Image by Instagrammer @muradosmann
Murad Osmann @muradosmann / Instagram

The 25 Best Travel Instagram Accounts

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By Ashley DuBois
What is traveling the world if you can't find a way to share your experiences with others? The fix: Instagram. Avid travelers have taken to this popular free photo sharing mobile app to show their followers the amazing places they visit. The app allows users to explore by searching destinations, activites, people and more. But instead of letting you sift through thousands of travel Instagrams, we've selected these 25 accounts of talented photographers and adventurous travelers to help you spark an idea for your next trip. From the young YouTube star Jackson Harries to the seasoned National Geographic photojournalist Michael Christopher Brown, these Instagrammers left their comfort zones to travel long ago and encourage their followers to do the same.
Images by Instagrammer @samhorine
@samhoine Sam Horine / instagram
@samhorine: Sam Horine
Based in New York, Sam Horine is a true explorer. His focus is on those places society forgot about long ago, like abandoned factories back alleys with graffiti walls. When Horine isn’t wandering the less appreciated attractions, he’s teaching classes at New York University and contributing photos to New York magazine, Time Out New York, and The Village Voice, which named his Instagram account the best in New York City. His photos are elegantly raw, much like the destinations he visits. 
Photos from left to right, clockwise: Ahus Strand; Copenhagen; New York City
Images by Instagrammer @kirstenalana
Kristen Alana / instagram
@kirstenalana: Kirsten Alana
Kirsten Alana once lived a nomadic life but has settled down in New York City. But settling a home base doesn't mean she has stopped traveling: she's been faithfully blogging about her trips on Aviators and a Camera since 2010.  She describes her mission as encouraging "people to take ownership of making the world a better place." Her bold pictures reflect her insightful and varied travels, capturing food, architecture and people. 
 
Photos left to right, clockwise: Minnesota; the Mississippi River in Minnesota; Iceland; Montana; Tanzania; Serengeti National Park in Tanzania
 
Images by Instagrammer @muradosmann
Murad Osmann @muradosmann / Instagram
@muradosmann: Murad Osmann
Hand-in-hand with his model girlfriend, Natalia Zakharova, Murad Osmann travels the world "to see beyond the obvious." Through his Instagram #followmeto project, he photographs Natalia dressed in a local fashion leading him to visit a vibrant scene. It’s as if she’s pulling him along to experience the trip even though he can’t help but stop to get a few snapshots. The project was featured in Harper’s Bazaar Bride India which brought him fame in the travel and photography industry in 2015. While Osmann has seen huge success on Instagram, he wasn’t always an artist. After growing up in Russia, he moved to England to get a degree in civil engineering. Today, he’s based in Moscow but is always traveling to capture things through the lens others might miss. 
 
Photos from left to right, clockwise: Hong Kong; the Taj Mahal; Georgia 
 
Image by Instagrammer @expertvagabond
@expertvagabond Matthew Karsten / instagram
@expertvagabond: Matthew Karsten
Matthew Karsten has been hitchhiking, walking, and roaming through countries for four years. He dumped his girlfriend and job in 2010 to hop on a one-way flight to Guatemala. It was time to break the comfort zone, and The Expert Vagabond shattered it. Matthew says vagabonding has taught him to step into other people’s shoes, no matter how chic or tattered. Consistent with his attitude on life, his photographs are bright and exciting as he kayaks and snowboards in extreme destinations. 
 
Photo: Rattlesnake Mountain in New Hampshire 
Images by Instagrammer @ovunno
@ovunno Oliver Vegas / instagram
@ovunno: Oliver Vegas
While it might not translate directly from Spanish, Oliver Vegas describes his photography in three simple words: Grasp. Feel. Transmit.  Born in Barcelona, Oliver started traveling at the young age of 17 and has been looking for a different point of view on photography and new places ever since. Unlike many other travel photographers, he also does sport photography for companies like Nike. While his Instagram account doesn’t feature any sport photos, it takes you around the world through raging rapids, GoPro selfies and unique angles. 
Photos: New York City; Turkey; Turkey
Images by Instagrammer @gmateus
@gmateus Gabriela / instagram
@gmateus: Gabriela
Gabriela is witty. She knows when she’s taking a cliché picture and isn’t afraid to admit it. Not to say her pictures are cliché: With clean lines and symmetry in her Instagrams, she offers new perspectives on classics such as The Louvre. 

