6 Binge-Worthy Travel TV Shows to Watch Before 2026
At 8 pm ET tonight, Netflix is dropping another four hours of Stranger Things. Maybe you heard? (Keep an eye out for missing family members and friends this evening.) If you’ve binged it already and need another fix, you can feed your cravings with these travel TV shows. This may tide you over as you wait for the two-hour finale to drop on New Year’s Eve.
The year-end holidays have always been prime time for travel dreaming. For me, watching travel shows with family and friends have sparked ideas for the next shared voyage. With early Wave Season deals already appearing, this is a natural moment to start thinking about how to get the most out of your vacation dollar on a future cruise.
Stream Binging Is the New Movie Marathon
Before streaming took over; before Netflix dumped an avalanche of House of Cards on us and changed the fundamental way we consume media; when television was mostly cable, satellite, and broadcast, Christmas holidays were built around marathons. Binge-watching was seasonal rather than constant. I fondly recall James Bond and Harry Potter marathons on TBS, and even Absolutely Fabulous on Comedy Central, if we want to go further back. (If any of this sounds foreign to you, please consult an elder.)
Alongside seasonal must-views like A Charlie Brown Christmas, Elf, White Christmas, It’s a Wonderful Life, and Die Hard, travel shows add something grounding. They slow the pace, invite reflection, and remind us why travel holds so much meaning.
All of the shows on this list were produced in the last 20 years, though they span different moments within it. That range means they may not always reflect the latest information or prices, but they do capture something more enduring: the spirit of travel. Across these series, discovery, connection, perspective, and appreciation take precedence over immediacy.
So if the AI Yule log isn’t quite hitting the mark this holiday, here are six cruise and travel shows you can binge to get the travel feels on with the friends and family — or to quietly escape.
World’s Greatest Cruises
World’s Greatest Cruises is the gold standard of cruise travel documentaries, shaped by Lynn Elmhirst’s careful research and journalist’s eye. For cruisers, the series goes beyond showcasing beautiful ships or scenic sailings. It captures why cruising remains one of the most immersive ways to travel, combining the journey itself with a deep sense of place. Elmhirst treats the ship as both transport and vantage point, showing how life onboard connects travelers to history, culture, and landscape in ways that feel considered rather than packaged.
While the itineraries are cruise-forward, the storytelling rarely stops at the ship. Elmhirst delves deeply into each destination, experiencing it aboard some of the world’s most luxurious ocean and river ships. Over the course of the series, she has sailed on Cunard‘s Queen Mary 2 during a transatlantic crossing, explored Iceland and Greenland on an expedition cruise aboard Seabourn Venture, and other luxury lines. Fine food, art, and culture remain central to the narrative, both onboard and ashore, with cruising serving as the connective thread rather than the conclusion.
That approach is especially evident in the upcoming third season. In one episode, Elmhirst plans a pre-cruise journey through Tokaj before embarking on a luxury river cruise in Istanbul. The visit includes time at a vineyard that also operates as a working winery, introducing viewers to one of the world’s oldest wine regions.
How to watch:
- Local PBS stations, PBS.org and PBS app (Season 2, 10 episodes)
- YouTube (Season 1, 10 episodes)
- Prime Video (Seasons 1 and 2, 20 episodes)
Porthole Cruise and Travel Show
Porthole Cruise and Travel Show is the most visually striking series on this list. The cinematography is polished and theatric, with sweeping ship shots and destination footage that place viewers firmly there.
Hosted by Bill Panoff, the series reflects an industry insider with long-standing authority in cruise media and journalism. Panoff brings decades of experience to the screen, guiding viewers through ships and destinations with the ease of someone deeply familiar with how cruises are designed, operated, and experienced.
A standout episode is Panoff’s Antarctica expedition with Atlas Ocean Voyages in Season 1, Episode 2, filmed as the world emerged from the pandemic. After nearly two seasons with no visitors, the episode captures an Antarctica largely untouched by tourism, offering a rare sense of scale, stillness, and anticipation as the journey unfolds.
For travelers asking which ship and which region to cruise, Porthole Cruise and Travel Show offers a grounded sense of what those voyages feel like day to day, both at sea and ashore.
How to watch:
Departures
First airing in 2008, Departures captures a moment in travel television before smartphones and social media reshaped how journeys were documented. The series is not cruise-focused, but movement itself is central to the storytelling. A memorable episode was when the boys joined an Antarctica 21 ship for an expedition in Season 2, Episode 13, where the journey becomes as important as the destination.
