How Instagram Can Help You Find Unique Travel Locations

Traveling is something that many people enjoy, and a part of life for most. Discovering the best places to visit on your trip is one of the most fun parts of setting up your itinerary; and in addition to all of the other resources available to you, you could try using Instagram as a tool for your travels! The social media site is full of travel and photography blogs and local marketing. Taking some time to look through hashtags and visit a few profiles can help you build your inspiration for activities and sights to visit on your trip. 

Travel Blogs

Many Instagram accounts are focused on wayfaring and showing off some amazing spots that they've found. If you're dreaming of getting away, or genuinely digging into places to visit on your upcoming trip, these accounts are inspiring and beautiful. We've found a few favorites and listed them here, but if you do a little research, you can find tons that fit your needs! Look out for the photos with the most Instagram likes, as these are more than likely the best spots.

@pausethemoment

@michaelchristopherbrown    

@worldwanderlust

 @lebackpacker

City Blogs

In addition to travel blogging, there are a lot of different accounts that focus on specific areas. Some include breath-taking photography, while others help give you an idea of the community of the places you're going to. You may even find out about exclusive events or discover great deals on shopping and food if you look for location specific blogs. Here are some examples to give you an idea of what to look for if you’re going this route.

• New Orleans-based account: @little_histories

• Tokyo-based account: @yukomouton

• New York City-food themed account: @new_fork_city

• Barcelona-based account: @monicatorne

These should help get you started! Try using a hashtag of the city you're visiting and looking at the posts there, or even look for hashtags of important landmarks you'll be visiting. 

Local Marketing

Instagram is one of the best ways to locally market your business, and this ends up being a  useful tool for tourists and travelers! Since many restaurants, brands, and sometimes even places to should have Instagram accounts, you can discover the hidden gems of a city within the walls of your own social media account. It might take a little bit of digging, but look up geotags and relevant hashtags like #newyorkfood or #londonshopping. Just looking around a little bit can help you get a better idea of the places your traveling to and give you an "insiders" look at the city. 

In travel guides, Instagram is an option to find the places that aren't featured. It's intimate and more personal than some websites or bloggers that focus on the modern crowded areas. Instead, if you use Instagram properly, it can be a sort of secret guide to slip you inside places you wouldn't have noticed initially and inspire you to go out and explore for a while during your trip.