Travel Podcasts, Discovered
Since 2005, Amateur Traveler has been talking about different destinations every week. It covers destinations all over the world with an emphasis on culturally rich travel. Learn more about your world. Amateur Traveler won its creator, Chris Christensen, a Travel+Leisure award as the "best independent travel journalist" and entry into the "Podcast Hall of Fame."
100 most recent episodes displayed below
Visit website →Hear about travel to the Alentejo Region as the Amateur Traveler talks to travel blogger and adviser Julie Fox from JulieDawnFox.com about this overlooked but spectacular region of Portugal.
This week's show is supported by the new Smart Travel Podc
Hear about travel to East Java in Indonesia as the Amateur Traveler talks to Kiara Kolaczyk from Kultura Travel about this less-traveled region where she once lived.
This week's show is supported by the new Smart Travel Podcast. Travel smarter — and
Hear about travel to Southeastern China as the Amateur Traveler talks to Jonty Crane from JontyTravels.com about his first trip to China, to a less-visited region.
This week's show is supported by the new Smart Travel Podcast. Travel smarter — and s
Hear about a road trip through Central America as the Amateur Traveler talks about traveling overland through Costa Rica, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala in search of volcanoes, tropical birds, colonial cities, crater lakes, Mayan rui
Hear about visiting the hidden gems of London, England, as the Amateur Traveler talks to Jonty Crane from Jonty Travels about this city he once called home.
This week's show is supported by the new Smart Travel Podcast. Travel smarter — and spend le
Hear about travel to Slovenia as Chris talks with travel writer Sam Baldwin about an active, slightly off-the-beaten-path itinerary through one of Europe’s most underrated countries.
This week's show is supported by the new Smart Travel Podcast. Tra
Hear about travel to Dublin, Ireland, as the Amateur Traveler talks to tour guide Garvan Rushe from DublinTourGuide.ie about the capital and largest city of Ireland.
This week's show is supported by the new Smart Travel Podcast. Travel smarter — and
Hear about travel to Northern France (and a day in Flanders) as the Amateur Traveler talks to Craig Anderson about his trip into the historic towns and sites of the Pas-de-Calais region.
Why should you go to Northern France?
Craig describes an itin
Hear about travel to Puebla, Mexico as the Amateur Traveler talks to Scott Thompson from Livit Immersion Center about his adopted home in this historic colonial city in central Mexico.
Why should you go to Puebla?
Scott says, "Puebla's kind of an o
Hear about travel to Bern, Switzerland, as the Amateur Traveler talks to Jack Baumann from Guidester and the Europe Travel 101 Podcast about a city he fell in love with early in his travels.
Why should you visit Bern?
Jack says, "I would say Bern e
Hear about travel to Sardinia as the Amateur Traveler talks to Shannon O'Brien from shannon-obrien.com about her visit to this island corner of Italy.
Why should you go to Sardinia?
Shannon says, "It's Italian, but it's a very different vibe as wel
Hear about travel to Christmas Markets in Europe as the Amateur Traveler talks to Justin Barnes of JustinAndCrystal.com about his visit to markets in 32 different cities across 12 countries.
Justin's Core Itinerary Philosophy
Visit 3–5 destinations
Hear about travel to the Zambezi Valley in Zimbabwe as the Amateur Traveler talks to Rael Zieve from Keep Travelling Africa about one of his favorite African itineraries.
Why should you visit the Zambezi Valley?
Rael says, "Just the landscapes are
Hear about travel to Tunis, Tunisia, as the Amateur Traveler talks to Jeff Ohlfs about his recent visit to this arid Arab country in North Africa.
Why should you go to Tunis?
Jeff says, "I don't think a lot of people think too much about traveling
Hear about travel to lesser-known parks in Utah, Arizona, and Nevada as the Amateur Traveler talks to Justin Barnes from justinandcrystal.com about their recent road trip through the American Southwest.
