About Unfold Travel

Alex & Maya 👋

We’re Alex and Maya — two curious travelers, map lovers, and former digital nomads from Portland, Oregon. In 2018, we got tired of getting lost in overwhelming travel blogs and generic itineraries. So we started sketching our own routes on napkins, then turned them into clean, visual travel maps that actually worked on the road. That little side project? It became Unfold Travel. What began as a passion for simplifying journeys has now grown into a small but mighty team of designers, writers, and fellow wanderers — all dedicated to creating thoughtful, usable, and beautiful travel guides you can truly rely on. Today, we partner with sustainable tourism boards, boutique hotels, and conscious travel brands to produce content that’s not just pretty — but purposeful. Our printable and interactive maps have helped over 500,000 travelers navigate everything from Tokyo alleyways to Icelandic fjords with confidence. You’ll find us sharing real tips, honest reviews, and route-tested itineraries across Instagram, Pinterest, and our blog — always with one goal: to help you travel deeper, not faster.

Our Story

But why the name Unfold Travel? It came to us while unfolding a crumpled paper map under a streetlamp in Lisbon — a moment that reminded us: the best adventures begin when you stop over-planning… and just unfold the journey. That night, we realized something simple yet powerful: travel isn’t about following every dot on a GPS screen — it’s about embracing the unknown, one step at a time. So we built Unfold Travel around that idea: no fluff, no hype — just clear maps, honest advice, and stories from the road. Because everyone deserves to feel confident, inspired, and connected — whether they’re walking through Kyoto’s bamboo forest or hiking Patagonia’s rugged trails. And yes — we still carry a physical map in our backpack. Just in case.