15 Free Travel Themed Zoom Backgrounds

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Anyone who’s anyone is using Zoom right now. If I could have bought stocks in any company 6 months ago you can be sure it would be Zoom (#missedopportunity). I use Zoom at work for our meetings, people use it for online classes or even for keeping in touch with family or friends. I can’t tell you how many virtual happy hours I’ve attended since March. But I know for sure after almost two months of this that people are getting sick of seeing the boring wall behind my head, or my office bookcase. Our indoor lives are mundane enough right now that I think it’s time to jazz up your Zoom background. So today I’m going to share some of my favorite new travel themed Zoom backgrounds.

What is Zoom?

If you don’t already have Zoom, it’s like Skype…but better. The quality is better, the options are better, and if you’re part of a company like me that has the premium version then there are additional features like chat and the ability for longer calls with more people. I think the biggest Zoom meeting I’ve been in so far has had almost 200 people in it. Zoom is an online video conferencing tool that has become a lot of people’s lifelines in 2020 when going out and seeing real people in public hasn’t always been possible.

Does Zoom come with fun backgrounds?

It does, however the options are very limited. There are currently three options: the Golden Gate bridge, blades of grass or the Earth from space. While they might be nice, you’ll be sick of them after the first week. Plus the more meetings you go to, the more creativity you’ll see from people. I had one meeting where my boss had decided to do a background of a desert canyon, but someone mistook the close up of the rocks to be meat. So on the next Zoom call everyone changed their backgrounds to various meats. Now call me old school but I think I’d rather look at a pretty picture which is why I’ve started hunting out travel themed Zoom backgrounds.

How do you change your Zoom background?

Turns out it’s super easy. When you’re on a Zoom call, in the bottom left of the screen you’ll see a “START/STOP VIDEO” button. There’s a little drop down arrow to the right of it and when you click on here you’ll see an option labelled CHOOSE VIRTUAL BACKGROUND.

There you’ll see your background options. If you want a new one of your own, something different than the ones that come with Zoom, click on the plus sign (+) to the top right of the pictures and select a file to upload. I recommend a travel themed Zoom background that will have everyone thinking you’re somewhere way more fun than your office or bedroom.

Know when Zoom backgrounds aren’t appropriate

Take it from someone who just did this, make sure to check before you start your meeting what your background is. I had been experimenting with Zoom backgrounds with my friends and when I started my video on a work meeting I noticed that I’d just projected a popular meme behind myself which was not all that appropriate for the call I was on. It’s the one where the dog is sat in a burning room with a smile on its face with the words THIS IS FINE in the background. While funny for outside of work, I don’t think my bosses would have been impressed. I quickly realized and changed it. But that let me know that when you change your background and end the meeting, Zoom will often remember that was your background of choice so you should change it before starting your video next time.

How to find good travel themed Zoom backgrounds

Like any other Zoom backgrounds you can find almost a limitless supply on the interwebs. A lot of pictures will do, although you need the image to be a high quality one for it to really work on Zoom. Maybe you took some really good professional quality photos, or have a good phone camera that takes amazing pictures. But be strategic with the pictures you’re choosing. Here are some of my tips.

Placement in the picture

Mostly we think of ideal pictures as those with the focal point being at the center of the picture. But in a conference call you are likely sitting in the center of the frame. So you don’t want to sit in front of what you want others to see. For example you don’t want it to look like the Eiffel Tower is growing out of the top of your head. Instead look for pictures with these things slightly to one side.

Colors

You want your picture to be bright and fun, but you don’t want it to be so psychedelic that everyone’s tripping out looking at you. A big mass of colors or a messy picture will just distract everyone, and yourself, every time you see it.

Picture quality

It might seem obvious, but look for good quality shots. I would suggest sticking to pictures with clear skies on sunny days, or sharp images. You don’t want to be sat in front of a picture of your favorite place taken on a cloudy, gray day. It won’t have the effect you want and when your screen is smaller to some people, it won’t be clear where you are.

Avoid words in the picture

You might want people to know where you are but having it emblazoned above your head on a screen for everyone to see is not how you subtly join a conference call. It’s distracting and busy looking. Sitting in front of a travel quote is not going to do you any favors either. If there are words in the picture, let it be street signs that don’t need to be read too closely to show where you might be (i.e. neon street signs).

Size of the picture

Here I’m thinking more the size of something in the picture. You want to show you’re in San Francisco? Don’t have a miniature Golden Gate bridge in the background. Want to show you’re in Paris? Get an Eiffel Tower that’s big enough to see. You get the idea.