Justin said, "When I got back, I realized that
Hear about travel to the remote region of Skardu, Pakistan, as the Amateur Traveler talks to James Schomburgk about his recent visit to this beautiful mountain region.
Why should you go to Skardu?
James says, "It is really a step back into time. Yo
Hear about travel to Southeastern Turkey as the Amateur Traveler talks to Mark Michael from rambleswithmark.com about this region that is the home to people in the Bible like Paul and Abraham, ancient monasteries, and some of the oldest known megalit
In this episode of Amateur Traveler, host Chris Christensen talks with AJ Ajay, a Libyan-born travel professional and founder of Intu Libya, about traveling to one of North Africa’s least-visited and most misunderstood destinations: Libya. From spect
In this episode of the Amateur Traveler, host Chris Christensen welcomes back Jonty Crane of Jonty Travels and The Tramping Life podcast to share practical advice and favorite sights from his many visits to India’s capital, Delhi.
This week's show i
In this solo episode of Amateur Traveler, Chris shares an in-depth look at an eight-night adventure cruise through the fjords, glaciers, capes, and wildlife of southern Patagonia aboard Ventus Australis. The route combines two four-night segments, sa
In this episode of Amateur Traveler, Chris talks with returning guest and friend of the show Lee Moore, author of "China's Backstory: The History Beijing Doesn't Want You to Read" and co-host of the Chinese Literature Podcast. Lee returns to share hi
In this episode of Amateur Traveler, Chris talks with travel writer and guidebook author Joshua Zukas about planning an immersive trip through Central Vietnam, a region filled with imperial history, dramatic caves, ancient cultures, beaches, wildlife
In this solo episode of Amateur Traveler, Chris takes you along on a Yangtze River cruise from Yichang to Chongqing, an upstream journey through China’s legendary Three Gorges.
Along the way, you’ll hear about naked trackers of old, a poet whose dea
Hear about travel to the south of England as the Amateur Traveler talks to Heather Cowper from HeatherOnHerTravels.com about hiking the Thames Path National Trail.
This week's show is supported by the new Smart Travel Podcast. Travel smarter — and s
Hear about travel to Kosrae and Pohnpei in the Federated States of Micronesia as the Amateur Traveler talks to Lexie Brown from @lexienicolebrown on Instagram about her explorations of this remote island country.
This week's show is supported by the
Hear about travel to Bhutan as the Amateur Traveler talks to Dorji Dhratyul, the former head of Tourism for the Kingdom of Bhutan.
This week's show is supported by the new Smart Travel Podcast. Travel smarter — and spend less — with help from NerdWa
Hear about travel to Kansas as the Amateur Traveler discusses a recent trip to Wichita, Kansas, for a conference and a post-conference Old West themed press trip.
This week's show is supported by the new Smart Travel Podcast. Travel smarter — and sp
Hear about a road trip across the North Shore of Lake Superior as the Amateur Traveler talks to David Adler about an area that he fell in love with through a summer camp.
This week's show is supported by the new Smart Travel Podcast. Travel smarter
Hear about travel to Cairo, Egypt, as the Amateur Traveler talks to Neil Laird, TV producer and the author of the Prime Time Travelers Series, about his favorite city.
This week's show is supported by the new Smart Travel Podcast. Travel smarter — a
Hear about traveling to Lake Constance (Bodensee) in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland as the Amateur Traveler discusses a biking trip around the lake to explore its historic, cultural, and natural sites.
The Lake Constance International Tourism Boa
Hear about travel to Marseille and Provence in France as the Amateur Traveler talks again to Audra Morris of The Nerd Traveler about her visit to France's second-largest city.
This week's show is supported by the new Smart Travel Podcast. Travel sma
Hear about travel to the top half of New Zealand's South Island as the Amateur Traveler talks to Jonty Crane from Jonty Travels about his adopted country.
This week's show is supported by the new Smart Travel Podcast. Travel smarter — and spend less
Hear about travel to Solomon Islands as the Amateur Traveler talks to Chris Shorrock from Travel Obscure about his adventurous trip in these remote Pacific islands.
