travel guide tv programme

Travel Channel TV Schedule

A complete schedule of absolutely everything airing on Travel Channel over the next two weeks. Click a program to see all upcoming airings and streaming options .

Friday, August 9

Mysteries at the museum, series • 2017, indestructible jack, volcano rescue and butter sculptor, season 13 • episode 12.

The story of a brave soldier who was willing to sacrifice it all; a daring rescue.

The Dead Files

Series • 2022, protect the children, season 14 • episode 10.

Amy and Steve help a desperate mother who claims an evil presence is threatening her children.

Series • 2021

Violent whispers, season 14 • episode 5.

Steve and Amy meet with a terrified couple who believe evil forces are targeting their daughters.

Sudden Awakening

Season 14 • episode 9.

A mom makes a plea to Steve and Amy to make sense of unexplained activity.

Darkness Calls

Season 14 • episode 6.

Amy and Steve return to Wilmington, North Carolina, to help a distraught couple trapped in a vortex.

The Seether

Season 14 • episode 3.

Steve and Amy help a distraught woman who is convinced her fiance is possessed by a dark entity.

Series • 2015

Perfect storm: delaware, ohio, season 5 • episode 9.

A poltergeist at a frightened family's home in Ohio.

Afflicted: Covington, La.

Season 5 • episode 7.

Demonic forces devastate a family with a dangerous demon that controls the living.

House of Mirrors: Independence, OR

Season 5 • episode 3.

A desperate couple fears their grandson's safety after horrifying paranormal activity.

Guardians of the Dead: Montego Bay, Jamaica

Season 5 • episode 1.

Exploring a deadly legend at a tropical resort in Montego Bay, Jamaica.

From Beyond: Macon, Ga.

Season 5 • episode 6.

A home built on a Civil War battleground with dangerous paranormal activity.

Series • 2016

Controlled: estill springs, tennessee, season 7 • episode 3.

A family's home is under control of paranormal activity; an attack from a violent entity.

Consumed: Youngstown, Ohio

Season 7 • episode 5.

A terminally ill woman's claim of paranormal activity that's ripping apart her family.

The Predator: Gates, North Carolina

Season 7 • episode 2.

Dangerously disturbing activity at a family's home in Gates, North Carolina.

Compelled: St. Charles, Michigan

Season 7 • episode 4.

Paranormal activity in secluded St. Charles Michigan affects a mother and daughter.

Saturday, August 10

Advertising, paid programming, mysteries of the outdoors, subterranean secrets, season 1 • episode 7.

Mysterious lights, mechanical sounds from deep within the Earth and the disappearance of aircraft.

Demonic Demonion

Season 1 • episode 8.

Mark Twain National Forest, haunted by hellhounds and other demonic creatures.

Cosmic Gateway

Season 1 • episode 9.

The ancient Anasazi built Chaco Canyon National Historical Park, but now the area is stalked.

Destination Divas New

Series • 2024, season 1 • episode 2.

The Divas go off-grid in Utah with a private chef experience; they learn about the Utah cookie wars.

Ghosts of Morgan City

Series • 2019, irish bend soldier, season 1 • episode 5.

The team attempts to contact a soldier's ghost at a plantation that was seized by Union forces.

Berwick Bloody Four

Season 1 • episode 6.

The team takes on poltergeist activity connected to a gruesome murder in Berwick, La.

Haunted Headquarters

The team uncovers the shocking history behind their headquarters after an alarm is tripped.

The Man in Black

Construction workers discover skeletal remains under a street in Morgan City.

Ghost Adventures

Series • 2010, stanley hotel, season 5 • episode 5.

A hotel in the Rocky Mountains inspired author Stephen King.

Series • 2011

Madame tussauds wax museum, season 6 • episode 8.

Zak, Aaron and Nick are locked down at Madame Tussauds Wax Museum in Las Vegas.

Sacramento Tunnels

Season 6 • episode 9.

The crew investigates underground tunnels and phantoms of the theatre while in Sacramento.

Villisca Axe Murder House

Season 5 • episode 13.

Eight people brutally murdered in a home in Villisca, Iowa.

Kell's Irish Restaurant Pub

Season 5 • episode 14.

The crew investigates a pub that was once a mortuary.

Pico House Hotel

Season 6 • episode 1.

Searching for ghost at the site of a bloody massacre of 19 Chinese people in 1871.

Witch House Lyceum Restaurant

Season 6 • episode 5.

The team goes to Lyceum, built on the site of the Salem's witch trials.

Series • 2014

The myrtles plantation, season 12 • episode 4.

A deceased voodoo priestess.

Series • 2023

Village of lost souls, season 28 • episode 12.

The crew investigates reports of vicious paranormal attacks at LA's Heritage Square Museum.

Pacific Grove Nightmare

Season 25 • episode 9.

The crew arrives in Pacific Grove to investigate a doll shop that is overwhelmed by a dark energy.

Season 16 • Episode 11

Investigating a recently abandoned nursing home that shares a building with a haunted attraction.

Sunday, August 11

Unexplained: caught on camera, things go bump in the night; skeletons in the closet; shadow figures, season 2 • episode 9.

A Michigan man reveals his extraordinary ability to control the dead.

Hairy Bigfoot Encounter, Beast on the Beach and Clown Motel

Season 2 • episode 10.

A bigfoot hunter tracks down the Ohio grassman; a mysterious beast in Liverpool, England.

Secret Room & The House Of Slaughter

Season 3 • episode 1.

Zack discovers a secret room which is full of deadly surprises.

Possessive Attachment & The Girl In The Pub

Season 3 • episode 2.

A possessive attachment makes one couple fear for the future of their unborn son.

Prison Possession & The Acid Doll

Season 3 • episode 3.

A demonic spirit takes hold of an amateur ghost hunter in a notorious prison.

Determined Demon & The Spooky Stalker

Season 3 • episode 4.

A demonic spirit terrorizes a Canadian paranormal investigator.

Theatre of Screams & The Haunted Bridge

Season 3 • episode 5.

Two explorers are shaken after a series of blood-curdling encounters on a haunted bridge.

Scary Mary & The Alien Abduction

Season 3 • episode 6.

A haunted museum claims to house the most possessed doll in the U.K.

Beyond the Unknown

Series • 2020, lonnie zamora incident, watseka wonder and headless chicken, season 3 • episode 13.

A credible UFO sighting; a haunting tale of possession; the peculiar case of Miracle Mike.

Apollo 10 Mystery, Petrified Giant and Alien Airplane

Season 3 • episode 15.

Don investigates a cosmic cacophony on the dark side of the moon, and looks at the Phoenix Lights.

Titanic Fire, King Tut's Alien Jewel and Hollywood Tragedy

Season 3 • episode 16.

Don Wildman uncovers a red-hot theory behind the sinking of the Titanic.

Mysteries of the Deep

Loch ness legend and secret agent saga.

Jeremy Wade chases new leads in pursuit of the Loch Ness Monster's hiding place.

Mysteries of the Deep New

Ancient boat artifacts and infamous giant squid.

Jeremy Wade investigates new deep-sea discoveries that might offer definitive proof of the Kraken.

Plane Crash Survivor, Lost City and Ocean Secrets

Don Wildman examines a teen girl's fight for survival after a deadly crash.

Monday, August 12

Series • 2018, saving private lynch, gulf breeze ufo and i would walk 5,000 miles, season 22 • episode 4.

A brave American soldier; a UFO sighting; a man's quest to win a woman's hand in marriage.

Spacecraft Heist, A Brush With Anthrax and Lift Like an Egyptian

Season 22 • episode 3.

A CIA mission to steal a Soviet spacecraft; a deadly microbe; an ancient Egyptian riddle.

Geostorm Inferno, the Typo That Won the War and the Death of Princess Diana

Season 22 • episode 2.

An eery atmospheric event; the fortuitous error that turned the tides of war; Princess Diana.

Murder at Greystone, Paulding Light, Tumbleweed Tycoon

Season 21 • episode 8.

The hidden truth behind the murder of a wealthy oil heir; an ominous orb; a pesky plant.

Killer Space Germs, The Yeti's Hand, The Bug That Changed History

Season 21 • episode 6.

The mysterious bacteria that imperiled the NASA space program; decrepit remains of a beast.

The Ghost of Katie King, Lake Erie Monster and Secret Stowaway

Season 21 • episode 5.

A medium conjures a ghost; a sea monster lurks in one of the Great Lakes; an audacious stowaway.

Gangster Frankenstein, Unlikely Allies and Iron Maiden

Season 23 • episode 5.

A gangster hatches a plot to cheat death; two enemy pilots come together; a metal coffin.

Hurricane Ghost, Deadly Christmas Gift and Roswell Alien

Season 23 • episode 7.

An island that is under the protection of a ghost; debris from a plane; a mockup of an alien.

Mansfield Mystery Crash, Deep Space Object and Lonely Hearts Killer

Season 23 • episode 11.

The tragic demise of actress Jayne Mansfield; a serial killer preys on lovelorn women.

The Headless Horseman, Tug of Love and Space Angels

Season 23 • episode 12.

The truth behind a piece of American literature; a missing child; cosmonauts and angelic beings.

Mysteries of the Unknown

A singer's mysterious demise, otis the iceman and yeti hunt, season 1 • episode 39.

Don looks into the death of a country music legend and recalls the quest to find a legendary beast.

Mysteries of the Unknown New

Cursed figurehead, antarctic appendectomy and allagash abduction, season 3 • episode 142.

Don Wildman unearths extraordinary artifacts as he seeks answers to some of the greatest mysteries.

Blob or Alien?, Superhuman and Tea Thief

Season 1 • episode 40.

Don Wildman investigates a mysterious purple goo that spawned a silver screen classic.

Tuesday, August 13

Smokey's on fire, hot hunk lands in small town and napoleon's sick day.

A harness worn by a real-life Smokey the Bear; the remnants of a space mass.

Zip-Lining to Freedom, Maid Turned Spy and Jimmy Carter's UFO

An outrageous escape over an iconic wall; an unsung Civil War hero; a mysterious encounter.

Hotel Paranormal

Paranormal predator, season 1 • episode 1.

A traveling salesman is possessed by the spirit of a deceased murderer in a motel.

A Dark History

An eight-year-old boy is terrified by the ghostly apparition of a predatory suicide victim.

Paranormal Target

Season 1 • episode 3.

Two hikers are chased by an otherworldly creature that follows them back to their hotel room.

Territorial Spirits

Season 1 • episode 4.

A spirit terrorizes a newly-wed couple in their recently purchased hotel.

When Ghosts Attach

A skeptic sees the ghost of a bride on his balcony; a father and daughter are attacked by spirits.

Haunted by Many

A cocktail waitress sees glasses shattering, patrons levitating, then survives a demonic attack.

Confined Spirits

A wife is terrified while her husband sleeps; an overnight clerk chases numerous apparitions.

The Witching Hour

Man awakens from a dream to discover that ghosts are controlling his every move.

Dark Secrets

A hotel owner fights to save an entity from dark forces; a luxury-spa spirit holds a woman's baby.

My Horror Story

Little box of horrors.

An antiques dealer opens the door to paranormal mayhem; an Air Force medic is abducted by aliens.

Heirloom of Doom

An entity terrorizes a family in their new home; a girl gets a message from beyond the grave.

A woman is determined to stop a malevolent spirit; horrific visions of the dead haunt a man.

Unreal Estate

A family encounters malevolent forces in their new home; a poltergeist tries to tear a couple apart.

Return to Horror

Season 1 • episode 10.

A woman awakens a powerful evil; a soldier is thrust into a battle with the paranormal.

Wednesday, August 14

Wallenda walks, crazy taxi and rest in peat.

A piece of cable used by a legendary aerialist during a high-wire walk.

Demon Potato, Boozy Ballot and Ouija Believe It

Season 14 • episode 7.

A seemingly possessed potato; an old chair connected to the life of George Washington.

Paranormal Caught on Camera

A shadow creature in maine and more, season 2 • episode 7.

A man encounters a shadow creature; a Detroit brewery is visited by an angelic entity.

Arkansas Bigfoot Stalks a Father and Son and More

Season 2 • episode 2.

A creature stalks a man and his son; shrieks strike fear into townspeople; radar locks onto a UFO.

The Ghost of Al Capone and More

Contact with an infamous gangster; a witch terrifies onlookers; a poltergeist torments a student.

Haunted Teddy Bear and More

Season 3 • episode 14.

A tenacious teddy bear terrorizes twins in Texas; a man is tormented by a vengeful spirit.

Flying Cryptid Over Chicago and More

A man watches mysterious creatures fly over Chicago; a group of teens pays the price.

East River Dog Rescue and More

Season 4 • episode 24.

A skydiver is knocked unconscious; a man dives into a river to save a drowning dog.

Montana Nightcrawler and More

Season 4 • episode 16.

A man wonders what happened to a dead deer on his property until he sees a terrifying creature.

Rainbow Portal and More

Season 4 • episode 3.

A colorful anomaly dazzles onlookers; orbs parade through a jail.

Utah Sasquatch and More

Season 5 • episode 25.

Spirits take their seats in a haunted auditorium in Pakistan.

Demonic Doll Attack in West Virginia and More

Season 7 • episode 1.

Two brothers attempt to communicate with a doll; a backwoods biker encounters skinwalker activity.

Haunted Tennessee Crypt and More

Season 5 • episode 23.

A ghostly white figure lurks above a child's crib; a jinn in Saudi Arabia grows more powerful.

Virginia UFO and More

Season 5 • episode 32.

A man is horrified when his wife's doll collection comes to life; a UFO looms over a couple's house.

Tennessee Sasquatch and More

Season 5 • episode 34.

UFOs crash Thanksgiving in Bangor, Pa.; a man in Wales has been living with a poltergeist for years.

Mermaid in Nashville and More

Season 3 • episode 25.

A mermaid goes for a dip in Tennessee, a spirit takes control, and more.

Thursday, August 15

Saving the eiffel tower, velvet outlaw and space capsule crisis, season 14 • episode 11.

A commemorative coin from the opening of the Eiffel Tower; a saddle used by a retired outlaw.

Making Michigan, Log Jammin and the Race That Changed the World

The contested birth of a mighty state; an epic battle between mankind and Mother Nature.

Mysteries at the Monument

Superman vs. the kkk; who killed huey long; marches to montgomery, season 4 • episode 8.

A colossal mountain where a hero in disguise took on the KKK; the grave of politician Huey Long.

The Reanimator; Florida Three Toes; The Man Who Invented Martians

Season 4 • episode 9.

A scientist that tried to play god; the tale of a Godzilla like creature.

Blind Tom; Invention of the Tommy Gun; Granddaddy of Snowboarding

Season 4 • episode 10.

The grave of a blind slave with musical talents; the birthplace of the inventor of the Tommy Gun.

Escape From Slavery; A Witch on Hatteras Island; The Horn That Made a Big Bang

Season 4 • episode 11.

A historic home in Boston involved in escaping from slavery; a majestic oak tree.

The House That Sugar Built; Kill Dozer; Rocking Chair Riots

Season 4 • episode 12.

A mansion in Michigan built on the sweetest of swindles; the town of Granby, CO.

Roosevelt's Moroccan Mission; The Last Bare Knuckle Boxer; America's First Spy Ring

Season 4 • episode 13.

Battleship linked to conspiracy tales and lies; the last bare knuckle boxing match.

Stone of Destiny; The Day Niagara Falls Shut Off; The Madness of Mary Todd

A famous London church, treks to a natural wonder and the palatial prison.

Freedom Balloon; First Film Star; Freud's Therapy Dog

An iconic wall of a daring escape; a star that marks a Hollywood scandal.

Pickles Saves the World Cup; Strowger Switch; Rebel Rose

Season 3 • episode 12.

A monument in sports history; a cemetery in St. Petersburg; an undertaker tribute.

Piggy Bank; All the King's Horses; Funeral to Freedom

Season 3 • episode 10.

A simple plaque that salutes a young boy and his pig; a medieval tower.

Hunting Atlantis

Tracing the minoans and massive marble pyramid.

Stel Pavlou and Jess Phoenix follow ancient Minoan trade routes to a modern city.

Titanic: Mysteries at the Museum

Special • 2016.

Don is exploring ship artifacts in the Atlantic to uncover the key elements that sunk the Titanic.

Alcatraz: Mysteries at the Museum

Special • 2017.

The real story behind the notorious prison break on Alcatraz Island in San Francisco.

Friday, August 16

The girl who fell to earth, the real ghostbusters and eclipsed by columbus, season 14 • episode 13.

A young girl who survived a fall from a damaged aircraft; the great Harry Houdini and spiritualists.

Hughes Hoax, Rat Bomb and Friday Night Liars

Season 14 • episode 12.

The world's most elusive billionaire; an explosive rodent infestation.

Season 13 • Episode 1

A man claims a malicious spirit is threatening to destroy his home, his health and his marriage.

Mortal Danger

Season 13 • episode 10.

Dark forces advance upon a terrified man and his mother in San Jose, Calif.

Marked for Death

Season 12 •.

Steve and Amy go to help a couple with a dream home that is turning into a nightmare.

Shadow figures and apparitions terrorize a couple in their California home.

The Wanderer

Season 13 •.

A mysterious entity has deadly intentions toward a California family.

Madhouse: Marshall, Missouri

Season 5 • episode 11.

Paranormal activity at a historic movie theater in Missouri.

Vengeance: Albuquerque, New Mexico

Season 5 • episode 12.

Violent paranormal activity at a family-owned restaurant.

The Obsession: Oregon, Illinois

Victims of a gruesome murder haunt a restaurant in Illinois involving a love triangle.

The Creeper: Coupland, Texas

Season 5 • episode 10.

Claims of disturbing paranormal activity and a cold-blooded murder in Texas.

The Instigator: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Season 5 • episode 4.

A terrified family is tormented by a dangerous entity.

Evil Influence: Mayfield, KY

Season 6 • episode 2.

Investigating threatening paranormal activity at a frightened family's home.

Devil's Plaything: Canton Illinois

Season 6 • episode 10.

Investigating a frightened young boy's paranormal encounters in Canton, IL.

Gateway to Hell: Lake Jackson, Texas

Season 6 • episode 4.

Investigating terrifying claims of disturbing paranormal activity at a distraught mother's home.

Contempt: North Haven, Connecticut

Season 6 • episode 7.

Disturbing claims of paranormal activity at a home in North Haven, CT.

Saturday, August 17

Ghosts of devil’s perch.

The team arrives in Butte, Mont., to root out an evil presence threatening the entire town.

The Axe Man

One of the team is attacked by an unseen force and rushed to the hospital.

Monster in the Mine

The team is threatened by spirit voices as they uncover a history of murder and madness.

Shadow of Doubt

The team's investigation reveals that this house may hold the key to what is haunting Butte and why.

Series • 2009

La purisima, season 2 • episode 3.

