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Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy

Stanley Tucci travels across Italy to discover the secrets and delights of the country's regional cuisines. Stanley Tucci travels across Italy to discover the secrets and delights of the country's regional cuisines. Stanley Tucci travels across Italy to discover the secrets and delights of the country's regional cuisines.

• Stanley Tucci
• Felicity Blunt
• Massimo Bottura
• 86 User reviews
• 5 wins & 20 nominations total

Episodes 14

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• Self - Chef
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• Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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• Connections Referenced in Late Night with Seth Meyers: Tiffany Haddish/Chloe Sevigny/Company/Aric Improta (2022)

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• wjosephjorob
• Mar 22, 2021
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• February 14, 2021 (United States)
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• 史丹利圖奇：尋味義大利
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Follow along as Tucci travels across Italy to discover the secrets and delights of the country's regional cuisines. Watch now on Discovery+ and CNNgo .

All the restaurants Stanley Tucci visited in season two of 'Searching for Italy'

Why stanley tucci can't stay out of restaurant kitchens, must-watch moments from 'searching for italy' season 2, 5 sought-after recipes from the fall season of 'stanley tucci: searching for italy', season 2  .

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Broken oar and tangled net cause chaos on Tucci's fishing trip

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Tucci joins the first all-women boar hunting group

Italian TV star shows how to cook slow-cooked pork

Woody, nutty and luxurious: tucci tries a truffle dish.

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The Italian version of fondue is so luscious, it requires a spoon

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A mixture of beer, coffee and ... cheese? This Michelin-Star dish is served in a can

This dip is a garlic-lovers dream

Behind the scenes: Stanley Tucci falls to make his tour guide laugh

A very Tucci tour: Stanley puts his spin on Italian geography

No white wine needed: why these italian cows make particularly luscious fondue.

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The delicious snack you can only find in Venice

Watch what happens when Tucci goes duck hunting

Pasta with gold: Tucci raves of 'perfectly balanced' dish

'If you're trying at home, be prepared to repaint': Tucci takes on a messy dish

Tucci partakes in a 'Venetian breakfast,' including a glass of wine

'Completely different': Tucci samples traditional tiramisu

Tucci shares what surprised him while shooting 'Searching for Italy'

'Most expensive episode we've ever done': Watch Tucci make truffle pasta for crew

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Eat like stanley tucci  .

Venetian Salted Cod Pâté (Baccalà Mantecato)

Three popular recipes from Stanley Tucci's cookbook

How to make Stanley Tucci's classic Milanese risotto

Six sought-after recipes from 'Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy'

Stanley Tucci's secret for kid-friendly Tuscan tomato soup

Italian Fish Stew (Brodetto di Pesce Alla Marchigiana)

Livia's Tiramisu

How to make pizza dough at home

Stanley Tucci's Easter bread

Highlights from season one  .

Stanley Tucci's 'obsessed' with this Italian baked dish

Where you'll find the best lemons in the world

The secret behind Tuscany's signature dish

The surprising story behind this risotto

Stanley Tucci tastes one of Rome's best dishes

This pasta's shape has divine inspiration

To make this Bolognese, skip the tomato sauce

This vegetable sauce is a Tucci family favorite

'Searching for Italy' bonus: Stanley Tucci makes a pizza

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‘Stanley Tucci: Searching For Italy’ Makes For a (Mostly) Charming Tour: TV Review

An otherwise charming, luxurious trip through Italy's best food gets off to a strange start.

By Caroline Framke

Caroline Framke

Chief TV Critic

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“ Stanley Tucci : Searching For Italy” opens with the actor striding down a bustling Naples street in a perfectly tailored summer suit, dodging Italians on Vespas and scanning the sidewalks for his next delicious meal. It’s exactly the picturesque scenario you might expect and want from a travel series hosted by Tucci, an extraordinarily charming presence who knows and loves Italian food, judging by his demonstrated knowledge on the show and excellent 2012 cookbook, a compendium of beloved Italian classics simply titled “The Tucci Cookbook.” And yet, the first words Tucci speaks on his new CNN travel show are words of reassurance to explain the fact that this episode was filmed during the summer of 2020, mere months after COVID-19 devastated Italy beyond measure.

“It’s hard to believe that just a few months ago the first wave of COVID-19 had emptied the streets of Naples, and Italy was in lockdown,” Tucci’s opening voiceover muses. “Thankfully, I’ve arrived during a brief moment of normality: restaurants are open and masks are not required outside. We’ll be sticking to the local rules.” And with that, Tucci moves right along to sing the city’s praises with only a few masked encounters and occasional elbow bumps to remind the audience of the fraught time period in which he’s visiting.

Launching “Searching For Italy” with this episode is an extremely confusing choice, and not just because we now know that this apparent “moment of normality” didn’t last. Four of the show’s six episodes were filmed in the fall of 2019, months before the pandemic hit. Only two episodes — this premiere in Naples and a future chapter in Bologna — were filmed in 2020. Not every series has to air in the order it was filmed to make sense, but in this exceptional case, treating an enormous event such as a pandemic like an inconvenient asterisk does a disservice to both the show and the country it covers. It also feels like a missed opportunity from a narrative perspective. “Searching For Italy” spends much of its time detailing the country’s rich restaurant culture and how important gathering to eat is for Italian families overall. If Tucci and company were determined to go back to Italy in 2020, months after they wrapped shooting their initial episodes, why not seize the moment to speak more specifically to how the pandemic disrupted those traditions and examine how the country had to adjust? That might have meant finding a different Italy than the show was originally searching for, but it at least could have justified the visit.

This bizarre initial decision is made even more frustrating by the fact that the series is otherwise very smart and endearing. The second episode to air, for example, will see Tucci exploring Rome, a city too often dismissed as mere tourist bait. But Tucci makes an effort to seek out its less obvious spots and meals, including four signature Roman pasta dishes and a fascinating detour into the inventive ways Italian chefs have transformed offal, or all the organs and bits of gristly meat that poorer Italians learned to work into delicacies. In one particularly good segment, Tucci visits a Jewish chef who grew up in a ghettoized section of Rome and only narrowly escaped the Nazis as a child. Now, she runs a restaurant specializing in artichoke hearts, an ingredient long left to the city’s poorer Jewish community. When she gives Tucci her own version of a fried artichoke, its leaves miraculously splayed in the shape of a shining sun, his face lights up as he declares it the best artichoke heart he’s ever had.

In a later episode, Tucci returns to Tuscany, the city his family once called home and which quickly changed the trajectory of his own life. Tucci’s comfort in Italy and palpable love for its culture is genuinely infectious — not just for those he meets and charms along the way, but for this viewer, too. And in the all important test of how voraciously a travel show host actually eats the food on offer, Tucci passes with flying colors, happily engulfing every bite with vigor.

Without being able to travel to Italy anytime soon, it’s a sincere pleasure to spend some time there vicariously through a host as game and genial as Tucci. Should he ever decide to expand his tour of the country and actually unravel its thorny new reality instead of glossing over it, it would probably make for even more fascinating, revealing television. But in the meantime, he invites us to join him for some good conversation over thick twirls of pasta, bright panzanellas, lavish cuts of meat and glimmering glasses of wine — an offer that’s ultimately just too good to refuse.

“ Stanley Tucci: Searching For Italy ” premieres Sunday, Feb. 14 at 9 pm on CNN.

• Production: Executive producers: Adam Hawkins, Eve Kay, Stanley Tucci, Amy Entelis and Lyle Gamm.
• Cast: Stanley Tucci

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Stanley tucci going back to italy after nat geo signs up former cnn host.

'Tucci — The Heart of Italy,' was announced by Nat Geo one year after CNN canceled his travel food series 'Searching for Italy.'

By Alex Weprin

Alex Weprin

Media & Business Writer

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Exactly one year after CNN canceled his popular travel food series Stanley Tucci : Searching for Italy , the actor will hit the Autostrade once more, this time for National Geographic.

The Disney-owned nonfiction content company has ordered a new 10-part docuseries called Tucci — The Heart of Italy . The series bears a striking similarity to his late CNN series, following Tucci “as he unlocks the distinct flavors that define each region and discovers the rich versatility of Italy through those he meets along the journey.”

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“National Geographic is all about adventure and exploration, and I am honored to take viewers once again to explore Italy through the lens of food,” said Tucci in a statement. “In Italy’s many distinct regions there is always something new to discover and I’m more than excited to begin the process in partnership with BBC Studios.”  

Searching for Italy was one of CNN’s most successful original series, garnering two straight Primetime Emmy Awards. It was canceled as part of a larger pullback at the CNN Originals unit under then-CEO Chris Licht. Licht, of course, would be ousted himself six months later.

A source close to Tucci noted at the time that the actor could seek to shop the series — or a similar series — elsewhere.

Searching for Italy was the first travel food show on CNN since the death of Parts Unknown host Anthony Bourdain in 2018.

“What he did is open the doors to all of us who were interested in food, and travel, to explore in our own ways,” Tucci told THR ahead of that show’s debut in 2021. “He was, and still is, and always will be, a hero of mine. He was an extraordinary writer, a nice person, and a great explorer of the human condition through food.”

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Stanley Tucci fans are thirsting over the actor after watching him eat and drink his way across Italy in a new show

• Stanley Tucci hosts a six-part travel and cooking show currently airing on CNN. 
• "Searching for Italy" follows the star through different Italian cities and regions. 
• While the scenery is breathtaking, some fans are more focused on how good Tucci looks.

Stanley Tucci's cocktail tutorials were winning over fans in early quarantine, and it looks like his new show, " Searching for Italy ," is giving them even more to swoon over.

The six-part CNN series follows the award-winning actor as he travels through Naples, the Amalfi Coast, Rome, Bologna, Milan, Tuscany, and Sicily.

Related stories

And yes, he's technically there to eat and talk about food. But he's also impeccably dressed and showing off his "sneaky cut" physique , which generated plenty of buzz on Twitter.

Viewers took to Twitter to gush about the show, Italian food, and Tucci's bod

After the show aired its first episode focusing on Naples and the Amalfi Coast on Sunday, Twitter users flocked to the social-media platform to show their support for the actor.

While some simply enjoyed watching his culinary and travel adventures, others took a more direct approach and raved about how good he looks.

—alicia (@AliciaGilstorf) February 15, 2021

—DeShebra D. Justice (@dedejustice) February 15, 2021

—Enrica Jang (@EnricaJang) February 15, 2021

—dogslovesushi (@MarjiStevens) February 15, 2021

Plenty of people had crushes on Tucci before , but "Searching for Italy" appears to have only amplified them.

—Sherri (@sherriontherock) February 14, 2021

—Patti M (@mamapatti55) February 16, 2021

Some comments took a turn for the blatantly sexual.

