Guide

How to make an animated travel map video with routes and moving icons

A travel map video shows where you went in a few seconds: the camera flies from stop to stop, a line draws itself along the route and an icon travels with it. Here is how to build one.

6 min read · Updated October 8, 2026

One scene per stop

Give each place its own scene, in the order you visited. The camera flies between them, rising before it travels so long hops never look like a fast pan across the ground.

Keep each stop to a sentence or two of narration so the video moves.

Draw the route

Add a line between stops. Lines draw themselves on, lie on the map in perspective and follow the camera. Use a curve for flights and a straighter line for road trips. Give the line a glow and an arrowhead if you want it to read at a glance.

Move something along it

Pin a plane, car or ship icon to the first stop with an anchor, then give it a path through the next stops. It travels along the route over the time it is on screen. Turn on follow so the icon faces its direction, and use steady travel for a ship or a plane.

Keep the whole route in view. A pull-out or a camera path that follows the icon works better than a push-in, which can crop the start of the trip.

Add your photos

Upload photos to your asset library and place them over the map at the stop where they were taken. They can pop, slide or fade in, and be tilted or given rounded corners.

FAQ

Quick answers

Can I show a real road route?

Lines go straight or curved between the points you give, so a winding road needs several points. They do not follow the road network automatically.

Can I make it vertical for TikTok?

Yes. Choose 9:16 when you start. Overlays resize to suit.

How many stops can I have?

Up to 60 scenes per project.

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