The 15 best travel themed Zoom backgrounds I use

That brings me to the Zoom backgrounds I have been using. A way I can enjoy traveling the world without leaving home. Or at the very least making people think I’m on a beach somewhere or walking down a famous street. Travel themed Zoom backgrounds are, in my opinion, the best kind. It can brighten up your day or someone else’s day when you’re in a long meeting. It can inspire you for future travel by reminding you where you want to go when this is over (or where you want to go back to). And if nothing else it’s a great conversation starter. I love seeing which places people choose now on my meetings and can ask them where it is.

So without further ado here are my TOP 15 travel themed Zoom backgrounds. Simply download them by right clicking on the picture you like and hit SAVE AS, then upload to Zoom from your saved files for your next conference call.

The Maldives

The classic beach view. The whiter than white sand and bluer than blue water. If there’s ever a way to make yourself and others dream of the vacation you always wanted it’s by using this travel themed Zoom background. Imagine the heat of the afternoon sun as you stroll down the beach back to your over-water bungalow for cocktails and sunset. Yes please! Take me there now.

The Sahara Desert

The epic sand dunes picture that everyone wants. Walk it, camel ride it or sand board down it. However you want to experience the incredibly vast deserts of Morocco and beyond, you can think about it while on your latest Zoom conference call. Imagine yourself on a trip through the Sahara Desert with an overnight stop at the most unique campground you’ll find.

The London Underground

Missing your daily commute? Well with this Zoom background you can almost feel the sweaty, stinky, hot air of the Underground. Maybe use it before your first meeting of the day and apologize for being late by telling your team that the traffic was a nightmare this morning. Better yet, use this background to bring back amazing memories of a trip to the marvelous city of London, England. Wait, you haven’t been? Make it your first stop when this is over. There’s no city like it (I’m British so I’m probably biased). Read more about the TOP 50 things to do in LONDON here.

Rice Terraces, China

One of my favorite travel memories was trekking through the rice terraces of Longsheng, China. There aren’t really many official places to stay in the village I stayed in, located at the top of a winding, steep hill among the beautiful rice terraces. Instead, locals meet the buses coming from the bigger cities and offer rooms in their house for a fee. It’s a unique experience, even more so given the houses are not the most modern establishments. I remember showering over a bamboo drain while making eye contact with locals passing outside the glass-less bathroom window. Spending the days walking through, up and over field after field of rice. Take me back! Job done with this travel themed Zoom background of the rice terraces.

The Pyramids of Giza

Isn’t it every kid’s dream to visit the pyramids? With any luck, that dream will follow you into adulthood. Because who wouldn’t want to take after Indiana Jones and see the only remaining ancient wonder of the world? I hope I get there one day, but for now I’m going to have to settle for this Zoom background. Hey, on the plus side the climate will be a little better while I sit in my temperature regulated apartment instead of the baking heat of Northern Africa. But the view is incredible isn’t it?

Paris, France

I mean, it has to be done doesn’t it? You can’t have travel themed Zoom backgrounds and not at least pause over the beautiful city of Paris. I love everything about this city: fresh pastries at every corner, limitless art and museums, watching the crazy driving that makes me glad I have never chosen to rent a car in this city. And is there any view more worthy of making your background than the Eiffel Tower looming over the Seine on a sunny day? Sure it’s a travel cliché but that’s OK. Clichés are clichés for a reason.

The giant cacti of Arizona

Don’t ask me why, but this is a bucket list item for me. To see a cactus that’s taller than me? Heck yeah I want to do that. I told Jeff I wanted to go to Arizona for this reason and he jokingly told me “Dream big, Emma”. Well, you know what? I am dreaming big. Big cactus big! Maybe it’s because I’ve never been to a desert region also, but I can see a trip to Arizona in my future. For one it’s so easy to get to from Vancouver, where I live. Until then it’ll just have to do as my Zoom background for a while.

The Northern Lights

I think everyone has seeing the Northern Lights on their bucket list. And if you don’t, you’re crazy. The incredible Aurora Borealis can be seen from the globe’s most Northern locations like Scandinavia, Northern Canada and Iceland. I was lucky enough to see them briefly from the plane while flying back to Canada from the UK, but that is not enough. I need to see them fully and hopefully get a good picture. Iceland is on my list, along with apparently everyone else’s. But that shouldn’t make you want to skip it. If you want to go, go! I also recently visited Finland, a country where you can see the lights. And although I didn’t have much time in Helsinki it got me thinking that I would love to go further North or visit the surrounding Scandinavian countries.