—wittyidiot (@stephenszczerba) February 15, 2021

—chrissy b (@xtinebianx) February 15, 2021

—Cristina Rosato (@Rosats) February 15, 2021

—A (@am_el_fl) February 17, 2021

—MuffyRobért (@MuffyStJaques) February 15, 2021

And still others were just inspired to create some mouth-watering Italian dishes of their own after watching Tucci gush over the country's cuisine.

—ManuFactured Artists (@ManuFacturedAs) February 17, 2021

—Lori O'Brien (@Haliewa13) February 17, 2021

Beyond Tucci's looks, some fans simply appreciated that this show provides the exact kind of escapism they've been craving during the pandemic.

—Ali B (@wtflanksteak) February 15, 2021

—JEN KIRKMAN 👩🏻‍💻 (@JenKirkman) February 16, 2021

—FencingLibrarian (@LettyLibrarian) February 15, 2021

—Victoria Kuhlman (@victoriakuhlman) February 15, 2021

This isn't the first time fans are showing Tucci some love

The resurgence of Tucci appreciation started in April when the "Julie & Julia" actor showed off his real-life bartending skills.

Tucci showed fans how to make his version of the perfect Negroni , to which one Twitter user, Mark McDevitt, said , "Nothing — and I mean nothing — has soothed me in the last six weeks quite like the way Stanley Tucci making a 'Negroni' on Instagram has."

Following the viral success of his makeshift mixology classes, Tucci made a quarantini on brother-in-law John Krasinski's web series . He then took on another cocktail, the old fashioned , in October, and in December, he made a Christmas cosmo for his family.

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The Timeless Fantasy of Stanley Tucci Eating Italian Food

By Helen Rosner

Several episodes of the CNN series “Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy” open with a message that’s part apology and part warning: “The following episode was filmed prior to the start of the COVID -19 outbreak.” For the couch-bound viewer, any travel show is a portal to fantasy. But a show like this—airing in a time like this—is escapism of another order. Here there are olive trees and cow-dappled hills and the blue-green sea, sure, but also cheek-kiss greetings and crowded piazzas, tiny café tables and narrow alleyways. Tucci , the show’s host, wanders through Italy’s regions unmasked, unfettered, chatting amiably with cheesemakers and pizzaiolos, sipping aperitivos on rooftops, picking up petals of artichoke from a plate in a cramped restaurant kitchen. Everything, always, is drenched in heavy yellow sunlight, as if the nation were basking in the languor of eternal late afternoon.

“Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy,” which concluded its first season this past Sunday, is ostensibly educational. Each episode takes viewers on a tour of a specific region, and in each Tucci spends a bit of time with scholars and activists, discussing some aspect of the region’s history or politics or social strife. But mostly he eats, and talks about eating, and visits the farmers and producers and venders who provision his marvellous meals. Italy is beautiful. The food of Italy is beautiful. Not insignificantly, Stanley Tucci is beautiful, too. He strolls the narrow thoroughfares of Florence and Naples with the physical eloquence of a dancer, at once smoldering and restrained. He gazes at wheels of cheese and swirls of pasta as if the food must be seduced before it will consent to be devoured. The Tucci of “Searching for Italy” is a figure out of time: thick-framed glasses, white pants, a rich leather belt, a linen shirt tailored narrowly to the trapezoid of his torso, cuffs rolled just so , the hint of a bronzed and muscled forearm. He delivers sly jokes and engages in patter with shopkeepers in a mix of Italian and English. “This bread, it’s an aphrodisiac,” he says, standing outside a bakery in Bologna, and adds, “I’m all alone in a hotel; why would I want to do that?” His suave exterior shows cracks only in moments of sensory ecstasy. Taking a deep whiff of a split wheel of Parmigiano-Reggiano, or letting the funk of a ribbon of prosciutto blossom on his tongue, he moans, he sighs, he murmurs. The whole thing verges on obscene: Tuccissimo .

At the age of sixty, Tucci is enjoying a somewhat unexpected late-career reinvention as a sex symbol. Students of the Tucci allure have pointed out that it is in no way new. It dates back at least to his appearance in a nineteen-eighties ad for Levi’s 501s , in which he shows off an A-shirt and exquisite deltoids on the streets of New York City. His breakout role, as the debonair restaurateur Secondo in the film “Big Night” (1996), was less explicitly sexy, but it had the effect of linking Tucci’s persona forever to the intimacy and sensuousness of food. The movie, which Tucci co-wrote and co-directed, is about a pair of Italian brothers in the nineteen-fifties who are trying to save their struggling New Jersey restaurant with a huge, blowout dinner. The movie is most beloved for its feast scenes, when the brothers serve their guests a fusillade of Technicolor courses, including an extraordinary timpano centerpiece. But the greater food sequence takes place in the movie’s final minutes, when Secondo makes an omelette for his brother and their lone employee. It is filmed in one unbroken shot, without dialogue or music; its choreography of silence and motion, solitude and togetherness is like something out of Fellini. Cracking eggs, setting the pan over the flame, laying hunks of bread on plates, Tucci makes cooking a physical language.

Tucci has returned to food often in the course of his career. He’s authored two cookbooks (the second with his wife, the literary agent Felicity Blunt, who makes a few cameos in “Searching for Italy”) and played Julia Child’s adoring husband, Paul, in “Julie & Julia.” A culinary memoir, “ Taste: My Life Through Food ,” is due out in the fall. Sure, Tucci has played other roles as well: supervillain, serial killer, fashionista, wizard. In his most recent film, this year’s tender “Supernova,” he plays opposite Colin Firth as a man navigating early-onset dementia. But the Stanley Tucci of our hearts is a man who cooks and eats and enchants while doing so. An ur-Tucci moment came to us, last April, in the form of an Instagram video. It shows Tucci in his home kitchen, making a Negroni for Blunt. Wearing a tight shirt, he titrates the Campari with beguiling sangfroid—an eyebrow flicker, a kittenish half smile. “ Enjoy This Powerfully Erotic Video of Stanley Tucci ,” the Cut recommended, and by god we did.

Plenty of Hollywood stars know their way around a kitchen. Cookbook best-seller lists are perpetually full of names better known from IMDb pages than the James Beard Awards. But most often the stars who cross over into food are women. And, often, those women have turned to the kitchen after aging out of Hollywood’s cruelly narrow definition of female desirability. In the field of professional domesticity, youth is a novelty rather than a currency, and success comes from being likable more than fuckable. It may be that fewer male movie stars have second acts as culinary personalities because the sex appeal of men has no clear expiration date. Instead of a low-budget stand-and-stir programmed for the midafternoon mom brigade, Tucci gets a prestige travel show in which he charms his way around one of the most beautiful countries in the world, like an aged-up Alain Delon in “Purple Noon” (minus the murder). Before the first season of “Searching for Italy” had finished airing, it had already been renewed for a second. It doesn’t feel entirely fair.

In a recent Variety profile, Tucci said that he found the process of hosting a documentary series to be surprisingly challenging. “I’m not a journalist; I’m not an interviewer,” he said. His lack of experience is not inevident. “Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy” is a good show, but not quite a great one. Its culinary discoveries (balsamic vinegar in Modena, pizza in Naples, risotto in Milan) are not new, and its gloss on the less glamorous aspects of Italian culture and history are rarely more than decorative. The Italy we are shown is suspended in a dreamlike past: every cheese has been made for centuries, often with the same tools; every drizzle of balsamic vinegar is a triumph of preserving the old ways against the encroaching, soul-sapping efficiencies of the modern age. Tucci samples mortadella in Bologna with a leftist organizer and goes fishing in Lombardy with a far-right hard-liner, the latter of whom he engages with genteel distaste. But the substance of their conversation is overwhelmed by the ambience of their surroundings, and of Tucci himself. Stanley Tucci plays a travel-show host; Italy, with a bit of corsetry and airbrushing, plays itself.

“He’s no Bourdain,” one CNN devotee in my life said, of Tucci, unprompted, a few weeks ago. I suppose I agree, though that’s sort of like saying that a langoustine isn’t a porterhouse. Like Tucci, Anthony Bourdain was rich in charisma and possessed unlikely sex appeal. But Bourdain the travel-show host served as a spotlight, fondly illuminating the people and places around him. Tucci is an electromagnet. Even when he’s in a crowd, he seems like the only person on the screen, and the show is at its best when it stops fighting the desire to focus entirely on him. He chops carrots for a soffritto in a rented apartment in Florence with his mother. He adds another knob of snow-white butter to a massive skillet of garlic and cabbage as he makes pizzoccheri , a Lombardian specialty, as a gesture of appreciation for his crew. At one point, Tucci takes the camera away from his director of photography, so that the man can eat. It’s the best moment in the series: Tucci on camera, then behind the camera, then back on camera again—at once the cook and the creator, the lens through which we see the meal, and the meal itself.

The Food Scene

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By Ian Parker

By Alexandra Schwartz

Travel Show Host Stanley Tucci's Favorite Destinations To Eat And Stay In Italy

A cademy Award-nominated actor, writer, and food enthusiast — Stanley Tucci holds a long list of impressive titles. However, the actor's most recent project isn't a dystopian big screen blockbuster or a heart-racing Netflix thriller like he's done in the past — in fact, it's more of a personal journey.

As host of CNN's two-part series "Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy" — which aired from 2021 to 2022 on the network — Tucci travels to Italy (followed by a crew of filmmakers and producers, of course) and dives headfirst into the culture, cuisine, and traditions of a country he knows and loves over the course of 14 episodes. From Milan to Sardinia, Venice to Sicily, and Bologna to the Amalfi Coast, Tucci's travels are about savoring every moment and listening to locals as they share their stories and experiences — all while sharing a good meal.

That said, it's no surprise that the Italian-American actor — whose roots trace back to a little town, Marzi, in the southern region of Calabria — would know a thing or two about where to stay, where to eat, and what to do that can be incredibly helpful if you're planning your own authentic Italian vacation .

Read more: This Is What You Should Never Do When You Travel

Tucci's Food Recommendations

In conversation with Fodor's Travel , Tucci got down to some very mouthwatering specifics when it comes to what you should be eating while exploring Italy. First, when in Rome, Tucci always recommends that you go for the carbonara — no questions asked. If you're in Florence, he suggests trying the bistecca Fiorentina — or Florentine steak — a true staple of Tuscan cuisine.

Tucci's other foodie must-do's? In Bologna, order the lasagna Bolognese; in Milan, go for the risotto and ossobuco Milanese; and in Sicily, don't you dare skip out on trying the pasta alla Norma. Finally, if you're sticking around Naples and the Amalfi Coast, make sure you sink your teeth into some fresh seafood and pasta with zucchini. One thing you should never do, according to Tucci? Don't ever ask for cheese with your spaghetti alle vongole (spaghetti with clams) unless you want a side of disapproving looks with your meal.

