The magazine is published in print and digital formats bi-monthly with the strap-line "taking the road less travelled".

The magazine includes features on off-the-beaten-track travel; sustainable, alternative destinations; and authentic, experiential trips.

[2] The Wanderlust website includes archives from backdated editions alongside travel articles.

Travmedia Travel Magazine of the Year 2020[3] Travel Media Awards Consumer Publication of the Year Print 2020[4] Special Interest Magazine/Brand of the Year at the Professional Publishers Association (PPA) Awards[5] Wanderlust was established in Windsor, Berkshire in 1993 by Paul Morrison and Lyn Hughes, who had observed the absence of a publication combining their interests in wildlife, activities and cultural insights.

[8] Each year, the awards are held in London, the 2021 Wanderlust Reader Travel Awards were hosted by naturalist Steve Backshall at Kensington Palace, and in 2022 the ceremony took place at the Tower of London hosted by author and television presenter Simon Reeve.