The desire to pursue adventure travel isn’t always just born outright. Often, it comes in the form of gaining inspiration from movies, documentaries, books, podcasts, and pictures passed around in the media. It doesn’t take much convincing to embark on a thrilling trip. However, the following adventure travel documentaries will make you want to pack up your possessions and leave at the crack of dawn.

Riding Solo to the Top of the World

This documentary follows an adventurer named Gaurav Jani, who set out on a solo trip to one of the world's most remote areas, Changthang Plateau in Ladakh. This self-shot film shows evidence of the solo biking trip he first began in Mumbai. Along the way, he encounters nomads who help him discover different ways of living and unspoiled views to capture on camera. This journey helps him learn more about himself and others.

The Edge of Never

Prepare to be inspired by Kye Petersen, a son who sets out to endure the same skiing mountain that took his father's life, Trevor Petersen, a legendary extreme skier. Kye travels to Chamonix, France, to face his fears and finish his father’s legacy on the most dangerous mountain in the world. As far as adventure travel documentaries go, this is one of the most thrilling and heartwarming stories, as Kye’s purpose has a heartfelt meaning behind it.

Unbranded

Unbranded trails the adventure of four men who set out from Mexico to the Canadian border, adventuring through the vastness of West America with sixteen mustangs in tow. Throughout these four months of exploration, they both bonded with one another and brought more attention to the challenges associated with managing the mustang population in this region of the United States. Given the unique nature of this expedition, it is unlike any other adventure documentary that you’ll set your eyes on.

Blindsight

Many individuals doubted the abilities of the six blind Tibetan teenagers involved in this documentary. But this skepticism only pushed them to pursue this adventure even further. In Blindsight, these six teenagers set out to climb Mt. Everest despite having no sight, led by the iconic blind mountain climber Erik Weihenmayer, the first blind individual to reach the summit of Mt. Everest. This documentary shows its fair share of adventure and demonstrates that one is only as limited as they believe they are.

Some of these travel documentaries may be far from the mainstream idea of adventure. However, they inspire numerous individuals who hope to add some thrill to their lives.