Getting even more specific, Tucci had one particular restaurant recommendation: Lo Scoglio, on the Amalfi Coast. Founded in 1958, the restaurant specializes in fresh, seasonal cuisine — with a focus on local seafood — that exemplifies their "sea to table" philosophy. Per Tucci, the restaurant is accessible via boat and car. Just make sure you book well in advance — appearing on the CNN show spiked their popularity with locals and visitors alike.

Choosing Your Accommodation Like Stanley Tucci

When it comes to choosing your accommodation, Tucci's interview with Fodor's Travel also highlighted some pretty iconic spots in some of the most popular Italian cities . Topping the list of his favorite accommodations are the Mandarin Oriental Hotels — a luxury, 5-star hotel chain with locations all around the world. Specifically, though, the Milan property — which he described as "gorgeous" — won over Tucci during one of his visits.

Venturing out to Venice, Tucci's top hotel picks include the Gritti Palace — part of the Marriott brand — and the Hotel Danieli, both of which overlook the Grand Canal and are located within walking distance from the famous Piazza San Marco — arguably the most iconic landmark in Venice.

Last, but definitely not least, there's one hotel that Tucci claims he still dreams about: the Hotel Lungarno, in Florence. Tasteful and chic, it's one of those special places Tucci has "never wanted to leave" and that he keeps coming back to. Now that's what we call la dolce vita.

Read the original article on Explore .

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‘4 Hotel’ is the Italian Travel Show You Should Be Watching

One of the most popular reality shows in Italy right now is called 4 Hotel. While I’m not a huge fan of reality competition shows, I like 4 Hotel because it highlights the best places to visit in Italy.

4 Hotel: The Concept

In its fourth season, 4 Hotel (the plural doesn’t get an ‘s’ in Italian) is a great concept that was spun-off from another popular show called 4 Ristorianti . In each episode, host Bruno Barbieri visits four hotels of a certain type in a popular tourist area and stays there for one night and one day. He tests out the beds and bathrooms, surveys the public areas, tries the food, and takes advantage of the services, which range from spa sessions to local tours.

Joining him are the hoteliers from each of the four properties. All four stay in each others’ hotels and rate them according to four main criteria—location, services, room, and price. In season 4, they also rate each other on breakfast. The winner of each episode gets € 5,000 to be used to invest in and improve their business.

Like all reality shows, this one is not shy to play up some drama or to point out potentially embarrassing mistakes. For example, in one episode Barbieri finds a long hair in his bedding (the hotel changes the bedding immediately). The hotelier participants are also quick to criticize their competitors’ properties. But in general, the shows offer an interesting marketing opportunity for the hotels, no matter what flaws are exposed.

4 Hotel As Travel Show

The thing I really enjoy about 4 Hotel is how it highlights the wide variety of travel options that Italy offers. The episodes always open with a quick overview of each destination, with beautiful shots of landscapes, architecture, art, and food.

The first season of 4 Hotel featured boutique hotels in Florence, historic houses in Naples, and other properties and areas across six episodes.

Season 2 saw Barbieri stay in Trulli and masseria properties in Puglia and the best hotels in Valtellina, the mountainous area above Lake Como.

In season 3, Barbieri and his hotelier contestants stayed in the best hotels in the Sorrento Peninsula and at historic wine estates in Chianti.

Season 4, which began in May 2021, has so far focused on the best hotels in Venice , the best historic homes in the region of Tuscany, and ski lodges in Trentino Alto Adige. He will also visit hotels in Milan, Lecce, the Maremma subregion of Tuscany, Abruzzo, and Basilicata through season 4.

Who is Bruno Barbieri?

The main reason that 4 Hotel has been a hit in Italy is because of its host. Bruno Barbieri is a chef and TV host, best known as one of the judges on 10 seasons of MasterChef Italia . If you’re a fan of early seasons of US MasterChef, you can kind of compare him to Graham Elliott—the fun guy with the quirky glasses that knows about food but is generally gentle and kind to the contestants.

Barbieri also knows about hotels, having traveled around the world and Italy as a chef. He received two of his seven Michelin stars at Arquade, his restaurant inside the 5-star luxury hotel Relais Chateaux Villa del Quar  near Verona. His latest restaurant venture is Fourghetti ( reviews ) in Bologna.

How to Watch 4 Hotel

If you don’t speak Italian, you may have trouble watching 4 Hotel. The show is currently only in Italian, though some episodes available on YouTube allow you to turn on auto-translations.

Sky TV produces 4 Hotel and has various clips and details on its website . If you have Sky (or can get access to Sky through a friend 🙂 ), here’s how to watch the show using a VPN .

Here’s one of the latest episodes of 4 Hotel, set in Venice:

I don’t know if any other countries have yet to copy the the 4 Hotel concept. But I really think it could do well in so many places.

At the very least, I wish Sky would release these shows in syndication with English subtitles, perhaps in conjunction with the Italian Tourism Board and Netflix or the Travel Channel. I imagine that a lot of would-be travelers to Italy would love to watch it.

Post first published on June 4, 2021

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7 Best New Travel Shows You Can Stream Right Now

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Most avid travelers experienced a decline in their favorite hobby last year. But exciting adventures, new cuisine, and beautiful landscapes are still accessible to us all via our favorite travel shows. Explore the world from the comfort of your couch with these travel shows you can stream right now.

1. Stanley Tucci: Searching For Italy

Hulu, cnn on demand.

Take a guided tour of Italy with host Stanley Tucci as he travels from Naples to Rome, sampling cuisine and learning about Italian history and culture along the way. The Devil Wears Prada and Hunger Games actor takes on a new role as host, telling personal stories as he is joined by his wife and friends. Inspired by his own Italian heritage, Tucci is so passionate about his journey through the country and the food that he’s tasting, viewers will feel like they’re on the Amalfi Coast themselves. Season one is currently airing on CNN and available on Hulu . A second season has already been planned for 2022.

2. Down To Earth With Zac Efron

While Zac Efron’s adventure show may not be the ultimate in high-brow entertainment, the High School Musical star’s charisma and enthusiasm make Down to Earth an incredibly fun watch. The actor, joined by wellness guru Darin Olien, travels the globe, attempting to learn about sustainability and the environment. He also samples local cuisines and shamelessly indulges in the local tourist activities. All of season one is available now on Netflix, and filming for a second season has already begun.

3. Gordon Ramsay: Uncharted

Watch Gordon Ramsay travel the world, learning old-world methods of cooking from locals, in his new food-based travel show on Disney + . In Gordon Ramsay: Uncharted , viewers experience the chef abandoning his reputation as a loud, hyper-critical judge. Instead, he spends his time learning new techniques and trying new food, incredibly excited to be there and impressed by every meal he tries. Each episode features a new location and new group of welcoming locals excited to share the history of their food. There are two seasons available already, with season three set to air in mid-2021.

4. Our Planet

Narrated by David Attenborough, Netflix’s Our Planet offers an in-depth exploration of the world’s habitats, focusing on the effects of climate change and global warming. While the thesis of the documentary is science-based, the creators’ clear passion for nature shines through. The visuals are absolutely breathtaking, and the show itself is self-reflective and inspirational. With footage from 50 countries, episodes cover jungles, deserts, forests, and virtually every landscape imaginable, virtually guaranteeing a deep dive into any viewer’s favorite destination.

5. Taste The Nation With Padma Lakshmi

Explore the United States with Food Network personality Padma Lakshmi as she seeks to understand the connection between U.S. food and U.S. culture. Every episode features a different American city, where Lakshmi meets with immigrants from around the world, seeking to understand how the diversity of the country’s chefs has shaped what we define as American cuisine. This one-season series is a moving, emotional exploration of culture, heritage, and identity, available for streaming on Hulu .

6. Long Way Up

Reunited for their third joint travel adventure show, Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman go on an ambitious motorcycle ride in Apple TV’s Long Way Up . Starting in Ushuaia, a city at the tip of South America, the two friends ride for more than 100 days and 13,000 miles, crossing borders and country lines, making their way into Argentina, Chile, and Peru, all the way up to Central America and Mexico. Fans of Long Way Round and Long Way Down will love this third installment, all of which is available for streaming.

7. Street Food

For another food-based travel show, try Netflix’s Street Food , and its two available seasons, Street Food: Asia and Street Food: Latin America . Each episode takes place in a different city, with interviews of three to four street food chefs and their featured dishes. This show takes a deep dive not only into the cuisine, but primarily into the people who make it, emphasizing the journey of the individual cooks. The featured dishes are often region-specific and emblematic of the conditions and circumstances of both the city and the chef. The show focuses on the vendors’ backstories, teaching viewers about local poverty, history, culture, and identity.

These are just a starting point; there are a lot more shows out there worth a look. All you have to do is go on a surf vacation from the comfort of your couch.

Editor’s Note: Can’t get enough virtual travel? Jordan Palmer has more on Beeyonder , the new travel company created so anyone can travel the world.

Greg Robertson has worked as an editor and writer for some of the top newspapers and websites in the country, leading him to live all across the country. He now calls Las Vegas home, but has journeyed from the sunshine of California and the rain in Seattle, to the humidity of Arkansas and the snow of Minnesota. His travels have taken him to Puerto Vallarta, Costa Rica, Spain, and the Dominican Republic, but he's happiest at home with his wife, two daughters, and dog.

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5 Italian Cooking TV Shows to Binge-Watch Right Now

The wide variety of Italian TV cooking specials on streaming services will inspire people to get busy in the kitchen, even on quarantine.

If TV binge-watching is your favorite sport during quarantine, we've got your back. Foodies might miss their favorite Italian restaurant meals, but they can always count on an infinite choice of food-related TV series and documentaries to immerse themselves in. Chef’s profiles, culinary travels, and cooking competitions might also give some recipe ideas to whip up in the kitchen.

Here are some shows to explore. After all, you eat with your eyes first.

Chef’s Table - Netflix The visually stunning tv series follows some of the best chefs in the world, including some prominent Italian masters sharing their personal lives, passions, and culinary skills. Follow Massimo Bottura ’s rise to fame in Modena (Season 1 Episode 1), or Dario Cecchini, the aspiring veterinarian that became the world’s most famous butcher (Season 6 Episode 2). Don’t miss pastry chef Corrado Assenza ’s episode, transporting you to the beauty of his native Sicily and tempting you with his delectable desserts, from almond granita to marzipan fruits (Season 4 Episode 2).

