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Top 18 Safari Movies to watch before your African Safari

  • January 29, 2020
  • Author & Photographer: Teri Didjurgis

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Films to inspire your African Safari

My earliest memory of opening up a National Geographic magazine was seeing elephants, lion, zebras, rhinos and other animals in Africa along with tribes and cultures so distant to mine.

Going on safari has been a dream to have a unique experience of seeing this wildlife adventure, experiencing different cultures and spectacular scenery! 

Until my first trip to Africa, I explored through these safari films featuring the breathtaking landscapes, historical events of locals and human interactions with wildlife and the stars of the savannah featuring conservation programs and struggles to preserve them.

Out of Africa Movie

Out of Africa (1985)

  • Available on Amazon

The movie, Out of Africa , inspired many a traveler to take a trip to Africa and specifically Kenya. The movie features breathtaking scenery of Kenya including the areas around Nairobi and the Maasai Mara.

The movie, based on the book by Karen Blixen , is a memoir of her life in the early 1900’s in Kenya, then known as British East Africa to colonists. Meryl Streep and Robert Redford play the lead characters for this romance, though I believe the true romance of the film is Karen falling in love with the land and people of Kenya.

Karen writes and reveals in the movie her own personal experience as a woman in this time period running a coffee plantation in spite of her absent husband and interactions with locals many of which were part of the infamous Happy Valley Set of the Kenya Colony in the 1920’s. The story touches on events of the time including colonialism, World War I, shooting safaris and her interactions with the local Kikuyu tribe. A distance time.

On a trip to Kenya, you can visit her home and conversations with the locals will reveal that the love went both ways. Karen introduced Kenya to many in the world both through her 1937 book and the subsequent 1985 Academy Award winning film.

Gorillas in the Mist Movie

Gorillas in the Mist (1988)

Gorillas in the Mist is another true story based on the life of Dian Fossey. The story tells the tale of the naturalist, played by Sigourney Weaver, and her relationship with the group of primates she studies in the Congo.

Studying them at close quarters, Fossey develops a means of communicating with the gorillas, and in so doing becomes obsessed with the beasts’ well-being. Appalled by the poaching of the gorillas for their skins, Fossey complains to the Ugandan government, which dismisses her by explaining that poaching is the only means by which some of the Ugandan natives can themselves survive.

With the threat of poachers hovering in the background and strife all around in Rwanda, there’s high drama as well as some magnificent footage of real gorillas in their natural habitat.

BBC Africa

BBC Africa (2013)

The BBC created this incredible six-part mini series, BBC Africa , on Africa’s wild places and wildlife.

Narrated by Sir David Attenborough, he takes us on an awe-inspiring journey through on of the most diverse places on earth including the Kalahari desert, the Sahara Desert, the savannah of East Africa, and jungles of the Congo as well as diverse wildlife including black rhinos, mountain gorillas, and much more of Africa’s amazing wildlife.

The Last Lions Movie

The Last Lions (2012)

From the lush wetlands of Botswana’s Okavango Delta, this documentary focuses on one lioness, named Ma di Tau (“Mother of Lions”), as she tries to protect her cubs against the many threats they face in the wild including poaching.

The Last Lions is a documentary film about the heartbreaking decline of the lion population in Africa. Fifty years ago there were close to 500 million lions in Africa. Today there are around 20,000.

Lions, unlike elephants which are far more numerous, have virtually no protection under government mandate or through international accords. The safari eco-tourist industry brings in over 200 billion dollars per year with lions being a top “must-see” and yet little is done to protect the lions. In addition, big cats are at the very top of the food chain and their elimination would wreak havoc on all species below them in ecosystem collapse.

The documentary was made in collaboration between National Geographic and their Explorers-in-Residence, Dereck and Beverly Joubert, who are filmmakers from Botswana. The film is narrated by Jeremy Irons.

The Ivory Game

The Ivory Game

  • Available on Netflix

It takes 2 seconds seeing a parade of elephants in the wild to be enthralled by these highly intelligent and emotional beasts. The interactions between the young bulls and then groups of mothers and their calves show the complexity of their family relationships.

The movie, Ivory Game , is a documentary revealing the Ivory Trade industry endangering the elephants. The filmmakers show all side of this Ivory industry from the insatiable Chinese market and the local poachers to the wildlife conversationalists and government programs to save the elephants.

I watched this movie on the night before I went on a week long safari in Tanzania where the documentary is partially filmed. As a tourist, I just in awe of seeing these animals, but the documentary provided the rich context of ecosystems in Africa where local poachers living in poverty are enticed to sell off the expensive ivory by dealers and also local people are losing crops when the elephants migrate.

The filmmakers looks at all sides working on solutions to save both the elephants and locals interests while stopping the Ivory Trade.

Born Free Movie

Born Free (1966)

Born Free  is a 1966 British drama film starring Virginia McKenna and Bill Travers as Joy and George Adamson, a real-life couple who raised Elsa the Lioness, an orphaned lion cub, to adulthood, and released her into the wilderness of Kenya.

At a national park in Kenya, English game warden George Adamson (Bill Travers) and his wife, Joy (Virginia McKenna), care for three orphaned lion cubs. The lion cubs parents were killed after attacking villagers.

After the two larger lions are shipped off to a zoo in the Netherlands, the smallest of the three, Elsa, stays with the couple. When Elsa is blamed for causing an elephant stampede in the nearby village, head warden John Kendall (Geoffrey Keen) demands the young lion either be trained to survive in the wilds of the Serengeti or be sent to a zoo.

The making of the film was a life-changing experience for actors Virginia McKenna and her husband Bill Travers, who became animal rights activists and were instrumental in creating the  Born Free Foundation .

To Walk with Lions Movie

To Walk with Lions (1999)

To Walk with Lions  is a 1999 film directed by Carl Schultz and starring Richard Harris as George Adamson. 

It follows the later years of wild game preserver/naturalist Adamson whose life was transformed into an animal activist after his experience saving a lion cub shown in the movie Born Free .

After his marriage to Joy Adamson ended, Adamson spent the latter part of his life protecting the lions and other wildlife in the Kora National Reserve, Kenya. His program helps ease zoo-bred lions into their natural habitat. The fact-based film focuses on his struggle against poachers and government corruption blocking his quest for wildlife preservation.

The Ghost & the Darkness Movie

The Ghost and the Darkness (1996)

Set in 1898 and starring Val Kilmer and Michael Douglas, The Ghost and the Darkness is based on the true story of two lions in East Africa that killed dozens of people working on a railroad.

Sir Robert Beaumont (Tom Wilkinson) is behind schedule on a railroad in Africa. Enlisting noted engineer John Henry Patterson (Val Kilmer) to right the ship, Beaumont expects results. Everything seems great until the crew discovers the mutilated corpse of the project’s foreman (Henry Cele), seemingly killed by a lion. After several more attacks, Patterson calls in famed hunter Charles Remington (Michael Douglas), who has finally met his match in the bloodthirsty lions.

Don’t let this movie put you off safaris. This true story will highlight the struggles in Africa between local populations, development and wildlife that has been a part of their story for over a hundred years.

The Lion King Movie

The Lion King (1994)

When you think of safaris and big game, it’s hard not to immediately imagine the Circle of Life scene from the beginning of Disney’s epic African adventure,  The Lion King . It might be animation and talking lions rather than real life nature scenes, but adults and kids alike can’t fail to be inspired to take a safari holiday after watching Simba on screen.

The Disney imagineers definitely did their homework. On safari, you will find many of the names of the animals are Swahili and the characteristics of the animals is spot on. I especially saw it in cranky old bachelor lions and the Pummba.

The Legends of Tarzan Movie

The Legend of Tarzan (2016)

Everyone’s favorite jungle hero has been the subject of many films over the Hollywood years.

In The Legend of Tarzan , it’s been nearly a decade since Tarzan (Alexander Skarsgård), also known as John Clayton III, left Africa to live in Victorian England with his wife Jane.

Danger lurks on the horizon as Leon Rom (Christoph Waltz), a treacherous envoy for King Leopold, devises a scheme that lures the couple to the Congo.

Rom plans to capture Tarzan and deliver him to an old enemy in exchange for diamonds. When Jane becomes a pawn in his devious plot, Tarzan must return to the jungle to save the woman he loves.

Other Disney Animated versions

  • Tarzan (2014)
  • The Jungle Book (2016)
  • The Jungle Book (1967)

I will always be partial to The Jungle Book (1967) for the music.  You can’t help but hum “The Bare Necessities”  or “I wanna be like you” after hearing it.

Road to Zanzibar Movie

Road to Zanzibar (1941)

Road to Zanzibar is a trip back to old Hollywood. 

After the success of contemporary films in the safari genre, Bob Hope parodies African adventures with this farce.

The movie is classic Hollywood with ridiculous scenarios including love triangles, races through the jungle, swimming with leopards and plenty of jewels, the fast-paced comedy is a fun trip.

The African Queen Movie

The African Queen (1952)

Another one from old Hollywood, Th e African Queen focuses on life in Africa during World War II.

After religious spinster’s (Katharine Hepburn) missionary brother is killed in WWI Africa, dissolute steamer captain (Humphrey Bogart) offers her safe passage. She’s not satisfied so she persuades him to destroy a German gunboat. The two spend most of their time fighting with each other rather than the Germans. In true Hollywood fashion, time alone on the river leads to love.

The movie, shot in Uganda and the Congo, was one of the first movies to use real locations and backgrounds.

White Hunter Black Heart Movie

White Hunter Black Heart (1990)

Clint Eastwood’s film is based loosely on the experiences of writer Peter Viertel and director John Huston on the set of The African Queen . 

Love trumps in the 1950s classic The Africa Queen, but White Hunter Black Heart is much darker and explores the morality of hunting wild animals.

Hard-living, macho movie director John Wilson (Clint Eastwood) arrives in 1950s Zimbabwe to prepare for his next film. Accompanied by screenwriter Pete Verrill (Jeff Fahey), Wilson becomes far more interested in shooting an elephant than getting ready for the shoot.

Determined, Wilson moves production to a village where a native hunter helps him in his quest. Obsessed with this goal even as filming grows ever more chaotic, the director begins to question the ethics and origins of his fixation.

King Solomon's Mines Movie

King Solomon’s Mines (1950)

King Solomon’s Mines , based on H. Rider Haggard’s novel is about a rescue party that sets out to find an explorer who has disappeared on an African treasure hunt.

The search leads the party across the continent and through the terrors of jungle, swamp, and desert.

Their ultimate destination is the fabled lost mine of Solomon, a source of unimaginable wealth and deadly danger.

There is also a 1985 version of King Solomon’s Mines starring Richard Chamberlain and Sharon Stone, which has a more Indiana Jones feel.

Mogambo Movie

Mogambo (1953)

In M ogambo , Victor Marswell (Clark Gable) is a big-game hunter in Kenya. After Eloise Kelly (Ava Gardner) is stood up by a friend there, she falls in with Marswell.

Shortly thereafter, the Nordleys (Grace Kelly, Donald Sinden) arrive for a gorilla safari. Mrs. Nordley, disillusioned with her husband, takes a liking to Marswell, and the two have a brief affair. Kelly grows jealous, and the two women engage in a battle of wills over the hunter, while Mr. Nordley remains oblivious to it all. 

This is an old classic Hollywood triangle filmed in Kenya and Uganda. The music featured in the film was mostly performed by local native tribes.

Hatari Movie

Hatari! (1962)

Hatari , meaning “Danger” in Swahili , stars the legendary John Wayne takes the cowboy from the Old West to the African landscape. Filmed in Tanzania in the Ngorongoro Crater, this old Hollywood film is about a group of who traps animals for zoos. While not an activity I endorse today, this was the historical reality at the time.

A female wildlife photographer joins the group to document and finds herself the mother of baby elephants she tries to save.

The movie features the amazing scenery and wildlife of Tanzania and I recognized many of the places still from my recent safari.

The Naked Prey Movie

The Naked Prey (1966)

The Naked Prey is set in the South African veld. This eerie movie starring Cornel Wilde is a dark tale that switched the traditional roles of a hunting safari.

The guide leads a troop of hunters through a tribe’s colony to start the hunt, but when the group offends the locals, he finds himself in the role of the animals – naked and being chased through the landscape by warriors from the tribe.

Young Indiana Jones Chronicales

Young Indiana Jones Chronicles: Passion for Life

The Young Indiana Jones is a TV series, created by Steven Spielberg, featuring a 10 and later 17-year-old Indiana Jones on his adventures in his early year.  The set includes 3 seasons and 24 episodes

The “Passion for Life” episode focuses on a 10-year-old Indiana Jones as he goes on safari with his parent in British East Africa in September 1910.

Young Jones befriends a Massai boy named Meto who helps him in his search for the rare Fringe-Eared Oryx for former US President Teddy Roosevelt.

The scenery is spectacular and in typical Indiana Jones style, an adventure ensues as Indy finds himself in the middle of it all.   The episode is one hour, but the DVD set also has a complimentary disc with documentaries exploring the themes in each episode with historical clips and commentary.

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60 Best Travel Movies to Inspire Wanderlust

Written By: The Planet D

Travel Movies

Updated On: February 14, 2024

What makes for great travel movies? We feel it is when the destination becomes the star. A movie that showcases beautiful cities , landscapes, and culture is a movie that inspires us to visit a destination or relive our time there when we get home. Dave and I love movies. We worked in the film business in our previous careers and lived for the cinema. So when we chose our list of the best travel movies, we took it seriously. 

Table of Contents

The Best Travel Movies

Our choices for the best travel movies are probably very different than yours, so leave a comment and let us know what you think the best travel movies are. We are always looking for new travel films to ignite our wanderlust. To rent or buy one of these travel films to inspire wanderlust right now, check out Amazon Instant Video

The Best Travel Movies to Inspire Wanderlust

1. in bruges.

This is by far the best travel movie. One of the characters actually carries around a guidebook! If you love a good caper set in an exotic location, you’ll love In Bruges. Collin Farrel and Brendan Gleeson star as two hit men who are sent to Bruges, Belgium to hide out after a job goes bad.

The more Colin Farrell’s character complained of hating Bruges (in Belgium), the more you took in the surroundings of Bruges and noticed just how picturesque the city is. While the film is primarily a crime drama and dark comedy it intertwines the city’s picturesque locations and cultural aspects with the narrative seamlessly.

Rent or Buy In Bruges on Amazon

2. banshees of inisherin trailer

I was so excited to see Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson reunite and this time, they share screen time in one of the newest travel films on our list, the Banshees of Inisherin. The movie takes place on the Aran Islands of Ireland and showcases the beauty of that destination as two friends go through some very dark times.

Gleessan’s character Colm decides he has wasted his life and cuts ties with his lifelong best friend Pádraic (Farrell) and all kinds of darkness begins. It had some of the best acting I’ve seen in years, and every one of the four main cast was nominated for Acadamy Awards.

3. One Week

One of our favorite travel movies of all time. And not because it is set in Canada. One Week follows a young man driving a motorcycle on a cross-country road trip across Canada after being diagnosed with terminal cancer. No movie has made me want to explore a country more than One Week. It showcases Canada beautifully.

I didn’t want to see this movie because of its morbid subject, but it ended up being an uplifting and enlightening film of self-discovery. It truly is the ultimate Canadian road trip movie. Rent One Week Here on Amazon

4. Secret Life of Walter Mitty

I had to watch this most popular of all travel films twice before deciding I liked The Secret Life of Walter Mitty and I can understand why it is at the top of most lists of best travel movies. This movie takes you from New York, to Iceland, Greenland and the Himalayas.

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty shows how taking a risk and getting out of your comfort zone can lead to great things. The ending was my favorite, but I won’t spoil it for you. Rent it now .

5. Before Sunrise Trilogy

We have three of our favorite travel movies in one package! And each showcases the destination they are in. The Before Sunrise movies are about love but they are also very much travel films. They were filmed 10 years apart and they take place in three different locations around Europe – Vienna , Paris , and Greece .

The Before Sunrise trilogies capture the essence of each destination. And here’s a cool fact – Dave and I stayed at  Costa Navarino  in Greece where After Midnight took place!

It is probably the best of all romantic travel movies out there that literally spans three decades. (They film a movie every 10 years). Watch Before Sunrise and Sunset on Amazon Prime

6. Planes Trains and Automobiles

John Candy and Steve Martin take an unexpected cross country road trip from New York City to Chicago. This is Dave’s pick for the best travel movie.

This is considered one of the great comedy travel movies, but I look at it as a drama. John Candy’s character breaks my heart. You may think of it as a holiday film but it is also one of the funniest travel films out there. If you’re in the mood for a good heartfelt comedy,  rent it today.

7. Julie & Julia

Not only does Julie and Julia star the great Meryl Streep but this travel movie is based on blogging. It’s like it was made for us! I was surprised by how much I loved this movie based on the true story of Julia Child and I didn’t go in expecting much.

Julie & Julia follows the life of Julia Child during her time in Paris and cuts throughout to the present day in New York . It makes you crave French cuisine and a life of decadence in France. When it comes to choosing a  favorite travel movie this one is right up there. Rent it now

8. The Big Year

The Big Year follows Jack Black (who doesn’t love Jack Black?), Owen Wilson, and Steve Martin traveling around the United States with hopes of becoming the number 1 bird watcher in the world. It ended up being one of the most surprising travel films I’ve seen.

They are obsessed with spotting more species of birds than any other person in 365 days. I related to this movie because it is more about the journey and how having a great adventure can change a life. Rent it Now

Best Travel Movies for Adventure Lovers

9. into the wild.

The real-life true story chronicles the journey of  Christopher McCandless who went on a cross country road trip through the US and ended up in Alaska .

I read Into the Wild years ago and was mesmerized trying to figure out how someone could give up everything to go and live off the grid. John Krakauer dug into the psyche of McCandless and what motivates people to take risks.

Things don’t turn out as he hoped, and it is a lesson learned for would-be adventurers. Enjoy it now !

Wild is an adaptation of Cheryl Strayed’s travel memoir, From Lost To Found On The Pacific Crest Trail. Based on a true story, it follows her journey about putting a life back together after it all falls apart.

Pushing the limits physically on the Pacific Crest Trail and stepping out of her comfort zone take her on a journey of self-discovery. A struggle and journey can change a life and Reese Witherspoon is excellant as usual. Check it out on Amazon

11. Everest

Everest by John Krakauer is the true story of the catastrophe that happened on Everest in 1996. It’s a first-hand account by Krakauer who was on Everest at the time. While the movie focuses on the events, it does showcase the psyche of why people climb mountains and it shows the culture and beauty of the Everest Region.

As far as travel movies go, even though it is based on a dark subject, it does make me want to go to Everest. So we did! Plus, it stars Jake Gyllenhaal and Josh Brolin, so how can you go wrong?

