering. It is a deep, irresistible urge to travel. Beyond the physical place, it also encompasses self-discovery, experiencing novel cultures, engaging with diverse people, and more.

So, if you feel the spirit of adventure emerging, delve into our collection of compelling wanderlust quotes!

Related read: Who invented walking?

Quick links to our selection of wanderlust quotes:

Inspiring Wanderlust Quotes To Spark Your Travel Desires

Life's relentless pace often leaves us yearning for an escape. Yet, the speed of our lives and financial constraints often tether us to our daily routines. These restrictions make the idea of travel feel like a distant dream. But, it should not extinguish the innate human desire for exploration.

As we trudge through our demanding schedules, it's easy to forget the power of travel. The first taste of a new culture or a breathtaking natural landscape can awaken something within us. This inherent 'travel bug' can lie dormant, stifled by the pressures of modern life. But once revived, it can inspire an insatiable desire to experience more of the world. 

So, how does one spark this desire? Perhaps the answer lies in the words of those who have felt the magic of travel. Whether from the wanderlust quotes below or the first-hand experience from someone you personally know, let them nudge you to step out and embrace the adventures that life has to offer.

Even better, being outdoors and being in nature improves our mental health.

Is your schedule tight? Make sure to free up your Saturdays and Sundays. Let some of our weekend quotes compel you to start a short escapade, or read on for more travel quotes to inspire a meaningful adventure.

"I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel's sake. The great affair is to move."
- Robert Louis Stevenson

"Once the travel bug bites, there is no known antidote, and I know that I shall be happily infected until the end of my life."
- Michael Palin

"The world is a book and those who don't travel read only one page."
- St. Augustine

"Life is a magical journey, so travel endlessly to unfold its profound and heart touching beauty."
- Debasish Mridha

"I travel to be replenished with beauty, for travel makes the beauty of this world seem like a Christmas that never ends."
- Carew Papritz

"The symbol of joy today is travel. There is a wanderlust that infects the blood."
- Rollin A. Sawyer

"Travel is not reward for working, it's education for living."
- Anthony Bourdain

"No one realizes how beautiful it is to travel until he comes home and rests his head on his old, familiar pillow."
- Lin Yutang

Wanderlust Quotes About Venturing The Unknown

Uncharted territories often intimidate us. After all, stepping into the unknown, where new languages, cultures, and landscapes can seem daunting. But, herein lies the thrill of travel. Once confronted and understood, the unfamiliar becomes a wellspring of nurturing experiences. 

To harness the essence of these experiences, we need to invest time in understanding the place we're setting off to. It's about learning the nuances of a new culture so we can respect their customs. Even the learning of basic phrases can aid us with communication and connection with the locals. As we research, we can learn how to travel like a local. In conclusion, a well-laid plan is the best companion. 

Do you think plans are limiting? If we leave room for spontaneous detours, a plan can still lead to adventures without unnecessary worries. Wanderlust can mean all sorts of exploring, whether a new city, country or simply getting away. So, while you are planning your next travel, read the following wanderlust quotes below for inspiration.

"The gladdest moment in human life, methinks, is a departure into unknown lands."
- Sir Richard Burton

"Look for chances to take the less-traveled roads. There are no wrong turns."
- Susan Magsamen

"The world is full of wonderful things you haven’t seen yet. Don’t ever give up on the chance of seeing them."
- J.K. Rowling

"All journeys have secret destinations of which the traveler is unaware."
- Martin Buber

"The key to a wonderful life is to never stop wandering into wonder."
- Suzy Kassem

"Take a few minutes of every day to fantasize about how you would wander, travel, or explore if you could."
- Wayne Dyer

"And then there is the most dangerous risk of all - the risk of spending your life not doing what you want on the bet you can buy yourself the freedom to do it later."
- Randy Komisar

Soul-Searching Wanderlust Quotes For The Introspective Traveler

Feeding our wanderlust cravings not only stems from seeking new cultures and visiting exciting destinations. For some, they venture out to feed their souls. People who are lost want to figure out a new path in life. Heartbroken people wish to nurture self-love in a new place. Artistically driven people crave inspiration. 

Personally, my goal is to travel alone. It doesn't need to be a far, expensive, and glamorous place. As long as it's enriching, I want to go somewhere these days. 

Since in TRVST, we advocate for sustainability, including tourism, it is best to venture out somewhere local. Visiting nearby states you've never been into is much more exciting than one would think. Plus, it supports the local economy!

After reading the wanderlust quotes below, check our in-depth discussion about sustainable tourism and read up on our eco-friendly travel tips.

"Travel makes one modest. You see what a tiny place you occupy in the world."
- Gustave Flaubert

"Life is about the adventures you take and the memories you make. So travel often and live life with open eyes and an open heart."
- Katie Grissom

"The life you have led doesn't need to be the only life you have."
- Anna Quindlen

"The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes."
- Marcel Proust

"She had a wild, wandering soul but when she loved, she loved with chaos and that made all the difference."
- Ariana Dancu

"Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore."
- Andre Gide

"I am not the same having seen the moon shine on the other side of the world."
- Mary Anne Radmacher

Wanderlust Quotes Celebrating The Beauty Of Nature And The Great Outdoors

Where do you want to go if you can instantly travel worldwide? The northern lights in Norway? The breathtaking geography of New Zealand? The tropical beaches in Hawaii? Each country boasts a piece of nature everyone should visit. Because the pictures we see online never do them justice.