The Wine Show – Hulu and Amazon Prime Do you want to learn everything about wine? British Actors have you covered! In the Wine Show’s first season, Matthew Goode and Matthew Rhys, based in a stunning Tuscan Villa , take the road to explore some of the finest wineries in Italy and reveal their fascinating stories. The show also follows wine experts Joe Fattorini and Amelia Singer visiting some of the best wineries in the world. Goode is joined by James Purefoy on a more France-centric second season, while Dominic West is a new host for the upcoming season 3 to explore Portuguese wines (launching in 2020).

Top Chef – Bravo tv and Hulu The celebrated reality television show is in its 17 th season, with Padma Lakshmi hosting an All-Stars L.A. special with the help of judges Tom Colicchio and Gail Simmons. The cast is composed of returning contestants, and the season finale took place in Italy, marking the first time the show has traveled to Europe. Who will win the $250.000 cash prize? Tune in to find out.

Somebody Feed Phil - Netflix Philip Rosenthal, better known as the producer of the hit show Everybody’s Love Raymond, travels the world in search of culinary gems. In his Venice episode he discovers traditional cicchetti , assorted tapas like slices of bread served with a variety of toppings, fried seafood served in paper cones ad street food, and a famous fried poke chop. In his Italian adventure, Phil passes by Modena to try the gnocco fritto , a doughnut-like pastry made with pig fat, and get a backstage sneak look Bottura’s Osteria Francescana. (Season 2 Episode 1).

F*ck That’s Delicious – Hulu Rapper and former chef Action Bronson tours the world and enjoys the best food while diving into different cultures. The series started online as part of Vice Munchies series, and includes an Italy centric episode following the larger-than-life Bronson and his crew at in the kitchen of Osteria Francescana, trying shellfish in Naples while sharing a blunt with the local restaurant’s staff, and enjoying street food in Rome. (Season 2 Episode 6)

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The Best Travel Shows You Can Stream Right Now

By Meredith Carey

Most of us can't be on the road 365 days a year, but that doesn't mean we have to stop exploring. With some of the best travel shows streaming on Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon, we have the world at our fingertips, with episodes that take us from markets in Mexico to hawker stalls in Singapore to the farthest reaches of the Arctic, back home to BBQ joints in Charleston. Whether you'd rather follow the late Anthony Bourdain, Sir David Attenborough, David Chang, Samin Nosrat , Samantha Brown , Ewan McGregor, or the Fab Five along the way is up to you. Here, find some of our favorite travel shows available to stream right now (fictional and not), involving journeys by land, air, and sea—and lots and lots of eating.

This gallery was last published in March 2020. It has been updated with new information. All products featured in this story are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Taste the Nation

With international travel largely on hold, there's no better time to explore our own backyard—which is exactly what host Padma Lakshmi did on her new Hulu show Taste the Nation . The show's first season, released in June, follows the Top Chef host and author as she quite literally tastes the nation , stopping at restaurants around the U.S. to sample the foods of a variety of Indigenous and immigrant groups. Expect to see some familiar faces, like comedian Ali Wong and spearfisher Kimi Werner , along the way. 

Watch now: Free with a Hulu subscription ( sign up for Hulu here )

Planet Earth and Planet Earth II

We had to wait 10 years between the debut of Planet Earth , a groundbreaking natural history show narrated by Sir David Attenborough, and its sequel Planet Earth II , but it was worth it. The first season, which focus on a specific biome and the flora and fauna that live there in each episode, spotlights smooth coated otters in Southeast Asia, Tibetan foxes, critically endangered Ethiopian ibex, and blue whales, among so many others. Our two favorite episodes, though, come from part II. In the sixth episode, the high-def cameras turn to cities to show how leopards in Mumbai, monkeys in Jodhpur, and catfish in southern France live alongside humans. And in what may be the most heart-racing episode of nature television, the islands episode of Planet Earth II follows a lone iguana racing against time—and a horde of snakes. 

Watch Planet Earth now: $3 per episode, $25 per season; amazon.com

Watch Planet Earth II now: $3 per episode, $20 per season; amazon.com

Long Way Up

Believe it or not, actor Ewan McGregor has been in the travel show business for some 16 years. It all started with Long Way Round , a 2004 series that followed McGregor and his friend Charley Boorman on a motorcycle journey from London through Europe, Asia—and then after a flight to Alaska—Canada, and the U.S. all the way to New York City. The show was followed by 2007's Long Way Down, which took the duo from Scotland to South Africa, on motorcycles once again. Now, they've turned their bikes (electric this time) towards South and Central America, with the latest iteration following the duo some 13,000 miles from Ushuaia, Argentina, on the continent's southernmost tip, to L.A. As usual, hijinks, pitfalls, and stunning scenery are all on view. Neither of the earlier shows are available to stream in the U.S. currently (though you can find them on Apple TV+ in the U.K.), but Long Way Up is an Apple TV+ original and on view for all. 

Watch now: Free with an Apple TV+ subscription ( sign up for Apple TV+ here )

Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat

Be sure to watch this show on a full stomach, or you'll be pausing to bake focaccia or cook tahdig along with affable host and Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat cookbook author Samin Nosrat. In the four-part show, Nosrat travels the world, making stops in Mexico, Japan, Italy, and her home in California, to discover the properties of each of the show's title elements. There's cheese. There's olive oil. There's miso. There are tortillas. There's salsa. And just like that we're hungry again. (FYI, she's as delightful in person as she is on screen—and joined us for a Women Who Travel podcast episode soon after the show premiered.) Watch now: Free with a Netflix subscription ( sign up for Netflix here )

Stacey Lastoe

Kimberly Wilson

Matt Kirouac

If you're familiar with Anthony Bourdian's The Layover, then the premise of British comedian Richard Ayoade's Travel Man will seem quite familiar. The goofy show follows the comic and primarily English celebrity friends as they galavant around cities like Helsinki, Miami, and Hong Kong over the course of 48 hours. If you're a Great British Bake Off fan, start with Ayoade's trip to Paris with original GBBO host Mel Giedroyc or the season two episode featuring current host Noel Fielding in Copenhagen . Other familiar faces include Paul Rudd in Helsinki and Bridesmaids' Chris O'Dowd in Vienna.

Somebody Feed Phil

This Netflix original follows host Phil Rosenthal, the creator of Everybody Loves Raymond , as he eats his way through cities like Bangkok , Lisbon, Mexico City , New Orleans ,   Buenos Aires , Cape Town, and Dublin. The hyper-positive show was called "impossibly optimistic," by former Traveler editor Paul Brady, who spoke with Rosenthal before the first season's premiere in 2018. The fourth season, out October 30, takes Rosenthal from Rio de Janeiro to the Mississippi Delta and the islands of Hawaii to eat even more delicious grub.  Watch now: Free with a Netflix subscription ( sign up for Netflix here )

Parts Unknown

You simply cannot have a list of the best travel shows and not feature the late Anthony Bourdain. In fact, he's on our list more than once. In Parts Unknown , the chef and travel personality circled the world many times over, in search of music, culture, humor, history, and—of course—really good food. Over 12 seasons (the last aired posthumously), Bourdain visited the indigenous Andes with Eric Ripert, the Sochi Winter Olympics, the Mississippi Delta, and, most famously, Hanoi with then-president Barack Obama. (That's season eight, episode two, if you want to jump right to it.) 

Watch now: $3 per episode, or $10 per season; amazon.com

Technically, Netflix's original show Connected is a science show, but that doesn't mean it isn't filled with travel. Plus, host Latif Nasser told us earlier this year that the show was built in the footsteps of Bourdain's Parts Unknown and No Reservations (with a dash of Bill Nye thrown inn). The show speaks to how the world is interconnected—like how Delaware's birds can offer clues about the Gulf's hurricane season or how sand from the Sahara impacts the Amazon. Throughout, you'll follow Nasser as he hopscotches around the world to speak with scientists to find out more. 

Watch now: Free with a Netflix subscription ( sign up for Netflix here )

Street Food

Made by the same folks behind Chef's Table (spoiler: it's also on this list), this show moves away from formal restaurant kitchens and onto the streets, for a guide to some of the world's best curbside meals and snacks . The show's first season is all about Asia, traveling to nine different countries to meet the people behind the food, like Jay Fai from Bangkok's Raan Jay Fai , a Michelin-starred street stall serving up tom yum soup, and Truoc (pictured left), who serves a variety of snail dishes in Ho Chi Minh City . The second season, which hit Netflix in July, zeroes in on Latin America, with stops at Doña Vale's in Oaxaca for memelas and Las Chicas de las Tres food stall in Buenos Aires, run by chef Pato Rodriguez. 

Lost Cities With Albert Lin

In this National Geographic –produced show, explorer and scientist Albert Lin tracks down some of the world's most famous lost cities. We're talking buried Knights Templar caves in Israel, El Dorado in the jungles of Colombia, and ancient, forgotten island cities in Micronesia. Along the way, he speaks with archaeologists, historians, and other experts to discover the origins of the legends and, in turn, the reality of those places today. 

Watch now: Free with a Disney+ subscription ( sign up for Disney+ here )

Ugly Delicious

The second season of the David Chang –hosted Netflix series debuted in March 2020, taking viewers from Istanbul (pictured), to Tokyo , to Sydney , to… Outback Steakhouse? Along the way, he tackles balancing parenthood with restaurant life, cooks with Top Chef 's Padma Lakshmi , rubs elbows with comedians like Nick Kroll and Aziz Ansari, and gets a lesson in not calling all Indian food curries from Traveler contributor Priya Krishna . (If you want more Chang, try your hand at a recipe from his Momofuku cookbook, or watch Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner , also on Netlfix, where he joins one famous friend on a food tour of a city, like Chrissy Teigen in Marrakech.) 

Produced by Vice , this show is about the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. In it, actor Elliot Page and their film director friend Ian Daniel travel to learn about what it's like to be LGBTQ+ around the world. They meet with two-spirit Native Americans, head to ballroom scenes in New York City, and visit the gay bars of Tokyo to dive deep into the vibrant gay and queer culture. But the duo also spends time in Rio de Janeiro, Jamaica, and Ukraine, speaking with LGBTQ+ locals to learn about the discrimination and threats they face just by existing. Expect tears, both happy and sad. 

Gordon Ramsay: Uncharted

Gordon Ramsey is involved, so of course this cooking and travel show is extreme. In the National Geographic –produced series, the Hell's Kitchen chef goes out of his element—and out of the kitchen—to learn cooking tips and tricks from locals in unusual locales, culminating in a cook-off of sorts to show off what he's picked up. Here, he heads to Peru's Sacred Valley to learn high altitude cooking, cooks seal with a Tlingit elder in Alaska , and learns about Berber food culture in Morocco. 

