Movies like The Vacation Begins (2026)
The best movies like The Vacation Begins (2026) are Non Non Biyori: Vacation (2018), When Marnie Was There (2014) and Scooby-Doo! Curse of the Lake Monster (2010). If The Vacation Begins hooked you, these 20 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedWhen Marnie Was There (2014)7.9/10 from 2,048 votes
- NewestPeople We Meet on Vacation (2026)Released 2026
- In JapaneseNon Non Biyori: Vacation (2018)Also in Japanese
Non Non Biyori: Vacation (2018)
Even when you're fortunate enough to live in a place as beautiful as the country village of Asahigaoka, you should never turn down the chance to explore someplace else. So, when Suguru wins a free trip to Okinawa just as the summer vacation is coming to an end, the town's entire school… all 5 students and 1 teacher, plus the local candy shop owner… can hardly wait for their 3-day trip to begin! Between kayaking, swimming and meeting new people, there's always something fun happening, but the best part of all is that big city girl Hotaru and her new small-town friends all get to explore the wonders of Japan's famous vacation destination together.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisWhen Marnie Was There (2014)
Upon being sent to live with relatives in the countryside due to an illness, an emotionally distant adolescent girl becomes obsessed with an abandoned mansion and infatuated with a girl who lives there - a girl who may or may not be real.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisScooby-Doo! Curse of the Lake Monster (2010)
Scooby-Doo and the gang are on the case when a mysterious lake monster starts scaring the guests at a summer resort in Erie Point, where Fred, Daphne, Velma and Shaggy have taken on seasonal jobs to pay for a barn they accidentally burned down. But in addition to sneaking suspicions, there's some romance in the air.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisShag (1989)
Summer of 1963. Carson is getting married to her boyfriend so her friends Melaina, Pudge and Luanne take her to Myrtle Beach for one last irresponsible weekend.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 (2008)
Four young women continue the journey toward adulthood that began with "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants." Now three years later, these lifelong friends embark on separate paths for their first year of college and the summer beyond, but remain in touch by sharing their experiences with each other.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Last Song (2010)
A drama centered on a rebellious girl who is sent to a Southern beach town for the summer to stay with her father. Through their mutual love of music, the estranged duo learn to reconnect.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisHotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation (2018)
Dracula, Mavis, Johnny and the rest of the Drac Pack take a vacation on a luxury Monster Cruise Ship, where Dracula falls in love with the ship’s captain, Ericka, who’s secretly a descendant of Abraham Van Helsing, the notorious monster slayer.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisAlong for the Ride (2022)
The summer before college, Auden meets the mysterious Eli, a fellow insomniac. While the seaside town of Colby sleeps, the two embark on nightly quests to help Auden experience the fun, carefree teen life she never knew she wanted.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisPeople We Meet on Vacation (2026)
Poppy's a free spirit. Alex loves a plan. After years of summer vacations, these polar-opposite pals wonder if they could be a perfect romantic match.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisHead Above Water (1996)
Judge George brings his young wife, Nathalie, to a remote island for a vacation. But while George accompanies their only neighbor -- Nathalie's childhood friend Lance -- on a fishing trip, Nathalie spends time with her ex, Kent. When Kent ends up dead the next morning, Nathalie tries to hide the evidence before her husband gets home. After the body is found, the events of the previous night unravel, with unexpected revelations.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisLu Over the Wall (2017)
In a small fishing village, a gloomy middle school student named Kai meets a mermaid named Lu.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBlue Crush (2002)
Nothing gets between Anne Marie and her board. Living in a beach shack with three roommates, she is up before dawn every morning to conquer the waves and count the days until the Pipe Masters competition. Having transplanted herself to Hawaii with no one's blessing but her own, Anne Marie finds all she needs in the adrenaline-charged surf scene - until pro quarterback Matt Tollman comes along...
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisLove, Chunibyo & Other Delusions! Take On Me (2018)
Yuuta and Rikka are in their third year of high school. One day in Spring, Touka declares that she will take Rikka to Italy with her, as her job has stabilized there and thinks they should migrate together as a family. Touka is also worried about Rikka not being competent enough to advance to universities in Japan. The gangs from the club suggested Yuuta, who doesn't want to be separated, to elope with Rikka!! A runaway drama throughout Japan begins.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisSecret Admirer (1985)
An anonymous love letter left in Michael Ryan's locker on the last day of school wreaks havoc on his life and the lives of everyone who comes in contact with it.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisAquamarine (2006)
Two teenage girls discover that mermaids really do exist after a violent storm washes one ashore. The mermaid, a sassy creature named Aquamarine, is determined to prove to her father that real love exists, and enlists the girls' help in winning the heart of a handsome lifeguard.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Lost Daughter (2021)
A woman's seaside vacation takes a dark turn when her obsession with a young mother forces her to confront secrets from her past.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisJourney to the Shore (2015)
Mizuki's husband Yusuke has been missing for three years. He suddenly comes back home as a ghost and asks Mizuki to go on a trip with him. Their trip consists of visiting the people that helped Yusuke on his previous travel.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisRide Your Wave (2019)
Hinako is a surf-loving college student who has just moved to a small seaside town. When a sudden fire breaks out at her apartment building, she is rescued by Minato, a handsome firefighter, and the two soon fall in love.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisHow Stella Got Her Groove Back (1998)
Through good times and bad, Stella and Delilah have always had each other. Now, Stella's so busy building a life that she's forgotten how to really live. But Delilah is about to change all that. What starts as a quick trip to Jamaica, ends as an exhilarating voyage of self discovery as Stella learns to open her heart and find love – even if it's with a man 20 years her junior.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
SnoozefestMovies like thisTiny Toon Adventures: How I Spent My Vacation (1992)
Term-time ends at Acme Looniversity and the Tiny Toon characters look forward to a summer filled with fun. Buster and Babs Bunny turn a water fight into a white-water rafting trip through the dangerous Deep South; Plucky Duck and Hamton Pig share the most impossibly awful car journey imaginable on the way to HappyWorldLand; Fifi's blind date becomes a "skunknophobic" nightmare; and a safari park is turned upside-down by Elmyra's search for "cute little kitties to hug and squeeze".
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like this
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like The Vacation Begins?
The closest matches to The Vacation Begins are Non Non Biyori: Vacation (2018), When Marnie Was There (2014) and Scooby-Doo! Curse of the Lake Monster (2010). Below are 17 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after The Vacation Begins?
Start with Non Non Biyori: Vacation (2018), the closest match to The Vacation Begins.
What is the highest-rated movie like The Vacation Begins?
When Marnie Was There (2014), rated 7.9/10 by 2,048 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like The Vacation Begins?
People We Meet on Vacation (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there Japanese movies like The Vacation Begins?
Yes: Non Non Biyori: Vacation (2018), When Marnie Was There (2014) and Lu Over the Wall (2017).
How are movies similar to The Vacation Begins chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside The Vacation Begins, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.