21 Best Travel Movies That Will Inspire Your Wanderlust
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Are you looking for some good movies about travel to kindle your wanderlust? This article has some great suggestions and some of the best travel films of all time. Find out!
Have you ever found yourself inspired to travel to one or the other location just because you saw it in a movie? It happens to me all the time! So in this article, I share some of my favorite travel movies, the ones that got me googling the filming location and planning a trip before the movie was even over.
If you are looking for a good story or some travel inspiration, then you’ll definitely find it in these films. These are one by one great travel movies and stories that will get you out of the couch and booking a trip to discover new destinations.
Below is my personal selection of some of the best travel movies of all time. Take a look!
Click on the title of the movie to see reviews, get a DVD, or watch it on Amazon Prime. Some of these movies are also available on Netflix.
These are the best travel films:
Into The Wild
Into The Wild is an unbelievable true story of a top student and athlete who abandons everything he has and hitchhikes to Alaska to live in the wilderness. This movie will probably stay with you forever.
It’s an inspiring story taking place in the most incredible landscapes of Alaska. If you choose just a few movies to watch from this list, definitely include this one in your selection!
The Way
The Way is a heart-warming story of a father who heads overseas to retrace the last days of his son’s life who passed away while traveling the Camino de Santiago trail in the Pyrenees (France – Spain). Once he gets there, he decides to take the pilgrimage himself.
This movie is about family, friendships, and life choices. And of course, the beautiful places along Camino de Santiago. It’s a powerful story that will make you think deeper about the difference of the life we live and the life we choose.
Under The Tuscan Sun
Under The Tuscan Sun is a romantic story that takes place in rural Tuscany. Lovely landscapes, an Italian lifestyle, and a heart-warming life story make it a perfect choice for a relaxing evening.
This beautiful light-hearted movie will get you planning a trip to Tuscany in Italy sooner than you think.
The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty
The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty is a light-hearted story for a movie night with friends. The movie features some of the most incredible travel destinations all over the world.
A lot of the scenes (even the ones from the Himalayas and Afghanistan) are filmed in Iceland and some in Greenland. The unbelievable adventures of Walter Mitty will leave you longing for an extraordinary adventure of your own.
This film is so good that it has inspired thousands and thousands of people to travel more and discover new places. If you watch just one movie from this list of the best travel films, make it ‘The Secret Life of Walter Mitty’. You’ll love it!
A Walk in the Woods
A Walk in the Woods movie is based on a true story and a book by Bill Bryson, A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail.
The famous writer who never hiked much sets on the Appalachian Trail. With a total length of about 2,200 miles (3,500 km), this famous American hiking trail stretches through 14 states along the east coast of the United States, from Georgia to Maine.
I haven’t read the book and the reviews are somewhat mixed (it seems that people either love or hate Bryson and his writing style). But I find that the movie is really funny, entertaining, and the scenery will definitely inspire you to get outdoors and take a hike of your own.
Out of Africa
Ok, I know it’s an old one, but Out of Africa definitely deserves a place in the all-time favorite travel movies list.
Filmed in Kenya and the UK, this classic that has won 7 Oscars and countless other prizes will definitely get you dreaming of Africa. It’s one of those movies that you can watch again and again.
The Motorcycle Diaries
The Motorcycle Diaries is an awe-inspiring film that is based on the memoirs of Che Guevara.
It will take you to the most beautiful places in South America. A beautiful story in an incredible setting.
In Bruges
In Bruges is very different from all the rest of the travel movies on this list. But I just had to include this movie in the top-20 of the best travel films because it’s filmed in Belgium, where we live.
It’s a hilarious dark comedy and a great performance by all three main characters in the most fantastic setting in Belgium’s most beautiful fairytale town.
If you haven’t been to Bruges, you’ll definitely want to visit it after watching this movie! Here you can find some inspiration with our insider tips for the best things to do in Bruges.