Carmen Sandiego

Many of us got our first lesson in geography from this trench coat–wearing master thief, and today's kids can too, thanks to the Netflix reboot of this animated series. This high-flying, Robin Hood–style caper takes kids (and parents) with Sandiego as she jet sets between Rio de Janeiro , Matsumoto in Japan, Amsterdam, Mumbai, and more. There are three seasons available and plenty of educational value here for mapheads—plus pretty stellar animation. This year, an interactive choose-you-own-adventure style show, called Carmen Sandiego: To Steal or Not to Steal, came to Netflix and provides endless entertainment as Sandiego fights off the Villains International League of Evil (V.I.L.E.), with your (kid's) help. Watch now: Free with a Netflix subscription ( sign up for Netflix here )

If Planet Earth and Planet Earth II weren't enough Attenborough for your liking, get your fix on Netflix, thanks to Our Planet . This docuseries, made by the creators of Planet Earth in collaboration with the World Wildlife Fund and narrated by Attenborough, is almost a mix of the two, taking armchair travelers from the North American grasslands and the Everglades to the Arctic tundra and deepest parts of our oceans. Once you're done with the nine 50-minute episodes, switch over to Our Planet: Behind the Scenes to see how the 600-person crew filmed the series. Watch now: Free with a Netflix subscription ( sign up for Netflix here )

No Reservations

If you want even more Bourdain, Hulu has you covered with No Reservations and The Layover, two of his travel shows that preceded Parts Unknown . In No Reservations, Bourdain takes us to both familiar—Maine, Prague, the Philippines—and unfamiliar—Kurdistan, Mozambique, and deep into the Amazon—corners and kitchens of our world, introducing us to new foods, cultures, and personalities over nine seasons. The Layover takes that same premise, but shortens the time line drastically, knocking down Bourdain's time to explore to just 24 to 48 hours. Both are must-sees—it's Bourdain after all. 

Chef's Table: BBQ

While you can watch some of world’s most extraordinary chefs (like Dominque Crenn ; Peruvian Virgilio Martínez , the owner of Lima's Central restaurant; and Swede Magnus Nilsson ) as they create impossibly complicated dishes in the original Chef's Table, we've become partial to its latest iteration, which is all about barbecue. The Netflix original docuseries follows pitmasters like Tootsie Tomanetz—the 85-year-old spitfire pictured above who minds the brisket and sausage at Snow's, outside of Austin—and Rodney Scott, known for his Low Country–style pulled pork and ribs. But the show doesn't stick to the American South. You'll head to Rosalia Chay Chuc's Yucatán home and visit the grills of Lennox Hastie in Sydney, too.  Watch now: Free with a Netflix subscription ( sign up for Netflix here )

Travels with My Father

The first season of this Netflix original, which came out in 2017, follows British stand-up comedian Jack Whitehall and his father, Michael, across Southeast Asia, tracking the duo as they finish the gap year Jack never got to complete, just a few years late (eight, to be exact). It's everything you'd expect: a Thai full moon party and, of course, a trip to Cambodia's Angkor Wat, but the moments in between are what make the show really worth watching. Now, in the three seasons that have followed, the father-son pair have road tripped through Transylvania , visited Chernobyl , and gotten into drag with Sydney queens. Needless to say, it's a romp.  Watch now: Free with a Netflix subscription ( sign up for Netflix here )

Midnight Diner: Tokyo Stories

Set in a tiny Tokyo diner that's only open from midnight to 7 a.m., the fictional show follows the Midnight Diner's owner and clientele as they share their trials and joys, all while eating whatever the owner, called Master, dishes up. In the diner, pork miso soup is the go-to, but Master will cook visitors anything they order, as long as he's got the goods to make it. Episodes are a little over 20 minutes long, so it's the most bingeable of the bunch. Watch with subtitles and don't—seriously, don't—watch while hungry. Watch now: Free with a Netflix subscription ( sign up for Netflix here )

Get your international fix by watching Antoni , Karamo , Jonathan , Tan , and Bobby makeover the wardrobes and lives of everyday “heroes” in Yass, Australia , and Tokyo in their Queer Eye specials. That said, we're partial to the U.S.-based seasons, where the Fab Five hits up Atlanta, Kansas City, and, most recently, Philadelphia to give new life to regular folks. Whether they're making over the sisters behind Jones Bar-B-Q in Kansas City or the small town mayor of Clarkston, Georgia, we're on board. Have tissues on hand, as you're all but guaranteed to shed a tear (who are we kidding, you'll sob). Watch now: Free with a Netflix subscription ( sign up for Netflix here )

Places to Love

For many years, Samantha Brown was the only female host on travel TV , period. And while some, albeit small, growth has been made in this regard (Nosrat and Kellee Edwards are among the new faces), Brown is still one of the few women on the go on our screens. While she made her start on the Travel Channel with Passport to Europe, Passport to Latin America, and Passport to China , you should really be checking out her latest show, Places to Love. Now in its third season, the show sees Brown discovering off-the-beaten-path spots in some of the world's most loved destinations as far-flung as Seoul and Auckland, and right in our backyard, like Phoenix and Dallas . 

Watch Places to Love now: Free on PBS

Watch Passport to Europe now: $2 per episode, $35 per season; amazon.com

The World According to Jeff Goldblum

Ok, so this isn't as much of a travel show as it is a “what is Jeff Goldblum curious about” show—but it doesn't mean they don't travel all over the U.S. With each episode focusing on the actor's ceaseless interest in the minutiae of one specific thing (like tattoos, or pools, or RVs, or ice cream—it really runs the gamut). Over the course of the show, Goldblum visits Hawaii , Las Vegas , NASA’s neutral buoyancy lab in Houston , and so much more. If you love Goldblum, you'll probably love this show. 

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50 Best Travel Shows Of All Time (& How To Watch Them)

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Most of us can't reasonably travel all of the time. Thankfully, we can live vicariously through our screens when we cannot be globetrotting ourselves. Travel shows are a dime a dozen, mainly because many of us would rather explore than deal with our responsibilities. But how do you know which shows are worth your time? That depends mainly on your tastes and interests, but we can provide some solid starting points.

From celebrities heading their own adventurous docuseries to food-loving vagabonds visiting remote destinations, travel shows can show us scenes and cultures we would otherwise have no concept of. In fact, television often inspires travel, and watching world wanderers eat their way through exotic destinations is a great way to help plan your next trip. These 50 series are some of the best TV has to offer, and even if you don't make it through all of them, you may find a gem that piques your particular interest.

50. Nomad with Carlton McCoy

Classically trained chef and expert sommelier Carlton McCoy seeks out the best in international cuisine, music, and art in the CNN series "Nomad with Carlton McCoy." Premiering in May 2022, McCoy travels everywhere in the travel series, from the overlooked pleasures of Mississippi to the corners of Ghana. For McCoy, the show's focus lies in adventures and delights found away from the well-worn paths frequented by tourists. Instead, he enjoys savoring hometown favorites from local populations. What McCoy may lack in experience and poise, he and "Nomad" make up for with its premise to go behind the scenes of some of the world's most recognizable locales. 

The first "Nomad with Carlton McCoy" season is available to stream on  Prime Video with Discovery+.

49. Down to Earth with Zac Efron

The world is a beautiful place, and it's easy to showcase such on film. This is why a travel show has to be about more than just pretty scenery, and "Down to Earth with Zac Efron" delivers in a big way. The series puts a highly informative spin on the genre by taking viewers on whirlwind journeys worldwide in search of health secrets. We're not talking about avocado toast or juice cleanses, either.

Efron and wellness expert Darin Olien visit destinations to learn about topics like renewable energy, superfoods, and water quality. Have you ever heard of a water sommelier? The experts know a thing or two about what kind of water makes our bodies happy, and a "Down to Earth" episode in France consults one of the few professionals in existence. The series also has episodes on a seed bank stocked for the end of the world, Iceland's Blue Lagoon, and the Amazon rainforest.

Although "Down to Earth" earned Zac Efron a Daytime Emmy, lack of viewership caused the series to be canceled quickly. It had one season at Netflix and was picked up for another at The CW, only to be on the chopping block two episodes later. Lack of quantity does not mean lack of quality, though, and the "High School Musical" star's travel show is a solid viewing.

You can watch "Down to Earth with Zach Efron" on Netflix and The CW .

48. The World's Most Amazing Vacation Rentals

Sometimes, a typical hotel on vacation doesn't cut it, with intrepid travelers opting for more unique and luxurious digs during their stay abroad. The Netflix original series "The World's Most Amazing Vacation Rentals" explores everything from treehouses to alpaca farms to rent worldwide. Hosted by Megan Batoon, Jo Franco, and Luis D. Ortiz, the show reminds viewers that far more than cheap motels and chain hotels are available to make a vacation even more authentic and unique. While some of the rentals visited on the show run on the pricier side, these are balanced out with more cost-effective rentals for travelers not looking to shell out top dollar on accommodations.

"The World's Most Amazing Vacation Rentals" is available to stream on  Netflix .

47. Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy

Academy Award-nominated actor Stanley Tucci reconnects with his ancestral roots in the CNN travel series "Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy." Premiering in 2021, the show has Tucci visit different regions in Italy to learn more about the local cuisine, culture, and history in a sun-soaked tour of the Mediterranean country. Though the major tourist centers of Italy are among the destinations in Tucci's tour, the host takes the time to explore restaurants and locations off the beaten track to reveal a more authentic Italian experience. Buoyed by Tucci's understated yet quietly charismatic presence, "Searching for Italy" has been nominated for multiple Emmy Awards, winning two for its achievement in nonfiction television. 

Available to purchase and rent through most digital retailers, "Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy" is also available to stream on Discovery+ .

46. Mysterious Islands

Accomplished pilot and explorer Kellee Edwards invites viewers to join her on his globe-trotting adventures with the Travel Channel series "Mysterious Islands." Edwards particularly takes an interest in some of the most remote islands on Earth, visiting them with her private seaplane to examine them from above and by foot. A refreshing contrast to the hustle-and-bustle of travel shows revolving around heavily populated locales, "Mysterious Islands" offers a more serene, nature-focused look at isolated getaways. Before hosting "Mysterious Islands," Edwards hosted and published a travel vlog through her website that catapulted her into the public eye.

"Mysterious Islands" is currently available to stream on  fuboTV and Philo .

45. Ride with Norman Reedus

"Cool" is the only way to describe "Ride with Norman Reedus." Cruising on a slew of bikes, "The Boondock Saints" and "The Walking Dead" actor meets up with a different travel partner in each episode to explore the open road of America and international destinations. With six seasons as of 2023, the series has become a lasting one on AMC.

Norman Reedus isn't the first to make a travel show centered on biker culture, so what makes it so unique? His vibe, for one. However, it's also the particular variety that his program offers viewers. Reedus does not stick to just one style or motorcycle manufacturer; he also has many celebrity guests. He has the bikers' seal of approval.

