(Last updated May 12, 2015 – sign up to receive updates by email)
There are a lot of “Best Travel Movie” lists out there on the web. And there are a lot of epic travel movies to love. The intention of this list is to dive farther than the most popular and deeper than the most well-known. When you want to escape but can’t travel farther than your TV, computer, or tablet… dive in to one of these beloved, lesser-known tales of adventure, travel, and exploration!
Shot in 70mm film in 24 countries on six continents, Baraka (meaning “blessing” in several languages,) is more of a transcendent global tour – an exploration of extraordinary places, peoples and cultures that create the world’s pulse. A world beyond words, this story is almost an un-story, a narration of nature and of humankind’s chaotic and lovely relationship with it. A viewing experience truly awesome and like nothing you’ve seen or felt before. (2008 | Not Rated) If you loved Baraka, see other parts of this three-part series: Koyaanisqatsi – Life Out of Balance and Powaqqatsi – Life in Transformation.
Based on the dramatic true story of Simon Yates, who, with Joe Simpson, attempted to scale the never-before-climbed 21,000 foot Siula Grande in the Peruvian Andes. On the descent, a disastrous fall levels Yates, shattering his leg … mountaineering “alpine style,” (carrying gear and food on your back,) didn’t make the situation any easier. Now separated, Yates and Simpson must access every shred of strength and courage in their being to make their way home in this ruggedly real mountain voyage. (1997 | Rated R)
Inspired by an incredible true story, The Way Back follows seven prisoners from very different backgrounds as they attempt the impossible: escape from a Siberian prison in the dead of winter. Thus begins a treacherous 4,500-mile trek to freedom across the world’s most merciless landscapes – from Siberia to India. They have little food and few supplies. They don’t know or trust each other. But they know that to survive, they must withstand nature at its most extreme. A compelling testament to the code of trust among travelers, and our innate quality to seek survival and freedom at all costs. (2011 | Rated PG-13)
Some of the best cinematography out there! The Art Of Flight, (a Red Bull Media House Production,) is nothing less than pure action-packed awesomeness. This story follows snowboarding legend Travis Rice, and his posse of fellow boarders/friends. Air-born daredevils, avalanches, wicked tricks, stomach-turning injuries, fresh powder and a kick-ass soundtrack lends a new vantage point to life on the mountains. This film is a beautiful work of art, a triumphant real-life story. It’s voyeurism at its best. (2011 | Rated PG)
5. The Edge of Never; A True Story of Skiing’s Big Mountain Tribe
A documentary feature film shot on location in Chamonix-Mont-Blanc (one of the oldest ski resorts in the world, located in Rhone Alps in Southeastern France.) The Edge of Never swishes into the world of big mountain skiing with a real-life coming of age saga about the relationship between Trevor Petersen and Kye Petersen, and other tribes of skiers who challenge the biggest, most dangerous mountains on earth. A tale of family, legend and a kid with serious guts. If you have ever had a dream … (2009 | Rated G)
Choo Choo. The Darjeeling Limited takes three American brothers on a family voyage by train to find their reclusive mother in rural India. A smart, funny script and a visually stunning backdrop complements perfectly this story of a family on a surprising spiritual quest where tension-turns-to-epic-and-cathartic-bonding. (2007 | Rated R)
Before becoming the global revolutionary icon known as “Che,” Ernesto Guevara was a middle-class Argentinean medical student who, in 1952, left his Buenos Aires home with friend Alberto Granado on a rickety motorcycle. Follow their 5,000-mile trek across South America, from the Andes Mountains to the Amazon jungle, and see how the journey opened Guevara’s eyes to the world around hima. Spanish with English subtitles – but you’ll quickly un-notice that you are reading. (2004 | Rated R)
“What’s wrong?” “Boredom.” “How do you beat boredom? Adventure.” A biologist in his mid-twenties heads to the Arctic to study the vanishing caribou population in Alaska. For months with no human contact, Tyler conducts studies of the caribou’s greatest predator, (wolves,) teams up with three Inuit Eskimos, (only one speaking English,) and learns a lot about his own connectedness to the earth in the process. If you have ever formed an intense bond with nature and dreamed of living off the earth (field mice) and studying the behaviors of wild animals, this is the film for you. And for a Disney movie, they do a good job of toning down the (forgive me) cheesy-ness, leaving behind quirky 80’s travel-com. But don’t you worry Disney lovers – like Bambi, Chimpanzee, White Fang and other favorites, there is still one sacrificial lamb that teaches us the lesson of life’s fragility. A caribou. Fine, good-hearted fun. (1983 | Rated G)