But we don't have to travel to the other side of the globe to appreciate our planet. Hiking and camping are the easiest ways to get in touch with nature. It can take up the whole weekend or even a few hours.

As we constantly connect with Mother Earth, we can receive many benefits, from decreasing depressive symptoms after nature walks² to improved concentration after looking at a flowering meadow¹.

After reflecting on the wanderlust quotes below, check our curated sustainable outdoor clothing brands and eco-friendly camping products for a greener exploration of nature.

"We live in a wonderful world that is full of beauty, charm and adventure. There is no end to the adventures we can have if only we seek them with our eyes open."
- Jawaharlal Nehru

"Because in the end, you won't remember the time you spent working in the office or mowing your lawn. Climb that goddamn mountain."
- Jack Kerouac

"The use of traveling is to regulate imagination by reality, and instead of thinking how things may be, to see them as they are."
- Samuel Johnson

"Wandering re-establishes the original harmony which once existed between man and the universe."
- Anatole France

More Travel Quotes About Its Rewards

To echo all the benefits of traveling mentioned earlier, we emphasize how learning is at the top. After all, feeding our wanderlust desires is more than crossing off places on a map.

As we wander through bustling markets, dine on exotic cuisine, or join in local festivals, we're not just sightseeing. We're absorbing a world of knowledge. We become students of life, gaining insights into history, art, language, and customs that textbooks can't capture.

Encountering different cultures and perspectives broadens our worldview, liberating us from the biases and prejudices that often cloud our judgments. We learn to appreciate diversity, respect differences, and understand there's no singular way to live.

Aside from the ones mentioned in the wanderlust quotes below, what does traveling give you?

"Travel is like an endless university. You never stop learning."
- Harvey Lloyd

"We wander for distraction, but we travel for fulfillment."
- Hilaire Belloc

"We travel not to escape life, but for life to not escape us."
-

"By seeing how small the world is, I realize how capable I am. I can conquer anything. Anywhere. Anyone."
- Tawny Lara

"To travel is to discover that everyone is wrong about other countries."
- Aldous Huxley

"One's destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things."
- Henry Miller

"You must go on adventures to find out where you belong."
- Sue Fitzmaurice

"Travel brings power and love back into your life."
- Rumi Jalalud-Din

When preparing to travel, lay out all your clothes and all your money. Then take half the clothes and twice the money.

~ Susan Heller

Timeless Wanderlust Quotes From Authors

Before the invention of modern planes and high-speed trains, the human spirit already had a sense of wanderlust. This yearning for adventure wasn't limited to explorers. It was also deeply rooted in the hearts of many authors. Their journeys, albeit some of them being purely metaphysical, have been immortalized through their quotes about travel.

American writer Helen Keller, for instance, was no stranger to the call of exploration. Despite being blind and deaf, it didn't keep her spirit from roaming. She said, "Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all." 

Get more encouragement to travel from more authors through their quotes to inspire wanderlust.

Related: For more from literary authors, check out our explore quotes.

"Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all."
- Helen Keller

"All that is gold does not glitter, Not all those who wander are lost."
- J.R.R. Tolkien

"Though we travel the world to find the beautiful, we must carry it with us, or we find it not."
- Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts."
- Mark Twain

"He who would travel happily must travel light."
- Antoine de St. Exupery

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover."
- Mark Twain

"Adventure is a path. Real adventure self-determined, self-motivated, often risky forces you to have firsthand encounters with the world. The world, the way it is, not the way you imagine it."
- Mark Jenkins

To awaken alone in a strange town is one of the pleasantest sensations in the world.

~ Freya Stark

Once a year, go someplace you've never been before.

~ Dalai Lama

To my mind, the greatest reward and luxury of travel is to be able to experience everyday things as if for the first time, to be in a position in which almost nothing is so familiar it's taken for granted.

~ Bill Bryson

Short Wanderlust Quotes To Post On Instagram

Isn't it funny how we've all become victims of the travel bug lately? The pandemic had us all cooped up and dreaming of far-off places. Now that we're free to explore again, we're not just traveling - we're 'revenge traveling.' We're making up for lost time, itching to cram in as much new experience as possible.

In fact, a 2022 OnePoll survey of 2,000 American travelers revealed that 66% of them are planning to revenge travel. Despite delayed flights or lost baggage, 84% of the participants said their recent trips were worth it. 

As you pack your bags for your next trip, remember to accompany your social media posts with the remaining wanderlust quotes and Instagram captions. Happy travels!

"A journey is best measured in friends rather than miles."
- Tim Cahill

"Adventure begins with a thought, decision and action."
- Lailah Gifty Akita

"Jobs fill your pocket. Adventures fill your soul."
- Jamie Lyn Beatty

"Take only memories. Leave only footprints"
- Chief Seattle

"Don’t let your luggage define your travels, each life unravels differently."
- Shane Koyczan

"Wherever you go becomes a part of you somehow."
- Anita Desai

"A wise traveler never despises his own country."
- Carlo Goldoni

"The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step."
- Lao Tzu

"There are no foreign lands. It is the traveler only who is foreign."
- Robert Louis Stevenson

Life begins at the end of your comfort zone

Wanderlust: a strong desire to wander and explore the world