From Dave Chapelle to Keanu Reeves, you'll be surprised that some of your favorite celebrities ride and are just as captivating in an environment you don't usually see them in. Fans of Reedus' work will also be happy to see quite a few familiar faces as his "The Walking Dead" co-stars, including Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Steven Yeun, join in on the fun.

You can watch "Ride with Norman Reedus" on AMC+ .

44. Epic Drives

Car expert Arthur St. Antoine entered the pole position with the automobile travel series "Epic Drives," premiering in 2010. Backed with a whole fleet of cars, often with some of the world's coolest and fastest sports and luxury automobiles, St. Antoine opens the engine up and cuts loose on roads around the globe. From traversing the Pacific Coast Highway to showcasing winter driving tips on the frozen roads of Scandinavia, St. Antoine guides viewers through truly stunning international roadways. Though "Epic Rides" puts its slick automobiles in the forefront, the travel series is also keenly aware of how to capture the natural beauty of the gorgeous destinations visited. 

"Epic Drives" is available to stream on Roku and Prime Video  with a MotorTrend extension.

43. Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern

Prolific chef, author, and television personality Andrew Zimmern delves into the off-kilter local cuisine from around the world that outsiders may view as strange in the Travel Channel series "Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern." Running steadily since 2006, "Bizarre Foods" has become a large television franchise in and of itself, spawning spinoff series and specials, while the main series has undergone several rebrands. Later, carrying the subtitle "Delicious Destinations," Zimmern's unique perspective on local cuisine proved as engaging as ever. Traveling anywhere from remote settlements in the untamed wilderness to local gastronomy usually avoided by tourists, Zimmern doesn't just focus on the cuisine and preparation itself but where the key ingredients come from. 

A Travel Channel staple for over a decade, "Bizarre Foods With Andrew Zimmern" is currently available to stream on Max and Discovery+ .

42. Samantha Brown's Places to Love

Prolific travel television personality Samantha Brown created the acclaimed PBS series "Samantha Brown's Places to Love," which premiered in 2018. Markedly different from her previous programming on the Travel Channel, Brown's PBS show offers ways for prospective travelers to blend in more naturally with places they visit rather than disrupt local scenes. Featuring a more subdued approach, Brown presents a more authentic, understated cultural experience in the destinations she showcases. "Places to Love" was widely praised for its approach to travel programming and won two Daytime Emmy Awards for its outstanding achievement.

"Samantha Brown's Places to Love" is available to watch through local PBS outlets.

41. A Cook's Tour

Chef and author Anthony Bourdain's first foray into travel television was on the Food Network series "A Cook's Tour," which was filmed while Bourdain was simultaneously writing a book about his experiences. Running for two seasons from 2002-2003, the show took Bourdain around the globe to sample local cuisine and culture, with Asia being a prominent recurring destination. In Variety's review of the first season, "A Cook's Tour" was praised for focusing on destinations less well-documented by other travel shows while providing a man-on-the-street perspective. The series offers a fascinating look at Bourdain discovering his voice as a television host while still possessing his acerbic wit.

"A Cook's Tour" is currently available to stream in full on Prime Video and Tubi .

40. America Outdoors with Baratunde Thurston

Notable writer and commentator Baratunde Thurston expanded from his usual political fare to launch the PBS travel series "America Outdoors with Baratunde Thurston." Thurston travels around the United States, from Death Valley to the Appalachian Mountains, to document America's distinct and immersive outdoor destinations. More than simply hiking and camping, Thurston engages in local activities, including trying his hand at collecting wild rice and surfing, to better appreciate local cultures. Thurston takes the premise behind "America Outdoors" more liberally than most travel shows with similar scopes, with an entire episode reframing outdoor culture in Los Angeles. 

An engaging look at the United States' relationship with its outdoor spaces, "America Outdoors with Baratunde Thurston" is available to stream on Prime Video with PBS Living or PBS Documentaries and PBS with WOSU Passport.

39. Travel Man

Popular British actor and comedian Richard Ayoade launched the breakneck travel series "Travel Man," blending comedy with hectic itineraries. Paired with a celebrity guest, Ayoade and his travel companion have 48 hours to take in the sights and cuisine in different international cities. Starting with the show's tenth season, Ayoade was replaced by British comedian Joe Lycett, but the overall formula remains largely the same. Buoyed by Ayoade and Lycett's hilarious personalities and its limited-time premise, "Travel Man" is as freewheeling and fun as travelogs get.

"Travel Man: 48 Hours in..." is available to stream on Prime Video and  Peacock .

38. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Beloved chef and restauranteur David Chang covers all the most important meals of the day around the world in the original series "Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner." Joined by different celebrity guest stars in each episode, including Seth Rogen and Kate McKinnon, Chang learns what constitutes traditional daily meals in major cities from Marrakech to Phnom Penh. Elevated by thoughtful and entertaining discussions between Chang and his guests, the series offers a broader perspective on the meals we take for granted each day. As with Chang's other travel and cooking shows, the international cuisine-driven travel series focuses on authenticity and a society's connection to its defining food. 

"Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner" is available to stream on  Netflix  and  Prime Video with Fuse+.

37. No Passport Required

With a country as richly vast and varied as the United States, there are plenty of interesting travel spots without ever having to go abroad. This underlying truth provides the basic premise to the PBS travel series "No Passport Required," which is focused on exploring the legacy of immigrant traditions and cuisines within the country. Hosted by noted chef Marcus Samuelsson, six major American cities are showcased as Samuelsson examines the immigrant legacy and food that lovingly define each locale. Going beyond the typical fare that colors each city's perception, Samuelsson meets with everyone from the Armenian community in Los Angeles to the Chinese legacy behind Las Vegas, showcasing some of the cultures that help to make each city great.

"No Passport Required" is currently available to stream on Roku ,  Prime Video with PBS Living or PBS Documentaries, and PBS.

36. Big City, Little Budget

The prospect of living in or visiting major American cities isn't cheap, but host Oneika Raymond guides audiences through more cost-effective approaches to modern metropolises in "Big City, Little Budget." Produced by the Travel Channel, the web series has Raymond visiting cities from sea to shining sea while also providing tips on how to navigate each place without having a robust budget at one's disposal. From frugal dining tips to which neighborhoods won't break the bank, "Big City, Little Budget" offers invaluable advice. With its bite-sized episodes, Raymond offers clear and concise guidance through cities from Miami to New York as she leans into approaching each destination on a budget without compromising the fun.

"Big City, Little Budget" is available to stream through the Travel Channel's YouTube channel .

35. I'll Have What Phil's Having

After helming the long-running sitcom "Everybody Loves Raymond," prolific television writer and producer Phil Rosenthal turned to travelog hosting, starting with the 2015 series "I'll Have What Phil Is Having." Running on PBS for six episodes, the show follows Rosenthal as he travels around the world to check out the local food scenes. Joined by celebrity guests like Martin Short and Ray Romano, Rosenthal's comedic perspective helps give the usual travel show proceedings a more engaging approach. Though short-lived, "I'll Have What Phil Is Having" provides an early look at the type of travel programming Rosenthal would host to greater success on Netflix.

"I'll Have What Phil's Having" is currently available to stream on Roku , Prime Video with PBS Living or PBS Documentaries, Pluto TV , and PBS.

34. Basic Versus Baller: Travel at Any Cost

Even the same iconic locales can offer vastly different experiences depending on the visitor's financial situation, and this dichotomy is explored in the travel series "Basic Versus Baller: Travel at Any Cost." Hosted by siblings Alex and Marko Ayling, the two showcase how to navigate major travel destinations on a budget or take advantage of the visit when flush with cash. Whether they're discussing different approaches to visiting Hong Kong or trying the varying cuisines of France, the Ayling brothers provide plenty of information and varying perspectives on the same destinations. One of the things that work in favor of "Basic Versus Baller" is that the show's premise isn't necessarily binary, as tourists can mix the frugal and luxurious options provided as they see fit. 

A dual-perspective on the travelog formula, "Basic Versus Baller: Travel at Any Cost" is currently available to stream on Hulu , Prime Video with Tastemade, and Peacock .

33. Ugly Delicious

Chef and author David Chang looks at the cultural history and deeper meaning behind popular cuisine in the Netflix original series "Ugly Delicious." Premiering in 2018, Chang and a group of celebrity guests explore the origins of different foods through extensive interviews and traveling to informative points from the cuisine's origins. A thoughtful discussion about food and its inextricable links to societal identity, "Ugly Delicious" blends serious insight with Chang's quick wit to great effect. Widely acclaimed for its approach to asking the hard questions about cuisine's impact on culture and cultural perception, the series was nominated for an Emmy Award.

"Ugly Delicious" is currently available to stream on Netflix .

32. United Shades of America

The United States is, like any nation, an incredibly complicated and occasionally contentious place to live, from sea to shining sea, across a variety of communities. Comedian W. Kamau Bell spotlights these communities, their traditions, and their struggles in the CNN documentary series "United Shades of America." From speaking with indigenous communities in South Dakota to the extensive Black populations in the Appalachians, Bell provides an all-encompassing tour of the modern American experience. Bell's thoughtful approach to admittedly somber subject matter paints a more complete look at the country and the many voices that bring it to life as he travels nationwide.

The winner of multiple Emmy Awards for its sweeping work, "United Shades of America" is available to stream on Discovery+  and  Max  and purchase and rent via online retailers.

31. Booze Traveler

A lot can be learned about a culture through its gastronomy, and host Jack Maxwell is determined to get to the bottom of this search for identity – and the bottom of many bottles – in the Travel Channel show "Booze Traveler." Exploring domestic and international destinations, Maxwell reveals how drinking culture informs daily life in places like Seoul and Dublin while partaking in local spirits himself. With Maxwell's easygoing personality at the forefront, "Booze Traveler" looks at how communities bond over their love of drink. As a former South Boston bartender, Maxwell lends an everyday perspective to his global travels. He is more interested in looking for a good time than asking the hard questions as the show breezily chugs along.

A fittingly rambunctious travelog, "Booze Traveler" is available to stream on Discovery+ and rent and purchase through most digital retailers.

30. Street Food

While acclaimed filmmaker and documentarian David Gelb focuses primarily on haute cuisine with his award-winning "Chef's Table" series, his other Netflix original show, "Street Food," takes a different perspective. Rather than spotlight a single cook per episode like his previous work, Gelb examines an entire city's street food scene, exploring the origins of the cuisine that defines it. From the robust marks of Singapore to hole-in-the-wall restaurants in New Orleans, "Street Food" and its rotating set of hosts provide an authentic culinary portrait of the show's destinations. Gelb's everyman approach and broader scope per episode, in contrast to "Chef's Table," is an effective change that "Street Food" takes full advantage of.