This week's show is supported by the new Smart Travel Podcast. Travel smarter — and
Hear about travel to the Galapagos Islands as the Amateur Traveler talks to Michael from Rochester about doing this bucket list trip as a budget traveler.
This week's show is supported by the new Smart Travel Podcast. Travel smarter — and spend less
In this episode of the Amateur Traveler podcast, host Chris Christensen talks with Bart from Trip Tailor, a travel agent and former train steward who has been working with European rail for decades. Bart shares his deep knowledge of night trains in E
Hear about a road trip in Oman as the Amateur Traveler talks to Max Walton from Sloths with Latitude about the country he thinks is the best in the world.
This week's show is supported by the new Smart Travel Podcast. Travel smarter — and spend less
Hear about travel to Turkmenistan as the Amateur Traveler talks to Abdylla Geldiyev, Managing Director of Undiscovered Frontiers, about an itinerary for one week in this seldom-visited country in Central Asia.
Turkmenistan remains one of the least
In this episode of the Amateur Traveler podcast, host Chris Christensen recounts his immersive experience cruising the Peruvian Amazon on a nine-day "Amazon Riverboat Adventure in Depth" with G Adventures. This small-group journey, involving ~24 trav
Hear about travel to the tiny country of Andorra as the Amateur Traveler talks to musician Eli Lev about this small country in the Pyrenees Mountains, where he lived for three years.
Why should you go to Andorra?
Eli says, "I just fell in love with
Hear about travel to the Silk Road as the Amateur Traveler talks about his recent trip to the Gansu province of China, Buddhist Grottos, stunning landscapes, barren deserts, and the original Great Wall of China.
More than 2,000 years ago, Emperor Wu
Hear about travel to Beijing, China, and the Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture (Gansu) as the Amateur Traveler discusses the first half of a recent press trip to China, sponsored by the Chinese Tourism Board.
Seven days let you pair Beijing’s imp
Hear about travel to Suriname as the Amateur Traveler talks to Mike Power from SmallOfTheRoad.blogspot.com about his recent trip to this South American country.
Why should you go to Suriname?
Mike says, "It's an undiscovered little gem. I'm just su
Hear about sailing in the Saronic Islands and the Peloponnese as the Amateur Traveler talks about his recent yacht charter with Navigare Yachting.
My wife and I had wanted to gather a few friends and do a small boat sailing trip in the Greek Islands
Hear about travel to the island nation of Samoa as the Amateur Traveler talks to Jonty Crane from Jonty Travels about his recent trip biking around the country.
Why should you go to Samoa?
Jonty says, "Samoa is a small island in the Pacific. If you
Hear about travel to Northern Iceland as the Amateur Traveler talks to Monika from PlanPackExplore.com about her recent trip through the center of Iceland to the less-visited northern part of the country.
Why should you visit Northern Iceland?
Moni
Hear about rafting the Grand Canyon for seven days as the Amateur Traveler talks about this bucket list trip sponsored by Western River Expeditions.
In this solo (but not really solo) episode of Amateur Traveler, host Chris Christensen recounts a se
Hear about travel to the French Riviera as the Amateur Traveler talks to travel writer and children's book author Kimberley Lovato about this region where she has had a pied-à-terre for years.
Why should you go to the French Riviera?
Kimberley says
Hear about travel to Espírito Santo, Brazil, as the Amateur Traveler talks to Fuse from Fuse Travels about her family's homeland.
Why should you travel to Espírito Santo?
Fuse says, "It is way more affordable than Rio, just as pretty, as far as bea
Hear about travel to Brunei and Sabah on the island of Borneo as the Amateur Traveler talks to Max Walton about his recent trip to these contrasting locations.
Why should you go to Brunei and Sabah?
Max says, "It's one of the least visited regions
Hear about travel to the region of Abitibi-Témiscamingue in Quebec as the Amateur Traveler talks to Jennifer Doré Dallas from Chasing Poutine about this out of the way road trip.
