travel story documentaries

Our Favorite Travel Documentaries and Where to Watch Them

By CNT Editors

All products featured on Condé Nast Traveler are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

While we love the dramas, comedies, and rom-coms that recount epic journeys and bring beloved destinations to life, there’s something especially transportive about documentaries. But when it comes to travel films, it’s clear: the truth is often as wild and wonderful as fiction. Luckily, it seems that the golden age of documentaries is upon us (and it’s certainly the time of the docuseries , at the very least)—thanks to the rosters available on Netflix, HBO, Disney+, and Amazon Prime. Want to be inspired and watch some travel documentaries yourself? Here are a few of our favorite films that you can watch online right now that take you from the Mongolia steppe to Japan's Ise Bay.

All products featured on Condé Nast Traveler are independently selected by our editors. If you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Kedi (2016)

I am a self-proclaimed cat person—and Kedi lets me indulge in that even more. Many animal documentaries (ahem, Tiger King ) regard their subjects as accessories to human drama, while others talk about them via voiceover so scientifically that it sounds as if they’re inanimate objects. Not so, here. Kedi follows seven specific stray cats through the streets of Istanbul from their points of view, letting the cats stand as the film’s characters. The audience gets an up close and personal look at the secret lives of these cats: their interactions with humans and other animals; the mileage and route each covers through the ancient city; and the ordeals they overcome daily. —Alex Erdekian, assistant editor, City Guides

Watch now: Rent from $1, amazon.com

Jiro Dreams of Sushi (2011)

I was so excited to watch this movie, and specifically made sure I had reservations at a sushi restaurant afterward because I knew I'd be craving it after 90 minutes of watching it on screen. I love the attention to detail that Jiro showcases throughout the film, and how it shows just how technical a beautiful sushi omakase can be. I still think of the film whenever I eat tamago—sweet Japanese cooked egg that often ends an omakase—given how hard it was for the apprentice to master that specific dish. I've still never visited the original restaurant, but I'd love to try and get in on my next trip to Tokyo . — Stephanie Wu, articles director

Watch now: Free with Netflix subscription, netflix.com

Amazona (2016)

I discovered Amazona on a flight to Colombia , which is apt, given that it takes place in the lush Colombian Amazon. The travel documentary follows the filmmaker Clare Weiskopf, whose mother Val Weiskopf left her and her siblings behind and moved to the Amazon when they were still children. Weiskopf, now pregnant, confronts her mother about the choices she made and tries to come to terms with what motherhood will look like for her given her own unusual upbringing. The documentary, while centered on a unique experience, is still relatable to anyone who's thought about leaving it all behind and living off the grid—and then factored in the loved ones worth staying, or moving, home for. — Megan Spurrell, associate editor

Watch now: Rent from $4, amazon.com

Olivia Morelli

Gianluca Longo

Charlie Hobbs

Maiden (2018)

This incredible film follows the first all-female crew competing in the late '80s in the Whitbread Round the World Race—an absolutely insane yachting competition that lasts nine months and sails from Southampton, England, to Uruguay, New Zealand, Australia, around and up to Florida , and then back to the U.K. This movie tracks the yacht's skipper and team’s mastermind, Tracy Edwards, and mixes incredible archival footage of the race with modern day interviews with the underestimated crew and their doubters. Get ready for your heart to swell a few sizes. — Meredith Carey, associate editor

Watch now: Buy from $7, amazon.com

Endless Summer (1966)

It's hard to tell whether this travel documentary on this type of list feels obligatory or cliche. I put it in the former bucket; I can't think of any other documentary that I saw as a young kid, I must have been just six or seven, that could have possibly stayed in my mind the way Endless Summer has. The 1960s journey across the globe by two California surfers to locate and popularize new swells brought them to places off the mass travel radar at the time, including Ghana, Nigeria, and New Zealand. This past summer, I surfed one of the beaches featured in Dakar (well, attempted to surf, I fall squarely in the “aspirational surfer” category). Sequels have been made, but the appeal of that first release—when surfing was used as travel currency, an exploratory lens, and bond between cultures—remains. —Erin Florio, travel news director

Lorena, La De Pies Ligeros (2019)

This 28-minute documentary is unexpected, gorgeous, and quick, just like the athlete it features: ultra-marathon runner Lorena Ramírez. Ramírez hails from the Rarámuri indigenous community in northwestern Mexico , a group that has been known for their excellence in long distance running. But watching her go from her daily life—where she lives in the remote countryside and where the women in her family aren’t able to attend school—to urban marathons where she powers past other athletes in a handwoven skirt and sandals, is absolutely moving. The entire film is a peek inside a Mexican community most travelers wouldn't otherwise be exposed to. — M.S.

The Eagle Huntress (2016)

This tale of a 13-year-old Kazakh girl named Aisholpan who trains to become the first female eagle hunter in her family's 12-generation history is nothing short of inspiring. The story is set in Mongolia’s stunning landscape, unfolding among snowy mountains, pink ombre horizons, and dry, grassy steppes. But it’s Aisholpan’s spirit and charisma that really make the film. The Eagle Huntress was so impactful that it prompted increased tourism to Mongolia, specifically for The Golden Eagle Festival, which is shown on screen. —A.E.

Virunga (2014)

A stunning mix of investigative journalism and nature documentary in one of the most extraordinary places in the world, this film cuts to the heart of the global conservation crisis. It's about the fight to protect the world's last mountain gorillas and the stunning biodiversity of Virunga National Park from the complex swirl of politics and economics in the Democratic Republic of Congo, which encroaches on their habitat through war, poaching, and the threat of oil exploration. It's heartbreakingly beautiful and just plain heartbreaking. — Jesse Ashlock, U.S. editor

Fishpeople (2017)

As the Traveler team can attest, I've become obsessed with the idea of spearfishing, largely thanks to women like Kimi Werner and the Jeju and Ama divers (of Korean and Japan respectively). I have such a deep love of both eating and preparing seafood, so the natural next step is to catch it myself, right? I watched this documentary on a flight to Hawaii this winter, and it further stoked the fire. It highlights a handful of people around the world, including Werner, who spend their lives in the sea . And trust me, you don't have to crave picking up your own spear to enjoy the beautiful ocean shots and the wise words from its sea-enamored cast. — M.S.

Watch now: Rent from $3, youtube.com

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23 Binge-worthy Travel Documentaries on Netflix (2023)

By: Author Tracy Collins

Posted on Last updated: February 3, 2023

If you enjoy watching travel shows (whether for inspiration or research) you are in for a treat with this selection of the best travel documentaries on Netflix in 2023

This eclectic list of Netflix travel documentaries and series will take you across every continent to meet the people, cultures, history and geography, natural wonders and wildlife that make up our beautiful planet.

Chosen by travel bloggers this is a selection of the best travel documentaries available on Netflix around the world.

Please bear in mind that not all these shows may be available on Netflix in your location ! If you would like unrestricted access to 15 Netflix libraries around the world (including Germany/USA/UK) we recommend Surfshark VPN. You only need 1 subscription to cover every gadget in your house. Click here for more information about Surfshark

Taco Chronicles

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• Chef's Table

Somebody Feed Phil

Extreme engagement.

• Joanna Lumley's India

Chasing Coral

Magical andes, cuba and the cameraman, jack whitehall travels with my father, restaurants on the edge, tales by light, christiane amanpour: sex & love around the world, the serpent, the dawn wall, my octopus teacher, anthony bourdain: parts unknown, street food series (latin america and asia), more tv shows & movies from countries around the world, 23 best travel documentaries on netflix.

If you didn’t love the idea of eating tacos in Mexico City already, Taco Chronicles will make sure you do! In fact, you’ll discover that there’s even more to authentic Mexican tacos than you ever knew about.

In Taco Chronicles, you’ll go on a taco journey to Mexico City and beyond, to discover the unique types of tacos eaten in Mexico’s various regions and states. The show does start off in Mexico City, with the king of Mexican tacos — the taco al pastor.

From Mexico City, enjoy a virtual Mexican culinary food tour to its neighbouring state of Hidalgo, home of barbacoa (BBQ) tacos. Beyond Central Mexico, this food and travel documentary takes you all over Mexico.

In subsequent episodes of this two-season show, you’ll discover cochinita pibil (slow-roasted suckling pig) tacos in the Yucatan Peninsula, fried fish tacos in Baja California state on the west coast, cabrito (goat) tacos in Northern Mexico, and more.

Places/countries featured – Mexico

Chosen by Shelley of Travel Mexico Solo

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Over recent years, the public’s fascination with dark tourism destinations has boomed. Sites such as Chernobyl and Auschwitz draw in thousands of tourists every year. With so many of the population sharing a fascination for dark history, it is no wonder that so many have tuned into Netflix’s ‘Dark Tourist. 

The show follows journalist David Farrier as he travels around hoping to experience the most macabre destinations that the world has to offer. Farrier’s quest to unearth the morbid takes him to several high profile dark tourism destinations, including the site of the Fukushima nuclear disaster, on a JFK assassination tour and he even witnesses an exorcism in Mexico City.  

Although Farrier sometimes comes across as a mediocre Louis Theroux, this thought-provoking travel show succeeds in its aim and transports you into the unknown. The result is an interesting series that explores the darker side of life (and death).

Chosen by Sheree   of Winging the World

In the Netflix series Down To Earth , actor Zac Efron and wellness author Darin Olien travel across the globe learning about the wellness and sustainability efforts being made in numerous destinations.

Each of the eight episodes focuses on a different location and aspect of sustainability or personal wellness.

In the first episode, you’ll learn all about harnessing the earth’s energy in Iceland. From there, travel to Paris to see their efforts to reduce bottled water impacts, learn about sustainability in Costa Rica, and nutrition in Sardinia.

Also included in the series are food education in Lima, post-hurricane sustainability in Puerto Rico, London pollution reduction efforts, and Iquitos wellness in the Peruvian Amazon.

In one of the most intriguing segments, they learn about tap water differences from a water sommelier. The series lends a glimpse into some beautiful destinations and what locals are doing to keep them beautiful for decades to come.

Chosen by Samantha of PAonPause.com

More to watch!

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• 16 binge worthy Turkish series on Netflix

Historian and film-maker Paul Murton brings you on a fascinating journey to many Scottish islands over four seasons. He meets with locals; finds hidden gems; and explores the rich, unique, and sometimes tragic history of each of the islands. 

You may be surprised to find yourself binge-watching this relaxing travel documentary series. You will get caught up in Murton’s contagious curiosity about its people and his great admiration for its beauty. Every episode is filled with stunning scenery. The high production quality and engaging soundtrack heighten the enjoyment of the show. Fans can follow this up with his three other Scottish travel series.  

Queue up, Grand Tours of the Scottish Islands to enjoy some dreamy armchair travel or to gain a deeper understanding of the islands as you plan your trip to Scotland .  

Places featured: Isle of Skye , Islands of Loch Lomond, Hebridean Islands, Orkney Islands, and many more

Contributed by Erica at Trip Scholars

Expedition Happiness is a home movie/travelogue that follows the story of a German couple as they give up their life in Germany to do an epic road trip in the Americas with their dog Rudi.

The couple, whose names are Selima and Felix, purchased a yellow school bus in Florida for 9500 USD. After working on it for three months, they transformed it into their “Loft on Wheel”, a comfortable, spacious, and well-equipped adventure bus. 

The itinerary was to start in Alaska near Denali National Park , drive all the way down to Central America, cross over to South America, and finish in Argentina.

On their adventure, they documented all the incredible landscapes they saw, the people they met, and more.

Whether they were able to finish their epic adventure or not, you will have to find out on Netflix! 

Chosen by Sean of Living out Lau

Chef’s Table

Even if you’re not a foodie but love to travel, be sure to watch Chef’s Table on Netflix. This documentary series features renowned Chefs from around the world who are creating inspired culinary experiences.

Now in its 6th season with 30 episodes, the series doesn’t just showcase a chef’s creations, but takes you on a journey through each of their personal stories that has led to their creativity.

World renowned chefs like Italy’s Massimo Bottura will inspire you with how he came from humble beginnings to being on the world culinary stage. But one chef in particular has inspired us to travel for her food — Chef Ana Rôs, owner of  Hiša Franko restaurant  in Kobarid, Slovenia. 

After initially pursuing a career track in business, she spent years honing her craft and experimenting with the local foods of her native Slovenia. Today, she is now one of the top chefs in the world, Hiša Franko is one of the 50 Best Restaurants in the World and newly Michelin-rated — and our dinner there on my birthday might possibly be the best meal of my life.

Watch the series and decide where your next culinary adventure will be.

Chosen by Lori of travlinmad.com

In “Somebody Feel Phil”, the creator of “Everybody Loves Raymond,” Phil Rosenthal, travels the world to indulge in the scrumptious local cuisine and to learn more about the culture of these destinations.

There are currently four seasons on Netflix and each episode features a different city around the world. This documentary does a great job of portraying local customs and traditions and viewers will feel like they’re actually in that city with the locals.

Phil has a childlike wonder to him when he’s learning about the different cultures and he answers basically any potential questions the viewers could have about the destination. One of the best parts about the documentary is watching Phil turn the strangers he meets into his family. 

Places featured – Bangkok, Saigon, Tel Aviv, Lisbon, New Orleans, Mexico City, Venice , Dublin, Buenos Aires, Copenhagen, Cape Town, New York City, Marrakesh, Chicago, London, Seoul, Montreal, Rio De Janeiro, San Francisco, Singapore, the Mississippi Delta, and Hawaii. 

Chosen by Disha of Disha Discovers

While most people get engaged and then begin planning their perfect wedding, Tim and PJ, stars of the Netflix show Extreme Engagement, do anything but that. Instead, Tim and PJ get engaged and then set out on a worldwide exploration of marital traditions around the world. 

The couple journeys to places such as Mongolia, Brazil, China, Nigeria, and Papua New Guinea facing challenging experiences along the way that has them questioning their relationship and each other. 

You get to see a glimpse inside the cross-cultural challenges associated with a new romance along with an interesting insight into how other cultures celebrate love and marriage. 

Chosen by Michelle Snell from That Texas Couple

International travellers Scott Wilson and Justin Lukach cross the world and push their limits on an expedition to find genuine, unforgettable experiences.

DEPARTURES is an international award-winning and inspiring television travel series that will take you on the journey of a lifetime and beyond. From epic landscapes to unforgettable culture, learn what it takes to make it all happen through personal successes, crushing disappointments and memorable new friendships that could only be made by travelling abroad.

With two episodes for every continent, DEPARTURES will arm and reassure your wanderlust with hours of riveting programming that captures the beauty, drama, wonder and humor of taking a leap abroad.

DEPARTURES covers every aspect of world travel, showing you exactly what to expect at destinations around the globe. From beaches in Bali and cruising in the South Pacific Islands, to trekking on Mt Kilimanjaro and sailing up icebergs off Greenland, DEPARTURES takes you straight into a location’s unique atmosphere… giving viewers insight into a whole new way of life.

Places featured – Nearly 30 countries around the world including Japan, New Zealand and Russia

Chosen by Casandra of Karpiak Caravan Adventure Family Travel

Joanna Lumley’s India

Joanna Lumley is a British actress probably most well-known for her role as the outrageous Patsy of Absolutely Fabulous. What is perhaps less known about her is that she was born in Kashmir, India, in 1946, and the descendent of British colonists in India going back to 1777.

Originally aired in 2017 with three episodes, Joanna Lumley’s India takes viewers on a personal trip across the country where she explores modern India and finds connections to members of her own family and the experience of being and speaking English in India .

Lumley has also hosted travel shows on Japan, the Silk Road, the Caribbean, and the Trans-Siberia express train.

Places featured:  Tamil Nadu, Sikkim, Gujarat, Mumbai, Ranthambhore National Park, Delhi, and Srinagar, Kashmir.

Chosen by Mariellen of Breathedreamgo

Chasing Coral is a fascinating documentary about the disappearance of coral around the world. In this chasing coral, a team of divers, researchers and photographers set out on an ocean adventure to document the bleaching of Coral in warming seas. This phenomenon is when corals lose their beautiful and vibrant colors to become white, dying shortly after. 

The point of this documentary is to show that the coral’s death is the result of climate change and the rise in temperatures that are absorbed by the oceans. 

The documentary takes us to some of the most beautiful destinations in the world such as the Florida Keys, Hawaii and the Bahamas. More than that, this documentary also shows the important damage climate change has done to the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. 

I definitely recommend this documentary to anyone who wants to really understand the impact of human activity on the ocean’s ecosystem. 

Chosen by Camille from Everything Yoga Retreat

Magical Andes is one of the best travel documentaries on Netflix if you are looking to learn about the natural gems of South America. When searching amongst the 100’s of other documentaries you’ll find this particular docuseries created by Luis Ara and Alexandra Hardorf concentrates solely on the magical landscape of the Andes mountain range. 

This docuseries not only shows you all about the longest continental mountain range in the world, but talks about the wildlife, lakes, and forests, deserts, volcanoes, and other Mother Earth creations that exist in that region. 

Magical Andes focuses on truly stunning imagery and gives you a look into some of the  best places to visit in South America  that you simply wouldn’t see passing through in a car.

Places featured  – In season one, the Netflix documentary features spectacular views from Argentina and Chile. Then from the Aconcagua desert in Bolivia over to some of the more ancient cultures in Peru. The lush mountain of Colombia and Ecuador are also featured.

Chosen by Daniel of LayerCulture.com

If you’ve ever thought of visiting Cuba there are many Cuban movies and documentaries to help you to research your trip, but none are as epic as this one. 

Many people believe that Cuba is a country frozen in time, but this Netflix documentary features Jon Alpert’s travels to Cuba over a span of nearly five decades. 

And while the relationships between the United States and Cuba has been fragmented at times, he visited each time as an American journalist. It starts in 1970s, just over a decade since the Cuban revolution when the country was thriving. 

Instead of giving his perspective on Cuba, he interviews three families who share their own stories of every day life. He continues to visit Cuba to find these families to update their stories. Over the decades the political situation and relationship with the United States changes quite dramatically.

And while he also interviews Fidel Castro, most of the film is really about everyday Cubans and their highs and lows.

Chosen by Ayngelina of Baconismagic.ca

Jack Whitehall is a British comedian who attended private school and has a somewhat disjointed relationship with his father Michael because of this. Jack also never got to take a gap year before going to university so season one of Travels with my Father is all about Jack finally embarking on a traditional ‘gap year’ trip to Southeast Asia. The twist is he takes his father with him so they can strengthen their bond.

The series takes place in Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam and highlights some of the gap year activities that can be done including full moon parties on the beach and visiting Angkor Wat. By the end of their travels, they reflect on what they have learned about each other and themselves.

The show continues in a similar fashion in the subsequent seasons where Michael takes Jack on a culture and history tour around Europe, Jack shows Michael everything the US has to offer, and both his mother and father join him for a road trip in Australia.