The first season of "Street Food" is set in Asia, the second in Latin America, and the third in the United States, with the series currently available to stream on Netflix .

29. The Kindness Diaries

Connecting with your fellow humans and experiencing people of different backgrounds and cultures is one of the enormous benefits of traveling; for some, it's their entire purpose. In a way, "The Kindness Diaries" encapsulates the spirit of travel, as host Leon Logothetis traverses the globe depending on the kindness of strangers.

Equipped only with a bright yellow motorbike swapped for an equally yellow vintage convertible in the second season, Leon Logothetis searches for kind-hearted people to supply his needs on his travels. This includes food, accommodations, and gasoline. You'll be pleasantly surprised how far one can get in the world just by simply asking — though, he does sleep in his motorbike's sidecar when necessary. While the destinations range from all over the United States to Europe, Cambodia, and Vietnam, this feel-good travel doc is more about the people we meet along the way. Even though "The Kindness Diaries" only has two seasons behind it, the beautiful souls depicted stay with viewers for the long haul.

You can stream "The Kindness Diaries" on Discovery+ .

28. Gordon's Great Escape

Famous chef and television personality Gordon Ramsay decided to visit the originating countries of some of his favorite cuisines in the British television series "Gordon's Great Escape." In an interview with The Guardian , Ramsay shared his lifelong love of Indian food and chronicled his first trip to India in the show. Beyond his visit to India, Ramsay filmed the second set of interviews exploring other parts of Southeast Asia and its cuisine, including Thailand and Vietnam. Offering Ramsay a chance to escape the limelight he was experiencing in America and the United Kingdom, the show reveals him rediscovering his love of cooking while learning about overseas culinary traditions.

"Gordon's Great Escape" is available to stream through Prime Video , Tubi , Roku , and Fox.

27. Long Way Down

Actors and longtime motorcycle aficionados Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman reunited for another international motorcycle voyage with the British travel series "Long Way Down." A follow-up to their 2004 series "Long Way Round," the 2007 offering has the two bikers travel from Scotland all the way to Cape Town, South Africa. Along the way, the pair rides through 18 countries by motorcycle as they traverse Europe and the length of Africa. Even for those not particularly enamored by motorcycles, "Long Way Down" is a fascinating look at life on the open road across two continents anchored by two charismatic leads.

"Long Way Down" is currently available to stream on Apple TV+ .

26. Globe Trekker

One of the longest-running travel shows from the United Kingdom is "Globe Trekker," originally broadcast from 1994 to 2016. With a rotating set of hosts for each episode, the British series highlights a different region and provides audiences with a thorough guide to the sights and culture. More than simply presenting the major tourist attractions, the hosts examine local traditions, including interviews with local industries beyond tourism and hospitality. With such an impressive breadth of episodes, "Globe Trekker" set an enduring standard for travel programming in the United Kingdom against which all other travel shows are to be judged. 

Unfortunately, "Globe Trekker" is unavailable to stream or purchase in the United States.

25. Man v. Food

Eating challenges can say a lot about a culture, from the type of cuisine competitors consume to the quantity eaten to succeed. Actor and television personality Adam Richman took it upon himself to travel all over the United States to face all manner of eating challenges in the Travel Channel series "Man v. Food." Heading to a different destination each episode, Richman singlehandedly subjects himself to various regional eating challenges, from consuming massive steaks to an entire platter of chili dogs in a limited time. "Man v. Food" gave the Travel Channel its highest-rated debut upon its premiere in 2008 (per the Los Angeles Times ), with the show revived in 2017 and Richman replaced by current host Casey Webb.

An amusing look at different American regions by the eating challenges that help define it, "Man v. Food" is available to purchase and rent through most online retailers and to stream on Discovery+ and Max .

24. Tales by Light

If a vacation isn't documented and shared on Instagram, did it actually take place? Photography in some of Earth's most jaw-droppingly gorgeous places is the central premise behind the Australian travel series "Tales by Light." Each episode follows different professional photographers who tell an immersive story about exotic destinations through their pictures and videos. The perfect travel series for the social media-oriented generation, "Tales by Light" delivers truly breathtaking photographs and videos from the overlooked corners of the world.

All three beautifully rendered "Tales by Light" seasons are currently available to stream on Netflix .

23. Conan Without Borders

As an extension of his popular talk show on TBS, veteran host Conan O'Brien took his series on the road on multiple occasions to experience different cultures around the world. These special episodes were compiled in the online "Conan Without Borders," as O'Brien eschewed his typical talk show format. Traveling everywhere from Cuba to South Korea, O'Brien explores the societal morays of each of these destinations with his usual comedic antics and insight. A welcome change of pace from his usual formula, O'Brien blends biting political commentary with a genuine appreciation for local cultures, with "Conan Without Borders" winning an Emmy for its efforts.

"Conan Without Borders" is currently available to stream on Max .

22. The Moaning of Life

When British comedian and actor Karl Pilkington faced something of a midlife crisis, he decided to examine the lives and cultures of others around the world to gain a better sense of perspective (per Cinema Blend ). The resulting international tour was filmed for the British travel series "The Moaning of Life," as Pilkington contemplated love, life, and mortality on the road. To expand his view on the human condition, Pilkington visits drive-thru weddings in Las Vegas, professional mourners in Taiwan, and fertility clinics in Japan. The Hollywood Reporter's review of "The Moaning of Life" complimented the show's existential subject matter and Pilkington's hilarious perspective on the world to make its messaging less somber.

A good-natured look at life, death, and everything in between with an international scope, "The Moaning of Life" is available for purchase and rent on most major digital retailers, including Prime Video and Vudu .

21. Long Way Round

The first of a trilogy of documentary series, 2004's "Long Way Round" puts Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman in the driver's seat as they ride motorcycles from London to New York City eastward. The 19,000-mile journey is undertaken to promote the international humanitarian causes spearheaded by UNICEF, while McGregor and Boorman endure pitfalls and injuries in their journies around the globe. Inspired by the experience, McGregor and Boorman wrote a book detailing their journey, including McGregor adopting an orphan encountered along the way. The kind of celebrity road trip that doesn't feel overly pretentious or self-indulgent, McGregor and Boorman provide a unique perspective as they embark on a truly epic journey.

"Long Way Round" is currently available to stream on Apple TV+ .

20. Three Sheets

Not all cuisine is solid, which is why the 2008 travel series "Three Sheets" showcased a decidedly liquid diet as it visited drinking cultures around the world. Hosted by comedian Zane Lamprey, the show highlights local alcoholic beverages at a multitude of destinations, learning about their history and cultural impact. Of course, this examination goes beyond a mere history lesson, with Zamprey partaking in the beverages, usually in impressive quantities. Part travel series and part televised pub crawl, Lamprey is often accompanied on his journeys by a group of guests, including his college friend Steve McKenna.

After starting on MOJO HD, "Three Sheets" was broadcast on various platforms before ending its run on Spike in 2011. Most of the series is currently available to buy on Prime Video .

19. Worth It

The popular Buzzfeed series "Worth It" offers three different and simultaneous perspectives on the worldwide dining scene in each episode. The show has the three hosts, Steven Lim, Andrew Ilnyckyj, and Adam Bianchi, order three different dishes from a range of price points at varying destinations. This can entail a cheap cup of coffee or designer espresso costing hundreds of dollars while visiting Tokyo. The underlying question is whether or not the dishes are worth the price. Winning a Streamy Award, "Worth It" has been credited with changing how people approach food criticism online, actively comparing quality with price points worldwide (per SBS ).

Available to stream on Hulu , "Worth It" helps viewers know how best to check out the food scenes and types of cuisine in several countries.

18. Somebody Feed Phil

After getting his start travel hosting on PBS, Phil Rosenthal went bigger and better for the Netflix original series "Somebody Feed Phil" in 2018. While maintaining the broader premise of his previous show, "I'll Have What Phil Is Having," Rosenthal's Netflix series feels like a more personal experience for its host. Occasionally checking in with his brother, parents, and son while he is on the road, Rosenthal continues to sample local cuisine from around the world. As Rosenthal visits major international cities, he spotlights local charities and nonprofit organizations active in the destinations, providing a more community-based scope.

"Somebody Feed Phil" is currently available to stream on Netflix .

17. Jack Whitehall: Travels with My Father

Popular British comedian Jack Whitehall and his longtime television producer father, Michael, take their paternal dynamic on the road for the Netflix original series "Jack Whitehall: Travels with My Father." With a decided focus on familial comedy, the Whitehalls find themselves in countless awkward and hilarious situations worldwide as they bond together over their international trips. The two men learn about the cultures they visit, from Cambodia to Turkey, with the final season bringing the father-son duo back to the United Kingdom. Though Jack and Michael Whitehall's antics are played for laughs, the societies they visit are largely treated with the utmost respect as they travel through the jungle and desert together.

All five "Jack Whitehall: Travels with My Father" seasons are available to stream on Netflix .

16. Extreme Engagement

Journalists and producers PJ Madam and Tim Noonan decided to put their then-recent engagement to the test around the world for the Netflix original series "Extreme Engagement." The miniseries has the happy couple travel around the globe for over a year to see how their relationship endures. While the premise feels relatively scripted, rather than providing an authentically spontaneous show, "Extreme Engagement" offers a romantic twist on the travelog format. Noonan and Madam visit romantic destinations that keep the focus on love and lasting relationships, from observing ancient fertility rituals to meeting cultural practices promoting romantic love.

A love odyssey that spans the islands of Indonesia to remote villages in Africa, "Extreme Engagement" is currently available to stream on Netflix .

15. Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives

Restauranteur and television host Guy Fieri has become something of a cultural icon himself, and Fieri's flagship series is the enormously popular "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives." Premiering in 2006 on the Food Network, the show has Fieri travel across North America, stopping at diners, hole-in-the-wall restaurants, and dive bars to sample their signature cuisine. Occasionally joined by an impressive set of celebrity guest stars, Fieri has visited hundreds of locations as part of his cross-country odyssey. Due to the sheer popularity of "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives," many of these spots have seen a noticeable increase in business following episode airings.

As the gold standard among Fieri's travel and food reality shows, "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives" is available to rent and purchase via most online retailers and to stream on Discovery+ and Max .

14. Survivorman

Travel isn't just luxury hotels and all-inclusive resorts; for some, vacations involve roughing it in the wild and returning to nature through camping and other immersive experiences. The Canadian travel and wilderness survival series "Survivorman" takes these sensibilities to their extreme as host Les Stroud spends over a week alone in remote locations. With only a handful of tools and the clothes on his back, Stroud has to make do with local flora and fauna to survive these conditions for the allotted time. As a much more stripped-down and extreme approach than "Man vs. Wild," Stroud takes audiences everywhere, from the frozen expanse of Alaska to the predator-filled Amazon rainforest.