Before Sunrise – Before Sunset – Before Midnight
If you like Europe and deep meaningful dialogues with a good dose of humor, you’ll love this trilogy called Before Sunrise, Before Sunset, and Before Midnight. We only discovered these films recently when we accidentally saw the first one, Before Sunrise, on TV.
Regarded as one of the most significant films of the ’90s, Before Sunrise, was followed by two more sequels. We watched all three films and loved every second of it.
The first movie takes you to Vienna, Austria, the second one – to Paris, and the third – to the Greek Islands.
These travel films are probably not for everyone, but if you can appreciate this style, you’ll love them all!
Amélie
If you haven’t been to Paris yet, you will definitely want to plan a trip after watching this movie. If you have, you’ll want to return.
Amélie is a beautiful example of French cinema. It will also take you to the most inspiring locations in Paris. The film is set in the Montmartre neighborhood in Paris and shows you the more local side of living in this fascinating city.
Wild
This travel movie is based on a true story of a young woman who sets on a journey of over 1,000 miles hoping to recover after the passing of her mother.
Wild is full of beautiful scenes throughout the Pacific Northwest in the U.S. This is one of those travel films that remind you that often the journey is more important than the destination.
Lost In Translation
A beautiful film that shows the fun and unexpected side of traveling in a new country. Lost In Translation is about the many little random travel experiences that stay with you long after you return back home.
The sights and the energy of Tokyo will get you planning a trip to Japan.
‘Lost in Translation’ is considered a real classic and one of the best travel films ever.
Midnight in Paris
Midnight in Paris is a bit different travel film than all the rest in this selection. And it’s probably not for everyone…
But if you like Woody Allen, Paris, and the artist lifestyle, then you’ll love this surreal story that takes you back to Paris of the 1920s.
A Good Year
A Good Year is a light-hearted romantic story that takes place in the most beautiful setting in the Provence region in the South of France.
This movie will not only inspire you to visit France but might also make you reconsider your life choices. It’s a story about leaving the rat race, getting back to your roots, and enjoying the simple things in life.
A truly great film!
The Way Back
The Way Back is inspired by an incredible true story of seven prisoners from very different backgrounds who try to escape from a Siberian prison in winter.
This movie is filmed in some amazing locations in India, Morocco, and Bulgaria and features some great actors.
The Beach
The Beach is a great film from the ’90s that has a little bit of everything: good story, beautiful music, and amazing scenery from Thailand. Oh, and the young Leonardo DiCaprio, who once again proves that he deserves the Oscar he finally got recently.
For a while, Thailand even had to close Maya Beach on Koh Phi-Phi due to its increasing popularity which has been attributed mainly to this film. So if you feel inspired to visit Thailand after watching ‘The Beach’, you may want to look for some alternative beaches and beautiful islands.
You can find some inspiration in our Thailand island hopping itinerary.
Tracks
Tracks is a beautiful adventure film of a young woman who crossed 1,700-miles over the deserts of West Australia with four camels and her faithful dog.
It’s based on a true story and featuring some amazing Australian landscapes. A beautiful film that will inspire you to visit the Australian Outback!
Encounters At The End Of The World
Encounters At The End Of The World is an incredibly beautiful and funny travel film about the people and animals who live in Antarctica.
If Antarctica was not on your travel list yet, it will be after watching this great documentary!
The Bucket List
The Bucket List is sentimental, predictable, and yet a very heart-warming story that will inspire you to tick off your bucket list sooner rather than later.
Filmed in various locations in India, China, Egypt, Tanzania, France, and the U.S., this movie will definitely give you some new ideas for the next trips.
Photos: IMDb
So, this is a list of some of my top travel films and favorite movies about travel. Have you seen any of these films? Which one is your favorite travel movie of all time?
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When I’m always about to go on an adventure I keep coming back to this page to get inspired to travel to somewhere new
What a great way to find some trip inspiration, Joshua. Happy travels!
They aren’t travel movies, but The Lord of the Rings trilogy inspired me to go to New Zealand! How could those scenes in the mountains not inspire everyone?
