Traveling somewhere new can truly change one's life by altering their perspective and broadening their horizons. So, it is no surprise that many people decide to get tattoos to commemorate their life-changing trips. Tattoos can serve as a reminder of how a certain place made one feel or it can just be a representation of one's longing to see more of the world.
There are black and white designs, watercolor illustrations, and many quotes that have to do with travel that could make cool tattoo ideas. A plane, a compass, a map, a globe, a suitcase — there are so many cute travel symbols out there that look great on their own or combined with each other.
A travel tattoo can represent one specific place in someone's life or it can incorporate many different places. It can also be as simple as the word "wanderlust" or the phrase "let's go." Travel tattoos can also have famous monuments or landmarks. There are so many ways for adventurers to express their nomadic spirit through ink.
Here are 40 travel tattoos travelers should consider getting while on their next adventure.
RV Adventure Travel Tattoo
This colorful illustration of an RV is adorable. The sunset, mountains, and trees in the back definitely look like somewhere we would like to drive to.
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Colorful Clouds Travel Tattoo
This arm tattoo's watercolor clouds give it a very lighthearted aesthetic. It's a simple idea with a unique spin.
Worldwide on Your Side Travel Tattoo
World map line drawings can make the perfect tattoo for international travelers. The placement on her side is perfect.
"Come Away" Travel Tattoo
Something small and simple can still be the perfect way to remember a big adventure. This "come away" tattoo with the small plane drawing is too cute.
Earth's Axis Travel Tattoo
This one is tiny, but super creative. The Instagram user explained: "ε represents the angle of the earth's axial tilt. Arrow with the morse code GO, at the angle of axial tilt, this tattoo is a constant reminder I'm so tiny in the grand scheme of things. Always be humble, grab every opportunity to travel, and be in awe of what our world has to offer."
Jet Setter Travel Tattoo
How stunning is this realistic airplane! It looks like it's ready to fly right off of their shoulder.
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Luggage Travel Tattoo
This luggage line drawing is so clean and pretty. The camera, flowers, and quote — "Oh darling, let's be adventurous" — all complement each other so well.
Typewriter Quote Travel Tattoo
This Instagram user wrote: "As my last few days in Europe & buying souvenirs for family & friends I kept asking myself what I wanted to always remind myself of the amazing two weeks I had in Europe. This tattoo will always remind me of why I traveled to Europe and the fun times I had meeting new people, [seeing] new places and trying amazing local food and drinks! It'll remind me I have only discovered a fraction & I've got the world to go."
Polynesian Fish Hook Travel Tattoo
This Polynesian fish hook and beautiful beach scene are a great way to capture a vacation spot that you never want to leave.
Hot Air Balloon Travel Tattoo
This gorgeous hot air balloon is detailed with many different travel symbols. The compass, map, birds, and suitcase all come together to make this an amazing piece of art.
Picture Perfect Travel Tattoo
This Polaroid camera is an amazing idea for travelers who love to take pictures. If you look closely, each photo has a different location illustrated in it. This could be a fun way to remember multiple places you've been.
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Paper Plane Travel Tattoo
Another cute take on the airplane idea is getting a paper plane. The purple smoke trailing behind this one is a great touch that adds color and individuality.
Snow Globe Travel Tattoo
Snow globes are a cute way to capture your love for a specific place. This one is nicely complemented with a camera and a suitcase.
Landmark Travel Tattoo
This playful tattoo incorporates some of the most well-known landmarks, as well as an illustration of a little girl who is "on top of the world." Too cute.
Passport Stamps Travel Tattoo
What a brilliant way to commemorate your travel destinations! Getting her passport stamps tattooed was genius! And the splashes of color and compass in the center really bring it all together.
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Woodland Travel Tattoo
For people who love traveling outdoors and sleeping under the stars, getting a forest scenery is also a great idea. I love how this one uses shading around the elbow to create a moon.