At the outset, hosts Scott Wilson and Justin Lukach feel like the odd couple of travel. Scott begins as the cautious straight man, while Justin leans into comic relief. Alongside them, cinematographer Andre Dupre quietly completes the trio. At times, some trips unfold as a comedy of errors, complete with cringey moments. That vulnerability makes the series easy to empathize with and even easier to connect to.
Backpacking around the world, the Canadian team accessed places restricted to travelers from some countries, including Cuba and North Korea. A two-episode journey through Ukraine and Russia took them to Pripyat (Chernobyl), before ending at a local house party in Saint Petersburg. Seen now, those moments carry added weight.
Over three years of traveling, the journey reshapes both hosts in visible ways. Scott learns how to loosen up and find joy in the journey, while Justin develops humility and reverence for the people and places they encounter. Presented in a reality-style format, Departures allows viewers to discover destinations alongside them.
How to watch:
No Passport Required
Hosted by Marcus Samuelsson, whose Ethiopian and Swedish heritage informs his worldview, No Passport Required explores immigrant communities across the United States through food, history, and personal stories.
One of the most revealing episodes is set in Miami, where Samuelsson spotlights Haitian food and culture in Little Haiti. His background gives him ease and sensitivity, allowing food to open conversations about identity, pride, and community. Another standout episode shifts to New Orleans, where Samuelsson explores the rise of Vietnamese cuisine and shows how refugee communities have, over time, helped shape and redefine what modern New Orleans cooking looks like today.
As an aside, it’s funny how the name of the show is No Passport Required, and PBS’ paywall program is called Passport. In order to watch No Passport Required on PBS, Passport is required.
How to watch:
Travel Man
Travel Man brings a distinctly polished feel to travel television, with crisp editing, smart pacing, and a visual style that keeps each episode moving. The series is designed for quick viewing, making it an easy fit between holiday gatherings or during quieter moments on the couch.
The show works best in the single-digit seasons, when it was hosted by Richard Ayoade. Framed from a British perspective around the 48-hour break, the format leans into time limits rather than fighting them, delivering a strong sense of place without trying to be exhaustive.
Those seasons are especially engaging thanks to a rotating cast of celebrity travel companions. Each episode pairs Ayoade with a different guest, creating an easy, conversational rhythm. Some of our favorite episodes include John Hamm joining him in Hong Kong for Christmas, Aisling Bea exploring Istanbul, and Paul Rudd in Miami, all delightfully mixed with humor and local color.
Ayoade’s dry delivery anchors the experience. He never tries to sell the destination, focusing instead on small indulgences, constraints, and awkward moments. For cruise travelers, that cadence mirrors short port calls, where impressions often matter more than depth.
How to watch:
- Journy.tv and Journy App (11 seasons, 53 episodes)
- Prime Video (Seasons 1–8, 39 episodes)
Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations
Of course, no list like this would be complete without the godfather of the genre. Hosted by Anthony Bourdain, No Reservations remains one of the most influential travel documentary series of the past two decades. Bourdain was, infamously, a hard-drinking, hard-smoking, duck-fat-loving curmudgeon of a philosopher chef, but beneath the bravado was a deeply curious and empathetic traveler.
The show treats destinations as living places rather than highlights, using food as an entry point into politics, history, and daily life. One of the most powerful episodes was filmed in Beirut in 2006 during the Israel–Lebanon conflict. As missiles fell nearby and filming became impossible, the episode shifted focus. Rather than abandoning the story, Bourdain captured anxiety, resilience, and humanity, eventually evacuating alongside civilians.
Seen today, the episode reminds viewers that travel is a privilege. Not because it should be risky, but because the freedom to move, observe, and leave is not universally shared.
Availability may vary across streaming platforms. However, viewers can find an Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations channel streaming on Prime Video Live TV.
Beyond Television: YouTube Viewing Worth Bookmarking
It goes without saying that CruiseNews’ news team also produces videos worth watching, especially for readers who enjoy going deeper once the TV marathons wind down.
All Aboard with Joe focuses on real-world cruise experiences by our Executive Producer. Joe’s videos range from ship walk-throughs and cabin tours to embarkation days and personal sailing stories. The perspective is practical and cruiser-centric, offering an easy way to understand what life onboard actually feels like, without polish or pretense.
For those drawn to cruise history, Peter Knego’s MidShipCinema channel offers unmatched depth. Featuring rare archival footage, firsthand ship tours, and decades of maritime expertise, his videos feel like a living record of how modern cruising evolved from the great ocean liners of the past.
Together, these channels round out the holiday viewing list, offering cruise enthusiasts something quieter, richer, and rooted in the indomitable spirit of travel.
This season, let the TV play on. Let the stories run. And let a little armchair travel help inspire to where you might cruise next.