For those looking for the ultimate survivalist approach to the world's most unforgiving locations, "Survivorman" is available to stream on Discovery+ and Roku and to rent and purchase through most digital retailers.

13. An Idiot Abroad

When comedian Karl Pilkington's friends and frequent collaborators Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant learned he had no interest in world travel, the two created the series "An Idiot Abroad" in response. Capitalizing on Pilkington's often innocently naive worldview, the British travel show is primarily played for laughs as Pilkington makes wry observations about the destinations he visits. Not content to simply let Pilkington take in the picturesque sights, sounds, and cuisine, Gervais and Merchant have Pilkington endure several challenges, including bungee-jumping in New Zealand and swimming with sharks in Australia. MSN's review of "An Idiot Abroad" praised the mishaps for Pilkington's voyages orchestrated by Gervais and Merchant, with Pilkington's odd perspective and observations elevating the entire show.

A humorous look at the most gorgeous international locales, "An Idiot Abroad" is available to purchase and rent on most digital retailers, including Prime Video and Vudu .

12. Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations

After two seasons on the Food Network with "A Cook's Tour," Bourdain made the leap to the Travel Channel to host his popular travel series "Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations." Running for nine seasons from 2005-2012, Bourdain upped the scope considerably from his previous series while still retaining its everyman qualities. Backed by a more ambitious production, Bourdain visits a wider range of locales while incorporating his love of pop culture and inviting celebrity guests, including Bill Murray and Sean Penn. One of the more notable episodes sees Bourdain and his film crew trapped in Beirut during the 2006 Israel-Lebanon War. "No Reservations" went on to win two Emmy Awards and multiple nominations as a testament to the show's captivating perspective on the world. 

"Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations" is available to purchase from most online retailers and to stream on Discovery+ , Max , and through the Travel Channel website with a linked television provider.

11. Gordon Ramsay: Uncharted

After exploring and experiencing culinary traditions in Southeast Asia firsthand in his first travel series, chef Gordon Ramsay expanded the scope of his follow-up show " Gordon Ramsay: Uncharted " to encompass the whole world. Premiering on National Geographic in 2019, "Uncharted" has Ramsay visit different countries to learn about their cuisine and cooking techniques and take advantage of local thrills. From white water rafting through Laos to climbing up Alaskan mountains and glaciers, Ramsay showcases a more outdoorsy side of himself beyond the world of restaurants and kitchens. In Forbes' review of the series, Ramsay's genuine enthusiasm for the subject matter and destinations he visits was praised for elevating the premise and showing a new side to the temperamental chef.

"Gordon Ramsay: Uncharted" is available to stream through Disney+ and Hulu .

10. Chef's Table

After directing the universally acclaimed documentary film "Jiro Dreams of Sushi" in 2011, filmmaker David Gelb teamed up with Netflix for its original documentary series, "Chef's Table." Premiering in 2015, the show focuses on a different cook for each episode, from a Korean monk renowned for her kimchi to Mexican street food in Philadelphia. With its highly detailed and stylized cinematography and in-depth portraits of its subjects, "Chef's Table" is one of the best documentary series currently on the air. "Chef's Table" brings a global scope to cuisine while never losing sight of the very grounded and human story behind each of the cooks that make every dish possible. The show has been nominated for multiple Emmy Awards as it shines a light on everything from Michelin-starred restaurants to hole-in-the-wall dining locations. 

The main "Chef's Table" series and its numerous spinoffs are available to stream on Netflix .

9. The Amazing Race

In contrast to "Survivor," which keeps its contestants in a single remote location for an entire season, CBS' long-running reality series "The Amazing Race" takes full advantage of its global scope. Teams of two speed through different legs around the world, following clues and completing challenges to gain an edge. On the air since 2001, "The Amazing Race" has showcased some of the most stunning locales on the planet while pitting its teams in genuinely thrilling competitions each season. With many seasons of "The Amazing Race" offering a journey with contestants circumnavigating the globe, the travel element to the reality competition series is unmistakably at the forefront.

"The Amazing Race" is available to stream on Hulu , Netflix , and Paramount+ .

8. Expedition Unknown

With so many legends and historical mysteries around the world demanding answers, archaeologist Josh Gates sets out to find the truth in the Discovery Channel series "Expedition Unknown." From cryptozoology searches for mythical creatures like Bigfoot to attempting to discover clues linked to the lost city of Atlantis, Gates positions himself as a real-life Indiana Jones. Part globe-trotting history lesson, part debunking widely known myths, "Expedition Unknown" provides a fun twist on international travel off the beaten path. As an immensely popular show, "Expedition Unknown" has spawned several spinoff specials, miniseries, and after shows as Gates widens his worldwide search for truth.

"Expedition Unknown" is currently available to stream on Discovery+ and  Max and is available to purchase or rent through most online retailers.

7. Dark Tourist

Not every tourist is going to check out conventional art museums or major family-friendly attractions in their voyages around the world. The Netflix original series "Dark Tourist" offers travelers a chance to check out the more off-beat elements of local cultures, sometimes venturing into the outright macabre. Hosted by journalist David Farrier, "Dark Tourist" visits the purportedly haunted areas of major cities and tourism sites capitalizing on local tragedies and notorious figures around the world. From exploring irradiated sites to touring museums dedicated to infamous serial killers, "Dark Tourist" certainly isn't every traveler's cup of tea by the way it provides a morbid twist on the genre.

"Dark Tourist" is currently available to stream on Netflix .

6. The National Parks: America's Best Idea

Celebrated documentarian Ken Burns, who has crafted documentary series chronicling numerous elements of American culture and history, turned his attention to the country's national parks. The 2009 six-episode miniseries "The National Parks: America's Best Idea" recounts the history behind the parks and how they each capture the stirring beauty of the United States. From the enduring legacy of John Muir to the evolution of the National Park Service, "The National Parks" is a must-watch for anyone planning to visit the natural wonders nationwide. Universally acclaimed, "The National Parks" won two Emmy Awards, with critics praising how the documentary series presented the parks as a gorgeous extension of the national identity.

Released with a companion book expanding its story, "The National Parks: America's Best Idea" is currently available to stream on PBS with WOSU Passport and Prime Video with PBS Documentaries.

5. The Grand Tour

After being ousted from hosting "Top Gear," Jeremy Clarkson and his co-hosts Richard Hammond and James May took their globe-trotting automobile expertise to Prime Video for "The Grand Tour" (via Variety ). Retaining much of the format from their previous work together on "Top Gear," "The Grand Tour" has participants travel to different destinations using an impressive array of cars. From Cambodia to Madagascar, "The Grand Tour" showcases thrilling routes and cars, backed by the hosts' irascible wit. The Independent's positive review of "The Grand Tour" praised the show as distilling the best elements from "Top Gear" while boasting a significantly larger production budget.

With jaw-dropping destinations and high-octane action, "The Grand Tour" is currently available to stream on Prime Video .

4. Passport with Samantha Brown

Television personality Samantha Brown has built an impressive empire of travel shows on a number of platforms. One of Brown's most enduring lines of programming to date is "Passport," which sees Brown extensively explore different regions around the world for the ultimate experience. Starting with 2004's "Passport to Europe," Brown launched several different shows, taking her informative style to examine Latin America, China, and eco-friendly tourism. Brown's "Passport to Europe" won a Daytime Emmy Award while the subsequent "Passport to Latin America" was nominated for an Emmy, as a testament to Brown's eye for entertainment and educational quality. 

Brown's "Passport" series are currently available to stream on Discovery+ .

3. Anthony Bourdain: The Layover

As someone who hosted travel shows since 2002, Anthony Bourdain has experienced a lot of extended layovers and quick detours between trips to larger destinations. This premise of enjoying a locale on a tight turnaround time drives the core premise behind his Travel Channel series "The Layover." With only 24-48 hours in each location, Bourdain enjoys as much of the tourist-oriented and locally authentic experiences as he can before departing once more. A more tightly paced approach to Bourdain's usual travel fare, "The Layover" still finds the time to provide an informative look at different city cultures all over the globe. 

Invaluable for those looking to make the most of their time on a tight schedule, "Anthony Bourdain: The Layover" is available to stream on Discovery+ , along with purchase and rent options on most digital platforms.

2. Rick Steves' Europe

Perhaps the gold standard in public broadcasting produced travel shows, "Rick Steves' Europe" follows travel author and television personality Rick Steves as he explores cities in Europe. Running from 2000 to 2021, Steves not only shares the biggest cultural landmarks and defining fare in each destination, but he provides audiences with valuable travel tips along the way. More than simply focusing on the biggest tourist spots, like London and Paris, Steves adds plenty of overlooked getaways, including Slovenia and Oslo. With a steady hand and wealth of knowledge, Steves has provided his even-keeled traveler wisdom to those interested in visiting Europe for decades.

"Rick Steves' Europe" is currently available to stream on the show's website , PBS with WOSU Passport, Prime Video , and Tubi .

1. Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown

Television personality Anthony Bourdain's final travel show was "Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown," which ran for 12 seasons on CNN from 2013 to 2018. Though "Parts Unknown" certainly retains the focus on local cuisine prominent in Bourdain's past travel shows, the CNN series weaves in more sociopolitical commentary in examining its locales. The series came to an abrupt end  following Bourdain's tragic death , with the remaining episodes becoming a tribute to the late host and his unique worldview. Led by Bourdain's insightful and incisive perspective on the places he visited around the world, "Parts Unknown” was widely acclaimed and won numerous Emmy Awards across its run. More than just a show about food and culture, "Parts Unknown" examines the overlooked qualities of its destinations and what brings people together on a universal level.

Available to purchase on most digital retailers, "Parts Unknown" is also available to stream on Max and Discovery+ .

Our ranking methodology

Everyone has that one show they're connected to, whether popular or not. "Best" is always subjective, and your all-time favorite series may not even be something someone else knows exists. That doesn't mean it's any less valid, though. We've tried to keep our personal opinions from this list and instead relied on more tangible elements when compiling our rankings. You'll find some of the most beloved, compelling, and critically acclaimed travel shows — and some you may have never heard of.

A travel show's host can be as important as the places traveled. There's a reason why Anthony Bourdain will always appear on lists like this one. His captivating storytelling capabilities and genuinely raw nature make for compelling TV that viewers resonate with. This kind of grab power shows up throughout our list of picks, with the face and voice of a program helping to boost some of the programs in our rankings.

We've considered the likability of the shows chosen here by scouring reviews from multiple sources, like Reddit, Rotten Tomatoes, and IMDb. We've also factored in the number of seasons and any accolades a show may have been given. A lack of awards certainly doesn't dull a hidden gem's luster, though, so don't be surprised that many shows featured here have gone under the award committees' radar.