Travel documentaries to inspire your wanderlust
Tuesday 1 April 2025
Are you a passionate traveller, keen on soaking in the wonders of new landscapes and new cultures? Travel shows give you a front-row seat to the world’s most captivating journeys, with inspiring and relatable hosts to guide you along.
Whether you’re looking to spark wanderlust to determine your next cruise holiday destination, find out more about a location you adore or follow a beloved presenter on a journey, great travel documentaries are a must-watch for those with a heart for exploration.
In this article, we share our top travel documentaries to add to your to-be-watched list.
The best travel documentaries:
Our Planet – an unprecedented look at the earth’s remaining wilderness
Long Way Down (Round and Up) – epic motorcycle journeys across continents
Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown – culinary journeys across the globe
Cruising with Jane McDonald – a delightful glimpse into life at sea
Planet Earth – a journey through the world’s wildest places
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Our Planet
Narrated by the beloved Sir David Attenborough, Our Planet takes viewers on a journey across the planet’s most extraordinary landscapes, from the Arctic tundra to the African savannah. Along with exploring the world’s natural beauty, the show explores the effects of the ongoing climate crisis and its impacts on plants and animals.
The show is visually spectacular, showcasing incredible footage of rarely before seen animals and events. For those who are passionate nature documentary consumers, Our Planet offers a modern and refreshed view of the natural world.
You can watch both seasons of Our Planet on Netflix.
Long Way Down (Round and Up)
Follow actors Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman as they travel 15,000 miles from John O’Groats in Scotland to Cape Town in South Africa on motorcycles. The pair travel through 20 countries, showcasing a range of cultures and authentic experiences in a series of raw and unscripted moments. Beyond the adventure, they shine a light on humanitarian causes, visiting UNICEF projects and raising awareness of social issues across Africa.
This mixture of travel documentary, social commentary and buddy adventure is endearing and insightful and shows an honest look at the ups and downs of such a demanding journey.
Discussing Long Way Down, David Harris wrote for Spectrum Culture: “As a seasoned traveller myself, it was the journey that drew me to the series. Who wouldn’t want to get on a motorcycle with a best mate and take off into the unknown? And McGregor and Boorman see some amazing sights: a visit with mountain gorillas in Rwanda, a sprawling Roman ruin in Libya, the Pyramids in Egypt, a night spent with the Bushmen in Botswana. It is easy to share their joy as they hear about the healing in Rwanda and sharing so many beautiful nights under cloudless African skies.”
Alongside Long Way Down, the pair have done Long Way Round – where they travel from London to New York across Europe and Asia – and more recently, Long Way Up – travelling on electric motorcycles from the southern tip of Argentina to Los Angeles.
You can watch Long Way Round, Long Way Up and Long Way Down on Apple TV+.
Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown
Anthony Bourdain is often regarded as the world’s favourite food documentary maker. In the series, the Michelin Star chef travels to locations often overlooked by more mainstream travel shows, delving into the political, social and cultural landscape of each through food.
The show is a powerful exploration of humanity, and Bourdain’s voice and perspective offer a unique and honest picture of the locations he visits. With raw conversations, introspective commentary and beautiful camera work, you’ll easily work through 12 seasons of this thoughtful travel and food series.
You can watch Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown on Prime Video.
Cruising with Jane McDonald
For those who want a front-row seat to cruising, Cruising with Jane McDonald is sure to be your new favourite travel show. Laden with warm and relatable humour and moments, you can experience life at sea through this charmingly cheesy and light-hearted series.
Jane will be coming aboard Ambience on the 5th of October 2025 for a 7-night cruise visiting Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Gothenburg and Oslo, and you can join her! With special guests including Bobby Davro, John Owen-Jones and Mary Mac, there will be plenty to do. Find out more at Cruising with Jane McDonald and book a cabin today.
You can watch Cruising with Jane McDonald on My5.
Planet Earth
This award-winning nature documentary, produced by the BBC and narrated by Sir David Attenborough, is a must-watch nature documentary series. With its sweeping cinematic style of never-before-seen footage, the show is a masterpiece and one of the very first to be filmed in high-definition using advanced camera technology.
Each episode focuses on a different habitat, travelling across every continent to uncover rare wildlife behaviour. You'll see memorable moments, from snow leopards in the Himalayas to great white sharks hunting in slow motion and mass migration across the African savanna.
There are three instalments to enjoy – Planet Earth, Planet Earth II and Planet Earth III – giving you plenty to inspire your wanderlust.
Reviewing the initial series, Brian Lowry wrote for Variety: “From the breathtaking cinematography to Sigourney Weaver’s crisp narration, everything about “Planet Earth” screams class — an 11-part series, spread over five successive Sundays, conveying not only the wonder of nature but the arduous process of catching its machinations on film. Viewers can debate which images are the most jaw-dropping — call it a toss-up between a polar bear fighting a walrus for survival, and a great white shark leaping completely out of the water to grab a seal — but as assembled, it’s a major achievement, making glorious use of aerial and time-lapse photography to bring epic grandeur to each chapter.”
You can watch Planet Earth on BBC iPlayer.
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Now that you’ve been inspired by some of the world’s greatest journeys, why not plan your own? Browse our 2025 cruises to find the perfect getaway and embark on your next adventure today.
Looking for a shorter adventure? Check out our mini cruise options for a quick getaway.
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