You Can’t MISS These Best Songs for Instagram Travel Reels (Real People, Real Choice) 

Sep 9, 2024

Last Updated on: Feb 19, 2026

Travel Guides

Are you a travel blogger? Do you want to share the best moments from your last trip on Instagram reels and stories? Here is a list of the best songs for Instagram travel reels. 

The English songs I have picked are eclectic, and I have curated pieces that fit various moods. Further, from John Denver to Ed Sheeran, your most loved artists feature on this list. 

A reel without a good song underneath is like a postcard without a message. You can appreciate its beauty, perhaps, for a split second, but you won’t recall it. 

This guide is based on actual creator behavior, actual engagement patterns, and actual audience response, not just the same old “trending audio” posts you see around the web. 

Whether you’re an influencer in the travel space, a casual content creator, or an individual or business marketer for the travel industry, this article will assist you in using songs that actually perform well

Have You Checked Out These Best Songs For Instagram Travel Reels? 

When we travel, the gust of the wind, the murmuring of the leaves, or the chirping of the birds are probably the best music you can listen to.

However, as you return, those moments become memories and the photographs and videos we click turn into stories we want to tell the world. 

What’s better than a piece of music to enhance these stories? It can be Whitesnake’s rock anthem, “Here I Go Again,” Denver’s “Leaving on a Jet Plane,” or the feel-good “On My Way” by Carswell & Hope.

1. “Wave” by Lyxe

Perfect For: Roadtrip reels

Everyone was crazy when Lyxe reconfigured Wave in June 2023. The song’s upbeat tempo is inspiring, and it asks you to get “’Everything You Could Ever Want.” 

As the soundtrack opens, you are already transported to a highway with the embrace of majestic trees on both sides. The melody just works as the sunlight peeps through the vegetation. 

2. “On My Way” by Carswell & Hope

Perfect For: Couple Travel Videos

I find “On My Way” close to Denver’s Country Roads in spirit. It’s like a country ballad with an urban touch. And the guitar is just out of the world in the piece. 

However, as you reach the lines, 

Me and my vice, and you in your wisdom

Lightly tripped along the passing days

Wouldn’t it be nice if you could finally listen?

To hear the tune that’s calling you home today” 

You realize that it’s about the journey of your life with your love! Listening to the tunes that are calling you “home today.” 

3. “Unto Myself” by Serene Fiend

Perfect For: Adventure Sports Reels

Here’s something for a metal head. As you explore outdoor pursuits and make reels for Instagram, “Unto Myself” becomes your go-to travel song. 

Watch out for the edgy twists in this one of the best songs for Instagram travel reels. 

4. Whitesnake’s “Here I Go Again”

Perfect For: Road Trips/ Adventure Activities Reels/Solo Travel Videos

Exuding the spirit of classic rock, Whitesnake’s “Here I Go Again is a vintage travel song that emancipates and transports. This is also a kinda prayer where the traveler asks for courage and strength to carry on.

Further, this song can be the greatest kick for solo travelers who love to walk the street alone. 

5. Denver’s “Leaving on a Jet Plane”

Perfect For: Long Trips/Foreign Trips

Leaving on a Jet Plane is a classic, and it’s, for me, the most romantic conversation between two lovers. One leaves on a trip and asks the other to kiss, smile, and wait until they return. 

A sense of melancholy, the signature of Denver, makes the song timeless. It’s like we all travel to return to the people we love and all good things! We are not always sure about the return, but we want to! 

6. “Galway Girl” By Ed Sheeran

Perfect For: Romantic Travel Reels 

Are you on a trip to Ireland or the gorgeous European cities? Ed Sheeran’s Galway Girl is the perfect song to add a dash of romance and whims to your travel reel. 

So, are you ready to meet her on “Grafton Street?”

7. “Enjoy The Show” by The Sluts

Perfect For: City Nightlife Reels 

You can be in Las Vegas or Barcelona. You can pump up your nightlife reels with this high-energy number from The Sluts. Having said that, the underlying laid-back charm of this song keeps it psychedelic for you, and the powerful vocal just helps you get going! 

8. “About Damn Time” by Lizzo

Perfect For: Girls’ Solo Trip Travel Reels 

Oh, my girl, are you on a break and want to be on top of your game? “About Damn Time” by Lizzo is the kick you need. 

It inspires and assures that everything is about time and that everything will be okay. So, use this song for travel stories that mend you. 