  • You can rent this movie made in Hollywood
  • You can also check out the documentary.

Tracks is another travel movie base on a true story and I really enjoyed it. It’s a film about a young woman who walks across Australia from Alice Springs to the Indian Ocean with four camels and her pet dog.

What I really liked is how the lead character Robyn Davidson learns the skills needed to survive. She is visited by a photographer from National Geographic who shared her story and was led through the sacred lands of the Outback by an Aboriginal elder. Watch this Amazing true story on Amazon ! 

13. World’s Fastest Indian 

From New Zealand to America, Anthony Hopkins takes his Indian Motorcycle to the salt flats to see how far he can go. The World’s Fastest Indian is one of my favorite performances by Hopkins and it is one of the great underrated travel movies.

He is vulnerable, lovable, and inspiring. This true story takes you on a fun road trip along the way until he reaches the Salt Flats of California and that is when you really start rooting for him to win! Rent it on Amazon Prime

14. Adventures of Pricilla Queen of the Desert

Adventures of Pricilla Queen of the Desert follows a group of drag queens taking a cross country road trip in a van named “Pricilla” from Sydney to Alice Springs where they are going to perform their drag show.

They meet a lot of characters along the way and this film introduced us to superstars Hugo Weaving and Guy Pearce who joined the already-established Terrence Stamp.

15. Motorcycle Diaries

Ever since watching one of the best travel movies about South America, (you guessed it, the Motorcycle Diaries) wanted to do a road trip through South America. (PS. I’m still dreaming of that road trip through South America one day)

Gael García Bernal stars as Che Guevera and it follows his journey on a motorcycle trip through South America before he became a part of the revolution. This movie is based on a true story where Che traveled through the continent and I believe it was traveling through South America that Che saw what people were going through and that is what sparked him to take action in his own way.

  • Check it out for yourself
  • Rent it on Amazon

16. The Way

Dave and I have always wanted to walk the Camino de Santiago in Spain. This movie is a bittersweet tribute to the epic hike. Acting legend Martin Sheen walks the trail to honor his son Emilio Estevez (also director) who died on the walk. This movie explores themes of grief, regret, and understanding.

Sheen’s character finishes what his son started helping him connect and understand his son while examining his own life and is one of the most moving travel movies on our list. You can watch it on Amazon

Best Classic Travel Movies

17. lawrence of arabia.

Lawrence of Arabia made us dream of the Arabian Desert and that is what travel films are meant to do. I would say that this is often considered one of the best travel movies of all time. It’s the original travel movie for sure and it really does capture the majesty of the Arabian Desert.

When we got the chance to visit Jordan and walk in the footsteps of the real Lawrence of Arabia, we couldn’t believe we were living our own travel movie. This will make you want to go on an adventure and spend the night in a Bedouin tent. Rent it on Amazon Prime Now

18. Out of Africa

If you want another Meryl Streep vehicle that is often considered one of the best travel movies, you should try  Out of Africa. Out of Africa takes place in a different time, but it captures the heart of Africa beautifully.

Based on a true story, Meryl Streep stars as a married baroness in love with big game hunter Robert Redford. Their chemistry is unmistakable. She falls in love with Africa and you will fall in love with it too.

The cinematography is outstanding. It won 7 Oscars including Best Picture and Best Cinematography. Rent Out of Africa

19. Romancing the Stone

Who didn’t fantasize about an adventure in Colombia after watching Kathleen Turner and Michael Douglas in Romancing the Stone? As a kid I always thought about the line “ I need to get to Cartagena ” and while I had no idea where Cartagena was,(It’s in South America by the way) I knew it was exciting.

In the most romanticly fun of travel movies, Kathleen Turner transformed from a scared writer who merely writes about adventure, to a woman encountering an adventure and meeting a rugged mysterious man in exotic Columbia. Watch Romancing the Stone today

20. The Bucket List

With two of my favorite actors and a message to live life to the fullest, the Bucket List is one amazing movie and one of the best travel movies. I think it actually invented the term, The Bucket List. The phrase has been overused in recent years, but the message never gets old. The Bucket List is the original “live your dreams now” travel movie.

It’s beautifully acted, heartfelt, and showcases how life should be lived to the fullest. Rent or buy it here!

Most people say that Amelie is one of the best travel movies of all time. So this list wouldn’t be complete without it. I did love the views of Paris and the everyday life showcased in Montmartre.

I also enjoyed the uplifting message of a quiet young woman named, Amelie helping the people around her in the lovely district of Montmartre in Paris. If you want to watch sweeping scenes through Paris streets and if you love Paris, you can’t help but like Amelie. So check it out !

22. Roman Holiday

This did not age well in our opinion. We watched it recently and it is just downright bad. Many people will probably disagree. But as far as travel movies go, it is fun to see a princess posing as a regular young Woman zipping around Rome.

They should remake Roman Holiday, it would be fun. Rent it on Prime

23. Sideways

I admit it. After this movie came out, I didn’t drink Merlot for years! Sideways takes us on a road trip through California wine country and it really is filled with amazing performances by Paul Giamatti, Sandra Oh, Virginia Madsen, and Thomas Hayden Church.

We have been to Santa Maria, California, and this movie captures the feel of wine country perfectly. Rent or buy on Amazon Prime 

24. Up in the Air

Up in the Air makes you love the idea of travel but it shows the emptiness that the life of a vagabond can lead to if you don’t stay grounded with your family and friends. It’s not in the genre of typical travel films out there, but travel is the main theme.

I cannot go through airport security anymore without thinking of George Clooney as his character has the art of travel down to a science.

This movie also has a great message that Dave and I can relate to. We all become so consumed with our careers and our lives that we forget about what is important. Get it on Amazon Instant Video

Best Travel Movies Highlighting Destinations

25. ticket to paradise.

Our newest addition to our travel movies is from two legends, George Clooney and Julia Roberts who take us to Bali for their daughter’s wedding. The two divorced years ago, but agree that their daughter is too young to get married and decide to sabotage the wedding.

This movie showcases the culture and beauty of Bali while showing us once again how travel can be transformational and can change your life.

I love these two together, George and Julia, and great friends in real life and have amazing on-screen chemistry.

26. The Beach – Thailand

The Beach is the original backpacker slacker travel film. The Beach captures what Thailand was like before tourists started flocking to it en-masse. At one time, it was an off-the-beaten-path backpacker destination. We enjoyed the book more, but you can never go wrong with Leo.

If you want to get a sense of what it was like to travel to Thailand before mass tourism, this is a good movie for you. Plus it is beautiful and as far as travel movies go, it will make you want to go to Thailand. Not only are the people beautiful, but the scenery of southern Thailand is also out of this world.

Take in the journey as they search for a hidden beach that is pure perfection.

27. Lost in Translation – Tokyo

Tokyo is a bit strange. It is unlike anywhere else on earth, and Lost in Translation showcases the culture shock that one feels when staying in a different city.

There are different customs in Japan and the culture is much different than anywhere else and this movie captures that odd feeling you get when traveling there. Lost in Translation highlights some of the best spots in Tokyo.

The hotel where the movie takes place still has one of the best views in the city! And who doesn’t love Bill Murray? He is priceless and it’s one of Scarlett Johanson’s best performances. Check it Out

28. Slumdog Millionaire – India

We traveled to India in 2010 and Slumdog Millionaire seemed to capture the true slums of India while showcasing the heart of the people. Many of the rich cities are modern, but when traveling through rural India and the poorer areas, this is what it’s like.

Dev Patel stars as a young Indian boy who gets on a game show that could change his life. It’s heartbreaking, raw, and sometimes uncomfortable which is exactly what travel can be too hence why it made the list of our favorite travel movies. Download it here on Amazon

If you are a fan of Dev Patel (as we are) you will love him in another of our favorite travel films, Lion. Lion is based on a true story and is an emotional journey that takes audiences across India and Australia spanning cultures, and decades.

Patel plays Saroo Brierley, a young Indian boy who gets lost on a train in India at the age of five. After surviving several challenges on the streets of Kolkata and eventually being adopted by an Australian family, Saroo, as an adult, uses Google Earth to find his birth mother and the journey begins. The movie also stars Nicol Kidman.

30. Vicky, Cristina Barcelona – Spain

Admit it, we all want to go to Spain and run into beautiful people like Penelope Cruz and Javier Barden. I think this movie did so well because it inspired everyone to go to Barcelona. (That’s our criteria for choosing the best travel movies, how they inspired travel)

Vicky Cristina Barcelona makes us dream of the cities in Spain , the passion of the Spanish people and getting away for a summer in Spain.

Vicky Cristina Barcelona definitely is an inspiring travel movie and one of the best travel films out there. It really captures the energy and passion of Spain in Barcelona . Rent Vicky Christina Barcelona on Amazon

31. Under the Tuscan Sun – Italy

For the romantics out there, Under the Tuscan Sun is one of the best travel movies. Wouldn’t you just love to buy a villa in Tuscany and fall in love with a stranger?

This is one of my favorite romantic travel films and Under the Tuscan Sun based on a true story. After a bad divorce, her character takes a trip to Italy courtesy of her best friend, (The incredible Sandra Oh!) and buys a house!

This travel movie is based on a true story where our star shares the trials and tribulations of renovating a Tuscan villa. You can rent Under the Tuscan Sun on Amazon

32. Best Exotic Marigold Hotel – India

We always preach that you are never too old to try something new and you are never too old to travel and that is the premise of one of the most beloved travel movies, Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. It’s chock full of great legendary actors including Dame Judi Dench, Bill Nighy, and Maggie Smith.

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel follows a group of retirees who travel to India to live out their days at a crumbling retirement hotel. All mayhem and madness ensue as things can only in India. There’s romance, tragedy, and hope. Rent it now

33. A Good Year – Provence France

A Good Year made me want to go to Provence and live a simple life…on a multi-million dollar vineyard estate. That’s reasonable, right? And that’s what travel movies make you want to do…Pick up and go somewhere.

A Good Year makes life in Provence look like the Garden of Eden and I want a piece of it. Everyone is beautiful, everyone is a wine connoisseur, and everyone is pure and good. Who wouldn’t want to go to the south of France after seeing A Good Year? Rent it now.

34. Midnight in Paris – Paris

Looking for travel movies that combine time travel this movie night? Midnight in Paris captures the golden years of Paris as Owen Wilson walks through the streets at night in search of that romantic nostalgia of the city.

Blending time travel with traditional travel, this film showcases Paris’s rich history and examines how different eras appeal to different people.

He ends up meeting the famous patrons of the 1920s including Cole Porter, Ernest Hemingway, Gertrude Stein, and more! This travel movie makes me want to hop on a flight to Paris every time! Watch it on Amazon Prime or get it on DVD

35. Australia – Australia

This movie was crucified by the critics, but I loved it and its one of the best travel movies showcasing the beauty of Australia’s landscape. Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman take her cattle across the Outback.

It also touches on the injustices of how Australia treated the Aboriginal People, reminding me of what Canada did with residential schools to our own indigenous communities.

It’s beautifully shot and is a love letter to Australia while highlighting the true story of the Aboriginal struggles. I think it deserved more love than it got. Check it out on Amazon

36. The Impossible

It took me forever to finally watch the impossible because it is based on the true story of surviving the devastating Tsunami in Southeast Asia. It follows a family from England who are vacationing in Thailand and are impacted by the Tsunami.

It showcases the huge hearts that the Thai people have. Even while going through their own trauma, they play a huge role in helping this family get back together and survive.

The movie stars Naomi Watts, Ewan McGregor and Tom Holland and it is one of the best performances I think Naomi Watts has ever done.

Lighthearted Travel Movies

37. eurovision.

This is one of the funniest travel movies out there. The movie kicks off (after a brief flashback) in Iceland showcasing its beautiful landscapes and waterfalls with sweeping drone shots of the stars performing.

It has all the stereotypes and cliches of Iceland, but it is done with heart and fun. It really is a love letter to Iceland. Follow Lars and Sigrit as they try to fulfill their dream of competing in Eurovision in Edinburgh. The movie gives a nice showcase of that city too making it two travel movies in one. Rent it on Amazon

38. Darjeeling Limited

This quirkiest of travel movies takes Owen Wilson, Jason Schwartzman, and Adrian Brody across India one year after their father’s death starting on the Darjeeling Express train. It’s strange, heartbreaking, hilarious, and pure Wes Anderson.

When they visit their mother in an Ashram, it makes me think of the strange people that run away to India to find themselves. Oh yeah, he gets it. Check it out on Amazon Prime

39. Forgetting Sarah Marshall

Set in the very real Turtle Bay Resort in Oahu this pick on our travel movies list stars Jason Seigel as a Hollywood Writer who goes to Hawaii to heal his wounds after getting dumped by his girlfriend Kristen Bell. It turns out, she is there on vacation with her new boyfriend and shenanigans ensue.

This movie makes you want to book a plane to Hawaii and have your own stay at Turtle Bay which has now become very popular. Rent it on Prime

40. Last Holiday

If you are searching for comedy travel movies, this should be at the top of your list. This is the ultimate fairytale on how travel can change a life. And how we should all strive to live a better life. It’s too short to wait.

Queen Latifa is priceless as a woman who is diagnosed with a terminal disease, so she takes her life savings to enjoy her final holiday at a luxurious resort. She does everything from base jumping to snowboarding and indulging in decadent French cuisine.

If everyone took a holiday like this, we’d all live happier lives. Rent, Buy or Watch on Amazon Prime

41. The Holiday

It may be a Christmas movie, but The Holiday is one of the best travel movies out there. We watch it every year and it shows how travel is transformational. Starring Kate Winslett, Jack Black, Jude Law and Cameron Diaz, The Holiday flips back and forth between Los Angeles and England.

The two female stars have very different vacations as they house swap, but both have their lives changed through travel.

42. French Kiss

Meg Ryan plays a woman named Kate who is afraid to travel. When her fiance falls for another woman in France, she vows to win him back and travels there despite being terrified. Hilarity ensues when she meets con man Kevin Kline and they venture across the country together following the formula of travel movies galore.

My favorite scene is when she is indulging in cheese on the train. It’s that French moment that made me daydream about traveling by train across the French countryside. Watch French Kiss for yourself

43. My Life in Ruins

While not as good as My Big Fat Greek Wedding, My Life in Ruins is a nice comeback for Nia Vardalos in a fun-loving travel film.

She plays a tour leader taking stereotypical tourists through the sites of Greece. It’s fun, it’s romantic and the setting is beautiful. It’s not going to win any Academy Awards, but for a fun Saturday afternoon movie, this will transport you to Greece. Rent it or buy it on Amazon

44. The Hangover 2

The First Hangover was far better and it too is a travel movie taking you to Vegas. But when choosing travel movies from this trilogy, I had to choose the setting of Bangkok. It captures the crazy energy of the city.

My favorite scene is when Bradly Cooper has to go to the hospital and comes out with an absurdly low hospital bill. Dave and I have been to the hospital in Thailand and can attest, it is cheap. Rent it now! 

Blockbuster Travel Movies

45. star wars: the rise of skywalker & the last jedi.

One wouldn’t think of a movie based in outer space to be a travel movie that inspires wanderlust, but the last Star Wars Trilogy featured one of our favorite destinations on Earth, Skellig M ichael

This 6th-century monastery was a star unto itself as Luke trained Rey in the ways of the Force. It has now inspired many travelers and film buffs to take the hair-raising boat ride out to these rocky islands 12 km off the coast of Ireland. Check it out

46. Mama Mia

We actually learned where Mama Mia takes place while visiting the location where it was filmed, Pelion, Greece. The Greek islands are paradise, and Mama Mia follows the story of Meryl Streep who runs a hotel on the coast. We thought it was filmed somewhere like Santorini or Mykonos.

When her daughter becomes engaged, she invites three men who might be her father. It’s a rip-roaring good time of music, fun and beautiful scenery.

The Santorini blue and white houses, the crystal clear blue sea, and the music of Abba become those who watch to travel to Greece! Watch it on Prime today

47. Once Upon a Time in Mexico Trilogy

How sexy are Antonio Banderas and Salma Hayak together? You must watch the entire trilogy to really appreciate this series by Robert Rodrigues. Once Upon A Time In Mexico ends the trilogy with Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek, and Cheech Marin. El Mariachi started it all starring Carlos Gallardo. My favorite of the 3 is Desperado , but they are all entertaining.

Once Upon A Time In Mexico is a fantasy and it is a stereotype of Mexico, but it makes you want to go to Mexico and have a great adventure. The scenery is gorgeous, the film is filled with cool style, and the music is fabulous. Watch the Trilogy today!

48. The Legend of Tarzan

The $180 million dollar budget makes sure to showcase the beauty of the African Savannah, the dense jungles, and the majestic wildlife. You feel as if you have entered the heart of Africa. Seriously, rent it, you’re going to like it a lot more than you think! Rent it on Amazon

49. The Tourist

It’s a little indulgent, and Angelina Jolie is a bit annoying to watch with how amazing she thinks she is in this, but it does capture taking an international trip to Europe beautifully.

It makes you want to have a romantic tryst in Venice . It makes you want to ride a train and have a mysterious encounter. It gives you a glimpse into how the rich live and travel the world.

50. The Thing

Recently we had someone write to us with a list of their favorite movies about travel. He mentioned the first Alien vs. Predator took place in Antarctica and I remember that being a pretty entertaining film. Then I thought about the classic Kurt Russel movie, The Thing .

This thriller takes place at a scientific base camp in the Antarctic and really lets you feel how claustrophobic and isolated researchers must feel when spending the winter at the bottom of the world. Watch it now!

51. Thelma and Louise

Who would have thought that Thelma and Louise would be heralded as one of the best travel films of all time, but it has. When researching this article, I saw that everyone had it on their list, so I had to include it. Besides, I love this film. I saw it at the theatre when it came out and it blew me away.

Brad Pitt makes his debut in this dark road trip adventure. Susan Sarandon and Geena Dave about female empowerment, friendship, and the transformative power of travel.

52. Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants

Yes, this was a blockbuster film for teenagers. I remember working at YTV and this movie was going mad in the teen realm so I had to add it to my best travel movies list. The premise of the story revolves around four friends—Lena, Tibby, Bridget, and Carmen—who find a pair of jeans that, despite their differing body types, fits each of them perfectly. They decide to share these “magical” pants as they embark on their separate summer adventures, thus maintaining their connection with each other.

Where does the traveling come in? Well, Lena travels to Greece , Bridget goes to Mexico , Carmen visits her father in South Carolina, and Tibby stays in Maryland.