Chosen by Steph from Book It Let’s Go!

If you love travel, design and food, Restaurants on the Edge needs to be on your Netflix list. In each episode, the show highlights a restaurant in a stunning location. 

The restaurants get a makeover from a design expert and the menu often gets an upgrade from the show’s chef, the goal is to take struggling restaurants and make them sustainable for the business owners. 

There are currently two seasons of Restaurants on the Edge on Netflix, with locations throughout the world. 

In season one, you’ll be treated to beautiful ocean views in Malta, as well as stunning architecture. The views continue with a cliff side restaurant in Costa Rica. 

Season two will take you around the world again, with restaurants in Finland, St. Croix and Arizona. 

Not only is it fun to see the upgrades these restaurants go through, but it’s also inspiring to see the impact the changes have on each person’s life making this show a must-watch. 

Chosen by Alenis of seasaltandfog.com  

If you are a fan of Italy, Italian art and History, then watch the gorgeous and surprisingly brutal history of the famous Medici’s of Florence.

The Netflix show is so well done with gorgeous cinematography, beautiful costumes and stage settings. The show includes all the surrounding countryside and historic sites that document the Medici Family and their major influence on Florence, Venice, and even Rome (two popes were related to the Medici family).

It also showcases early Catholic power and greed. The Pope had absolute power and a religious mission that seemed corrupt whichever person was Pope and ruler. 

The Medici focus really hits the major sites of the city and also the start of the Renaissance period in Italy. The crowning of the main dome in the cathedral was a major achievement during this time frame and it was really fascinating to see how this was depicted and shown in development and the struggles of the Medici family to get this undertaking done.

Also, it was interesting to see how easy it was during that time frame to create wealth and also lose it depending on your affiliations and business relationships with the pope and other influential rulers of that time.

Watch the Medici’s on Netflix and if you visit Florence, you’ll gain a better understanding of the Medici fame and fortune in the area.

Chosen by Noel of Oahu Travel Now

Below Deck is a series of reality TV shows. Each show is set on a luxury yacht which is rented out by wealthy charter guests, but the real action is with the young yacht crew, or yachties, who serve them, the characterful captains who lead them and the stunning locations. The original Below Deck was so successful that it rapidly gained two spin offs, Below Deck Mediterranean and Below Deck Sailing Yacht.

The original Below Deck saw the crew sail around Sint Maarten in the Caribbean, followed by seasons in the British Virgin Islands, the Bahamas, the US Virgin Islands, Tahiti, Thailand and Antigua.

Below Deck Mediterranean’s locations have included Mykonos in the Greek Islands, Split and Cavtat in Croatia, the Amalfi Coast in Italy, the Cote d’Azur in the south of France and Mallorca in Spain’s Balearic Islands. Below Deck, Sailing Yacht has only had one series, set in Corfu.

Contributed by Helen of HelenOnHerHolidays.com

The documentary series “Tales by Light” follows renowned professional filmmakers and photographers as they visit worldwide destinations and capture fascinating content which highlights different features of the natural world. 

Every episode focuses on a different subject such as wildlife, the oceans, landscapes, adventure activities, or cultural practices and traditions. The distinct approaches of the featured photographers really help to bring the stories to life and this program presents many less well-known countries and regions in a compelling way using panoramic landscapes and stunning visuals. 

The first season explores multiple destinations per episode, with visits to Tonga, Papua New Guinea, Alaska and Colorado in the United States, Vanuatu, the Himalayas, Antarctica, Ethiopia and Uganda.

The second season covers Kenya, Norway, Brazil, the Bahamas, India and Namibia, and the third season highlights Bangladesh, Indonesia, and Australia.

This series presents a journey across the globe and is sure to inspire travellers who are looking for their next adventure.

Contributed by Claire from  Claire Pins Travel  

In this cultural travel show, CNN journalist Christiane Amanpour (who in the past has covered major stories from countries like  Iran , Rwanda, and Pakistan) travels to six different cities around the world to explore women’s love lives across multiple cultures. She talks to experts in the field as well as everyday people — revealing facts and details that give a very insightful glimpse into the culture and values of women around the world. 

Christiane is a natural at asking just the right questions and at shining a spotlight on the stories of the women in each city.

While this show focuses heavily on love and sex, viewers will get to learn a whole lot about the overall mentality and life approach of each country — making this a perfect travel show that fosters deeper cultural appreciation.

Places featured – Tokyo (Japan), Delhi (India), Beirut (Lebanon), Berlin (Germany), Accra (Ghana), Shanghai (China)

Chosen by Jiayi of The Diary of A Nomad

Released at the beginning of 2021, The Serpent is not a travel show in and of itself, but it will inevitably allure travelers into visiting the many places explored by the main characters.

Aired on Netflix, the series tells the real story of Charles Sobhraj, a French serial killer of Indian and Vietnamese origins who in the mid-1970s drugged, robbed and killed a large number of backpackers travelling between Thailand, India and Nepal. 

Sobhraj and his Quebecoise girlfriend Marie-Andrée Leclerc were finally identified as the authors of the crimes thanks to the work of Dutch diplomat Herman Knippenberg, who, albeit the many reservations of the Dutch ambassador to Thailand, set to investigate the disappearance of a Dutch couple and through a series of lead eventually managed to uncover the culprits.

Places featured: Over the course of 8 episodes you will be taken to Bangkok, the coast of Thailand, the peaks of Nepal, the streets of several Indian cities and even to Paris .

Chosen by Claudia Tavani of My Adventures Across The World

When Tommy Caldwell and Kevin Jorgeson free climbed the Great Wall of the El Capitan rock face in the Yosemite National Park in 2018, the news spread like wildfire.

Dawn Wall is a US documentary about this story of perseverance and adventure.

Cameras follow these legendary free climbers as they undertake this nearly impossible task. It took Cadwell 7 years to reach the goal and we are given a detailed look into the events that led to this decision and the struggles that were involved throughout the journey.

There’s one constant theme that runs throughout the story and that is the strength of the human spirit.

This captivating documentary with great visuals should not be missed. The documentary is in English, but subtitles are available in different languages that include Spanish, French, and Chinese. 

Places featured : Yosemite National Park

Chosen by Rai from A Rai of Light

My Octopus Teacher is an award-winning and very heart-touching documentary on Netflix that covers how a filmmaker spent a year trying to capture a wild octopus on camera and also form a friendship with it. 

For about a year, Craig Foster films a wild octopus he came across while trying out free-diving through an underwater kelp forest in South Africa.

Over the period, Craig and the octopus develop a bond with the octopus almost showing Craig around and not being uninhibited by his presence as he follows it.

Craig watches as it protects itself, loses an arm to an attack and then regrows it too. At the end of the documentary, the octopus naturally passes away after mating and trying to protect its eggs. 

Filmed entirely near Cape Peninsula in South Africa, this beautiful documentary is not to be missed as it covers an offbeat relationship between man and nature. 

Places featured – A kelp forest off False Bay near Simon’s Town in South Africa

Chosen by Lavinia of Continent Hop

For the foodies of the world, who travel the world, and are strident realists about the world, “Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown” is an absolute must-watch.

Rugged, painfully honest, internationally renowned chef Anthony Bourdain travelled the globe in search of authentic food, people and life experiences. With no time for nonsense and all the time in the world for simple food done to perfection, he takes the viewer to eating establishments from tiny street food stalls to the finest of fine dining.

In his search for amazing food in amazing places, he guides you from the brutality of the Bornean jungle to the madness of Seoul’s foodie nightlife and the pure joy of a perfectly cooked steak in an Argentinian steakhouse accompanied by a glass of locally bottled Malbec. 

Parts Unknown leaves you an appetite for dinner and a bigger one for travel. Wanderlust is baked into every episode.

Chosen by Rosie of the Flying Fluskeys

The Street Food series is one for foodie lovers around the world to enjoy! Each episode follows the story of a local chef and how they started their now-famous street food shops.

From family restaurants to cultural fusions, you learn about a destination through food from the people who make it possible.

Volume one takes place in various Asian destinations, such as Bangkok (Thailand), Singapore, Delhi (India), Seoul (South Korea), and others.

The second volume takes place in Latin America, highlighting food in Salvador (Brazil), Bogota (Colombia), Lima (Peru), Oaxaca (Mexico), and more.

It is a delicious docuseries that will keep you salivating and also inspire you to understand how food and travel are one. Street Food will also encourage you to get out of your comfort zone if you normally avoid street food!

It is the ideal blend of travel and food for everyone to indulge in from home.

Chosen by Sojourner of Sojournies.com

📺 If you are looking for more travel inspiration on Netflix check out these posts:

• 39 Very Best Travel Movies to Inspire Your Wanderlust
• Best Spanish Series on Netflix (Binge-worthy TV for 2021)
• 10 best movies about South Africa to watch before you visit
• Best Netflix series set in Denmark
• 15 best Scandinavian & Nordic Noir Netflix series you can’t miss
• Best French series on Netflix

📖 If you enjoy reading about a country before you visit check out these posts

• A Complete Guide to the Best Books from Around the World
• Best books about Croatia (or set in Croatia)

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The 20 Best Adventure Travel Documentaries and Travel Movies To Stream Right Now

Post Summary: The Best Travel Documentaries and Travel Movies 

Don’t have time to travel right now, but still want to be transported somewhere else? Berty and I have found ourselves scrolling through old pictures on our phones, reminiscing about those amazing hiking trails in Glacier from last summer or gorgeous places on the Oregon Coast . 

Sooo, while phone pictures are great reminders of past trips, we’re getting our travel fix now by watching travel documentaries and travel movies ! They are an awesome way to transport yourself into another world and experience the adrenaline rush, culture, or experiences right from the comfort of your own couch.

In this post, we’re sharing our recommended travel documentaries and travel movies across a wide span of streaming services. We’re aware that people may not have all of these (or any!) but we tried to cover as many as we could to share our recommendations.

We hope you can find a new travel series to enjoy alongside us!

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Adventure Travel Documentaries and Travel Movies To Feed Your Wanderlust

Is this a complete list? Absolutely not! We don’t cover much about food tourism, and that’s an entirely different topic with a HUGE range of shows to explore.

In this particular post, we’re sharing more travel documentaries on the adventurous side of things, to inspire epic adventures and maybe even a rush of adrenaline!

We hope you enjoy our travel movie picks, and let us know in the comments if you have any more to add to this list!

NETFLIX TRAVEL DOCUMENTARIES

The dawn wall.

Love climbing? You’ll really love The Dawn Wall . This documentary follows Tommy Caldwell in his attempt to climb Yosemite’s Dawn Wall (the section of El Capital that the sun hits first in the mornings) and the incredible backstory that led him to this monumental feat. 

Follow the world’s adorable animals in this documentary series from the makers of Blue Planet and Planet Earth. Follow exotic animals from over 50 countries and see how they thrive in the wilderness. Narrated by Sir David Attenborough, this travel documentary will give you all the warm fuzzies. 

National Parks Adventure

Bummed that your favorite national parks are closed? Experience them in this amazing travel movie narrated by Robert Redford! He shares the history of America’s national parks, from the tall Redwoods to the vast stretches of the Grand Canyon . You’ll be inspired, awe-struck, and ready to plan your next adventure before it ends.

Jack Whitehall: Travels With My Father

A traveling comedian takes his risk-averse father around the world . A funny travel documentary about trying new things and bonding with the person you love across the world!

Dark Tourist

David Farrier ventures out into the world of Dark Tourism, which is traveling to unpopular places for their notoriety in death , destruction , or all-around spookiness . From war zones to Chernobyl, David brings you to the places you never want to go…but kind of do. 

Tales By Light

Follow Simon Lister, a photographer that traveled the world with camera in hand, only to soften his heart for the poor and disadvantaged he encountered. He partnered with UNICEF to bring awareness to small communities in need , sharing the unique stories of the people in them. 

This travel documentary is for you if you love feel-good shows , with panning drone shots of the beautiful landscapes he encounters. 

The Alpinist

Following the life of quiet, solitary life of Marc-André Leclerc, you’ll learn about the man who redefined solo climbing by tackling some of the most daunting and dangerous peaks in the world! If you love mountaineering and climbing, this is definitely one of the best travel documentaries to watch.

AMAZON PRIME TRAVEL DOCUMENTARIES AND MOVIES

The secret life of walter mitty.

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty is one of our favorite travel movies to watch for world inspiration! Following the story of the lifeless day-to-day schedule of photo developer Walter Mitty, he begins to have exciting daydreams about seeing the world.

All this comes to the forefront when he gets an opportunity to travel and track down a photo, to be used for the final issue of the magazine firm in which he works. This movie is filled with gorgeous shots of some of the most beautiful areas of the world – it will definitely give you a little bit of wanderlust!

Idaho The Movie

Tim Woodward narrates this gorgeous travel documentary all about…you guessed it, Idaho! If you’ve ever been curious about all the buzz around this state, whet your travel appetite with the Emmy-Award-winning documentary. (It also has a sequel!)

Love Idaho? You’ll want to plan a trip to the Route of the Hiawatha bike trail in the summertime!

Alone is a reality show that follows the lives of ten individuals, all placed in isolation from the rest of the world on a quest for survival. Their goal is to see who can survive in the wilderness the longest , and some seasons have contestants going for months before the last person is left standing!

The first, second, and fourth seasons are all filmed on Vancouver Island , which is an interesting way to see the wild, less-reached areas of the island. Berty and I love this series because we learn a lot about survival strategies and love hearing the stories of the individuals! 

If you love climbing documentaries like Free Solo, you’re going to love Meru! This documentary follows the attempts of three professional climbers , attempting Mount Meru, one of the riskiest climbs in the world. 

They face all kinds of challenges, ranging from terrible weather, difficult climbs, and mental blocks. If you have been curious about what it’s like to be an elite climber, this is the travel documentary for you!

HULU TRAVEL DOCUMENTARIES

A show by Vice, Abandoned is about exploring abandoned structures all around America . Following the story of pro skateboarder Rick McCrank, he’ll take you to some of America’s most forgotten places and show you the beauty that still lies there. Watch the trailer here.  

Man Vs Wild

Man Vs Wild is a popular and exciting travel documentary series that follows Bear Grylls on his always-exciting adventures into the far reaches of the world. From survival tips to risky quests , he takes you on adventures that will keep you on the edge of your seat!

Rick Steves Europe

Rick Steves is one of the most popular and well-known travel writers of our time. He has helped thousands of people plan amazing trips all around the world, but most notably around Europe!

The graphics in this travel documentary series are a little on the cheesy side (recorded in the early 2000s), but you’ll come to the other side of this show with expanded cultural knowledge, history, and a long bucket list of places to explore in Europe !

DISNEY PLUS TRAVEL DOCUMENTARIES AND MOVIES

This adorable feel-good movie is about a grumpy old man and a boy scout that take an unpredictable adventure. Tying thousands of balloons to his home , the dynamic duo fly to South America to fulfill a lifelong dream of seeing Paradise Falls. 

Free Solo is a documentary about US climber, Alex Honnold in his attempt to climb Yosemite’s El Capitan without the aid (or safety) of ropes . Sweaty palms will set in right from the beginning – Alex’s camera crew shoots at angles that make even the most risk-seeking individuals have a pit in their stomach! 

This documentary follows the days leading up to the climb, interviews with his closest friends and family, and the nail-biting climb carefully documented every step of the way!

Read More: How To Spend 24 Hours In Yosemite National Park

Living in an idyllic Polynesian village, Moana is the daughter of the chief who is constantly searching for her purpose and identity. When her community is thrust into danger, she sets out on a mission to the open waters to save her people . Meeting the demi-god, Maui, and other mystical creatures, Moana’s adventure is full of twists and turns as she becomes a master way-finder on the open sea.

Young Miguel dreams of being a musician , despite his family’s aversion to music. Going behind his family’s back to prove he has what it takes to be a famous musician like his idol, Ernest de la Cruz, he stumbles upon the other side of life, the Land of the Dead . 

Funny characters, Miguel’s ancestors, and mystical beasts help Miguel as he navigates his way back home and discovers his true family history. 

Ratatouille

Being a rat in Paris can have its disadvantages, especially if you are an aspiring chef ! Remy the mouse dreams of being a famous chef in Paris and with the help of an unlucky garbage boy (Linguini) he gets to put his skills to the test.

If you are dreaming about visiting Paris, this is a fun way to immerse yourself in the culture of the city, without having to plan your own Paris itinerary!

Want To Plan Your Own Trip? Read Our 3 Day Paris Itinerary!

The Rescue is one of the most miraculous travel documentaries that happened just a few years ago! In 2018, a Thai soccer team of 12 boys wandered into a cave and became trapped by water flooding into the space.

The Thai navy and friends gathered together the best cave divers in the world to plan a rescue mission to save the boys and their coach. Watch the full movie to see this exciting and nerve-wracking story unfold!

Even More Travel Documentaries and Movies To Watch At Home

• Down To EarthThe Goonies
• The Darjeeling Limited
• Into the Wild
• 180 Degrees South
• Interstellar
• Stand By Me
• The Hobbit Series
• Indiana Jones
• Call of the Wild
• Lord of the Rings
• The River Wild
• The Way Back
• Vertical Limit
• Captain Fantastic
• The Revenent

What are some other travel documentaries and travel movies? Anything we missed? Share your favorites in the comments below!

More travel inspiration.

Inspiring Travel Coffee Table Books

Inspiration Photo Locations In Washington State

Adventurous Pacific Northwest Activities To Plan For Future Trips

More Travel Inspiration By Following @TheMandagies on Instagram

Find Me directed by Tom Huang. You can watch it for free on Tubi! Literally one of my favorite movies!

Thanks for the travel movie suggestion, Alexandra!!

Idaho: The Movie is everything! Definitely makes you want to go on an Idaho road trip ASAP. Loved stress-watching Free Solo and the Dawn Wall, will have to check out Meru. And – the Walter Mitty soundtrack is the best adventure music ever. Thanks for this fun movie round up!

Love it Sarah! Yes, we totally recommend Meru. If you loved the Dawn Wall and Free Solo, Meru is the next level!!

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Second-Half Travels

Adventures of a Fifty-Something Cubicle Escapee

13 Best Travel Documentaries on Netflix (2023)

These Netflix documentaries about travel will pacify your wanderlust between trips as you explore the world from the comfort of your couch.

Here are some of the best travel documentaries on Netflix in the US as of July 24, 2023. Many are also available in other countries. Watch them while you can, because content disappears as licensing agreements expire.

Also, don’t miss the bonus list of travel documentaries on Amazon Prime below.

Table of Contents

Netflix Travel Documentaries

1. dark tourist.

Netflix meets Vice in this travelogue by New Zealand filmmaker David Farrier, who sets his sights on the world of dark tourism.