Antarctica

PENGUINS!!!! That is all! OK, that’s not all, but that really is the argument won right there. I don’t need to say anything else and I can virtually see you all nodding along like “yeah…penguins…she’s right”. Who doesn’t want to see those amazing creatures, waddling along, swapping pebbles, dancing, breaking out of the zoo to head to Madagascar. OK cartoon penguins aside, you can’t say you wouldn’t want to see penguins in real life! As far and remote as Antarctica is, it’s a dream of mine to visit. It looks freaking awesome. There’s no other way to describe it. So, yes, I will rock my penguin screen until such day as I can make this travel themed Zoom background a reality.

Times Square, New York

Start spreading the news, I’m leaving today…. Unfortunately not. Not even close. But a girl can dream. And while Times Square should be avoided at all costs, unless it’s your first time to New York and you should usher through just to see it. Do not stop, do not collect $200, pretend you’re going to Monopoly jail and just keep moving. In fact, this is the best way to experience Times Square. Digitally, without crowds, from the safety and comfort of your own home. But it’s a place that’s synonymous with this crazy busy city, so it makes a pretty good travel themed Zoom background, doesn’t it?

Lake Louise, Canada

From the hustle and bustle of one of the busiest cities in the world, to the calm and tranquil turquoise waters of Lake Louise in Alberta, Canada. It’s a bit of a tourist trap, but it can’t be missed if you’re heading to the Canadian Rockies. Hundreds of tourists are dropped off each day by tour buses at the Fairmont Lake Louise hotel. They pile out of the bus, take their photos and leave. If you’re lucky though you can stay at the hotel like I did. Honestly the view was so amazing I didn’t close my curtains that night so I could wake up to the gorgeous view. But a way to visit Lake Louise without any other people is by using this cool photo as your Zoom background of choice. Plan your ultimate road trip through the Canadian Rockies with this guide.

Lavender fields, Provence, France

Tell me you haven’t always wanted to run through the field of lavender, I dare you. I LOVE lavender. Candles, lotion, baked in a cake with lemon. Talk about multiple uses. And so pretty and purple. So it’s no surprise that I was itching to try out this bad boy of a Zoom background to whisk me away (virtually of course) to the fields in France. For action shots you could try starting at the other end of the room and running towards your computer, thus looking like you’re merrily skipping through the fields. Maybe scope out your audience before you try this.

The Grand Canyon

We haven’t had nearly enough world wonders in this list so far, so I’m bringing out the big guns. Or the grand guns I should say. The Grand Canyon has long been on my list, and even though I’ve been to Las Vegas a couple of times I’ve never dragged my other half away from the blackjack tables long enough to get to this incredible looking place that can be done as a day trip from Sin City. For now I’ll settle with this amazing travel themed Zoom background of the Grand Canton, but I’m ready to start planning a trip here ASAP. Maybe I’ll keep heading South to see those giant cacti.

BONUS PIC

While you’re in Arizona, not too far (in relative terms) from the Grand Canyon is the famous Horseshoe Bend, which in my opinion might be even more spectacular than the Grand Canyon.

The Scottish Highlands

Highland cow or no Highland cow? In this case I omitted the ridiculously cute looking coos in favor of the plain and simple (yeah right) rugged views of the Scottish Highlands. If you have been to the UK and not made it past London, get yourself on a train up North and then rent a car to drive around the wilds of Scotland. You’ll never want to visit anywhere else. It’s beautiful. We did a trip up to Loch Ness when Jeff came to the UK with me last, but I haven’t been to nearly enough of this spectacular country. So until I can get back there, this view will have to do.

Machu Picchu, Peru

I skipped the Highland cows but you didn’t think I’d be able to resist a virtual llama selfie did you? Oh yeah, Machu Picchu makes an appearance in this one too. But enough about that, look at the llama! Although I haven’t been lucky enough yet to visit South America, I would for sure start with Peru and would love to take a trek to Machu Picchu. It’s almost a rite of passage isn’t it? And if you go there you will need to get your llama pictures too. So while you plan your trip to Peru, stick this background up in your need Zoom meeting and show off the ancient wonder along with a virtual ice breaker llama shot.

If you’ve enjoyed this post leave a comment or share using the social media buttons below. What are some of your favorite Zoom backgrounds right now? Where do you want to virtually visit on your conference calls?