While not a “travel movie” in the traditional sense—where the main characters are often journeying together or the narrative revolves solely around their travel experiences—”Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants” embodies elements of travel movies by incorporating different cultures, locations, and the concept of journeying (both physical and emotional) into its narrative.

53. Bourne Movies, James Bonds, Mission Impossible & Indiana Jones Movies

The Bourne movies, James Bond, Indian Jones, and Mission Impossible take us around the world with each movie and really are the best travel films to showcase the globe. These epic travel movies take audiences to a whole new level of taking an international trip with decadence, wealth, espionage, and romance.

I wanted to include them because if you are looking for some beautiful scenes from Europe and the Middle East, these travel films fit the bill. They are so good at taking you away to exotic places .

Our Favorites of These Epic Travel Movies are

54. the bourne identity.

The original takes us on an international trip from Switzerland through Paris. It’s the car scene in Paris that really captures the city but the entire movie is one big travel movie.

55. Casino Royal – James Bond

This makes us dream of living with the high rollers in Montenegro the beautiful people in the Bahamas. It’s as epic as epic travel movies get riding on trains, planes and yachts and it’s the best James Bond with Daniel Craig.

56. Mission Impossible – Ghost Protocol

It’s not often that sequels are better than the original, but when it comes to the Mission Impossible series, each one out does the other. Tom Cruise loves to travel and push the limits creating the most epic travel movies on the planet. I chose Ghost Protocol because of its setting in Dubai and Cruise scaling the walls of the Burj Khalifa. (The tallest structure in the world)

Best Travel Movies in Fictional Settings

57. grand budapest hotel.

I can’t help it, I love Wes Anderson movies. He is offbeat and quirky. Grand Budapest Hotel is one of the best travel movies that isn’t set in any real place. This is all in a fictional setting.

I like this for a travel movie because it reminds me of the grand old hotels from another era. Well, it should because it is set in another era. The hotel is fictional, but it does take you away to another world. Rent it on Prime

58. Black Panther

Wakanda may be a fictional place in Africa, but this movie captures the spirit of East and South Africa. It embraces the African culture and many of the movie’s scenes were filmed in Africa.

We have been to Africa numerous times and this movie transported us there again. It may be fictional, but Black Panther is one fo the best travel movies to make you want to discover the culture and beauty of Africa. watch it now!

59. Lord of the Rings and Hobbit

They may be set in Middle Earth, but the Lord of the Rings movies are a love letter to New Zealand. As far as setting go, the trilogy makes for epic travel movies! Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit Movies make us want to go to New Zealand and these films capture its beauty perfectly.

Rent the trilogy on Amazon today

60. Eat Pray Love

And let us end with the mother of all travel movies, Eat Pray Love. Who doesn’t love Julia Roberts? However, Eat Pray Love wasn’t my favorite travel movie at all. But The book was okay but the movie starring Julia Roberts is dreadful. If you liked it, let me know. Maybe I’ll give it another watch in case I missed something. Rent it on Amazon

We’ll be updating this list regularly and we love finding new travel movies to watch. So, if you have suggestions for your favorite travel movies, leave them in the comments below and we’ll be sure to give them a watch!

Tell me what you think are the best travel movies and we will compare notes.

You May Enjoy these other inspiring posts:

  • 44 of the Best Road Trip Songs
  • Best Travel Songs Playlist
  • Best Travel Books to Inspire Travel
  • 60 of the Best Road Trip Songs to Rock the Long Drive
  • 101 Best Travel Quotes in the World with Pictures

Disclosure:  The links above are affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. We receive affiliate commissions, but it’s no extra cost to you!

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107 thoughts on “60 Best Travel Movies to Inspire Wanderlust”

Very interesting and thought-provoking list. Another film I think belongs in this company is “A Month by the Lake,” a 1995 work starring Vanessa Redgrave, Edward Fox, and Uma Thurman. Its setting, at the Villa del Balbianello on a peninsula in Lake Como, was used in scenes from a number of other movies, but here it gets starring role.

one of my favorite travel movies is “If it is Tuesday it must be Belgium”. it captures the travels and travails of some very uninformed American tourists on a guided tour. One of the wives, tired of the endless strings of cheese shops they visit heads back to their tour bus. The problem is it is the wrong tour bus. Hilarity ensues …

Thanks for the thoughtful list. Might I add a few more wanderlust-inducing movie recommendations/destinations that I have a hunch you will love?

Enchanted April (Italy) Shirley Valentine (Greece/Mykonos) Everything is Illuminated (Russia/Ukraine) Summer Lovers (Gene Siskel’s ‘guilty pleasure) (Greek Islands/Santorini) The Hundred Foot Journey (India/France) Local Hero (Scotland — and perfectly depicts how an enchanting location can change your view of what’s important in life) Anne of Green Gables — Kevin Sullivan version (Price Edward Island) Outsourced (India) Jean de Florette/Manon of the Spring (Provence France) The Quiet Man (Ireland) A Passage to India (India)

These are fantastic suggestions, thank sfor sharing! I’ve been wanting to see The Hundred Foot Journey. I think that will be my weekend watching!

Hi , thanks for sharing the best travel movies.

I love to watch 72 hours is my best travel movie all time.

Brilliant! Some of my teal favourites and now a list to watch. …many, many thanks. Allison

Great movies list all movies are best and all movies have a good rating on IMDb actually my favorite movie is LORD OF THE RINGS AND HOBBIT. and next, I would like to watch Star wars series.

Great choices of movies you have given a big list a great work

Great article! I will definitely choose a few movies that I haven’t seen yet. I could add a movie called “The Hundred-Foot Journey”. This film is about a Hindu family who moves to France, where they open a restaurant.

I’ve been meaning to watch that one. I think I will have to check it out this weekend and add it to the list! Thanks for the reminder.

Very comprehensive list! lots of great movies, and some of my favourites such as Seven Years inTibet and Walter Mitty.

I have to disagree with you about The Darjeeling Limited though: “When they visit their mother in an Ashram, it makes me think of the strange people that run away to India to find themselves. Oh yeah, he gets it.”

I felt the most important scene in the movie is when the guys rescue the boys in the river, and one doesn’t make it. They take part ion the family grieving and funeral, and have a very life-changing, profound experience. I felt the movie actually validates people “running away to India.”

In these difficult times especially, finding a sense of purpose, or meaning, or spirituality, or whatever you want to call it, is more important than ever. I think we will see a lot more people “running away to find themselves” and in fact, I am working on offering spiritual itineraries.

How about Red Eye and Flight Plan? I think they both portrait (fear of) commercial flying experience pretty good!

We have already watched quite a few of these ? gotta love a great movie night! Thanks for a great list, that we will start to work our way through ?

Great choices for movies! Others that come to mind are “Before Sunrise” and “Into the Wild.”

LORD OF THE RINGS AND HOBBIT is my favourite. i had watch so many times but always loved

This list couldn’t have come at a better time as we currently shelter in place and travel only through our TVs! Thank you.

All movies are great and my fav <3

great films..i watched some movie

OOH Julie and Julia is one of my all time favorites! And Eat Pray Love…It’s a good time for movies at home for sure!

Love the list. Thank you for sharing. As a classic movie buff, however, you are so wrong about Roman Holiday. This movie is a classic. I recently saw it on the big screen for the millionth time and it was amazing. How can you not love Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn?! His voice alone is worth a listen! And the old scenes of Rome are wonderful. Have to truly disagree about this one. LOVE this movie.

Anyway, thanks again!

SECRET LIFE OF WALTER MITTY movie motivates people to dare to make a decision.

I love this list!! You hit some of my favorite movies. I’ve watched a lot of these but I have a feeling I’ll be rewatching some of them in the coming weeks. Thanks for remind me!

GREAT list, thank you! I’ve seen some Bollywood films and loved them, and would love a best of list of them!

Great site for everything

Great list, guys — you really dug deep. If you love The Sounds of Music, you have to visit Salzburg, where you can see the actual places where they shot many of the scenes, including the palace in the middle of town. You can even stay in the Von Trapps’ house. And I may have missed it in your list, but The Year of Living Dangerously absolutely captures the exotic atmosphere and the beauty of Southeast Asia — the gamelan music stays in your head for days. Also, Gandhi for a virtual trip to India.

Very well collections, Really some of the names are not heard. This type of movies are oxygen for any traveler.

Great list of movie i like slumdog millionaire once upon a time in mexico

Secret Life of Walter Mitty for sure, this movie made me so pumped to travel while ‘into the wild’ made me a little depressed and not wishing to become a mentally ill person who goes eating dead animals and rejecting society

Lovely idea, great movies! Love your blog!

I really love this movies.

Each movie is an exciting adventure, felt from the film, emotions, as well as an impressive moment. Thanks for your collection!

Thank you for your list! Lawrence of Arabia for certain, but almost any film by Werner Herzog, especially Aguirre:The Wrath of God. But I am partial to “art” or “foreign” films over Hollywood.

I loved a movie I watched and I can’t remember the name and I can’t find it. It was about a woman, maybe in her 40’s maybe 50’s that traveled to India to meet up with her husband. Her husband was detained by work and sent his male Indian assistant to meet her. While waiting for her husband to arrive, the assistant showed her the sites of India. A romance developed with the assistant over many days, but never crossed the line. Would love to watch this again….

Maybe you’re thinking of the movie ‘Cairo Time’. It’s set in Egypt, not India, but has the exact plot you’re referring to.

All are attractive and I will watch each movie

I shared the movies I shared. The movie content is very interesting and interesting, I like it very much.

This is also a very good post which I really enjoy reading

For me Motorcycle diaries is best.Thanks for list. I will check other movies too.

Nice list, you got almost all of my favorite travel films! A couple additions I would make are “The Sheltering Sky”, and “Voyager”.

The Painted Veil – gorgeous!

I hope it will be show at CGV

Definitely a great list of movies that gets us thinking about travel. Everest was one that really took our breath away and told an amazing story. In Bruges is still one of my favorite. Thanks for sharing!

Loved the post and the films. I still didn’t see 9 films and already want see. Will try found they for this weekend. But the best is to see Indiana Jones in the list.. it’s my prefer film of life <3

the beauty of this movie list is that this in includes movies in Malayalam, Hindi English and believe me these movies are the very best travel movies I have seen . kudos?

Great Choices !

Always on the lookout for movies to watch on the plane!!! Thanks for the recos!!!!

Great choices for movies

I hate you after watching only 2 of these movies from your list i feel like travelling but unfortunately my my academics. By the way best list of travel movies I have seen on internet. Good going brother. wish to see more content in future.

Mr. Bean’s Holiday. A very ridiculous movie, but the cinematography is amazing, and it’s very inspiring.

Great article and awesome collection of movies. Red balloon is my favorite movie and it’s amazing storey

Film is called Before Midnight. Not after.

Thanks for the correction. I mixed up the Trilogy in my head, thinking “the one after Before Sunset.” – There is Before Sunrise, Before Sunset and Before Midnight.

Great article, many good informations

I love watching movies ahead of travelling and often find them inspirational. For Western Australia I found ‘Rabbitproof Fence’ a very good movie. You’ve chosen some good ones!

Great collection of movies to watch. I absolutely loved The Bucket List. As usual Morgan Freeman was awesome. Great movies about travel and for when traveling.

Can you believe that I never saw Stealing Beauty? Now I am going to have to check it out. I agree with Sideways too. Loved that show. It made me want to drink Pinot Noir.

Wild is a great book and the movie is pretty true to the book. Reece Witherspoon is really good in it. Based on true story of a troubled woman who decides to hike one of Americas longest trails with little money and not enough experience. Humbling and left me feeling the wanderlust pretty hard.

The Bucket List and The Secret Life of Walter Mitty are the best travel movies in my opinion. Iceland is on my travel bucket list, hope I can visit that place.

Best Movie Collection. my favorite movies also include in these. love to see the collection of movies thanks to sharing this information with us.

Nice article! inspiring people for Traveling

Thanks for compiling this list. It’s interesting to know the place where the movie was shot. I absolutely agree on what you said about James Bond movies.

Thanks for the post. Some I have seen and some I haven’t, and looking forward to (Especially ONE WEEK)

I’d like to add LOCAL HERO. There are some melancholic moments in the film accompanied by Mark Knopfler’s beautiful soundtrack. Would make anyone jump off the couch, dump all the COMFORTS OF CITY and visit rural Scotland and walk the beaches and witness the Aurora Borealis. One of my favourites alongwith The Motorcycle Diaries and Into the Wild.

Great choices

Excellent list, but Indiana Jones really is a wonderful trip. Note 1000.

Under a Tuscan sun is my favorite!!!! Been to Tuscany because of that movie!! 🙂 Jotted down a few to watch from your list! Thanks!

thank you guys. Into the wild is my favourite one on the list.

You named quite a few of my favorites but the two I’d like to recommend are Hector and the Pursuit of Happiness starring Simon Pegg, and The Way starring Martin Sheen and Emilio Estevez.

The Way inspired me to walk the Camino de Santiago which turned into an incredible trip.

Great list of best all time travel movies. I must admit that there are still so many movies I have not yet seen. I need to work on that sooner rather than later!

Great list but would certainly add :

– The way (with Martin Sheen) , very inspiring movie about Camino de Santiago – Motorcycle diaries, simply a great movie about travel and life

Fantastic films, thanks for making this kind of film! Many people should watch it! Thanks for sharing this list.

Wow! This list is great! I will surely add these in my playlist. Hopefully, I will be able to watch most of these travel movies. I plan to travel soon, I’m juts looking for more inspiration and travel tips. Glad I came by your blog!

Whoa! You gave me a completely new set of movies to add to my list here! Into the Wild is one of my favorites and the Everest is a spine-chilling movie. A great list Dave & Deb!

Check out Maindentrip, the story of the youngest girl to sail around the world, Laura Dekker. I think my wife finally believed we could do it if a 13 year old can.

Thanks for the recommendation!

These ultimate travel tips for when they have a desired of lust.

What about “Blue Hawaii” and any of the Jurassic Park videos for Hawaii?

Thank you for your list – I am constantly looking for good travel movies.

Till the date bucket list is one of my favourite movie 🙂 Thank you for the information about other movies too

Thank you for this great list. I see some old favorites on the list but also a number of movies I need to see. I’ve added them my list. You’re right about movies inspiring travel. After seeing, Under the Tuscan Sun, I’ve always wanted to visit Tuscany. I’m finally making it there soon.

What a fantastic list full of excellent movies! There’s no doubt that these titles can help to light the spark of wanderlust in anyone. I was actually lucky enough to stumble upon the making of Ridley Scott’s upcoming Alien Covenant movie in New Zealand’s Milford Sound. I’m very much looking forward to its release so I can see the spectacular panning shots of that breathtaking landscape. Movies are a great medium to translate the beauty of travel.

No way! That is so cool. I’m such a fan of Alien, it would be amazing to see them filming it. I love seeing landscapes of places I’ve been in movies.

Slumdog Millionaire and Secret Life of Walter Mitty are Good Movies

Nice list – a few of my favourites there: Everest, Into The Wild, Slumdog Millionaire, The Bucket List, Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. Nothing like a good movie for inspiring travel.

A few others to consider: The Beach, Midnight Express, Kundun, Seven Years in Tibet…

“Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all of one’s lifetime.” – Mark Twain

Hi, Oh wow I really love this list, seriously is so right! Holidays is another good one that invites you to discover surrey :), I enjoyed so much Amelie, unfortunately I cannot say the same of Paris, Je t’aime, which is other of the “must seen movies”, honestly… overrated… anyways, nice list I really enjoy it.

Great list… something a lot of people leave off the list is Julia and Julia. That movie is HUGE to foodies, chefs, etc… Makes me want to hop on a flight every time I see it! Julia Child was a machine, so glad you guys included that movie on this list!

I am a movie addict person, and I loved to travel. I enjoyed all of these films. Very Inspirational lists. Thank you, Dave, for this excellent Article. Loved it:)

A lots of movies that needed to add here. I watched a few of then not all and find very inspirational and heart touching. Slumdog millionaire is one of my favourite and very heart touching.

I love this list, but I’d add almost any movie filmed in San Francisco, even if they weren’t that good (like “The Wedding Planner” or the “The Rock”). They’d actually have to be filmed there and not just set there, like the last “Godzilla” movie 😉

Thanks for the additions. I loved the wedding planner. Although I just watched it again recently and realized what a schmuck Matthew Macoughnay’s character is. He totally led Jennifer Lopez’s character on and was a jerk to his fiancé. haha. But it’s a good lighthearted romantic comdey. They don’t make enough of those anymore..

I came to this article to ensure you had Romancing the Stone..and you didnt let me down. I used to love that movie growing up. I am totally with you, on thinking about Cartagena as some exotic far away place that I had to visit. I eventually found out the movie wasn’t actually filmed in Cartagena or Colombia because of the dire security situation at that time…but when i finally visited Cartagena, i found it even more magical and exotic than the film…love the film, and love the city even more now.

I am so glad we didn’t let you down! I am also so glad that you felt the same way about Cartagena. I always envision Kathleen Turner saying “come to Cartagena with me” It was such a grand adventure. We need more movies like that!

Cool list! I would add:

– Before Sunrise (Vienna) – Waking Ned Devine (Ireland, though filmed in the Isle of Man) – Lost in Translation (Tokyo)

Great additions. I loved Before Sunrise, I can’t believe I forgot about that one. I saw it in the 90s and then watched the whole trilogy. I haven’t seen Waking Ned Devine, I’m going to check that out and yes, Lost in Translation is a good one for Tokyo. I have to watch that again. I barely remember it, but I do remember loving Bill Murray

Just what I needed, thank you guys. Into the wild is my favourite one on the list.

I don’t think any movie has made us want to travel more than Amelie.

2 Days In Paris, on the other hand, was kind of a turn off.

Amelie celebrated Paris, but 2 Days kinda made fun of it. .-= The Jetpacker´s last blog .. UFO Hotspots — 11 Best Places To See UFOs In The World =-.

I don’t need a movie to inspire me to travel. I always want to travel, but some movies make me want to travel more I guess is how to put it. BTW. I thought Up in the Air stunk and don’t get why it was so popular. I loved In Burges which many people have never seen. Guess I’m just weird. .-= Gwen´s last blog ..Kids Grease Costumes =-.

You’re not weird at all! That is what makes watching movies so great. Everyone has different opinions on them all. We didn’t love Amelie and I have never met another person that didn’t like it. We were more into the quirkiness of Two Days in Paris and nobody liked that one:-)

Great choice, I never really fancied visiting Bruges until watching the hilarious In Bruges (and I agree the film also did Colin Farrell a huge favour). Tuscany is still on my must see list after the gorgeous ‘Stealing Beauty’ and being from the UK, Sideways and Swingers always made me want to go to California.

