Best travel and adventure quotes to inspire your next trip

We live in a wonderful world full of so much, it’s practically endless! Even if you are lucky enough to visit every single country on Earth, you’ll still look back and find something you missed out on in each one.

That’s why it saddens me when I hear of people who’ve never left the country (about 23% of U.S. citizens) or have only been to 1 or 2 others. Every new place you go, you’re guaranteed to learn something new, meet incredible people, challenge yourself with things you previously thought were impossible to overcome, and much, much more. Traveling is one of the best teachers in life and there’s really no substitute for it.

But sometimes it’s hard to get off your butt and out the door. I’m here to change that! I must admit, as an adventurer myself, sometimes I need that added boost of motivation to get the internal fires burning. Adventure travel is life-changing, but isn’t easy, or cheap. It’s quite common to pump yourself up and then immediately talk yourself out of it. I know I’ve done that a time or two.

So what’s my solution? Funny you should ask! Besides looking up flights, checking availability, the top main attractions, and so on, I often turn to quotes about travel that move me just enough to get the proverbial “travel the world” ball rolling.  

Hopefully, the same might happen for you! Let’s see if it does. I’ve compiled a list of my favorite quotes and jotted them all down in one place, this article. It’s full of short, funny, travel, and famous adventure quotes sure to inspire your next adventure and maybe convince you to go ahead and book that next trip! Who knows, it might turn out to be the greatest adventure of your life! As Mark Jenkins says,

 “The only way to know the true limits of your personal growth is to go beyond them.”

So what do you say? Ready to leave your comfort zone? If so, continue on for some kick-ass adventure phrases sure to push you where you’ve never gone before! 

Let’s go! 

Short Adventure Quotes

Let’s start off with a few great adventure quotes perfect for personal mottos, mantras, or maybe even on a poster or wall decal in the home or office. These are short and sweet, but incredibly impactful. 

1. “Find your wild.” – Unknown

2. “Doubt your limits” – Richard Bach

3. “Adventure is worthwhile in itself.” – Amelia Earhart

4. “To travel is to live.” – Hans Christian Andersen

5. “Adventure may hurt you, but monotony will kill you.” – Unknown

6. “Go confidently in the direction of your dreams.” – Henry David Thoreau

7. “If you don’t risk anything, you risk everything.” – Geena Davis 

8. “Life is an adventure, dare it.” – Mother Teresa

9. “In the end, we only regret the chances we didn’t take.” – Lewis Carroll

Funny Adventure Quotes

Next up are some of my favorites that should put a smile on your face. They’re great to drop amid a conversation with fellow travelers or to read while waiting for that next flight! 

10. “Adventure: The pursuit of life’s greatest excitement, usually followed by a nap.” – Unknown

11. “I’m on an adventure, but I’m not sure where.” – Unknown

12. “I haven’t been everywhere, but it’s on my list.” – Susan Sontag (often misattributed)

13. “I need six months of vacation, twice a year.” – Unknown

14. “I’m not lost; I’m exploring.” – Unknown

15. “Travel far, eat well, and don’t forget to pack snacks.” – Unknown

16. “I’m just a little lost and a lot adventurous.” – Unknown

17. “If you think adventure is dangerous, try routine. It’s lethal.” – Paulo Coelho

18. “I’m in a committed relationship with my passport.” – Unknown

19. “Adventure: the art of traveling without a GPS.” – Unknown

Travel Quotes

These are the best travel quotes I can think of to inspire your next trip. Use them to be bold and take risks. As they say, adventure awaits! 

20. “The best way to predict the future is to create it.” – Peter Drucker

21. “You will never know how far you can go by staying where you are.” – Unknown

22. “Travel makes one modest. You see what a tiny place you occupy in the world.” – Gustav Flaubert

23. “I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel’s sake. The great affair is to move.” – Robert Louis Stevenson

24. “The only trip you will regret is the one you didn’t take.” – Unknown

25. “Life is short and the world is wide.” – Simon Raven

26. “We travel for romance, we travel for architecture, and we travel to be lost.” – Ray Bradbury

27. “Life is an adventure when you step into the unknown.” – Unknown

28. “To travel is to discover that everyone is wrong about other countries.” – Aldous Huxley

29. “Once a year, go someplace you’ve never been before.” – Dalai Lama

30. “Traveling – it leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller.” – Ibn Battuta

31. “Wandering re-establishes the original harmony which once existed between man and the universe.” – Anatole France

32. “Wherever you go becomes a part of you somehow.” – Anita Desai

33. “There are no shortcuts to any place worth going.” – Beverly Sills

Inspirational Adventure Quotes

Use this next bunch for journeys with deeper meanings. They’re great when you’re in a self-reflective mood and want to ponder the great meanings of life and travel! 

