The Best Squarespace Templates for Modern Travel Advisors + Service Providers
Blog Overview: In this guide, l’ll walk through what to look for in a template (so it actually supports your business goals), the difference between free and designer-made options, and the best templates — both free and paid — that come with what you need to launch asap. Whether you’re launching your first site or planning a refresh, you’ll find inspiration, strategy, and next steps to help you create a website that converts as beautifully as it looks.
Note: this post contains affiliate links, and I may make a small percentage of the sale at no cost to you.
What We cover in this post
Why use a Squarespace template instead of starting from scratch
What to look for in a Squarespace template
Free vs Paid templates: what’s the difference?
My recommended free Squarespace templates
My recommended designer-made templates
If you’re a travel advisor, agency owner, or anyone else offering a service and ready to make your business feel professional, and attract the clients you’ve been dying to work with, your website deserves more than a generic template. It should feel like your brand — intentional, elevated, and built to convert visitors into clients.
Squarespace is an incredible platform for small businesses that want a beautiful, functional website without needing to dive into code or spend months in the design process. And the best part? You don’t have to hire a web designer to create something that feels professional and polished (but you might thank yourself later).
Whether you’re creating your first website or refreshing your brand, here are some ideas to choose the right Squarespace template, what to expect from free vs. paid options, and a few designer-made templates worth investing in.
Why Use a Squarespace Template Instead of Starting From Scratch
If you’re a DIYer or building your business on a budget, starting with a Squarespace template is the perfect way to create a website without having to dive too deep into technical bits that may overwhelm you.
Squarespace templates give you a solid foundation — clean structure, built-in SEO and design features, and mobile optimization — while still giving you full creative control. It’s ideal for travel advisors who love being hands-on and want to launch confidently without waiting on a designer’s timeline.
That said, a great template works best when you pair it with:
A cohesive visual brand: Before you dive in, make sure you have your brand colours, fonts, and vibe nailed down. This will help you choose a template that complements your look and feel. Check out the post on Travel Planning fees for more on this!
Strong photography: Your visuals tell your story. You can use free stock image sites like Dupe Photos or Pexels for images that fit your niche, or invest in The Vault Stock or a Haute Stock Membership for elevated, lifestyle-based visuals. For a truly custom look, brand photography will always be worth it. Check out the post on planning a brand shoot that connects with your clients if you need help with this!
Intentional copy: Many paid templates include sample text with proper heading hierarchy that guides your word flow — helping you write website copy that connects, converts, and reflects your personality.
If you want to stay budget-conscious but still strategic, a designer-built template gives you the structure of a pro site with the freedom to customize it yourself.
What to Look for in a Squarespace Template as a Travel Advisor
Not every template will serve your business goals — especially in travel, where storytelling, trust, and personalization matter.
Here’s what to prioritize when choosing a Squarespace website template for your travel or service-based business:
Aesthetic & Brand Fit
Your website should instantly reflect the experience you offer. Are you curating luxury escapes, wellness retreats, or adventurous itineraries? Choose a design that visually supports that energy — minimal and elevated for high-end travel, bold and image-driven for adventure, or soft and serene for wellness.
Strategic Layout & Navigation
The best templates are built with a conversion flow in mind. Look for designs that naturally guide visitors toward key actions — exploring services, reading your story, or filling out an inquiry form. Clear hierarchy, balanced spacing, and consistent calls-to-action are what turn browsers into clients. Keep it clear, lots of ‘white space’ and simple to navigate.
Must-Have Website Pages for Travel Advisors
A well-structured travel website should include:
Home Page: who you serve, what you offer, and why it matters
About Page: your story, credentials, and personal travel philosophy
Services / Work With Me Page: your travel planning process and offers
Contact / Inquiry Page: a simple, direct way to book a consultation or call
Blog or Journal: share travel tips, destination inspiration, or affiliate content
Many designer templates also include pre-built pages for testimonials, FAQs, or resources, which are great for adding credibility.
Conversion-Focused Features
Choose a template that makes it easy for visitors to take the next step. Look for:
Built-in inquiry buttons or ‘Plan My Trip’ links across key pages, make it easy to connect with you
Service layouts that lead clients through your process, you want more than just a menu
Integrated lead capture forms or newsletter opt-ins
Visual hierarchy that highlights your expertise, use those headings strategically (H1, H2, H3)
These small design details make a big impact on how potential clients experience your brand.
Advanced Styling & Flexibility
Free Squarespace templates give you a clean, functional start. But if you’re craving a high-end, editorial look, paid templates often include:
Custom CSS styling for advanced layouts and subtle motion effects
Unique section designs like layered imagery, overlapping elements, or scroll-based animations
Pre-mapped colour systems and typography pairings that take the guesswork out of branding
Designer templates save you hours of design tweaking — and help your site look custom, even if it’s not.
Free vs. Paid Squarespace Templates: What’s the Difference?
If you’re new to Squarespace, starting with a free template is completely fine. You’ll still have access to all of Squarespace’s built-in features — blogging, SEO settings, e-commerce, and more — as long as you’re on a paid Squarespace plan. The drawback is the depth of design. They typically included a limited number of pre-styles pages and sections, which means you need to spend a lot more time learning how to use the platform on your own and are much more involved in the page and section design.