OK, I obviously need to get myself to the nearest pirated DVD place since I’ve only seen 3 of these movies! Thanks for the advice. .-= Audrey´s last blog ..Couch Surfing with KGB Agents =-.

Fantastic post, though most of these movies I haven’t seen (yet) but Vicky Christina Barcelona has really made me want to see Barcelona. I’m really bad for being easily suggestible when it comes to travel. If a place is featured on a movie or tv have a sudden desire to go there. Like I watch a John Waters movie and I wanna go to Baltimore, or the way Shirley Valentine made me really want to go to Greece. Even places that were never really on my travel to do list, like watching Dexter has made me want to visit Miami (even though most of the show is filmed around LA). .-= Alouise´s last blog ..List 9 – How To Have A Cheesy Time At West Edmonton Mall =-.

Wonderful list! I’ve seen a few of these and just loved them (Once Upon a Time in Mexico, Julie & Julia, In Bruges, Up in the Air, and Romancing the Stone)…..and I still dream of someday going to Cartagena, Columbia because of that movie! There are so many great movies that inspire travel that I’m sure it must have been hard to winnow it down to just eight. The rest of your list I’ll have to add to my Netflix queue! .-= Trisha´s last blog .. PR-Blogger Relations Manifesto =-.

I love that you think of Cartagena because of Romancing the stone. There were so many movies that I had on a list. I could have just listed about 50 and that could have been good enough. Maybe I will do that for a post one day when I am out of ideas:) It was very difficult to narrow it down to eight, we were trying to be a little unique in our choices, but then again, it is hard to be unique when it comes to choosing great travel movies. I guess, it was more of a reminder post. Everyone thinks of the choices like The Beach, The James Bond Movies and the Bourne Movies, but we haven’t thought about Romancing the Stone or Once Upon a Time in Mexico in a while.

Great list! We think movies and books add so much to travel that we brought a bunch with us on our open ended world tour. We’re in France now, so tend to watch French ones here and ones that are family friendly since we travel with a kid. 😉 I think we love the Red Balloon and Chocolate best for France.

Two that really stick out on our trip were Troy ( watched again and again through out Greece while reading Homer, including also while we were in Troy in Turkey) and “The Medici, Godfathers of the Renaissance” a thrilling PBS special series that we watched in Florence before we toured. .-= soultravelers3´s last blog .. Captivating Colliore- France on Bastille Day =-.

Thanks for the additions. I forgot about Chocolate. I loved that movie and Johnny Depp and Juliet Binoche were both so charming. I haven’t seen Red Balloon, I will check it out. It is wonderful to watch movies for inspiration before, after and while you are at that place.

Great choices for movies! Others that come to mind are “Before Sunrise” and “Into the Wild.”

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Travel Better, Cheaper, Longer

10 Epic Films to Inspire You to Visit Africa

Zebra on the plains of the Masaai Mara in Kenya, Africa

In this guest post, Natasha and Cameron from  The World Pursuit , who spent a year driving around the continent, share their favorite films about Africa. (I’ve seen some of them. They are really good!!)

For us, learning about where you are in the world is an essential part of traveling. Instead of reading history books and researching your days away online, we’ve found that a fun way to learn is by watching movies. After a year traveling around Southern and East Africa , we’ve logged hours and hours doing just that.

Many of these travel movies gave us that initial urge to make our way to this less-traveled continent. Scenes of heartbreak, rolling landscapes, and wild animals told us we just had to get to Africa and explore for ourselves.

We want to share our favorite movies set in Africa with you, so maybe you will watch them and feel inspired to travel there as well.

The movies below cover a wide range of topics and genres, but all are based on true events that happened in Africa and give a greater understanding of what traveling there is like.  

1. Out of Africa

Out of Africa

If you want to get a glimpse into colonial times in East Africa, with a bit of romance and drama sprinkled in, then set aside a few hours for this classic. Before the movie came out in 1988, Kenya was a place for the rich and elite to go on safari. After this hit the screen, tourism in Kenya exploded.  

2. Gorillas in the Mist

Gorillas in the Mist

However, just a few decades ago there were no conservation efforts to help these mystical animals. But primatologist Dian Fossey spent 18 years of her life studying the social interactions of mountain gorilla families in the Virunga Mountains of Rwanda; without her efforts, it is a real possibility the animals would have been extinct today. This 1988 drama chronicles her life’s work — both her struggles and achievements — and her mysterious death. The film depicts just how deep a bond between animal and human can grow.  

3. The First Grader

The First Grader

The First Grader depicts how Maruge persevered and excelled in elementary school, and how determination truly has no age limit, thus putting the importance of education for all, especially in rural Africa, in front of an international audience.  

4. The Last King of Scotland

The Last King of Scotland

The film’s name is taken from one of Amin’s self-proclaimed titles, the “King of Scotland.” It portrays Amin’s presidency through the eyes of his fictitious physician and conveys a sense of the political turmoil and hardship that the Ugandan people faced.  

5. Hotel Rwanda

Hotel Rwanda

Of course, it’s not 100% factual, but it is a good jumping-off point for those who want to learn more about the Rwandan genocide. (We decided to visit the hotel when we were road-tripping through Rwanda earlier this year and were surprised to find that it is still one of the most beautiful and affluent hotels in Kigali.)  

6. Half of a Yellow Sun

Half of a Yellow Sun

Minute by minute, we watch as the sisters’ lives are decimated: family members die, others starve, and intellectuals become refugees in their own country. Although we haven’t been to Nigeria, the film and book do a great job of showing the atrocities of war, its effect on African women, the role of Western media and expats, and the results of colonialism.  

7. Queen of Katwe

Queen of Katwe

The poverty her family endures and the constant struggles that so many face in Africa make this film a hard one to watch, especially after seeing it in real life.  

8. The Good Lie

The Good Lie

A US government program allowed about 3,800 of these refugees to resettle in the United States. The Good Lie tells the story of three of these Lost Boys and their sister, whose lives are torn apart by a terrible war, and how they are relocated and integrated into American society.  

9. Long Walk to Freedom

Long Walk to Freedom

During our three months in South Africa, we saw images of the anti-apartheid revolutionary everywhere. From statues and important buildings to street names and street art, you can truly see the impact of Mandela.  

10. Endless Summer

Endless Summer

This documentary by Bruce Brown follows two surfers as they leave the cold Californian coast behind in search of an “endless summer” in the Southern Hemisphere. They end up traveling to the coastlines of Senegal, Ghana, and South Africa, showcasing the excellent surf that can still be found in the Western Cape to this day. As world travelers and wanna-be surfers, that’s why we love it so much.

There are so many great films about Africa that lend a better sense of the continent. Even if you’re not heading that way, give them a watch anyway. They are all entertaining and great works of art.

Natasha and Cameron run the blog  The World Pursuit , focusing on adventure and cultural travel. You can also follow their adventures on Facebook .

Book Your Trip to Africa: Logistical Tips and Tricks

Book Your Flight Use Skyscanner or Momondo to find a cheap flight. They are my two favorite search engines because they search websites and airlines around the globe so you always know no stone is left unturned. Start with Skyscanner first though because they have the biggest reach!

Book Your Accommodation You can book your hostel with Hostelworld as they have the biggest inventory and best deals. If you want to stay somewhere other than a hostel, use Booking.com as they consistently return the cheapest rates for guesthouses and cheap hotels.

Don’t Forget Travel Insurance Travel insurance will protect you against illness, injury, theft, and cancellations. It’s comprehensive protection in case anything goes wrong. I never go on a trip without it as I’ve had to use it many times in the past. My favorite companies that offer the best service and value are:

  • Safety Wing (for everyone below 70)
  • Insure My Trip (for those over 70)
  • Medjet (for additional repatriation coverage)

Looking for the Best Companies to Save Money With? Check out my resource page for the best companies to use when you travel. I list all the ones I use to save money when I’m on the road. They will save you money when you travel too.

Got a comment on this article? Join the conversation on Facebook , Instagram , or Twitter and share your thoughts!

Disclosure: Please note that some of the links above may be affiliate links, and at no additional cost to you, I earn a commission if you make a purchase. I recommend only products and companies I use and the income goes to keeping the site community supported and ad free.

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19 Inspirational Safari Movies

Watch a classic safari movie before you go.

Getting excited about an upcoming African safari holiday? Hollywood has a long history of creative safari movies about all things Africa and wildlife – dating back to 1932’s “Congorilla” documentary of jungle and savannah wildlife activity in Belgian Congo (now D.R. Congo).

The genre has evolved over the decades, meaning there is now a good choice of films available to bring the magic of the safari experience into your living room. Check out our list below of the most inspirational safari movies to watch before you go – the first section of the list features traditional movies, and the latter section focusses on documentary safari movies. All are highly recommended and well worth viewing!

Out of Africa

A Hollywood classic, Out of Africa is one of those rare films that you can’t fail to fall in love with. Whether you’re watching it for the dazzling scenery of the Kenyan landscapes or the drama and romance, Meryl Streep and Robert Redford make for compelling viewing in this tale of Africa, war, and wildlife.

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Gorillas in the Mist

Like Out of Africa , the movie is based on a true story, but here the similarities end. Instead of a romantic interest, Gorillas in the Mist tells the tale of naturalist Sigourney Weaver’s touching relationship with the group of primates she studies in the Rwandan jungle . With the threat of poachers hovering in the background and strife all around in Rwanda, there’s high drama as well as some magnificent footage of real gorillas in their natural habitat.

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The Lion King

When you think of safaris and big game, it’s hard not to immediately imagine the Circle of Life scene from the beginning of Disney’s epic African adventure, The Lion King. It might be animation and talking lions rather than real-life nature scenes, but adults and kids alike can’t fail to be inspired to take a safari holiday after watching Simba on screen!

Lion King fan? Read our take on Hakuna Matata meaning .

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The African Queen

An old fashioned tale of action, romance, and daring exploits in the wilds of the jungle, The African Queen is a fantastic romp with two of the era’s best-loved actors – Katherine Hepburn and Humphrey Bogart. Shot in Uganda and the Congo, it was one of the first movies to use real locations and backgrounds which adds an unparalleled realism to the story.

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White Hunter Black Heart

Clint Eastwood’s film is based loosely on the experiences of writer Peter Viertel and director John Huston on the set of The Africa Queen. But whilst love triumphs over all in the 1950s classic, this movie is much darker and explores the morality of hunting wild animals. When filmmaker John Wilson becomes obsessed with the safari and elephants, disaster begins to stir. White Hunter Black Heart is a must watch!

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This interesting film starring the legendary John Wayne removes the cowboy from his favourite setting and transports him to a vast African landscape. Filmed in Tanzania , it’s a dramatic story about a group of hunters, a female wildlife photographer and the race to save a group of baby elephants from a terrible fate – life in a zoo. With exhilarating wildlife chases and magnificent Mount Meru providing a dramatic backdrop, Hatari! is a thrilling romp of a safari movie.

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Road to Zanzibar

After the success of contemporary films in the safari genre, Bob Hope parodies African adventures with this comic farce. Involving love triangles, races through the jungle, swimming with leopards and plenty of jewels, the fast-paced comedy is a fun trip set in 1940’s Africa.

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The Naked Prey

Set in the veld of South Africa, The Naked Prey is an eerie movie starring Cornel Wilde in a dark tale that switches the traditional roles of a hunting safari. The guide (Wilde) leads a troop of hunters through an African tribe to start the hunt, but when the group offends the locals, he finds himself in the role of the animals – naked and being chased through the landscape by warriors from the tribe.

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Everyone’s favourite African jungle hero has been the subject of many films over the Hollywood years, but in 1999 Disney gave him a 3D makeover and plenty of animated jungle action before the happy ending with Jane. Featuring a paranoid elephant and a smart-mouthed gorilla, Tarzan   is a family film that brings the jungle to life with sweeping scenes.

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Married couple George Adamson and Joy Adamson live in northern Kenya for George’s work as a senior game warden. After George’s team have to kill a man-eating lion and its lioness, their three young female cubs being orphaned. Although difficult to begin with, George and Joy wean and take care of the three cubs, who they adopt as pets. Born Free is a classic film about safari life in Africa, heartwarming, and with stunning human – big cat interaction.

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To Walk With Lions

To Walk With Lions follows the later years of the life of George Adamson who was featured saving a lion cub in the safari movie Born Free . His life was transformed with this action, and he went on to become a lifelong animal activist. Well worth a watch in tandem with Born Free .

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Something of an amusingly naff found footage film set in the South African bush. In a wild corner of the country, a young Zulu girl teams up with an American tourist group on safari. The group enters an uncharted area where they are forced to face the untamed wild.

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Documentary Safari Movies:

The six-part mini-series, narrated by David Attenborough, takes an in-depth look at various African habitats and the wildlife that inhabit them. Each episode is wonderful, and the highlights for pre-safari viewing are on the African deserts – the Kalahari, Namib, and Sahara, the savanna of East Africa, and the rainforests of the Congo Basin.

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The Last Lions

This is a feature-length National Geographic documentary filmed in Botswana’s Okavango Delta region  and narrated by Jeremy Irons. It focusses on one lioness raising her cubs and protecting them against the many threats they face, including poaching. Whilst the film is about this one mother, it deals more broadly with the decline of the African lion from a population of many millions in the 20th century to just 20,000 today.

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The Ivory Game

This 2016 documentary examines the global ivory trade and the various actors sustaining and fighting it, examine the actions of governments, environmental preservationists, poachers, and ivory merchants. The film takes viewers from the elephant’s home ranges in Tanzania, Kenya, and Zambia to China, Hong Kong, and Vietnam where ivory is seen as a status symbol, and demand is rife. As with so many other movies on this list, it’s one that’s well worth watching if you hope to see elephants on your next safari.

Watch now on Netflix

the ivory game

Battle at Kruger

OK, we know it’s not actually a safari move, but no list of this nature would be complete without reference to the most epic homemade safari video ever! If you’ve not yet seen it, set aside eight minutes right now to watch this confrontation between a herd of buffalo , a pride of lions and a crocodile . (Read up on battle at Kruger .)

Any classic safari movies we’re missing from the list? Please let us know in the comments below! Made it to the end of our safari film list and still have itchy feet? Check out these 50 movies to inspire wanderlust .

Other significant African movies

Whilst not specifically safari movies, these films listed below are all set – and filmed – in Africa, where the landscape and culture play a significant part. All well worth adding to your ‘to watch’ list before you take a safari!

Blood Diamond (2006)

Leonardo DiCaprio stars in a  war thriller smuggling diamonds, set against the backdrop of the Sierra Leone civil war.

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Hotel Rwanda (2004)

This moving drama is based on the true story of Paul Rusesabagina, the hotel manager of  Hôtel des Mille Collines in Kigali during the Rwandan civil war.

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The Last King of Scotland (2006)

A historical drama about Scottish doctor Nicholas Garrigan who becomes the personal physician and close confidante of Ugandan dictator Idi Amin.

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19 Inspirational Safari Movies To Watch Before You Go 1

BORN FREE should also be included in this list. One of the best African / Kenya / Safari movies ever!!

19 Inspirational Safari Movies To Watch Before You Go 2

Great shout Vince – added!

19 Inspirational Safari Movies To Watch Before You Go 3

My candidate for the single best safari film of all time is King Solomon’s Mines, the one with Debra Kerr and Stewart Granger (it made him an international star). It was the third of five filmings of H. Rider Haggard’s novel.

It had the most authentic tribesmen, and its iconic drum music was recycled in countless safari “B” movies as well as in John Ford’s Mogambo, another good African movie.

I’m going to have to check that one out David, thanks for the recommendation!

19 Inspirational Safari Movies To Watch Before You Go 5

Nowhere in africa

19 Inspirational Safari Movies To Watch Before You Go 6

Safari movies: Mogambo, The Snows of Kilimanjaro, The Ghost and the Darkness

All around Africa movies: The Power of One,Tarzan: The Legend of Greystoke, Cry Freedom, Hotel Rwanda, Sometimes in April, Blood Diamond

Hey Mark – some excellent choices there, and a couple I haven’t seen yet. Will check them out, thanks!

19 Inspirational Safari Movies To Watch Before You Go 8

Pls I want to know the name of a comedy movie in Africa jungle where in one occasion in the movie African man was squatting then a helicopter with rope hanging catched his pants and continue flying then the man eventually got his head straight into a hippopotamus’s anus.

19 Inspirational Safari Movies To Watch Before You Go 9

One I enjoyed from my childhood was A Far Off Place, starring Reese Witherspoon.

Thanks for the tip – I’ve not heard of that one, will check it out!

Oh, and George of the Jungle and Sahara. I realize they’re not Safari films, but set in Africa, at least.

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  • Okavango Delta, Botswana
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25 Of The Best Travel Movies To Ignite Your Wanderlust

Looking for some great travel movies? We share some of our favorite adventure films.

Any list of the top travel movies is going to be a bit controversial. After all, opinions about what make the best travel movies are as diverse as the people watching.

However, there are some wanderlust movies that are so iconic that it’s hard to argue about their inclusion on our list.

The Best Travel Movies

Each of these movies is on our list for a different reason. Some bring back memories of carefree summer vacations, while others have characters that visit remote and undiscovered lands. Some of these movies are all about adventure, while others are more introspective, and about the inner journey. Still, others show off the filmmaker’s video editing capabilities, and their gorgeous cinematography.

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (2013)

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty stars Ben Stiller as Walter. He spends his days daydreaming about an exciting existence, but spends day-after-day developing photos for Life magazine. His life turns around when he takes the chance to travel the world to find the perfect photo for the magazine’s final print issue.

It’s a funny and inspiring adventure movie, full of gorgeous scenery and grand adventures.

Where to watch. Stream: HBO Now, HBO Max. Buy or rent: YouTube, iTunes.

Hector and the Search for Happiness (2014)

Equally touching and funny, Hector and the Search for Happiness stars Simon Pegg as a middle aged psychiatrist who travels the world in his search for happiness.

One NSFW word of caution: You may find yourself saying: “ I want happiness ” in an over-the-top French accent over and over.

Where to watch. Stream: Amazon Prime . Buy or rent: Amazon , YouTube, iTunes.

Lost in Translation (2003)

Lost in Translation is a movie that I’ve watched over and over. It perfectly captures that sense of disconnect that I feel when I first visit a new destination where the language and customs are so different from my own.

Starring Bill Murray and a young Scarlett Johansson, Lost in Translation was directed by Sofia Coppola. The movie follows the relationship of an aging movie star (Murray) and a lonely, adrift young woman (Johansson) against the backdrop of Tokyo, Japan.

Where to watch. Stream: Crave, Starz. Rent or Buy: Amazon , YouTube.