Photo: The Louvre in Paris
Images by Instagrammer @NVRguys
@NVRguys Kent and Caanan Reiersgaard / Instagram
@NVRguys: Kent and Caanan Reiersgaard
Whether it’s eating at a cool new restaurant, running, or just experiencing a new place with each other, Kent and Caanan Reiersgaard are experiencing life now, not later. Their account is named NVR (“No Vacation Required”) to remind their fans they don't have travel to experience a place deeply.  Kent and Caanan work location-independent jobs so they can’t be tied down.  They also work as Expedia Viewfinders, a project by Expedia to promote the travel seller with the "deep knowledge of independent travel bloggers." So even though they might partially be traveling for Expedia, their Instagram account gives you a fun taste of life of the NVR lifestyle.  
 
Photos left to right, clockwise: San Diego; San Diego; San Diego: Maui: Washington D.C.; Las Vegas
 
Images by Instagrammer @wheresandrew
@wheresandrew Andrew Evans / Instagram
@wheresandrew: Andrew Evans
As a former Digital Nomad for National Geographic (which sounds like an amazing career choice), Andrew’s location is constantly changing. He first made his journey with an intrepid trip from Washginton, DC, to Antarctica. Andrew’s focus is on finding the authenticity in traveling and his Instagram reflects his mission. His pictures can be fun and silly while giving you a seriously beautiful view of the places he has visited, as captured exclusively with his iPhone. 

Photos left to right, clockwise: Canada; Washington, D.C.; Ireland 
Image by Instagrammer @theblondeabroad
TheBlondeAbroad / instagram
@theblondeabroad: Kiersten Rich
Kiersten Rich did everything she was supposed to: studied hard, went to college, became a corporate financier.  But it wasn’t right. She had already been to Spain on a study abroad program during college and knew traveling was her thing. So she quit. She quit her sell-out job in finance to discover her own happiness—and @theblondeabroad was born. Her travel-and-style Instagram account captures fun, bold, happy moments of Kiersten on her journeys to more than 40 countries so far.  
 

Photo: Santa Monica, California
Images by Instagrammer @BucketListJourney
@BucketListJrny Annette White / instagram.com
@BucketListJourney: Annette White
No matter how extensive, travelers always have a list of places they want to see in this lifetime. Annette White is making her destination bucket list a reality. As a freelance writer, Annette is traveling around the world, checking off the 45 countries on her bucket list. She started compiling her list after overcoming an anxiety disorder and deciding to never let fear limit her choices. Instead, she’s embraced traveling, cooking, and photography. Annette’s Instagram account celebrates people she has met, foods she has tried, and random tchotchkes she has found at local markets. The variety is intriguing.

Photos left to right, clockwise: Mexico; Galapagos Islands; Tanzania; bee keepers; Ireland; Italy


Image by Instagrammer @migrationology
Migrationology / instagram
@migrationology: Mark Wiens
Mark Wiens believes food brings people together. After growing moving from the US with his family, Mark attended school in France, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Kenya. He returned to the States where he studied at Arizona State Universty to receive a degree in Global Studies. His global studies idea of “migrationology” is about doing what you’re passionate about—and Mark’s Instagram account is about mouth-wateringly diverse cuisine. He even met his wife, Ying, on his travels to Thailand in 2013.  
 
Photo: Thailand 
 
Images by Instagrammer @chaiwalla
@chaiwalla Allan Edward Hinton / instagram.com
@chaiwalla: Allan Edward Hinton
Allan Hinton dropped his marketing career—and everything else—to travel around the world for 14 months.  He has discovered paradise in Rio, motorcycled in Peru, and snorkeled in the Tremiti Islands.  The dreamlike sentiment behind his trip is present in his light, airy photos. The images of geometric architecture and desaturated skies offer a minimalistic style, different than many other travel Instagram accounts. 
 