34. “The world is full of beauty when your heart is open.” – Unknown

35. “The biggest adventure you can ever take is to live the life of your dreams” – Oprah Winfrey

36. “Travel expands the mind and fills the gap.” – Sheda Savage

37. “It is not down in any map; true places never are.” – Herman Melville

38. “Travel far, travel wide, and travel often.” – Unknown

39. “Travel teaches toleration.” – Benjamin Disraeli

40. “The greatest danger in life is not taking the adventure.” – Brian Blessed

41. “The only journey is the one within.” – Rainer Maria Rilke

42. “Do what you can, when you can, while you can!” – James Ryan 

43. “Adventure is worthwhile.” – Aesop

44. “Travel is the only thing that makes you richer.” – Unknown

45. “Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined.” – Henry David Thoreau

46. “We live in a wonderful world that is full of beauty, charm, and adventure. There is no end to the adventures we can have if only we seek them with our eyes open.” – Jawaharlal Nehru

47. “Adventure should be 80% fun and 20% challenging.” – Robert J. Shiller

Quotes by Ralph Waldo Emerson 

This next smaller group is dedicated to the famous author, Ralph Waldo Emerson. His philosophical view was tied to the exploration of the self and the natural world. He had some amazing insights! 

48. “Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.”

49. “Life is a journey, not a destination.”

50. “What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.”

51. “The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be.”

52. “Do the thing you fear, and the death of fear is certain.”

53. “All life is an experiment. The more experiments you make, the better.”

54. “The adventure of the soul is to seek, and the heart’s delight is to find.”

55. “The journey is the reward.”

Quotes for Instagram

Whether you’re going on a new adventure, posting pics of old, or going live, here are some of the best quotes that’ll make your post, reel, or story pop! 

56. “Adventure awaits, go find it.” – Unknown

57. “Escape the ordinary.” – Unknown

58. “Wander often, wonder always.” – Unknown

59. “The best view comes after the hardest climb.” – Unknown

60. “Seek adventure. Live your best life.” – Unknown

61. “Go where you feel most alive.” – Unknown

62. “Do more things that make you forget to check your phone.” – Unknown

63. “Life is an adventure, make the most of it.” – Unknown

64. “Let’s find some beautiful places to get lost.” – Unknown

65. “Good vibes and high tides.” – Unknown

66. “Until you make actions on the things that scare you, you will make no progress.” – Unknown

67. “Collect moments, not things.” – Aarti Khurana

68. “Adventure is out there. Go get it.” – Adapted from the movie “Up”

Famous Adventure Quotes

No “quotes about adventure” list would be complete without the famous, or maybe even infamous, sayings you’ve undoubtedly heard before. These are some of my favorites that no matter how many times I’ve heard or read, still give me pause and find fulfilling. 

69. “The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.” – Lao Tzu

70. “Not all those who wander are lost.” – J.R.R. Tolkien

71. “The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page.” – Saint Augustine

72. “Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all.” – Helen Keller

73. “Wherever you go, go with all your heart.” – Confucius

74. “You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.” – Mae West

75. “Take only memories, leave only footprints.” – Chief Seattle

Final Thoughts

So there you have it, the best adventure quotes!

My basic core beliefs all stem from my passion for adventure. I 100% feel it’s one of the main purposes of life. To me, a meaningful life is to live outside in nature, to go to new lands, to always move and learn, to act without fear for newer and richer experiences, to be alone in a strange town or surrounded in a crowded foreign city. The real adventure starts within your mindset and keeps your eyes open to the incredible sensations of the world.

I hope I’ve at least gotten the ball rolling for you or pushed you past the edge of making a decision. Remember these inspiring adventure quotes the next time you plan a trip. Whether it’s to a national park, a metropolis, or the middle of nowhere, they always make sense. Who knows, one of them might stick with you for the rest of your life and permanently change it in ways you could never imagine.  

I’ll leave you with these wide words from William Ernest Henley – 

“The man who has gotten everything he wants is all in favor of peace and order. The man who has nothing but a living spirit is his passion for living, his only purpose in life, is to make sure that he will never be content with the status quo.” 

Be safe and happy travels!