Under the Tuscan Sun (2003)

Starring Diane Lane, Under the Tuscan Sun tells the story of a midlife woman who finds romance and a new purpose while renovating a run-town Italian villa. It’s equal parts romance, self discovery, wonderful food, and views of the stunning Tuscan landscape.

Where to watch. Stream: Amazon Prime Video . Rent or buy: Amazon , YouTube, Microsoft

Eat, Pray, Love (2010)

Based on the bestselling book by novelist Elizabeth Gilbert, Eat, Pray, Love follows Gilbert’s (Julia Roberts) journey of self discovery as she travels the globe.

Where to watch. Stream on Starz. Rent or buy on Amazon , YouTube, Microsoft .

In Bruges (2008)

Love it or hate it, the movie In Bruges captures the charms of Bruges, Belgium perfectly. It’s a grittier choice than many of the movies on this list as it follows the adventures of hit men Ray (Colin Farrell) and Ken (Brendan Gleeson) as they await new orders in Bruges however you can’t fault the Belgium ambience.

Where to watch. Stream on AMC+. Rent or buy: YouTube, Google, iTunes, Amazon.

Wild (2014)

Based on the real-live adventure of author Cheryl Strayed, Wild stars Reese Witherspoon. An inexperienced hiker, Strayed decided to walk the challenging Pacific Crest Trail to face her inner demons, and comes to the end of the hike with a newfound clarity about her life.

Where to watch. Stream: Disney+. Rent or buy: iTunes

Into the Wild (2007)

Into the Wild is a real-life true story of the journey of Christopher McCandless, who disappeared while exploring the wilderness in Alaska.

Because of the sad ending, I resisted seeing this for a couple of years, thinking it would be a sad movie to watch. Surprisingly, I found Christopher’s journey to be inspiring and uplifting. The scenery is gorgeous as well.

Where to watch. Rent or Buy: iTunes, YouTube, Amazon.

The Way (2010)

I’ve always wanted to walk the Camino de Santiago in Spain. This movie stars Martin Sheen, who undertakes the walk as a pilgrimage of sorts to his recently deceased son. It’s a sad premise, but the movie is ultimately a perfect showcase for the gorgeous Camino de Santiago journey.

Where to watch. Stream: Amazon Prime . Rent of Buy: YouTube, Amazon, iTunes.

Tracks (2014)

Tracks tells the real life story of Robyn Davidson, who spent nine months trekking across the Australian desert on camels. Starring Mia Wasikowska and Adam Driver, the movie is an inspiration for solo travelers in challenging terrain.

Where to watch. Stream: Amazon Prime . Rent or buy: YouTube, Cineplex.

Before Sunrise (1995) – Before Sunset (2004) – Before Midnight (2013)

I’ll watch anything starring the talented Ethan Hawke. That said, these movies hold their own as is.

I watched these out of order, seeing Before Sunset before the original, Before Sunrise. I think it was a mistake as the original was my favorite. The movie stars a very young Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy flirting and talking philosophy among the charming streets of Vienna, Austria after hours.

There’s a lot of dialogue and relationship talk here, so this might not be the trilogy for you if you’re craving action and excitement.

Where to watch. Stream: Hoopla. Rent or buy: Amazon , YouTube, iTunes.

Out of Africa (1985)

Starring Meryl Streep and Robert Redford, Out of Africa is one of those iconic travel movies. The scenery is stunning, and Streep’s performance is wonderful. The movie itself won best picture and best cinematography the year it was relieased. The movie tells of the story of Danish author Karen Blixen, who moved to Africa to build a new life for herself.

Where to watch. Rent or buy: Amazon , YouTube, iTunes.

The Beach (2000)

Based on Alex Garland’s book of the same name, this movie tells the story of twenty-something Richard (Leonardo DiCaprio), who is in search of a lost paradise away from the backpacker trail. He finds a strange map, and makes his way to a hidden island.

The Beach was filmed on Maya Beach on Thailand’s Koh Phi Phi Le (or Ko Phi Phi Leh). After the film came out, the beach was overrun by visitors.

When we visited in 2003, once pristine Maya Bay was still beautiful, but covered in a film of oil from boats ferrying visitors like us to the island. It’s since been closed to allow it to recover, and is open in a limited capacity.

Where to watch. Stream on Disney+. Rent or buy: Amazon , YouTube, iTunes.

Roman Holiday (1953)

Starring Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Pick, this black-and-white classic is set in Rome. It’s a fun, quirky, love story where a princess (Hepburn) meets a reporter (Peck), and they spend a day exploring 1950’s Rome.

Where to watch. Rent or buy: Amazon , YouTube, iTunes, Microsoft Store.

Up in the Air (2009)

If you love airports and flying, then this is the movie for you. There’s not a lot of great scenery here, or adventures across the country though. It stars George Clooney as Ryan, who travels the USA firing people for other companies. He’s about to reach his life’s goal of a million frequent flyer miles, when technology threatens to make his travels obsolete.

Where to watch. Stream: FuboTV. Rent or Buy: Amazon , YouTube, iTunes, Microsoft Store.

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2011)

A handful of older Brits decide to retire in the Marigold Hotel in Jaipur, India, rather than in sterile retirement homes back in the UK.

There’s a great cast with Judi Dench, Celia Imrie, and Bill Nighy, who struggle with day-to-day life in India.

Where to watch. Stream: Roku. Rent or Buy: Amazon , YouTube, iTunes, Microsoft Store.

Lawrence of Arabia (1962)

Starring a young Peter O’Toole, this epic historical drama based on the life of T. E. Lawrence, follows the plight of a British soldier who unites nomadic Arabian tribes to band against the Turks in the first World War. Set against the backdrop of the Arabian Desert, it’s a beautifully shot film and is often considered one of the best movies of all time. Whether you agree with the premise though is up to you.

Where to watch. Stream: Amazon Video . Rent or Buy: Apple TV, Google Play, YouTube

The Best Road Trip Movies

The road trip is gold for adventure, fun, and great scenery. These flicks run the gamut from funny road trip movies to more serious explorations of culture and living conditions on the road.

Sideways (2004)

If you’re a fan of California wine country, this is the travel movie for you. It’s the story of two middle aged men on a road trip through wine country.

Where to watch. Stream on Disney+, Crave, Starz. Rent or Buy: Amazon, YouTube, iTunes, Microsoft Store.

Planes, Trains, and Automobiles (1987)

Starring John Candy and Steve Martin, this is one of the all time classic road trip comedy movies. Trying to get home during a freak snowstorm, control freak Neil Page (Martin), keeps encountering bumbling and talkative Del (Candy). Out of necessity, the two pair up to try to get home on a cross country road trip from New York to Chicago.

I’ve watched this with the kids (beware the R rating if you have little kids), and they thought it was hilarious. Our favorite quote: “Those aren’t pillows!”

Eurotrip (2004)

Definitely the raunchiest of the movies on this list, the R rated Eurotrip is still one of our favorite travel movies. Crossing 8 countries while trying to get the girl of his dreams, a group of friends travel Europe together one summer vacation and fall into one funnier predicament after another. It’s light and fun however there are some iconic shots across Europe in there as well as a few places you likely won’t find on the beaten path. Also one of the most wrong and catchy (and funny once you’ve watched the movie) songs you’ll ever hear in a movie (Scotty doesn’t know.)

Where to watch. Rent or Buy: Apple TV, Google Play, YouTube

National Lampoon’s Vacation (1983)

One of the best movies about family vacations , this 1980s classic starts Chevy Chase as bumbling, but well-meaning Clark Griswold. It’s an over-the-top spoof of the classic American road trip, that incidentally takes them through the Grand Canyon and Death Valley.

Somehow, this movie always inspires me check my road trip packing list , grab a list of the best family audiobooks for road trips , and get on the road.

Where to watch. Stream: Starz, Crave. Rent or Buy: Amazon , YouTube, iTunes, Microsoft Store.

The Motorcycle Diaries (2004)

The Motorcycle Diaries is based on the journals of Che Guevara, leader of the Cuban Revolution. Starring Gael García Bernal, the movie shows Che and his pal Alberto Granado on a road trip from the Andes to Machu Picchu and other South American Landmarks.

Where to watch. Rent or Buy: Amazon , YouTube, iTunes, Microsoft Store.

Best Travel Movies on Netflix

Choosing the best travel movies on Netflix can be a bit tricky, since Netflix is constantly changing the movies in their catalogue and they can vary from country to country. That said, here are our picks for the best travel movies on Netflix right now.

Seven Years in Tibet (1997)

Brad Pitt is the lead in this epic film based on a true story. Pitt plays egocentric Austrian mountain climber, Heinrich Harrer, who escapes from a WWII prisoner of war camp in India. He makes his way to refuge in the sacred land of Tibet, where he meets the young Dalai Lama.

Where to watch. Stream: Netflix.

Holiday in the Wild (2019)

Ok, I’m fully aware of the incongruity of putting a fun, escapist movie like Holiday in the Wild directly after a classic like Seven Years in Tibet. That said, Holiday in the Wild is both a fun movie, and chock full of absolutely stunning images of South Africa and Zambia landscapes and wildlife.

The movie stars Rob Lowe and Kristin Davis (who played Charlotte York Goldenblatt in Sex in the City). Davis plays a woman who is Jilted by her husband on the eve of embarking on an African safari. She chooses to travel to Africa alone, where she meets Lowe, who plays an elephant conservationist.

IMDB rating: 6.1

Wine Country (2019)

Another lighthearted romp, Wine Country is produced and directed by Amy Poehler, with a great cast that includes Poehler herself, Maya Rudolph,  Kristen Wiig, and Melissa McCarthy.

It’s set in a girls-only vacation to Napa Valley, where a group of longtime friends reunite and revisit past choices.

Other articles you might like:

  • The Best Travel Vloggers on YouTube in 2021
  • The Best Songs about Adventure and Travel
  • 25+ Best Travel Memories Quotes to Inspire Your Wanderlust
  • Five Interesting and Offbeat Travel TV Shows
  • Our Favorite Travel TV Shows

Want to see all of the trailers in one place?

Watching trailers for movies is one of my favorite things in the world. Check out our YouTube playlist with trailers for all of the top travel movies here: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsfDUGOZ3UU8OxFOY5kxwxe374BOi_uoF

Do you have any personal picks for the best travel movies that we’ve forgotten? Share them in the comments!

Seven years in Tibet is one of my most favorite travel movies. Even the book is so hypnotizing.

These look like some classics. I’d have nothing to add. Nothing like a good travel movie to motivate one to hit the road.

Wow! What a fantastic list of travel movies! As an avid traveler, I’m always on the lookout for inspiring films that ignite my wanderlust, and this compilation delivers perfectly. It’s refreshing to see a mix of well-known classics and hidden gems, ensuring there’s something for everyone’s taste. I appreciate the brief descriptions provided, giving just enough insight without spoiling the magic. This list has definitely added a few titles to my must-watch list! Thank you for sharing such a captivating collection, it will surely keep me entertained on my upcoming adventures. Cheers! Gary Ford

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Flashpacking Family

The 40 Best Travel Movies to Inspire Armchair Wanderlust

From an early age I have loved watching travel movies set in far-flung places. One of the best travel movies from my childhood was Anne of Green Gables. I loved the story but I was more drawn to the beautiful scenery of Prince Edward Island.

When I started thinking about writing a post about the best travel films , I realised that I have watched more movies about travel than any other genre, and that a lot of travel movies feature among the best movies of all times .

There are so many movies about travel but here are the best films about travel that should both inspire your wanderlust and provide a lovely watch even if you’re unable to travel there in person.

Whilst some of these movies may not be about travel per se, we have included them because of the beautiful cinematography and on-location filming which give dramatic views of the landscape a swell as a glimpse of the culture of a country.

Some are classics, some are comedies, some are true stories and some are docufilms so there’s a big mix. Because there’s such a genre mix, I’ve ordered them based on the main geographical location in the movie.

Here are our all-time favourite travel movies.

This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase something through these links, we may earn a small commission but at no extra cost to you. Thank you.

The Best Travel Movies

Best travel movies set in North America

Into the wild – 2007.

The 40 Best Travel Movies to Inspire Armchair Wanderlust 1

He aims to get away from it all and survive off the land.

He meets several people hitchhiking his way to Alaska, before heading off on his own into the Alaskan wilds.

The 40 Best Travel Movies to Inspire Armchair Wanderlust 2

Thelma and Louise – 1991

A combination of genres,  but most certainly a US road trip classic, Thelma and Louise tells the story of two female friends from Arkansas who set off for a weekend away together.

The 40 Best Travel Movies to Inspire Armchair Wanderlust 4

Wild – 2014

Having gone off the rails after her mother’s death,  Cheryl Strayed set off on her journey of self-discovery by hiking the 2000km Pacific Crest Trail solo, with no real hiking experience.

The 40 Best Travel Movies to Inspire Armchair Wanderlust 7

Free Solo – 2018

Free Solo is the story of how professional free climber Alex Honnold prepares for and attempts to climb El Capitan’s 900-metre vertical rock face in Yosemite National Park in California.

You may not be tempted to try free climbing yourself after seeing this, but the incredible scenery in this docu-film will definitely make you want to get out and explore the beauty of Yosemite.

The 40 Best Travel Movies to Inspire Armchair Wanderlust 9

Sideways – 2004

Sideways is a wonderfully written, excellently accomplished film about two men who embark on a road trip across California’s wine region. Although friends for a long time, the pair evidently have little in common these days.

Each has their own life-issues that they are knowingly, or unknowingly trying to solve through this trip. A thought-provoking mixture of humor, sadness, bonding and wine.

Sideways is expertly directed to elicit emotion from anyone who watches it… and leave you dreaming of a Californian winery road trip.

The 40 Best Travel Movies to Inspire Armchair Wanderlust 11

Best travel movies set in South America

The motorcycle diaries – 2004.

The dramatization of a motorcycle road trip taken by Ernesto Guevara in his youth (played by Gael Gabriel Garcia) with best friend Alberto Granado.

The Motorcycle Diaries is a coming of age story that showed Che his life’s calling as the pair take a 8,000km road trip from Buenos Aires to the Guajira Peninsula in Venezuela.

Many stretches of the movie are just the two of them and the beautiful South American scenery.

The 40 Best Travel Movies to Inspire Armchair Wanderlust 13

City of God – 2002

Set in the favelas of Rio de Janeiro in the seventies, City of God is the true story of two friends growing up and following very different paths, one becoming a photographer and the other a drug dealer.

The 40 Best Travel Movies to Inspire Armchair Wanderlust 15

Best travel movies set in Europe

The big blue (or le grand bleu) – 1988.

A tale of a solitary free diver, Jacques, who has a deep affinity with the ocean and who’s only friend is also his freediving rival, Enzo.

The Big Blue takes you to beautiful locations. There’s a lot of underwater photography filmed in the Virgin Islands National Park and also lovely scenes from Amorgos island in Greece.

The 40 Best Travel Movies to Inspire Armchair Wanderlust 16

Midnight in Paris – 2011

On a trip to Paris with his fiancée’s family, a screenwriter finds himself transported to 1920s Paris each night, taking long walks around the city to soak up the ambience.

Midnight in Paris feels like a love letter to a Paris of a distant era, but has enough action in the modern day to satisfy current travellers.

The 40 Best Travel Movies to Inspire Armchair Wanderlust 18

Under the Tuscan Sun – 2003

Based on Frances Mayes’ 1996 memoir, Under the Tuscan Sun tells the story of a US divorcee who buys a Tuscan villa in the hopes of starting a new life.

Cue plenty of gorgeous scenery, with filming on location across Tuscany and the neighbouring Italian regions.

The 40 Best Travel Movies to Inspire Armchair Wanderlust 20

A Good Year – 2006

A heartwarming tale of a jaded city banker (played by Russell Crowe) who inherits his uncle’s wine farm in France where he spent a lot of his youth. He wants to sell it all off and get back to the rat race as soon as possible.

Events keep him there and he slowly re-discovers what he loved about the place. The real star of A Good Year is the Provencal countryside in all of its golden sun-blessed glory.

The 40 Best Travel Movies to Inspire Armchair Wanderlust 21

A Room with a View – 1985

Young English rose, Lucy, is chaperoned on a trip to Florence by an elderly spinster cousin.

A Room with a View, set in Edwardian times, captures the story of how Lucy meets a British father and his son (George) at their pensions, after they offer to swap rooms so that the ladies can have the room with a view.

A connection develops but upon returning to England, Lucy gets engaged to someone else. Circumstances bring them together again and the connection develops into a romance.

The views of Florence and the surrounding Tuscan countryside are spectacular.

The 40 Best Travel Movies to Inspire Armchair Wanderlust 23

National Lampoon’s European Vacation – 1985

An all-time classic comedy following the Griswolds on a European holiday they win participating in a game show.

Not the most cultured of travel films, it nonetheless gives great glimpses of famous sights around Europe as the family chaotically visit England, France, Germany and Italy.

If you’re looking for light-hearted travel comedy movies, look no further than National Lampoon’s European Vacation .

The 40 Best Travel Movies to Inspire Armchair Wanderlust 25

Best travel movies set in Africa

Out of africa – 1985.

Out of Africa is the true story of Karen von Blixen who, bored of life in her native Denmark, married friend Baron Bror von Blixen as a means of escaping Denmark. They used her family money to set up a coffee plantation which subsequently failed.

After her husband was repeatedly unfaithful to her she fell for local hunter, Denys Finch Hatton (played by Robert Redford). You can’t help but fall for the beauty of Kenya and dream of taking a Masai Mara safari .

I’ve been in love with this film for as long as I can remember and had a bucket list moment in 2005 when I stayed in the Muthaiga Country Club in Nairobi which was one of the filming locations.

The 40 Best Travel Movies to Inspire Armchair Wanderlust 27

The Lion King – 1994 and 2019

Some may say that The Lion King is a child’s movie, but we think that this moving animated tale of the ‘Circle of Life’ in Africa is suitable for all ages – and may well inspire you to do an African safari with kids .

The computer graphics in the 2019 version are outstanding and you really feel like you’re in Africa on safari (if it weren’t for the talking animals!)

The 40 Best Travel Movies to Inspire Armchair Wanderlust 29

Death on the Nile – 1978

Based on Agatha Christie’s novel, Death on the Nile is a murder mystery set on a steam boat cruising down the Nile.

Belgian detective Hercule Poirot has to solve the murder of the rich heiress and other members on board before they reach port.

You get to see iconic sights such as the Great Pyramids of Giza, the Sphinx and the temples at Abu Simbel and Karnak.

Hotel Rwanda – 2004

Hotel Rwanda is set during the genocide in Rwanda in 1994 during which an estimated 800,000 Rwandans were murdered.

It is the true story of how the heroic manager of Hôtel des Milles Collines shielded more than one thousand refugees.