An endearing story about a writer who really loves Paris (and really, who doesn’t!), an era (the Surrealists and Post-Impressionism, specifically,) and most of all, the art of dreaming! A movie about time-travel that takes us to early 20th century Paris – where Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Gertrude Stein and other classic players of the time hob-knob with a sheepish Owen Wilson nightly as he escapes the grips of his bat-shit crazy wife into the back seat of a classic Ford. From here he goes back in time to what is to him, the most magical point in literary history, while meeting the very heroes that inspired his life’s work. This all-star cast is really, just fun to watch. Perfect for lovers of literature, art-history, romance, Paris, and upbeat Woody Allen films. (2011 | Rated PG-13)
Road trip! Wine! Friendship. A quest to find (and keep) great love, sex, vulgarity, absurdity, dreams (as they tauntingly slip through your fingers) and new dreams … and one of the most delightfully funny scripts ever put on paper – and film. Two old friends set out on a roadtrip from LA to the Napa Valley to celebrate the final days of a free man (bachelor, not death-row.) Giamatti knows his way around a tasting room, Church knows his way around a pick up line, and together, they have one of the most memorable weekends of their lives. This film contains all the goods that make an epic, real-life, feel-good adventure. (2005 | Rated R)
Julio and Tenoch are two teens ruled by raging hormones and a mission to consume exotic substances. But one summer, the boys learn more about life than they bargain for when they set off on a wild, cross-country road trip with seductive, 28-year-old Luisa. The temptress Luisa teaches them the finer points of passion, and they of course, both fall madly in love with her. Will their friendship stand up to this difficult test? Watch and see! Spanish subtitled in English. (2001 | Not Rated)
Short-story-short: adventurous mountain biker heads into Colorado Mountains on a solo mountain biking trip. Meets a couple of girls, rides trails, video-documents his journey before falling into a crevasse where he is literally stuck between a rock and a hard place, for – you guessed it – 127 hours. When he reaches a deep state of act-or-die, he cuts off his own arm with a pocket knife. You may be thinking, “why would I want to watch such agony?” Shockingly, at times you barely notice his perilous state because the self-directed dialogue is so intense. And when you are eventually pulled in with deep compassion and sympathy for Aron Ralston (James Franco,) you’ll be totally hooked. I’ll spoil the ending for you right here: he lives to tell the tale. And there is a greater moral to this story – be a smart traveler, share your plans with at least one person at home. (2010 | Rated R)
Any lover of adventure has had to of seen this movie – but it’s one of the best traveling movies ever made, so, it makes the list. Boom. You never really know what exact event caused 20-something Richard (Leonardo DiCaprio) to “travel the unexpected” in Thailand and all but cut ties to his home and family in America, but, that is not really the point of the movie. After meeting up with a whack-job named Daffy in Thailand who gives him a hand-drawn map (before killing himself) to a deserted beach community that may or may not be the most enchanting place on earth – Richard teams up with fellow travelers Etienne and his beloved Francoise to make the journey. But does The Beach exist? And if it does, can the community sustain new members? And, if it is paradise, can it remain so? This magnetic film is one to get lost in and add to your permanent best travel most list. (1999 | Rated R)
14. As Far As My Feet Will Carry Me
A German soldier escapes from a Siberian labor camp as WWII ends, determined to return home to his family. After three grueling years in the bitter cold and over 8,000 miles trekking lonely terrain, (and being taken as a prisoner, and overcoming other trials that appear when on a great journey by foot when people are after you,) the prospect of reaching freedom and his loved ones becomes much more sweet. Based on the true story of Clemens Forell, this inspiring film shows what can happen when vision meets the force of sheer will. (2003 | Not Rated)
Based on a true story, North Face is a suspenseful adventure film about a competition to climb the most dangerous rock face in the Alps. Set in 1936, as Nazi propaganda urges the nations Alpinists to conquer the unclimbed north face of the Swiss massif, the Eiger two reluctant German climbers begin their daring ascent. German subtitled in English. (2010 | Not Rated)