Free templates are great for:
Getting familiar with the platform
Launching your first site on a budget
Building something clean and functional fast
However, paid designer templates go beyond what’s possible out of the box. They’re pre-styled for flow, built around proven user-experience principles, and created to convert browsers into clients.
Think of it this way:
Free = foundation. Clean, flexible, and affordable.
Paid = polish. Strategic, elevated, and ready to help you sell travel confidently.
If you’re ready to level up your client experience and present your business like the professional you are, a paid template is worth the investment.
Start your free Squarespace trial & save 10% off your first subscription payment!
Use code BIRCH10 at checkout.
Recommended Free Squarespace Templates for Travel Advisors
If you’re not ready to invest just yet, these free Squarespace templates are great starting points for travel advisors and boutique travel agencies. Each offers flexibility, clean structure, more than one page, and strong design potential - perfect for launching a professional site on your own terms.
Sprouts: Warm and organic with an editorial feel. Sprouts is perfect for travel advisors focused on casual or slow travel, wellness retreats, or experience-based itineraries. Its generous image spaces and balanced layout make your visuals shine.
Bennie: Minimal and modern, built with clean lines and easy navigation. Ideal for advisors who want a straightforward design that highlights key services and encourages inquiry clicks without visual clutter.
Meriden: Polished, structured, and a few simple pre-designed pages.
Heron: Sophisticated and elegant with plenty of white space. Heron’s refined typography and section variety make it ideal for luxury or bespoke travel brands that want to feel elevated yet approachable. Built-in scrolling features that feel editorial. Use the ‘menu’ feature for brief outline of your services.
Cole: a one-page design perfect for advisors who want a clean and easy launch with an editorial vibe.
You can always start with one of these and evolve. Once you’ve honed your brand aesthetic, you can upgrade to a designer-made or semi-custom site that brings your next-level vision to life.
Save 10% off your first year with code BIRCH10
Designer Template Shops & Templates Perfect for Travel Advisors
Designer template shops are the step above. When you purchase a paid template, you're not just buying a pretty layout; you're investing in real support, education, and future-proof design. These premium shops don’t just hand over a file and disappear. You’re getting access to a library of how-to videos and support, so you know how to style Squarespace and the template you’ve just purchased. Most also come with creative layouts and advanced styling features built in, again with instructions on styling, so right out of the gate, you’re miles ahead of a free template.
Think of the template as the foundational layout, and you can swap in your brand colours, fonts, images and words. If you don’t need a section or page, you can just save and hide it for later!
So, with that, below are some of my favourite shops and a preview of a few templates to check out!
Big Cat Creative
Playful, strategic, and easy to edit. Big Cat Creative templates are built for conversion — bold headlines, engaging layouts, and smart call-to-action flow. Perfect for travel advisors who want a vibrant, personality-driven site that still feels professional and polished. They offer in-depth tutorial videos, a copywriting workbook, an SEO-launch checklist, and real human support via ticket (they respond within one business day).
Watch the Noire template get restyled 👀
Two of the most popular purchases with my affiliate link, below:
Save 10% with code BIRCH10 on Big Cat Creative templates
GoLive HQ
Think editorial luxury. GoLive HQ templates are minimal yet powerful, with refined typography and high-end layouts that feel like a boutique magazine spread. Perfect for luxury travel advisors or agencies who want to position themselves as the go-to experts for bespoke experiences. Go Live gives you unlimited digital support, video setup instructions, and help getting the template installed — so you won’t feel lost in Squarespace’s interface.
Save 10% with code BIRCHANDBUDDESIGN10 on Go Live templates.
The Styled Square
Timeless and balanced. The Styled Square creates templates that prioritize clarity and user flow, making them ideal for advisors who want a beautiful, easy-to-navigate site that looks good on every device. Elegant design meets practical structure. The Styled Square includes an extended 12-month Squarespace trial, a photography-sourcing workbook, and template support built into their sales process.
Save 10% with code BIRCH10 on The Styled Square templates.
Blooming Design
Soft, grounded, and approachable. Blooming Design templates are perfect for wellness travel brands, retreat hosts, and advisors offering holistic or slow travel experiences. Their templates balance warmth with strategy, giving you a calm, trustworthy feel from the first click.
Studio Mesa
Artful and editorial. Studio Mesa’s templates focus on texture, storytelling, and depth — perfect for boutique agencies and elevated travel brands that value visual storytelling and design that feels quietly luxurious.
Bought a Template and Feel Stuck?
If you’re drawn to the polish of a designer-made site but don’t want to DIY every detail, Birch & Bud’s Semi-Custom Design Experience is your sweet spot.
I can either use a designer template you purchased OR one of my professionally-designed Squarespace templates and customize it to fit your brand — from colours and fonts to layout and content flow. You’ll get a done-for-you site that feels completely custom without the custom price tag. Check out the semi-custom design offer!
Sneak peek at the templates available for re-style to your brand
At Birch & Bud Design Co., I understand the heart and soul you put into your work. Your website should be a reflection of that passion, a space where your clients can see the care and thoughtfulness you bring to your role.
If you’re ready to invest in a website that truly represents your brand, I’m here to help!
get 10% off your first subscription payment with code birch10 at checkout!
save 20% when we work together on a project!
