The film is based on the books Diarios de motocicleta by Guevara, and Con el Che por America Latina by Alberto Granado. It tells the story of a journey by motorcycle across South America in 1952 by young Ernesto "Fuser" Guevara and his friend Alberto Granado. The film depicts the gradual development of Guevara's political outlook, but his revolutionary exploits are not mentioned except in a caption at the end.