Agree! (and New Zealand is absolutely stunning ;))
Thank you for sharing! This list is awesome!
If you wanna know one more… U can watch “Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara”. It means “U won’t have a second Life again”. It’s soo good and so inspiring…thank me later.
Thanks for the recommendation, Asif! Will see if we can find this movie.
Thank you for the awesome movie recommendations
You left off “Eat, Pray , Love” my absolute favorite , although, the Bucket List is great as well.
We left out many more nice movies – it would be impossible to feature all of them 🙂
Excellent list! Here are a few more highly regarded travel movies for you and your readers to consider:
Enchanted April
Shirley Valentine
Summer Lovers (Gene Siskel’s ‘guilty pleasure’)
The Hundred Foot Journey
Everything is Illuminated
Thank you for the suggestions, John. I don’t think I’ve seen any of these, so will have to check it out!
Great listings!! My all-time favorites are Into the wild and The secret life of walter Mitty. I would love to watch them a countless times.Both talks about how to live a normal in an extraordinary way. Thanks for your best travel movies.
That’s a great way to summarize these movies, Anand. Yes, indeed, we can all ‘spice up’ our lives a bit more by making certain choices, and travel is a great way to do that.
Happy travels!
The secret life of Walter Mitty is one of my fav travel movie!
Movie “Neelakasham pachakadal chuvana bhumi” is the best traveling movie in Malayalam
Thanks for sharing, Muhammed. I thought this was some kind of a joke as I couldn’t even try to read the title :), but I googled it and it looks like a very interesting movie indeed.
For our other readers who might wonder, the correct title is “Neelakasham Pachakadal Chuvanna Bhoomi” and the English title of this movie is “Blue Skies, Green Waters, Red Earth” and you can find more information about it on IMDB. The reviews look amazing, I’m just not sure where you could watch it these days…
How is A Room With A View not on this list ?
Probably because I never heard of it. 🙂 We’ll have to check it out. Thanks for the suggestion, Mark.
You should watch “The Art of Travel”.
Thanks for the recommendation, will definitely check it out. I have read the book with the same title, but it looks like the movie has nothing to do with it. Anyway, added to our list of movies to watch!
You can the following movies to the list:
Eat, Pray and Love
French Kiss
The Hangover
The Tourist
Some great suggestions in here. Thank you, Zemos. But ‘The Hangover’ – really?! 🙂 It’s not one of the films that inspire travel, is it? Or maybe it’s just too long ago since we saw it…
Anyway, thanks for the tips.
Wait, wait, wait, I’m sorry, did you say some people hate Bill Bryson?!?! …HOW?!
I actually haven’t read A Walk In The Woods even though I’ve owned it for about a year, so I guess this is a good time to pick up that one. I need to watch a bunch of these, too. I don’t know why I still haven’t seen The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty!
There are always people who like or hate something/ someone. Still, I was surprised at how harsh some reviews were. It seems that not everyone can appreciate Bryson’s sense of humor… But if you liked his other books, I think you’ll enjoy ‘A Walk In The Woods’ as well. Same with the movie.
And yes, this is now the perfect time for watching movies and reading books – no better way to fill weeks and weeks at home.
Thank you for this list! Prime has been recommending me The secret life of Walter Mitty for weeks now and I didn’t know it was about travel and an adventurous journey. Watching it now, thanks again!
Great movie. Hope you enjoyed it! It’s a really nice move that will probably inspire you to visit Iceland and Greenland. When you decide to go, we have plenty of information on both destinations on the blog… 🙂
I agree with half of these big budget suggestions. Other films that rate higher in my book:
1. Gerry (2002), starring and co-written by Matt Damon and Casey Affleck about hiking inDeath Valley.
2. Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (1994) comedy-drama about drag queens and a transgender woman as they journey across the Australian Outback in a tour bus named “Priscilla.”
3. The Martian (2015) science fiction film starring Matt Damon about an astronaut left behind on Mars and his struggle to survive.