A feel-good movie based on Peter Mayle’s book, A Year in Provence. A workaholic trades his life selling bonds in London to cash in on a winery that was left to him by his dead uncle. And off he goes to his new picturesque estate in the south of France. Like The Beach in the way that the setting is as much of a character as the rest of the players. With every day of his new life, Max grows out of his obsessive workaholic behavior and into a life in Provence he comes to embrace. And of course, he becomes more likable every day too. If you love France, the thought of chucking it all and running a vineyard, or vulnerable Russell Crowe… (2006 | Rated PG-13)
A romantic, beautiful classic – one of the most acclaimed movies of all time. Baroness Karen Blixen (Streep,) a strong-willed Dutch woman, moves to Kenya and starts a coffee plantation in the early part of the 20th century with her new husband (more of a business arrangement than a marriage of love.) Her husband heads to war (and takes up with other women,) and in his absence she falls in love with a mysterious nomad hunter Denys Finch Hatton (Redford), who falls deeply in love with her too. Africa and the people become her home, as does Denys. Winner of 7 Academy Awards, Out of Africa is a true story based on a memoir, Out of Africa, by Isak Dinesen (Karen Blixen’s pseudonym [1885-1962]). (1985 | Rated R)
The compelling true story of Dian Fossey, a young anthropologist who travels to the forests of Rwanda to track rare mountain gorillas (under the tutelage of famed archeologist Louis Leakey) Over the course of 18 years, conservation turns to obsession as she risks (and finally loses) her life protecting the animals from poachers and loss of natural habitat in the region. Nominated for four Oscars. Read a book about Fossey’s life and work: No One loved Gorillas More. (1988 | Rated PG-13)
Time to cross the country with the eccentric Hoover family on a hilarious ride in a VW bus to bring their Little Miss Sunshine to her beauty pageant finals in southern California… It’s a good thing this little girl has some serious sunshine – her family needs every ounce of it! And she spreads it liberally. (2006 | Rated R)
A powerful true story of art, crime and redemption in the world’s most notorious slum: Rio de Janeiro’s “City of God” – where residents are lucky to live past 20, and the police are afraid to go. A scared but bold young man discovers that he can document gruesome tragedy of his hometown through photography, and in doing so, turns his painful past into a beautiful future. A story of bravery, courage, and a the power of inspiration. This film has deservingly won awards at film festivals all around the world. (2002 | Rated R)
Seen National Geographic Channel’s “Locked Up Abroad?” This film could have easily been the inspiration. BFF’s (Danes and Beckinsale) go to Thailand for a dream vacation that quickly becomes a nightmare when entrusting the wrong people. Wrongfully imprisoned, their lives are changed forever as they try to prove their innocence to a foreign government that has nothing but harsh punishment for American travelers who disobey their laws – even when they don’t. Makes you think twice about your behavior when traveling. Or should, at least. (1999 | Rated R)
In a remote mountain village in the Kenyan bush, a primary school is bursting at the seems with hundreds of children who have been given a chance at free education newly promised by the Kenyan government. Perhaps the most intriguing applicant is an 80-something year old veteran Mau Mau tribesman, desperate to learn to read after a lifetime of fighting for the liberation of his homeland. This triumphant story places a humble, elderly man alongside 6-year-old students to learn a skill so many of us often take for granted. This film became an instant inspiration to the Kenyan nation and world, reminding us of the courage it sometimes takes to achieve our dreams. A poignant film with great purpose. (2010 | Rated PG-13)
23. The Wildest Dream: Conquest 0f Everest
The story of famed American mountaineer, Conrad Anker, and his discovery of George Mallory in Mount Everest’s “death zone,” – 75 years after the British explorer mysteriously vanished during his attempt to become the first man to summit the world’s tallest peak.
Mallory was last seen alive just 800 feet below the summit, before he vanished to become the world’s highest mountain’s greatest legend. Haunted by Mallory’s story, Conrad’s quest to tell Mallory’s story surpasses even his desire to summit. (2011 | Rated PG)
The ultimate surfing adventure – a globe-spanning quest for the perfect wave-sss! The Endless Summer rides the green room all the way to the wild waters of West Africa, to the shark-filled seas of Australia, the tropical seas of the South Pacific and beyond … these So-Cal surfers have truly designed a life where they are living their dream every single day.