Watching it helped prepare us for our visit to Rwanda like no other history book had been able to, and will have you completely gripped.

The 40 Best Travel Movies to Inspire Armchair Wanderlust 33

Last King of Scotland – 2006

The Last King of Scotland is a historical drama based on the life of the brutal Ugandan dictator, Idi Armin.

The story from the point of view of his personal physician follows his rise to power after a coup and the spiralling atrocities he commits during his reign.

An extremely harrowing coverage of these events in Uganda. Much like Hotel Rwanda, it helped prepare us for our visit to Uganda.

The 40 Best Travel Movies to Inspire Armchair Wanderlust 34

Best travel movies set in Asia

The darjeeling limited – 2007.

A year after their father’s death three brothers who haven’t spoken for a year take a train journey together across India on The Darjeeling Limited .

They all suffer from depression and start the journey bickering, but after some crazy experiences they come together and heal their rift. The cinematography is genius and the soundtrack is brilliant.

The 40 Best Travel Movies to Inspire Armchair Wanderlust 36

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel – 2011

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel is a loveable comedy-drama about a group of British retirees who head out to India to live in a luxury retirement home… but what is in store for them is less than luxurious.

What the hotel lacks in luxury is made up for in the character of the hotel manager (Dev Patel). After an initial bumpy start, the retirees grow into their new life in more ways than one.

The 40 Best Travel Movies to Inspire Armchair Wanderlust 38

Slumdog Millionaire – 2008

Slumdog Millionaire is a beautiful tale of perseverance in the face of adversity. Two brothers growing up in the slums of Mumbai are separated at a young age and experience very different childhoods. Hopelessly romantic and tragic at the same time with a fairytale ending.

The 40 Best Travel Movies to Inspire Armchair Wanderlust 40

The Beach – 2000

The Beach is based on the book by Alex Garland in which protagonist Richard, on his backpacking trip in Thailand, comes into possession of a mysterious map that leads him to a secret beach location.

This is the ultimate backpacker adventure, and a film that put Thai beaches firmly on the map – particularly Maya Beach on Phi Phi Leh island, so much so that the authorities had to close it to tourists in 2018. They plan to open it again in mid-2021.

The 40 Best Travel Movies to Inspire Armchair Wanderlust 42

Eat Pray Love – 2010

Disillusioned with achieving the ‘dream’ of having a successful marriage and career, Elizabeth Gilbert sets off on a world adventure to try to find herself.

Eat Pray Love is based on the biography of Elizabeth Gilbert and depicts a journey of self-discovery – eating great food in Italy, prayer at an ashram in India and finally finding love in Indonesia.

The 40 Best Travel Movies to Inspire Armchair Wanderlust 44

Lost in Translation – 2003

Lost in Translation gives you a great view of modern life in Tokyo through the eyes of a middle-aged actor in Tokyo to film a commercial and a young college student abandoned for long periods by her husband.

During bouts of insomnia, the pair meet in the hotel bar and chat. They form a great friendship through a shared loneliness, and bond further on a night out with her friends, working through the sights of Tokyo. It’s not a traditional love story, and instead of a cliché ending there’s intrigue.

The 40 Best Travel Movies to Inspire Armchair Wanderlust 46

Seven Years in Tibet – 1997

Seven Years in Tibet tells the true story of Heinrich Harrer who was mountaineering in British India when the Second World War broke out.

He was imprisoned in a British POW camp but escaped and undertook a treacherous journey on foot across the border to Tibet.

Finding himself in Lhasa he ended up teaching the Dalai Lama, with the two becoming close friends.

The 40 Best Travel Movies to Inspire Armchair Wanderlust 48

Priscilla Queen of the Desert – 1994

Priscilla Queen of the Desert is a heart-warming story of two drag queens and a transgender woman journeying through the Australian outback in a giant Winnebago.

The trip takes them all the way from Sydney to Alice Springs, as they travel the remote lands bordering the Simpson Desert. As the film was refused permission to film on Uluru, the (relatively!) nearby Kings Canyon was used instead.

The 40 Best Travel Movies to Inspire Armchair Wanderlust 50

Rabbit Proof Fence – 2002

A harrowing true story of how aboriginal children were taken from their families in 1931 and made to work as domestic staff.

Rabbit Proof Fence is the story of how three little girls escaped captivity and set off on a 1000 mile trek through the outback to get back to their families.

The 40 Best Travel Movies to Inspire Armchair Wanderlust 51

Tracks – 2013

Tracks is based on the memoirs of a woman who leaves everything behind and sets off alone on a 9-month journey across 2000 miles of outback.

She is accompanied only with her faithful dog and four camels, meeting some fascinating characters along the way and learning remarkable survival skills.

When she is asked ‘why?’, she answers ‘why not?’ She shows incredible strength and determination and proves that anything is possible if you put your mind to it.

The 40 Best Travel Movies to Inspire Armchair Wanderlust 54

Best travel movies set in Antarctica

March of the penguins – 2005.

March of the Penguins is a documentary showing a year in the life of the Emperor penguins in the Antarctic. We see the many obstacles they overcome to find their mate, protect their eggs and raise their young.

All of this in the most incredibly beautiful but inhospitable place in the world.

The 40 Best Travel Movies to Inspire Armchair Wanderlust 55

Encounters at the End of the World – 2007

Encounters at the End of the World is a documentary by Werner Herzog on the life of the inhabitants at the McMurdo Station in Antarctica. As you would expect, the scenery is desolate but breathtaking.

The 40 Best Travel Movies to Inspire Armchair Wanderlust 57

World travel

The bucket list – 2007.

In The Bucket List two terminally ill men meet in a hospital ward and make a pact to tick as much off their bucket list as they can before they die, with their adventures taking them around the world.

Jack Nicholson’s character has the means to fund the adventures and just wants a companion to share the adventures with.

We see them visit the Pyramids of Giza, the Great Wall of China, the Taj Mahal and an African safari . A truly heartwarming drama and a reminder to us all to do the things we want to do as life is short.

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty – 2013

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty is an adventure drama in which Walter Mitty (Ben Stiller) works in the photo negatives department for Life Magazine.

One day he is sent some negatives and a gift of a wallet by a photojournalist but discovers one of the negatives is missing.

Mitty decides to set off to track down the photojournalist to retrieve it. He narrowly misses finding him in Greenland and Iceland and is called back to New York and fired for losing the negative.

Later he learns that the photojournalist is in the Himalayas where he finally catches up with him. Through these adventures, he realizes the life he has always dreamed of.

The 40 Best Travel Movies to Inspire Armchair Wanderlust 60

If you don’t have Amazon Prime, you can start a 30-day free trial here .

Don’t even get us started on the wealth of documentaries out there about our amazing planet. If you’ve worked your way through this list of our best travel movies, we highly recommend checking out anything by a true legend, Sir David Attenborough.

Have any travel movies to recommend that aren’t on the above list? Drop us a line in the comments section below telling us what your best travel movies are!

If you liked this post, how about sharing it with friends or pinning it for later?

The 40 Best Travel Movies to Inspire Wanderlust

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30 Classic Christmas Movies for Kids

I really have to catch up on my travel movies! I’ve only seen a handful of these.

P.S. Also love Anne of Green Gables, such a childhood favourite of mine :)

I was worried that I was going to strike out with the number of movies that I’d seen on this list. But I’ve seen 10 of them, and I’m pretty happy with that. I recently re-watched Priscilla Queen of the Desert and it still holds up. Love that movie! I don’t think that I’ve seen Tracks though, so that is now on my list. Thank you!

This is a great list! I loved Wild, it’s such a moving and uplifting film. I really want to read the book now!

What a great and extensive list you put together here! It also includes some of my favourite films, like Lost in Translation :-) Keep enjoying your fictional travels for now and fingers crossed we can go explore the real world soon again! x

What a great list! Although I´m a fan of travel movies it appears I still haven´t seen it all! Would love to watch Thelma and Louise and Hotel Rwanda! Thanks for the inspiration!

I like travel movies very much thank you i will definitely watch this movies

I’m glad you found it helpful.

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60 Best Travel Movies that Inspire Wanderlust [2020]

60 Best Travel Movies that Inspire Wanderlust

Last Updated on April 15, 2021

I love movies for so many reasons ― they can move us to tears, make us laugh out loud, and inspire us to travel and explore. And at times when travel isn’t an option , movies are the best escape.

I realized I had a travel obsession when all my favorite films were movies about traveling. Great travel movies like Seven Years in Tibet and The Secret Life of Walter Mitty have always been my greatest source of inspiration.

For movie lovers who are also obsessed with travel, I have compiled the ultimate list of the best travel movies with the help of our community. These travel movies range from Hollywood adventure films to classic wanderlust movies and visually stunning travel documentaries. It’s a long list, so be sure to bookmark it and come back whenever you need a new film to feed your wanderlust! 

movie night to watch the best travel movies

Table of Contents

BEST TRAVEL MOVIES

Raiders of the lost ark (1981), baraka (1992), catch me if you can (2002), the bucket list (2007), eat pray love (2010), the secret life of walter mitty (2013), samsara (2013), out of africa (1985), gorillas in the mist (1988), hotel rwanda (2004), the white maasai (2005), duma (2005), last king of scotland (2006), the good lie (2014).

  • Queen of Katwe (2016)

Buena Vista Social Club (1999)

Y tu mamá también (2002), frida (2002), city of god (2002), the terminal (2004), the motorcycle diaries (2004), into the wild (2007), 7 days in havana (2012), wild (2014), a walk in the woods (2015), the endurance (2000), encounters at the end of the world (2007), eight below (2008), into the cold (2013), kundun (1997), seven years in tibet (1997), anna and the king (1999), the beach (2000).

  •  Lost in Translation (2003) 

Memoirs of a Geisha (2005)

The darjeeling limited (2007), slumdog millionaire (2012), the best exotic marigold hotel (2012), lion (2016), before sunrise (1995), under the tuscan sun (2003), before sunset (2004), eurotrip (2004), a good year (2006), vicky cristina barcelona (2009), the way (2010), midnight in paris (2011), lawrence of arabia (1989), not without my daughter (1991), the kite runner (2007), argo (2012), bekas (2012), salmon fishing in the yemen (2012), theeb (2014), wadjda (2013), crocodile dundee (1986), whale rider (2003), australia (2008), tracks (2014), travel movies set around the world .

I can’t write a list of best travel movies without including the legendary Indiana Jones franchise! In my opinion, this first installment is the best out of the four Indiana Jones movies. The award-winning Hollywood adventure film stars Harrison Ford as archaeologist Indiana Jones, who sets out to South America in search of a golden statue. Dr. Jones meets a museum curator, who tells him about a biblical artifact called the Ark of the Covenant. It is said to hold the key to human existence. Filming actually took place in many parts of the world, including France, Tunisia, Hawaii, and California .

best travel movies - indiana jones

Watch on Amazon Prime

A visually stunning documentary film with no narrative or voice-over, Baraka is a powerful footage of people and places from around the world. It is a transcendent global tour shot in 24 countries on six continents over a 14-month period. From chaotic cities to barren wilderness, the movie takes viewers around the globe to witness both natural and technological realms. A feast for the eyes and a must-watch for travel lovers!

best travel movies - baraka

From three-time Oscar winning director Steven Spielberg, Catch Me If You Can tells the crazy but true story about a 19-year-old man who posed as a lawyer, doctor, and pilot, all while conning millions of dollars in checks. The movie’s main character, Frank Abagnale Jr, is always jetting off to somewhere new, all on other people’s dime! The movie was filmed in three different locations: California , New York City, and Quebec.

best travel movies - catch me if you can

One of my absolute favorite travel movies of all time, the Bucket List is a comedy drama that follows two men on a no-holds-barred adventure as they read the end of their lives. The movie shows that it is never too late to live life to its fullest. Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman play the two unlikely friends, who head off on a round-the-world journey to ticket off their bucket lists. They go skydiving , fly over the  North Pole , marvel at the Taj Mahal, ride motorcycles on the  Great Wall of China , go on safari in Tanzania and climb to the top of the Giza pyramids.

movies about travel - the bucket list

An adaptation of the biography of American author Elizabeth Gilbert, this movie actually surprised me and turned out better than the book. Newly divorced and at a crossroads, Gilbert (played by Julia Roberts) embarks on a quest for self-discovery around the world. She discovers the true pleasure of nourishment by eating in Italy, the power of prayer in India, and, finally and unexpectedly, the inner peace and balance of true love in Indonesia .

movies about travel - eat pray love

Definitely one of the best adventure travel movies of all time, this film is beautifully filmed and successfully conveys the message of how adventure is possible for everyone. The wanderlust film follows the extraordinary adventure of an ordinary man, played by Ben Stiller, who finds the courage to discover his destiny and leap into an adventurer that is life. He goes in search of a photojournalist from the streets of Manhattan to Iceland , Greenland, and the Himalayas . Movies like The Secret Life of Walter Mitty make you feel like you’re traveling without leaving your armchair .

movies about traveling - secret life of walter mitty

Samsara reunites the filmmakers of the award winning film Baraka. Filmed over five years in 25 countries and shot on 70mm film, Samsara takes us to sacred grounds, disaster zones, and natural wonders. The global travelogue is brings us across the Himalayas, the American Southwest, European cathedrals, and other beautiful sites. As compared to Baraka, Samsara is more intense and solemn in its tone. The cinematography is flawless and the music arrangement simply mesmerizing. This is armchair travel at its best.

best travel documentary - samsara

Best Travel Movies Set in Africa 

Filmed in Kenya during the 1980s, Out of Africa is a pioneer in the world of exotic movies. The travel film is based loosely on the autobiographical book by Danish author Karen Blixen .  Initially set on being a dairy farmer, Blixen (played by Meryl Streep) travels to Kenya to join her husband who instead spends their money on a coffee plantation. After discovering he is unfaithful, Karen develops feelings for hunter Denys (played by Robert Redford). The two get entangled in a complicated relationship until a series of events force Karen to choose between her love and personal growth.

adventure travel movies - out of africa

Another hugely popular classic movie about travel, Gorillas in the Mist is an adaptation of world-famous wildlife expert Dian Fossey’s autobiography. Fossey (played by Sigourney Weaver) leaves the United States for Africa, where she studies the gorillas of Uganda and Rwanda. As Fossey develops a bond with the animals, she also becomes wary of the poachers who prey on them. Fearing that the gorillas will go extinct if humans continue to hunt them, she organizes a defense league to protect the animals. In doing so, though, she puts herself in a perilous situation.

bets movie about traveling - gorillas in the mist

In my opinion, this is one of the best movies of all time. It might not be a travel film but it is an insightful movie based on the horrifying genocide that happened in Rwanda just 20 years ago. In 1994, the ethnic Hutu militia initiated an ethnic cleansing campaign to decimate the Tutsi population, and killed over 800,000 people. The film tells the true story of Paul Rusesabagina, a Hutu who manages the Hôtel des Mille Collines and courageously allow refugees to take shelter in his hotel. As the U.N. pulls out, Paul must struggle alone to protect the Tutsi refugees in the face of the escalating violence later.

best travel film - hotel rwanda

Based on a non-fiction memoir, this German movie sparked my interest in Africa almost 12 years ago. It tells the story of Corinne’s trip from her home country of Switzerland to Kenya , where she met and fell in love with a Maasai warrior. She decides to stay and build a home with him in the African savanna. Albeit the challenges, she adapts to Maasai life and even gives birth to a baby in the bush. 

best travelling movies - the white masai

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This is a travel movie that not many people know about but I absolutely love (so does my 5-year-old daughter)! The family-friendly movie centers around a little boy named Xan, who lives on a ranch in Kenya with his parents. When the family stumbles upon an abandoned baby cheetah one afternoon, Xan takes the cub in and begins to care for it as if it were his own. Over time, Xan grows incredibly attached to the cheetah, which the family names Duma . But when Xan moves to the city following his father’s death, he learns that Duma belongs to the wild. To get Duma back into the savanna, he and Duma embark on an intrepid journey riddled with danger and adventure.

best movies about travel - duma

Technically this isn’t a movie about traveling, but it sure piqued my interest in Uganda . The Last King of Scotland is an intense thriller set in Uganda during the 1970s. Forrest Whitaker gives an outstanding performance as Idi Amin, the third Ugandan president, who was heavily criticized for human rights abuse. Amin’s savagery is depicted through the eyes of a Scottish doctor who finds himself entangled with Amin in a desperate fight for survival. 

traveling film - the last king of scotland

One of those great movies that inspire, The Good Lie features the true story of a group of Sudanese refugees. After their village is destroyed and their parents killed by Northern militia, Sudanese orphans Theo, his siblings and other survivors make a difficult journey to a refugee camp in Kenya. Thirteen years later, the group gets the chance to settle in the U.S. They are met in Kansas by Carrie Davis (Reese Witherspoon), who has been charged with finding them jobs. However, seeing how adrift they are in 20th-century America, Carrie endeavors to help them in rebuilding their shattered lives. 

travelling movies - the good lie

Queen of Katwe  (2016)

The newest addition to the list of traveling movies based in Africa, Queen of Katwe tells the true story of a young Uganda girl named Phiona Mutsei and how she defies the odds and becomes a chess champion. Born and raised in a slum of Kampala, the capital city of Uganda, the young girl becomes fascinated with chess after meeting a local coach. Under his guidance, she becomes a top player and comes in first place at a competition. It is one of those movies that inspire us not just to travel but also to keep at it.

traveling movies - queen of katwe

Best Travel Movies Set in Americas 

This documentary by lauded German filmmaker Wim Wenders follows renowned guitarist Ry Cooder and his son, Joachim, as they travel to Cuba and assemble a group of the country’s finest musicians to record an album. Eventually the ensemble travels to the United States to perform in front of audiences. This revelatory documentary captures a forgotten generation of Cuba’s brightest musical talents as they enjoy an unexpected brush with world fame.

wanderlust movies - buena vista social club

This exhilarating movie follows three friends as they set out on a Mexico road trip . The emotionally-charged movie also tells the tale of what the boys learn along the way, after they both fall for the same older woman. The movie was filmed in both Mexico City and Oaxaca. It stars two of the most famous Mexican actors, Gael Garcia Bernal and   Diego Luna.

best wanderlust films - y tu mama tambien

Set in Mexico City , this is the biopic of the bold and controversial life of artist Frida Kahlo. Nominated for 6 Academy Awards including Salma Hayek for Best Actress, the visually evocative film traces her lifelong, tempestuous relationship with her mentor, along with her illicit affairs with Trotsky and various women. Her forward-thinking artistic, political and sexual attitudes are explored as we witness a hard-drinking, passionate woman of the early 1900s.