Nomad Travel Tattoo
These vibrant colors are so beautiful! The drawing of the actual backpack is very geometric and clean, but the color and the mountains inside of it take it to another level!
Window Seat Travel Tattoo
If you love watching the clouds go by as you relax on a long plane ride then this may be just what you need.
Wanderlust Travel Tattoo
The word "wanderlust" looks so whimsical written out in cursive, especially when paired with a cute arrow design.
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Map & Plane Travel Tattoo
This delicate map outline is pretty on it's own, but we love the little plane added to it. This makes such a cute wrist tattoo!
Small World Travel Tattoo
You know what they say, "it's a small world after all." This tiny globe tattoo is the perfect minimalist ink for a traveler.
Heart Travel Tattoo
This red heart is a creative way to display one's love of travel. We really like the smooth transition from the red to the black ink.
Choose a Path Travel Tattoo
All of these planks of wood have different monuments on them to represent various places around the world. This detailed tattoo expertly utilizes negative spaces and dimension.
Tropical Globe Travel Tattoo
This globe has a beach scenery incorporated in it. The flowers, waves, and palm tree give it a warm and happy vibe.
Bold & Colorful Plane Travel Tattoo
These bright primary colors are so much fun. The bold plane outline is clean and the colors used really make it stand out.
Floral Map Travel Tattoo
This is stunning! The tropical flowers in the shape of a map looks like something we want to hang on our wall. Very artistic and whimsical.
Double Plane Travel Tattoo
The idea of having the paper airplane's shadow look like a real plane is very creative. The use of shading done her is so precise and really came together nicely.
Volkswagen Van Travel Tattoo
"Nothing screams 'Monterey, CA' more than a Volkswagen van," this Instagram user wrote. If road trips to the beach are one's favorite pastime then this tattoo is perfect.
Lighthouse Travel Tattoo
A lighthouse is a popular symbol, which can sometimes represent navigating through rough waters or vigilance. It makes a great addition to a nautical travel-inspired tattoo. And the rope used for the heart was a nice touch.
Elephant Travel Tattoo
This world map, elephant, and stamp all tie together so beautifully. The line work is incredible and all of the symbols are connected by simple dots and dashes. It's delicate and powerful at the same time.
Colored In Travel Tattoo
This travel tattoo is based on a really fun concept — coloring in the places one's been. And her color pallet is really bright and lively.
Dashed Heart Travel Tattoo
Using the classic dashed plane trail to make a heart is cute! But the really awesome part is how they also incorporated an image of the world and the word "wanderland."
Sketched Camera Travel Tattoo
The sketched look of this tattoo is epic! And the idea of turning the camera lens into a globe was genius.
Kilimanjaro Sunrise Travel Tattoo
The colors in this illustration are so dreamy! This tattoo of a sunrise over Mount Kilimanjaro is absolutely gorgeous. We really like the cloud technique used to outline the sky.
Flower Pot Travel Tattoo
This travel tattoo has so many ideas combined in a very cohesive way. The globe is a hot air balloon and the basket is a flower pot. There is also a cute little plane and heart above the globe.
Tiny Symbols Travel Tattoo
This vacation destination travel tattoo combines a lot of small images: a camera, palm tree, sunglasses, suitcase, a wave, mountains, and a plane. And they're all connected by a heart — so cute!
Rollercoaster Travel Tattoo
This tattoo has so much fantastic color and detail. The globe has a rollercoaster inside and a plane flying around it. The pinks and purples give it a cool galaxy look.
Geometric Mountain Scene Travel Tattoo
This mountain and sky scene is very pretty and the geometric border goes well with the line details within the mountains.
International Photography Travel Tattoo
This camera uses the idea of turning the lens into a globe, but the really cool part is the use of international monuments being "captured" through the lens. It's such a cool idea!
Back Splash Travel Tattoo
At first glance this looks like a compass with pretty blue and green watercolor splashed behind it. But, the colors in the background are actually in the shape of a world map. This turned out so incredibly great!
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