No matter what kind of traveler you are, there’s a podcast for that.
In This Article
A great travel podcast does more than help pass the time on a long flight or road trip—it introduces you to the people, places, food, history, and local culture that make a destination worth exploring. For cannabis travelers, that kind of curiosity is especially useful. After all, finding a great dispensary can be part of the itinerary, but there’s a whole destination to experience beyond it.
With endless travel podcasts available from every corner of the globe, finding the right one can be almost as overwhelming as choosing your next destination! The great news? We’ve done the recon work to bring you the best of the best travel podcasts you can listen to right now.
Whether you want to plan every detail, find somewhere wonderfully weird, hear stories from far-flung corners of the world, or just fuel your wanderlust between trips, there’s a podcast for that. Grab your headphones, press play, and enjoy the trip.
Best for Meaningful Travel
The Thoughtful Travel Podcast, hosted by Amanda Kendle
Every week, Amanda Kendle tackles topics that can teach us all how to be better travelers, like sustainable tourism, ethical trip-planning, and cultural appreciation. Episodes typically feature three separate interviews about a particular theme; think travel meet-cutes, unusual accommodations, and responsible animal tourism.
▶️ Start here: Knowing that everything worked out in the end makes these over-the-top travel disaster stories incredibly entertaining.
Best for Cultural Context
Travel with Rick Steves, hosted by Rick Steves
Rick Steves has spent decades encouraging people to become more thoughtful travelers, and his podcast reflects that philosophy. Rather than running through lists of attractions, the show frequently explores history, art, food, traditions, politics, and everyday life with authors, historians, guides, and other experts. The big takeaway: Understanding where you are makes traveling there that much more rewarding.
▶️ Start here: You won’t go wrong no matter what episode you pick, but this one about the women of Pompei, lesser-known Greek islands, and the weird side of Ireland is particularly fascinating.
Best for Immersive Storytelling
Armchair Explorer, hosted by Aaron Millar
Through immersive production and first-person storytelling, Armchair Explorer takes listeners along on remarkable journeys. Australian travel journalist Aaron Millar interviews adventurers, explorers, photographers, filmmakers, and other guests, who recount their unique experiences in some of the world’s most fascinating places, from kayaking along the longest river in Angola to attending the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in North Dakota.
▶️ Start here: Travel along with Aaron in Rocky Mountain National Park as he treks through the snow to one of the most remote research stations on the planet.
Best for Weird Stuff
Atlas Obscura The Podcast, hosted by Atlas Obscura reporters
The giant whispering gallery. The bizarre roadside attraction. The forgotten monument. The local tradition you’ve somehow never heard about. That’s Atlas Obscura territory. Based on the popular travel site, the podcast tells short stories about unusual places, people, traditions, foods, histories, and curiosities around the world, delivering bite-sized explorations of the strangest places you could ever think to visit.
▶️ Start here: A Dallas museum with bronze casts of 120 famous people’s hands, from Nolan Ryan to Walt Disney to Andre the Giant, is exactly the kind of offbeat subject matter that makes travelers love Atlas Oscura.
Best for Trip Planning
Amateur Traveler, hosted by Chris Christensen
Once you’ve decided where you’re going, search the Amateur Traveler archive for your destination. The show has been running since 2005(!!), and episodes typically feature someone who knows a place particularly well. Guests walk listeners through suggested multi-day itineraries, including what to see, where to go, and where to stop along the way. Every one of the 1,000+ past episodes features tons of useful, implementable information.
▶️ Start here: The Dominica episode gives fantastic tips for enjoying a lesser-known spot in the Caribbean.
Best for Appreciating How Travel Shapes Us
The Travel Diaries, hosted by Holly Rubenstein
Through conversations with British travel journalist Holly Rubenstein, guests on The Travel Diaries essentially build a travel diary of their lives. Each episode features a different intriguing guest who talks about how travel has affected them, recalls childhood vacations, shares favorite destinations, and swoons over places they still want to go. The celebrities aren’t necessarily out of Hollywood; they’re interesting people who are well known in their fields.
▶️ Start here: Rubenstein’s conversation with legendary conservationist Dr. Jane Goodall is a true joy to listen to.
Best for Women Who Travel
Condé Nast Traveler’s Women Who Travel, hosted by Lale Arikoglu and Meredith Carey
From the editors of Condé Nast Traveler, Women Who Travel explores travel through conversations about destinations, as well as the larger experiences that surround seeing the world. Guests and hosts tackle solo travel, food, identity, family trips, relationships, adventure, careers, and the ways travel changes us.
▶️ Start here: Meet a woman who grew up as the real-life Eloise of Lake Como, Italy.
Best for Men Who Travel
Barstool Sports’ Drop A Pin, hosted by Uncle Chaps and the Wonton Don
If you love Barstool Sports, then this is the travel podcast for you. While the show isn’t just for guys, listening definitely feels like hanging out in a man cave. Episodes use travel as a jumping-off point to talk about everything from getting a hair transplant in Turkey to what it’s like to be an international sports superstar. We particularly love the episodes where the crew gets high on the air and learns about some aspect of the world.
▶️ Start here: A “full-blown Disney adult” walks the Barstool crew through where to get the best beer at Epcot Center, how to avoid alligators, and other unexpectedly helpful tips.
Best for Wallet-Savvy Travel Advice
Nerdwallet’s Smart Travel Podcast , hosted by Sally French and Meghan Coyle
Traveling on points and miles can save you tons of money, but knowing how to navigate them can feel like a full-time job. The Smart Travel Podcast from Nerdwallet divulges valuable insights from the people who actually do this for a living. Hosts Sally French and Meghan Coyle comb through the data, news, and inside scoop to deliver expert points hacks, travel industry updates, and more.
▶️ Start here: This insightful episode breaks down the best and worst airlines for standby and same-day changes.
Best for Insights from the People Who Know
The Frommer’s Travel Show, hosted by Pauline Frommer
In this easy, informative listen, Pauline Frommer of FrommerMedia discusses topics that are both practical and aspirational, from how to save money to where to go next. Frommer is often joined by the top leaders in the travel industry, including reporters, journalists, executives, and entrepreneurs who have the inside line on what you need (and want) to know.
▶️ Start here: Author Zach Helfand joins Pauline to discuss the ins and outs of airport lounges.
Best Quick Listen
Travel in 10, hosted by David Brodie and Tim Johnson
Travel in 10 offers short (though nearly always longer than 10 minutes), destination-focused vignettes for listeners who want a deep dive into a specific aspect of a place. Some of the most unique episodes cover topics like the dining scene on Antigua, the wildlife of the Peruvian Amazon, or the best neighborhoods to stay in Mexico City. The show has been on for more than 20 years, and it’s always ranked as one of the top travel podcasts in Canada.
▶️ Start here: Travel insiders break down what you should see and what you can skip in NYC.
What are your favorite travel podcasts? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