wanderlust movie - frida

Another movie that might not strike some as a traveling film, City of God reveals life in the poverty-stricken favelas of Rio de Janeiro during the 1970s. The movie is centered around two young men from the favelas who choose different paths. Rocket is a budding photographer who documents the increasing drug-related violence of his neighborhood. José “Zé” Pequeno is an ambitious drug dealer who uses Rocket and his photos as a way to increase his fame as a turf war erupts with his rival, Knockout Ned. The film was shot on location in Rio’s poorest neighborhoods.

list of hollywood adventure films - city of god

The Terminal tells the story of Viktor Navorski (played by Tom Hanks), an Eastern European tourist who gets trapped in JFK Airport indefinitely. Upon landing at the airport, war breaks out in his country and he finds himself caught up in international politics. Because of the war, the Department of Homeland Security won’t let him enter or exit the United States. While living at the airport, Viktor falls for a flight attendant (Catherine Zeta-Jones). 

hollywood travel movie - the terminal

For a peek into South America during the revolution days, this movie follows Argentinian revolutionary Che Guevara as he travels the length of South America. This traveling film is highly entertaining and insightful — especially for fans of South America. Famous Mexican actor Gael García Bernal plays Che Guevara in the movie. Definitely one of the best travel movies of all time!

movies that inspire - the motorcycle diaries

Often lauded as one of the best adventure travel movies, Into the Wild tells the remarkable story of a young man’s solo adventure in Alaska. In 1992, he left his well-to-do family, hitchhiked to Alaska and walked alone into the wilderness north of Mt. McKinley. He had given $25,000 in savings to charity, abandoned his car and most of his possessions, burned all the cash in his wallet, and invented a new life for himself. 

movies like into the wild

Filmed on location in Havana , this anthology movie brings together 7 short films produced by 7 different directors. A lesbian, an aspiring actor, an aspiring singer, a marriage, a neighborhood community and 2 renowned directors have memorable less-than-24-hour experiences while living in/visiting the capital of Cuba. I personally enjoyed the movie a lot more than I expected to, mainly because it brings back beautiful memories from one of my favorite cities in the world  and the music throughout the movie is is excellent!

adventure travel movies - 7 days in havana

Based on yet another bestselling travel book , this wanderlust movie follows the journey of Reese Witherspoon as Cheryl Strayed, as she treks 1,100 miles on the Pacific Crest Trail after the devastating loss of her mother. Seeking self-discovery and solutions to her personal grief, Strayed set out on her journey, alone and with no prior hiking experience. One of the best explore movies made in recent years, Wild  is an incredible reminder of how a journey can be pivotal in helping us understand more about ourselves.

explore movies - wild

An adaptation of Bill Bryson’s bestseller, this comedy adventure follows Robert Redford and Nick Nolte on their hike along the 2190-mile Appalachian Trail. The trail stretches from Georgia to Maine and covers some of the most breathtaking terrain in America: majestic mountains, silent forests, sparking lakes. This is one of those light-hearted wanderlust movies that will set you in the right mood!

best wanderlust movies - a walk in the woods

Best Travel Movies Set in Antarctica & Arctic 

A thrilling documentary narrated by Liam Neeson, this adventure travel movie tells the story of Sir Ernest Shackleton’s ill-fated expedition to Antarctica in 1914-1916. It features new footage of the actual locations and interviews with surviving relatives of key expedition members, and a generous helping of the footage and still photos shot on the expedition. An excellent wanderlust film for those dreaming about visiting Antarctica.

epic adventure movie - the endurance

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Another artistic and stunning travel documentary set in the world’s final frontier, Antarctica . Film-maker  Werner Herzog  and cinematographer  Peter Zeitlinger  travel to Antarctica to meet people who live and work there and to capture footage of the continent’s unique locations. This movie was one of the reasons why I traveled to Antarctica in 2013.

travel documentary on antarctica - encounters at the end of the world

This Walt Disney film is an adventure travel movie set in Antarctica (but filmed in Svalbard, Greenland, and British Columbia). It is a remake of the 1983 film, Antarctica , based on the ill-fated Japanese expedition to Antarctica that took place in 1958. Three members of a scientific expedition, Jerry Shepard (played by Paul Walker), his friend Cooper (Jason Biggs) and an American geologist (Bruce Greenwood), must leave their beloved sled dogs behind after a devastating accident and increasingly perilous weather conditions. Alone, the dogs struggle to survive the harsh Antarctic winter. 

travel film on antarctica - eight below

Best Travel Movies Set in Asia 

This epic biographical film was one of the first travel movie I’ve ever seen and it  was the reason why I wanted to travel Tibet . Directed by Martin Scorsese, the movie is based on the life and writings of Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama , an exiled political and spiritual leader of Tibet . “Kundun” meaning “presence”, is a title by which the Dalai Lama is addressed. The uniqueness of the Tibetan culture and their distinctive architecture and traditional costumes were what made the movie so interesting for me. With stunning photography and a moving soundtrack, the epic film may be a little slow, but  it is one of the most emotional and spiritual experiences I ever had on film. 

best travel movies set in asia - kundun

  Seven Years in Tibet  is the true story of Austrian mountaineer Heinrich Harrer, played by Brad Pitt. The adventure travel movie covers the escape of Harrer from a British internment camp in India to Tibet. He spent several years in Lhasa , and subsequently became a tutor of the 14th Dalai Lama, the spiritual leader of the Buddhist nation. The Dalai Lama imparts valuable lessons to him, and they build a strong friendship. But nothing will prepare him for the devastation about to descend when Communist China decides to attack, leading to the deaths of over 1 million Tibetans and the destruction of over 6000 monasteries.

best travel movies set in asia - seven years in tibet

One of my personal favorite travel movies set in Asia during the 1860s, Anna and the King is a biographical period drama based on the true story of Anna Leonowen. Anna (played by Jodie Foster) is an English school teacher, a window and mother who moves to Siam (Thailand) to teach the 58 children of King Mongkut. An unexpected romance between Anna and the King, but cultural differences keep their love apart. The movie evokes the old-world charm of Thailand, though it was mostly shot in Malaysia .

best travel movies set in asia - anna and the king

Coming in top on many lists of Hollywood adventure films, The Beach encapsulates the freedom and ecstasy that many of us experience on the road during our youth. I watched this when I was just a teenager, and was completely drawn to the backpackers’ world. An adaptation of Alex Garland’s acclaimed novel, the movie tells the story of Richard (played by the young Leonardo Di Caprio), an American backpacking through Asia. While in Bangkok, he meets a mad Scotsman who gives Richard a crude map to a place in Thailand that he claims is paradise on earth: beautiful, unspoiled, and uninhabited.

best travel movies set in asia - the beach

  Lost in Translation (2003) 

Funny and transformational at the same time, this comedy drama definitely makes you want to travel Japan if you haven’t already been there! Lost in Translation stars Bill Murray  as aging actor Bob Harris, who befriends college graduate Charlotte in a Tokyo hotel. The movie explores themes of loneliness and culture shock against the backdrop of a modern Japanese city.

movies that inspire - lost in translation

While some might not consider this to be a travel movie, I think it put Japan on the map for many and drew attention to this gorgeous country with rich traditions. The epic movie’s main character is Chiyo, who gets sold to a geisha house at the tender age of 9. There, she is forced into servitude, receiving nothing in return. After rigorous years of training, Chiyo becomes Sayuri, a geisha of incredible beauty and influence. Life is good for Sayuri, but World War II is about to disrupt the peace.

movies filmed in japan - memoirs of a geisha

I’m a big fan of comedy films, so a movie that combines comedy and travel has definitely hit the jackpot for me. The Darjeeling Limited follows the adventures of three drug-addicted brothers traveling together across India by train . You may not wish to buy a venomous snake, nor follow in many of the other violent mishaps of these brothers, but this movie definitely made me want to go back to India! Click here for more movies about India .

movies filmed in india - the darjeeling limited

Ranking high on my list of favorite travel movies, this Oscar winner tells the story of an Indian Muslim, Jamal Malik (played by the brilliant Dev Patel) from the Dharavi slum in India. At 18 years old, he is a contestant on India’s version of “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?”. Flashbacks show how he got there. Part of a stable of young thieves after their mother dies, Jamal and his brother struggled to survive on the streets of Mumbai. Salim finds the life of crime agreeable, but Jamal scrapes by with small jobs until landing a spot on the game show. 

movies filmed in india - slumdog millionaire

Another movie set in vibrant South Asia, this wanderlust film follows a group of British retirees (including Judi Dench) as they outsource their retirement to exotic, and less expensive, India. Lured by advertisements for the newly restored Marigold Hotel and imagining a life of leisure in lush surroundings, they arrive and find that the Marigold is actually a shell of its former self. Though their new home is not quite what they had imagined, the retirees find that life and love can begin again when they let go of their pasts.

movies filmed in india - the best exotic marigold hotel

Based on the non-fiction book A Long Way Home , this biographical film is poignant and gripping and tells the true story of Saroo (played by Dev Patel from the Slumdog Millionaire fame). At five years old, Saroo gets lost on a train which takes him thousands of miles across India, away from home and family. Saroo must learn to survive alone in Kolkata, before ultimately being adopted by an Australian couple. 25 years later, armed with only a handful of memories and a revolutionary technology known as Google Earth, he sets out to find his lost family and finally return to his first home. I’m not crying, you’re crying!

movies filmed in india - lion

Best Travel Movies Set in Europe

There is good reason why this movie was so good that they made two sequels (read below). Set in Austria, Before Sunrise is definitely one of the best romance-travel movies. It follows Jesse (played by Ethan Hawke ), a young American man, and a young French lady named Céline ( Julie Delpy ). They meet on a train and disembark in Vienna, where they spend the night walking around the city and getting to know and falling in love with each other.

movies that inspire travel - before sunrise

One of the best movies set in Italy , Under the Tuscan Sun  actually inspired me to visit Italy when I was 20. The travel memoir, written by American author Frances Mayes, describes her experience of traveling to Italy and falling in love with the Tuscan countryside. She and her husband decide to buy and restore an abandoned villa, but the renovations prove to be a long, tedious but rewarding experience.

movies that inspire travel europe - under the tuscan sun

Before Sunset picks up the story of the two protagonists in Before Sunrise , nine years after the events of the first film. Their paths intersect nine years later in Paris, and they spend a beautiful afternoon together. This sequel is better than the first in my opinion, and definitely makes you fall in love with the two characters.  The third sequel,  Before Midnight , picks it up again a further nine years later. The two go on a summer vacation in Greece .

movies that inspire travel europe - before sunset

I know, EuroTrip is slapstick comedy at its worst. But I loved it when I was a teenager and it made me want to jump on a plane to Europe SO badly! The movie follows the journey of lovelorn Ohio teen Scott Thomas, who goes on a quest across Europe to find his sexy German pen pal, Mieke. Joining him are his brainless buddy and a pair of twins. Scott’s quest does not turn out to be easy, and they become embroiled in many absurd situations as they hop from country to country. The movie is a silly and amusing travel film worth watching if you need a laugh!

movies that inspire travel europe - eurotrip

A Good Year  is a romantic comedy film loosely based on the novel, A Year in Provence by Peter Mayle (one of the best travel books in my opinion). The movie follows the story of an investment banker, who moves to France after inheriting a wine estate from his late uncle. He meets a woman there who lays claim to the property and falls in love.

movies that inspire travel europe - a good year

I have to admit this isn’t one of my favorite travel movies. Hear me out: my husband is Spanish, we lived in Spain for over 8 years and Spain is somewhere special for me. Sadly, Hollywood movies don’t do the country much justice. That said, almost every friend I have love this movie, so I decided to include it in this list of best travel movies. The movie revolves around t wo girlfriends, who go on a summer holiday in Spain and become enamored with the same painter. They are unaware that his ex-wife is about to re-enter the picture.

movies that inspire travel europe - vicky cristina barcelona

An incredibly moving film that will resonate with those who have walked the Camino de Santiago ! The movie tells the story of Dr. Thomas Avery ( Martin Sheen ), an American who goes to France following the death of his adult son . In a combination of grief and homage to his son, Tom decides to walk the ancient spiritual trail where his son died. While walking the Camino , Tom meets others from around the world, all looking for greater meaning in their lives.

movies that inspire travel europe - the way

Directed by Woody Allen, this fantasy comedy film is set in romantic Paris, France. The story follows screenwriter Gil Pender (played by Owen Wilson) who is forced to confront the shortcomings of his relationship with his materialistic fiancée. His problems become increasingly exaggerated as he travels back in time each night at midnight.

movies that inspire travel europe - midnight in paris

Best Travel Movies Set in the Middle East 

A classic travel film from 1962 (but restored in 1989), this historical drama film is based on the life of British Lieutenant T. E. Lawrence. Due to his knowledge of the native Bedouin tribes, Lawrence is sent to Arabia to serve as a liaison between the Arabs and the British. With the aid of native Sherif Ali, Lawrence rebels against the orders of his superior officer and strikes out on a daring camel journey across the harsh desert.

exotic movies list - lawrence of arabia

Based on the best-selling travel book of the same name, Not Without My Daughter isn’t exactly a title that inspires you to travel. But it has such an amazing storyline that I had to include it in this list. It tells the true story of Betty Mahmoody, an American woman married to an Iranian living in the United States. When her husband suggests visiting Iran with their daughter, Betty is reluctant because of the country’s harsh treatment of women. When the family arrives in Iran, Betty discovers that her husband plans to stay in Iran for good. He has no intention of letting her or her daughter return to the United States. This movie depicts their harrowing escape.

best biographical films - not without my daughter

Based on my absolute favorite travel book of all time, The Kite Runner tells the story of Amir, a well-to-do boy from Kabul, Afghanistan. He is tormented by the guilt of abandoning his friend Hassan. The story is set against a backdrop of tumultuous events: from the fall of the monarchy in Afghanistan to the mass exodus of Afghan refugees, and the Taliban regime. It’s a deeply heart-wrenching film with all the drama you look for in a great movie, plus interesting bits of culture, history and politics thrown into it.

best adventure travel movies - the kite runner

Based on real events, the dramatic thriller Argo chronicles the life-or-death covert operation carried out in Iran in 1979. Militants storm the U.S. embassy in Tehran, Iran, taking 66 American hostages. Amid the chaos, six Americans manage to slip away and find refuge with the Canadian ambassador. Knowing that it’s just a matter of time before the refugees are found and likely executed, the U.S. government calls on extractor Tony Mendez (played by Ben Affleck) to rescue them. 

best adventure travel movies -argo

This Kurdish comedy-drama movie gives a light-hearted take on life in Iraqi Kurdistan . Set in Kurdistan during the early 1990s, the movie revolves around two orphaned brothers, Zana and Dana. They catch a glimpse of Superman at the local cinema and decide that they want to go to America to find Superman. Zana, the younger brother, starts to make a list of all people he is going to tell Superman to punish. On top of the list is Saddam Hussein. Dana makes a plan for what they need to get there: money, passports, and transportation. They have neither, but in spite of everything they decide to follow the dream.

best adventure travel movies - bekas

This British romantic comedy is based on the novel of the same name by Paul Torday. Dr. Alfred Jones (played by Ewan McGregor) is a fisheries scientist who one day receives an unusual request. A businesswoman named Harriet Chetwode-Talbot wants his help in fulfilling a wealthy sheik’s request to bring sport fishing to Yemen. Jones declines at first, but joins in when the British prime minister latches on to the project as a way to improve Middle East relations. Romance blooms as Jones and Harriet work to make the sheik’s dream come true. 

best adventure travel movies - salmon fishing in the yemen

If the panoramas from Lawrence of Arabia awed you, this movie will definitely win your heart. The stunning landscapes of Jordan provide an austere but gorgeous setting for this Academy Award nominee. Set in 1916, the film revolves around a young Bedouin boy named Theeb (which translates to mean Wolf). He lives with his tribe in a remote part of the Ottoman Empire. When his older brother has to escort a British officer across the desert, Theeb tags along for the adventure. He encounters revolutionaries and raiders, but tries to survive and live up to the name his father gave him.

best adventure travel movies - theeb

Best Travel Movies Set in Oceania 

Australians might cringe at the crudely drawn Aussie caricature that is Mick Dundee — but who can deny the fact that this classic put Australia on the map for international audiences? Legendary comedian Paul Hogan plays a free-spirited Australian who hunts crocodiles with his bare hands and stares down giant water buffaloes. But he’s about to face the ultimate torture test — a trip to New York City.

best adventure travel movies - crocodile dundee

The only New Zealander movie on this list, Whale Rider is an Oscar-Nominated blockbuster that brings Maori culture and tradition to a mainstream global audience. A Maori village faces a crisis when the heir to the leadership dies at birth and is survived only by his twin sister, Paikea. Though disregarded by her grandfather, 12-year-old Paikea remains certain of her calling and trains herself in the customs of her people. The film is not only gives a great cultural representation of New Zealand , but also an incredible showcase of the country’s spectacular scenery.

movie about traveling - whale rider

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This non-fiction movie is based on the adventure of Robyn Davidson, a young girl who traverses across the rugged landscape of Australia with only four camels and a beloved dog for company. She satisfies her craving for solitude on this solo trek across 1,700 miles (2,700 kilometers) of Australian desert  from Alice Springs to the Indian Ocean . Along the way, National Geographic photographer Rick Smolan documents her journey.

best movie set in australia - tracks

Did I miss out on any great traveling movies? Do you prefer real-life travel documentaries or simply wanderlust movies that inspire? Leave me a comment below and let me know which are your favorite movies about travel! 

Disclaimer: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. If you buy or book something with my links, I’ll get a small commission at no extra cost to you . 

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travel movie africa

Nellie Huang

Nellie Huang is the founder of WildJunket. Originally from Singapore, Nellie has traveled to over 140 countries across 7 continents. As an adventure travel blogger, she has a special interest in unusual destinations and deep experiences. Her work has appeared in many major publications including BBC Travel, CNN and LonelyPlanet.com. Read more about her here and get more life updates from her on her Facebook and Instagram .

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The Comments

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jessy lipperts

looooove this list!! Thank you! I also loved The Tourist, very juicy with Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie… Lots of love from Rosie and Me xx

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Jessie, thanks for dropping by! Oh yes I remember watching that!

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¡Madre mía tenemos películas para todo el confinamiento!. Gracias Nellie

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Edwina Lee Fort

Nellie … Lots of potential entertainment which will keep us all, hopefully, calmed during this horrid coronavirus time. I always enjoy your website and wish you and yours much health while keeping safe.

hi Edwina, thanks so much for the very kind words! Glad that you’re enjoying my website. Stay safe and healthy!

