Lonely Planet

Lonely Planet is a well-known publisher of travel guidebooks. Established in Australia in 1973, the company has sold more than 150 million books to date. It was started by Maureen and Tony Wheeler, a couple who set off on an adventurous journey from Europe to Asia and finally to Australia in 1972, retracing the path taken by the Oxford and Cambridge Far Eastern Expedition. The name "Lonely Planet" comes from a misinterpretation of the phrase "lovely planet" found in a song by Matthew Moore. Their very first book, titled Across Asia on the Cheap, was a 94-page guide created by the Wheelers in their home. The initial print run in 1973 featured simple stapled booklets with light blue cardboard covers. Tony Wheeler later returned to Asia to expand on their first book, leading to the release of Across Asia on the Cheap: A Complete Guide to Making the Overland Trip in 1975.

International, Consumer

English

Online/Digital

Outlet metrics

Domain Authority

Ranking

Global

#17322

United States

#9360

Travel and Tourism/Travel and Tourism

#85

Traffic sources

Monthly visitors

Articles

Why my trip to Cabo included a rural detour (and yours should too)

5 days ago | lonelyplanet.com | Melissa Yeager

The word "Cabo" alone likely conjures visions in your mind of stunning, rocky landscapes framed by crystal waters. Maybe hearing its name, you're wistful for a stay in one of the luxury resorts that draw in Hollywood A-listers and other celebrities. Long a popular winter escape from the United States, the region of Los Cabos is attracting new interest across the Atlantic thanks to new nonstop flights to countries in Europe.
The best national parks in the northeastern US

6 days ago | lonelyplanet.com | Anna Staropoli

By numbers alone, the National Park Service crowns the Western USA as the champion of the great outdoors, with the bulk of the country’s national parks clustered in California, Utah and neighboring states. From Virginia up to Maine, only three national parks surface in the service's Northeast region, but with ethereal cliffsides, waterfront trails, and wild mountaintops, there’s no inferiority complex here.
The Lonely Planet guide to Hanalei Bay, Kauaʻi

1 week ago | lonelyplanet.com | Catherine Fox

Once you cross the historic, one-lane steel bridge over Hanalei River, it’s like you’ve gone back in time. Hanalei is the quintessential beach town in Hawaiʻi. No big resorts, no chain restaurants. Just a single road and long stretches of uncrowded beaches and charming shops, many set in old plantation-style buildings. For decades this quaint town has lured travelers looking for an escape.
The 10 best things to do in Casco Viejo, Panama City

1 week ago | lonelyplanet.com | Rosie Bell

Every visit to Panama City should begin in its historic, soulful old town. Known variously as Casco Viejo, Casco Antiguo and (the lesser-used) San Felipe, this neighborhood is always the hippest part of this cosmopolitan city. And it’s where just about everyone falls in love with Panama’s capital.
The LGBTIQ+ guide to Washington, DC

1 week ago | lonelyplanet.com | Kelsy Chauvin

It’s one of the most diverse places in America, with the highest percentage of LGBTIQ+ residents in the United States. No, it’s not NYC or San Francisco – we’re talking about Washington, DC. The nation’s capital is a thriving metropolis that’s both a buzzy international crossroads and a mix of neighborhoods that make visitors feel like locals.
The Lonely Planet guide to visiting Jaipur’s City Palace

1 week ago | lonelyplanet.com | Joe Bindloss

The Kachwaha Dynasty of northeast Rajasthan was one of India’s most extravagant royal families. Generations of Kachwaha maharajas filled their kingdom – centered on the area around modern-day Jaipur – with fortresses, temples and palaces during a rule spanning nearly 1000 years. Of all their regal residences, the fabulous City Palace in Jaipur stands out for its opulence and the ambition of its design.
How to spend 3 days on Lakes Geneva and Annecy

1 week ago | lonelyplanet.com | Ann Douglas Lott

You’ve most likely been asked this classic icebreaker: “Would you rather live on a beach, in a city, on a lake or in the mountains?” Au contraire! It’s a trick question. You can savor the delights of all four in the French Alps, specifically on Lakes Geneva and Annecy in the Haute-Savoie region.
11 of the best dive bars in New York City

1 week ago | lonelyplanet.com | Stacey Lastoe

Sticky floors, ice cold beers on draft, gently priced shot and drink combos and a total lack of pretension are a few trademarks of a dive bar. Their grungy bathrooms, graffitied and laden with random stickers (“beer is good,” “patriarchy is dead”), are often devoid of mirrors. The bartender might know your name – and definitely your drink order – if you’re a regular.
Indecisive traveler? Here's how to embrace the challenge

1 week ago | lonelyplanet.com | Sasha Brady

I am incapable of booking a trip more than two weeks before departure. January, February and March all came and went while I bookmarked hotels, filed restaurant recommendations in about a dozen cities and added flights to my cart, only to panic at the last-minute and close the tab in a fit of indecision. It’s April now and I’ve nothing booked, which is actually bang on schedule for me. I’ll probably be in the same boat by June and I'll have a wishlist the length of my arm way before then.
The best beaches in the West Coast

1 week ago | lonelyplanet.com | Margot Bigg

When most people think of West Coast beaches, they think of California. After all, it’s the Golden State beaches that inspired the Beach Boys ballads and surfer-dude stereotypes that have become an integral aspect of Americana. Oregon and Washington have plenty of spectacular beaches, too, and while frigid Pacific Northwest waters might not inspire most people to swim, they certainly offer incredible scenic beauty.