The crew investigates La Purisima Mission in Lompoc, Calif.

Bird Cage Theatre

Season 2 • episode 5.

The team searches for ghosts of the Old West in Tombstone, Ariz.

Castillo de San Marcos

Castillo de San Marcos in St. Augustine, Fla.

Preston Castle

Season 2 • episode 1.

California's Preston Castle, the scene of an unsolved murder and many deaths due to epidemics.

Eastern State Penitentiary

Season 2 • episode 6.

The crew searches for ghosts in the historic Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia.

Magnolia Lane Plantation

Season 2 • episode 4.

The crew travels to Natchitoches, La., to investigate Magnolia Plantation.

Moon River Brewery

Searching for spirits at the Moon River Brewery in Savannah, Ga.

Ancient Ram Inn

Season 2 • episode 8.

Zak, Nick and Aaron are locked into the Ancient Ram Inn in England.

Poveglia Island

Season 4 • episode 2.

The crew travels to Poveglia Island in Venice, a place known as "Italy's Darkest Haunt."

Skinwalker Canyon

Season 16 • episode 7.

The crew investigates Skinwalker Canyon, a place where many residents refuse to enter.

Terror in Tempe

Season 28 • episode 13.

Zak and the crew investigate a brewery awash with dark and disturbing paranormal activity.

Whitmore Mansion

Season 25 • episode 10.

Zak Bagans and the crew investigate a Utah mansion soaked in tragedy and bloodshed.

Double Eagle Restaurant

Season 16 • episode 4.

Investigating the Double Eagle Restaurant and the Dona Ana County Courthouse.

Sunday, August 18

Farm fright & the mothman, season 3 • episode 7.

Dreams of an idyllic life on a rural Pennsylvania farm are shot down by terrifying activity.

Lamb House Horror & Scottish Wiches

Season 3 • episode 8.

A Maine resident endures a series of heart-stopping encounters with apparitions in his bedroom.

Taken Twins & The Abandoned Asylum

Season 3 • episode 9.

Twin brothers claim they were abducted by beings from another planet when they were teens.

Skin Walkers & The Conjuring House

Family man Steve captures images of spine-chilling shape shifting Skinwalkers.

A Haunted Farmhouse in Maine and More

Season 2 • episode 20.

A ghost hunter communicates with trapped spirits inside a 19th-century farmhouse.

A Frightening Ghost Attack and More

Season 2 • episode 15.

A shadowy entity attacks a ghost hunter; a mechanic is visited by an angel.

A Sasquatch Spotted in Siberia and More

Season 2 • episode 11.

Three boys spot a Sasquatch-like creature in Siberia; ghostly soldiers on camera in Gettysburg.

The World's Most Haunted School and More

Poltergeist activity is caught on a school's security camera; a UFO is spotted in broad daylight.

Ghostly Regulars at Haunted Pubs and More

Ghostly patrons haunt pubs; a shadow creature stalks a police officer; a sea monster is spotted.

A UFO Spotted Over the Pentagon and More

A UFO is spotted over the Pentagon; a man and his children are spooked by a ghost on a playground.

Infamous Oregon Bigfoot Footage and More

A man captures bigfoot footage; UFOs cluster over a Texas town.

Lost Relics of the Space Age

Jeremy Wade investigates an unexplained encounter between the US Navy and UFOs.

Loch Ness Monster: New Evidence

Special • 2019.

Professor Neil Gemmell uses DNA science to unravel the mystery of the Loch Ness monster.

Monday, August 19

Ground zero flag, space suit and pacific codebreaker, season 18 • episode 1.

An iconic photograph from Sept. 11, 2001; a NASA experiment; a Naval code-breaker.

Smoking Guns

Season 21 • episode 7.

Don Wildman cracks open case files from notorious U.S. crimes to investigate key evidence.

Skyscraper Séance, Frozen Woman and Black Widow

Season 21 • episode 9.

A séance to contact the spirit of Thomas Edison; a woman found frozen; a black widow's murder spree.

Buffalo Bill Burial Riddle, First Dino Egg and Arctic Murder Mystery

Season 22 • episode 1.

The burial of Buffalo Bill; an oblong fossil; a journey to the North Pole tainted by murder.

Terror Ship, Wicked Stepmother and Message in a Bottle

Season 21 • episode 1.

A legendary ghost ship; a truly evil stepmother; a message in a bottle sent more than a century ago.

Missing Toe Murderer, Air Locked Out and Trenches Terror

Season 20 • episode 12.

The case of a murderer with a missing digit; a near-death experience on the edge of space.

The Witch Is Back, Edison's Little Monsters and I Love Toothy

Season 23 • episode 13.

The Bell Witch; Thomas Edison's bizarre invention; how a TV star helped the Allies win World War II.

Doppelgangers, Salem's Curse and White House Attack

Season 21 • episode 10.

Leavenworth Penitentiary; Salem Witch Trials curse; a helicopter hijacking.

Knocking Ghost, Superman Saves the Day and Sleeping Dragon

Season 21 • episode 11.

A haunted home with a talkative ghost; Superman rescues a real family; a sleeping dragon.

Valentino's Cursed Ring, Floating Felon and Ghost Girls

Season 22 • episode 5.

A curse dooms Rudolph Valentino; a bank heist; a pocket watch is responsible for a string of deaths.

Mass Hysteria, Mystery Creature and The Rise of Pac-Man

Season 1 • episode 41.

Don Wildman cracks open a mysterious case of mass hysteria in a French village.

The Scandal and the Sharpshooter, Invasion of the Frogs and The Black Hand

Season 3 • episode 143, painting of intrigue, red-eyed monster and prison break, season 1 • episode 42.

Don Wildman uncovers the truth about a mysterious monster from the deep.

Tuesday, August 20

Cupid's bullet, the man who fooled houdini and snail telegraph, season 13 • episode 2.

A war-time surgery that was truly life or death; a magician that challenged Harry Houdini.

Swamp People, Walkie-Talkie Heist and Grant's Writing Water

An enigmatic canoe that unlocked the origins of a lost civilization; a miracle drug used by a hero.

Haunted Case Files

Chilling encounters.

An investigator is stalked by a terrifying beast-like entity; in Ohio; ghost of an executioner.

In God's House

Michelle's trip to Transylvania; a group of paranormal investigators is attacked by an entity.

History's Revenge

Spirit of a murderer tries to possess investigator; Halloween attraction is suspected of haunting.

Haunted Hospital

A mother and daughter claim they are being tormented by a pair of terrifying apparitions.

Echos From The Past

Jay and Marie help a mother and son who are reportedly tormented by an entity.

Demon House

Richard and his team investigate the former home of a serial killer.

Hard Lessons

Richard returns to the hospital where he had an encounter with an entity.

No Place Like Home

Karlo investigates a home where a woman claims to be attacked by a demonic creature.

Hometown Horror

A small town in upstate New York is stalked by a horrific apparition called the Pigman.

Satanic Swamp

A forest is associated with unexplained events, bizarre accidents and satanic cults.

Missing Children of Hannibal

In Hannibal, Mo., locals recall stories about scientific experiments and missing children.

Cursed Dolls of Old Town Spring

A Texas town comes alive after dark with the sounds of ghostly children.

Three-Ring Terror

A dark energy overshadows Baraboo, Wis., home to the Ringling Bros. circus dynasty.

Army of the Undead

Strange sights and sounds terrorize the people of Perryville, Ky., the site of a Civil War battle.

Wednesday, August 21

Dancing plague, tracking santa and annie londonderry, season 10 • episode 1.

Investigating a plague, a famously jolly aviator and a trailblazing woman.

Man Who Saved the World, Man in a Box and From the Depths of Hell

Season 10 • episode 2.

Investigating a nuclear malfunction, an out-of-the-box plan and an amazing rescue.

A Texas Ghost Attack Draws Blood and More

A paranormal investigator explores an abandoned hospital; a baby beckons an entity.

Reptilian Creature in Thailand and More

Season 2 • episode 22.

A man searches for answers after he spots a reptilian creature in Thailand.

Teen Vampire and More

A teenager stuns his friends with a vampiric transformation; a man witnesses an alien invasion.

Stonehenge UFOs and More

Season 3 • episode 11.

Mysterious lights hover in the skies above Stonehenge; a soul leaves a dead deer's body.

Florida Dinosaur and More

Season 4 • episode 22.

A ghostly figure watches urban explorers; a velociraptor skitters across a yard; low-flying UFOs.

Witch on a Broomstick Soars Over Chile and More

Season 4 • episode 19.

Two ghosts crash a livestream at a graveyard; a witch flies above Chile; a black cat casts a spell.

Georgia Ghost and More

A Georgia mom believes her triplets are speaking to a supernatural entity.

Ghostly Figure Haunts an Indiana Museum and More

Season 5 • episode 27.

A ghostly guest visits an Indiana museum after hours; a giant portal opens in the sky above Oregon.

Wendigo in Kentucky and More

A family captures footage of an emaciated cryptid; haunted objects vie for museum guests' attention.

Grim Reaper in Massachusetts and More

Season 5 • episode 24.

Ghost hunters in Thailand taunt the dead; a mother gets too close for comfort to the Grim Reaper.

The Unexplained Crossett Lights in Arkansas and More

Season 5 • episode 33.

The unexplained Crossett lights mesmerize two friends on a remote dirt road in Arkansas.

Canadian Lake Monster and More

Season 3 • episode 26.

A lake monster surfaces, a knife-wielding poltergeist attacks, and more.

A Ghost Hunt in a Haunted Prison & More

A paranormal team get the shock of their lives while investigating an abandoned Illinois prison.

Thursday, August 22

Arrow stork, terror in the sky and feuding astors, season 10 • episode 4.

Investigating a bizarre bird, an outer space disaster and an epic family feud.

Yellow Fever Fiend, Angel in Bordeaux and Invention of Jaywalking

Season 10 • episode 3.

Investigating a bold mission, an urban revolution and a devilish scheme.

American Mobster: Mysteries at the Museum

Special • 2018.

Don Wildman tracks the origins of the mob and delves into some of its greatest unsolved mysteries.

The Real Q; Alibi Clock; Sasquatch in a Shell

Britain's M16 is explored; watch below the clocktower in Vallejo.

Harlem Hellfighters; Resurrected Jockey; Invention of Braile

A Harlem memorial dedicated to WWI heroes.

Savior of the Squalus; Man Who Saved Pisa; Candy Bomber

A memorial honoring a historic vessel; an iconic structure in Italy; a German park marks a tale.

Pretender Prince; The Lunch That Changed America; The Lie Factory

A prison fortress in London; a sculpture honoring civil rights.

Gunpowder Plot; Lost In Yellowstone; Cops Are Robbers

Season 3 • episode 18.

Don investigates a 17th-century Parliament plot; the inspiration for America's first national park.

Stockholm Syndrome, Soviet Who Saved the World, Barbara Rose

A plaza that was at the center of an infamous heist; a near catastrophic war.

Black Magic Rocket Scientist; Broadway Baby and the Tobacco Heir; Disaster on Everest

The death of a renowned scientist with ties to the occult; a murder in tobacco country.

The Disaster That Saved London, The Man In The Green Hat, The Viking Mailman

Season 3 • episode 20.

A 200-foot tall column commemorating the Great Fire of 1666; Capitol building in Washington, D.C.

Lady Godiva and The Peeping Tom; Bishop's Brain; Birds of a Feather

Season 3 • episode 21.

A statue of bare-cheeked bravery; the grave of a mentalist; feathered friends in Florida.

Lincoln Assassination: Mysteries at the Museum

Retracing John Wilkes Booth's steps in the aftermath of President Abraham Lincoln's murder.

Who Killed Billy the Kid: A Mysteries at the Museum Special

Don Wildman seeks to uncover the truth surrounding Billy the Kid's death in 1881.

Friday, August 23

World's greatest slot cheat; urine luck and the white mouse, season 10 • episode 6.

Examining a gambling geek, a golden experiment and a fearless heroine.

Father of the American Cavalry, Rosa Parks of NY and Black Knight UFO

Season 10 • episode 5.

A brave hero, a civil rights pioneer and a bizarre UFO sighting.

Killed by the Klan: Key West, FL

Amy and Steve discover a violent history in a Florida couple's home.

Death and Dolls: Camerton, NC

An investigation into dolls that are supposedly vessels for the dead in North Carolina.

Series • 2012

Scandal in the south: cartersville, ga, season 1 • episode 11.

Paranormal activity in Georgia has a mother concerned for her child's safety.

The Devil Made Me Do It: Asbury Park, NJ

A shocking secret is revealed from a haunted New Jersey restaurant.

Am I Crazy?: Great Falls, MT

The investigation of a spirit of a murdered socialite who haunts a historic Montana home.

Evil in Erieville, NY

Amy and Steve find a murderous past hidden in the walls of a farmhouse.

Terror in the Shadows: Acampo, CA

An investigation into a haunted California family who has been tortured for generations.

Hotel Hell: Ybor City, FL

An investigation into an historic hotel in which the guests are plagued by horrifying visions.

No Vacancy: Grass Valley, CA

Season 6 • episode 3.

Paranormal activity at a small-town hotel with a history of destructive fires.

The Darkening: Wausau, WI

A woman is attacked by violent paranormal activity in her Wisconsin home.

Puppet Master

In Indianapolis, a couple claims dark forces are wreaking havoc on their lives.

Return to Evil: Patricksburg, Indiana

Investigating history of paranormal activity and a home in Patricksburg, IN.

The Lady in Black: Marshalltown,Iowa

Steve and Amy investigate activity tormenting a husband-and-wife team of paranormal investigators.

You Will Be Mine: North Beach, Maryland

Paranormal activity at a family home in North Beach, Maryland.

Saturday, August 24

Butte's Dumas Brothel is famous for its ghosts, but the hauntings have now turned aggressive.

I'm Coming for You

A family is plagued by poltergeist activity and a menacing shadow figure who visits their small son.

Unfinished Business

Dave Schrader, Cindy Kaza and K.D. Stafford are called to Butte's historic courthouse.

The team has identified the dark entity behind the trouble in Butte.

Remington Arms

Season 4 • episode 4.

The team hunts for paranormal activity at the abandoned Remington Arms factory in Bridgeport, Conn.

Ohio Reformatory

The team searches for paranormal activity at the Ohio State Reformatory in Mansfield.

Pennhurst State School and Hospital

Season 4 • episode 1.

A state institution in Spring City, Pa., has been closed since 1987.

Linda Vista Hospital

Season 4 • episode 6.

The team makes chilling discoveries at the former Linda Vista Hospital in Los Angeles.

Execution Rocks Lighthouse

Season 4 • episode 7.

Execution Rocks Lighthouse has a history of shipwrecks and links to Carl Panzram, a serial killer.

Mentryville Ghost Town

Season 28 • episode 8.

The crew ventures to California's first oil boomtown to investigate reports of ghostly activity.

Clovis Wolfe Manor

The Wolfe Manor Hotel in Clovis, Calif., has been called a black hole because people disappear.

Prospect Place

The crew discovers slavery still haunts Prospect Place, a mansion in Trinway, Ohio.

Territorial Enterprise

Season 25 • episode 4.

Zak and the crew open a terrifying new chapter in Virginia City, Nev.

Samaritan Cult House

Season 16 • episode 3.

An abandoned prison that served as the headquarters for an organization tied to murder.

The Beast of West Hills

Season 28 • episode 14.

Zak and the crew descend upon a Southern California park to investigate a haunted preschool.

Carbon County Chaos

Season 25 • episode 6.

When Helper, Utah, is under siege by dark forces, the mayor calls on the Ghost Adventures crew.

Stow House Haunting

Season 28 • episode 7.

Zak and the crew investigate a stately California ranch steeped in tragedy.

Sunday, August 25

Tormented souls trapped in italy and more.

A school in the Philippines houses spirits; shadow figures in Italy; a massive UFO in Argentina.

Top 100: 100-91

A family comes face to face with Bigfoot; levitating girl; UFOs surround U.S. Navy pilots.

Top 100: 90-81

A witch flies through the skies above Mexico; a monstrous globster washes ashore in the Philippines.

Top 100: 80-71

Hikers come face-to-face with Bigfoot; ghost hunters explore a haunted asylum.

Top 100: 70-61

A UFO armada flies nears NASA; man shares his bed with a poltergeist; fairy takes flight in the U.K.

Top 100: 60-51

Ominous UFOs fly over Italy; hungry poltergeist makes a pit stop at a convenience store.

Top 100: 50-41

A unicorn roams the English countryside; college student fears his phantom roommate.

Top 100: 40-31

Bigfoot terrorizes three kids in Indiana; an apparition stalks a California cheerleader.

Top 100: 30-21

Poltergeists vandalize an antique store; the ghost of Pablo Escobar haunts his old apartment.

Top 100: 20-11

Reptilian humanoid in Thailand; cryptid in the forest; poltergeists attack; a séance goes wrong.

Top 100: 10-1

Slenderman is summoned; ghosts play in traffic; the Orang bunian attack; UFOs over Massachusetts.

Submarine Missions Declassified

Jeremy Wade reveals details of a high-speed chase between a narco sub and the US Coast Guard.

Alien Technology, Deep in the Woods and Hollywood Mystery

A plane crash near Area 51; a Texas woman's encounter with a UFO; the death of a Hollywood princess.

Monday, August 26

Dolley madison; christmas truce; exploding whale, season 8 • episode 11.

A truce game, a tale of a whale and a First Lady's bravery.

Fallen Robins; Romeo Spies; All In for Poker

Season 8 • episode 2.

A bird specimen marks a baffling plague; a camera used in a spy love story.

Cellini Heist; Real Romeo and Juliet; Link to the Skies

Season 8 • episode 1.

A famous Renaissance sculpture; a rare book at Harvard; a strange flying device.

Series • 2013

Edison's electric pen; vanishing carroll deering; lizard man.

A failed invention that helped create a multi-billion dollar industry; the bell of a ship.

Operation Pastorius, Nellie Bly, Boston Strangler

A weapon that belonged to a network of spies; a bag that belonged to a journalist; a switchblade.

Miracle Car; Glass Armonica; Yankee Spy

A bright yellow car; a musical instrument with healing powers; a strip of paper.

Strangers on a Train; Madame Tussaud; WD-40

Season 5 • episode 2.

A black and white negative image; a wax figure of a revolutionary woman; a deadly missile.

The Invention of a Cellophane; The Eruption of Mt. Edgecumbe; The King in the Parking Lot

A roll of film that revolutionized the retail industry; a jacket that belonged to a prankster.

Invention of the Mile High Club, The Attempted Assassination of Andrew Jackson, Zip to Zap

An aeronautical device with a claim to fame; a cane that thwarted presidential assassin.

Opera Riot, Golfer Behind Enemy Lines, The Great Mail Train Robbery

A play that sparked one of the biggest riots in NYC; a monocular used by a soldier.