Why should you go to Abitibi-Témiscamingue?
Jennifer says, "Most pe
Hear about travel to Victoria, British Columbia, as Chris Christensen from Amateur Traveler talks about his recent visit to the capital of British Columbia.
Join Chris Christensen as he returns to one of the first cities he ever visited outside the
Hear about New Zealand Great Walks as the Amateur Traveler talks to Jonty Crane from jontynz.com about these amazing multi-day treks in his home country.
Picture snow-capped mountains, volcanic landscapes, brilliant blue alpine lakes, epic coastal s
In this solo episode of Amateur Traveler, I share the story of my recent walking trip through the Kunisaki Peninsula and Yufuin in Kyushu, Japan, with Walk Japan. This immersive journey took me past massive stone Buddhas, forest trails, rural village
Hear about travel to Auckland, New Zealand, as the Amateur Traveler talks to Jonty Crane from Jonty Travels about a city that he called home for a decade.
Why should you go to Auckland?
Jonty says, "Many people go to New Zealand, but spend almost n
Hear about travel to the Queensland Outback as the Amateur Traveler talks to Melissa from Queensland about a destination she discovered during the pandemic when she could not leave her home state.
Why should you go to the Queensland Outback?
Melissa
Hear about traveling to Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, as the Amateur Traveler talks to a longtime Disney expert, former attorney, host of WDW Radio, and Podcast Hall of Fame inductee.
Why Visit Walt Disney World?
Nearly 87% of Americans vi
Hear about travel to Kolkata, India (formerly Calcutta) as the Amateur Traveler talks to Sam Sarkar from Travels with Dr. Sam about this city built by the British East India Company.
Why should you go to Kolkata?
Sam says, "It's a real hidden secre
Hear about travel to Cuba as the Amateur Traveler talks to 3 listeners of the show who joined this year’s trip to explore this beautiful and sometimes challenging country.
Here’s a summary of the 2025 Amateur Traveler's Private Hola Cuba itinerary:
T
In this episode, Johnny Jet shares his deeply personal story of overcoming a debilitating fear of flying before becoming a travel expert.
A dream trip to Australia in high school was derailed when, at the airport, he had a panic attack and refused t
Hear about travel to Germany’s Black Forest in Baden-Württemberg as the Amateur Traveler talks to Matt Kepnes (Nomadic Matt) about his visit to the hills and woods of southwest Germany.
Why should you go to the Black Forest?
Matt says, "You'll find
Hear about travel to the Basque Country in France and Spain as the Amateur Traveler talks to Craig Anderson about his recent trip to the home of the Basque.
Why should someone go to the Basque Country?
"It's a very unique region so it's got some un
Hear about travel to Genoa and Liguria in Italy as the Amateur Traveler talks to Enrica, Ligurian food expert from ASmallKitcheninGenoa.com about her home region in Italy.
Why should you travel to Liguria?
Enrica says, "Liguria is a wonderful region,
Hear about travel to Duluth, Minnesota as the Amateur Traveler talks to travel photographer Autumn Carolynn about this city on Lake Superior that has captured her heart.
Why should you go to Duluth?
Autumn says, "There are so many reasons why Duluth
In this episode, friend of the show Gary Arndt turns the tables on host Chris Christensen and asks him questions about Amateur Traveler, giving a behind-the-scenes view of the podcast.
Here are some of the questions that this episode will answer abo
Hear about travel to Stuttgart, Germany as the Amateur Traveler talks again to Kristin Montgomery from growingglobalcitizens.com and mycornerofgermany.com about her corner of Germany in the Baden-Wuerttemberg region.
Why should you go to Stuttgart?
Hear about travel to Palm Springs and the Coachella Valley as the Amateur Traveler talks to Kathy Condon from the Palm Springs Insider Guide about this desert tourist area she calls home.
Why should you go to Palm Springs?
Kathy says, "Imagine living
Hear about travel to off-the-beaten-track regions of Colombia as the Amateur Traveler talks to Justin Barnes about multi-color rivers, granite monoliths, giant palm trees, and deserts.