4. One Week (2008), Ben Tyler is diagnosed with cancer, and instead of treatment, he decides to take a motorcycle trip across Canada.
5. Chasing Bubbles (2016), Friends and family tell the story of Alex Rust, his free spirit, ambitions for adventure, fondness for people and curiosity about the world as he sailed around the globe. Don’t miss the clips at the end while running the credits. Excellent. I’ve watched it multiple times.
6. In the Footsteps of Marco Polo (2008) PBS documentary about two men who retraced Marco Polo’s journey from Venice to China.
7. Take me to Pitcairn (2012). 50 people reside at Pitcairn, a very tiny island in the Pacific Ocean, and they’re all descendants of British sailors who hijacked a British ship and hid out on this desolated island for the rest of their lives. A famous movie was made about this story, “Mutiny on the Bounty.”
8. Mile… Mile and a half (2015), Hikers on the John Muir Trail – 219 miles. 25 days. Much better hiking movie than Wild.
Wow, that’s a nice list. Thanks for sharing, Susan. I have seen some of these and will add the rest to the list. Always nice to see a good movie!
Happy travels!
@Susan Love, thanks for this, i didn’t know about
marco polo.
Brilliant list. I will pick up movies from here to watch.
Lost in translation is best i have seen so far
Great movie indeed, Tom!
Out of Africa is a classic,In Bruges is superb,Midnight in Paris is brilliant,Bucket list is inspiring…..
Wow, a lot of interesting selections I haven’t seen. Absolutely loved ‘The Bucket List!’ Great post for travel inspiration. 🙂 Found your Post on Pinterest!
Thanks for your feedback, Robert. And good to hear you found some inspiring movies you haven’t seen yet.
thanks for list it is really amazing.
Into the wild – classic, In Bruges absolutely deserves to be on the list, I didn’t know that there are other movies after Before Sunrise. Nice list, I’m adding the movies I haven’t watch to my movies to watch list. 🙂
I read Tracks the book and really enjoyed it. Haven´t gotten around the book yet. On the plane home from Lima, they had under the Tuscan sun but it was only available in Italian. It was a little too much.
I’m so ashamed that I have hardly seen any of these. The Beach is a classic. I’m gonna save this list for the next I’m complaining I can’t find anything to watch.
thanks for sharing 🙂
Cool post! I find Out of Africa and The Motorcycle Diaries massively inspiring, could watch them over and over again. Thanks for putting together such a comprehensive list.
This is such a great list! I can’t believe how many of these I haven’t seen yet! Going to have to watch the Before Sunrise trilogy ASAP 🙂
We loved all three movies from that trilogy, Leah. It’s not often that the second and the third film are as good as the first one, but here it’s definitely the case. Enjoy!
Bucketlist is what inspired me to travel. Had me in tears and thought of life hard after a terrible breakup. Glad i am still traveling today. It change my thinking totally.
It’s amazing what a good movie or a book can do. Thanks for sharing your experience, Elisa!
I love this list!!! Up in the air with George Clooney is one of my favorites as well for travel inspiration.
Have seen only a few of these – definitely have Out of Africa, Lost in Translation and The Beach on my list.
I would add ‘The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel’ and ‘The English Patient’ (I love that film ❤️️)
I am looking forward to seeing A United Kingdom about the life of Seretse Khama and his marriage to Ruth who he met in England.
Great post Jurga!
Great suggestions, Tracy, both really great films! Happy to hear you found some inspiration!
I’ve seen some of these movies but haven’t seen most of them. Which is great, because I’m adding them to my Movies to watch list right now. Thanks for sharing!
Some great films here! Made me realise how much film locations influence wether I like a film or not. Endless Summer inspired us to go to Costa Rica and we’re constantly looking for film locations when we visit places, one photo on my recent Venice post is from a scene in The tourist where she shoots a baddie 😉
Glad to hear I’m not the only one who would actually plan a trip somewhere because of a movie. 🙂