Fancy Felon, Dangerous Candy and Swiss Alps Rescue

A felonious flapper merges high fashion with high crime; revolutionary rescue in the Swiss Alps.

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The Best Travel Shows Of All Time (TV, Netflix, Amazon Prime & More)

If you are like me and always yearning to travel, then one of the best ways to do this from home is to watch amazing travel shows on TV.

Over the years I have spent way too much of my spare time consuming every travel show under the sun. And, I thought it was high time I shared some of them with you.

So, without further ado, here are some of the best travel shows on TV – whether it be DVD, Netflix or Amazon.

1. Long Way Round

I remember watching the Long Way Round years ago (2004), which is still clear in my memory. The world-famous Ewan McGregor and one of his best friends Charlie Boorman, pursue their passion for BMW motorbikes and adventure travel and head east from London, as far as possible.

The journey was nearly 19 thousand miles (33,000 kms) and took them through Europe, overland through Asia (Russia, Kazakhstan and Mongolia) to the USA and New York.

Of course, they do take a crew with them, but this is hardcore overland travel at its best. No script, all the hardships are shown. Boy, they had a difficult time in some parts of Asia!

Update: They have the latest episode in this series, Long Way Up, which features the boys riding from Ushuaia in Argentina to Los Angeles. This is more or less the classic Pan-American Highway route that travelers love!

2. Long Way Down

Following on from the 2004 success, Ewan McGregor and Charlie Boorman set out again in 20017. This time North to South from Scotland to Cape Town in the Long Way Down . This is yet another infamous overland route and also not a simple one.

Many of the roads and countries in Africa are not in the same state as their European counterparts, so they had some challenges with their suspension. They also had quite some adventures and exciting visits, even with presidents!

If you liked the first one of the series, then this is an equally good follow-up.

It’s also available on Amazon.

Below is a quick intro to the show. It’s worth taking a look.

3. Anthony Bourdain (Parts Unknown, No Reservations, A Cook’s Tour & The Layover)

With the sad news of his recent passing, how can I not include one of the food travel show classics from Anthony Bourdain and his team at CNN? This series was still being filmed at the time of this death, and they have since tried to finalise it without being able to use him for voiceovers. However, there is so much material in this series, you won’t be stressed looking for things to watch.

Anthony was actually made famous by his book, Kitchen Confidential , where he revealed how things work in the restaurant business. I actually read this book over 20 years ago, long before I even realised he was on TV.

Parts Unknown is a unique take on travel from Anthony where he visits various countries around the world that interest him and explores all the great food they have on offer. But, he does not go for the classy restaurants and showy food, he looks for the best of what locals enjoy.

And dives right in himself! It’s super-inspiring to see someone so famous get down and dirty and have absolutely zero pretence. He loves food. He loves people. And he loves to travel. What more could you ask for in a TV Show.

Some of the series from Parts Unknown is available on Amazon .

As are some of his older series like No Reservations , A Cook’s Tour , The Layover

And here is a quick preview of season 7 from CNN.

4. Departures – with Scott Wilson and Justin Lukach

Two best friends from Canada decide they need a little excitement in their lives and head off for a year of adventure.  They end up exploring vast areas of the world and looking for as many unique experiences as possible.

The series is quite in-depth, covering 43 episodes , and almost as many countries. And by the time you have finished it, I will be surprised if you don’t just get up and go traveling yourself.

You can grab it on Bluray on Amazon.

Here is a quick intro to the series.

5. Simon Reeve Travels

I absolutely love to watch Louis Theroux on TV. His bumbling, almost nerd-like charm somehow disarms all the crazy nut-jobs that he interviews.

Simon Reeve, at least to me, seems like his equal in the BBC travel world. He is not a gung-ho daring, Tom Cruise look-alike. He is a down-to-earth, easy-to-like, bumbling reporter who takes to the most interesting places on earth. And makes you fall in love with them all as much as he does.

We have started watching some of his earlier shows. We have started with his crazy trip around the Equator. But some of the others are available on the BBC (if you live in the UK) including such trips as: the Mediterranean, Caribbean, Australia, Africa, Colombia and many more.

Here is a quick intro to the Caribbean series.

6. Rick Steves Travel Series

Another prolific traveler and creator of travel-related content both on and offline is Rick Steves. If you type in many European-related travel searches in Google, you will often find his website in the top ten.

He seems to have been everywhere worldwide and made a TV show about most of it. He appeals to an older demographic in my opinion, as his commentary is a little stiffer, but you can certainly learn a lot from this guy.

You can check them out on his website.

And below is an intro to Season 9 of his European series.

7. Michael Palins (Various Adventures around the world)

Michael Palin, a former Monty Python member and Jon Cleese, has been producing top-notch travel series for years and is a little more old-school than Rick Steves. His shows focus on longer adventures, similar to A Long Way Round, although perhaps not as challenging.

They are fun to watch, and you certainly get to see some of the lesser-explored regions of the world. Although some of these series will be a little dated by now – I remember watching some decades ago!

And just as I said that I took a look and saw he has since made some new series on Channel 5 in the UK, including a trip into the forbidden land of North Korea !

Michael Palin’s Around the World in 80 Days

8. An Idiot Abroad

Venturing into a little bit of Travel Comedy, An Idiot Abroad is the brainchild of the creator of the British (original) The Office, along with a few co-creators. The idea is to send someone who has almost never left their town, let alone lifestyle and send them to some very foreign destinations.

Along the way, they experience some extremely challenging destinations and situations all in the name of broadening their horizons. Karl Pilkington will never be the same again, and maybe neither will you.

You can grab Season 1 and Season 2 on Amazon.

Here is a quick Best Of from the China episode to give you a taste of the show.

9. Travel Man with Richard Ayoade

Another long-running comedy travel show from the UK, Travel Man is very short episode focused on 48 hours in various cities, mainly in Europe. Of course, now that he is on about his 10th season, he has started to venture a little further afield. Apart from his sarcasm, one of the best things about the show for me is the wacky things he (or his team) finds in every location. Not your run-of-the-mill tourist attractions.

Each episode is extremely sarcastic and accompanied by another usually British comedian, so people outside the UK may have trouble laughing or even understanding what he is saying. His accent is strong and his vocabulary is broad. You might have seen him as one of the wacky IT experts in t he IT Crowd (which you can see on Netflix ), a little like the British version of Silicon Valley, albeit filmed years before.

There are various seasons up for grabs on Amazon .

If you want to see if it’s up to your alley, here is a quick taste of Richard with some of his fellow comedians on the show.

10. Top Gear

Intended as a bit of a petrolhead’s show about cars, Top Gear has also done a significant amount of travel-related shows over the years too. From the drives down the most dangerous roads in the world to almost killing themselves in places like Switzerland. Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May will show you a great time on the road and while traveling.

You can check out Season 1 here on Amazon and other seasons that follow.

11. Joanna Lumley’s Travel Series

Joanna Lumley became famous back in the 70s, but for me, she became even more famous for her role in Absolutely Fabulous. Since then, she has traveled and filmed it all for us. She has also done a “making of” series that I enjoyed. She may seem very posh and British when you first see her shows, but if you love sarcasm and comedy then just wait a bit and she will deliver!

Here is a list of her extensive travel shows you can catch on BBC or other online streaming services:

• Joanna Lumley’s Hidden Caribbean
• Joanna Lumley in the Kingdom of the Thunder Dragon
• Joanna Lumley in the Land of the Northern Lights
• Joanna Lumley’s Japan
• Joanna Lumley: The Quest For Noah’s Ark
• Joanna Lumley’s India
• Jennifer & Joanna: Absolutely Champers

The Best Travel Shows On Netflix

Netflix is a bit of a special category in this post because they don’t have many of the more famous shows above at the moment.

12. Dark Tourist

One of the more recent and perhaps more infamous trends in travel right now is called Dark Tourism. With the recent airing of the series about Chornobyl, it seems to have accelerated even more.

One wacky New Zealand traveler, David Farrier heads to some quirky and sometimes dangerous locations in eight episodes of Dark Tourist , which sees him head to most continents. From the recent Japanese nuclear disaster to perhaps shooting a cow in Cambodia, he tries it all.

13. Street Food: Asia

If you like to combine mouth-watering food and travel, a popular past-time, then this is a recent addition to Netflix that I am currently devouring. It shows you some amazing chefs who are almost always out on the street and serving the locals with something of an obsession. From Thailand to India, you get to see it all – no-frills cooking from some of the best street food vendors in the world.

14. Tales By Light

Another show I have been checking out lately is Tales By Light , a travel and photography-based series up to season 3. It follows a famous Australian photographer all around the world, delving into the lives of the people he meets and how he experiences travel through the lens.

15. Jack Whitehall: Travels with my Father

A show I have not had a chance to see, but it certainly looks like a travel comedy worth checking out. It involves a comedian and his stuffy father taking far-flung adventures to foreign lands and trying to teach each other a thing or two.

16. Somebody Feed Phil

A more modern version of a travel & food show, Somebody Feed Phil , is about exploring the places and food no one talks about. Phil is quite the quirky and loveable character, so you will either love him or loathe him. I watched half the first season and did not fall in love with it. However, given that Netflix has commissioned 6 seasons of the show, there must be a lot of people who love it.

17. Conan Without Borders

Following famous TV night show host Conan O’Brien to some adventurous destinations around the world, this is yet another travel and comedy combination you won’t want to miss. From Haiti and Cuba to K-Pop in South Korea this is as wacky as it is travel.

18. Restaurants on the Edge

“Restaurants on the Edge” is a Canadian reality TV series premiered in 2020. It showcases chef Dennis Prescott, designer Karin Bohn, and restaurateur Nick Liberato assisting struggling restaurants in scenic, remote locations like seashores, lakes, and mountains. This is a little like Gordon Ramsay’s old show Kitchen Nightmares, but more travel related.

The goal of the visits on this show is to rejuvenate these places by integrating them with the local culture. Additionally, the show offers a travel experience, with episodes featuring the experts exploring local areas, meeting artisans, and tasting authentic local foods.

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About the author roger timbrook.

Roger is a little obsessed with travel. He has been to over 40 countries, broken 3 suitcases and owned over 10 backpacks in 12 months. What he doesn't know about travel, ain't worth knowing!

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The Travel Sisters

Best travel shows to watch right now (on tv, netflix, amazon prime & other streaming services).

by The Travel Sisters | Oct 20, 2020 | Travel Inspiration | 3 comments

And if you are looking for more travel related things to watch, here is a list of the best travel movies of all time .

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Best Travel Shows and Series

Best Travel Shows on Netflix

The following travel shows and series are available on Netflix only.

Ugly Delicious

Recommended by Stephanie from Explore More Clean Less

Ugly Delicious is a relatively new food focused travel show that follows celebrity chef David Chang, founder of Momofuku, as he explores both across the United States and internationally. The episodes are loose and casual, showing Chang investigating the history of different regional cuisines and food rivalries. His guests range widely including other chefs, writers, actors, and artists, but they tend to share similar air time to the restaurant owners and people off the street. The focus blurs between culture and personal, feeling like you’re the fly on a wall while interesting people who love food hang out and chat about it. There’s no way to watch it and not be itching to travel to a new region and try some of the foods they highlight!

Travels With My Father

Recommended by Lee from The Travel Scribes

From the moment they touchdown in Bangkok, Thailand and make their way to the famous Khao San Road, the Netflix series Travels with my Father  will capture your heart, and tickle your funny bone.

Chronicling the experiences of British father and son duo, Jack and Michael Whitehall, this laugh a minute series not only showcases some of the globe’s most famous destinations but features the offbeat, slightly sarcastic relationship between Jack, a 30-something comedian still longing for his backpacker days and Michael, his elderly ever-suffering dad. The drama (and the giggles) are mostly driven by the vastly different travel styles of the two: Jack, the singlet and loud shorts-wearing millennial who is most comfortable in questionable hostels and eating street food and Michael, a slightly uptight luxury traveller who insists on wearing his ‘Sunday best’ on the streets of Southeast Asia and checking into five star hotels.

The show, now in its third season, sees the unlikely pair traverse the globe with jaunts in South East Asia, Europe and, more recently, a tour of the USA. This is must-watch viewing for anyone who loves British comedy and travel, in each measure.

Somebody Feed Phil

Recommended by Amber from Food And Drink Destinations

From the creator of the hit comedy series, Everyone Loves Raymond, comes the Netflix food travel series, Somebody Feed Phil. Following the culinary journeys of Phil Rosenthal, Somebody Feed Phil presents food travel from the “average” travelers perspective. Phil is by no means a food professional like Anthony Bourdain or Andrew Zimmern. Phil is an easy going family man who just happens to LOVE food. Over 2 seasons and 12 episodes, Phil with his mall crew, including his brother, travel to some of the best food destinations around the world. Phil’s childlike enthusiasm for each new destination, cuisine and culinary experience is priceless. His inquisitive nature and ability to connect with people makes Somebody Feed Phil a one of a kind culinary travel show. For those interested in traveling for food, Somebody Feed Phil attempts to alleviate the fear of trying the local food. It’s certainly worth watching. Netflix has also previously announced a season 3 with episodes scheduled to air sometime in 2020.

Dark Tourist

Recommended by Martha from Quirky Globetrotter

Nowadays, travel is often painted as an Instagrammable pastime. Yet, there is a surge of tourists who are looking for quite the opposite and want to see the not-so-glamorous parts of the world. We’re not talking off the beaten path. We’re talking more about what happens behind closed doors and what rumors try to speculate. The trend of traveling and diving into the taboo and unknown comes to life in the Netflix show, “ Dark Tourist .”

Whether it’s visiting radioactive nuclear sites or learning about gruesome assassinations, it’s the sense of forbiddenness or coveted secrets that these tourists ache for. Have you ever wondered why people are so enthralled by serial killer documentaries? The same thrill takes place in these destinations. (Don’t worry, there’s a Jeffrey Dahmer tour for you true crime aficionados.) Dark tourism profits off exposing the occult or veiled history of these locales.

Recommended by Laura from What’s Hot?

Our Planet is one of David Attenborough’s latest documentary series and was made directly for Netflix. Like all his other series, this one is beautifully shot, highly informative and well-loved by all the family. What sets One Planet apart from some of the others however is the focus upon how human life and global warming are destroying these natural havens. Attenborough takes us to some of the most beautiful and peaceful places on Earth before showing us the tragic consequences that have left other, similar areas barren wastelands.

Alternating between land and sea, you’ll go to the desert, the depths of the ocean, the jungles and the coast. This is an important one for avid travellers because it will jointly inspires us to travel more of the world’s secluded locations but also to do so in a way which doesn’t disturb our planet.

Emily in Paris

Recommended by Matilda

Emily in Paris is about a young American woman who lands a job in a Parisian marketing firm. The show was created by the same person as Sex and The City and has a similar vibe only instead of New York heavily features Paris. It is fun, somewhat campy and an easy watch. While I wouldn’t recommend it as an entirely accurate portrayal of French culture, the scenery is absolutely beautiful and reminds me why Paris is one of my all-time favorite cities.

Best Travel Shows on TV, Amazon Prime Video and Other Streaming Services

The following travel shows and series are available on TV, Amazon Prime Video and/or various streaming services (such as Hulu).

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An Idiot Abroad

Recommended by Haley Plotkin, Ready Set Jet Set

An Idiot Abroad is a hysterical British travel docu-series following Karl Pilkington, a man that one could call an “idiot savant”. What everyone has to know about Karl is, he really does not like to travel. Knowing this, his friends Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, who one may know as famous British comedic actors, send Karl on epic adventures all across the world, with some twists and pranks along the way. These are the kind of trips that most people would kill for, but to Karl, he’d rather be home with a cup of tea. One of the highlights of the show is the Karl-isms along the way, such as: “The Great Pyramid is overrated. It’s a bad design. The lounge is going to be huge, but the bedroom is going to be tiny.” This is really not your typical travel show, and that’s what makes it a must-watch!

Where to Watch: This show is a few years old, so it is not currently airing anywhere in the US (it was created for Sky TV in the UK). In the US, you can buy it digitally on platforms such as Amazon Prime , Vudu , and iTunes .

The Layover

Recommended by Paula Morgan from Expert Abroad

The Layover was just one of the many travel shows that featured everyone’s favourite food traveller Anthony Bourdain. It aired for three seasons between 2011-2013 and after watching the very first episode on a 48-hour visit to New York it will likely change the way you travel forever.

No longer will you book the fastest trip to your destination. A stopover is not viewed as a hardship it is now something to embrace. The series covered 20 cities and racing against the clock Bourdain showed the audience the best things to eat, see and do, usually with a knowledgeable local as his sidekick.

The pace at times seems a little exhausting and you may not manage to cover as much in your 24 hours as the pro’s do but they make it easy for you to pick a few things for your next visit.

The team covered almost all of the main transit hubs across Asia, Europe and the USA including Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, San Francisco and NYC. Next time you find a cheap flight because of a long stopover check the series list and start making some plans.

Where to Watch: You can watch The Layover on Amazon Prime or The Travel Channel . Some episodes are also on YouTube .

Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown

Recommended by Arrianne Guzman from Travel Habeat

Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown is a travel and food show featuring an amazing chef exploring destinations less traveled by. As it inspires you to explore off-the-beaten paths, you’ll delve into intricate cultures, rich history, and beautiful people. You’d realize that a dish is more than what goes in a plate, it’s about tradition, heritage, and way of living. Catch Anthony tries a delectable Filipino dish called sisig and a scrumptious dessert fondly named “halo-halo” while grasping how the Philippines spend an extended Christmas season. Unravel with him the complicated past of Koreatown in Los Angeles and see what it was like to grow up Korean American. Or maybe you’d agree with him how a salad of fermented tea leaves can taste good in Myanmar.

Where to Watch: An original CNN series, it is available in digital media platforms including Amazon Prime , iTunes, and Vudu .

Expedition Unknown

Recommended by Albi from Ginger Around the Globe

Expedition Unknown is a TV show that will sparkle the heart of every traveler, who loves history. Josh Gates will take you around the globe and at the same time, you will see him and other archeologists, solving ancient mysteries. You will get to know about Kruger treasure, where is the tomb of last Inka king and more Indiana Jones mysteries like this. So you will see all kinds of places and at the same time, know their history and local culture. It is very informative, fun and wanderlusty.

Where to Watch: You can watch the show on the Discovery Channel or on the Travel Channel . If you prefer streaming services, you can also find the show on Hulu or Amazon Prime Video .