Why should you go to these places in Colombia?
Justin says, "Thes
Hear about travel to Dubai and the United Arab Emirates as the Amateur Traveler talks about an unexpected trip to the region.
Why should you visit the UAE?
The United Arab Emirates is an odd combination of new and old. It is a multi-cultural country
Hear about travel to Timor-Leste as the Amateur Traveler talks to Jonty Crane about this small out of the way tropical country where he is doing volunteer work.
Why should you go to Timor-Leste?
Jonty says, "... Because nobody else goes if that's you
Hear about travel to the Eyre Peninsula of South Australia as the Amateur Traveler talks to James Schomburgk about his adventures in this out of the way destination.
Why should you visit the Eyre Peninsula?
James says, "Because of its remoteness, it'
Hear about travel to the Languedoc Region as the Amateur Traveler talks to Craig from Dallas about his road trip through the historic cities of Southern France, including Montpellier, Albi, Sete, Beziers, Carcassonne, and Toulouse.
Why should you vis
Hear about travel to Machi Picchu as the Amateur Traveler talks to Michael from Rochester about his bucket list visit to this famous Inca site and more in Peru.
Why should you visit Machu Picchu?
Michael says, "I'm going to tell you why I wanted to g
Hear about travel to Paraguay as the Amateur Traveler talks to Alex from AdventureToEveryCountry.com about this lesser-visited country that he has come to love.
Why should you visit Paraguay?
Alex says, "So Paraguay is more about the culture than any
Hear about travel to Menorca, Spain, as the Amateur Traveler talks to Kristin Henning from travelpast50.com about her visit to the northernmost of the Balearic Islands.
Why should you visit Menorca?
Kristin says, "In a nutshell, it is so appealing be
Hear about travel to Ushuaia, Argentina, as the Amateur Traveler talks to Naomi Linford from "Forever Out Of Office" about her winter trip to the southernmost city in the world.
Why should you go to Ushuaia?
Naomi says, "I think it has the kind of st
Hear about Hiking in Europe as the Amateur Traveler talks to travel writer Cassandra Overby from exploreonfoot.com about how and why to see Europe from its trails and paths.
The podcast episode features Cassandra Overby, a travel writer and author of
Hear about travel to Cáceres, Spain, as the Amateur Traveler talks to travel writer Troy Nahumko, who literally wrote the book on this unexplored corner of Spain.
Why should you go to Cáceres?
Troy says, "It might have made the news over there, this
Hear about travel to Central China as the Amateur Traveler talks to Larry Fan, who was born in the city of Zhengzhou and recently returned to explore his birth country.
Why should you go to Central China?
Larry says, ”
“I think it’s particularly spec
Hear about travel to Central Asia or the 'Stans as the Amateur Traveler talks to Megan Cox from Meg the Rolling Egg about her trip to Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan.
Why should you go to Central Asia?
Meg says, "Whilst there was ,
This episode features Tiffany Funk from Point.me, a tool that helps travelers maximize airline points for flights. Host Chris Christensen and Tiffany discuss how to earn, manage, and use airline points effectively. Here’s a summary of the key points:
Why should you go to Lyon?
Audra says, "It's a magical town. It is a little bit like Paris in the fact that it has, in fact, two rivers, so maybe a little bit better than Paris, two rivers running through it, a beautiful church on a hill, beautiful F
Hear about an itinerary for travel to Bolivia as the Amateur Traveler talks to Jayne Dear from The Only Way is Not Essex about her recent trip to this landlocked South American country.
Jayne says, you “should go to Bolivia because it’s a very divers
Hear about trips from Manila as the Amateur Traveler talks to Justin from justin-travel.com about where to go after visiting the Philippine capital.
Justin's recommended itinerary for day trips from Manila includes a variety of locations within a one
Hear about travel to Mallorca, Spain, as the Amateur Traveler talks to Kristin Henning from travelpast50.com and Courtney Drake McDonough from realfoodtraveler.com about our recent press trip to the island.
