Travel documentaries

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Travel shows on BBC Select inspire exploration, adventure, and cultural immersion and transport you to captivating destinations around the world. Our selection of travel documentaries feature tour guides such as Joanna Lumley, Alexander Armstrong and Bettany Hughes and offer glimpses into incredible landscapes and lesser known gems across the globe. Embark on journeys across Europe, Asia and more with our collection of travel series and films.

Joanna Lumley’s Great Cities of the World

Join Joanna Lumley in this enjoyable 3-part travel series as she explores Berlin, Paris and Rome and discovers cities full of culture and intrigue.

From the Notre-Dame to Trevi Fountain and Sistine Chapel, Joanna visits the famous landmarks but also meets the people that make these incredible cities what they are today. There’s a photographer who captured life in Soviet-controlled East Berlin, a holocaust survivor, a former refugee who became an inner-city beekeeper and Rome’s famous paparazzo.

The Art of Gothic

Watch The Art of Gothic on BBC Select

This BBC Select art history documentary spends some time down in the dungeon as it delves into the world of the Gothic.

Acclaimed art historian Andrew Graham-Dixon explores how a group of 19th-century architects and artists spurned the modern age and turned to Britain’s medieval past to create iconic works and buildings with a distinctly creepy edge.

But what attracted them to the dark side?

The Silk Road

Stream The Silk Road on BBC Select

Covering 5,000 miles, passing through 13 countries and crossing some of the most dramatic landscapes on the planet, this is the fascinating story of the lucrative trade route which changed the course of civilization forever.

In this extraordinary BBC Silk Road documentary series, Dr Sam Willis explores how the fortunes, ideas and history of the West were shaped and exchanged by travelers from the East.

Cuba With Simon Reeve

Watch Cuba with Simon Reeve on BBC Select

Cuba was once considered America’s glamorous playground, brimming with nightclubs and fun. The communist revolution changed its personality. But in recent years, more economic freedoms have been allowed.

In this BBC travel documentary, adventurer and journalist Simon Reeve meets Cuban entrepreneurs opening new businesses and attempting to thrive while the remnants of the totalitarian communist state remains.

Joanna Lumley’s Britain

Watch Joanna Lumley's Britain on BBC Select

Joanna Lumley heads home to take you on an epic tour of Great Britain, inspired by her own personal history. Explore Joanna Lumley’s home sweet home and discover the beauty of England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales in this entertaining travel show.