Rick Steves Travel Series

Recommended by Noel Morata from Travel Photo Discovery

One of my favorite travel shows that turned me onto traveling was watching the PBS travel programs with Rick Steve’s. Primarily focused on travels in Europe, Rick Steve’s showcased an amazing series of places to visit around Europe and each lovely country. He initially visits a destination and hops around with a local expert to show the highlights, enjoy some local food and drink and see some cultural treasures along with connecting with locals, merchants and everyday people. It makes it so fascinating to watch his programs and really shows audiences the connection with people, place, culture and food makes traveling to Europe so wonderful and fun. Rick Steve’s has created a lot of guide books about individual countries that you can purchase or just watch his TV series on PBS for inspiration for planning a trip to a specific country in Europe that has always been on your bucklist of places to visit. So if you are looking for inspiration about a particular country with all the bells and whistles of what makes each area so unique and special, check out any of his programs on TV. You’ll be hooked and wanting to binge watch all of his programs in a row.

Where to Watch: On TV at PBS and Amazon Prime Video

Booze Traveler

Recommended by Megan Starr

One of the best shows to watch for those that love combining travel with beverages and food is Booze Traveler, a show by The Travel Channel that showcases a host traveling around the world in search for special alcoholic drinks in countries that he visits. I actually helped with a couple of the episodes back in the day (Lithuania and Armenia ) and it really brought to light how many unique drinks exist in every place that you travel! They travel across the globe from Hawaii to Armenia to Nepal and beyond. It is a really refreshing show!

Where to Watch: The best way to watch Booze Traveler is to catch reruns on-demand from The Travel Channel in the US. You can watch it on Amazon Prime Video .

Recommended by Coni from Experiencing the Globe

Three Canadian friends decide to leave the Great White North behind and explore the world. They pack a bag, say goodbye to friends and family, and off they go. The initial plan is to spend a year traveling, but it quickly transforms into three whole years.

They spend a month in India, another in Japan, another in New Zealand. As they start feeling more comfortable on the road, the push their own boundaries and head to tougher destinations, like Libya and North Korea. They explore Greenland during winter, meet ancient tribes in Papua New Guinea and travel across the different scientific bases of Antarctica .

It’s impossible not to get inspired with the tons of wanderlust Departure sends our way.

Where to Watch: Available on Apple iTunes and Hoopla .

James May: Our Man in Japan

Recommended by Emma from Emma Jane Explores

Top Gear’s James May might seem like a strange choice for a travel show host, but the bumbling Englishman is an endearing host as he takes viewers on a comprehensive trip around Japan from North to South. Always happy to throw himself into any bizarre situation, Our Man in Japan sees May participate in all sorts of activities from dog sledding in Hokkaido to painting Mount Fuji with a renowned Japanese artist. Streaming on Amazon Prime, Our Man in Japan covers a whole lot of unique quirks that make the country a must-travel destination for all kinds of traveller types. Whether you’re a first timer to Japan or a serial visitor, Our Man in Japan will make you all kinds of eager to get back over to the land of the rising sun soon.

Where to Watch: You can watch on Amazon Prime Video only.

Planet Earth

Recommended by Roshni from The Wanderlust Within

The award-winning, BBC documentary series, Planet Earth was first shown in 2006. It took four years to film, using 71 cameramen in 64 different countries. The series was the most expensive nature documentary series ever commissioned by the BBC and the first to be filmed in high definition. The 11 episode series is narrated by David Attenborough and celebrates the natural world in a way you’ve never seen it before. Each episode features a different biome or habitat on Earth and lasts 50 minutes plus an extra 10 minutes of behind the scenes footage showing the challenges of filming the episode.

Ten years after the first series, Planet Earth II was released showing how animals meet the challenges of surviving in the most iconic habitats on earth. A third sequel is planned to air in 2022.

Where to Watch: All 11 episodes of Planet Earth , and all 6 episodes of Planet Earth II are available for streaming on BBC iPlayer, Amazon Prime Video and iTunes.

Samantha Brown: Places to Love

Recommended by Francesca Makana of Homeroomtravel

Samantha Brown has been an icon in the travel world for my entire life. Back in the day, she was best known for her Passport series . Present-day she hosts Samantha Brown: Places to Love. In this show, Brown showcases some lesser-known destinations, like the Texas Hill Country, and covers things to do in that area. Although she does still cover larger, well-known cities, such as Shanghai, she will not just list the main tourist sites. Instead, she interacts with the locals and finds unique things to do in that location.

Where to Watch: Viewers can catch Places to Love on PBS and select episodes on the PBS website .

Joanna Lumley’s Silk Road Adventure

Recommended by Emily from Wander-Lush

There are few parts of the world that inspire wanderlust more than Central Asia. In this 2018 miniseries, British actress and supermodel, Joanna Lumley (you may recognize her from the 1990s comedy sitcom Absolutely Fabulous) retraces parts of the fabled Silk Road trading route from the perspective of a tourist.

Over four episodes, she travels from Venice to Uzbekistan via Iran, Turkey, Georgia and Azerbaijan, visiting caravanserais, fire temples and bazaars along the way. This series brings to life the cross-pollination of ideas and influences that characterizes this part of the world where East intersects with West.

Lumley’s dry British humor and insatiable curiosity make her a terrific host. Even if you’re never considered visiting Central Asia and the Caucasus before, this series will inspire you to follow the footsteps of Marco Polo on one of the most epic overland journeys of all time.

Where to Watch: Joanna Lumley’s Silk Road Adventure is currently available to stream via Amazon Prime UK . Some episodes are also on YouTube .

Recommended by Ruby from A Journey We Love

Travel Man is a 30 minute British TV show hosted by Richard Ayoade shown on Channel 4 (UK). Each week, he travels with someone for a quick getaway (48-72 hours) and breaks down tourist sites, what to eat, facts about the city and banters around with his co-presenter for the week. For people living abroad, you can watch some of the shows on Channel 4’s website, and there are also full episodes available on Travel Man’s official YouTube channel . What makes the show interesting is that the host, Richard Ayoade, is not a big traveler nor is he a big fan of trying new things. It makes for a great perspective on how to plan quick weekend getaways for those who are planning trips with people who don’t like to travel and how to make it interesting for them. It also makes the series very funny because watching the host’s reactions and monologues is absolutely priceless.

Where to Watch: For people living abroad, you can watch some of the shows on Channel 4’s website, and there are also full episodes available on Travel Man’s official YouTube channel . You can also find episodes on Amazon Prime Video .

The Amazing Race

Recommended by us

The Amazing Race is our favorite travel show and we have been watching it from the beginning. The American reality competition show has aired 32 seasons on CBS since its premiere in 2001. If you enjoy the drama of reality competition shows and are also a travel lover then you will love The Amazing Race . Each season takes place in a few different countries and in total The Amazing Race has visited over 90 different countries and six continents. Teams of two people (usually couples, friends, or family members) race around the world, solving clues and completing tasks and challenges along the way. Relationships are tested and there are sometimes arguments between teammates and with other teams. The last team to finish each leg is eliminated until three teams race to the finish line in order to win $1 million. Fun fact: We actually applied to be on the show as a sisters team (more than ten years ago and long before we started this blog) but alas we were not chosen!

Where to Watch: You can stream old seasons of the Amazing Race on CBS All Access , Amazon Prime Video and various streaming services such as Hulu .

Did your favorite travel show or series make the list?

Some good recommendations on this list for sure. James May also has some other travel shows that can be found on Netflix, Youtube, etc. Although it’s a Vlog and not a true TV show I would add Kara and Nate’s Vlog show from Youtube. They have visited over a 100 countries and it’s one of the best. If you’ve never watched them, just start with their first show and binge watch it through to today.

Thanks for the suggestion. Will check them out!

I’ll recommend a few new ones. AppleTV has “Long Way Up” from the “Long Way Down” and “Long Way Around” fame. Actor Ewan McGregor and his friend, Charley Boorman from the tip of South America to Los Angeles on electric Harley Davidson motorcycles. I pretty much hate AppleTV+ but this show is so very good. You might check out Max&Lee on Youtube which has recently continued on with Max&Occy. This is one of many Vanlife travel vlogs but it’s better than most. Start at the beginning with Max & Lee and work your way forward for good binge-watching. I will also add in a bonus travel vlog from YouTube and that is Sergio & Rhoda in Isreal. This couple travels around Isreal and shows details about various historical sites with a local flair. Very interesting for those that enjoy this region.

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The Best Travel Shows You Can Stream Right Now

Curiosity for new travelers often starts at home. We want to travel because of the books we read , people we talk to, and shows we watch. The best travel shows teach us about the world we live in and get us excited about our next adventures, but still make us feel like we get to experience that destination with each new episode.

Travel shows also lean on a wide range of hosts that really help to guide the audience from one destination to the next, some of our favorite shows are hosted by Shay Mitchell, Eugene Levy, Gordon Ramsay, and of course the late Anthony Bourdain. Most of the best travel shows can be found on Netflix, Hulu, and Max, and features a wide range of excursions, from watching the northern lights in Iceland, trekking through the rainforest in Sumatra, hopping onto fishing boats in Louisiana, and seeing sumo wrestling in Japan.

Below, find some of our favorite travel shows that you should stream now, or at least add to your watchlist to watch at a later time. Maybe on a plane to a new destination.

This gallery has been updated with new information since its original publish date.

The Reluctant Traveler with Eugene Levy

Eugene Levy is back with season two of The Reluctant Traveler . The first season of the series followed the actor as he steps out of his comfort zone to explore the world’s most popular destinations: Costa Rica , Finland , Japan, the Maldives , and more. In season two, Levy embarks on a grand tour of Europe, traveling from the north of the continent to the very south, with stops off the beaten path in Spain, Sweden, Scotland, Germany, and France. Along the way, he stumbles into local gems, uncovers his family tree, and attempts to broaden his palate while experiencing the continent’s most unique destinations along the way.

Watch now: Free with an Apple TV+ subscription ( sign up for Apple TV+ here )

Thirst With Shay Mitchell

Shay Mitchell , the actor, Béis founder, and a star of our Women Who Travel Power List , travels the world one sip at a time in her new show, Thirst . In the first three episodes, we see Mitchell travel to Peru, Colombia , and Argentina, where she tries the latest drink trends: espresso beer, flaming cocktails, and sour mixtures. In each episode, she also dives into the agricultural history of the location to better understand how the local libations have been perfected over thousands of years.

Watch now: Free with a Max subscription ( sign up for Max here )

Searching For Soul Food

The term soul food means so much to so many people across the globe. Chef Alisa Reynolds starts the series in Mississippi to understand the connection between the slavery and the traditional dishes that are staples in American comfort food. In later episodes, Reynolds visits Jamaica, Italy , South Africa, and Peru. Along the way, she connects the dots between soul food’s African roots to other Indigenous cultures and the way customs traveled across the globe, due in part to the slave trade. Food history is a large part of the show but Reynolds also taps into the cultural, agricultural, and political significance of ingredients and dishes.

Watch now: Free with a Hulu subscription ( sign up for Hulu here )

Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones

Bestselling author and researcher Dan Buettner has spent much of his career conducting research on Blue Zones: communities with large numbers of people that live to be age 100 or more. Throughout the series, Buettner explores Blue Zones in Okinawa, Japan ; Ikaria, Greece; Sardinia, Italy; Nicoya, Costa Rica; and Loma Linda, California. Buettner sits down with the centenarians in these communities to discuss their diets, day-to-day lives , relationships, and lessons they’ve learned.

Watch now: Free with a Netflix subscription ( sign up for Netflix here )

Gordon Ramsey: Uncharted

We finally get to see Gordon Ramsay outside the kitchen. On Uncharted , we see Ramsay connect with Indigenous peoples across the world to learn about their culture through—you guessed it—food, teaming up with chefs from the community to make a feast for everyone while using native and endemic ingredients from the area. We also see Ramsey trek through the rainforest of Sumatra, capture rattlesnakes, and hunt for eels with his bare hands. It’s quite a treat to see the renowned chef as a beginner for once.

The World's Most Amazing Vacation Rentals

When planning a trip, sometimes the hardest decision to make is where to stay. So many factors go into picking the right accommodation and the choices are endless. A travel trio composed of hosts Jo Franco, Megan Batoon, and Luis D. Ortiz embark on the task of showcasing their favorite rental properties across the world. Franco has a passion for travel and picks the most unique rentals she can find; Bantoon is an avid DIY-er and finds the best budget options; Ortiz has a background in New York real estate and has an eye for luxury rentals that travelers will want. The three work together to create a curated roster of rentals that travelers can actually book after each episode.

Taste the Nation

It’s always a good idea to explore our own backyard—which is exactly what host Padma Lakshmi does on her Hulu show Taste the Nation . The show's first season follows the host and author as she quite literally tastes the nation , stopping at restaurants around the United States to sample the foods of a variety of Indigenous and immigrant groups. Expect to see some familiar faces, like comedian Ali Wong and spearfisher Kimi Werner , along the way.

Never Say Never With Jeff Jenkins

Travel journalist Jeff Jenkins lives by the philosophy that “life truly happens at the end of your comfort zone.” We see this as he tests his mental and physical limits as he does sumo wrestling in Japan, swims with whale sharks in Mexico, and treks up the more-than-2,000 miles of the Adirondack Mountains. Throughout this global odyssey, Jenkins connects with locals in every destination, from immersing himself in Maori culture to catching king crabs with multi-generational fishermen—learning more about the world around him and himself each step of the way.

Watch now: Free with a Hulu subscription ( sign up for Hulu here ), Disney+ subscription ( sign up for Disney+ here ), and Apple TV+ subscription ( sign up for Apple TV+ here )

Planet Earth and Planet Earth II

We had to wait 10 years between the debut of Planet Earth , a groundbreaking natural history show narrated by Sir David Attenborough, and its sequel Planet Earth II , but it was worth it. The first season, which focus on a specific biome and the flora and fauna that live there in each episode, spotlights smooth coated otters in Southeast Asia, Tibetan foxes, critically endangered Ethiopian ibex, and blue whales, among so many others. Our two favorite episodes, though, come from part II. In the sixth episode, the high-def cameras turn to cities to show how leopards in Mumbai, monkeys in Jodhpur, and catfish in southern France live alongside humans. And in what may be the most heart-racing episode of nature television, the islands episode of Planet Earth II follows a lone iguana racing against time—and a horde of snakes.

Watch now: Free with a Discovery+ subscription ( sign up for Discovery+ here )

Long Way Up

Believe it or not, actor Ewan McGregor has been in the travel show business for some 16 years. It all started with Long Way Round , a 2004 series that followed McGregor and his friend Charley Boorman on a motorcycle journey from London through Europe, Asia—and then after a flight to Alaska—Canada, and the U.S. all the way to New York City. The show was followed by 2007's Long Way Down, which took the duo from Scotland to South Africa, on motorcycles once again. Now, they've turned their bikes (electric this time) towards South and Central America, with the latest iteration following the duo some 13,000 miles from Ushuaia, Argentina, on the continent's southernmost tip, to L.A. As usual, hijinks, pitfalls, and stunning scenery are all on view. Neither of the earlier shows are available to stream in the U.S. currently (though you can find them on Apple TV+ in the U.K.), but Long Way Up is an Apple TV+ original and on view for all.

Somebody Feed Phil

This Netflix original follows host Phil Rosenthal, the creator of Everybody Loves Raymond , as he eats his way through cities like Bangkok , Lisbon, Mexico City , New Orleans , Buenos Aires , Cape Town, and Dublin. The hyper-positive show was called "impossibly optimistic," by former Traveler editor Paul Brady, who spoke with Rosenthal before the first season's premiere in 2018. The seventh season, takes Rosenthal from Mumbai to Kyoto to Iceland to eat even more delicious grub.  Watch now: Free with a Netflix subscription ( sign up for Netflix here )

Parts Unknown

You simply cannot have a list of the best travel shows and not feature the late Anthony Bourdain. In fact, he's on our list more than once. In Parts Unknown , the chef and travel personality circled the world many times over, in search of music, culture, humor, history, and—of course—really good food. Over 12 seasons (the last aired posthumously), Bourdain visited the indigenous Andes with Eric Ripert, the Sochi Winter Olympics, the Mississippi Delta, and, most famously, Hanoi with then-president Barack Obama. (That's season eight, episode two, if you want to jump right to it.)

Watch now: Free with an Apple TV+ subscription ( sign up for Apple TV here )

Street Food

Made by the same folks behind Chef's Table (spoiler: it's also on this list), this show moves away from formal restaurant kitchens and onto the streets, for a guide to some of the world's best curbside meals and snacks . The show's first season is all about Asia, traveling to nine different countries to meet the people behind the food, like Jay Fai from Bangkok's Raan Jay Fai , a Michelin-starred street stall serving up tom yum soup, and Truoc (pictured left), who serves a variety of snail dishes in Ho Chi Minh City . The second season, which hit Netflix in July, zeroes in on Latin America, with stops at Doña Vale's in Oaxaca for memelas and Las Chicas de las Tres food stall in Buenos Aires, run by chef Pato Rodriguez.

Lost Cities With Albert Lin

In this National Geographic –produced show, explorer and scientist Albert Lin tracks down some of the world's most famous lost cities. We're talking buried Knights Templar caves in Israel, El Dorado in the jungles of Colombia, and ancient, forgotten island cities in Micronesia. Along the way, he speaks with archaeologists, historians, and other experts to discover the origins of the legends and, in turn, the reality of those places today.

Watch now: Free with a Disney+ subscription ( sign up for Disney+ here )

Ugly Delicious

The second season of the David Chang –hosted Netflix series debuted in March 2020, taking viewers from Istanbul (pictured), to Tokyo , to Sydney , to… Outback Steakhouse? Along the way, he tackles balancing parenthood with restaurant life, cooks with Top Chef 's Padma Lakshmi , rubs elbows with comedians like Nick Kroll and Aziz Ansari, and gets a lesson in not calling all Indian food curries from Traveler contributor Priya Krishna . (If you want more Chang, try your hand at a recipe from his Momofuku cookbook, or watch Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner , also on Netlfix, where he joins one famous friend on a food tour of a city, like Chrissy Teigen in Marrakech.)

Produced by Vice , this show is about the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. In it, actor Elliot Page and their film director friend Ian Daniel travel to learn about what it's like to be LGBTQ+ around the world. They meet with two-spirit Native Americans, head to ballroom scenes in New York City, and visit the gay bars of Tokyo to dive deep into the vibrant gay and queer culture. But the duo also spends time in Rio de Janeiro, Jamaica, and Ukraine, speaking with LGBTQ+ locals to learn about the discrimination and threats they face just by existing. Expect tears, both happy and sad.

