11 Cool Tips For Shooting An Awesome Travel Video (2026 Edition)

If you are looking for simple and effective tips to create awesome travel videos, this article will go right down your alley.

It’s perfectly normal to want to capture the highlight of the places you are visiting and to try to get the vibe and feel of your trip in one awesome travel video. You can all pumped up about putting together the final video edit, but when you get back home and you browse through the footage you got nothing good enough to make it for the final cut.

I know how frustrating that can be. I’ve been there myself.

I have also done my fair share of travel video editing for lots of friends and customers. So I am well aware of the mistakes that most people make when they shoot or edit their holiday footage.

These mistakes will ruin the quality and feel of your travel video. As much as I hate to say it, you can’t work wonders in the video editing room if the original videos are lacking.

And now that platforms like Instagram Reels, TikTok, and YouTube Shorts dominate travel content, capturing strong footage straight from the start is more important than ever.

So read on and learn how you can shoot better footage when you’re traveling and how you can then put it all together in one awesome travel video that captures the highlights of your trip.

Oh, if you’re a GoPro user you want to check out this article as well.

#1 Pick a style

First and foremost you want to decide about the style you are after.

This very first step is extremely important and it will determine later on the scenes which you will shoot and how you will shoot them. What angles to use, how to move the camera, and so on.

This is the part where you can get as creative as you want.

Maybe you are after a vlog type of travel video with many points of view (POV) shots and fast cuts. Or maybe you’re after the total opposite of that and you want to get a nice cinematic travel video with a lot of slow-mo shoots, and smoother transitions.

Or maybe you’re after the total opposite of that and you want to get a nice cinematic travel video about the best museums in Berlin with a lot of slow-mo shoots, and smoother transitions.

You can choose whatever you want. But once you figured out the style or theme of your travel video, stick with it! Be consistent and shoot every scene with that particular style in mind.

In 2026, it also helps to decide where the video will be published first — YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, or your website — because format and pacing expectations differ across platforms.

This leads us to the next tip….

#2 Plan the shots with the editing in mind

Ok, so taking things one step further once you figure out the style you are after, you also want to picture in your mind how the final video edit of your travel video would look.

This will help you decide which scenes are worth shooting and which are not worth it.

You should know what angles to use, how to move the camera, and how everything will then fit together.

If you are having trouble picturing in your mind how everything will look, one quick tip to get you in the mood is to listen to a track you like that would go well with your travel video. This should set the mood nicely.

It might as well be the exact soundtrack you will use for your video.

Many creators now even build short shot lists in their Notes app or storyboard directly inside editing apps like CapCut or Premiere Rush before filming.

#3 Don’t shake it

At the very beginning of the article, I told you that I did a ton of travel video editing. I must have browsed through hundreds of hours of footage.

What to guess what the common issue was within all the footage I received?

Shaky footage!

People take handheld shots most of the time. And that’s perfectly normal.

The good news is that modern smartphones now include built-in optical image stabilization (OIS), sensor-shift stabilization, and powerful digital stabilization that make it much easier to get smooth footage.

The thing is that shaky footage will look amateurish, and if it’s too extreme you can’t do anything about it when you edit the video.

Yeah, your video editing software probably has a stabilization feature, but that will work for videos that are just a bit shaky.

AI stabilization tools in modern editing software are better than ever, but they still crop into your frame and can reduce image quality.

So what can you do?

The first thing you can do is to stay still. Don’t walk as you are filming. Or if you do, do it very slowly and try to control your movements.

Secondly, hold your camera using both hands. This will add extra stability.

Additionally, hold your hands (and camera) closer to your body. Tuck in your elbows and bring them closer to your torso.

Don’t reach out with your hands towards whatever it is that you are filming. Instead, get closer to your subject.

If you want to get super smooth footage and step it up a little bit you can get a camera stabilizer or even a gimbal.

Compact smartphone gimbals are now lightweight, affordable, and perfect for travel creators who want cinematic movement without carrying heavy gear.

#4 Film horizontally or vertically on purpose

The second biggest mistake I’ve seen is vertical shot videos.

You know how we’re used to holding the phone in portrait orientation? Well, that’s how most people will take photos or record videos too.

It might all look nice and dandy on your phone’s screen, but when you watch it on your computer or any other widescreen, you get these big chunky black bars on the side.

However, vertical video is no longer “wrong” — it’s actually the standard format for TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts.

There’s not any fix to that in post-production.

The key today is intentionality: choose horizontal (16:9) for YouTube and cinematic travel films, or vertical (9:16) if your main goal is social media reach.

So the best thing you can do is to decide your final platform first and frame accordingly.

Here’s what I mean.

This:

versus this

#5 Don’t use the digital zoom

I believe it goes without saying, but I’m saying it anyway.

Your phone or camera will have the option to zoom in digitally. Don’t use it.

Digital zoom is very taxing on the quality of the image you will get.

Modern smartphones now include multiple physical lenses (ultra-wide, wide, telephoto), so use optical zoom or switch lenses instead of pinching the screen.

Instead, try to simply get closer to whatever it is that you are filming.

#6 Tight, medium, and wide shots

Sometimes it’s a good idea to get different types of shots of each scene of your travel video.

So whenever you are shooting a scene, try to get a wide shot…

A strong travel video often mixes drone shots, walking shots, and detail close-ups to create rhythm and visual storytelling.

Don’t overuse the tight shots though.

#7 Golden Hour

Let’s talk just a little bit about lighting.

You know that good lighting is really important for the way your videos will look.

