What Is shop.lonelyplanet.com?

Updated

shop.lonelyplanet.com is the official online store of Lonely Planet, the travel publisher known for its guidebooks. It sells print and digital travel guidebooks, maps, gift books, and kids' books, and the storefront advertises free shipping. If you want to buy Lonely Planet titles directly from the publisher rather than through a third-party retailer, this is the site to use.

What you can buy

The store organizes its catalog around the kind of travel product you need:

  • Guidebooks — destination guides in print and digital formats, covering countries, cities, and regions.
  • Travel maps — printed maps to pair with a guidebook or carry on their own.
  • Gift books — larger illustrated titles suited to browsing or giving.
  • Kids' books — travel-themed titles aimed at younger readers.

The site's own description frames the catalog as "trusted travel information in print and digital," so both formats are part of the offer rather than print alone.

How the site is organized

The homepage leads with a Destination Guides section that works as a browsing entry point rather than a search-first catalog. Destinations are grouped by region:

Region Example destinations listed
Europe Iceland, Italy, Japan (featured), London, Portugal, Spain, Croatia, Greece
Asia Bali, Hong Kong, Japan, Maldives, Thailand, Vietnam, South Korea
The Americas California, Hawaii, Mexico, Peru, Argentina, Canada, New York City
Australia & Oceania Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Tahiti, Tasmania
Africa & The Middle East Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania, Kenya
The Caribbean Puerto Rico, Jamaica, Barbados, Aruba, Bermuda

Within each region, destinations are further split into countries and cities, so you can jump straight to a city guide (Barcelona, Tokyo, Marrakesh) or a country guide (Portugal, Vietnam, Peru) depending on how broad your trip is.

The page also surfaces seasonal and thematic collections — "Where to go this spring," "Where to go this summer," and a Best in Travel list — plus curated groupings like beaches, adventure, and food & culture for the Caribbean. These are useful if you haven't picked a destination yet and want to browse by interest or timing.

When this site is the right choice

Use shop.lonelyplanet.com when:

  • You specifically want Lonely Planet titles, not a mix of publishers.
  • You want both print and digital options for the same destination.
  • You're buying a gift or kids' book alongside a standard guide.
  • Free shipping matters to your order — the store advertises it.

Consider a general retailer instead if you want to compare guidebooks across multiple publishers in one cart, or if you need a title that Lonely Planet doesn't publish for your destination.

Practical notes

The destination pages function as discovery tools: pick a region, then a country or city, and you land on the relevant guides and maps. If you already know your destination, going straight to that country or city page is faster than scrolling the regional lists. The seasonal and Best in Travel collections are worth a look when your dates are flexible and you're choosing between several possible trips.