Carmen Sandiego

Many of us got our first lesson in geography from this trench coat–wearing master thief, and today's kids can too, thanks to the Netflix reboot of this animated series. This high-flying, Robin Hood–style caper takes kids (and parents) with Sandiego as she jet sets between Rio de Janeiro , Matsumoto in Japan, Amsterdam, Mumbai, and more. There are three seasons available and plenty of educational value here for mapheads—plus pretty stellar animation. This year, an interactive choose-you-own-adventure style show, called Carmen Sandiego: To Steal or Not to Steal, came to Netflix and provides endless entertainment as Sandiego fights off the Villains International League of Evil (V.I.L.E.), with your (kid's) help. Watch now: Free with a Netflix subscription ( sign up for Netflix here )

If Planet Earth and Planet Earth II weren't enough Attenborough for your liking, get your fix on Netflix, thanks to Our Planet . This docuseries, made by the creators of Planet Earth in collaboration with the World Wildlife Fund and narrated by Attenborough, is almost a mix of the two, taking armchair travelers from the North American grasslands and the Everglades to the Arctic tundra and deepest parts of our oceans. Once you're done with the nine 50-minute episodes, switch over to Our Planet: Behind the Scenes to see how the 600-person crew filmed the series. Watch now: Free with a Netflix subscription ( sign up for Netflix here )

No Reservations

If you want even more Bourdain, Hulu has you covered with No Reservations and The Layover, two of his travel shows that preceded Parts Unknown . In No Reservations, Bourdain takes us to both familiar—Maine, Prague, the Philippines—and unfamiliar—Kurdistan, Mozambique, and deep into the Amazon—corners and kitchens of our world, introducing us to new foods, cultures, and personalities over nine seasons. The Layover takes that same premise, but shortens the time line drastically, knocking down Bourdain's time to explore to just 24 to 48 hours. Both are must-sees—it's Bourdain after all.

Chef's Table: BBQ

While you can watch some of world’s most extraordinary chefs (like Dominque Crenn ; Peruvian Virgilio Martínez , the owner of Lima's Central restaurant; and Swede Magnus Nilsson ) as they create impossibly complicated dishes in the original Chef's Table, we've become partial to its latest iteration, which is all about barbecue. The Netflix original docuseries follows pitmasters like Tootsie Tomanetz—the 85-year-old spitfire pictured above who minds the brisket and sausage at Snow's, outside of Austin—and Rodney Scott, known for his Low Country–style pulled pork and ribs. But the show doesn't stick to the American South. You'll head to Rosalia Chay Chuc's Yucatán home and visit the grills of Lennox Hastie in Sydney, too.  Watch now: Free with a Netflix subscription ( sign up for Netflix here )

Travels with My Father

The first season of this Netflix original, which came out in 2017, follows British stand-up comedian Jack Whitehall and his father, Michael, across Southeast Asia, tracking the duo as they finish the gap year Jack never got to complete, just a few years late (eight, to be exact). It's everything you'd expect: a Thai full moon party and, of course, a trip to Cambodia's Angkor Wat, but the moments in between are what make the show really worth watching. Now, in the three seasons that have followed, the father-son pair have road tripped through Transylvania , visited Chernobyl , and gotten into drag with Sydney queens. Needless to say, it's a romp.  Watch now: Free with a Netflix subscription ( sign up for Netflix here )

Midnight Diner: Tokyo Stories

Set in a tiny Tokyo diner that's only open from midnight to 7 a.m., the fictional show follows the Midnight Diner's owner and clientele as they share their trials and joys, all while eating whatever the owner, called Master, dishes up. In the diner, pork miso soup is the go-to, but Master will cook visitors anything they order, as long as he's got the goods to make it. Episodes are a little over 20 minutes long, so it's the most bingeable of the bunch. Watch with subtitles and don't—seriously, don't—watch while hungry. Watch now: Free with a Netflix subscription ( sign up for Netflix here )

Get your international fix by watching Antoni , Karamo , Jonathan , Tan , and Bobby makeover the wardrobes and lives of everyday “heroes” in Yass, Australia , and Tokyo in their Queer Eye specials. That said, we're partial to the U.S.-based seasons, where the Fab Five hits up Atlanta, Kansas City, and, most recently, Philadelphia to give new life to regular folks. Whether they're making over the sisters behind Jones Bar-B-Q in Kansas City or the small town mayor of Clarkston, Georgia, we're on board. Have tissues on hand, as you're all but guaranteed to shed a tear (who are we kidding, you'll sob). Watch now: Free with a Netflix subscription ( sign up for Netflix here )

Places to Love

For many years, Samantha Brown was the only female host on travel TV , period. And while some, albeit small, growth has been made in this regard (Nosrat and Kellee Edwards are among the new faces), Brown is still one of the few women on the go on our screens. While she made her start on the Travel Channel with Passport to Europe, Passport to Latin America, and Passport to China , you should really be checking out her latest show, Places to Love. Now in its third season, the show sees Brown discovering off-the-beaten-path spots in some of the world's most loved destinations as far-flung as Seoul and Auckland, and right in our backyard, like Phoenix and Dallas . 

Watch Places to Love now: Free on PBS

Watch Passport to Europe now: $2 per episode, $35 per season; amazon.com

The World According to Jeff Goldblum

Ok, so this isn't as much of a travel show as it is a “what is Jeff Goldblum curious about” show—but it doesn't mean they don't travel all over the U.S. With each episode focusing on the actor's ceaseless interest in the minutiae of one specific thing (like tattoos, or pools, or RVs, or ice cream—it really runs the gamut). Over the course of the show, Goldblum visits Hawaii , Las Vegas , NASA’s neutral buoyancy lab in Houston , and so much more. If you love Goldblum, you'll probably love this show. 

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The Best Travel Shows to Stream Right Now

Enjoy the thrill of the chase in paris, a stanley tucci tour of italy, and a puppet’s-eye view of global cuisine with these streaming tv shows..

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In “Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy,” the actor lives the dream by exploring the best of Italy’s food and wine.

Courtesy of CNN

While we wait for borders to open , these fuel-your-wanderlust shows will take you off the couch to Italy, England, Norway, France, and Peru (by magic shopping cart). Can you tell we’re excited about Michelle Obama’s fantastical new global food show, Waffles and Mochi ? It debuts next week on Netflix. Until then, explore the world from home by streaming any of these 26 travel shows and TV shows set in foreign countries.

Waffles and Mochi

Watch it : Netflix

A Sesame Street –style kids’ TV show for the budding chef, Waffles and Mochi follows the eponymous puppets—one a sweet little monster with waffles for ears, the other a sentient pink rice ball—around the world as they seek out fresh global ingredients and learn about healthy eating and cooking.

This show will appeal to adults as much as to toddlers. To start: Michelle Obama costars (this is part of the Obamas’ production deal with Netflix) as a grocery store owner who teaches Waffles and Mochi about the wide world beyond the Land of Frozen Food. Off on fabulous journeys they go—to Japan, Peru, Italy, where they have friendly encounters with famous chefs like Samin Nosrat and José Andrés, as well as special guests Rashida Jones, Queer Eye ’s Tan France, Zach Galifianakis, Sia, Common, and more (technically, Mandy Moore). Start streaming it on Netflix March 16. —Laura Dannen Redman

Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy

Watch it : CNN

Actor Stanley Tucci kept spirits afloat with his cocktail and cooking demos on Instagram during lockdown. When travel restrictions lifted in Europe last year, Tucci traveled to Italy—where he has deep roots—to film this six-episode series exploring food and culture through Italy’s people, cities, and regions: Sicily, Tuscany, Milan, Bologna, Rome, and Naples and the Amalfi Coast.

For those desperately missing Italy, Tucci is the perfect knowledgeable yet curious tour guide, introducing his friends—winemakers, chefs, and authors—who he pokes a little fun at, and taking you on tours, such as around Florence’s Renaissance-era wine windows, aka “little doors of paradise.”

If the show leaves you craving more, buy his two Italian cookbooks— The Tucci Table: Cooking with Family and Friends and The Tucci Cookbook— and preorder his memoir, Taste: My Life Through Food . The series has been renewed for season two. — Annie Fitzsimmons

Who is Lupin? He’s a gentleman thief, a master of disguise, a sort of French superhero at the heart of Maurice Leblanc’s short stories, “Arsène Lupin, Gentleman Burglar.” These early 20th-century Sherlockian tales inspire the new Netflix show, Lupin , starring Omar Sy ( The Intouchables ) as a Senegalese immigrant in today’s Paris who follows Arsène’s escapades as a road map for revenge.

In the pilot episode Sy’s Arsène struts through the Louvre disguised as a janitor, plotting a jewelry heist like a cohort of Danny Ocean. Lupin is also full of lust-worthy shots of the city: a room with a view of Sacré-Cœur; the Eiffel Tower from every angle; the Jardin du Luxembourg in the rain; a bustling café. A heist thriller is only as good as its setting, and Lupin —and Paris—deliver. —L.D.R.

“Outlander” stars Sam Heughan and Graham McTavish take you on a spirited journey through Scotland.

Courtesy of Starz

Men in Kilts: A Roadtrip with Sam and Graham

Watch it : Starz

If the popular period drama Outlander didn’t already have you craving a trip to Scotland, this travel show starring Sam Heughan (Jamie Fraser in Outlander ) and Graham McTavish ( Outlander’s Dougal Mackenzie) will seal the deal. Even if you’re not an Outlander devotee, this Scottish duo, who are constantly making jabs at each other and themselves, are ideal guides for this literal campervan road trip through Scotland. Their banter is on point (you can tell they’re good pals IRL), and they transport viewers into the heart and soul of the country without taking themselves too seriously.

Each episode focuses on a different aspect of Scottish culture and history. For the food and drink episode, Heughan and McTavish visit one of Scotland’s oldest whisky distilleries and introduce viewers to Scottish seafood. For the sports episode, they try their hand at archaic Highland Games (aka throwing a massive hammer) and playing golf on Scotland’s most hallowed turf. And for the song and dance episode, viewers learn more about bagpipes and traditional Scottish dancing—Heughan and McTavish are game guinea pigs while also offering insights and knowledge into the theme at hand.

I’m not always big on traditional “travel shows,” but I absolutely love this one and am ready to book my first trip to Scotland ASAP after watching. — Michelle Baran

Watch it : Apple TV

West London’s Richmond upon Thames, with its distinctly British cobblestone shopping alleys, parks, and lively pubs, is the backdrop to the story of very American Ted Lasso, played by Jason Sudeikis.

Lasso is an American football coach hired to reboot a Premier League British football team, AFC Richmond. An eternal optimist, Ted is someone you wish you knew—warm and funny, with leadership skills that win over nearly everyone he meets in this fish-out-of-water story.

The Apple TV show isn’t really about sports, though there are plenty of soaring, heart-pumping soccer—football!—scenes. There are love triangles and mishaps, a delightful cast of characters, and the realization that you can do the impossible if you just “Believe,” Ted’s motto. The show has already been renewed for two more seasons. —A.F.

The head of government rides her bike to work: two clues this series isn’t set in the United States. In Copenhagen, everyone rides a bike. Maybe “Danish political drama” doesn’t sound compelling but this is, with a standout cast of well-developed characters. It follows the path of politician Birgitte Nyborg and how demands of her rise to power clash with her family life. Concerns about media news coverage are among the issues making this drama universal. The show, with an 8.5 IMDb rating, originally aired 2010–2013; Netflix plans a fourth season for 2022. — Pat Tompkins

If you’re one of the few who haven’t seen Bridgerton yet (apparently, it’s Netflix’s most successful series ever ), and you miss the U.K., it’s time to settle into Shonda Rhimes’s soapy, steamy Regency-era drama that reimagines the time as one when equality reigns: Black and white people coexist as equals, and the Queen is Black.

It centers on the romance between debutante Daphne Bridgerton and Simon Basset, reluctant Duke of Hastings. Scenic British locations include the Bridgerton family home, Ranger’s House in Greenwich, London; promenades in Bath’s green parks and Royal Crescent; and parties at Wilton House in Salisbury as the Duke’s country mansion. — A.F.

“Killing Eve” sets the codependent cop-and-killer chase in glamorous sites around Europe.

Courtesy of BBC

Killing Eve

Watch it : YouTube TV

When Eve, a British intelligence investigator, becomes obsessed by an assassin-for-hire, Villanelle, their cat-and-mouse chase leads the characters through Tuscany, Paris, London, and Romania. The glamorous destinations make this a bingeable spy thriller for travel lovers who crave dark humor, cliffhangers, and dreamy settings. —Ciera Velarde

Four Weddings and a Funeral

Watch it : Hulu

This 10-episode series from Mindy Kaling is nothing like the movie it takes its name from, except that there are four weddings and one funeral. London has never looked more magical as friends in their thirties fall in love, break up, and get married across rooftop parties in Trafalgar Square, conversations at the National Gallery and inside dreamy Notting Hill houses, and walks in Kew Gardens.

Like its cast, but unlike so many romantic comedies, it also showcases the diversity of the city through Indian family culture in Hounslow and the multicultural Southall Market. It’s completely addictive, and you might replay the final 10 minutes of the series (a wedding, of course!) over and over again. — A.F.

Un Village Francais/A French Village

Watch it : Amazon Prime

Over seven seasons, this series captures what German occupation of a fictional village, Villeneuve, meant for its inhabitants from 1940 to 1945. Instead of battles, we get the war’s impact on civilian life, an impact that affects everyone. It could have been a soap opera, but it’s not, thanks to complex characters and intriguing stories.

Among those in the first episode are Spanish refugees, a Jewish family, and the town doctor, all coping with the sudden upheaval of life in Occupied France. Travel to a different place and time in these 80+ episodes. — P.T.

Home for Christmas

The first Norwegian series from Netflix, Home for Christmas was filmed in Oslo and the small mining town of Røros, known for its colorful wooden buildings from the 1700s. We see the town and countryside dressed for the holidays, with snow, twinkle lights, and cider at Christmas markets aplenty.

But the festive season is just a vehicle for showcasing the complicated bonds of family. The show follows the up-and-down love life and quirky characters surrounding Johanne, a nurse in her thirties who feels pressure from her large, boisterous family to settle down. But what relationship can compete with her friendships? — A.F.

Call My Agent

Calling all francophiles. For those missing not just France but the language and people as well, this French-language Netflix show is génial . Call My Agent is a witty comedy about a Paris-based talent agency. The central cast of characters brings viewers along as they manage the many moods and demands of their high-maintenance actor clients. (They do everything from intervene when clients refuse to get intimate on a film set to help a client learn to drive for a movie role, plus attend ridiculous soirées to appease these high-strung celebs.)

As the series continues, deeper emotional themes around family, friendship, and love develop. I found myself tearing up (in a good way) by the end of the first season, something I wasn’t expecting at all at the start. The comic relief serves as a wonderful escape and there’s something oddly satisfying about seeing behind the scenes of France’s acting and filming world even if it is a fictional look. — M.B.

Indian Matchmaking

This is a reality show, with all its tropes and gimmicks, inviting us to be voyeurs of the Indian dating world. But Indian Matchmaking is also a fascinating glimpse into the culture of matchmaking and quasi-arranged marriages, for both the singles and families. It follows Mumbai-based matchmaker Sima Taparia as she tries to pair clients both in the U.S. and India; the scenes in India are most vibrant and really make the show worth a watch even if you’re skeptical about the premise.

You feel like you’re sitting right next to the characters in that Mumbai restaurant or Delhi bar as they chat with friends or go out on that first (slightly awkward) date with their match. — M.B.

Watch it : HBO Now , Hulu , YouTube TV

If your family is driving you up the wall, imagine self-quarantining with Succession ’s Roy family. This addictive dramedy centers on who will take over a global media and hospitality empire as the family patriarch faces health issues. Because this dysfunctional family is crazy rich, the series transports us to the most exclusive corners of New York City, a sprawling ranch in New Mexico, and even a castle in England. The juicy Season 2 finale takes place on a private yacht in Croatia, so pour yourself some prosecco and lose yourself in someone else’s family drama. —C.V.

Olivia Colman dazzles as Queen Elizabeth in the third season of “The Crown.”

Courtesy of Netflix

Pour yourself a cuppa and don your finest sweatpants, because we’re headed to Buckingham Palace, folks. Well, no filming was actually done in Buckingham Palace, but Lancaster House, Wilton House, and Waddesdon Manor serve as lavish, convincing stand-ins. Get ready to follow the trials and tribulations of the Windsors and get peeks at country-home castles, private train cars, African tree houses, and passels of corgis romping on the moors. —C.V.

Watch it : Hulu , HBO Now

Every time a local musician appears onscreen during this series (and they appear a lot), hearing the soulful jazz they play will transport you to New Orleans. Shot entirely on location in the city, Treme ’s storyline begins three months after Hurricane Katrina and follows its characters—musicians, bartenders, families—as they try to rebuild their lives. —C.V.

Sam Heughan stars in “Outlander,” a drama heavy on time travel and rolling Scottish countryside.

Watch it : Starz , Netflix , YouTube TV

After just one episode of Outlander, you’ll be eager to traverse the peaks of Scotland’s evergreen Highlands and drink a wee dram of whisky. This time-travel series, shot on location in Scotland, creates a fantasy world that feels rooted in a real place. —C.V.

Broadchurch

Watch it : Amazon

South England’s Jurassic Coast is the real-life setting for this moody crime drama set in a fictional seaside town. Millions of years of coastal erosion have formed striking rock formations along the craggy cliffs and beaches of the region—the spectacular UNESCO World Heritage–recognized area even serves as an important plot device. —C.V.

Ugly Delicious

Watch it: Netflix

In each episode of this docuseries, the James Beard Foundation award–winning chef David Chang focuses on a specific food (one episode is about fried rice, another about barbecue) and then bounces from country to country to taste local iterations of the same dish. After the first episode (which involves pizza: lots and lots of pizza), you’ll learn not to watch on an empty stomach. —C.V.

Top of the Lake

Viewers will be instantly hooked by Elisabeth Moss’s performance as a detective investigating the disappearance of a pregnant 12-year-old girl. The show was filmed on the South Island of New Zealand, and the titular lake provides an eerie and dramatic background for the emotionally heavy show. —C.V.

The action of “The Night Manager” starts in Egypt, but the scenes were actually shot in Marrakesh, Morocco.

Courtesy of Amazon

The Night Manager

Watch it : Amazon Prime Video

Great writing, fast-paced action, and an all-star cast (Tom Hiddleston, Olivia Colman, Hugh Laurie) make this drama unmissable. The story follows a hotel night manager recruited to infiltrate the inner circle of a corrupt businessman. The show is rumored to be the most expensive miniseries ever made by the BBC, and travel-hungry viewers will enjoy the gorgeous locations, like Majorca, Spain; Zermatt, Switzerland; and Marrakesh, Morocco.

Salt Fat Acid Heat

Chef Samin Nosrat visits culinary colleagues in Italy, Japan, Mexico, and Berkeley, California, to explain how—you guessed it—salt, fat, acid, and heat are the essential elements to master when cooking any meal. Samin’s passion for food radiates through the screen, and you’ll be left hungry and inspired to test out some of her cooking tips—with her cookbook by the same name —yourself. —C.V.