Luckily travel videos are shot outdoors most of the time, so there will be plenty of natural light which is a good thing. But if you want to make your shots even better I have a small trick for you: Golden Hour.

This is a fancy term used in photography and videography to determine a certain time during the day when the sun is in a specific position, very close to the horizon, which makes the light, colors, and shadows look absolutely epic.

You know that time of the day, either very early in the morning or just before the sunset when the sky has these red-ish / orange colors? That’s basically what Golden Hour is all about.

So instead of filming all your shots during the day, when everything is so bright, try to get some footage during the “golden hour”. The results will be so much better.

There’s also a thing called ‘blue hour’ which happens when the sun is just below the horizon line, and the light is dimmer. You can go ahead and try to experiment with that as well.

Many weather apps now show exact Golden Hour and Blue Hour timing based on your GPS location, making it easier than ever to plan your shoots.

Here’s a cool visual representation of the morning golden hour and blue hour, to give you a better idea of the concept.

Source

#8 ND filters

Speaking of light, sometimes there’s just too much of it.

Most consumer-grade cameras have a small image sensor that tends to overexpose. This basically means that they will make some shots look brighter than they actually are. Now, this is a good thing when there’s not enough natural light.

Even though newer cameras and smartphones handle dynamic range much better today, harsh midday light can still ruin your footage.

But when you film in bright conditions – such as outside at mid-day, there’s already plenty of natural light coming through the lenses of your camera, it’s not so good.

The image will be too bright, the colors will be blown out and the shoot will not look as good as you would want it.

So you can simply go to a place with more shade and film there, or you can slam a Neutral Density filter on top of your camera’s lenses.

Source

As you can see from the image above, ND filters act like sunglasses for your camera and they will make a huge difference in terms of video and photo quality.

They are especially important when shooting videos because you can’t actually control the exposure and ISO as you are filming. You are basically stuck with the initial settings and most of the time you only get to pick the resolution and frame rate (fps).

In case you are using a drone or a GoPro, using an ND filter is even more important. Drone cameras, as well as GoPros, can work with high shutter speeds (frame rates) which can make the image look jittery.

By adding an ND filter you will get a smoother, cinematic-looking shot.

ND filters come in packs that contain several filters of different intensities. Some are darker, some are not so dark.

Depending on how overexposed the shot is you will need to use a darker or less dark filter.

ND filters are especially useful if you want to maintain the cinematic 180-degree shutter rule for natural motion blur.

#9 Film in 1080p @ 60 fps or higher if needed

Many of today’s cameras will give you the option to film on a wide range of resolutions and frame rates.

Most modern smartphones and cameras comfortably shoot in 4K — and many even in 6K or 8K.

At first, you will probably be tempted to use the highest resolution, but that’s not always optimal for several reasons.

4K is now a very practical standard, especially if you want sharper YouTube videos or flexibility to crop in post-production.

Secondly, most people will watch your video in 1080p anyway, so there’s no added benefit from shooting in a superior resolution.

However, shooting in 4K and exporting in 1080p can improve overall clarity and give you room to reframe your shots.

So stick with the 1080p and a frame rate of 60 fps if you have that option.

A balanced recommendation for most travel creators today is 4K at 30fps for cinematic footage or 4K at 60fps for action-heavy scenes.

#10 Low light settings

Cameras will not perform very well in low light. That’s a fact.

Newer mirrorless cameras and flagship smartphones perform dramatically better in low light, but lighting still matters more than gear.

Cameras will not perform very well in low light. That’s a fact. Regardless of you cheap or expensive they are. There are a couple of tricks you can do to improve the quality of your low-light shots.

The first thing you want to do is to check if there’s any light source you can use. I know that sounds so stupid and dumb, but this will actually work better than anything else you can set within the camera.

So get closer to a street light use an external light or maybe move closer to a window if you are shooting indoors.

Some cameras such as the GoPro for example, come with a built-in low light mode which you can use. If you’re a GoPro user you can check out this guide on how to shoot with a GoPro in low light.

There are 3 different parameters you can tweak for better low-light shots – aperture, frame rate, and ISO.

The aperture or f-stop will determine how open or close the lenses are and therefore, how much light reaches the sensor. The bigger the aperture, the better.

Here’s an image to give you an idea of how the aperture works.

The frame rate per second or shutter speeds will also determine how much light reaches the image sensor.

A fast frame rate will let in less light, while a slower frame rate will let in more light. So in low-light situations, it’s better to shoot at 24 or 30 fps instead of 60 fps or higher.

As a solution of last resort, you also have the option to boost the ISO. This will make the camera digitally brighten the shoot. But this will compromise the quality of the image. High ISO shots will look grainy and will have a lot of noise in them.

Just remember: clean lighting will always beat high ISO and heavy noise reduction.

#11 Use low angles

The last and final tip I’m sharing it this post is to try out different perspectives.

Everybody is shooting from eye level.

Dynamic camera movement and creative framing are what separate average travel videos from viral ones.

But if you would move your camera down a bit…

Conclusions

So that’s pretty much it guys and gals.

Remember to pick a style and stick with it.

Decide your platform first, shoot with intention, and focus on storytelling rather than just random clips.

Try to picture in your mind how the final video edit will look and shoot accordingly.

If you are using a smartphone, definitely film by holding it horizontally — or vertically on purpose.

Don’t use digital zoom.

Always chase the perfect light.

Don’t be afraid to shoot in 4K if your device allows it — storage is cheaper, and editing software is more powerful than ever.

Hope this helps, and if you’d like to share your travel videos with me or add more tips and ideas to the table, I can’t wait to receive your comments.