From a nuclear lake to a haunted forest, he visits macabre — and sometimes dangerous — tourist destinations around the world.

Countries : Various

2. Street Food: Latin America

Experiencing street food culture is one of the joys of travel. This mouth-watering docuseries travels to Latin America to meet the local stars of street food.

Countries : Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, Argentina, Peru, and Bolivia

3. Street Food: Asia

This inspiring series from the makers of Chef’s Table is as much about the compelling survival stories of these talented street chefs as it is about their signature dishes.

The first season takes the viewer to nine Asian destinations.

Countries : Thailand, Japan, India, Indonesia, Taiwan, South Korea, Singapore, the Philippines, and Vietnam

4. Pedal the World

Over the course of one memorable and adventure-filled year, German-born Felix Starck documents his 18,000-kilometer bicycle journey across 22 countries.

The Oscar-nominated heart-rending true story of the rangers risking their lives to save Africa’s most precious national park and its endangered gorillas.

Country: Congo

6. Chef’s Table

Each episode of this Emmy-nominated docuseries visits a different international location for an in-depth interview with one of the world’s most renowned chefs.

Creator David Gelb also directed the critically acclaimed Jiro Dreams of Sushi , and the two productions share a similar emotional and artistic sensibility hallmarked by compelling narratives and mesmerizingly beautiful cinematography.

7. Magical Andes

No English subtitles available for trailer – but you don’t need them to admire the stunning photography

From Argentina to Colombia, this inspiring documentary follows five characters who share their deep connection to South America’s majestic mountains.

Countries: Argentina, Chile, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia

8. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Chef David Chang brings his trademark irreverent humor and curiosity to Vancouver, Marrakech, Los Angeles, and Phnom Penh as he explores the culture and food accompanied by various celebrity guests.

Countries : Canada, Morocco, US, Cambodia

9. The Trader (Sovdagari)

At only 23 minutes, this award-winning documentary short provides a fascinating and poignant window into impoverished rural life in post-Soviet Georgia.

The camera follows a traveling trader as he sells secondhand goods in exchange for potatoes. Beautiful cinematography that captures the stark Georgian landscape.

Country: Georgia

10. Ugly Delicious

Smart-ass chef David Chang leads his buddies on a mouthwatering, cross-cultural hunt for the world’s most satisfying grub.

Each episode of this highly original show tackles a topic like tacos, pizza, or dumplings, examining its cultural and culinary history and visiting different countries to compare how it’s made.

Warning: Chang can be obnoxious, and racial and political commentary is liberally sprinkled throughout the show, which may not be to everyone’s taste.

11. Period. End of Sentence.

This Oscar-winning documentary short takes us to rural India, where local women fight the stigma surrounding menstruation by manufacturing low-cost sanitary pads.

Country: India

12. Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat

Based on Samin Nosrat’s best-selling book, this visually stunning series travels to the home kitchens of Italy, the southern islands of Japan, the heat of the Yucatán, and to Berkeley’s Chez Panisse.

Samin’s contagious laugh and genuine passion for cooking inspire as she explores the central principles of what makes food delicious.

Countries: Italy, Japan, Mexico, United States

13. Taco Chronicles

Note: No English subtitles available for YouTube trailer; click to watch subtitled trailer on Netflix Warning: Don’t watch if you’re hungry. Explore the complex histories of the world’s most beloved tacos in this love letter to the iconic handheld food.

Country : Mexico

Travel Documentaries on Amazon Prime

See below for some of the best travel documentaries on Amazon Prime Video. I’ve indicated whether each is free to Prime members or available for rental.

Note that these films may also be found at your local library.

A Map for Saturday

Classic travel documentary that follows a variety of solo budget travelers — from teens to seniors — through 26 countries on four continents.

Young filmmaker Brook Silva-Braga trains his inquisitive lens on backpackers lending a hand to tsunami victims, trekkers forming brief but intense relationships, and fascinating moments of self-discovery and adventure.

Available for rental on Amazon Prime .

This inspiring documentary follows the record-breaking round-the-world voyage of Dutch teen Laura Dekker, youngest person ever to sail around the world alone.

Available for free to Prime members on Amazon Prime.

This beautifully filmed docu follows adventurer Jeff Johnson as he retraces the epic 1968 journey to Patagonia of his heroes Yvon Chouinard and Doug Tompkins, legendary founders of The North Face and Patagonia sportswear and pioneering conservationists.

Along the way Johnson gets shipwrecked off Easter Island, surfs the longest wave of his life, and attempts to climb a Patagonian peak.

Available for free to Prime members on Amazon Prime .

Countries: Mexico, Chile

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• Travel Essentials You Never Knew You Needed
• Netflix TV Shows and Movies Filmed in Morocco
• Best Russian Shows on Netflix and Amazon Prime
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About Ingrid

Ingrid left software engineering at age 43 to devote herself to language learning and travel. Her goal is to speak seven languages fluently. Currently, she speaks English, German, Spanish, Portuguese, and French, and is studying Italian.

Reader Interactions

July 5, 2018 at 3:56 pm

Definitely going to start ploughing my way through some of these before I head off next!! 🙂

July 5, 2018 at 10:38 pm

Definitely… Netflix travel shows provide some of my best inspiration! 😉

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A Community Created To Inspire, Connect, Educate & Empower Female Travelers

AT HOME , STAYCATION · May 6, 2020 Last Updated on March 12, 2024

12 OF THE BEST TRAVEL DOCUMENTARIES

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Wondering how you can travel from home without stepping outside your front door? Then look no further than this list of the best travel documentaries and TV shows that will whisk you from your armchair to another country!

1) The Long Way Round

Two men taking motorcycles from London on a journey east all the way around the world might not sound that appealing but trust me, this is one of the best travel series I have ever seen!

Long time friends Ewan McGregor and Charlie Boorman spend several months planning this epic journey around the world. The Long Way Round journey begins in London and ends in New York – the longest route around the world – and takes you through Kazakhstan, Russia, Mongolia right round to Alaska and more. 

A film crew follows them but is always around a day behind and generally only meets them at border crossings, so you see the real good, bad and ugly of travel by motorbike through some harsh but beautiful landscapes.

2) The Long Way Down

Not satisfied with their journey around the world, Ewan and Charlie return for another motorcycle adventure taking the Long Way Down , starting from the tip of Scotland John O’Groats to the southernmost point in Africa, Cape Agulhas. 

The 15,000-mile bike adventure is an even harder challenge than the previous with extreme temperatures and harsh climate to deal with. But as with the Long Way Round, McGregor and Boorman are hilarious and honest making this series an absolute must watch!

3) The Kindness Diaries

In this series, we follow Leon Logothetis as he travels the world on the kindness of strangers. In the first series, Leon travels from LA through the US, Europe and Asia – hitting countries including Italy, Croatia, Greece , Turkey , India , Cambodia , Thailand and Vietnam , travelling by vintage motorbike with no money in his pockets. Leon relies on the kindness of strangers to give him food and a place to stay each night. 

The Kindness Diaries Series 2 repeats the same idea, but instead Leon travels from Alaska, through the US down into South America in a vintage VW Beetle. 

This show demonstrates the kind hearts of strangers as Leon meets hundreds of people who help him and have also dedicated their lives to helping others. 

4) Street Food

Available on Netflix, this 9 part documentary takes you to a different street market in Asia in each 30-minute episode. If you like to travel for food, then this series is for you! 

Discover the delicacies on offer in Bangkok, Osaka, Delhi, Yogyakarta, Chiayi, Seoul , Ho Chi Minh City , Singapore and Cebu. Each episode comes with a story of the people who make the food, including a Bangkok chef who has a Michelin-star after spending decades making crab omelets and the obsession with chicken rice of the hawkers of Singapore. 

5) Anything By David Attenborough

But seriously, any documentary by David Attenborough is worth watching and he has created several that are country and destination-specific, including ones in The Galapagos , Africa  and Tasmania.

I personally loved watching Galapagos before my trip to the islands to get to learn about the history and emergence of these islands off the coast of Ecuador. 

Once you have made your way through the destination-specific documentaries you can watch Attenborough’s more general documentaries, including Big Pacific , Seven Worlds One Planet , and Wild North .

6) Around The Next Bend

This 12 part documentary follows two young adventurers as they go on a 2,500 km rafting expedition along the famous Ganges river in India. 

Around The Next Bend shows you the colourful, beautiful and often challenging side of India. The two expeditions raft past the Taj Mahal, through Varanasi, through Nepal and into Bangladesh. 

7) March of The Penguins 

Who doesn’t want to spend an hour or two watching penguins making their way through Antarctica to the dulcet tones of narrator Morgan Freeman? 

March of the Penguins is a classic docu-movie set in Antarctica , following the emperor penguins as they go on a quest to find the perfect mate and to start a family.  

8) Figure It Out: On The Hayduke Trail 

This series documents a thru-hike on one of America’s most challenging routes, The Hayduke Trail . The journey is 800 miles through Southern Utah and Northern Arizona. 

If you enjoy hiking or magnificent scenery then you will love following this trail as each episode takes you to a new part of the route, covering places such as Arches National Park, Moab, Escalante, The Wave, the Grand Canyon, Zion and Colorado City. 

The documentary also explores how we can use the lessons that are learned whilst out in the wilderness to improve our day to day lives. 

9) Salt Of The Earth

Salt Of The Earth is an Oscar-nominated 2014 documentary about the life and work of Brazilian photo-journalist Sebastião Salgado. Salgado spent 40 years documenting groups of people in remote corners of South America, Africa and Central Europe. 

The documentary sees Salgado talk about the stories behind the photographs and whilst sometimes difficult to watch it is a fascinating look into some areas of the world we may not ever explore ourselves. 

10) Free Solo

Free Solo is the story of solo climber Alex Hannold climbing 3,200 ft El Capitan in Yosemite National Park with no ropes. Winner of the 2019 Academy Award for Best Documentary, this is a heart pounding story of one man’s obsession to do what has never been done before.

The documentary will keep you on the edge of your seat, with amazing footage and heart stopping moments as you watch Alex’s attempt to climb El Capitan completely solo, sans ropes and all.

11) Expedition Happiness

Follow the journey of Felix Starck and his girlfriend Mogli as they adventure through North America in a refurbished school bus.

Starck is famous for the documentary Pedal The World, where he goes on an 18,000-kilometer journey by bicycle through 22 countries. Arguably Pedal The World is the better of the two documentaries, with Expedition Happiness a nice idea and an easy watch, but a little light on culture or interesting activities. 

12) Anthony Bourdain: A Cooks Tour

In this series, famous food writer and presenter Anthony Bourdain travels the world indulging his passion for trying local cuisines. Along the way, Bourdain meets several eccentric characters bringing life to this docu-series.

Discover foods from the Caribbean, New Orleans, Brazil, Minneapolis, New York , Hanoi , Singapore, Melbourne and more in series 1 of A Cooks Tour .

Other Recommended Travel Documentaries

• Around The World For Free  Alex Boylan circumnavigated the world without a penny in his pockets!
• Mother India Compelling documentary showing the lives of 25 orphans in India living along the railway
• Unbounded A team of twenty-something travellers hike the Greater Patagonian Trail
• DIY Destinations Budget Travel Show Discover the best budget travel destinations around the world
• Rick Steves Europe In the 7 seasons of this series, Rick Steves guides you through Europe showcasing his favourite spots and some off the beaten path destinations  

I hope that this article has given you some ideas for how to travel through documentaries. If you have any other favourite travel documentaries or series not included please leave these in the comments below. 

Want to share your own travel tips by guest writing for We Are Travel Girls? Please visit our Contribute page for guidelines and to submit your article.

Subscribe to get access to our FREE eBook with tips for saving money when you travel!

Read More Stay Home Travel Ideas

• 10 Ways To Have A Staycation At Home 
• 25 Of The Best Travel Movies
• 10 Novels To Inspire Your Wanderlust
• 16 Travel Themed Cocktails To Enjoy At Ho me

We Are Travel Girls Founder Becky van Dijk of  BeckyvanDijk.com Connect with Becky  Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Instagram  |  Pinterest  |  YouTube

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James Cala says

April 20, 2021 at 5:55 am

Amazing list, I love the combination of food & travel as well!

One suggestion is a new travel docu one of my travel buds showed me. It’s on youtube: Same same but different – a documentary about backpacking. Really loved it, beautiful story and depicts for me amazing the backpack culture.

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The best travel documentaries to stream right now

By Condé Nast Traveller and Antonia Quirke

There are films that make you want to travel . But that’s easy. Just point a camera at an April meadow or a Sicilian back street and most of us salivate. And then there are films that make you feel like you have actually, physically travelled to a place. That leave you suffused with the sensations of its air and sounds. As though the camera lens has been your own eyes, noting details of light against brick, hills stepping inland, fruit and cigarettes on a table, springs gushing out of rocks, courtyards hanging with people and flowers, shirts on a line across a high, unstable balcony. So much that it can begin to feel spooky: you muddle the movie’s memories with your own.

Passing Stromboli on a boat one summer I thought, ‘Been there.’ I hadn’t. I’d just seen the movie, and more recently Ingrid Bergman’s own cine-film footage of the shoot (see below.) But still, I got off, and walked around. And it was true. I had been there already. The mesmerising, almost drugging déjà vu! Here are some more of the best travel documentary films that have that very singular effect.

My Octopus Teacher (2020)

Be immersed in the wonders of nature with this uplifting Netflix original, which won the Oscar for Best Documentary Feature at the 2021 Academy Awards. Directed by Pippa Ehrlich and James Reed, it follows the unexpected friendship between filmmaker Craig Foster and a wild octopus in a South African kelp forest. After swimming in the remote location near Cape Town and discovering this curious marine animal, Foster decided to visit the same spot every day to learn and understand more about the creature and subsequently form a strong bond with it.

In one hour and 25 minutes of beautiful imagery and filmography, this documentary leaves you feeling sentimental about human connections, our extraordinary interactions with other life – and intrigued about what else lies below the ocean’s surface… By Cordelia Aspinall

'My Octopus Teacher' is available to stream on Netflix now

Cher and the Loneliest Elephant documentary (2021)

Watch the trailer below

Released in the USA on Thursday 22 April to mark Earth Day 2021 , this heart-warming wildlife documentary follows singer Cher’s mission to rescue a captive elephant named Kaavan. Kaavan, a Sri-Lankan born elephant, was sent as a gift to the daughter of the president of Pakistan and ended up, confined, in Islamabad Zoo. After a global petition via Change.org and Twitter received more than 400,000 signatures, a five-year fight for his freedom began, with none other than global pop superstar Cher stepping in after she spotted the campaign online. Having been confined for more than 35 years (the duration of its life) and given the title ‘the loneliest elephant in the world’, the five-tonne animal was relocated across Asia to a 30,000-acre Cambodian wildlife sanctuary.

With teary moments and incredible footage of the massive process involved in the transportation of Kaavan to Cambodia, this is a moving story focusing on the unsettling trauma the elephant was forced to experience, yet it has an uplifting end. Not only does the film with Cher’s narration walk you through this elephant’s long struggle of neglect and maltreatment, it also shines a light on the cruelty that so many animals around the world endure every day. It is a moving yet educational documentary hooked on a powerful true story. Cher co-founded the animal rights organisation Free the Wild as a result and even released the song 'Walls' inspired by her experience. By Cordelia Aspinall

'Cher and the Loneliest Elephant' is available on Smithsonian Channel from Wednesday 19 May 2021

MAN ON WIRE (2008)

‘I remember the vastness of New York . The altitude! It was all so alive!’ Was a city ever so breathtakingly captured as in this celebrated account of the mist-swagged August morning in 1974 when French wire-walker Philippe Petit illegally rigged a cable between the twin towers of the World Trade Center and made eight entirely improbable crossings in 45 minutes. Dressed all in black, his slender figure carrying its long balancing pole occasionally kneels on the thin wire (he even lies down – how your stomach heaves!), saluting the dazzling morning, and his own skill and chutzpah, as the startled pedestrians on the streets far below gaze up weeping and gasping while steam filters up through cracks in the pavement in that quintessential NYC way. Even though the crossings themselves are all in fact captured only in stills taken at the time by Petit’s assistants and friends you somehow remember the whole marvellous incident in moving images. It’s the city itself that’s doing that to you: its inherent dynamism, its irrepressible atmosphere of perpetual motion.

Alessia Armenise

Stacey Lastoe

Sarah James

Connor Sturges

We see Manhattan photographed here from so high above (much as we see it in the 1933 King Kong ), the Hudson spreading like glitter – like nitrate itself – in any black-and-white images. And the colour of apricot in colour stills, under blue swags of cloud and summer sky. ‘Everyone was spellbound by the watching of it,’ exhales a policeman dispatched to arrest Petit, who was ultimately charged with trespass and disorderly conduct. But the city embraced him.

Stream on Amazon , Google Play and YouTube

FREE SOLO (2018)

An immense, waning moon stares into a canyon’s abyss of sharp stones. A fierce river below spurts along the valley, wild grasses on the banks rolling in the wind like feathers or fur. All this the free-climber Alex Honnold sees – or does he? Fixed like Spider-Man to the side of a cliff, climber’s white chalk clinging to the back of his blistered hands, as the evening flushes rose right across Yosemite National Park. A film that follows Honnold in 2017 preparing to climb the infamous El Capitan – ‘3,200 feet of sheer vertical granite… the centre of the rock-climbing universe’ – without ropes. You sweat in sickly fear for his safety while also completely revelling in the fresh air every frame seems to blow your way, the bright warmth of sun on boulder, the absurd beauty of distant trees, the sight of a rainbow slicing through the foaming heart of a waterfall. You emerge healthier and freer somehow, just for having watched it. Your own limbs spasm as though you walked all day. Despite it being a compelling story of self-induced terror (what drives the angel-faced Honnold remains a mystery), you remember more the awesome sights, the very visceral sensation of movement.

Stream on All4

SEASPIRACY (2021)

Not one for the faint of heart, this 90-minute Netflix documentary has been hitting audiences hard in quite a few ways. It’s from the team behind C owspiracy: The Sustainability Secret (another in-depth spotlight, this time on the impact of agriculture on our planet), and you can expect to see similar themes, upsetting footage and quite controversial interviews with figures in the global fishing industry. The film, directed and narrated by British filmmaker Ali Tabrizi, sets out to explore the damaging effects of mass-scale commercial fishing on marine life and the levels of pollution in waters around the world. Expect to learn about the importance of dolphins, sharks and whales for our oceans ’ ecosystems, that sustainably sourced seafood might not be all that it seems, and that, ultimately, we should all be reducing our fish consumption. You might very well be off fish by the end, but it’s also worth reading around some more: there are some conflicting views about the film and whether the scientific points it makes are factually out of context. Katharine Sohn

Seaspiracy is available to stream on Netflix now

Chasing Coral (2017)

You may not be able to travel to see the Great Barrier Reef , the subject of this Netflix documentary, for much longer if we don't do something about climate change and ocean warming. The film uses hi-tech camera equipment and time lapses to show the deterioration of the coral as it turns from 'colourful, vibrant ecosystems into barren, lifeless wastelands,' writes Condé Nast Traveler US 's Sebastian Modak. You'll feel truly gutted once the movie's over, but it will have you planning a trip to Australia , and other areas with endangered natural wonders, within minutes of the rolling credits.

