guidebook

Guidebook is a book or manual that provides information and practical advice to help readers plan and carry out activities, often focused on travel, a geographical area, or a specific domain of knowledge. Travel guidebooks aim to support planning and decision making for trips, while field guides help identify flora, fauna, or artifacts, and instructional guides offer how-to coverage on skills or processes. Distinct subgenres include travel guides, field guides, and reference handbooks.

Typically, guidebooks are organized by place, topic, or step in a process. They commonly include maps, descriptions of destinations or subjects, suggested itineraries, transportation options, accommodations, dining and services, safety tips, and practical considerations such as language tips or local etiquette. Field guides emphasize illustrations, keys, and diagnostic details to aid identification, whereas how-to guides stress procedures and checklists.

The guidebook tradition grew in the 19th and 20th centuries with the emergence of standardized travel guides and commercial publishers such as Baedeker and Fodor’s, followed by Lonely Planet and Rough Guides. With the advent of the internet, many guides now exist as print editions complemented by digitally updated online resources, apps, and crowd-sourced platforms. Users should consider edition dates and scope when selecting a guide, and may cross-reference multiple sources to account for changes in availability, prices, or regulations.