If you want to lean into the current news, Fortitude is one way to go. Set in the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard (but filmed in Eastern Iceland), this drama is about a deadly virus that turns infected people into murderers. Winter-travel lovers: Get ready for sweeping icy landscapes, snow-capped mountains, and frigid, rocky beaches. —C.V.

“My Brilliant Friend” is a realistic portrayal of the gritty yet beautiful city of Naples.

Photo by Eduardo Castaldo/HBO

My Brilliant Friend

Although this show follows two childhood friends as they grow into women in postwar Italy, the true star is Naples , with its crowded sidewalks, lively piazzas, and ancient architecture. (In the sixth episode, viewers get to travel to the volcanic island of Ischia, to summer with the characters on beaches lapped by turquoise waters). —C.V.

The makers of Our Planet leave no corner of Earth untouched. This breathtaking nature docuseries allows you to swim with whales, swing from tree to tree with orangutans, and explore the Serengeti, all from your couch. The camerawork is remarkable: You’ll ask yourself “how did they even film that?!” at least four times per episode. —C.V.

Big Little Lies

Oh, what we’d give to be social distancing in one of the spacious seaside mansions on this show. The frothy mix of petty neighborhood squabbles, a mysterious death, and the sweeping shots of the Pacific Ocean makes watching Big Little Lies roughly 10 times better than watching the news. And if you’re inspired to plan a trip to Monterey after watching the show (and, of course, after virus concerns are lifted) , we’ve got you covered . —C.V.

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14 of the best travel TV shows to watch on demand

Epic landscapes, interesting characters and cool cultures – we transport you to the best places in the world right from the comfort of your sofa, with these top travel shows on Netflix, iPlayer and others…

While you may be hitting pause on your adventures, you can still be transported somewhere wild – using your TV remote as your passport to exotic climes, instead.

Chances are you’ve seen everything travel legends David Attenborough and Simon Reeve have done, but if you’re looking for inspiration for your next trip, sweeping landscapes and interesting characters to meet, take a look at our round-up of th e best travel documentaries available to stream right now…

Best of all, you can start this journey on the couch.

Here are the best travel TV shows to watch on Netflix or on demand now…

1. the americas with simon reeve (2019).

What you’ll watch: It topped the list for best TV show at our 2020 Reader Travel Awards, but if you haven’t yet seen The Americas with Simon Reeve , put it straight on top of your must-watch list.

And when you’ve binged on his journeys hiking through the Rocky Mountains, hanging out with the US Border Patrol in Texas and discovering a tropical paradise in Costa Rica, you can turn to his other documentaries: the Caribbean, Australia, the Mediterranean, and Indian Ocean.

If there’s anywhere this man hasn’t been or seen, we challenge you to find it.

Where to watch it: The Americas with Simon Reeve is available to watch in full on BBC iPlayer . Plus see Simon accept his Wanderlust award !

2. Race Across The World (2020)

What you’ll watch: Limited cash, no smartphones and forget about internet access – basically all the ingredients for an epic off-the-grid adventure.

In the latest series of the BBC’s Race Across The World , you can follow five teams as they race the length of Latin America, starting in Mexico City and ending in Ushuaia in Argentina, the most southerly city in the world.

Married couples and familial bonds are put to the test, as they weave friendships in the most unexpected of places on their way to the finish line. And if you can’t wait until next week’s episode, you can binge on series one as well. What’s better than that?

Where to watch it: Catch up on series two of Race Across The World on BBC iPlayer . And read our filming locations guide .

3. Joanna Lumley’s Hidden Caribbean: Havana to Haiti (2020)

Joanna Lumley’s Hidden Caribbean: Havana to Haiti is on ITV Player now (ITV)

What you’ll watch: She’s one of our favourite tour guides, taking us everywhere from India to the mighty Silk Road – it is, of course, the absolutely fabulous Joanna Lumley.

Let her lead you into a lesser-seen side of the Caribbean in her new two-part documentary, Joanna Lumley’s Hidden Caribbean: Havana to Haiti, which begins in a boxing gym in the lively Cuban capital.

Keep watching as she wanders the streets of Havana, discovers Hemingway’s favourite beach and explores Fidel Castro’s hometown, before making her way over the Windward Passage to end her adventure with trips to ancient mountain fortresses and a mystical voodoo ceremony in Haiti.

Where to watch it: Catch up on Joanna Lumley’s Hidden Caribbean: Havana to Haiti on ITV Player now.

4. Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat (2018)

What to watch: If delicious food is at the very top of your reasons-to-travel list, Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat is the Netflix show to tune into.

Culinary capers abound as loveable chef Samin Nosrat takes us to Italy, Japan, Mexico and California to show us how the title elements are key to the cuisine of each country.

Where to watch it: See Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat on Netflix now.

5. Ugly Delicious (2020)

What to watch: H ungry for more? Try Netflix’s Ugly Delicious – there are two series to devour, as chef David Chang takes us to culinary hotspots across the world, showing us why good cooking is universal.

He meets everyone from pizza purists in Brooklyn and Naples to trying Viet-Cajun fusion cuisine in Houston.

Where to watch it: Catch the new series of Ugly Delicious on Netflix .

6. Night on Earth (2020)

What to watch: Even when you’re travelling, you don’t get to see some of the most incredible sights – because some of them happen under the very cover of darkness.

In Netflix’s Night on Earth , you can see this world open up before you, witnessing the secret lives of lions, bats and monkeys. Eerie and visually compelling stuff.

Where to watch it: Night on Earth is on Netflix now.

7. James May: Our Man In Japan (2020)

What you’ll watch: We know you loved Japan with Sue Perkins , but now that’s it not available on iPlayer… how about racing through the island country with James May, instead?

Starting on the chilly northern island of Hokkaido, James embarks on a journey south to the balmy beaches of Shikoku and Kyushu, while meeting samurai in Honshu, sampling street food in Osaka and, of course, tackling the Suzuka Circuit on his way.

Where to watch it: Watch James May: Our Man in Japan on Amazon Prime now.

8. Travel Man: 48 Hours in… (2019)

What you’ll watch: Richard Ayoade’s droll two-day jaunts through cities across the world has provided us all with laughs since 2015.

While 2019’s series was his last as lead presenter, we can still look forward to more Travel Man in the future as Hugo Boss – aka the the comedian formerly known as Joe Lycett – takes over the role.

If you haven’t seen 48 Hours in… Amsterdam , it’s the perfect episode to get a feel for Hugo’s personality and learn more about the city’s culture, cuisine and canals.

Where to watch it: Find the past ten series of Travel Man: 48 Hours in… on All 4 .

9. Great Railway Journeys with Michael Portillo (2019)

What you’ll watch: Thousands of British commuters have plenty to say about UK train travel, but in the hands of Michael Portillo, the divisive subject matter seems to take on a golden glow of nostalgia.

You know best, after all – you voted for the BBC’s Great Railway Journeys as one of your top TV programmes in the last year.

Delving into the history of British rail, Michael reveals things we never knew about our local stations, including how an unlikely collaboration between London’s Crossrail railway project and a conservation charity is helping to protect birdlife in Series 11’s Limehouse to Rochford episode.

Where to watch it: Look out for your local station on Great British Railway Journeys on iPlayer.

10. Around the World in 80 Days (1989)

What to watch: It’s an oldie, but definitely a goodie – what could be better than staying in and getting a glimpse of how the world used to be with TV icon Michael Palin?

In Around the World in 80 Days , Michael follows in the footsteps of its main character Phileas Fogg, setting off on an epic adventure from London’s Reform Club across the world.

Close shaves, missed connections and inevitable delays await as he desperately attempts to meet the 80-day deadline in time. A delicious throwback to a simpler time.

Where to watch it: Watch Around the World in 80 Days on iPlayer .

11. Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown (2013)

What to watch: The late Anthony Bourdain’s Emmy-winning travel series is a must-watch for any traveller whose adventures are driven by a passion for excellent food.

Parts Unknown sees the world-renowned chef and documentarian delve into cuisines, cultures and politics in countries across the globe. Essentially, he eats his way around the world.

With 12 seasons covering countless destinations (Vietnam and New York said to be two of his favourites), the later seasons take viewers on an off-the-beaten-track culinary journey through Armenia, Uruguay, Myanmar and beyond.

Where to watch it: You can stream the series on Amazon Prime now.

12. Dark Tourist (2018)

What to watch: If you’ve watched the majority of travel TV already, here’s one that may have slipped by you.

TV presenter David Farrier deep dives into so-called ‘dark tourism’: worldwide interest in visiting sites of nuclear disasters, destinations marred by danger or even death. If you’ve been to Chernobyl and Pripyat in Ukraine, you’ll understand the fascination.

You can expect to see a trip to Turkmenistan, a visit to Pablo Escobar’s former playground, Medellin in Colombia, as well as an excursion to Tomioka in Japan, the ghost town left behind after residents were evacuated following the Fukushima nuclear disaster.

Where to watch it: You can stream one season of Dark Tourist now on Netflix .

And… anything narrated by Sir David Attenborough

13. our planet (2019).

14. Seven Worlds, One Planet (2019)

What you’ll watch: Of course, no list of travel documentaries is complete without an appearance from the legend that is Sir David Attenborough.

Most of his back catalogue is listed on Netflix, including the original Our Planet and the BBC’s iconic Planet Earth and Frozen Planet.

You can also listen to Sir David’s dulcet tones on BBC iPlayer – as he takes us through Seven Worlds, One Planet , introducing us to some of the globe’s most hostile habitats and remote landscapes, while narrating the fascinating behaviour of the local creatures, such as golden snub-nosed monkeys and grey-headed albatross chicks .

Where to watch it: Find Our Planet along with most of Sir David’s past shows on Netflix or catch up on Seven Worlds, One Planet on iPlayer now.

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The best travel TV shows to stream right now

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• With travel suspended in the midst of the pandemic, armchair travelers are seeking ways to experience the world while under shelter-in-place guidance.
• One easy way to safely experience the globe right now is by streaming any of these incredible travel TV shows, which include straightforward travelogues, food-centric travel shows, nature documentaries, and even animation to inspire future travel plans.
• All are available to stream across platforms including Amazon , Disney+ , Hulu , and more.
• Read all Business Insider travel reviews here.

Travel was one of the first industries to grind to a halt as the pandemic crisis spread around the world and all non-essential activities fell in line soon after.

Now, with most of the planet under shelter-in-place guidance, travelers find themselves in the position of plotting their next moves from quarantine. That can mean booking cheap refundable flights or hotels far into the future or, a more cautious approach, indulging in some serious armchair traveling.

Travel books are one great way to do this , but streaming is another. Some of the best travel shows are available to watch on-demand and can soothe and inspire. Our picks for the best travel programs are available on the likes of Amazon , Disney+ , Hulu , and others. Selections include a range of content, from those with current or recent seasons to ones that ended production prior to the pandemic. We included, of course, Anthony Bourdain's Parts Unknown; the late chef's show will forever be essential travel viewing.

In addition to straightforward travelogues, we also included shows that are also largely food-focused on their face, such as Chef's Table, as well as critically-acclaimed picks, and some of my personal favorites as a longtime travel writer, editor, and globe trotter. 

Additionally, nature programs showcase the far reaches of the world, even highlighting its fragility, as a way to remind us to travel as responsibly as possible when we are able to return to the practice .

Here are the best travel TV shows to stream right now.

Anthony bourdain's parts unknown.

Anthony Bourdain is the quintessential travel show host — not only adventuresome but also conscious, critical, clever, literary, and far from fawning for its own sake.

The chef and author's thoughtful take may be just what you need right now, as we all seek meaning amid the current crisis. When Bourdain died in 2018, it was among the biggest stories I covered in my capacity as a travel and food journalist — until the current pandemic. Both events will leave indelible impacts.

Bourdain's show has continually been available for streaming in the nearly two years since his death. For some of the most treasured (and famous) episodes, check out the Vietnam episode in Season eight in which Bourdain famously sat down with then-president Barack Obama over beers on plastic stools. In all, Parts Unknown has 12 seasons to stream, including the last one that aired after his death. 

Stream Parts Unknown  or sign up for Amazon Prime here

Planet earth.

If you want to luxuriate in our planet's impossibly stunning natural beauty, you're going to want to indulge in a marathon watching of both Planet Earth (2006) and its sequel, Planet Earth II (2017).

With meditative — even hypnotic — narration by Sir David Attenborough, and jaw-dropping cinematography, the nature documentaries take viewers on a tour of earth's plants and animals by environment — think mountains, jungles, caves, deserts, grasslands, oceans — and in the sequel, cities.

When the news is too much to bear, this is what I watch for a dash of mindfulness and gratitude for our planet's beauty and bounty.

Stream Planet Earth and Planet Earth II or sign up for Amazon Prime here

This is the nature documentary I watch when I have a bit more stomach for a serious tone. Our Planet explores human impact on the natural environment. And although those messages might be tough to take sometimes, Our Planet stunningly depicts a world of such miraculous order and beauty, we must work to protect it at all costs. The series reflects on ways to do that, and it can be a meaningful practice during quarantine in the time of crisis on another front.

The Netflix original documentary series is a collaboration between World Wildlife Federation, Netflix, and Silverback Films, and has won two Emmys. Episodes include sweeping views and climate change commentary on areas as frozen worlds, jungles, the high seas, fresh water, jungles, coastal seas, forests, and more. Oh, and yes — if you like David Attenborough, you'll love him as narrator here too.

Stream Our Planet on Netflix

Anthony bourdain no reservations.

Yes, he deserves two slots on this list, for before there was Parts Unknown on CNN, there was Anthony Bourdain's Emmy-winning No Reservations on the Travel Channel.

It ran nine seasons between 2005 and 2012 and in this earlier series, the chef and author exhibits his signature critical eye, literary voice, zest for life and travel, and intense empathy toward other humans.

In seasons seven and eight, available for streaming now (a total of 30 episodes), Bourdain swims with bluefin tuna off the Croatian coast, takes a boozy tour of the world's only pub tram in Finland, tears through the California high desert in a classic car, ventures deep into Brazil's Amazon for a prehistoric delicacy, and leads us on many other delicious adventures.

It's the perfect balm if you're missing both travel and the brilliant Bourdain, the intoxicatingly charismatic host who had the best job in the world.

Stream No Reservations or sign up for Hulu here

Rick steves' europe.

Along with Bourdain, Rick Steves is among the most quintessential travel hosts. But unlike Bourdain, Steves lulls the viewer into a peaceful, carefree state, where he is the calm-voiced, judgment-free guide. And we are more than happy to follow along on cobblestone paths and through fragrant markets.

Since the 1970s, Steves has been leading tours to Europe, and making shows about them since the '80s. His mastery and laid back approach sets the tone for historic and cultural adventures in Rick Steves' Europe, with 10 seasons available for streaming.

Make a bowl of popcorn and set out for European festivals, ancient Rome, or historic London. Plus, Steves has some episodes devoted to sharing tips for planning, packing, and other travel skills, so you'll be ready to get going as soon as it's safe.

Stream Rick Steves' Europe or sign up for Hulu here

Amazing hotels: life beyond the lobby.

If you love amazing hotels (guilty, that's why I review them here ) and you'd love to spend some quarantine time drooling over some of the world's absolute finest, and mentally bookmarking them for later, this one is for you.

In this sleek series, restaurant critic Giles Coren and chef Monica Galetti visit some of the world's most over-the-top properties to experience the way they create the ultra-luxurious, even supernatural seeming, guest experience. They also spend time getting to know employees and explore their personal lives outside work.

Episodes include looks inside Sweden's Icehotel , Canada's Fogo Island Inn , Kenya's Giraffe Manor , Singapore's Marina Bay Sands , Ecuador's Mashpi Lodge , and Morocco's Royal Mansour Marrakech . That last one I saw only after I visited the property located within Marrakech's medina. I wish I'd seen it first so I had known about the wild machinations going on literally underneath my feet in subterranean employee channels meant to keep guests fully insulated from the staff's monumental efforts.

Watch Amazing Hotels on YouTubeTV

Chef's table.

There are now six seasons of this Emmy-nominated series, which goes around the world to get deep with chefs who are putting their own unique spins on highly elevated gourmet food and desserts in their corners of the globe.

Yes, the travelogue component is incredible and wanderlust worthy. But if you're skeptical of the whole food-is-art notion, prepare to be convinced — and have your mind blown by the gorgeous cinematography that presents food every bit like museum-worthy masterpieces.

Dominque Crenn of San Francisco's Atelier Crenn; Virgilio Martínez, the owner of Peru's Central restaurant; Tuscan butcher Dario Cecchini; and Southern food chef Macadam Bailey are among the featured personalities. 

Stream Chef's Table on Netflix

Ken burns: the national parks — america's best idea.

Yes, I'm a little jittery these days. (You too?) But even under normal circumstances, Ken Burns' whole approach to documentary filmmaking soothes me: the voice, the panning over still photos.

This six-part, 12-hour documentary series by Burns and his longtime colleague Dayton Duncan took more than six years to film and covers all the individuals — soldiers, scientists, artist, entrepreneurs, and more — who devoted themselves to preserving precious parkland around the country.

I covered the premiere of this series over a decade ago at a party at LA's Paramount Ranch hosted by the great California travel personality Huell Howser. Howser has since died and the ranch burned in the Woolsey Fire. All of this further reminds me of the fragility of people and places, and the importance of being present in a given moment — both things I intend to keep in mind when travel resumes.

Plus, if you ever thought national parks were ho-hum domestic travel ideas compared to far-flung destinations, this documentary will have you thinking differently — if quarantine life hadn't already done that.

Stream The National Parks or sign up for Amazon Prime here

You can purchase logo and accolade licensing to this story here . Disclosure: Written and researched by the Insider Reviews team. We highlight products and services you might find interesting. If you buy them, we may get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our partners. We may receive products free of charge from manufacturers to test. This does not drive our decision as to whether or not a product is featured or recommended. We operate independently from our advertising team. We welcome your feedback. Email us at [email protected] .

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15 Best Travel TV Shows To Watch Now

Travel Inspiration & Tips | May 12, 2020

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When travel is off the cards for a while, the itchy-footed among us have to get creative in order to get our fix of foreign lands and unknown cultures. What easier way to satiate that rumble of wanderlust in your (probably) bloated belly than to sprawl on the couch watching some of the best travel TV shows on the box?

From eye-opening travel documentaries to tongue-in-cheek series about a well-known figure’s physical and psychological journey; filmed everywhere from the backstreets of unchartered villages to the tourist drags of world-famous cities: these TV shows about travel do an excellent job of capturing the overall essence of adventure.

Missing unfamiliar food, heartwarming interactions with locals, emotive landscapes and bucket list moments? While we can’t chase these experiences ourselves, we can watch telly that reminds us what’s out there waiting while we’re stuck at home.

15 Best TV Shows About Travel

Here’s my list of what I believe are the best popular TV shows focusing on travel, in no particular order.