Stream Chasing Coral on Netflix

THE WHALEBONE BOX (2020)

Here’s a treat. Andrew Kotting – our most quietly influential experimental filmmaker – released a film online that sweeps us up on a pilgrimage to return a box made of whalebone to a far beach on the Hebridean Isle of Harris, whence the whale bones originally came. So, we cram in a car with Kotting and the psychogeographer Iain Sinclair and rumble north (filming mostly on a camera-phone) all overseen by Kotting’s daughter Eden, who wears a pagan crown of ivy and seems to be conjuring the whole mysterious and somehow healing road trip in a fever-dream. It’s a perfect evocation of that desire to travel. To move, to be en route, to feel twinges of uneasy excitement, to spin out illusionary ideas of a distant location. The place names whirl by: Ardlui, Mallaig. (At one point we suddenly find ourselves in a Templar castle in the Pyrenees.) Inside the car there’s that super-seductive sense of a gang travelling light, seeing what happens and who they might meet along the jagged coastline. ‘There are places you go, to access time,’ Kotting tells us, as the startling white sand of Harris glows in its near-sinister, beckoning way, under racing skies full of clouds like shredded curtains, and sudden glimmers of wet, green Hebridean sunlight.

Streamed exclusively on MUBI

BUENA VISTA SOCIAL CLUB (1999)

A phenomenon as much as a movie, the spectacular success of the Buena Vista Social Club album and film had a limitless impact on the Cuban tourist industry. Some 20 years later, the music you hear on street corners in that city is more likely to be the music of pre-revolutionary Cuba defined in the film, by a cadre of musicians (some in their 70s and 80s) who had long fallen out of favour, only to be made world famous in their dotage.

I especially love when the camera sways out onto the streets of Havana, filming fast and in natural light the life there: the men working on immense old cars observed by stray dogs the colour of a sweet cold beer; the breeze off the sea playing against shirts; children rolling wooden toys before them; the unloading of mountains of bananas; residents of stuccoed tenements easing vast, scratched and defunct Fifties American fridges out of doors past murals of Che, as though demonstrating the very sickness of capitalism that Guevera railed against. Guitarist Compay Segundo recalling how, aged five, he would light his grandmother’s cigars in Santiago. Or baritone crooner Ibrahim Ferrer showing us the wooden carving he has always kept of Lazarus, and the little bowls of honey, rum and perfume he would offer to it, for good luck – which finally came to him after years of penury and shoe-shining in Havana after the film was released. Every frame takes you to that city, that climate. The smoky smell of the pavements as the sun grows stronger.

Stream on Google Play and YouTube

THE BEACHES OF AGNÈS (2008)

‘The North Sea and the sand is the start for me…’ says Agnès Varda, esteemed filmmaker of the Nouvelle Vague and photographer of genius, who aged 80 in this autobiographical collage of personal memory and feeling, takes us to the beaches that shaped her childhood, her marriage, her art and beyond. ‘Time passes, except on the beaches, which are timeless…’ she reasons, remembering with fondness Belgian sands at La Panne and Middelkerke. And especially the port city of Sète in France ’s southern region of Occitanie, where she speaks of seeing fishermen in the 1940s living in rough tents on the dunes, canvas walls slung with storm lamps and old pans. Noirmoutier, the French island in the Bay of Biscay, she recalls her husband Jacques Demy particularly loving, and she films it here in tribute and with such freshness it’s since become a destination for fans of the movie. ‘What is cinema?’ Varda asks, ‘It is LIGHT coming from somewhere…’ We see her sailing up the Seine in a wooden boat, right under the Ponts des Arts, the craft itself painted the sun-flashing yellow of the Provençal sunflowers that Varda always seemed to feature in her movies. I had the good fortune to interview Varda when she was 90, just months before she died, and I took a bunch of sunflowers as a gift – she received them with a yelp of happiness, saying they reminded her of French summers, her wise eyes warm as landing lights.

GRIZZLY MAN (2005)

‘Sometimes images themselves develop their own mysterious stardom…’ narrates German director Werner Herzog, over this his most heart-rending film. Part ‘kind warrior’ part ‘samurai’ the conservationist-activist Timothy Treadwell lived for 13 summers with wild Kodiak bears in remote areas of the Alaskan peninsula, shooting 100 hours of footage of those bears in their natural habitat. Styling himself as a Prince Valiant, his eventual death-by-Kodiak was shockingly violent, and Herzog shapes Treadwell’s sad, strange story as a tribute to ‘wild, primordial nature’ where his subject was truly at home. As you watch, you’re convinced you too can feel the fresh air on your own skin, the nip of mosquitoes, the pelter of rain. The long evenings spent alone, the vast plateau of mountains, the tide flats, the tumbled jags of glaciers, the sensation of Treadwell’s hands calloused like leather, the yelp of light in the mornings, the changing Alaskan sky.

In one scene, little slim foxes (called Ghost and Spirit) wake him by pressing their noses and paws against the walls of his tent, and he runs with them across a flower-studded meadow, delirious with the surprising gift of such companionship and freedom that would make any child’s heart explode. To be friends with the animals! ‘He captures such glorious improvised moments the likes of which studio directors with their union crews could never dream of,’ says Herzog, with patent admiration, himself an absolute master of putting not just nature, but the profound euphoria of travel on film. Think of those moments in Herzog’s Nosferatu the Vampyre, when the hero walks the High Tatra mountains of northern Slovakia, or the Partnach Gorge in the Reintal valley in southern Germany . Rhapsodic.

JIRO DREAMS OF SUSHI (2011)

Even though this documentary is almost entirely set inside a 10-seater Tokyo restaurant with no view, its location somehow comes to feel as though the whole history of Japan might be contained within its temple-like walls. Jiro Ono (now 94) is Japan’s most famous sushi master. He left home aged nine to become an apprentice, opening his own restaurant in the 1960s that now has a three-Michelin-star rating, which means (says one food critic) ‘It’s worth visiting that country just to visit the restaurant.’ Jiro is modest and stern, and we glimpse snatches of his past – anecdotes about his harsh infancy or an alluring black-and-white photograph of his father formally seated in 1927 wearing a sheeny kimono, an image with unforgettable resonance and romance, that seems to far, far predate the Taisho era.

Inside the restaurant – a capsule of absorption, firmly sealed in its own private weather – every day proceeds without alteration. The rice is steamed and hand-fanned, the halibut and squid and eel finely sliced and pressed together. ‘Press the sushi like you’re pressing a little chick,’ Jiro advises. ‘The world has turned outside, but he has remained the same,’ someone says, as the camera occasionally takes us outside to the brooding, energetic Tokyo streets, where it always seems to be raining and the crowds hurry. Down to the fish market full of tottering porters and barrow-pushers rhythmically going to and fro, where the best tuna trader drags frowningly on his hand-cupped cigarette, his hair slicked like Elvis, dreaming of the days when the fish were fat as pianos.

Stream on Amazon , and Netflix (US)

THE EPIC OF EVEREST (1924)

Not just one of the most important travel films ever made, but a precious artefact. A time capsule, a relic. If the third attempt to ascend Everest culminated in the sad deaths of the determined English climbers George Mallory and Andrew Irvine, the moving image of their expedition (shot by Captain John Noel with a hand-cranked camera sometimes using high-powered telescopic lenses) has thankfully survived. Some of the earliest filmed records of life in Tibet are here, and several frames have been tinted in the original reds and purples of the first screenings in 1924, thanks to meticulous restoration by the BFI.

Every second is a marvel, the images profound. Mallory and Irvine facing the climb of their lives in modest tweed jackets. Tibetan babies in stone villages, their skin slathered in yak butter, lying out happily in the sun. A Tibetan gentleman showing his glimmering ear to the camera, dangling its pendant earring of gold and aquamarine. A baby donkey born during the long march west, expected to walk 25 miles on its first day of life, collapsed in the mud (‘How tired and sleepy he is!’). Ancient castles and monasteries stud the mountains, hermit lamas dwelling in cliff-built cells predicting doom for the mission, climbers snow-blind and in states of collapse or trudging past ice-caves and picking off stalactites, as though they were great jags of lickable sugar on a fairy palace.

The mountain itself – Tibet’s Goddess Mother of the World – seems to physically pulsate with (as a title card tells us) ‘lofty solitude. Grand, solemn and unutterably lonely.’ And then the image of Mallory and Irvine ascending up, and up, and up, only to disappear, eternally out of sight. ‘We may think of ourselves and nature,’ warns the original text on screen, with what feels like definitive prescience. ‘We spring from nature. In life, we defy her.’

Stream on BFI Player

JAZZ ON A SUMMER’S DAY (1959)

Perhaps the ultimate concert film, made during the 1958 Newport Jazz Festival on Rhode Island, headlined by (among others) Thelonious Monk and Dinah Washington, Gerry Mulligan and Chuck Berry. How many times you wish yourself into the frame! To be among that happy, confident, peanut-crunching crowd. Because the camera has such a lovely, casual eye, it’s like a friend describing little moments and scenes, interested, curious, relaxed.

We see Monk take the stage with his bamboo-rimmed dark glasses. Sal Salvador on guitar with a buzz cut, eyes closed in bliss. Anita O’Day singing Tea for Two in a black hat fringed in white feathers, snapping her fingers as she sings, her gloves immaculate. The crowd sways and giggles and sighs, a jewel-box of capri pants and Breton tops. Strappy yellow sundresses and cat-eyed shades, baked shoulders and freckled clavicles draped with hipster cardigans. Well-fed babies are passed down rows to be greeted with kisses by mothers waving choc-ices. Beyond, the water of Narragansett Bay is a sparkling blur dotted with pretty racing boats called Nomad and Pixie. ‘The weather out here is summery, with a smoky haze on the horizon,’ someone thrills over a tannoy, as the camera picks out brown, sandalled feet dangling from a crow’s nests during a race.

Sometimes it feels like everything is reflected in the glistering water of the movie; all of the USA’s post-war reach and ambition. It has the optimism of a Cadillac. The ‘Dionysian potential of American life,’ as John Updike put it; that ‘carnival under the dome of heaven, every fair day.’ To me, this film captures precisely that gorgeous, lost moment in time and place, when Ted Hughes was gazing at his new and glamorous wife, Sylvia Plath, recalled in the poem 18 Rugby Street, ‘So this is America, I marvelled. Beautiful, beautiful America !’

60th-anniversary edition available on DVD

INGRID BERGMAN: IN HER OWN WORDS (2015)

‘I don’t want any roots. I want to be free.’ Ingrid Bergman’s will to travel came from deep within her. Sweden , California , Italy , France, London – she was able to up and move, reinvent herself, leaving lovers and children behind, documenting it all with a cine-camera – and her own footage occupies the majority of this powerfully alluring film. ‘I wanted desperately to get out in the world,’ she said, in letters to friends. ‘It’s as if a bird of passage is living with me.’

And so we follow her through the various stages of her life, with different husbands, and all her pretty infants blowing about like bright petals across the terraces of various villas and hotels (Hotel Raphael in Paris was her favourite). She’s here, driving around Rome in a white convertible, laughing at the paparazzi. Or clambouring with fishermen about the Aeolian island of Stromboli, sweeping shining hair from out of her tear-filled eyes. Or knitting topless in the powerful sunlight, all broad shoulders and witty expression. Diving into a pool in Hollywood, using a magnum of Champagne as a life buoy. And best: her robust, salty skin tanned the colour of rosewood against an unglamorous raincoat on the isolated, harshly granite island of Dannholmen off the Swedish west coast, where she joined the local sailing school, and where her ashes were scattered after she died. ‘I love your island,’ she’d said to her third husband, seeing his modest wooden house in 1958, with its rusted anchor sitting sentinel off the grey and merciless rocks. ‘Good,’ he’d nodded. ‘Let’s get married, then.’

Stream on Amazon

Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat (2018)

Chef and food writer Samin Nosrat’s four-part series focuses on the four ingredients she thinks makes food delicious. In Italy she explores fat, in Japan she finds salt, in Mexico it’s acid and in the USA there’s heat. Her smile and spontaneous dancing are irresistible viewing, not to mention the sizzling close-ups of her adventurous, elemental cooking. Meredith Carey

Stream Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat on Netflix

Chef’s Table Pastry (2018)

This is a four-episode-only spin-off from the Emmy award-winning Chef’s Table. The show kicks off with Christina Tosi and her New York Milk Bar empire, an instant hit into the series. Also on the menu: Jordi Roca, Will Goldfarb and Corrado Assenza. Mesmerising and delicious – don't think about watching without sweet snacks to hand. MC

Stream Chef's Table Pastry on Netflix

Midnight Diner: Tokyo Stories (2016)

Set in a tiny Tokyo diner that's only open from midnight to 7am, 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 more than 20 minutes long, so it's the most bingeable of the bunch. Watch with subtitles and don't - seriously, don't - watch while hungry. MC

Stream Midnight Diner: Tokyo Stories on Netflix

Travels with My Father (2017)

Follow stand-up comedian Jack Whitehall and his father, Michael, in this six-episode Netflix original across Southeast Asia . The series tracks the duo as they finish the gap year Jack never got to complete, just a few years late (eight, to be exact). MC

Stream Travels with My Father on Netflix

Stephen Fry in America (2012)

In this six-part mini-series, Stephen Fry drives around all 50 US states in a London cab. Football games at the University of Alabama and lobster fishing in Maine are on the menu. Expect a lot of laughs and a surprise appearance from Morgan Freeman. MC

Stream Stephen Fry in America on Netflix

Chef's Table (2015)

If you've ever raised an eyebrow at food as art, set aside some time to watch this Netflix original docu-series. Each 50-minute episode profiles one of the world’s most extraordinary chefs (such as Peruvian Virgilio Martínez, pictured, the owner of Lima's Central restaurant, and Swede Magnus Nilsson) as they create impossibly complicated dishes. MC

Stream Chef's Table on Netflix

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• 15 Travel Documentaries That Tell Inspiring & Compelling Tales Of Wanderers

“The impulse to travel is one of the hopeful symptoms of life.” – Agnes Repplier

How true. For a die-hard traveler, every bend in the road is a new opportunity vying to be explored. The visceral feeling to flee to a new spot and finding the divine sense of joy in ticking a new destination on the map on your bedroom wall, can only be felt by the hopeless traveler.

Unadulterated and unhampered, travel documentaries showcase the chronicles of travelers and focus on their share of perilous and euphoric moments. Whether it is a planned excursion to a beach or an instinctive venture to a remote location, if you are seeking inspiration for your next travel, travel films can act as the fodder for your famished nomadic soul.

Here I bring you a list of best travel documentaries that will push you out of your boring couch (read; routine) and compel you to move out and travel the world.

Top 15 Travel Documentaries From Around The World

Here is a list of the best  travel documentaries from around the world , read on what these contain and add these to your list of must watch films & documentaries.

• Around The World In 80 Days (1989)-  Excitement Of Venturing
• Baraka (1992)-  A Kaleidoscopic Retreat
• Sahara With Michael Palin (2002)-  Explore The Hidden Gems
• A Map For Saturday (2007)-  A Solo Traveler’s Love
• Antarctica-  A Year On Ice (2013)
• K2- Siren Of The Himalayas (2012)
• Sacred Planet (2004)-  Know The Mesmerizing Places
• 180 Degree South (2010)-  An Epic Tour
• Encounters At The End Of The World (2007)-  All About Fascination
• The Maidentrip (2013)-  A Great Watch
• Hit The Road-  India (2013)
• The Edge Of Never (2013)-  About A Group Of Skiers
• Austin To Boston (2014)-  A Musical Documentary
• Life In A Day (2011)-  An Insight To Amazing Things
• Frozen Planet (2011)-  Fall For The Ice

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1. Around the World in 80 Days (1989)- Excitement Of Venturing

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Runtime: 7 episodes of 52 minutes each IMDb Rating: 8.8 Genre: Globetrotting Filming Locations: 17 countries across North America, Europe, Africa and Asia

Synopsis: Around the World in 80 Days is a 7 part BBC travel series written and presented by actor-comedian, Michael Palin, based on the famous adventure novel by Jules Verne with the same name. Similar to the novel, Palin accepts the challenge to circumnavigate the globe in 80 days and closely follows the road and sea route, as taken by the protagonist in the novel.

The 80 days adventurous voyage showcases the excitement of venturing into new lands and filming exotic locations through numerous gridlocks. Considered as one of the best travel documentaries ever, the series broadcasted in 7 episodes follows Michael Palin’s travel and exploration across 17 countries. He takes you across Europe, Africa, Asia and North America through nearly every possible means of transport, except for the aircraft. This is no doubt one of the must watch  best travel documentary.

What makes it an interesting read for travel lovers: The novel was published in 1873 when there was no air travel and Michael Palin and his crew replicate the same sea and land route. From crossing the English Channel, passing through the Alps, traversing through the arid regions of the Middle East, entering Bombay on a dhow to voyaging through the South China Sea and finally arriving in the United States, Michael Palin shares his adventures of traveling the world in eighty days.

Do you really need more reasons?

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2. Baraka (1992)- A Kaleidoscopic Retreat

Runtime: 1 hour 36 minutes IMDb Rating: 8.6 Genre: Nature and philosophy Filming Locations: 150 locations in 23 countries

Synopsis: Baraka, also known as among some of the best travel documentaries ever is non-narrative documentary is a kaleidoscopic retreat into the different hymns of nature and its impact on various cultures. From the cacophonic chants of hundreds of monks huddled together for a cosmic yajna to the frenzied thumping of the whole village, the documentary highlights the phenomena of nature and how it forms the core of various cultures.

Baraka ventures its viewers into the hidden realms of the nature while focusing on the man’s prowess to destroy his countless blessings.

What makes it an interesting read for travel lovers: Baraka is a satirical take on the unabashed human nature with cinematic brilliance featuring the most spectacular pictures, on one hand, would enrich your love for nature and the perils of industrialization and destruction of nature, on the other, move you deeply. Should definitely add this to the best travel documentary series.

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3. Sahara with Michael Palin (2002)- Explore The Hidden Gems

Runtime: 4 episodes of 50 minutes each IMDb Rating: 8.1 Genre: Exploration Filming Locations: 10 countries in Northern and Western Africa

Synopsis: The travel documentary is a colorful account of the various cultures and regions dotting the beautiful Sahara desert. From the arid beaches in Morocco, refugee camps in Algeria, to the mysterious deserts of Timbuktu and spectacular starlit nights in Nigeria, this 4 episode feature also considered as one of the best travel documentaries of all time dwells deep into the seductive African odyssey.

