Travel movies are an excellent way to cure your wanderlust and find inspiration for the next adventure. I love movies about travel that highlight captivating landscapes and experiences around the world. It’s fun to temporarily transport yourself somewhere else while watching, and it can help you decide where you want to go in the future. These are my favorite travel movies, and some bonus outdoor horror picks for my fellow scary movie watchers!

Must-Watch Movies About Travel

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty

Image via Empire Magazine.

I remember instantly falling in love with The Secret Life of Walter Mitty while watching it in theaters in 2013. It was an incredibly impactful film because I was a freshman in high school learning to navigate the world around me and find what felt truly fulfilling in life. The Secret Life of Walter Mitty isn’t a perfect movie, but it has everything you want for an inspirational, lighthearted watch: stunning scenery, touching moments, and lots of laughs.

Valley Uprising

Image via IMDb.

While rock climbers will especially love Valley Uprising, I’ve shared it with many non-climbers who also enjoyed the documentary and found it interesting. Valley Uprising dives into the history of climbing in the Yosemite Valley from the 50s to the mid-2010s. It has a killer soundtrack and many scenes to make your heart race and your palms sweat.

Wild

Image via Cinema Faith.

Wild is based on a memoir by Cheryl Strayed, who documented her time hiking on the Pacific Crest Trail after facing some personal challenges. This is a darker, more dramatic travel movie that covers many difficult issues. I definitely cried the first time I watched Wild because of the excellent performances and spot-on song choices.

Into the Wild

Image via MovieWeb.

I’ll be the first to admit that the Into the Wild story is problematic in some regards. It recounts the true tale of Christopher McCandless, a nomad who traveled across America and eventually starved to death in the Alaskan wilderness. Several others have passed away in real life pursuing the abandoned bus featured in the movie, where McCandless lived out his final days.

McCandless also made some avoidable mistakes during his adventure that contributed to his untimely passing. I consider Into the Wild an artistic depiction of one man’s efforts to live his life to the fullest, at times risking his safety and personal relationships to do so. Take the movie with a grain of salt and learn from McCandless’s real-life legacy.

180° South

Image via Rotten Tomatoes.

180° South will instantly make you want to book a plane ride to Chile. This travel documentary follows a man as he attempts to sail from California to Patagonia. He aimed to recreate a trip that Yvon Chouinard and Doug Tompkins, outdoorsmen who founded the Patagonia and North Face brands, respectively, took in 1968. It’s a wild ride with plenty of entertaining and heartfelt misadventures along the way.

The Way

Image via UTracks.

If you’re unfamiliar with the Camino de Santiago, I suggest watching The Way. It’s an emotional story about a father who embarks on a long-distance European hiking trail to honor his son, who passed away on the same journey. Travelers have been making the pilgrimage from France to Spain along the Camino de Santiago route for centuries. The Way will inspire you to learn more about the trail and tackle it yourself one day.

Mile… Mile & a Half

Image via Rotten Tomatoes.

One of the first movies to make me want to try backpacking was Mile… Mile & a Half. I stumbled across this movie on Netflix and watched it with my family—we all loved it. The documentary centers on a group of friends attempting California’s John Muir Trail. It features breathtaking views and paints a beautiful picture of friendship and the close-knit backpacking community.

BONUS: Horror Travel Movies That Will Make You Want to Stay Home!

The Ritual

Image via Forbes.

The Ritual is set in Norway, and the rugged landscapes are stunning. This movie has some genuinely terrifying moments and an overall unsettling vibe. You might rethink your next camping trip after watching it! Just remember to stay on the trail and avoid taking shortcuts…

The Descent

Image via IMDb.

Don’t watch The Descent if you get easily claustrophobic. I hate caves in real life which made me hesitant to watch this spelunking-inspired horror movie. It’s also set in Appalachia, which hits a little too close to home since I grew up in Georgia. Today, The Descent is one of my favorite scary movies of all time—I can also safely say I have no plans to go caving ever again.

The Blair Witch Project

Image via Game Rant.

The Blair Witch Project is a found-footage horror classic about a group of filmmakers who go missing in the Maryland woods while searching for a spooky local legend. This movie is infamous for its clever marketing strategy, which convinced many audience members that the events were real, and impressive box office returns despite being made on a budget. It’s a slow burn and not for everyone, but some of the scares leave a big impression.

Drop your travel movie recommendations below so I can add them to my watch list!