1 Extreme Engagement

Adventurous filmmaker Tim Noonan and his TV presenter partner PJ Madam set out on a pre-marriage honeymoon so they can really get to know each other before tying the knot. The show takes them to explore the relationship traditions of places such as Cameroon, Mongolia and Papua New Guinea.

In addition to showing us aspects of cultures we’d never normally get to learn about, the show raises interesting questions about boundaries in relationships – PJ is clearly a lot less comfortable with some of the situations than Tim is.

Extreme Engagement has been criticised on Twitter for cultural appropriation, but I didn’t feel that way about it.

Watch it on: Netflix

2 Jack Whitehall: Travels With My Father

Jack-the-lad Whitehall goes on an overdue gap yah style trip with his old dad, TV producer Michael Whitehall.

The twosome differ madly in their travel styles, with the senior male valuing fine art, history and above all, comfort. Jack, meanwhile, just wants to get lashed. Their resulting (mis)adventures are hilarious, awkward and at times, downright ridiculous.

The first series is filmed in South East Asia, where Jack pursues the usual hedonistic experiences – much to his dad’s chagrin. The second series (Michael’s turn to choose) is in Eastern Europe.

The father-son duo have also penned a book together, Him & Me. You can buy it on Amazon.

3 Asian Provocateur

In Asian Provocateur comedian Romesh Ranganathan embarks on a journey though his parents’ homeland, Sri Lanka, in an effort to please his mum. The first series artfully explores the second-generation experience as Crawley-born Romesh bumbles through lessons about his heritage.

Romesh’s portrayal of the second-generation struggle resonates with many, and educates those who can’t relate, while keeping us hugely entertained.

His mother, Shanthi, was hilarious in the first series and joined Romesh for the next series, where the two tour the US.

4 The Kindness Diaries

In this documentary-style series, former depressed broker Leon Logothetis travels the world on a vintage motorbike and relies on the kindness of strangers for food, petrol and lodging.

The hospitality Leon encounters on his radical journey is heartwarming and he pays it back with self-funded projects such as helping to save stray dogs or building schools.

He learns, like many travellers do along the way, that kindness shows us our similarities instead of focusing on our differences.

5 Anything with Anthony Bourdain

Parts Unknown is my personal favourite of all of the late chef, author and travel documentary maker’s shows. In it, Anthony visits Libya, Tokyo, the Punjab region, Jamaica, Turkey,  Ethiopia, Nigeria, Texas and Armenia. Barack Obama even made an appearance in one episode!

The show explores the culinary scene in each of the lesser-visited and often politically tense destinations it covers, with Bourdain’s providing his token sarcastic narration throughout.

The Layover is another incredible travel TV show, with Bourdain hotfooting it around cities in Europe, Asia and the US attempting to uncover delicious food worth shouting about in the 48 hours he has in each place.

6 Dark Tourist

This travel TV show is unique in that it focuses on the creepier destinations; the places with scary stories and often misunderstood traditions attached.

While the average tourist goes in search of palm-fringed beaches and cheap pints, Dark Tourist shines a light on the subset of travellers who reject the usual tourist sites and instead opt to explore the unknown.

Journalist David Ferrier hangs out with vampires in New Orleans and learns about a death-worshipping cult in Mexico. Well, travel is supposed to open your eyes to other cultures!

7 Anything with Stacey Dooley

Finally, a show following a woman who travels! Amateur journalist Stacey is hugely likeable and brings a striking amount of calm and rationality to the serious situations she encounters in her documentaries.

Dooley’s best travel documentary in my opinion is Stacey Dooley Investigates, where she travels to places like Tokyo to learn more about some of the most heinous and controversial issues.

From diving into the world of whale hunters in Norway to highlighting violence against women in Russia; the series is brave, ballsy and calls attention to important issues.

Watch it on: BBC iPlayer

8 Anything with Louis Theroux

Ah Louis, how have we made it this far into a list of the best travel TV shows without mentioning you yet?

The affable documentary maker gambles in Las Vegas, immerses himself in the most hated family in America and meets holidaying hunters in South Africa. Wherever he is, Theroux’s wry questions and awkward incredulity are fun to watch.

Theroux’s documentaries aren’t just travel shows, they’re iconic representations of some of the weirdest and most shocking people on earth. His books are decent too.

9 Gordon ,  Gino and Fred :  Road Trip

The camaraderie between this cheeky trio of celebrity chefs makes their joint travel TV endeavour a joy to watch. Gordon Ramsay brings the British humour into their camper van, Gino D’Acampo lends the series his Italian charm and French maitre d’ Fred Sirieix offers a little je ne sais quoi .

They traverse each gent’s homeland first, sampling the best cuisine in France, Italy and Scotland with friendly rivalry. Next, it’s an American road trip through Las Vegas, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Texas.

Don’t miss the episode where they get high on THC infused tea in San Francisco.

Watch it on: ITV Player

10 An Idiot Abroad

Hapless idiot Karl Pilkington reluctantly has his eyes opened to other cultures in this travel themed TV show created by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant.

Karl is the most British bloke you’ve probably ever encountered and he has zero interest in seeing the world. His obvious discomfort and sheer incredulity at some of the things he witnesses on his trips makes for funny viewing.

Karl, at his friends’ bequest, visits the seven wonders of the world and is forced to endure the average traveller’s bucket list experiences. It’s like watching the world’s most elaborate practical joke play out.

Watch it on: Sky TV

11 Stephen Fry In America

The great Stephen Fry travels across the USA in a very British black cab in this series, starting in New England and winding up in Alaska.

Along the way, Fry gets to experience some of the most unique and diverse attractions in each destination, from a hot air balloon ride over the Smoky Mountains to swimming with sharks in Hawaii. He meets some remarkable people on his adventures.

There’s a book about this series where Fry shares more of his account of the trip.

Watch it on: Prime Video

12 The World’s Most Extraordinary Homes

If you love to see how the 1% live when you travel – even if it is only via the peephole, this luxury property programme will satiate your craving for the good life.

Unlikely duo architect Piers Taylor and actress and property enthusiast Caroline Quentin sneak around some of the most elaborate and high-budget homes in the world, which just so happen to be built in some pretty jaw-dropping destinations.

As an example, the two spend time in a wooden building on New Zealand’s Marlborough Sounds and a nautical-themed building in Nova Scotia, Canada.

13 Anything with Rick Stein

TV personality and chef Rick Stein has an admirable catalogue of travel shows under his belt. In his programmes, Stein eats in local restaurants of every kind, and explores the history and culture of each destination through its cuisine.

He draws attention to the bits of life that other countries are doing much better than us Brits wherever he goes.

Rick Stein’s The Road to Mexico, Long Weekends and most recently, Secret France all centre around local food. Isn’t the best way to truly get to know a destination through its gastronomy?

14 Ugly Delicious

Food and travel are intertwined, and neither is truly great without the other. That’s my opinion, anyway.

Fellow foodies might enjoy a travel show that focuses on one famous dish or concept from a destination, and explores how it is made in different regions and how it evolved as the recipe travelled.

This travelogue follows chef David Chang as he embarks on this mouthwatering investigation, where he tries to introduce Vietnamese fusion crawfish to New Orleans and compares the concept of ‘curry’ in America and India.

15 Stay Here

If you stay in Airbnbs when you travel and often find yourself frustrated at the improvements that could be made to the properties you lodge in, you’ll love this accommodation focused TV show.

Interior designer Genevieve Gorder and Peter Lorimer, a real estate broker, transform short-term rental homes into serious Airbnb gold across the United States.

Rentals featured on the show include a ‘Lakeside Lovenest’ houseboat in Seattle, a brownstone in Brooklyn, and a SoCo Poolhouse in Austin.

Laying low? You might enjoy these blog posts

21 Cute At Home Date Ideas

My 7 Step Evening Skincare Routine

At-Home Spanish Tapas Recipe Ideas

How I became A Full-time Travel Blogger

17 Weird Things That Happen When You Work From Home

Have I missed out an amazing travel themed TV show that you love? Leave your best travel programmes in the comments!

Nicola says

May 12, 2020 at 5:54 pm

You missed Race Across the world, series 1&2. Travel on a budget!

Amal Owasi says

May 21, 2020 at 12:34 pm

You missed Street-Food & Taco Chronicles which aired last year. I have watched both of them and i guess everyone else who loves food and traveling should too. Best shows to watch during traveling.

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34 best travel tv shows to binge watch this year.

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links, at no extra cost for you!

Are you looking for some amazing travel TV shows to feed your wanderlust?

There is nothing better than watching inspiring travel TV shows when you don’t get to travel. They are entertaining, helpful to plan your travels and open your mind (and heart) to new places.

I absolutely love watching travel shows on TV. While it’s true that I prefer doing the actual travelling, I’m like everybody else and I also enjoy staying at home and dreaming of my next destinations.

I spend a lot of time watching travel shows and find it to be not just entertaining, but enlightening!

Sometimes you will discover underrated places that you would have never thought of going. And that’s the great thing about it, you don’t only get to learn about the places you want to go. You discover new places!

It’s also a very good way to learn more about the culture of these places.

As you may know, I love discovering new cultures. I find all of them so incredibly interesting. Foreign languages, food, history… there is just so much to discover. It’s so interesting and exciting!

Here are some of the best travel TV shows to watch now!

🔎 Table of Contents

1. Jack Whitehall: Travels with my father

Jack Whitehall is a famous British comedian. He is mainly known to be the posh lad in Fresh Meat (filmed in Manchester by the way 😉 ).

In real life, Jack Whitehall actually is a very posh Londoner. He comes from a wealthy family and never got the chance to go backpacking as many young people do.

On top of that, he always had quite a difficult relationship with his dad, who is 79.

This is why, in 2017, Jack Whitehall invites his dad, Michael, to go backpacking with him in Asia for a Netflix original series .

By that, I mean proper backpacking. Sleeping in hostels, taking cheap transportation, carrying a backpack… and guess what, his dad said yes!

This show is absolutely hilarious and a perfect mix between comedy and travel. If you need something to cheer you up and make you dream of foreign lands, it’s the perfect choice!

In the first season, they travel through countries such as Thailand, Vietnam, and Cambodia.

It’s so funny to watch as the dad is quite a character. He is a very posh person and obviously not quite happy about the lack of comfort.

If you like British humour, Jack and Michael Whitehall will crack you up!

The show had so much success that it was renewed for a second season in Europe . A continent that Michael famously voted to leave! In the third season, they go to America and here again, it takes a whole new dimension.

Give it a try, you will be hooked straight from the first episode! It’s so funny and arguably the best travel reality show on Netflix!

2. Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown

You may know Anthony Bourdain as a chef but did you know that he had a few travel shows as well?

My favourite is Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown .

This American food and travel show was produced by CNN and ran from 2013 to 2018. Sadly, Anthony died while working on a show about Strasbourg, France on the 8th of June 2018.

In this show, he travels the world and focuses on the lesser-known and underrated places.

He goes to pretty much any country you can think of and explores the culture and cuisine with locals. Very often he goes around with local guides, sometimes he also gets to meet famous personalities.

In his episode about Lyon in France, he goes for dinner with Paul Bocuse, the famous French chef.

Bourdain has this very unique way to explore the world. He sees the beauty in everything and always makes sure to be in perfect sync with local cultures.

He had this unique ability to see the world as the absolute beauty it really is and through Parts Unknown, shares his vision of the world’s cultures.

It’s not a show that I would categorise as funny, although there are some quirks. But it’s definitely the most interesting and passionate one of this list!

3. Down to Earth

Seasons:  1

This is a fun travel show / documentary to watch. It stars Zac Efron who travels around the world with wellness expert Darin Olien.

The goal of these travels is to discover more sustainable ways to live. They go everywhere around the world including Iceland, Sardinia and South America. 

Each destination highlight a specific sustainable lifestyle. For example, Sardinia in Italy is known as a blue zone. A blue zone is an area with more people reaching the age of 100 than the average.

When they get to Sardinia, they meet with locals and experts to try to understand how the way people live and eat has impacted their health.

Darin Olien is known to be big on super foods so you will also learn plenty about that when they go to South America.

All in all, this is a great show to watch as it perfectly mixes together fun and education.

4. BBC Race Across the World

Even though the Amazing Race is a concept available in almost all countries, it doesn’t exist in the UK.

But don’t you worry, the BBC thought that through and created its own program!

The concept of the Race across the world is a bit different though. In this show, you will follow 5 pairs of travellers on an epic race across the world.

In the first season, their mission is to go from London to Singapore without taking a single flight.

They are being given a bit of money, the equivalent of a flight ticket from London to Singapore ie about £1000. With this money, they have to go to Singapore without flying.

This means they have to find transport, accommodation and food for a month within that £500 budget per head. Each pair adopts a different strategy.

They take all sorts of transportation. Some hitchhike, some take the bus…

It’s a very entertaining thing to watch. You will surprise yourself trying to plan that trip as well!

5. Somebody Feed Phil

Seasons:  4

This Netflix Original is an excellent thing to watch if you love both travelling and food.

You will follow Philip Rosenthal on his trips around the world and discover the local delicacies.

There is no better way to understand the local culture than eating local dishes with the locals themselves and that’s what Phil is doing here.

From the floating markets in Thailand to the classic Mexican cantinas, he tries it all!

The best thing about this show is that you will discover so much more than just food and drinks.

He really tries to understand the local culture and why things are the way they are.

It’s also worth noting that Phil is a very happy and funny guy which makes it very pleasant to watch.

6. Instant Hotel

Instant Hotel is an Australian reality show that follows several teams of homeowners.

Each duo owns a holiday rental in Australia and will host the other contestants for a day and a night.

It’s a nice thing to watch if you love Australia or would like to visit one day.

You will get to see several states including Victoria, Queensland, New South Wales, South Australia and Northern Territory.

Not only will you see some very famous locations such as Bondi Beach but will also get to discover some hidden gems.

There are 2 seasons available on Netflix.

7. Ugly Delicious

This is another food and travel TV show on Netflix. In this one, you will follow chef David Chang on his journey around the world.

A bit like Anthony Bourdain used to do, Chang is using food to tackle misconceptions and break down cultural barriers. 

Food is a powerful way to experience a country and learn more about the local culture. Chef Chang knows that and he shows you exactly how to!

He is also joined by guests including other chefs, artists, activists and plenty more. With him, you’ll discover many different regions including the USA, Asia and Europe.

8. Dark Tourist

In Dark Tourist, the journalist David Farrier focuses on something rarely talked about: Dark Tourism. Dark tourism is the fact of travelling to places associated with death or tragedy.

This type of travel is getting more and more popular and that’s why David Farrier goes to experience it and share with us his journey.

Dark Tourist is a very interesting show to watch as clearly, he is immersing himself into some culture and believes that you probably never even heard of before that.

Secondly, it can get quite funny and that Kiwi accent is always so cute!

Lastly, let’s be honest, it’s bloody weird! And clearly extremely interesting. I had no idea most of these things existed and although it can be creepy at times, it is quite interesting to know more about them.

9. Emily in Paris

Emily in Paris is a Netflix Original TV Show that was released in 2020. It was created by Darren Star (best known for “Sex and the City”).

It’s the story of Emily Cooper, an American girl, who moves to Paris to work in a French marketing agency.

Although it was argued that the show was full of clichés, it is still a very cool thing to watch. As a French person, I loved it!

It may not quite be representative of what a normal french life is but it highlights the most magical aspects of Paris! It will make you dream!

Emily Cooper is played by Lily Collins (British-American actress) but most of the other main characters are French which makes the show even better!

They all speak English (some with a better accent than others).

It’s a feel-good travel show that will make you want to visit Paris straight away!

And if you do, you will be able to visit Emily in Paris filming locations!

10. Griff’s Great Australian Rail Trip

Looking for a travel show about Australia? Here you go!

This 2020 docuseries is one of the best things to watch before going to Australia.

Here you will see Griff Rhys Jones, a Welsh comedian, taking on an amazing train journey from Perth to Sydney and Darwin to Adelaide.

Not only is it a great way to see what the Indian Pacific and The Ghan trains are like but you will also get to learn so much about the Australian outback and culture.

You can tell that Griff is truly fascinated by Australia and he will definitely make you want to jump on a plane straight away!

11. The Kindness Diaries

The Kindness Diaries is one of the best travel programmes if you also love motorbikes (don’t worry if you don’t though, it’s fun either way but if you do like motorbikes, this is the ultimate best travel series for you).

You will follow the adventures of Leon who travels around the world on a vintage motorcycle relying solely on the kindness of strangers for accommodation, food and even petrol.

This is an extraordinary travel tv program. Not only is it interesting and fun but seeing the kindness of people all around the world is simply the most moving thing you can see.

It will leave you quite emotional on a few occasions!

12. James May: Our man in Japan

You may know James May as one of the presenters of Top Gear. But he’s got way more in store than you’d think.

In this Amazon Prime original , James May goes to Japan and experiences many aspects of Japanese Culture.

He goes to all the main cities including Tokyo and Kyoto but also some more remote places in the Japanese countryside.

James May is a typical British guy and definitely knows how to come up with the best comments!

Just picture him, in Japan, not speaking a single word of Japanese, clueless about the culture… and yet going for it!

It’s a very interesting mix of fun and culture.

If you love Japan, you will definitely like it but even if you don’t have any specific interest in this country, you will still enjoy it, I promise!

You can watch this amazing show on Amazon Prime.

Click here to check it out and get a free trial!

13. Gordon, Gino and Fred’s Road Trip

If you are looking for comedy travel shows, look no further! This one will make you laugh out loud!

This 2-season show features 3 famous chefs in the UK: Gordon Ramsay, Gino D’Acampo, and Fred Serieix.

Just picture it for a moment, we are putting together a British man, an Italian man and a French man, in a same place and make them travel the world to discover the best foods.

The result? One of the best celebrity travel shows we can think of!

It is a very cool show and you get to discover their home countries of Italy , France and Scotland but also some other destinations such as Texas or Mexico.

14. By Any Means

Seasons:  1 (6 episodes)

This one is for all the adventurers out there! Unlike some of the shows out there that are quite commercialised, this one is very pure and honest. You will be following Charley Boorman, an Irishman who decides to go from his small hometown in Ireland all the way down to Australia without flying.

Charley is not doing all of that on his own. He is with a team which makes it even more entertaining.

In the first episode, you will see how they went about planning the trip itself which was pretty challenging back in 2008. After that, the good stuff starts and you follow them on this incredible journey.

It’s a great way to learn more about hidden gems and underrated travel destinations.

Click here to watch on Amazon Prime.

15. The Grand Tour

The Grand Tour is British motoring show featuring Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May. Although it is known for cars, it’s also an excellent travel TV show to watch.

The famous trio used to present Top Gear for BBC. In 2015, BBC didn’t renew Jeremy Clarkson’s contract.