Apart from exploring the various hidden gems of the great desert, the feature also includes Palin’s rendezvous with numerous Muslim scholars, tribes and refugees to highlight the various religious and cultural beliefs which the people of the desert abide by.

What makes it an interesting read for travel lovers: The documentary not only highlights the vastness of the isolated desert locations but also beautifully highlights the various prevalent cultural influences in Africa and practices such as polygamy and female genital mutilation.

Suggested Read: 20 Things To Do In Egypt In 2022 That No Travel Guide Will Ever Tell You About

4. A Map for Saturday (2007)- A Solo Traveler’s Love

Runtime: 1 hour 30 minutes IMDb Rating: 7.9 Genre: Backpacking and Solo Travel Filming Locations: Australia, Thailand, India, London, Brazil and Nepal

Synopsis: Every day is like a Saturday when you are on a long travel around the world. Solo traveling is not only about meandering through unknown lanes of a forbidden place. But it is also a great way to delve deep inside one’s own existence. The story brings out the chronicles of trekkers on four different continents. The documentary also includes interviews from other backpackers and highlights how the road can form unbreakable bonds.

What makes it an interesting read for travel lovers: A Map for Saturday is a beautiful insight into the life of a backpacker. A must watch for people who believe that there is more to life than the confined walls of their office or workstation. It also highlights that if the intent to travel is immense, nothing can deter you in your quest. Looking for best online travel documentaries? Try watching A Map for Saturday! It is one of the best travel documentary  that you should definitely add to your list.

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5. Antarctica: A Year on Ice (2013)

Runtime: 1 hour 32 minutes IMDb Rating: 7.6 Genre: Expedition Filming Locations: Antarctica

Synopsis: How is it like living on the coldest place on earth for a year? The harsh climatic conditions make Antarctica almost inhabitable and an enigma for the world. This visual masterpiece highlights the inhabitable features of the continent and traverses the viewers through the lives of technicians and scientists living in isolation on the continent, braving the unforgiving winters. If you are a nature lover, you will appreciate its opulence even in its bitter hardness.

What makes it an interesting read for travel lovers: Traveling is not just about pristine beaches, romantic lanes, and verdant valleys. Living in a place where the sun doesn’t shine for months and when it does, it forgets to set, is something that you ought to experience. Ever heard of Survival of the Fittest? You ought to witness one of the best travel documentaries of all time. Get up, close and personal with it here!

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6. K2: Siren of the Himalayas (2012)

Runtime: 1 hour 15 minutes IMDb Rating: 7.3 Genre: Mountaineering Filming Locations: Mount K2

Synopsis: K2: Siren of the Himalayas is a multilingual travel film shot in English, German, and Nepalese. The travel documentary forays into the dangerous world of high altitude mountaineering and follow a group of mountaineering experts as they venture on this epic journey to mark Duke of Abruzzi’s 1909 expedition. This  best travel documentary is a peep into the mountaineering group as they try to scale the perilous Mount K2 and meander their way through its deathly cliffs, braving the hideous climate.

The spectacularly captured snow-covered mountains pitted against the vast expanse of the blue sky and the exclusive footage from the world’s second highest, yet most challenging peak will leave you out of breath.

What makes it an interesting read for travel lovers: If you want to know why mountaineering is considered as a rewarding activity, then you must watch it.

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7. Sacred Planet (2004)- Know The Mesmerizing Places

Runtime: 40 minutes IMDb Rating: 6.3 Genre: Biodiversity Filming Locations: Malaysia, Sarawak, Mulu

Synopsis: The earth is a queer place and this documentary encapsulates the beauty of the most mesmerizing places, people and wildlife on the planet in straight 40 minutes. Narrated by Robert Redford Jr., this Walt Disney production will take you up on an enchanting roller coaster ride starting from the ancient ruins of Thailand, canyons of Arizona, deserted lands of Namibia to underwater mysteries of Borneo, white sand beaches of New Zealand and many such exceptional places that our good old earth houses. Sacred Planet is one of the best travel documentary films you have seen in awhile.

What makes it an interesting read for travel lovers: The awe-inspiring odyssey not only takes you deep into the magical realms of the earth but also makes you take a stand for preserving our beautiful planet and its biodiversity.

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8. 180 Degree South (2010)- An Epic Tour

Runtime: 1 hour 25 minutes IMDb Rating: 7.7 Genre: Drama, Sport Filming Locations: Chile, Mexico, California, Columbia, Equador, Peru, Pacific, California

Synopsis: 180 Degree South is an assimilation of the memorable journey undertaken by Jeff while recreating the epic tour pulled off by Yvon Chouinard and Doug Tompkins during their road trip in 1968. Jeff’s journey was more adventurous as he chose to surf, sail, and climb before finally making it to Chile.

What makes it an interesting read for travel lovers: Watch it for exciting adventures, gritty traveling, and the proper technique devised before pulling off such endeavors.

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9. Encounters at the End of the World (2007)- All About Fascination

Runtime: 1 hour 39 minutes IMDb Rating: 7.8 Genre: Documentary Filming Locations: Antarctica

Synopsis: Encounters at the End of the World is a further investigation of McMurdo Station in Antarctica. In the documentary, the filmmaker travels all the way to explore the hidden riches and beauty of the pole, and take a peep into the lifestyle of everyone surviving there. While people at the research station had exciting tales to narrate, the plight of living beings there left the director moved.

A powerful travel film, Encounters at the End of the World features some amazing shots taken by the filmmaker.

What makes it an interesting read for travel lovers: The extreme conditions at the poles, lovely escapades, and exciting tale of survivors make this travel documentary a must-watch.

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10. The Maidentrip (2013)- A Great Watch

Runtime: 1 hour 22 minutes IMDb Rating: 7.6 Genre: Adventure, Biography Filming Locations: Netherlands, South Africa, Australia, Ecuador, Panama, French Polynesia

Synopsis: One of the best travel documentary series ever, The Trip is a remarkable journey of a 14-year-old who sets to sail around the world and is a great watch. Laura Dekker’s a year and a half journey takes her to St. Martins, Panama, the Galapagos Islands, Australia, and the Cape of Good Hope before getting back to St. Martins. The youngest person ever to sail around the world, Dekker is a true inspiration for all the aspiring travelers.

What makes it an interesting read for travel lovers: Dekker captured the world in her lens, presenting the beautiful places along with all her experiences thus making it an incredible story.

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11. Hit the Road: India (2013)

Runtime: 1 hour 20 minutes IMDb Rating: 7.8 Genre: Documentary, Sport Filming Locations: India, Armenia

Synopsis: Recognised by Lonely Planet as one of the best travel documentaries of 2012, this film is a story of two friends participating in rickshaw rally from Chennai to Mumbai spanning for 12 days covering over 2000 km.

The uniqueness of the movie lies in the way both the guys pull off this trip, battling adverse climatic conditions in the difficult terrains. Rickshaw being one of the lightest motor driven vehicles in India turns out to be cost effective and an easy drive. Yes, they had to suffer plenty of breakdowns along the way.

What makes it an interesting read for travel lovers: 2 guys racing through the coast and ghats in southern India driving one of the lightest vehicles make it a rally worth a watch.

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12. The Edge of Never (2009)- About A Group Of Skiers

Runtime: 1 hour 41 minutes IMDb Rating: 7.3 Genre: Documentary Filming Locations: USA, Canada, France

Synopsis: Shot in the snow clad mountains in the North America region, this travel documentary is about a group of skiers who scale treacherous mountains in the pursuit of accomplishing what was left incomplete by the mentor’s father, who died skiing in Chamonix, France. Full of adventure, thrill, and surreal landscapes, this documentary is for extreme travelers.

What makes it an interesting read for travel lovers: Skiers challenging the biggest and extreme mountains in the world.

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13. Austin to Boston (2014)- A Musical Documentary

Runtime: 1 hour 12 minutes IMDb Rating: 7.2 Genre: Documentary, Music Filming Locations: USA

Synopsis: The film is a musical documentary, that narrates an exciting tale of a group of bands on the move. They travel thousands of miles from Austin to Boston, and en route live memorable moments. The journey has everything from traveling places, to pulling off adventures, to making memories, and also surviving through the hardships.

What makes it an interesting read for travel lovers: The journey of musical bands spanning over 2 weeks and covering 3000 miles, performing at places, looks like a dream journey. Highly recommended for all the music lovers who travel!

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14. Life in a Day (2011)- An Insight To Amazing Things

Runtime: 1 hour 35 minutes IMDb Rating: 7.7 Genre: Drama Filming Locations: Multiple locations across Earth

Synopsis: This travel film is a jukebox of thousand of hours from the lives of as many people on July 24th, 2010. The submitted videos containing beautiful and personal moments that people lead every day gives an insight into amazing things happening around us and how we choose not to acknowledge and celebrate them. This best travel documentary inspires everyone to be more thankful for things around and cherish beautiful moments.

What makes it an interesting read for travel lovers: The assimilation of thousands of video clips containing precious moments from the lives of people make you realize what a beautiful life you have been leading all this while.

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15. Frozen Planet (2011)- Fall For The Ice

Runtime: 1 hour IMDb Rating: 9 Genre: Documentary Filming Locations: Arctic, Antarctica, Greenland, Russia, Norway, USA, Canada

Synopsis: Primarily focussed on the life and environment in the Arctic and Antarctica, Frozen Planet highlights how the climatic change is affecting the earth and its inhabitants. The winner of 4 Emmy award winner TV show has critically put forward the challenges faced by the polar animals like bears and wolves for their survival. Striking the right chord with a grave environmental issue, this mini-series is a must – watch.

What makes it an interesting read for travel lovers: The engrossing narrative, spectacular locales, and enchanting music are all that it takes to charm a discerning traveler. A perfect set-up for travel-lovers!

For those with an insatiable hunger for exploration and action, documentaries are a way to discover what explorers around the world are living and experiencing. The thrill of venturing into the unknown – exclusively shot, felt, and expressed by real people – has an impact on the mind of the viewers that cannot be measured.

Further Read: 20 Best Travel Movies That Will Ignite The Wanderlust In You

With list of best travel documentaries live the adventures of world’s finest explorers and yes, don’t forget to share your favorites from (or outside of) the list!

Frequently Asked Questions About Travel Documentaries

Is it feasible to travel during Covid-19?

As the travel industry is opening up slowly, yes traveling is feasible abroad and across India during Covid-19. But make sure you follow the given guidelines and precautionary measures for Covid. Also, remember to read the latest updates for Covid before making any travel plans.

What are the top 5 best travel films?

Other than the above-mentioned list of 15 best travel documentaries and films, here are 5 best travel films that you should definitely watch: The Way, Lion, On The Road, Captain Fantastic, Into The Wild.

Where can you watch the travel films?

You can watch the travel films on various OTT platforms such as Netflix, Amazon Prime, Sony Liv, Hotstar, Airtel Tv, and many others. Apart from these platforms you can simply search the films online and find the links on google.

Which are the top locations for film shooting?

Although there are many locations for film shooting, here are the top 8 places for film shooting: Monument Valley, London, Prague, New Zealand, Cape Town, Greystone Mansion, Morocco

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72 Dangerous Places to Live, Dark Tourist, and more: Sate your wanderlust with the best travel shows and documentaries on Netflix

You'll love these amazing travel documentaries.

Traveling is something that many people wish they could do more of. Whether you lack the time, money, or know-how to travel the world, though, it can be comforting to watch others do it from the comfort of your couch. A great travel show or documentary can be a wonderful escape and a reminder that the world is much bigger than the tiny slice of it you live in every day. What’s even better is that many great travel documentaries on Netflix, if you’re willing to go looking for them.

These documentaries will deliver stunning panoramic shots of the U.S. National Parks , as well as plenty of international wonders, and a little bit of good food as well. If you like all kinds of docs, travel or not, we’ve got you covered with Netflix documentaries (or maybe you’re just really into crime docs and action flicks). We also have an overall guide on the best Netflix movies and the best Netflix shows .

72 Dangerous Places to Live (2016)

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Down to Earth with Zac Efron (2020)

The chef show (2019), street food collection (2020), tales by light (2015), dark tourist (2018), midnight asia: eat dance dream (2022), jack whitehall: travels with my father (2017), lorena, light-footed woman (2019), the world's most amazing vacation rentals (2021), our planet (2019), salt fat acid heat (2018), editors' recommendations.

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What is the definition of an action movie? Can there even really be a complete explanation of the genre? Some feature the kinds of stunts that no mere mortal would ever dare to attempt, while others attempt to be more grounded. Still, others have outlandish premises that take us to new, far-off worlds. It's a genre that contains multitudes, but what makes an action movie great is its ability to thrill and captivate its audience. Over the course of its history as a streaming service, Netflix has been home to a number of great action titles. Some are funny, and others are deadly serious. The only thing we know for sure, though, is that the best action movies on Netflix are sure to please. We've also rounded up some of the best action movies on Amazon Prime worth watching if you've seen all these, as well as a few great action movies available on Hulu. Looking for even more films to stream online? We've found the all-around best Netflix movies, Amazon Prime movies, Disney Plus movies, and movies on Hulu to watch this month.

Uncharted (2022)

Japanese anime and the many Western series that were influenced by the genre continue to get more and more popular. As they do, every streaming site is eager to lockdown plenty of exclusive anime titles that will draw fans of the format to their services. Netflix has long had a stockpile of great action movies, but it turns out that the streamer also has a pretty excellent library of anime series as well, which is in addition to their great animated shows. The best anime on Netflix draw from a wide array of influences, but should give every fan of the form something to chew on.

While there are plenty of great action series on this list, anime is home to a wide array of different kinds of stories, and all of those stories are represented in one form or another on this list. Netflix is even moving into adapting some of these anime into live-action, although opinions are mixed on whether that strategy is going to work out. Whatever you think about that venture, though, this list is full of Netflix anime titles that are sure to make every anime fan happy.

• Food & Drink

It's probably for the best that the magical television from Willy Wonka doesn't exist, the one that delivers tasty food through the monitor. If that were the case, we'd be overeating as there are so many great food shows out there. Netflix especially has gone all-in with the culinary arts, streaming everything from hilarious shows about fake cake to educational programs about specific cuisines.

With spring in the air, it's time to get excited about food again. Gardens are blooming to life, ingredients are becoming available, and we're rightfully cleaning our grills as better weather sets in. And if that's not enough to make you hungry, we'll let the Michelin star chefs and others featured on these great Netflix food shows do the inspiring.

The 10 Best Travel Documentaries on Netflix

Here are the best travel documentaries on Netflix, allowing you to see the world from the comfort of your own couch.

Maybe you've caught the travel bug. Maybe you have returned home from a big trip abroad and are wondering where to go next. Or maybe you're an aspirational traveler who partakes in wanderlust from the comfort of your own sofa.

No matter what your motivations are, Netflix has you covered. In this article we list the best travel documentaries you can watch on Netflix right now. All of which are guaranteed to make you long for a week (or two) experiencing new sights and sounds.

1. Expedition Happiness

What is life’s purpose ? To be happy, sure, but how? In Expedition Happiness, a couple tries to find out. What is happiness after all? Is happiness a wedding? A loft overlooking a great view of the city’s chaos? A monotonous routine just to maintain a healthy bank balance?

After all, what is the point of living if you do not break the routine. Sit back and stream the Alaskan mountains to the Mexican beaches with the "Loft on Wheels" created by Mogli and Felix with their dog Rudi. Let your soul travel as these three try to figure out what happiness is.

Get to know the ups and downs of executing a moving residence, and to turn an old school bus into happiness.

If you love this one, you might also like these nature documentaries .

2. Street Food

Combining travel with food, this documentary series from the creators of Chef's table will probably leave you hungry after a few episodes. The first season concentrates on Asia, visiting Bangkok, Osaka, and Seoul, among other destinations.

The theme tying all of these locales together is, as you probably guessed from the name, the street food you can find there. While the focus is often on the food itself, the show also focuses on the local heroes who create it.

3. Somebody Feed Phil

This is hands down the most fun you'll have watching a food and travel documentary. The way that Phil approaches new food, new places, and new people is a breath of fresh air.

He’ll take you to places you never thought of. Places you’ll end up adding to your bucket list. After watching this I ended up adding to my list: coffee in Vietnam, vegetarian food in Israel, dragon fruit in Thailand, and hot dogs in Copenhagen, to name a few.

As Phil says, "If you like a dish, go to the source." Get delighted, get amused, get amazed and definitely get hungry while somebody feeds Phil.

4. Dark Tourist

Not all of the best travel documentaries have to be about the beautiful and the serene. If you’re in the market for a slightly twisted travel story, Dark Tourist is for you. David Farrier, a New Zealand based filmmaker and journalist travels around the world looking for unusual and often morbid tourist spots across the world.

This documentary explores a new phenomenon called dark tourism. This is where tourists intentionally travel to places associated with death and destruction. A war-torn country? Sure. A dangerous border crossing? Why not. A quick trip around radioactive environments? Don’t mind if I do.

5. National Parks Adventure

The US National Parks Service is more than 100 years old. That’s more than a century of protecting natural wildernesses in the United States.

This breathtaking documentary by filmmaker Greg MacGillivray will make you want to go visit a national park right away. Between the beautiful montages is a story of three artists as they revisit Roosevelt and Muir's camping trip, where the Parks Service began.

6. Pedal the World

Some titles are artistic, hinting at a deeper meaning. Others are starkly literal. Pedal the World belongs in the second group. Why? This is a documentary following one man's trip around the world by bicycle.

That man is Felix Starck, who also happens to be the director of Expedition Happiness. If you enjoyed that documentary, you'll likely enjoy this one as well. Keep in mind that this is an earlier effort, so it may be a little rough around the edges compared to the newer movie.

This is a must watch for bicycle enthusiasts and anyone obsessed with world travel.

7. Jack Whitehall: Travels With My Father

Father-son bonding is a different experience for everyone. When comedian Jack Whitehall was young, he and his father Michael never really bonded.

Now, Whitehall wants to bring that spark back by taking a gap year and traveling with his father. Watch as this comedian trades the stand-up stage (see the best stand-up comedy specials on Netflix ) for a tuk-tuk in Thailand.

What better way to spend time with your parent than by going on a trip. But what happens when you have a slightly grumpy father and you are the overly energetic one? Quite a blast, actually, Watch as this father-son team gets into accidents, goes to odd places, and attempts to open up to one another.

8. Paul Hollywood’s Big Continental Road Trip

For most people, where you travel is the important part. For others, it's how you get there that matters. Car enthusiasts definitely fall into the latter group. If you count yourself among them, Paul Hollywood's Big Continental Road Trip should be next up in your Netflix queue.

