10 Best Travel TV Shows That Will Inspire You To Travel

If you love travelling, that time between when you come home and your next trip often feels never ending.

You sit at home reminiscing about all the great memories from your last trip, and day dreaming about the next time you’ll step on a plane.

At the moment we’re all spending a lot more time at home, and keeping that wanderlust and travel feeling alive can be hard. Watching some fun travel TV shows can be a great way to travel without leaving the house.

In this post I’ve outlined my favourite travel TV shows. These are all series that you can find either on Netflix, Amazon or streaming. Whether they do it in a funny or inspirational way, they’re all shows guaranteed to fuel your wanderlust.

So let’s dive in, and discover the best travel TV shows!

10 best travel TV shows

Race Across The World

This fairly new British series is only on its second season. It’s a reality competition show where five pairs (couples, friends, siblings or parent/child pairs) have to pretty much race across the world on a very limited budget.

In the first season they had to travel from London to Singapore, and in the second season from Mexico City to Ushuaia. They’re not allowed to fly and their total budget for the whole trip is the equivalent of a flight for that route.

It’s a very fun TV show that shows the beauty of overland travel and getting in touch with the locals, as well as the hardships of a limited budget. It’s a reality TV show so there’s always an element of drama to keep things fun.

Planet Earth

This series of nature documentaries narrated by Sir David Attenborough is, in my opinion, one of the best things ever shown on TV.

I remember being fifteen in high school and both my Biology and Geography teachers would show us episodes of Planet Earth when studying biodiversity and ecosystems.

Watching those clips is one of the things that inspired me to travel and pursue my passions in photography and film making.

Teenage me wanted to become the person travelling to some remote corner of the world to film wild animals in their natural habitat.

While that isn’t quite what I do now, being a full-time travel blogger gets fairly close to that childhood dream. On Planet Earth you will see some simply astounding natural landscapes, that will make you want to pack your bags and go.

An Idiot Abroad

If you’re looking for a light-hearted travel TV show, An Idiot Abroad is the one. The series follows Karl Pilkington as he travels around the world to see the Seven Wonders of the World.

Karl Pilkington takes your average Joe, a normal man who was never much into travel and who doesn’t have much travel experience, and puts him in all sorts of situations that take him outside of his comfort zone.

The show is funny and highlights some of the negative experiences you can have on the road, which many inspirational movies leave out. It’s guaranteed to make you laugh, as well as inspire your next trip!

Tales by Light

If you’re a photography lover, then you will absolutely love Tales by Light. This documentary was produced by Canon and National Geographic, and it follows professional photographers as they travel around the world to capture a story.

When you pair the absolutely stunning natural landscapes they see, with the deep connections they make with the locals, and their own inspiring stories, it will make you want to drop everything and pack your bags.

Tales by Light shows us people who love travelling and discovering new places, and who have made it their mission to transmit their love to others. Safe to say, the TV show does a great job in inspiring us to travel!

Departures

Departures follows two Canadian best friends as they drop everything and set off on a year-long adventure around the world.

Their desire to escape normal life for a bit, see the world and live new experiences is something all travellers can relate to.

They travel to some of my favourite destinations, like Sri Lanka, Jordan and Japan. Throughout the series you will see some stunning natural landscapes, and real travel moments from the road.

If you’ve ever thought about taking a gap year to travel the world, this TV show will make you want to do just that.

Anthony Bourdain – No Reservations, The Layover, A Cook’s Tour and Parts Unknown

When travelling, do you love sampling all the local cuisine has to offer? Then you will love any of Anthony Bourdain’s travel TV shows. You don’t have to be a foodie lover to appreciate the humour and awesomeness of his shows.

Anthony Bourdain, famous chef and author, takes us with around the world to sample some of the most notorious and traditional dishes of local cuisines, as well as unknown delicacies.

He is also the author of some of the most inspiring travel quotes. His shows, and life, are all about enjoying the journey and living life to the fullest.

Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern

Another great TV show for the foodie lovers! Andrew Zimmern focuses on regional cuisine that is perceived as disgusting, exotic or bizarre. Think about scorpion skewers in Thailand or cheese with worms in Sardinia, Italy.

I love this show because it’s raw, honest and funny. He shows how the food is procured, without shying away from the gross parts too, how it’s cooked and then tries it.

You can learn a lot about a country by its cuisine, and this show does just that. Besides showing you beautiful places and bizarre foods, it teaches you about local culture, all with an underlying light hearted and humorous tone.

Jack Whitehall: Travels with My Father

If you’ve ever been travelling with your parents, you will find this one hilarious. Comedian Jack Whitehall takes his father Michael on a “gap year” around the world.

They’re a very different couple, Jack is jovial and open-minded while the father is a bit more old school and stuffy, which makes for very funny dynamics.

Be prepared for when he tries to take his dad to a hostel or on a night train, the laughs are guaranteed!

Long Way Round & Long Way Down

This British classic follows actors Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman as they travel around the world on motorbikes.

In the first season they travel from London to New York (all the way through Europe, Asia and North America) and in the second one they travel down from Scotland to South Africa.

The TV series shows some incredible scenery, narrated by two fantastic actors and with their unique humour and honesty. Travel isn’t always pretty, and they’re not afraid to show you the truth of such a challenging journey.

The Kindness Diaries

If you’re looking for a feel good inspiring show then The Kindness Diaries is the one for you. The show follows former broker Leon Logothetis as he travels around the world relying only on a motorcycle and the kindness of strangers.

In exchange for their kindness, he then repays by helping them realise their dreams.

The Kindness Diaries isn’t as much about grand landscapes and inspiring stories, but more about the day to day of the locals and people you meet on the road.

It’s a TV show that will not only inspire you to travel more, but also to do some good in the world.

Final thoughts on the best TV shows for travel lovers

I hope you’ve enjoyed my compilation of best travel TV shows! These are only my favourites, if you have other TV shows that have inspired you to travel let me know in the comments below.

Watching travel themed TV shows can be a great way to keep your wanderlust alive when you can’t travel. I hope you find these useful in finding some travel inspiration!

If you prefer reading to watching TV, check out this compilation of the best travel books!

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