Lonely Planet Today

Lonely Planet is passionate about bringing people together, about understanding our world, and about people sharing experiences that enrich everyone's lives. We aim to inspire people to explore, have fun, and travel often. And we strive to provide travellers everywhere with reliable, comprehensive and independent travel information.

Our PrinciplesTravel can be a powerful force for tolerance and understanding. As part of a worldwide community of travellers, we want to enable everyone to travel with awareness, respect and care.

The integrity of our information is our strength. We accept no endorsements, advertising or kickbacks - our authors do not accept payment or favours in return for positive reviews.

Our ProductsWe publish over 600 titles in English and cover every corner of the planet. Our guidebooks are published in a number of languages, including French, Italian, Spanish, Korean and Japanese.

We also offer a range of services to aid and inspire travellers at home or on the road. They include newsletters, the Lonely Planet Phonecard, Lonely Planet Images, and B2B opportunities.

For a full list of our products please visit our online shop.

Our Community "Just go and discover the world, it's a wonderful place" Adam Covelli, 12-year-old Lonely Planet reader

With over 5000 posts a day, our online bulletin board, the Thorn Tree, keeps travellers talking 24 hours a day. Every week we receive and answer around 1000 emails and letters from travellers. Our community also embraces the thousands of people whose lives are affected by tourism, the businesses we do and don't recommend, and the environments travellers explore, armed with information we provide on ethical and responsible behaviour.

Our TeamWith over 400 staff in US, UK and Australian offices, Lonely Planet is home to a wide range of diverse people, from architects to physicists, snowboarders to photographers. We have a pool of 150 authors from over 20 countries. While covering the world, authors become experts in everything from mapping and visa regulations, to hotel prices and the hottest new bar. From the author on the road, to the cartographer behind a desk, we all share the same passion for travel. No matter how obscure the query or specialised the topic, Lonely Planet can usually find an in-house expert.

Our History

Lonely Planet began in the early 1970s after founders Tony and Maureen Wheeler completed an overland journey from London through Asia and on to Australia. That trip resulted in the first ever Lonely Planet guidebook - Across Asia on the Cheap - and laid the foundations of the world's leading independent travel publisher.