How to make a travel map video with your route and photos

Build it manually in Keynote

1. List the places in trip order

   Choose one day and write down three or four stops. Check their order against photo dates, bookings or your memories. Pick one photo per place. A short list makes it easier to spot a return visit or a stop in the wrong order.

2. Prepare the map and slide

   Create a blank presentation. Under More → Presentation Options → Presentation Setup → Slide Size, choose Custom. For vertical video, use a 9:16 ratio, such as 1080 × 1920. Add your map without cropping its provider credits and mark the stops.

   Reference: Slide size

3. Add a marker and duplicate

   Place a small shape over the first stop. In the slide navigator, open Transition → Add Transition → Magic Move and choose Duplicate. On the new slide, drag the same marker to the second stop. Keep the map and labels in the same positions.

   Reference: Magic Move in Keynote

4. Complete the sequence with photos

   Keep the two slides for each movement consecutive. After arrival, add the photo with a simple transition; return to the map for the next leg. In Magic Move, try a one-second Duration and Start → Automatically. Adjust Delay so photos are readable; start with two seconds.

   Reference: Magic Move in Keynote

5. Export and review the video

   Under More → Export, choose Movie, set advance intervals and resolution and save the file. Apple describes .mov output and advanced format options. Watch the whole file and check order, cropped photos and reading time before sharing.

   Reference: Export a movie in Keynote

Example: three stops and three photos

An illustrative Lisbon sequence is Belém → Bairro Alto → Alfama. The table is an editing outline. The marker shows the order of places; it does not reconstruct the streets you took.

The suggested times add up to nine seconds; pauses, extra transitions and an opening change the final duration. Curves need intermediate positions; Magic Move does not calculate street routes.

Adjustments that change the result

The marker disappears

Duplicate the slide and keep the same object. Creating another circle may make it a different shape.

The photo is cropped

Adjust its framing inside the slide before exporting. Use the same slide size throughout.

The movement ignores streets

Manual animation links positions you choose. Add positions for a curve, or use simple links if you only want to show city order.

To build the video from photo locations

If your photos already have locations, Backtrack gathers stops by day and prepares the animated map. You review photos and transport and export an MP4. This avoids arranging every slide and position by hand; routes remain estimates between photographed places.

Backtrack uses geotagged photos on iPhone with iOS 26 or later. Free download with optional Premium. See the plans and limits.

1. Create the trip

   In Backtrack, tap Automatic trip discovery to let the app find the trip in your library, or Choose dates manually and mark the first and last day. Geotagged photos from that period join the trip.

2. Choose the period

   In the trip, tap Create animation, choose the period and prepare the story. On Free, unlock a day with a credit. The entire trip requires Premium, except for the welcome video of your first discovered trip.

3. Pick the photos

   Review the photos at each stop. Premium and the welcome video include suggested selections; you can adjust them before generating the animation.

4. Review the route

   In the animation, tap Segments to fix the transport of each leg: on foot, car, public transport, boat or plane. Legs without a known route show as an approximate route.

5. Export and share

   Tap Export and choose the format (9:16, 3:4, 1:1, 4:3 or 16:9) and quality. The MP4 is saved to Photos and kept in Your animations so you can share it anytime.

Download on the App StoreSee plans and limits