A timeless masterpiece, the prevailing surf movie of the ages. (2000 | Not Rated)
180° South: Conquerors of the Useless, follows Jeff Johnson on his journey to relive the epic sailing journey of his heroes, Yvon Chouinard and Doug Tompkins to Patagonia 1968. Along the way he gets shipwrecked off Easter Island, surfs the longest wave of his life – and prepares himself for a rare ascent of Cerro Corcovado. Jeff’s life takes a turn when he meets up in a rainy hut with Chouinard and Tompkins who, once driven purely by a love of climbing and surfing, now value above all the experience of raw nature – and have come to Patagonia to spend their fortunes to protect it. To us, this film is driven by the endearing personal narrative and soul-moving music. (2010 | Not Rated)
The expedition of a lifetime, following a group of explorers as they set off to become the first to navigate the Blue Nile from source to sea. The 3,260 mile descent down the world’s greatest and deadliest river has eluded humankind for centuries – until now! Ride shotgun on the team’s 16-foot rafts as they crash through the rapids in Ethiopia’s desert canyons. Battle through some of the world’s most extreme whitewater rapids with renowned kayaker, Gordon Brown. Over the arduous, four month journey, the team faces nearly extreme challenges – from crocodile attacks to armed bandits to arrests. Through breathtaking cinematography, Mystery of the Nile reveals a wondrous region and abundant treasures, from Tissisat Falls and the wonders of Egypt to the forgotten black pyramids of Meroe and 12th century churches that were carved into sheer rock. (2005 | Not Rated)
Based on the bestselling memoir that touched millions, Waris Dirie’s Desert Flower, recounts her incredible journey from an African nomad to an international top supermodel. A vital, full-of-life film with depth and enormous compassion – examining an extraordinarily proud and brave woman who travels a parallel universe between extreme glamour and African culture. Top model and actress Liya Kebede shines in the main role. (2011 | Rated R)
The true story of Christopher McCandless. A new college graduate looking to evade the paved road of work and family that is laid out before him, McCandless chooses instead to hit the road in search of true adventure. His goal is to live off the land in the Alaskan wild – and to get there, he must survive all of the places he travels en route. He is both revered and called reckless, but either way, he is the poster-child for the life that so many wanderers, adventurers dream of: chucking it all and living completely free of all responsibility and society. And sometimes, that game is a tough one to win. One of Krakaur’s finest books, and a fine movie too. (2007 | Rated R)
29. National Geographic – Everest 50 Years on the Mountain
In 1953, Sir Edmund Hillary & Tenzing Norgay made history as the first people to reach the top of Everest. Now, 50 years later, three sons of Everest’s most celebrated climbers return to the mountain to challenge it again. Join their journey as they brave the elements and face death to climb 29,000 feet of wind-blasted rock and ice. And, relive the dramatic history of Everest from great triumphs to deadly tragedies, enduring rivalries and the unsung role of the Sherpa people – as National Geographic exposes the untold stories that lurk in the mountain’s epic shadow and takes you on the ultimate Everest experience. (2003 | Not Rated)
Dana Brown, son of Bruce Brown of The Endless Summer fame, directed and narrates this astonishing look at the dangerous and exhilarating world of surfing and champion surfers. The film follows the daring wave riders around the world, from California and Hawaii to such unlikely spots as Texas and Michigan. Awesome photography captures the thrills and spills they encounter. (2004 | Rated PG)
SAMSARA is a Sanskrit word that means “the ever turning wheel of life” and is the point of departure for the filmmakers as they search for the elusive current of interconnection that runs through our lives. Filmed over a period of almost five years and in twenty-five countries, SAMSARA transports us to sacred grounds, disaster zones, industrial sites, and natural wonders. By dispensing with dialogue and descriptive text, SAMSARA subverts our expectations of a traditional documentary, instead encouraging our own inner interpretations inspired by images and music that infuses the ancient with the modern.
National Geographic photographer James Balog travels across the Arctic with a young team of adventurers as he deploys time-lapse cameras designed for one purpose: to capture a multi-year record of the world’s changing glaciers. Chasing Ice is the story of one man s mission to change the tide of history by gathering undeniable evidence of our changing planet. Within months of that first trip to Iceland, the photographer conceived the boldest expedition of his life: The Extreme Ice Survey. Balog: “We as a culture , we’re forgetting that we are natural organisms and that we have this very, very deep connection in contact with nature. We can’t divorce ourselves from nature, we totally depend on it.” (2012 | Rated PG-13)
A young man who survives a disaster at sea is hurtled into an epic journey of adventure and discovery. While cast away, he forms an unexpected connection with another survivor: a fearsome Bengal tiger… a zebra, an orangutan, a hyena, and the tiger. A great, whimsical sea-going adventure–a terrific read as well. (2012 | Rated: PG)
A father heads overseas to recover the body of his estranged son (real-life son, Emilio Estevez) who died while traveling the “El camino de Santiago,” and decides to take the pilgrimage across Spain by himself. (2011 | PG-13)
A travel documentary for those who long for solo travel, a break from career, or simply great adventure on a long voyage.
