There’s something about travel movies – they not just take us to breathtaking locations from the comfort of our homes and theaters but also tell us stories of freedom, self-discovery, and change. Hindi cinema, over the years, has managed to churn out beautiful travel movies that have captured the essence of travel in the most poetic ways. Bollywood’s travel tales have made us laugh, cry, and even made us pack our bags to journeys that are often just as beautiful as the destinations! Here are some of our top picks for the best Hindi travel movies that will inspire the traveler in you!
Best Hindi Travel Movies: Top 5 Picks To Fuel The Wanderlust In You!
1. Tamasha (2015)
Imtiaz Ali is a master storyteller – and Tamasha is one of his most refined and profound works. Ved (Ranbir Kapoor) and Tara (Deepika Padukone) meet in the faraway island of Corsica, where they decide to keep their real identities hidden during their accidental meet. However, what begins as a spontaneous holiday romance soon evolves into an emotional odyssey of self-realization, the baggage of expectations, and identifying and outgrowing one’s identity.
Tamasha is a visual spectacle, indeed, but it is also lifted by stellar performances of the two leads. Pair with it the soulful music and background score of A. R. Rahman and you have an emotionally gripping tale of love, expectations, identity, and finding purpose.
Cast: Ranbir Kapoor, Deepika Padukone, Piyush Mishra
Locations it features: Corsica, Delhi, Shimla, Japan.
Why to watch: This is a film for anyone who’s ever felt ‘trapped’ in the routine. Its dialogues, music, performances, and imagery are deeply introspective, urging you to break free from the conformities of life and ‘live’ your reality a little.
Platform: Available on Netflix
2. Queen (2014)
Rani (Kangana Ranaut) is a sheltered and naive girl in her 20s from Rajouri who’s about to get married to the man of her dreams. However, when her to-be-husband Vijay, essayed by Rajkumar Rao, decides to call off the wedding, her world shatters. It is only after her supportive family and her inner voice convinces her that she decides to go on her honeymoon alone. Yes, alone and all by herself! What follows is an inspiring tale of empowerment, liberation, and self-discovery.
Cast: Kangana Ranaut, Rajkummar Rao, Lisa Haydon
Locations it features: Paris, Amsterdam, Delhi
Why to watch: Queen is THE feel-good travel movie to watch when you feel the world pulling you down. Rani’s tale moves, inspires, and hugs you in a warm hug. Her slow yet determined journey of self-discovery feels like a mirror held in front of you – each of her decisions feel like a personal win by the end of the movie. Queen is joyous, tender, and wholesome and a little reminder that adventure begins only when you step out of your comfort zone.
Platform: Available on Netflix
3. Dhak Dhak (2023)
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This underrated gem follows four women – Shashi Kumar Yadav, a travel blogger (Fatima Sana Shaikh), Manjari, a mechanic (Sanjana Sanghi), Mahi, a homemaker (Ratna Pathak Shah), and Uzma, a social media influencer (Dia Mirza) – who embark on an epic road trip from Delhi to Khardung La in Ladakh on motorcycles. Along the way, these women confront personal fears, emotional baggage, and societal judgements, discovering sisterhood and freedom along the way.
Cast: Ratna Pathak Shah, Dia Mirza, Fatima Sana Shaikh, Sanjana Sanghi
Locations it features: Haryana, Ladakh
Why to watch: It’s a road-trip movie with an all-women lead cast – isn’t that the perfect reason to watch Dhak Dhak? Besides a strong cast, the movie is also a visual spectacle, with each frame of their road trip feeling like a personal postcard sent by these women to you. Their hardships, issues, and the ultimate sense of freedom will definitely strike a chord, especially with female audiences.
Platform: Available on Netflix
4. Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara (2011)
If there’s one film that defined friendship and travel for an entire generation, it’s Zoya Akhtar’s Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara. It revolves around three friends – Kabir (Abhay Deol), Imran (Farhan Akhtar), and Arjun (Hrithik Roshan) – setting off on a bachelor trip through Spain. What follows is a fun, breezy, and transformative journey where you get a glimpse of their individual hardships, dreams, and the dynamics in-between.
Cast: Hrithik Roshan, Farhan Akhtar, Abhay Deol, Katrina Kaif, Kalki Koechlin
Locations it features: Seville, Buñol, Costa Brava, Pamplona – all in Spain!.
Why to watch: Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara is more than just a travel movie – it feels like you’re watching yourself and your friends living your ultimate summer trip! The music is soulful, the cinematography is impeccable, and the movie, in general, is well-written and well-executed. Watch it when you crave the wind in your hair, a good laugh, or a little courage to chase joy again.
Platform: Available on Netflix
5. Piku (2015)
Piku is not a through-and-through travel movie, but a significant essence of it lies when the primary characters undertake a road journey to Kolkata. Essayed by Deepika Padukone, Piku is an architect living with her eccentric (and constipated) father Bhashkor (Amitabh Bachchan). When the duo decides to embark on a car journey from Delhi to Kolkata with their driver, Rana (late Irrfan Khan), the movie transforms into a nostalgic, poetic tale of connecting with one’s own roots.
Cast: Deepika Padukone, Amitabh Bachchan, Irrfan Khan
Locations it features:Delhi, Kolkata, Varanasi
Why to watch: Piku is hilarious yet heartwarming. Its travel scenes aren’t about cinematic grandeur but about capturing the quiet solitude and shared moments of love and chaos through the journey. Watching Piku, Bhaskor, and Rana navigate both their journey and their relationships feels like watching life unfold in motion – one that is deeply layered in emotion.
Platform: Available on SonyLIV
Best Hindi Travel Movies: Final Thoughts
Travel movies in Hindi cinema aren’t just about showing beautiful cinematic locations, they feel more like personal journeys of self-discovery, finding freedom, and accepting life and its curveballs. From Dhak Dhak to Queen and Tamasha to Piku, these best Hindi travel movies cherish adventure, friendship, belonging, and nostalgia. If you’ve ever looked out of the window and longed to escape – yet live life as it passes by – these Hindi movies are perfect for you!