Photos left to right, clockwise: Singapore; Italy; Singapore
Images by Instagrammer @thefella
@thefellal Conor MacNiel / instagram.com
@thefella: Conor MacNeill
Originally from Ireland, Conor MacNeill is a landscape, architecture, and destination photographer. He has already visited 50 countries and is still counting. As a professional photographer, he’s taken pictures for companies like Jameson, Hyundai, and Marriott International. His Instagram captions describe where he took each photo so inspired travelers can head to his photographed destinations. 
 
Photos left to right, clockwise: London; England; Iceland; London; Arizona; Iceland
Image by Instagrammer @triphackr
@triphackr Clint Johnston / instagram.com
@triphackr: Clint Johnston
Clint Johnston is all about getting the most out of your trips using your best resources, a hobby known as Trip Hacking, and his blog, Triphackr thinks up novel ways to save money on travels. In conjunction with the site, his Instagram account is engaging, encouraging comments and responses to which he replies. His experiences cover more than 80 countries. 

Photo: Bhutan
 
Images by Instagrammer @jackharries
Jackson Harries @jackharries / instagram
@jackharries: Jackson Harries
Born in 1993, Jackson Harries is at the heart of the Instagram generation. While on his gap year between high school and college in England, Jackson started a YouTube documentary series with his twin brother about his life, which eventually became about his travels. As the son of a film producer and art director and grandson of playwright Michael Frayn, he has a creative sensibility that carries over to his worldview. His Instagram account is full of life, with a young vibe. 
 
Check Jack and his twin brother, Finn, on YouTube: http://youtube.com/jacksgap

Photos left to right, clockwise: Nairobi; France; Philippines; India; with twin brother Finn; India
 
Image by Instagrammer @leeabbamonte
Lee Abbamonte / instagram
@leeabbamonte: Lee Abbamonte
Lee Abbamonte says he has been to every country: 193 United Nations sovereign nations. At age 36, he says he’s the youngest American to ever do it. Then there’s the time when he used to work on Wall Street. And when he summited Mt. Kilimanjaro. The intensity and adrenaline of his adventures are reflected in his photos with rich, structured images with vibrant colors and scenes. Although he shares a lot of throwbacks to past trips, each one is as bold as the next. 

Photo: French Polynesia 
 
Images by Instagrammer @journeywonders
@journeywonders Raphael Alexander Zoren / instagram
@journeywonders: Raphael Alexander Zoren
In his hometown of Acapulco, Raphael found himself letting life pass by without stopping to experience the historical city surrounding him or doing anything extraordinary. He was stuck in the same average routine and didn’t know how to break it. When he was offered a chance to be an exchange student in Montreal, he discovered his love for traveling and his romance for becoming remarkable. Raphael now describes his life as a journey of wonder full of unlimited freedom empowered by travel. He encourages his followers to unleash their potential by reaching out in his comments.   

Photos left to right, clockwise: Egypt; Israel; Bosnia
Image by Instagrammer @thatbackpacker
@thatbackpacker Audrey Bergner Jeffery / instagram
@thatbackpacker: Audrey Bergner Jeffery
While her Instagram bio reads simply “Currently in Spain eating gazpacho,” Audrey Bergner Jeffery has been to nearly 40 other countries. Since she was 18, she’s been traveling the world, from working in Korea to backpacking through Argentina. She is fluent in Spanish and conversational in French, Portuguese, and German. Her YouTube channel documents her journeys, along with her travel blog ThatBackpacker.com. Her colorful images are typified by close ups and wide shots, while her captions carefully describe events and locations thoroughly. 

Photo: South Africa
Images by Instagrammer @dguttenfelder
David Guttenfelder / instagram
@dguttenfelder: David Guttenfelder
You might think you capture some pretty great Kodak moments on your iPhone, but David Guttenfelder is on another level. The National Geographic photographer’s Instagram is strictly iPhone photography. Guttenfelder’s Instagram account is full of dark pictures pulsing with intensity, motion, and people.  He has spent most of his life outside of the U.S. and it seems to be paying off: His international photography won him 2014 Instagram Photographer of the Year by Time magazine. Guttenfelder shares his talent with students across the world in National Geographic Explorer's Smartphone Photography workshops. 

http://www.davidguttenfelder.com/ 

To learn to photograph on your cell phone like David, check out How to Shoot Better Pictures with your Smartphone. 
 