In the podcast, Chris, Kristin, and Courtne
from the Zero to Travel Podcast:
How to Start Planning Your First (Or Next) Career Break Today (Using 5 Simple Steps) with Cali O´Connor
Have you thought about hitting pause on your career to travel the world but are unsure how to make it a reality?
Hear about travel to Savannah, Georgia, and the vicinity as the Amateur Traveler talks to Yvonne Johnson about her adopted hometown.
Why should you go to Savannah?
Yvonne says, "Savannah is just this perfect mix. There's beautiful weather if you come
Hear about travel to Door County in Wisconsin as the Amateur Traveler talks with Bailey Freeman from atravelingbee.com about our recent press trip to the "Cape Cod of the Midwest."
Here are the key things to do in Door County, Wisconsin, based on our
Hear about travel to the West Indies, to the islands of Sint Maarten/Saint Martin, Anguilla, Saba, Saint Barthélemy, and Sint Eustatius, as the Amateur Traveler talks to Jeff Ohlfs about his island-hopping adventure.
Why should you travel to these 5
This Week in Travel was a podcast that was in production from 2009 to 2020. In this reunion episode of This Week in Travel (dubbed "This Decade in Travel"), the original hosts, Gary Arndt, Chris Christensen, and Jen Leo, reconnect after a long hiatus
Hear about travel to the Laikipia region of Kenya as the Amateur Traveler talks to Shaun Stanley from Stanley Safaris about one of his favorite African destinations.
Why should you visit the Laikipia region?
Shaun says, "Kenya as a whole is one of th
Hear about travel to Normandy, France as the Amateur Traveler talks to Kat Butler from World Wide Honeymoon and France Voyager about this historic and wonderful part of France.
Why should you go to Normandy?
Kay says, "Normandy, I think, just offers
Hear about driving the Romantic Road in Germany as the Amateur Traveler talks to Leland and Crissy Walker about their trip through medieval villages, walled towns, thermal spas, and breweries.
Why should you drive the Romantic Road?
Crissy says, " I
In this bonus episode of Amateur Traveler, we discuss issues associated with living abroad.
My Guest
Justin Burns, a part-time resident of the Canary Islands, joins us to share his experience of living abroad. He talks about the practical aspects
Hear about travel to the state of Georgia as the Amateur Traveler talks to Lesli Peterson from 365 Atlanta Traveler about the state where she grew up.
Why should you go to the state of Georgia?
Lesli says, "I love Georgia because I am an outdoor pers
Hear about traveling to Lubbock and Amarillo, Texas, as the Amateur Traveler talks to Jill Robbins about her favorite part of the state she calls home.
Why should you visit Lubbock and Amarillo?
Jill says, "Amarillo and Lubbock are both smaller citi
In this first bonus episode of Amateur Traveler, we discuss how and why to travel solo, even if you are not single.
My Guest:
Beth Santos is the founder and CEO of Wanderful, a global community and lifestyle brand that aims to empower and connect wom
Hear about travel to Romania and Northern Hungary as the Amateur Traveler talks to Lisa VanderVeen about her recent Intrepid trip to the area.
Why should you go to Romania?
Lisa says, "Romania is much more than Dracula and Vlad Tepes, though I will c
Hear about travel to Northeast Florida as the Amateur Traveler talks to Angie Orth from Angie Away about her hometown and the area around it.
Why should someone go to Northeast Florida?
Angie says, "So many reasons. People come to Florida for a lot o
Hear about a road trip at the top of the world in Northern Norway as the Amateur Traveler talks to Torunn Tronsvang from Up Norway about this scenic but remote destination.
Why should you go to Northern Norway?
Torunn says, "There are so many good re
Hear about travel to the Maldives in the Indian Ocean as the Amateur Traveler talks to David Brodie from Travel in 10 about his experience in this tropical paradise.
Why should you go to the Maldives?
"I think it's a place that a lot of people have p