9. “Watermelon Sugar” by Harry Styles

Perfect For: Beach Holiday Reels/Couple Travel Videos

Your coastal summer holidays could not be better than this Harry Styles song. The song has a zing, and its youthful charm is infectious. The passionate undertone further makes the song a hit among the young at heart. 

10. “Saturday Sun” by Vance Joy

Perfect For: Weekend Trip Reels/Coastal Holidays

The happy tempo of the song is something that strikes instantly. Further, the song is about meeting someone for the first time and falling in love with them. So young and refreshing! Perfect for a weekend escapade

11. “Perfect” by Ed Sheeran

Perfect For: Couple Holiday Reels

Who doesn’t know of Sheeran’s “Perfect?” This song just makes walking “Barefoot on the Grass” with your love more special. 

It’s time to enjoy the most romantic journey with your love in your arms. The soft melody is just worth melting! 

How to keep your reel safe and accessible: 

  • Use music within the Instagram library 
  • Don’t repost copyrighted songs on third-party platforms 
  • Creator accounts receive broader access compared to business accounts 
  • The safest type of music for brand endorsement is royalty-free music. 

How Music Affects the Instagram Algorithm? 

Music impacts: 

  • Viewing Duration – autographic Data 
  • Whether they replay 
  • Whether they save 
  • If they both use the same sound 

Instagram promotes reels with: 

  • High completion 
  • Audio Reuse 
  • Emotional engagement  

Your choice of music is an algorithm signal. 

Common Mistakes Creators Make When Using Reel Music 

  • Picking a song based on its popularity trend 
  • Matching calm visuals with high-energy music 
  • Cutting randomly as opposed to cutting to the beat 
  • Dominating visuals with loud drops 

Repeating the viral sound indefinitely

Some Of The Best Songs For Instagram Travel Reels My Friends Love 

Music is such a subjective thing to decide upon! How about asking my friends about the songs they like in their travel reels? These thoughts came to mind while curating the travel songs for Instagram reels.

I quickly worked on the idea, and here is what my friends have to say about the best songs for Instagram travel reels. 

  1. “Paradise by Coldplay is my favorite, as it has several parts that fit like a glove over any travel reel. From revealing the grandeur of a mountain to a montage of chasing sunsets, the first couple of seconds is my go-to!”  Harsha Sharma.
  1. Country Roads by Denver: It highlights a major theme that’s common for all travel experiences. We travel to rejuvenate our spirits, and for most adventure lovers, this rejuvenation feels like home.” – Saswati.
  1. Music can help establish an emotional connection. Paris by Chainsmokers resonates with emotions and experiences from a specific moment in your travels with your loved ones.” – Nikita Marilyn Gomes.
  1. “Taylor Swift: 22! There is nothing better than a good old road trip with your girls. Taylor Swift will always be at the top of our list. Especially 22 (…although none of us are anymore). It is when we cruise through the windy roads and cross cities with only each other it feels like we are only young and 22, awaiting all the adventures.” – Deepanwita. 
  1. Forever Young by Alphaville: “Forever Young, I want to be forever young,” the timeless melody and meaningful lyrics awaken the urge to stay young to explore more, to live more, and to explore the unknown.” – Piyasa M. 
  1. “The Nights by Avicii: this song has a very upbeat tempo, a wonderful chorus, and nostalgic lyrics that can perfectly capture the ultimate spirit of adventure and life’s moments.” – Pijus.

Music Transforms Travel into Memories   

There’s a reason why In the year 2026, the best travel videos don’t have to be the most flashy; instead, they have to “Feel Real”.  

The right song:  

  • Slows time  
  • Adds emotion  
  • Creates memory  
  • Makes people stay  

If you have a reel that pauses people, gets them to feel, and imagine themselves in the place you’re at, you chose the right song

Want to revel in some child-like fun like my friend Subhasree? A young lady of 25, she still finds The Singing Walrus’s travel song delightful. “I’m on my way/ To a new place…” This is where all travel stories begin. Isn’t it?

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Meet Sibashree Bhattacharya, a travel enthusiast who has a decade-long experience in transcending virtual barriers with her words! Her deep love for travel is apparent from her travel escapades to the mountain, often taking her readers on a journey, her words acting as Portkey! Fun fact: Sibashree loves to dive deep into the history of the places she is about to visit, making her travels even more wholesome. If you were wondering how her articles are not short of time travel, this answers it!

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