On a trip around the world, every day feels like Saturday. A MAP FOR SATURDAY reveals a world of long-term, solo travel through the stories of trekkers on four continents. The documentary finds backpackers helping neglected Thai tsunami victims. It explains why Nepal’s guesthouses are empty and Brazil’s stoplights are ignored. But at its core, SATURDAY tracks the emotional arc of extreme long-term travelers; teenagers and senior citizens who wondered, “What would it be like to travel the world?” Then did it. (2008 | Not Rated)
36. Tracks
“I just want to be by myself.”
This film is about a young woman goes on a 1,700-mile trek across the deserts of Western Australia with four camels and her dog.
I think what I appreciated the most about this film is that, and I hate to write this, it is a little boring. But that’s what deep travel is like. There is the lofty goal, which is exciting and what drives travelers to take on bold adventures, then there is the quest. And along any quest is many hours of reflective time; elegantly captured in this biopic. But in the end, and the same is true in this movie, at the end there is fulfillment. (2014 | Rated R)
37. Wild
This films chronicles one woman’s 1,100-mile solo hike along the Pacific Crest Trail in the western United States, undertaken as a way to recover from a recent catastrophe. If you are a fan of long-distance trekking, films about badass women, outdoor adventure, you will enjoy this film. What is interesting to me about it is that it is one of the few travel films with a female lead; and at that time in the 1990s, very few women took on solo expeditions. A few minutes into the movie, you’ll notice that you’re likely not thinking about her gender, but that she is a person who faces hardships that occur on an outdoor expedition of any length. This movie does the book justice. Hoorah. (2014 | Rated R)
38. The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
When Walter’s job along with that of his co-worker are threatened, Walter takes action in the real world embarking on a global journey that turns into an adventure more extraordinary than anything he could have ever imagined. This is a lighthearted look at the adventurous spirit with some awesome travel mixed in. (2013 | Rated PG)
39. Cairo Time
This film is an ode to Egypt’s capital city. Juliette travels to Cairo to visit her husband, who is stuck working in Gaza. When unexpectedly guided by a former colleague of her husband’s, named Tareq, Juliette wants only to explore. The two of them discover their surroundings by land and sea, and an inspired Juliette comes to feel a relaxed comfort that she clearly didn’t feel when she landed. While she originally intends to wait and see the pyramids with her husband, the moment she and Tareq have in front of them is one of the most breathtaking points in the film. (2009 | Rated PG)
40. Encounters at the End of the World
Filmmaker Werner Herzog travels to the McMurdo Station in Antarctica, the hub of the U.S. Antarctic Program and home to eleven hundred people during the austral spring and summer (Oct-Feb). There, he seeks to capture the continent’s beauty and investigate the characters living there. This film is a beautiful view into another world. (2007 | Rated G)
41. The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
British retirees travel to India to take up residence in what they believe is a newly restored hotel. Less luxurious than advertised, the Marigold Hotel nevertheless slowly begins to charm in unexpected ways. This film is well acted and well produced, and speaks to the idea that great adventures can occur at any age. (2011 | Rated PG-13)
And 35 more travel-themed movies – you know, in case you’ve already seen the first 41:
- Casablanca (1942)
- The African Queen (1952)
- Roman Holiday (Special Collector’s Edition) (1953)
- Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
- Deliverance (1972)
- National Lampoon’s European Vacation (1985)
- Stand By Me (1986)
- Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure (1989)
- Thelma & Louise (1991)
- Seven Years in Tibet (1997)
- Armageddon (1998)
- Before Sunrise (1999)
- Buena Vista Social Club (1999)
- The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999)
- Cast Away (2000)
- Amelie (2001)
- Under the Tuscan Sun (2003)
- Lost in Translation (2003)
- Eurotrip (2004)
- Before Sunset (2004)
- Long Way Round (2004)
- Broken Flowers (2005)
- Hotel Rwanda (2005)
- The Bucket List (2007)
- P.S. I Love You (2007)
- Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (2007)
- In Bruges (2008)
- When We Left Earth: The NASA Missions (Limited Edition) (2008 // series)
- Slumdog Millionaire (2009)
- Up (2009)
- Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2009)
- Sex and the City 2 (2010)
- Eat Pray Love (2010)
- Up in the Air (2010)
- Before Midnight (2013)
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