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Anand Balaji

I never knew we have this much list to watch. I have seen some 10 movies, and my all-time favorites are the secret life of Walter mitty and into the wild. Both movies share a wonderful experience to understand what we are living for. Nice share!!

Thank you, the Secret Life of Walter Mitty is my favorite too! Thanks for dropping by. :)

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Brilliant! Thanks for sharing, this is very helpful. I will do my best to watch all. Sometimes I write about the movies too. Here’s a handpicked list of movies that make you want to travel and fuel your wanderlust, in case you or any of your readers find it interesting. Keep up the good work. Can’t wait to see something new from you. Cheers!

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travel movie africa

5 Great Travel Movies for Africa

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Africa is something else. The source of mankind, natural beauty that will take your breath away, history that will shock and amaze you in equal measure. If you haven’t yet made it to the continent, if you have and you need to reminisce, or if you’re there right now, here are some great movies to stir up those feelings. True, it might be a bit cliché to watch a movie about a country when you’re in the country, but never will you be more taken by its story, its backgrounds, its language and its message. So make the time and engross yourselves in these crackers:

Movies to watch in Africa

Hotel Rwanda :

Good movies are movies that have the power to captivate people, great movies are movies which can almost transcend their art form and help you realize the emotions of the characters. Hotel Rwanda is truly a great movie.

Based in Kigali, the capital city of Rwanda, it tells the horrific true story of the 1994 genocidal massacre involving the Hutus and Tutsis where the death toll reached an incomprehensible 800, 000 Rwandans in 100 terrifying days. All humanity was not lost however and Paul Rusesabagina, played with great passion by Don Cheadle, risked his life time and time again when he accepted fleeing Hutus and Tutsi reformists in the Hotel Des Milles Collines, bribing the Interahamwe militia with anything he could get his hands on. You can’t fail to be moved by the story and sitting in the Hotel Des Milles Collines, guiltily drinking an orange juice, trying to comprehend what happened there a few years previously is one of the most somber and surreal experiences of my life.

NOTE: I should also mention another great movie covering the same story – Shooting Dogs. A movie from the BBC and runs Hotel Rwanda very close.

Last King of Scotland:

Retelling the rise and subsequent gruesome reign of the execrable Idi Amin, The Last King of Scotland uses a little poetic license to merge 3 characters into James McAvoy’s brilliant Scottish doctor who somehow or other became Idi Amin’s main confidant. The movie documents their relationship and touches on the horror that came with Amin’s reign. Ugandans are refreshingly open about their history and, with tact of course, it’s possible to sit in a café in Kampala and chat with the older generation about Amin’s reign and the damage done to the ‘Pearl of Africa’ as Uganda is affectionately known.

The Lion King:

If you haven’t seen Simba singing and dancing along with Rafiki, Pumba and Timone then, my friend, your childhood has a huge Disney shaped hole in it and needs to be addressed as soon as possible. As you backpack around east Africa you’ll see the strong Swahili references throughout the movie, a great reference point for a charming region and an equally charming movie. Simba means lion, Poomba means warthog and more endearingly (as you’ll hear yelled across the street countless times) Rafiki means friend.

Any trip to Africa isn’t complete without a safari and I challenge anyone to say they were out looking for wildlife and didn’t, even once at least, perhaps even just in their head, hum a quick rendition of The Lion Sleeps Tonight . In the jungle, the mighty jungle…. You know how it goes!

Blood Diamond:

TIA. This Is Africa. Indeed. The movie which gave birth to the mainstream usage of this age-old maxim – When your bus leave 3 hours late, TIA. When your food arrives and is nothing like what you ordered, TIA. All fun and games of course, but this movie paints a slightly grimmer picture of TIA-  namely conflict or blood diamonds. Set in Zimbabwe (or Rhodesia as Leo Di Caprio, politically charged, insists on calling it throughout the movie) it tells the story of a local man who comes across a valuable diamond. The lengths at which people are prepared to go to is a shocking reminder to how cheap life can be on this continent sometimes. The movie points a stern finger at a European diamond company (I’m sure you see the parallels with reality here!) who horde the diamonds, keeping the prices high and thereby maintaining the violent acts dished out by the people in charge of the diamond mines across Africa. It may not be a true story per se, however I bet you’ll think twice about those diamond earrings next time you reach for your jewelry drawer.

District 9:

Set in South Africa, the storyline goes that an extraterrestrial race come to earth and are forced to live in horrible conditions. They are rejected by the mainstream population of both South Africa and the world and are relocated to District 9. A far fetched story I hear you say?

Not quite… the movie is based on historical event which transpired during the apartheid era, specifically when 60, 000 blacks were ‘relocated’ to District 6 in Cape Town. Don’t let the xenophobic themes get you down though, when you are sipping your ice-cold beer on Long Street in Cape Town you’ll feel a whole different vibe now, I assure you of that =)

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The Visa Bulletin

Visa Statistics

Laws & Regulations

Visa Bulletin For April 2024

Number 88 Volume X Washington, D.C

View as Printer Friendly PDF

A. STATUTORY NUMBERS FOR PREFERENCE IMMIGRANT VISAS

This bulletin summarizes the availability of immigrant numbers during April  for: “Final Action Dates” and “Dates for Filing Applications,” indicating when immigrant visa applicants should be notified to assemble and submit required documentation to the National Visa Center.

Unless otherwise indicated on the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) website at  www.uscis.gov/visabulletininfo , individuals seeking to file applications for adjustment of status with USCIS must use the “Final Action Dates” charts below for determining when they can file such applications. When USCIS determines that there are more immigrant visas available for the fiscal year than there are known applicants for such visas, USCIS will state on its website that applicants may instead use the “Dates for Filing Visa Applications” charts in this Bulletin. 

1.  Procedures for determining dates. Consular officers are required to report to the Department of State documentarily qualified applicants for numerically limited visas; USCIS reports applicants for adjustment of status. Allocations in the charts below were made, to the extent possible, in chronological order of reported priority dates, for demand received by March 4th . If not all demand could be satisfied, the category or foreign state in which demand was excessive was deemed oversubscribed. The final action date for an oversubscribed category is the priority date of the first applicant who could not be reached within the numerical limits. If it becomes necessary during the monthly allocation process to retrogress a final action date, supplemental requests for numbers will be honored only if the priority date falls within the new final action date announced in this bulletin. If at any time an annual limit were reached, it would be necessary to immediately make the preference category “unavailable”, and no further requests for numbers would be honored.

2.  The fiscal year 2024 limit for family-sponsored preference immigrants determined in accordance with Section 201 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) is 226,000.  The worldwide level for annual employment-based preference immigrants is at least 140,000.  Section 202 prescribes that the per-country limit for preference immigrants is set at 7% of the total annual family-sponsored and employment-based preference limits, i.e., 25,620.  The dependent area limit is set at 2%, or 7,320.

3.  INA Section 203(e) provides that family-sponsored and employment-based preference visas be issued to eligible immigrants in the order in which a petition in behalf of each has been filed. Section 203(d) provides that spouses and children of preference immigrants are entitled to the same status, and the same order of consideration, if accompanying or following to join the principal. The visa prorating provisions of Section 202(e) apply to allocations for a foreign state or dependent area when visa issuances will exceed the per-country limit. These provisions apply at present to the following oversubscribed chargeability areas:  CHINA-mainland born, INDIA, MEXICO, and PHILIPPINES. 

4.  Section 203(a) of the INA prescribes preference classes for allotment of Family-sponsored immigrant visas as follows: 

FAMILY-SPONSORED PREFERENCES

First : ( F1 ) Unmarried Sons and Daughters of U.S. Citizens:  23,400 plus any numbers not required for fourth preference.

Second : Spouses and Children, and Unmarried Sons and Daughters of Permanent Residents:  114,200, plus the number (if any) by which the worldwide family preference level exceeds 226,000, plus any unused first preference numbers:

A. ( F2A ) Spouses and Children of Permanent Residents:  77% of the overall second preference limitation, of which 75% are exempt from the per-country limit;

B. ( F2B ) Unmarried Sons and Daughters (21 years of age or older) of Permanent Residents:  23% of the overall second preference limitation.

Third : ( F3 ) Married Sons and Daughters of U.S. Citizens:  23,400, plus any numbers not required by first and second preferences.

Fourth : ( F4 ) Brothers and Sisters of Adult U.S. Citizens:  65,000, plus any numbers not required by first three preferences.

A.   FINAL ACTION DATES FOR FAMILY-SPONSORED PREFERENCE CASES

On the chart below, the listing of a date for any class indicates that the class is oversubscribed (see paragraph 1); "C" means current, i.e., numbers are authorized for issuance to all qualified applicants; and "U" means unauthorized, i.e., numbers are not authorized for issuance. (NOTE: Numbers are authorized for issuance only for applicants whose priority date is earlier than the final action date listed below.)

For April, F2A numbers  EXEMPT from per-country limit  are authorized for issuance to applicants from all countries with priority dates  earlier  than 15AUG20. F2A numbers  SUBJECT to per-country limit  are authorized for issuance to applicants chargeable to all countries EXCEPT MEXICO , with priority dates beginning 15AUG20 and earlier than 08SEP20. All F2A numbers provided for MEXICO are exempt from the per-country limit.

B.  DATES FOR FILING FAMILY-SPONSORED VISA APPLICATIONS

The chart below reflects dates for filing visa applications within a timeframe justifying immediate action in the application process. Applicants for immigrant visas who have a priority date earlier than the application date in the chart below may assemble and submit required documents to the Department of State’s National Visa Center, following receipt of notification from the National Visa Center containing detailed instructions. The application date for an oversubscribed category is the priority date of the first applicant who cannot submit documentation to the National Visa Center for an immigrant visa. If a category is designated “current,” all applicants in the relevant category may file applications, regardless of priority date.

The “C” listing indicates that the category is current, and that applications may be filed regardless of the applicant’s priority date. The listing of a date for any category indicates that only applicants with a priority date which is earlier than the listed date may file their application.

Visit www.uscis.gov/visabulletininfo for information on whether USCIS has determined that this chart can be used (in lieu of the chart in paragraph 4.A.) this month for filing applications for adjustment of status with USCIS. 

5.  Section 203(b) of the INA prescribes preference classes for allotment of Employment-based immigrant visas as follows: 

EMPLOYMENT-BASED PREFERENCES

First :  Priority Workers:  28.6% of the worldwide employment-based preference level, plus any numbers not required for fourth and fifth preferences.

Second :  Members of the Professions Holding Advanced Degrees or Persons of Exceptional Ability:  28.6% of the worldwide employment-based preference level, plus any numbers not required by first preference.

Third :  Skilled Workers, Professionals, and Other Workers:  28.6% of the worldwide level, plus any numbers not required by first and second preferences, not more than 10,000 of which to "*Other Workers".

Fourth :  Certain Special Immigrants:  7.1% of the worldwide level.

Fifth :  Employment Creation:  7.1% of the worldwide level, of which 32% are reserved as follows: 20% reserved for qualified immigrants who invest in a rural area; 10% reserved for qualified immigrants who invest in a high unemployment area; and 2% reserved for qualified immigrants who invest in infrastructure projects. The remaining 68% are unreserved and are allotted for all other qualified immigrants.

A.  FINAL ACTION DATES FOR EMPLOYMENT-BASED PREFERENCE CASES

*Employment Third Preference Other Workers Category: Section 203(e) of the Nicaraguan and Central American Relief Act (NACARA) passed by Congress in November 1997, as amended by Section 1(e) of Pub. L. 105-139, provides that once the Employment Third Preference Other Worker (EW) cut-off date has reached the priority date of the latest EW petition approved prior to November 19, 1997, the 10,000 EW numbers available for a fiscal year are to be reduced by up to 5,000 annually beginning in the following fiscal year. This reduction is to be made for as long as necessary to offset adjustments under the NACARA program. Since the EW final action date reached November 19, 1997 during Fiscal Year 2001, the reduction in the EW annual limit to 5,000 began in Fiscal Year 2002. For Fiscal Year 2024 this reduction will be limited to approximately 150.

B.  DATES FOR FILING OF EMPLOYMENT-BASED VISA APPLICATIONS

The chart below reflects dates for filing visa applications within a timeframe justifying immediate action in the application process. Applicants for immigrant visas who have a priority date earlier than the application date in the chart may assemble and submit required documents to the Department of State’s National Visa Center, following receipt of notification from the National Visa Center containing detailed instructions. The application date for an oversubscribed category is the priority date of the first applicant who cannot submit documentation to the National Visa Center for an immigrant visa. If a category is designated “current,” all applicants in the relevant category may file, regardless of priority date.

Visit www.uscis.gov/visabulletininfo for information on whether USCIS has determined that this chart can be used (in lieu of the chart in paragraph 5.A.) this month for filing applications for adjustment of status with USCIS. 

B .   DIVERSITY IMMIGRANT (DV) CATEGORY FOR THE MONTH OF APRIL

Section 203(c) of the INA provides up to 55,000 immigrant visas each fiscal year to permit additional immigration opportunities for persons from countries with low admissions during the previous five years.  The NACARA stipulates that beginning with DV-99, and for as long as necessary, up to 5,000 of the 55,000 annually allocated diversity visas will be made available for use under the NACARA program.  Visa numbers made available to NACARA applicants in FY 2023 will result in reduction of the DV-2024 annual limit to approximately 54,850.  Section 5104 of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2024 amended the NACARA’s provisions on the Diversity Visa program such that the number of visas made available under the NDAA will be deducted from the 55,000 DVs annually allocated.  These amendments will not impact the number of diversity visas available until FY 2025.  DVs are divided among six geographic regions. No one country can receive more than seven percent of the available diversity visas in any one year.

For April , immigrant numbers in the DV category are available to qualified DV-2024 applicants chargeable to all regions/eligible countries as follows. When an allocation cut-off number is shown, visas are available only for applicants with DV regional lottery rank numbers  BELOW  the specified allocation cut-off number:

Entitlement to immigrant status in the DV category lasts only through the end of the fiscal (visa) year for which the applicant is selected in the lottery. The year of entitlement for all applicants registered for the DV-2024 program ends as of September 30, 2024. DV visas may not be issued to DV-2024 applicants after that date. Similarly, spouses and children accompanying or following to join DV-2024 principals are only entitled to derivative DV status until September 30, 2024. DV visa availability through the very end of FY-2024 cannot be taken for granted. Numbers could be exhausted prior to September 30.

C.   THE DIVERSITY (DV) IMMIGRANT CATEGORY RANK CUT-OFFS WHICH WILL APPLY IN MAY

For May , immigrant numbers in the DV category are available to qualified DV-2024 applicants chargeable to all regions/eligible countries as follows. When an allocation cut-off number is shown, visas are available only for applicants with DV regional lottery rank numbers  BELOW  the specified allocation cut-off number:

D.   SCHEDULED EXPIRATION OF THE EMPLOYMENT FOURTH PREFERENCE RELIGIOUS WORKERS (SR) CATEGORY

Pursuant to H.R. 7463, signed on March 1, 2024, the non-minister special immigrant program expires on March 22, 2024.  No SR visas may be issued overseas, or final action taken on adjustment of status cases, after midnight March 21, 2024.  Visas issued prior to that date will be valid only until March 21, 2024, and all individuals seeking admission in the non-minister special immigrant category must be admitted (repeat admitted) into the United States no later than midnight March 21, 2024. 

The SR category is listed as “Unavailable” for all countries for April.  In the event there is legislative action extending the category, it is likely it will become available effective immediately. If extended, the category will be subject to the same final action dates as the listed Employment-Based Fourth Preference categories per applicable foreign state of chargeability.

E.   VISA AVAILABILITY IN THE COMING MONTHS

FAMILY-sponsored categories (potential movement):

Worldwide dates:

F1: Up to three months F2A (excluding Mexico): Up to six months F2B: Up to ten weeks F3: Several months F4: Up to four weeks 

F1: Up to four months F2A: Up to three months F2B: Several months F3: Up to six months F4: Up to three months

Philippines:

F3: Several months F4: Several months

EMPLOYMENT-based categories: Very little to no forward movement is expected in the coming months since the final action dates for many categories advanced for April 2024.

The above final action date projections for the Family and Employment categories indicate what is likely to happen throughout Quarter Three and Quarter Four of FY24.  Readers should never assume that recent trends in final action date movements are guaranteed for the future, or that retrogressions will not be required at some point to maintain number use within the applicable annual limits.  The determination of the actual monthly final action dates is subject to fluctuations in applicant demand and other variables.  

F.   U.S. GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEE SPECIAL IMMIGRANT VISAS (SIVs)

The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2024, signed into law on December 22, 2023, may affect certain current and former employees of the U.S. Government abroad applying for SIVs or adjustment of status, as described in section 101(a)(27)(D) of the INA.  This does not affect certain Iraqis and Afghans applying for SQ and SI SIVs.  Applicants should contact the consular section at which they filed their Form DS‑1884 for further information on the impact of that law on their case.

G.   FOR THE LATEST INFORMATION ON VISA PROCESSING AT U.S. EMBASSIES AND CONSULATES, PLEASE VISIT THE BUREAU OF CONSULAR AFFAIRS WEBSITE AT TRAVEL.STATE.GOV

Department of State Publication 9514

CA/VO: March 4, 2024

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COMMENTS

  1. 30 INCREDIBLE Movies About Africa You NEED To Watch [2024]

    Out of Africa (1985) Starring Robert Redford and Meryl Streep, this epic romance, set in Kenya in colonial times, it tells the story of a passionate love affair between a plantation owner and a big game hunter. When Sydney Pollack brought Karen Blixen's autobiographical book of the same name to life, he clearly pulled out the 'best' bits ...

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    Set in Senegal. This is a great documentary movie about Africa from a celebrated African filmmaker. Ousmane Sembene is considered the "father of African cinema," has made many fantastic movies like Ceddo, Camp de Thiaroye, and Guelwaar. This documentary is about the story of his life and is heartwarming and intriguing.

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    Starring Meryl Streep and Robert Redford, Out of Africa is one of those iconic travel movies. The scenery is stunning, and Streep's performance is wonderful. The movie itself won best picture and best cinematography the year it was relieased. The movie tells of the story of Danish author Karen Blixen, who moved to Africa to build a new life ...

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  17. 21 Best Travel Movies That Will Inspire Your Wanderlust

    Out of Africa. Ok, I know it's an old one, but Out of Africa definitely deserves a place in the all-time favorite travel movies list. Filmed in Kenya and the UK, this classic that has won 7 Oscars and countless other prizes will definitely get you dreaming of Africa. It's one of those movies that you can watch again and again.

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    If you haven't seen this classic tale, make sure to cast it on the biggest screen available and watch the beautiful landscapes and adventures unfold! This is one of those epic travel movies. Buy The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring. Buy Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers.

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