Photos left to right, clockwise: France; Montana; Yellowstone National Park 
 
Images by Instagrammer @girleatworld
Melissa Hie @GirlEatWorld / instagram
@girleatworld: Melissa Hie
Melissa Hie started Girl Eat World for two simple reasons: She felt awkward asking strangers to take pictures of her, and she isn’t about taking selfies. So she started to take pictures of her food. Food selfies, if you will. These food Instagrams show local dishes such as a pretzels at the Brooklyn Bridge, or a bo lo bao, a pineapple bun, in Hong Kong. Hie is originally from Hong Kong, but moved to Singapore in 2009. Five years later, she backpacked Europe by herself and was inspired to start her @girleatsworld Instagram account. 
 

Photos left to right, clockwise: Hong Kong; Netherlands; Tokyo; Mabul Island; Seoul; New York City
 
Images by Instagrammer @uncornered_market
Daniel Noll @uncornered_market / instagram
@uncornered_market: Daniel Noll
This brave soul bought a ticket from San Francisco to Prague in 2001 and hasn’t turned back. Family and friends thought Daniel Noll and his wife Audrey Scott were crazy. But together, they are a storytelling team, making money on the road via freelancing and writing. Today, they’ve visited over 90 countries and Noll’s Instagram account speaks for itself. The pictures capture aerial views of cities, vivacious cultural markets, street views—the couple’s travels are “uncornered” and they plan to continue traveling for as long as they are able. 
Photos left to right, clockwise: Colombia; Uganda; Miami 
 
Image by Instagrammer @theplanetD
ThePlanetD / instagram
@theplanetD: Dave and Deb
After feeling trapped by their desk jobs, Dave and Deb decided to get out there and really live their lives. Stepping out of their comfort zones has led the couple to travel around the world and today they have been named a top Instagram by USA Today, Yahoo! Travel, Forbes and others. Dave had photography experience in films such as X-Men and The Incredible Hulk, which explains thePlanetD’s HDR-esque, saturated pictures. While he had experience in photography, neither of the two were adrenaline junkies, particularly athletic, or rich. Thus their motto: Adventure is for everyone. Their first journey was to Ireland in 2008 and their account has documented their adventures since. 

Photo: Antarctica  
 
Images by Instagrammer @onemileatatime
Ben Schlapping @onemileatatime / Instagram
@onemileatatime: Ben Schlapping
Airline points are always a perk, but are you really getting the most out of them? Ben Schlapping flies over 400,000 miles a year as a travel consultant. Think of the frequent flier miles. And Schlapping knows how to use his miles. He’s a fast-paced, obsessively luxury-only type of guy who doesn’t like staying anywhere for more than three days. By stay anywhere, we mean he flies in first class then stays at a top-tier hotel. His braggy Instagram is full of plush front-of-the-plane seats and amenities plus fancy hotel rooms and bars. With all his flier points, he doesn’t pay for any of it. His Instagram and blog give you tips to pursue extravagant travel experience by using resources such as your airline points. 
 
Photos left to right, clockwise: Germany; Seattle; Dubai; first class plane seat; Los Angeles; the Maldives
 
Images by Instagrammer @MappingMegan
Meg Jerrard @MappingMegan / instagram
@MappingMegan: Meg Jerrard
 
If you’re an adrenaline junkie, Meg Jerrard is your girl. Her Instagram account follows her not only at her destinations, but also at every stop in between, from the planning to the plane to the campsite at night. At the destination, it’s about the scenery, the wildlife, her humungous backpack, and her explorations with her husband, whom she met traveling in Africa in 2010. They started a combined blog, MappingMegan.com, to spread their love for adventure.  

 
Photos from left to right, clockwise: California; Tasmania; Chile 
 
Images by Instagrammer @michaelchristopherbrown
@michaelchristopherbrown Michael Christopher Brown / instagram
@michaelchristopherbrown: Michael Christopher Brown
While others travel for introspection, Michael Christopher Brown’s travels focus on the serious and the political. The intensity of his Instagrams mirrors the intensity of the moments he captures.  His low exposure photos highlight international news from revolution in Libya to financial crisis in New York. He covers news around the world for National Geographic. 

Photo: Democratic Republic of the Congo
 
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