This documentary follows the actor, baker, and part-time racing driver across a large swathe of Europe. The series sees Hollywood visit Italy, Germany, and France. In each hour-long episode, he chronicles the cars and culture of a given country.

If you're a fan of cars as well as the Great British Baking Show, don't miss this one.

9. Mountain

Feeling contemplative? Are you looking for a documentary that features breathtaking locations but takes a slower, more meditative approach? Mountain could be exactly what you're looking for.

Directed and produced by Jennifer Peedom, Mountain explores peaks around the world. Willem Dafoe narrates the film, occasionally reading passages from Robert Macfarlane's Mountains of the Mind.

Much like that book, the film examines the human fascination with mountains. Even if you never visit a mountain in your life, this film will give you a greater appreciation of them.

10. Night on Earth

Whether you're a night owl or you're afraid of the dark, night can a fascinating time. Night on Earth is a documentary in the style of Planet Earth that focuses on what happens at night across the world. Thanks to new camera technology, this is the best look at night you've probably ever seen.

Each episode has its own focus. The first episode follows predators and their prey, while other episodes touch on nighttime in the ocean or even cities. One episode even takes you behind the scenes to see how the crew captures such amazing footage.

Keep Going With Food Documentaries on Netflix

Travel and food often go hand in hand. But what if you're more of a foodie than a traveler? Now that you know about the best travel documentaries to watch on Netflix why not check out the best documentaries about food .

Want more? Here's how to find the best documentaries online .

15 Travel Documentaries to Fuel your Wanderlust

Last updated on April 6th, 2023 at 09:35 pm

If there are travel documentaries being broadcast on British TV, we can guarantee we’ll be ready with remote control in hand. When we’re back home in London , we spend hours on the sofa, fuelling our wanderlust by watching others travelling the world.

For us, watching travel documentaries helps fill those gaps between trips. For an hour or so we’re transported somewhere far away from the normality of home. We reminisce of faraway places we’ve been to if filming locations are in countries we’ve already visited. Or we get excited and inspired if filmed in countries we are yet to discover. Both are just as enjoyable.

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Along with cookery shows and reality TV, there are so many travel documentaries to choose from. Via terrestrial TV, Sky, Netflix, Amazon or other online sites, they’ll be a documentary to satisfy anyone’s wanderlust.

We’ve picked 15 of our favourite travel documentaries from the more thoughtful travel subjects to less serious and humorous ways of seeing the world. Viewing access to these shows changes regularly so we’d suggest entering the title into Google to find which viewing platforms are currently available at the time of reading this post.

Regular guys Scott Wilson and Justin Lukach are bored. So what do they do? Take a road trip, of course. Departures follows them and their cameraman, Andre Dupuis, as they journey to countries all over the world. We love the non-premium feel of this show. It’s just three nice Canadian guys filming themselves travelling the world. They make an effort to visit hard to get to places and interact with locals wherever they go. This brings experiences that not all travellers get to do. Departures make the top of our travel documentaries list. 

Walking the Nile & Walking the Himalayas

Levison James Wood is a British Army officer and explorer. He’s best known for his extended walking expeditions in Africa and Asia. Over the course of nine months from 2013-2014, he undertook the first ever expedition to walk the entire length of the river Nile .

In 2015 he walked the length of the Himalayas. Both adventures were commissioned into four-part travel documentaries for Channel 4 in the UK. His journeys bring amazing landscapes, local interaction, massive highs and some disastrous lows.

Tropic of Capricorn and Tropic of Cancer with Simon Reeve

Simon Reeve makes two “round the world” trips following the tropic of Capricorn in the Southern hemisphere and the tropic of Cancer in the Northern hemisphere . These two travel documentaries include visits to one or more countries, in Asia, Latin America, Africa, the Caribbean, Arabia and Hawaii. Simon explores daily life for locals, tourists and wildlife, as well as the history, culture and politics which all prove quite varied.

Ben Fogle: New Lives in the Wild

New Lives in the Wild is a television series on UK’s Channel 5 hosted by adventurer Ben Fogle . The series is about meeting people who live in some of the most remote locations on earth. More often than not, these are western families or individuals who have had enough of the big city rat race. They’ve escaped to remote parts of the world to set up new lives in the wild.

Examples are the Alaskan wilderness, a Polynesian Island and the Arizonian desert. These are courageous and inspirational people who Ben stays with for a few days to learn how they live so remotely.

World’s Most Dangerous Roads

World’s Most Dangerous Roads is a British BBC TV series first aired in 2011. Two celebrities per episode are filmed as they journey by a 4×4 vehicle along roads considered among the world’s most dangerous. Episodes include the Death Road in Bolivia and the Ho Chi Minh trail in Vietnam . Many of the chosen celebrities are comedians so some humour is added to what otherwise is a fascinating and educational watch.

Long Way Round

In 2004, Ewan McGregor , Charley Boorman and cameraman Claudio von Planta, travelled from London to New York City on a motorbike. In the process, they created some awesome travel documentaries. The journey visited thirteen countries, starting in the UK, then passing through France, Belgium, Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Ukraine, Russia, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Canada, and the USA, ending in New York City for a cumulative distance of 18,887 miles (30,396 km).

They take the time to visit a variety of sights and landmarks while travelling, including the Church of Bones in the Czech Republic, the Mask of Sorrow monument in Magadan, Russia, and Mount Rushmore in the USA. They, of course, encounter many hurdles along the way. It wouldn’t be a great adventure without them.

Top Gear: Road Trip Specials

This one’s a bit of a wild card as Top Gear does not usually fall in the travel documentaries category. However, we love the Top Gear road trip specials. Why? Because they take place in some incredible world locations. Typical Top Gear antics include driving around Africa trying to find the source of the Nile, going off road from Bolivia to Chile and getting across the length of Vietnam on two wheels with a budget of just $1000. We know a lot of what happens is scripted but we still can’t help but enjoy these adventurous episodes.

An Idiot Abroad

An Idiot Abroad is a British travel documentary / road trip comedy television series broadcast on Sky 1. It’s  created by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant and starring Karl Pilkington . The ongoing theme is that Pilkington has no interest in global travel, so Merchant and Gervais make him travel to the Seven Wonders of the World while they stay in the UK and monitor his progress.

Most of each episode focuses on Pilkington’s humorous reactions to cultural differences and idiosyncrasies in the countries he visits. He also gets set hilarious tasks, often not related to why he believed he was there. The silliest of our travel documentaries but well worth a watch. 

Asian Provocateur

Comedian Romesh Ranganathan is sent by his mother on a ramshackle odyssey around his parents’ homeland of Sri Lanka in an attempt to connect him with his roots. Romesh is the kind of guy who likes his home comforts and finds friendliness uncomfortable so Sri Lanka is not his ideal place to visit. As he quotes, ‘I was a bumbling Englishman in a Sri Lankan disguise’, so you can imagine the funny situations he gets himself into.

Our Guy in India

Motorbike racer  Guy Martin buys a Royal Enfield motorbike at a Delhi market, gets a traditional Hindu blessing and sets off on a 1000-mile motorbike trip.  Guy explores a rarely-seen side of modern India as he heads to one of the world’s maddest bike races. He travels through various parts of the country coming across all kinds of interesting people and sights on the way. Does he win the race at the end? You’ll have to watch to find out.

The Mekong River with Sue Perkins

TV presenter Sue Perkins embarks on a life-changing, 3,000-mile journey up the Mekong , South East Asia’s greatest river, exploring lives and landscapes on the point of dramatic change. It’s a really interesting watch, learning how 1000s of people live on and around one of the world’s great rivers. There’s plenty of smiles and tears as Sue listens to the locals stories and changing way of lives.    

The Secret Caribbean with Trevor McDonald

The newsreader and journalist, Sir Trevor McDonald embarks upon a stunning and epic journey across the Caribbean. From the Bahamas in the North to his birthplace Trinidad in the south, uncovering the sun-kissed islands along the way.

In this three part series, Sir Trevor visits The Bahamas, Cuba, Jamaica, British Virgin Islands, Montserrat, Barbados, Grenada and Trinidad. It’s an unforgettable expedition as he experiences the huge contrasts in cultures and lifestyles these islands have to offer.

Travel Man 48 hours

If you’re looking for more laughs with your travel documentaries then Travel Man is the British documentary series for you. It features presenter Richard Ayoade , travelling to a different location each episode with a celebrity guest. Ayoade takes a ruthless approach to getting the maximum from each city break. Cramming as much as he possibly can in 48 fast and funny hours. His unique presenting style has us laughing through every episode.

Charley Boorman by Any Means

By Any Means , also known as Ireland to Sydney by Any Means , is a television series following Long Way Round star Charley Boorman . Travelling from Wicklow , Ireland, to Sydney , New South Wales, Australia, it features him completing the journey using 112 modes of transport and only travelling by plane when absolutely necessary. A real epic adventure!

Joanna Lumley’s Trans-Siberian Adventure

Joanna Lumley embarks on the world’s greatest train journey for this three-part documentary series. Travelling from East to West, she departs from Hong Kong across 5,777 miles of both Asia and Europe. Joanna travels through seven time zones, taking in an immense panorama of vistas and cultures, people and places, before her final arrival in Moscow.

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Top 20+ best travel documentaries 2024.

Are you searching for the best travel documentaries ? Read our reviews below to find inspiration!

Documentaries, like virtually every other cuisine of celebrity, have thrived lately. Chalk this up to streaming solutions old and new pouring billions into initial content to fulfill their readers’ insatiable enthusiasm for new films and shows or just the glut of intriguing stories waiting to be informed. Rarely strikes in the box office, nonfiction narratives are especially well-suited to on-demand screening, nevertheless, offering individuals who invest hours binge-watching milder fare the rare chance to feel as though they’re learning something because they sit on the sofa.

Obviously, an amount never equals quality, so we’re devoting our entire year to seeing as many movies and string to pluck the very best that’ll expand your cognitive and emotional horizons. Below you will discover the top documentaries available in 2024 (such as docuseries, the kind which might have gained more than any other in your streaming revolution). You’ll discover streaming hits, vague treasures, and theatrical props, but all of them share one common attribute: They will help you understand the planet, for better or for worse.

Top 20+ Best Travel Documentaries

Last update on 2024-04-06 / Affiliate links / As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

‘Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution’

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Executive produced from the Obamasthis documentary investigates the milestone motion towards equality and accessibility for individuals with disabilities-and it all began with a bunch of teens in summer camp, only down the street from Woodstock. What starts out as an investigation of a close-knit set of individuals turns to the minute-by-minute documentation of a nation-wide effort. From minute one, you are feeling that the frustration, anger, and jealousy that serve because of the required spark for change.

Murder into Mercy: The Cyntoia Brown Story

Netflix delivers a fresh look at the event of Cyntoia Brown, a young girl who served 15 years behind bars for murder before being granted clemency in 2018 by Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam. Celebrity assistance from Rihanna, Kim Kardashian West, and LeBron James attracted attention to and aided her launch. But, Cyntoia didn’t authorize the documentary.

The newest Netflix docuseries ponders why”infants would be the best puzzle.” Infants follow 15 babies during their first year of life since they develop in and find out about the world around them. The documentary stocks extensive interviews with investigators, who discuss the science supporting their development. Prepare for some serious infant fever watching these cute little ones.

Jiro Dreams of Sushi (2011)

The beautiful story of Jiro Ono, an 85-year-old world-renowned sushi master using a very small restaurant inauspiciously situated in a Tokyo subway station, the first of its type to be awarded three Michelin stars.

This stunning and thoughtful movie portrays Ono’s lifelong pursuit of devotion whilst investigating the toll that his obsessive devotion exacts on his connections. An intriguing glimpse into Japanese culture.

Chef’s Table (2017)

Each episode of the Emmy-nominated docuseries visits another global location to get an in-depth interview with among the world’s most renowned chefs.

Creator David Gelb also directed the critically acclaimed Jiro Dreams of Sushi, as well as both productions, discuss a similar psychological and artistic sensibility hallmarked by persuasive narratives and mesmerizingly beautiful cinematography. Check out a detailed article on What is cinematography?

Sahara with Michael Palin (2002)

The traveling documentary is a brilliant account of the numerous civilizations and areas dotting the beautiful Sahara desert. In the arid shores in Morocco, refugee camps in Algeria, into the mysterious deserts of Timbuktu and magnificent starlit nights at Nigeria, this 4-episode attribute also considered one of the very best travel documentaries on Netflix ever resides deep to the enchanting African odyssey.

Aside from exploring the different hidden jewels of this fantastic desert, the characteristic also comprises Palin’s rendezvous with numerous Muslim scholars, tribes, and refugees to emphasize the different cultural and religious beliefs that the individuals of this desert abide by.

The documentary not only highlights the vastness of the isolated desert areas but additionally beautifully highlights the many prevalent cultural influences in Africa and practices like polygamy and female genital mutilation.

Antarctica: A Year on Ice (2013)

How can it be like living in the coldest place in the world for a year? The harsh climatic conditions create Antarctica nearly inhabitable and also an enigma for the entire world. This visual masterpiece highlights the inhabitable features of this continent and traverses the audiences through the lifestyles of scientists and technicians living in isolation over the continent, braving the unforgiving winters. If you’re a nature enthusiast, you may love its opulence even in its own bitter hardness.

Traveling isn’t only about pristine beaches, intimate lanes, and lush valleys. Living in a location where the sun does not shine for months and if it will, it forgets to place, is something you ought to encounter. Ever heard of Survival of the Fittest? You need to see one of the very best travel documentaries of all time. Get up, close, and personal with it!

180 Degree South (2010)

180 Degree South is an assimilation of this unforgettable journey undertaken by Jeff while recreating the epic trip hauled off by Yvon Chouinard and Doug Tompkins throughout their road trip in 1968. Jeff’s travel was adventurous as he opted to surf, sail, and scale before eventually making it into Chile.

Watch it to get exciting experiences, gritty travelling, and the proper technique invented before pulling such jobs.

THE BEACHES OF AGNÈS (2008)

‘The North Sea and the sand are the beginning for me…’ states Agnès Varda, prestigious filmmaker of the Nouvelle Vague and photographer of genius, who dated 80 in this autobiographical collage of private memory and atmosphere, takes us into the shores that shaped her youth, her marriage, her artwork and outside.

‘Time passes, except about the shores, which are classic…’ she motives, recalling fondness Belgian sands at La Panne and Middelkerke. And notably the port town of Sète at France’s southern area of Occitanie, where she talks of visiting fishermen at the 1940s dwelling in rough tents on the dunes, canvas walls slung with storm lamps and older pans.

Noirmoutier, the French island in the Bay of Biscay, ” recalls her husband Jacques Demy particularly enjoying, and she movies it in tribute, and using this freshness it is since becoming a destination for lovers of the film. ‘What’s the cinema?’ Varda inquires,’It’s LIGHT coming from someplace…’ We watch her sailing up the Seine at a wooden vessel, directly beneath the Ponts des Arts, the craft painted the sun-flashing yellowish of this Provençal sunflower which Varda always appeared to incorporate in her films.

I had the fantastic fortune to interview Varda if she was 90, only months before she died, and that I took a lot of sunflowers as a gift – she obtained them with a yelp of joy, saying they reminded her of French reds, her eyes hot as landing lights.

Stream on Amazon, Google Play and YouTube

Tokyo Idols (2017)

Fascinating and at times creepy look in the eccentric world of teen idols in Japan and their fanatical middle-aged devotees.

Shows how otaku (pop culture geeks) select the escapist fantasy provided by those budding starlets, some as young as 10, over connections with real girls.

Conan Without Borders (2018)

Late-night talk show host Conan O’Brien hits the street in this show that brings him along with his sense of comedy to far-flung destinations.

Street Food

The founders of’Chef’s Table’ take to the roads at a food-centric show that attracts audiences to some of the planet’s most energetic cities to find the rich tradition of road delicacies. In the hawker stalls of Singapore into the food carts of India,’ Street Food’ highlights the tales of perseverance and civilization which bring life into a nation’s cuisine. This is the best travel and food documentaries Netflix.

Winning an Academy Award for the Best Documentary, Free Solo shares the unbelievably intimate narrative of free soloist climber Alex Honnold along with his unwavering determination in preparing for the growth of his life. From the documentary, Honnold attempts to realize his lifelong dream of scaling the world’s most renowned rock: the 3,200-foot El Capitan at Yosemite National Park… and he plans to do it with no rope. If you’re searching for a gripping adventure story, this is it.

Visible: Outside on Video

Apple TV+ brings this historical documentary about LGBTQ+ representation on tv throughout the previous twenty decades. Essential characters, such as Ellen DeGeneres, Rachel Maddow, and Oprah Winfrey, along with other private first-person interviews illuminate the progress toward approval off and on the little screen.

‘Tiger # ‘ng: Murder, Mayhem and Madness’

This Netflix docuseries was a massive hit (pun certainly intended, sorry). If all your friends have not told you about it, the show covers Joe Exotic, the bizarre polygamist musician and presidential candidate that owned and operated a zoo of large cats. Yes, it is as odd as it seems. Oh, and he is in jail on a murder-for-hire plot, that’s the driving force of the story. The show is presently becoming backlash from a number of the interviewees in addition to animal rights activists, but the deep dip into the mad world of major cat owners, and also the terrible conditions that the animals have problems, was eye-opening for me personally.

Losing Sight Of Shore (2017)

Losing Sight Of Shore is one of the best time travel documentaries of the past ten years. The movie follows four female friends as they train, strategy, then sail (at a rowboat) from California across the Pacific to Australia. It is absolute insanity. The film is harrowing, emotionally wrought, and superbly executed. It keeps you on the edge of your chair as you feel that the wonderful ups and unpleasant downs of traveling on the border.

This is a superb way to spend 90 minutes one of this week also, possibly, it will motivate you to get out there also.

Fire At Sea (2016)

Traveling is not always about Instagram hashtags and wanderlust. At times it’s about success. Fire At Sea delivers a harrowing glimpse into the realities of refugees fleeing Northern Africa to get Europe – especially Sicily, Italy in this circumstance. The film juxtaposes the way the little backwater city became the flashpoint for refugees landing in Europe. It is a stark narrative of humanity, suffering, and soul to overcome and endure.

‘Cheer’# ‘

Another one you might already know of, you need to absolutely run to see Netflix docuseries Cheer. In the event, your friends have not told you all relating to this in gushing terms, here is the gist: The Navarro College Bulldogs Cheer Team is considering if perhaps not the greatest teams in the country. It’s 40 members in total, and being chosen is only the start. The show carries us through”creating the mat,” a.k.a. cto choose team associates to compete at the finals. From the time we reach the National Cheerleading Championship, we have fallen in love with half of the group (Jerry!!). It is a pleasant, feel-good balance to a few of the others on this listing.

