The ultimate tattoo travel guide: Tattoo expert Alice Snape shares her little black book of tattooists worth travelling for

Chenjie work resembles traditional Chinese paintings. The tattoos imitate the brushstrokes of calligraphy, and she works elements of Chinese culture into each design, from lotus flowers to crane and koi fish. The final designs look like fine art on the skin, and Chenjie cleverly uses negative space to make it look almost like the tattoo is floating – she says she wants to turn the bodies she tattoos into living canvases.

Location: NewTattoo Studio, Building 5, Gate 5, Room 518 Shoukaibojun North, Xindong Road, Sanlitun, Chaoyang District, Beijing, China.
Book: Her unique work is so highly sought after that she’s booked up until May 2024, so you’ll need to email her at chenjie@jienewtattoo.com at least one year in advance.

Guen Douglas, @guendouglas

Berlin, Germany

Guen has a traditional American style: bold black outlines with bright colours, but with artistic flourishes – each art piece is heavily inspired by art deco and art nouveau, pop culture and the natural world. “Getting a tattoo in Berlin is part of a perfectly immersive experience here,” she enthuses. While she loves creating custom tattoos just for you, she also has huge books filled with pre-drawn designs to choose from, reminiscent of the magic of an old-school tattoo shop experience. She’s created a few tattoo series, including cocktails/reflections and her iconic masked ladies that she can tweak for each client. Guen also studied wine and co-hosts a podcast called Juice with her sommelier friend – and after your appointment, if you’re feeling up to it – she recommends heading to natural wine bar Le Balto, which is about a five min walk from the studio for nibbles and a bottle.

Location: Taiko Gallery, Schönleinstraße 33, 10967, Berlin.
Book: guendouglas.format.com (its appointment-only policy means there are no walk-ins)