The 30 most stunning and influential Instagram travel accounts to follow in 2018
Publish date: 2024-07-08
2018-01-02T14:56:00Z
With the new year comes new travel goals — and it can be hard to know where to start.
In November Business Insider teamed up with The Indie Traveller to create a comprehensive list of the most inspiring, wanderlust-inducing, and influential travel Instagram accounts on the planet — and following them is a great place to start when planning your 2018 trips.
Samuel Taipale, a Norwegian photographer travelling the world with his wife @hilvees (pictured), came in at number 7 with his account @eljackson. Instagram/eljackson
In order to pinpoint the biggest travel personalities on the app, Marek Bron — who is behind the blog — created an algorithm to analyse hundreds of accounts (filtering out any brands or group accounts).
The "Top 100" was formed based on several metrics, such as follower count, follower ratio, account activity, and engagement rate. It includes some of the biggest names in the travel influencer world, but also some exciting rising stars.
Business Insider compiled a list of the top 30 most influential accounts according to the algorithm.
Scroll down to see the 30 most stunning and influential Instagram travel accounts to follow in 2018, ranked in ascending order.
A post shared by California Through My Lens (@californiathroughmylens) on Oct 15, 2017 at 5:22pm PDTOct 15, 2017 at 5:22pm PDT
Josh McNair runs the California Through My Lens travel site with his wife, which is used by over six million people. The shot above is taken from the North Dome at dusk in Yosemite National Park.
A post shared by Johan Lolos (@lebackpacker) on May 31, 2017 at 10:11am PDTMay 31, 2017 at 10:11am PDT
Belgian-born self-taught travel photographer Johan Lolos has just published a book "Peaks of Europe" based on his five-month summer road trip across 17 countries. He is also a Toyota 4×4 ambassador. Check out his blog here.
Above, he's pictured in Elgol, in the Scottish Highlands.
A post shared by Chloe Ting (@chloe_t) on Feb 5, 2017 at 4:01am PSTFeb 5, 2017 at 4:01am PST
Aussie-born Chloe Ting says she is a "Gymshark Athlete." In addition to her globetrotting on Instagram, you can follow her fat burning and fitness tips via her YouTube channel.
A post shared by ALTUG GALIP (@kyrenian) on Oct 31, 2017 at 2:04pm PDTOct 31, 2017 at 2:04pm PDT
Altug Galip "kyrenian" describes himself as a traveller, adventurer, and entrepreneur. He took this photo of Dracula's Castlein Bran-Transylvania while exploring Romania.
A post shared by Mena ✌🏽️ (@mena_shootz) on Oct 26, 2017 at 9:40pm PDTOct 26, 2017 at 9:40pm PDT
Egyptian-Californian native Mena "mena_shootz" spent three hours capturing this shot — and also admiring the sky — after hitching a ride down a closed stretch of road to this spot on Lake Tahoe.
A post shared by WANDER REDS 🇪🇸 (@wanderreds) on Sep 28, 2017 at 10:02am PDTSep 28, 2017 at 10:02am PDT
Alvaro "Wander Reds" is on a mission to visit every country in the world, while still working 9-to-5. He's so far visited 99.Above, he's photographed at Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe.
A post shared by HANNAH & NICK ◇ TRAVEL COUPLE (@saltinourhair) on Oct 8, 2017 at 6:00am PDTOct 8, 2017 at 6:00am PDT
Hannah and Nick are a travel blogging couple who also make films. Above they're pictured at a rug market in Göreme, in the Cappadocia region of central Turkey.
A post shared by Jordan Hammond (@jordhammond) on Oct 23, 2017 at 6:38am PDTOct 23, 2017 at 6:38am PDT
Jordan Hammond is from Switzerland. He's currently travelling the world and taking cool photos in places such as Cappadocia (pictured above), a semi-arid region in central Turkey.
A post shared by Celinne Da Costa (@thenomadsoasis) on Aug 22, 2017 at 9:33am PDTAug 22, 2017 at 9:33am PDT
Brazilian-Italian Celinne Da Costa says she is "rediscovering humanity by travelling the world." She's currently in South Africa. Above, Da Costa is pictured in front of the iconic Dois Irmãos mountains in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Check out her blog here.
A post shared by Chelsea Yamase (@chelseakauai) on Oct 23, 2017 at 9:32pm PDTOct 23, 2017 at 9:32pm PDT
Chelsea Yamase is a Hawaii-based creative travelling the world as an athlete, model, and writer. She says she is a "lover of adventure, words, and water."
"Live simply, explore often, consume mindfully," she writes. You can check out her blog here.
A post shared by Michael Germano (@mag91105) on Sep 19, 2017 at 7:20am PDTSep 19, 2017 at 7:20am PDT
Michael Germano "mag91105" said he left the corporate world for academia. "Now I travel for fun and this is the world I see. Shot mostly with Sony mirrorless cameras (a6000 & a7R II)."
A post shared by ALEX - SWEDISH NOMAD 🇸🇪 🇸🇪 🇸🇪 (@swedishnomad) on Oct 9, 2017 at 5:05am PDTOct 9, 2017 at 5:05am PDT
Alex the "Swedish Nomad" is explores the world with his girlfriend (pictured) and fellow Swede Christine Wedberg. You can check out his tips and travel guides via his blog.
A post shared by Senai Senna (@sennarelax) on Oct 21, 2017 at 8:17am PDTOct 21, 2017 at 8:17am PDT
Senai Senna "Senna Relax" is a Swiss traveller and influencer travelling the world and taking some stunning, colourful photographs. Above, you can see an image he took of the Neuschwanstein Castle in Bavaria, Germany.
A post shared by ChrisBurkard (@chrisburkard) on Oct 26, 2017 at 1:03pm PDTOct 26, 2017 at 1:03pm PDT
Chris Burkard is a photographer and director travelling the world. Above is a shot he took in Utah, with the caption: "Temples of dirt & rock so perfectly carved by water. I love appreciating the artist’s work." Check out his blog here.
A post shared by Eric Rubens (@erubes1) on Oct 19, 2017 at 2:13pm PDTOct 19, 2017 at 2:13pm PDT
Eric Rubens is a southern California-based photographer who works with brands taking travel, fashion, and lifestyle photos around the world. You can check out more of his work here.
17-year-old photographer Jannik Obenhoff from Munich, Germany, is officially the most influential travel Instagram account on this list. He says he's "just a boy with a camera."