‘Miss Americana’

After Taylor Swift took the point in the 2019 American Music Awards, where she had been named Artist of the Decade, she started her operation by singing”The Man” while dressed in primitive white shirt apparel together with all the titles of her six records in large black decoration, reminiscent of a prison uniform’s stripes.

The outfit and tune were a nod to what the singer had disclosed on societal media 10 days before: That Scoot Borchetta and Scooter Braun, founders of significant Machine Tag Team, her former label, were preventing her from performing tunes from her record. Suffice to say, it has been a crazy couple of years from the renowned singer’s lifestyle. Director Lana Wilson was along for the ride, after Swift for its highly awaited documentary premiering on the opening day of the year’s Sundance Film Festival.

Hillary recounts the life and livelihood of the former First Lady and presidential candidate on Hulu. There is lots of time to see before going to the polls to the 2020 presidential election. Obviously, no Hillary Clinton documentary could be complete without touching the contentious 2016 election, yet this account features interviews with Hillary, Bill, Chelsea, and much more to get a private standpoint.

Roll With Me

If there was ever a time to put our problems in view, it is right now. While we might have tendencies to feel sorry for ourselves because we socially space from normality, let us have a second (or even 90 minutes in this instance ) to see the narrative of a newly-sober paraplegic because he tries to bounce back from the stone bottom via a 3,100-mile wheelchair trek across the USA.

See also:  Top 30 Best Travel Items 2024 Review

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11 Best Travel Documentaries To Watch From Home

If you want to be inspired and watch some travel documentaries, here are a few of the best travel documentary films that you can watch online right now.

You may not be able to travel right now, but that doesn’t mean you can’t live vicariously through other people. Thanks to the power of the internet and streaming services, we have the world at our fingertips. While travel films are often as wonderful as they are fictitious, there’s something transportive about travel documentaries.

Watching some of these travel documentaries can even inspire you to take steps you might have been afraid of, or discover parts of yourself you never knew existed. So, if you want to be inspired and watch some travel documentaries, here are a few of the best travel documentary films that you can watch online right now that just might inspire you to plan your next trip (whenever that may be). 

Also read: Must-watch travel movies to feel inspired

Here Are The 11 Best Travel Documentaries To Stream Right Now

1 national parks adventure (2016) (for an off-trail adventure).

When the US National Parks Service celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2016, it commissioned a documentary from filmmaker Greg MacGillivray. Narrated by Robert Redford, it explores the history and modern landscape of America’s many wonderful natural assets from glaciers in Montana to the spectacle of Utah’s natural arches.

Also read: You can take these virtual tours of National Parks right from home

2 An Idiot Abroad (2010-12) (To Experience A Variety Of People And Cultures)

If you’re looking for a travel documentary show that’ll provide you with endless laughter, then this one’s for you. This hilarious series follows co-creators and comedy actor-writers Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant who send TV actor and comedian Karl Pilkington around the globe to take part in extreme experiences that are completely out of his comfort zone leading to all kinds of hijinks. 

3 Free Solo (2019) (Follow An Attempt To Conquer El Capitan)

This Academy Award-winning film shares the incredible and intimate story of Alex Honnols, a free soloist climber who prepares to achieve his lifelong dream of scaling El Capitan in Yosemite National Park. His unwavering determination to master this 3,200-foot t tall rock (without a rope) makes for a gripping adventure.

4 The Kindness Diaries (2017) (See What It’s Like To Travel The World With Only A Vintage Motorbike And The Kindness Of Strangers)

Next on our list of travel documentaries, is ‘The Kindness Diaries’. In this time of uncertainty, watch this wholesome and inspiring series to remind yourself how connected we all really are. Follow host Leon Logothetis as he travels the world on his vintage motorbike. Without money, food, or a place to stay, he relies totally on the kindness of strangers to make his way and encounters breathtaking landscapes and heartwarming stories on his inspiring journey. 

5 Footprints: The Path of Your Life (2016) (Go On A Modern-Day Pilgrimage)

This documentary follows 10 people who take a trip together along the Camino de Santiago, a famous hiking and backpacking route in Spain (‘Canterbury Tales’-style). Explore the beautiful, yet unpredictable landscapes of northern Spain, as these brave souls walk 500 miles in 40 days along an ancient path that’s been traversed for centuries and discover something about themselves along the way. 

6 Life In A Day (2011) (A Time Capsule From People In 192 Countries)

This collection of films is especially poignant. It follows people from all over the world on the same day – 24 July 2010. Director Kevin Macdonald poses three questions (What do you love? What do you fear? What’s in your pocket?) in an open call and sifts through over 81,000 contributions to create a frank and moving snapshot of life in countries all over the world.

7 FISHPEOPLE (2017) (What Happens When People Dedicate Their Lives To The Sea)

A travel documentary film by Keith Mallory, ‘FISHPEOPLE’ tells the story of six remarkable people who have dedicated their lives to the sea. From swimmers and divers to photographers, these people display the transformative effects of time spent in the ocean. They also talk about how it helped them leave their limitations behind and is sure to make you feel like heading out into the ocean too.

8 Tales By Light (2015) (Explore What Goes Into Capturing A Powerful Image)

‘Tales By Light’ began as a short series from camera-makers Canon, and evolved into a documentary show with National Geographic. It follows one amazing photographer in each episode, taking the viewer along on their journey to capture elusive wildlife, unique communities, and heartfelt themes around the world. This unique look through the lens at another person looking through a lens encourages us all to see the subject matter in a whole new light (pun definitely intended!)

9 Pedal The World (2015) (Travel The Globe By Bike To Find The Meaning Of Life)

This 90-minute self-produced travel documentary film follows Felix Starck, a young cyclist from Germany who spends a year pedalling across 22 countries, and over 20,000 km, in an effort to find the meaning of life. It’ll leave you asking yourself all kinds of questions like — ‘What would you do if you could let go of real-life responsibilities?’.

10 Mountain (2017) (An Exploration Of Our Obsessions With High Places)

From director Jennifer Peedam and photographer/mountaineer Renan Ozturk, this series tries to answer the question—‘Why do we humans consider scaling mountains a recreational activity?’. It showcases the most astonishing peaks and valleys on the planet, all set to the soundtrack of Willem Dafoe reading from ‘Mountains of the Mind’ by Robert Macfarlane. While it’s more inspirational than educational, it gives you a chance to experience humanity’s urge to explore the highest reaches of Earth.

11 The Epic Of Everest (1924) (Revisit The Legendary Everest Expedition Of 1924)

This film is equal parts entertainment and relic, featuring the third attempt to ascend Everest. Unfortunately, it ended in the deaths of the determined English climbers George Mallory and Andrew Irvine, but you can still watch the steps of their expedition (shot by Captain John Noel) that survived. It also includes some of the earliest filmed records of life in Tibet, with ancient monasteries, stone villages, and vast mountains all meticulously re-coloured. 

So, Which Of These Travel Documentaries Will You Watch Next ?

If you’re feeling a bit housebound, and are looking to be inspired, why not watch some of these thrilling travel documentaries yourself? From the tallest mountains to the deepest oceans, these travel documentary videos cover every bit of our planet. So, where do you want to go explore next?

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Travel documentaries

Joanna lumley in the kingdom of the thunder dragon.

Bhutan, the beautiful land-locked nation in the Eastern Himalayas, has always been steeped in mystery.

In this revealing BBC travel documentary, Absolutely Fabulous star Joanna Lumley retraces the steps her grandparents took in the country 60 years before. Through her eyes, a world that challenges accepted ideas of wealth and happiness is explored.

But what family secrets will Joanna uncover?

The Silk Road

Covering 5,000 miles, passing through 13 countries and crossing some of the most dramatic landscapes on the planet, this is the fascinating story of the lucrative trade route which changed the course of civilization forever.

In this extraordinary documentary series, Dr Sam Willis explores how the fortunes, ideas and history of the West were shaped and exchanged by travelers from the East.

Buckingham Palace with Alexander Armstrong

It’s one of the world’s most famous buildings. A British royal residence for over 250 years that is steeped in intrigue, love, tragedy, extravagance and madness. But few ever get to go behind the scenes. Actor and comedian Alexander Armstrong explores the history of the Royal Family and Buckingham Palace in this marvelous documentary, revealing joy and scandal that took place behind closed doors.

Amazing Hotels: Life Beyond the Lobby

Discover what it takes to make some of the most incredible hotels on the planet run and the hidden ‘everyday miracles’ that makes them a unique and memorable home for their demanding guests. In this luxurious travel documentary, Monica Galetti and Rob Rinder check-in and experience these opulent resorts as guests, before working alongside the dedicated staff at every level.

The Story of Egypt

Egypt is home to one of the world’s earliest civilizations. Its settlements date back to 17000 BC. It was a powerful and influential empire that grew from the Nile River Valley to the eastern Mediterranean. In this fascinating series, Professor of Egyptology Joann Fletcher examines Egypt’s extraordinary rise and fall, from the empire’s humble nomadic beginnings to its zenith as pyramid builders.

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Voluntourism and educational travel experiences exist for all ages.

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Guests and natives alike can experience educational activities.

Educational travel and voluntourism often serve as a conduit for experiential learning. An educational vacation or community service travel can enrich knowledge of places and customs in ways that can’t be taught via textbooks, especially for younger kids who tend to soak up hands-on lessons like a sponge. Through cultural exploration and immersion, students become enriched as global citizens, while developing a stronger knowledge of language and geography as well as an increased confidence and problem solving skills.

Rustic Pathways oversees immersive and authentic student travel programs.

Rustic Pathways , a program for global teen adventure travel and community service programs, conducts leading immersive and authentic student travel programs for middle school, high school, gap year and college-aged students. The service-based programs span locations from Australia to Japan to Alaska and more. Programs are available in 25 countries, and students accrued a total of 38,060 service hours in 2023, on track to increase for 2024, while 68% of Student Travel programs focus mainly on sustainability. Rustic Pathways has announced their 2024 student programs .

Travelers who are seeking an immersive educational experience for all age groups are well advised to check out these resorts.

Guests can learn about the science of mangrove planting.

Marriott Fiji Momi Bay , Fiji

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Caitlin clark overcomes frustrating night to lead iowa into ncaa championship game, the true story behind netflix s scoop and prince andrew s bbc interview.

The Kids Discovery Program was thoughtfully crafted to not only entertain but also educate young minds, fostering a sense of curiosity, environmental responsibility and cultural appreciation. Children can become Momi Eco Warriors by building nests, planting trees and learning about: Fijian flora and fauna through hikes; Momi Marine Biologists by fish feeding, coral planting, rocky shore discovery, water testing, marine watch and beach-combing; or families can learn together with coral planting, fish house building and mangrove planting.

Students venture beyond their textbooks and villages.

Turtle Island, Fiji

Three times a year Turtle Island, a private island resort in the Yasawa region of Fiji, opens to families. Children are invited to become stewards of the island and learn how to farm, fish, weave baskets and visit local villages. The property recently announced ‘Turtle Island Field Trips,’ an educational program giving local school students from neighboring islands and villages the rare opportunity to venture beyond their textbooks and villages to learn firsthand about hospitality.

Even the smallest guests are immersed in local culture.

Montage Hotels & Resorts

Through its immersive children’s program, Paintbox, children participate in activities that educate them about the destination they are in and the culture of people who live in the destination. For example:

• Montage Kapalua Bay , Hawaii. This intimate resort situated along Namalu Bay in West Maui, just ten miles from Lahaina, invites Montage’s youngest guests to learn Hawaiian language, hula and listen to talk stories from Montage Kapalua Bay’s cultural ambassadors. Activities such as explorations from mauka to makai (land to sea), turtle tracking along the Kapalua Coastal Trail or lessons on Maui’s aquatic playground at Namalu and Kapalua Bay foster a connection with the island.
• Montage Palmetto Bluff , SC. At the luxury Lowcountry resort, resident naturalist, Cassie Beato, leads young and adult guests on waterway ecotours and walking tours of Bird Island, the resort’s treehouses, River Road and more.

One of the activities is The Humming Bird Safari.

The Tryall Club, Montego Bay, Jamaica

Since The Tryall Club is located on 2,200 acres of pristine coastline with lush forests throughout, there is a big focus on learning about nature. For example, one of the activities is The Humming Bird Safari which includes bird watching, where kids learn about native birds and the opportunity for feeding. There's also opportunity for cultural immersion such as playing traditional Jamaican games such as Cricket and Rounders, Jamaican Folklore Time where the children learn about Jamaican stories and culture, reggae dance time and more.

A young guest participates in a pottery class.

Kaya Palazzo Golf Resort Belek , Turkey

Known for its stunning 18-hole golf course on site, the 5-star Kaya Palazzo Golf Resort, Belek has something for everyone in the family. The property’s supervised “Mini Club” offers educational programming for little ones to enjoy, from arts and crafts, literature workshops, physical activities and interactive shows. Fostering a rich connection with Turkish culture, children can participate in hands-on pottery workshops and learn about the country’s history of ceramic production, dating back thousands of years.

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Deadly April storm batters Northeast, snarling travel and knocking out power to half a million

A powerful April storm is hitting the Northeast on Thursday, dumping rain and snow with howling tropical force winds, prompting major airport delays and whiteout road conditions, and knocking out power to over half a million customers.

The strong storm system has been crawling across the U.S. since the weekend — and has already led to several weather-related deaths.

In Pennsylvania, two people died in separate incidents in which a tree fell on the car they were in during Wednesday’s storms. An elderly man died in Delaware County, and an elderly woman , described as in her early 80s, was also killed in Collegeville, Pennsylvania, NBC Philadelphia reported.

Another death was reported in Armonk, New York, Wednesday evening after a tree fell onto a car, killing the operator, North Castle police said. 

As of Thursday morning, the system is making its way out of the Northeast, with 5 million people under wind alerts across New England and 8 million under winter alerts.

The system will produce heavy, wet snow over north-central New England and northeast New York and pass through Maine on Thursday, the National Weather Service Prediction Center forecast. An additional 12 inches of snowfall is possible through Friday.

The system will create “significant impacts from heavy snow and wind,” and perilous travel due to whiteout conditions, snow-covered roads, tree damage and power outages, the NWS said.

Disrupted travel, crashes and power outages

Air travel has already been affected, with over 1,200 delays and over 300 cancellations inside, into or out of the U.S. reported, according to Flight Aware data — all amid a week of busy spring break bookings.

The storm system has also wreaked havoc on roads.

In New Hampshire, state troopers responded to three tractor-trailer rollover crashes in less than seven hours by late Wednesday. State police urged locals “to avoid unnecessary travel.” Massachusetts State Police also responded to multiple crashes Wednesday evening, describing road conditions as “poor.”

Powerful winds have whipped through the region since Wednesday, downing power lines and trees.

Nationally, over 500,000 customers are without power — including over 235,000 in Maine, 53,000 in West Virginia and over 51,000 in New York as of 8:30 a.m., according to PowerOutage.us.

By 2:30 p.m. ET, more than 640,000 were without power with over 334,000 out in Maine and over 173,000 out in New Hampshire.

In New Hampshire as of early Thursday, more than 100,000 customers were without power, the state’s division of homeland security and emergency management said. The agency’s State Emergency Operations Center has been activated in response to the storm.

New York State Electric and Gas, which serves the upstate region, said Wednesday’s severe weather led to 180 downed wires and more than 30 broken poles.

“NYSEG pre-staged more than 2,100 additional line workers and tree personnel across its service areas in preparation for the storm and are currently shifting resources to support its hardest hit areas,” the company said.

Utility company National Grid said it was responding to stormy conditions in upstate New York by increasing staffing, extending overnight shifts, bringing in additional resources from other states and Canada, and pre-staging crews in areas anticipated to be “most severely impacted.”

In Brookfield, Connecticut, a mother and her three kids narrowly escaped injury Wednesday when stormy winds caused a tree to fall on their car, completely crushing it.

In Maine, where heavy snow is forecast, Gov. Janet Mills directed all state offices to be closed Thursday and urged locals to “take proper precautions and to prepare for possible power outages.”

More wind, rain and snow

The storm has already drenched much of the Northeast, with a daily record of 1.75 inches recorded at New York City’s LaGuardia Airport on Wednesday, 1.55 inches in Central Park, 1.49 inches in Philadelphia, and 1.84 inches in Newark, New Jersey.

Even Lady Liberty was hit by rumbling thunderstorms, struck by a bolt of lightning Wednesday evening around 6 p.m. in a stunning moment captured by a photographer from Liberty State Park in New Jersey.

The system has also brought with it dangerously high winds, with a gust of 67 mph reported Wednesday in Nantucket, Massachusetts, 64 mph in Stamford, Connecticut, 59 mph in Manhattan and 54 mph in Boston.

Winds are forecast to stay strong through Thursday, with isolated wind gusts of 50-60 mph possible especially for coastal New England.

Alerts for minor to moderate coastal flooding also remain in effect through Thursday evening for 26 million from the Delmarva Peninsula to the Maine coast.

The system will slowly move off the Northeast coast by Saturday.

Breaking News Reporter

Kathryn Prociv is a senior meteorologist and producer for NBC News. 

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UConn Men's Basketball Faces Travel Issues En Route to Final Four in Phoenix

• Author: Tom Dierberger

In this story:

The UConn men's basketball team punched its ticket to the Final Four without much trouble, handily defeating Stetson, Northwestern, San Diego State and Illinois to win the East Region.

Actually traveling to the Final Four in Phoenix, however, posed a challenge for coach Dan Hurley and the Huskies.

CBS Sports' Matt Norlander reported Wednesday the Huskies' original flight to Phoenix was scheduled to leave Wednesday at 6 p.m. ET, but their plane arriving from Kansas City had logistical and mechanical issues that forced a delay.

Per Norlander, the crew flying the plane from Kansas City would be over their FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) hours and can't fly the team to Arizona. UConn would have to wait until 10 a.m. ET on Thursday to fly on that plane.

ESPN's Pete Thamel reported later Wednesday that the Huskies found a solution—a flight expected to leave the East Coast around 11:30 p.m. ET Wednesday. UConn will arrive in Phoenix around 2 a.m. ET Thursday.

Was told that UConn’s men’s team appears to have a solution to its travel woes getting to Arizona. A flight is expected to leave around 11:30 tonight. They’ll get in around 2 a.m. As @MattNorlander noted, there’s been mechanical/crew issues for the Huskies. — Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) April 4, 2024

While the Huskies waited in limbo for an available flight, the other three Final Four teams—Alabama, Purdue and NC State—already arrived in Phoenix.

UConn, the tournament's No. 1 overall seed, is set to face No. 4 seed Alabama in the national semifinals on Saturday at State Farm Stadium.