At this point, his friends decided to follow him and they signed a contract with Amazon Prime. The Grand Tour was born!

On the Grand Tour, Clarkson, Hammond and May embark the most incredible vehicles and set off to explore some of the most beautiful countries in the world!

They visit some famous places but also adventure themselves in very remote, off-the-beaten-path, locations. This includes Madagascar, Morocco, Namibia, Italy and many more!

The Grand Tour is available on Amazon Prime . There are several seasons and some specials!

Click here to watch The Grand Tour.

16. Amazing Race

The Amazing Race is an American reality TV show. I’ve watched every season of the French equivalent, Pekin Express.

As much as I would love to talk about this show, I appreciate that watching a show in french might not be of your liking!

But it’s ok because the Amazing Race is pretty much the same thing. There is an American and Canadian version.

The concept is simple. There are several teams of two racing around the world. In each episode, they have to go to a certain destination with no money.

Therefore their only option is to hitchhike and get locals to accommodate them for free.

Along the way, other missions are given to them. These can be hikes, riding… all sorts of things.

It’s the perfect show to discover many countries in a different way. The Amazing Race has it all: competition, culture, landscapes, fun… A must see!

And there are over 30 seasons available so plenty to binge-watch!

Click here to watch the Amazing Race.

17. Travel Man

If you are looking for another funny British travel show, Travel Man is for you!

In this channel 4 show, the host Richard Ayoade explores all major cities around the world. The goal? Visiting as many tourist spots in the minimum amount of time.

When I say that, don’t get me wrong. He is very well organised and makes sure to go on a guided tour most of the time.

This means he actually embeds himself very well in the culture of the place he is visiting.

But where loads of travel shows focus on hidden gems and off-the-beaten-path destinations, Travel Man does the opposite. He goes for the most famous landmarks!

And it’s a good thing because even though these places are touristy, they are famous for a reason!

Richard Ayoade is a very funny man and will make you laugh out loud quite a few times!

Somehow, he always does his best not to enjoy himself which makes the whole show absolutely hilarious!

This show is perfect if you are planning city breaks or are into architecture.

If you are an adventure and after nature discovery, it won’t be what you are looking for.

Click here to watch Travel Man.

18. Anthony Bourdain: The Layover

The late Anthony Bourdain was famous as a celebrity chef. But he gained an army of new fans with his excellent travel series, Anthony Bourdain: The Layover .

Showcasing Bourdain’s swift visits to various cities around the world, the show aired on the Travel Channel from 2011 to 2013.

It focused on how to make the most of a short layover or brief stopover in a city.

Each episode featured Bourdain spending 24 to 48 hours in a featured city, providing viewers with a fast-paced, no-nonsense guide to experiencing the best food, culture and attractions a place had to offer.

He often sought the help of local experts and friends, including chefs and celebrities, to uncover hidden gems and popular hotspots.

Visiting everywhere from New York City to Istanbul, the show is renowned for Bourdain’s candid and unfiltered commentary, his willingness to try exotic and unconventional dishes and his deep appreciation for the diverse cultures he encountered.

19. All Joanna Lumley’s Shows

Joanna Lumley is a famous British actress. You may know her from  The New Avengers  or more recently  The Wolf of Wall Street.

She is also well known for her travel documentaries.

She has done quite a few of them over the years and they are all fantastic things to watch. The most recent one was released in 2020 and is called Joanna Lumley’s Hidden Caribbean: Havana to Haiti.

If you love the Caribbean and want to learn more about this part of the world, watching Joanna Lumley’s TV show will be the perfect thing to do.

It is considered a documentary but like most travel shows, it’s quite funny on top of being interesting.

In this one, she goes to Cuban and Haiti. Local culture, quirky situations, funny humour… it has it all!

You should also consider watching the other ones as they are all fantastic:

• Joanna Lumley’s Nile
• Joanna Lumley’s Japan
• Joanna Lumley’s Trans-Siberian Adventure
• Joanna Lumley’s Unseen Adventures
• Joanna Lumley’s Greek Odyssey
• Joanna Lumley’s India
• Joanna Lumley’s Home Sweet Home: Travels in My Own Land
• Joanna Lumley’s Silk Road Adventure
• Joanna Lumley’s Postcards

Most of them are available on Amazon Prime as well as ITV Hub and BBC Select.

20. Bradley Walsh & Son: Breaking Dad

This one is very similar to Jack Whitehall Travels with my father. On paper at least.

In this case, the dad is the celebrity. Bradley Walsh is a famous British comedian and presenter. If he never particularly wanted to travel, his 21-year old son, Barney, decided otherwise!

Together they go on a road trip in America in an RV. The series started in 2019 and can be watched on Amazon . There are 2 seasons, 10 episodes in total.

In this case, they don’t go for a budget-travel version. They keep their comfort but try very unexpected activities in the States.

It’s more about the contact with the locals which is quite interesting.

As you would expect from the Walsh’s, it’s also very funny!

They go from the Florida Keys up to Georgia. So if you are interested in knowing more about Florida and the east coast states, this one’s for you!

You can watch this amazing show on  ITV (eligible for a free trial as well!).

21. An Idiot Abroad

An Idiot Abroad is one the quirkiest travel show that you can find.

Here is the plot: the main person, Karl Pilkington has never wanted to travel and will be forced to.

Basically, at the beginning of the episode, Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant (who created the show) send Karl abroad with instructions. They put together a bucket list and he has to do everything.

It’s so funny! I promise, this British show will crack you up!

The thing that makes it so entertaining is the fact that Karl Pilkington has no interest in travelling and ends up doing all these things while the other two stay in the UK!

If you want to have a good laugh, An Idiot Abroad is the way to go!

22. The Americas with Simon Reeve

If you are looking for the best travel shows on BBC iplayer, this one is for you!

It features Simon Reeve, a famous British adventurer, exploring the Americas.

The first season includes 5 episodes during which you discover some of the most famous places in the Americas such as Machu Picchu in Peru but also some very remote places in the Amazon rainforest.

If you’d like to learn more about Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, Brazil, Peru, Bolivia, Chile and Paraguay, this is the travel show for you.

There is a lot to love about the Americas. Between the ancient Maya heritage and the beautiful national parks in the USA, there is so much to discover.

That’s exactly what you will do if you want “The Americas with Simon Reeve”.

You will follow him on his incredible journey and learn more about the local culture as well as sustainable ways to live. From planting trees in Costa Rica to hiking the Rocky Mountains, this is the perfect mix between adventure, culture and sustainability.

This TV show was produced by BBC and available on BBC iPlayer. 

23. Men in Kilts

If you’d love to learn more about Scotland , then Men in Kilts is the perfect travel show for you!

Here you will follow Sam Heughan and Graham McTavish, the stars of Outlander, around Scotland and discover plenty about the local culture.

This includes whisky, bagpipes and of course, stunning landscapes.

Not only is it a very interesting show to watch but the hosts are so funny and it’s so great to see them in another context than Outlander.

24. Long Way Up

Premiering in 2020, Long Way Up is part of the Long Way series of documentary travel TV shows, which follows motorcycle journeys led by longtime actors and friends Charley Boorman and Ewan McGregor.

In Long Way Up , Charley and Ewan embark on an epic adventure, riding electric Harley Davidson LiveWire motorbikes from the southern tip of South America in Argentina to Los Angeles in the USA.

The journey covers over 13,000 miles and 13 countries, taking them through Chile, Bolivia, Peru , Ecuador, Colombia, Central America and Mexico between their start and finish points.

Some of the most memorable moments include navigating challenging terrains like the Atacama Desert and the Andes Mountains, dealing with extreme weather conditions, and experiencing the cultural diversity of the countries they visit.

The duo also encounter unexpected obstacles, like charging their electric motorcycles in remote locations with limited infrastructure, which adds an extra layer of adventure to their trip.

25. Booze Traveler

Booze Traveler was a popular Travel Channel television series from 2014 to 2018. Its host was the effervescent Jack Maxwell – a well-known Boston-born actor and television personality.

Each episode featured Maxwell embarking on a worldwide adventure to learn about different cultures through their alcoholic beverages and drinking customs.

The series took viewers to various destinations, including Mexico, India, Japan, Italy, and South Africa.

In each place, Maxwell immersed himself in local customs, tried traditional drinks and interacted with the locals to understand the importance of alcohol in their culture better.

In doing this, he often tried unique and sometimes unusual alcoholic drinks, such as snake wine in Vietnam and fermented mare’s milk in Mongolia.

Overall, the show explored the cultural and historical significance of alcohol, revealing how it has shaped societies and brought people together.

Sadly, the show was not renewed for a fifth series because Maxwell was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma while filming the last few episodes of this travel series.

26. Amazing Hotels: Life Beyond the Lobby

Considered one of the best travel TV series out of the UK, Amazing Hotels: Life Beyond the Lobby debuted in 2017 and quickly became popular amongst those who aspire to the finer things in life.

Giles Coren, a British food and travel writer and Monica Galetti, a renowned chef and restaurant critic, host the show.

The series explores some of the world’s most unique and luxurious hotels, delving beyond their opulent lobbies to uncover the behind-the-scenes operations and extraordinary experiences they offer.

In each episode, Coren and Galetti visit a different exceptional hotel, often located in stunning and remote locations.

They meet with the staff, from chefs to concierges, to understand the craftsmanship, innovation and dedication required to maintain these extraordinary establishments.

The show highlights the environmental and sustainability efforts of these hotels where possible.

Over the years, Amazing Hotels has featured various destinations, including the Fogo Island Inn in Canada, the Burj Al Arab in Dubai, the Giraffe Manor in Kenya and the Treehotel in Sweden.

27. Iain Robertson Rambles

If you watch Iain Robertson Rambles , you’ll see one of the most fascinating documentary travel TV shows ever.

As its name suggests, this captivating series is hosted by Iain Robertson, a Scottish presenter and broadcaster widely recognised for his love for nature and the outdoors.

The show focuses on Robertson’s expeditions through some of Scotland’s most picturesque and remote terrains and the UK.

During each episode, viewers accompany Robertson on his long walks and hikes across breathtaking landscapes.

The show offers a unique blend of travelogue, natural history, and personal storytelling.

Robertson’s passion for the outdoors and his knowledge of wildlife and environmental conservation are central to the series.

Throughout the series, Iain Robertson explores various destinations in Scotland and the UK, including the rugged Highlands , the serene islands of the Hebrides, and the lush woodlands of Wales.

Whilst watching him do this, viewers feel like they are alongside him – trekking through the picturesque landscapes he explores.

28. The Misadventures of Romesh Ranganathan

If you are looking for funny travel shows, look no further than The Misadventures of Romesh Ranganathan .

The show, a travel documentary series starring the British comedian, first aired in 2018.

It follows Romesh as he embarks on journeys to various destinations worldwide, often focusing on places considered off the beaten path or challenging for tourists.

Throughout the series, Romesh immerses himself in the local cultures and traditions of the places he visits.

He often seeks unique and authentic experiences, interacting with locals and trying his hand at their customs and activities.

Some places he visits include Ethiopia, Haiti, Albania, Zimbabwe, Mongolia, and Bosnia – locations known for their rich history, distinctive cultures, and, in some cases, reputations for being less frequented by mainstream travellers.

As Romesh offers humorous and self-deprecating commentary while navigating unfamiliar and sometimes challenging situations, the show provides a fresh perspective on travel.

His witty observations and genuine reactions to the places he goes to make for entertaining viewing. 

29. Passport to Europe with Samantha Brown

Passport to Europe with Samantha Brown is one of several TV travel shows that hit our screens from the Travel Channel.

The show ran from 2004 to 2006 and was hosted by the American television personality and travel expert known for her engaging and relatable approach to travel.

In the series, Samantha Brown explores various European destinations, providing viewers with insider tips, cultural insights and travel recommendations.

She regularly immersed herself in the local culture, trying regional foods, experiencing traditions, and interacting with locals.

Some of the destinations she went to included Paris, Rome, Venice, London, Vienna and Barcelona.

The show captures each location’s iconic landmarks, historical sites and vibrant neighbourhoods while highlighting their unique charms during her visits.

It was known for dishing out practical travel advice and inspirational exploration of European cities and cultures.

It encouraged viewers to embrace the adventure of travel and discover the beauty and diversity of Europe’s many destinations.

30. Globe Trekker

One of the longest-running TV travel shows was the incomparable Globe Trekker , which aired for 17 seasons and well over 200 episodes from 1994 to 2010.

The show features trekkers who embark on journeys to destinations worldwide, providing viewers with insights into different cultures, traditions and experiences.

Over the years, it has had a rotating cast of hosts, including Ian Wright, Megan McCormick, Zay Harding and one Bradley Cooper – who went on to achieve international fame as a Hollywood superstar.

These hosts have travelled to various destinations around the globe from the ancient ruins of Machu Picchu in Peru and the vibrant markets of Marrakech in Morocco to the serene landscapes of New Zealand and the untouched beauty of Bora Bora.

The show’s format combines travelogue-style storytelling with practical travel tips, making it entertaining and informative for viewers interested in exploring the world.

31. Conan Without Borders

For those wanting the best travel shows streaming right now, it’s hard to go past Conan Without Borders.

Hosted by the famous comedian and talk show, the show debuted in 2015.

It featured Conan travelling to various international destinations, often to engage with local cultures, traditions and humour.

Celebrity guests, friends, and local personalities join Conan O’Brien in exploring the destinations throughout the series – including former First Lady Michelle Obama, actor Jack Black and comedian Jordan Schlansky.

The show has taken viewers on hilarious and insightful journeys to destinations like Cuba, Mexico, Israel, Japan, South Korea, Italy and Ghana.

It typically blends travelogue-style segments with Conan’s trademark comedic sketches and interviews.

While watching his attempts to immerse himself in cultural practices (such as learning traditional dances or trying regional cuisine), Conan presents us with his comedic take on each destination’s unique quirks and idiosyncrasies.

In doing so, the show entertains and fosters a sense of global connection and curiosity.

32. Tales by Light

Combining breathtaking imagery, storytelling, and a profound appreciation for the planet’s wonders, Tales by Light is a must-watch travel TV series for photography enthusiasts and anyone interested in the world’s most extraordinary and untamed places.

The show is a documentary television series that delves into the world of photography and the experiences of renowned photographers as they capture compelling images from around the globe.

It explores the stories behind these captivating photographs and the photographers’ journeys to catch them.

The series has featured various acclaimed photographers, including Art Wolfe, Darren Jew and Krystle Wright, who each provide insights into their unique approach to photography. 

They usually travel to remote and exotic destinations – including the Amazon Rainforest, Antarctica, Papua New Guinea, India and the Arctic Circle – often pursuing wildlife, nature and indigenous cultures.

Overall, the show provides viewers with a visually stunning and educational experience, showcasing the photographers’ dedication to their craft and deep respect for the natural world.

33. Ed Stafford: Into the Unknown

If you have yet to see it, Ed Stafford: Into the Unknown is one of the most compelling travel-related shows you can watch.

Hosted by British adventurer and explorer Ed Stafford – known for being the first person to walk the entire length of the Amazon River – the show illustrates the spirit of human exploration and resilience.

It highlights the former British army captain’s quest for adventure by journeying to some of the world’s most remote and challenging locations.

Throughout the series, Ed Stafford travels solo to destinations like Venezuela, Mongolia, Ethiopia and Peru. He has close encounters with grizzly bears in Alaska and tracking elusive snow leopards in Mongolia.

In every episode, Stafford immerses himself in the local culture and landscapes, often relying on his survival skills to navigate the wild and unfamiliar terrains.

The show combines elements of exploration, adventure and survival as Stafford pushes himself to his physical and mental limits.

34. Expedition Unknown

Expedition Unknown, a popular adventure and travel documentary television series, premiered on the Travel Channel in 2015.

The show’s presenter is Josh Gates, an explorer and adventurer who takes viewers on a quest to uncover mysteries, legends, and secrets from around the world.

During the series, Gates travels to a wide range of famous and obscure destinations to investigate historical enigmas, treasure hunts, and unsolved mysteries.

He often collaborates with experts, historians, and local guides to gather clues and solve puzzles related to each episode’s theme.

Some places he visits include Egypt, South America, and the Caribbean, where he seeks hidden treasures and solves perplexing mysteries.

His adventures involve investigating Amelia Earhart’s disappearance, searching for Atlantis, and pursuing the elusive Yeti in the Himalayas.

Ultimately, the show is known for its blend of adventure, history and exploration, making it entertaining for viewers interested in the thrill of discovery and the fascination of uncovering the world’s hidden secrets.

How to watch travel TV shows?

There are many places where you can find travel TV shows, but these would be the best places to start! I use all of them and love them! They are very complementary!

You can create an account and start watching Netflix here. This is where you will find most of the shows about travel.

Amazon Prime Video

Amazon Prime Video comes with your prime subscription. There are many things to watch on Prime and it’s very good value. You can get a free trial for Amazon Prime Video here.

BBC iplayer

BBC offers some of the best UK travel shows including Race Across the World and The Americas with Simon Reeve.

ITV channel

ITV Channel offers some amazing TV shows such as the Bradley Walsh one or Gordon, Gino and Fred Road Trip. You can get a free trial for ITV here.

Disney + / Hulu

Although these are no TV shows, I’d recommend you to watch some Disney movies . Loads of them are perfect to discover new places.

We don’t always realise it but they are very good to embed yourself into a foreign culture.

For example:

• France: Aristocats
• UK: Mary Poppins
• China: Mulan

I thought I’d put it in there as clearly, Disney is always a good idea !

Channel 4 is a free-to-air television channel in the UK. You can go to their websites and watch everything for free.

There are some ads but they are pretty short.

I hope you will enjoy these amazing travel shows! If you have any recommendations, please share them in the comments as I would love to discover more myself!

You may also be interested in:

• Best books about France and the French
• Harry Potter Things to do in NYC
• Guide to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in the USA
• Magical Emily In Paris Filming Locations you can actually visit in France

Founder of Beeloved City, I am originally from France and have been living in the UK since 2016. I've travelled to 25 countries as a backpacker, travel coordinator and for holidays. I spent a year in Australia before eventually settling down in Manchester, England

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10 Best Travel TV Shows That Will Inspire You To Travel

Posted on Last updated: June 24, 2020

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!

• 1.1 Race Across The World
• 1.2 Planet Earth
• 1.3 An Idiot Abroad
• 1.4 Tales by Light
• 1.5 Departures
• 1.6 Anthony Bourdain – No Reservations, The Layover, A Cook’s Tour and Parts Unknown
• 1.7 Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern
• 1.8 Jack Whitehall: Travels with My Father
• 1.9 Long Way Round & Long Way Down
• 1.10 The Kindness Diaries

Hiking at Gorropu Gorge in Sardinia

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 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 !

Enjoyed reading about the best travel TV shows? Pin it!

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