14 Famous Bookstores Worth Traveling For, From Paris to Dhaka

TL;DR: Some bookstores are worth a detour all on their own, from Paris's Shakespeare and Company to Porto's Livraria Lello and Portland's Powell's City of Books. This list also covers South Asia's great book markets, including College Street in Kolkata, Nilkhet in Dhaka, and Delhi's Sunday book market.

What makes a bookstore worth traveling for?

A destination bookstore offers something you cannot get from an online order. It might be the building, the history, the sheer size, or the feeling of being surrounded by people who love books as much as you do. The best ones combine all four.

We have mixed grand, architect-designed shops with crowded street markets, because both kinds tell you something about how a city reads.

Europe

1. Shakespeare and Company — Paris, France

Across the Seine from Notre-Dame, this English-language bookshop was opened by George Whitman and later took its name from Sylvia Beach's famous original shop from the interwar years. It is known for its creaky, crowded rooms and for hosting young writers, the "Tumbleweeds," who sleep among the shelves in exchange for helping out. Expect a queue in peak season, and visit the café next door afterwards.

2. Livraria Lello — Porto, Portugal

Lello is famous for its neo-Gothic interior, carved wood, stained-glass skylight, and a sweeping red staircase that seems to split and float. It became so popular that it now uses an admission ticket, which has typically been redeemable against a book purchase. Book a time slot and go early to see the staircase without a crowd.

3. Daunt Books Marylebone — London, England

The original Daunt Books sits in an Edwardian bookshop with a long, oak-galleried back room lit by skylights. Its signature is organizing travel books by country, with guidebooks, novels, and history for each place shelved together. It is a great place to pick up fiction set in wherever you are going next.

4. Libreria Acqua Alta — Venice, Italy

Acqua Alta ("high water") earns its name by storing books in bathtubs, boats, and even a gondola to protect them from Venice's floods. Out back there is a staircase made of old books that visitors climb for a view of the canal, and resident cats wander the aisles. It is small and busy, so be patient and buy something if you stay a while.

5. Boekhandel Dominicanen — Maastricht, Netherlands

This bookshop occupies a medieval Dominican church, with modern steel bookshelves rising beneath the old vaulted ceiling and painted frescoes. The contrast between sacred architecture and a working shop is striking. There is a café in the former choir area.

6. Atlantis Books — Oia, Santorini, Greece

Tucked into a whitewashed building in Oia, Atlantis Books was started by a group of friends who fell in love with the island. Its cave-like rooms, handwritten signs, and rooftop views make it one of the most charming small bookshops anywhere. Visit outside sunset hour, when Oia is at its most crowded.

The Americas

7. El Ateneo Grand Splendid — Buenos Aires, Argentina

Housed in a former theatre on Avenida Santa Fe, El Ateneo keeps the balconies, painted ceiling, and stage, which now holds a café. Browsing the shelves where theatre boxes used to be is a unique experience. Order a coffee on the stage and look up at the ceiling.

8. Powell's City of Books — Portland, Oregon, USA

Powell's flagship store fills an entire city block and shelves new and used books side by side. The rooms are colour-coded, and you will want the store map to find your way around. Set aside at least a couple of hours; the rare book room is a highlight.

9. The Strand — New York City, USA

The Strand, near Union Square, is famous for its slogan of "18 miles of books" and for the bargain carts lined up on the sidewalk outside. It mixes new, used, and rare books across several floors. Its tote bags have become a New York souvenir in their own right.

10. City Lights Booksellers — San Francisco, USA

Co-founded by poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti in North Beach, City Lights is closely tied to the Beat Generation. Its publishing arm released Allen Ginsberg's Howl, which led to a landmark obscenity trial. Head upstairs to the poetry room, then walk to the cafés nearby that the Beats once frequented.

South Asia

11. College Street (Boi Para) — Kolkata, India

College Street is less a single shop than a whole neighbourhood of books, often called Boi Para ("book town"). Hundreds of stalls and shops line the street near Presidency University and the University of Calcutta, selling new, second-hand, and rare books, especially in Bangla and English. Stop at the Indian Coffee House, a legendary meeting place for writers and students.

12. Nilkhet Book Market — Dhaka, Bangladesh

Near Dhaka University and New Market, Nilkhet is a maze of stalls stacked with textbooks, second-hand novels, Bangla literature, and imported titles. Students have depended on it for generations. Bargaining is normal, and the best finds reward patient digging.

13. Daryaganj Sunday Book Market — Delhi, India

For decades, Delhi's Sunday book market stretched along the pavements of Daryaganj in Old Delhi. It has since been relocated to Mahila Haat, not far from its old spot, but it keeps its reputation for huge piles of cheap second-hand books. Go early on a Sunday and bring small change.

14. Bahrisons Booksellers — Khan Market, Delhi, India

Bahrisons is a family-run bookshop in Khan Market and one of Delhi's best-loved independent stores. It is small, packed floor to ceiling, and known for knowledgeable staff and a strong selection of Indian writing in English. It is a good counterpoint to the chaos of the Sunday market.

At a glance

Tips for bookstore travel

• Buy something. Many famous shops struggle with crowds who only take photos. A purchase keeps them going.
• Leave room in your bag, or ship books home if you get carried away.
• Ask staff for local writers. Booksellers are the best guides to a country's literature.
• Carry cash for street markets like Nilkhet and Daryaganj.

Pack light, read more

Physical books make wonderful souvenirs, but they are heavy. A practical approach is to buy one or two special editions on the road and keep the rest of your reading on your phone. With FluttX Reader you can download free classics from Discover before you leave and read them offline on planes and trains. Try a travel-friendly pick like Life on the Mississippi or The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, or browse quick reads for short journeys.

For more bookish trips, see the most beautiful libraries in the world and our guide to book towns and literary festivals. If College Street or Nilkhet has you curious, start with the best Bangla books of all time.

Closing thoughts

A great bookstore is a portrait of its city. Paris gives you literary romance, Portland gives you abundance, and Kolkata and Dhaka give you the noise and energy of readers who treat books as part of daily life. Wherever you go, leave time to browse without a plan.