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10 Best Documentaries About Italy (For 2024)

• by Jonny Duncan
• January 8, 2024 January 13, 2024

These documentaries about Italy show a land of timeless beauty, rich history, and exquisite culture, which has long captivated the imagination of travellers and history enthusiasts alike.

From the iconic art of Florence to the culinary delights of Rome, and the ancient ruins of Pompeii to the charming villages of the Amalfi Coast, Italy’s diverse and multifaceted allure is a subject that continues to inspire filmmakers and documentarians.

Whether you are a lover of art, history, cuisine, or simply the sheer beauty of the Italian landscape, numerous documentaries transport you to this enchanting Mediterranean nation.

Documentaries About Italy

In this collection of documentaries about Italy, you’ll see its vibrant cities, picturesque countryside, and deep cultural heritage.

Explore the stories, traditions, and treasures that make Italy a timeless and endlessly fascinating destination.

The Truffle Hunters (2020)

The Truffle Hunters is a documentary film that explores the world of truffle hunting in the forests of Northern Italy. The documentary focuses on a group of elderly men and their specially trained dogs who search for the elusive and highly valuable Alba truffle in the forests of Piedmont, Italy.

These truffles are highly prized in the culinary world and can fetch high prices. The hunters are portrayed as a secretive and close-knit community, passing down their knowledge from generation to generation.

One of the standout features of the documentary is its stunning cinematography. The filmmakers capture the beauty of the Italian landscapes and the intimate moments of the truffle hunters’ lives with a poetic and visually captivating style.

The documentary delves into the cultural significance of truffle hunting in the region and the culinary world’s fascination with these rare fungi. It provides a glimpse into the intricate and sometimes clandestine world of truffle dealing.

A significant aspect of the documentary is the bond between the truffle hunters and their dogs. The specially trained dogs play a crucial role in locating truffles, and the film highlights the deep connection between the hunters and their canine companions.

This is one of the best documentaries about Italy to watch and is a favourite of mine.

Watch the full documentary here at Amazon:

Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy (2021)

Hosted by chef and TV personality Stanley Tucci, this documentary series delves into the culinary traditions of various Italian regions, offering a mouthwatering exploration of Italian cuisine.

In each episode, Stanley Tucci travels to a different part of Italy to delve into the local cuisine, traditions, and ingredients. He meets with local chefs, farmers, and food artisans to learn about the unique dishes and flavours of the region.

The show also touches on the history and culture of Italy, as food is deeply intertwined with the country’s heritage. This is my current favourite of these documentaries about Italy. Be warned. it will make you hungry!

Barolo Boys: The Story of a Revolution (2014)

Explore the world of Italian winemaking in this documentary, which follows a group of winemakers who played a pivotal role in transforming the reputation of Barolo wine.

Barolo is a famous Italian red wine made from the Nebbiolo grape variety and is produced in the Barolo region of Piedmont, Italy. Traditionally, Barolo was made using traditional methods, with long ageing in large oak barrels.

However, in the 1980s and 1990s, a new generation of winemakers, the “Barolo Boys,” challenged these traditions and introduced modern winemaking techniques.

They experimented with smaller oak barrels, shorter ageing periods, and other innovations, which led to a significant shift in the style and perception of Barolo wine.

Watch the full documentary on Amazon:

Italy Unpacked (2013 Onwards)

Italy Unpacked explores the diverse culinary and cultural landscapes of Italy. The series is hosted by two presenters: chef Giorgio Locatelli and art critic Andrew Graham-Dixon.

The show typically combines elements of travel, food, and art, offering viewers a multifaceted experience. Giorgio Locatelli, as a chef, shares his expertise in Italian cuisine, highlighting regional specialities, local ingredients, and traditional cooking techniques.

Andrew Graham-Dixon, as an art critic, explores the art, history, and cultural significance of each region, providing insights into the artistic heritage of Italy.

Throughout the series, the hosts meet with local chefs, farmers, artisans, and other experts to showcase the authenticity and diversity of Italian food and culture.

Italy Unpacked has multiple seasons, and each season focuses on a specific region or set of regions within Italy.

You can watch all of these episodes for free on YouTube, although at low quality.

James May: Our Man in Italy (2020)

This is a travel documentary series hosted by British television presenter and journalist James May.

Throughout the series, James travels through Italy, from the northern regions down to the southern tip of the country. He delves into Italy’s rich and diverse culinary traditions, art, history, and lifestyle.

James May’s distinctive and often humorous approach to storytelling is a central part of the show’s appeal.

It combines travel, history, and food as it takes you on a tour of Italy’s cities, countryside, and coastal areas. May’s adventures include participating in local traditions, meeting with artisans and experts, and trying regional dishes.

This is one of the most entertaining ones of these documentaries about Italy.

Watch the documentary series here on Amazon:

The Mafia’s Secret Bunkers (2014)

This documentary reveals the hidden bunkers and underground tunnels used by the Mafia in Southern Italy, shedding light on the organization’s history and activities.

In this documentary, viewers are taken on a journey to uncover the clandestine world of the Mafia’s secret bunkers, which were used for a range of criminal activities, including drug trafficking, weapons storage, and as hideouts for Mafia members on the run.

These bunkers were often well-hidden, sophisticated, and equipped with all the necessities to sustain the criminal operations of the Mafia.

The documentary explores the history of the Italian Mafia, its organizational structure, and the role of these bunkers in its criminal activities.

Florence and the Uffizi Gallery 3D/4K (2015)

A visually stunning documentary that provides a 3D and 4K tour of Florence and its famous Uffizi Gallery.

It combines breathtaking aerial shots of Florence’s historic landmarks, such as the Florence Cathedral (Duomo), Ponte Vecchio, and the city’s picturesque streets, with a tour of the Uffizi Gallery’s world-class art collection.

The Uffizi Gallery is famous for its extensive collection of Renaissance art, including works by Italian masters such as Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Raphael, Botticelli, and many others.

The film takes you on a journey through the gallery’s halls and showcases some of its most iconic artworks, allowing for a close-up and immersive experience of these masterpieces.

Italy’s Invisible Cities (2017)

Italy’s Invisible Cities series is produced by BBC and National Geographic and is hosted by Alexander Armstrong.

It explores some of Italy’s most famous cities from a unique perspective, focusing on the hidden history, engineering marvels, and lesser-known aspects of these urban centres.

The series takes viewers on a journey through three iconic Italian cities: Florence, Venice, and Naples. Each episode delves into the history, culture, and architecture of these cities, with a particular emphasis on the hidden and lesser-explored aspects that make them fascinating.

You can learn about the construction and engineering feats that shaped these cities, discover the secrets of their underground tunnels and catacombs, and gain insight into the historical figures who played pivotal roles in their development.

Watch the series on Amazon:

Rick Steves Italy

Rick Steves has produced several television series and episodes dedicated to exploring Italy. These television programs provide you with a visual and educational tour of Italy’s cities, regions, and cultural attractions, along with practical travel advice.

Rick Steves’ Europe: This is Rick Steves’ long-running television series that covers travel throughout Europe, including Italy. Within this series, there are multiple episodes dedicated specifically to Italy. Rick Steves visits various Italian destinations, offering insights into their history, culture, art, and cuisine.

Rick Steves’ Italy : In this television special, Rick Steves explores Italy’s most iconic cities and regions. He takes viewers on a journey to places like Rome, Florence, Venice, and the Amalfi Coast. The special provides travel tips, historical context, and cultural experiences.

These television programs are designed to educate and inspire travellers, offering practical information and cultural insights to enhance the travel experience in Italy.

These travel documentaries about Italy are generally short, coming in at around 25 minutes each, and you can find many of them to watch for free on YouTube.

Wild Italy – From The Alps to Tuscany

This is a good full documentary to watch on YouTube that shows some of the wildlife of the northern part of the country.

If you want to watch something about some of Italy’s wildlife and natural areas then this is one of the best documentaries about Italy for you.

One extra for some in-depth history of Italy…

History of Italy (2023)

This is a good documentary showing the overall history of the country. It’s one of the newer documentaries about Italy on this list.

Many of the other documentaries listed here delve into specific parts of Italy but this one gives you a history of the whole country.

It is a “made for YouTube” video but don’t let that put you off, it’s a great introduction to the history of Italy.

These documentaries offer a diverse and captivating look at Italy’s history, culture, art, and society, making them a great way to explore the country from the comfort of your own home.

Keeping with the Italy theme, have a look at the 10 best documentaries about Rome .

Also, 10 of the best movies about Sicily .

And for more from the region take a look at the 10 best documentaries about Greece .

If you’re planning a trip to Italy you can find hotels in Rome here .

For a good overall guide to the country, this is one of the best to get: Rick Steves Italy .

For more on Italy take a look at the best things to do in Florence .

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'The First Omen' spoilers! What that fiery ending, teasing coda mean for future movies

Spoiler alert! We're discussing important plot points and the ending of “The First Omen” (in theaters now), so beware if you haven’t seen it yet.

How does one birth the Antichrist, anyway? The horror prequel “The First Omen” fills in the back story of 1976’s original “Omen" movie, which introduced hell child Damien, though does give him a new family member: a twin sister.

Director/co-writer Arkasha Stevenson’s new “Omen” sets the stage for the original film akin to “Rogue One” leading right into “Star Wars.” While working at a Roman orphanage before becoming a nun circa 1971, American novitiate Margaret (Nell Tiger Free) discovers a heinous conspiracy at play: The youth have ditched the Catholic Church and powerful holy men want to birth the Antichrist as an extreme way to bring believers back. 

“Answering the question, ‘Where did Damien come from?’ gave us a great opportunity to put our imprint on the story, then essentially drop viewers off at the beginning of the ’76 film,” says co-writer Tim Smith.

So, yes, Damien is birthed but here’s what else major happens in “The First Omen,” including setting up for a female-centered sequel.

What happens at the end of ‘The First Omen’?

Margaret protects an orphan named Carlita (Nicole Sorace), who’s believed to be the one being groomed to spawn a devilish kid, but Free’s character makes two important discoveries. They’re both children of Satan – as the church has long been trying to birth a male Antichrist – and, worse for Margaret, she learns she's the one who's been impregnated by the devil, which takes the form of a giant jackal in the wild climactic birthing scene. (That’s a nod to the OG “Omen,” where a jackal’s skeleton is found in the grave of Damien’s mother.)

Margaret gives birth to twins, Damien as well as a newborn girl, and the boy is taken away by church members – and ultimately given to ambassador Robert Thorn (Gregory Peck) in the beginning of the original "Omen." (A picture of Peck in character is seen in passing near the end of the movie.) But Margaret makes it out, too, with Carlita helping her to escape in the prequel's fiery finale.

That scene took four days to film (one of them being Free's birthday), and “I had to kind of just leave my body a little bit,” Free says. “I was having dental surgery the other day and I just had to pretend I was somewhere else, and it was kind of what I had to do there. Because that's exactly what she would be doing in that moment, when you go through something really traumatizing.”

For Stevenson, it’s a moment that ties back to Margaret’s heavenly entrance in the film before her epic descent: In the opening, “she starts coming up the stairs, rising into bold light and everything's beautiful and colorful, and she's just this fresh-faced novitiate. And then at the end is quite literally in hell strapped to a bed getting tortured.”

Is that the most bananas part of the ‘Omen’ prequel?

Surprisingly, no. Stevenson includes a graphic bit early in the movie where a woman gives birth to a demon, with a full-frontal shot of a vagina, and even that is not “the most confronting shot in the movie,” the director admits. Instead, that superlative goes to an homage to the 1981 thriller “Possession,” in which a pregnant Margaret spasms and lets out primal grunts and screams as the thing inside her begins to take over. It’s meant to symbolize “this concept of losing control over your body and your body not belonging to you anymore, and you wanting desperately to grab onto every physical function you have,” Stevenson says.

Her direction to Free for that scene came in a last-minute whisper in the actress’ ear: “Scare the s--- out of them, Nell.” A crew-member friend approached her and "he was like, ‘Ciao, Nell, can I get you a cup of tea?’ He looked at me and went, ‘I’ll come back later,’ ” Free says, laughing. “We had a couple people walk off set while we did it. People were crossing themselves. It was great.”

Does ‘First Omen’ have a post-credit scene?

Nope! However, there is a coda that both ties to the earlier "Omen" films and potentially sets up a future installment: Just before the credits roll, Margaret and Carlita are shown in a remote cabin with the little girl, now seemingly a few years old. Father Brennan shows up at their door, as Margaret greets him with a shotgun, and he comes bearing ominous news about the Antichrist: “They’ve given it a name. Damien.” 

Free calls it “such a cool moment,” and one that opens the door to a sequel featuring the female characters that parallels the Damien movies. “All three of those girls are half jackal: They have the devil in them,” Stevenson adds. “But they've isolated themselves to try and heal from that trauma altogether. So it is really exciting to think about what happens when they emerge from that cabin eventually. I would love to continue exploring that story.”

Her star is also game: “Listen, I love this franchise," Free says. "As long as there's stories to tell in this universe, I'll be there with bells on if they need me.”

What to know about Schengen zone, Europe’s ‘border-free’ travel system

Schengen countries allow international travelers to move freely across borders without additional passport checks.

Europe’s “border-free” Schengen zone has added travel protections for two more countries, making it easier for more people to explore the southeastern region of the continent.

Romania and Bulgaria partially joined the Schengen area on Sunday, which means visitors who arrive by air or sea from other countries in the zone can cross their borders without an ID check. Land borders will remain subject to ID checks because of opposition led by Austria, which has long cited irregular migration as a concern when it comes to welcoming the two Eastern European states into the Schengen agreement. The move comes more than a decade after Romania and Bulgaria joined the European Union.

The European Commission had previously recommended that Bulgaria and Romania be admitted to join the Schengen zone, starting in 2011 and most recently in 2023. A combination of internal problems in the two countries and opposition from other countries citing irregular migration concerns — especially after the so-called “migrant crisis” of 2015 — meant they were caught in “Schengen purgatory” until now, according to Leon Züllig, a researcher and Schengen expert at Germany’s Justus Liebig University Giessen.

Where to go

Our favorite destinations: These 12 destinations are at the top of our wish list for where to go this year, without crowds. In 2023, we explored an Alaskan bear paradise, Brooklyn’s famous pizzerias and a hidden gem in Italy, among other highlights ..

Travel like a local: Residents share their favorite places in our top city guides: New Orleans , Rome , Tokyo and Mexico City .

National parks: This comprehensive guide has details on all 63 U.S. national parks. For a deep dive into five of the most well-known, you can listen to the Field Trip podcast . Then explore tips from locals for visiting Yosemite , Glacier and Everglades .

Tales from the road: Dolly Parton has opened a new resort at her theme park complex in Tennessee, while “Fixer Upper” stars Chip and Joanna Gaines have a new hotel in Waco . Road-trippers may be just as excited to see the cartoon beaver at Buc-ee’s , and bargain-hunters should consider a stop at the Unclaimed Baggage store in Scottsboro, Ala.

• What to know about Schengen zone, Europe’s ‘border-free’ travel system April 3, 2024 What to know about Schengen zone, Europe’s ‘border-free’ travel system April 3, 2024
• At Europe’s sauna marathon, schvitzing is a sport February 27, 2024 At Europe’s sauna marathon, schvitzing is a sport February 27, 2024
• 18 courses, no murder: A floating restaurant right out of ‘The Menu’ September 30, 2023 18 courses, no murder: A floating restaurant right out of ‘The Menu’ September 30, 2023

Is it safe to drive during the solar eclipse?

The upcoming solar eclipse will mean lots of folks looking to the skies on Monday.

That might raise a key question for you, especially if you expect to be on the road that day.

Is it safe to drive during the eclipse?

“Since they are such a rare occurrence, we don’t often think about how an eclipse might impact driving conditions due to the unique challenges it brings to roadway safety,” according to Katie Bower, director of the Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning. “As the eclipse unfolds, and visibility decreases, drivers and pedestrians should be extra cautious, patient and alert to ensure everyone makes it home safely.”

Bower noted that “we’ve heard that many Michiganders are heading to Ohio to view the eclipse and we urge everyone who will be traveling to buckle up, slow down and drive for the conditions, so we can all enjoy this rare event safely with family and friends.”

Only a very small piece of Michigan, around Luna Pier , is expected to be in the so-called path of totality, but Michiganders elsewhere will still experience varying degrees of the spectacle.

It’s not safe to look at the sun with the naked eye , and for the vast majority of us it won’t be safe to watch any part of the eclipse without protective eyewear at any point.

But what happens when you’re on the road? For starters, do not try to watch the eclipse if you're driving.

What's the advice for driving during the eclipse?

Various agencies have been offering tips. Here’s what AAA Michigan recommends:

• Keep your vehicle’s headlights on.
• Put the sun visor down to block your view of the sun.
• Don’t wear eclipse glasses while driving.
• Don’t try to photograph or video the eclipse while driving.
• Don’t pull over to the side of the road, highway or interstate to view the eclipse.
• Exit the roadway and park in a safe area away from traffic to view the eclipse.
• Be mindful of pedestrians who may be walking around with their eyes on the sky.

A group focused on rail safety even put out its own advisory for Monday warning drivers and eclipse watchers to “stay clear of railroad tracks and trains.”

Federal Highway Administrator Shailen Bhatt advised in a video safety message that “this rare event may be a once in a lifetime for some but could have widespread impacts on the traveling public, so please plan ahead to arrive early and if you can, stay put to avoid traffic congestion. … Don’t have an eclipse in judgment. Be safe.”

What's the data show?

There doesn’t appear to be a ton of data on how eclipses affect road safety. The data around what for Michigan was a partial solar eclipse in August 2017 showed a decrease in crashes based on activity for the same day two weeks before and afterward, according to the state Office of Highway Safety Planning.

But circumstances elsewhere were more directly affected by the event. Places that saw a total eclipse that year attracted lots of visitors and extra road activity as evidenced by a photo from the Wyoming Department of Transportation included in a Federal Highway Administration document about eclipse preparations. That photo showed bumper-to-bumper traffic on a rural highway.

A research letter posted on the Journal of the American Medical Association website highlighted national data for the 2017 eclipse, which would include those areas that experienced a total eclipse. It found an increase in fatal crashes at that time.

“In absolute terms, this averaged to 1 extra crash-involved person every 25 minutes and 1 extra crash fatality every 95 minutes,” according to the letter.

The study cited increases in traffic, travel on unfamiliar roads, speeding to arrive on time, driver distraction, viewing from unsafe roadside locations and drug- or alcohol-induced impairment related to eclipse celebrations beyond just changes in lighting as factors.

More than 200 million people are within driving range of the upcoming eclipse the letter noted, highlighting the potential for out-of-the-ordinary traffic safety issues next week.

Free Press staff writer Kristen Jordan Shamus contributed to this report.

Contact Eric D. Lawrence: [email protected].  Become a subscriber .