The article examines the essence of the travel genre in Russian and world literature. It presents the scientific views and points of view of several researchers on the definition of the travel genre. It is noted that the central figure in the literature of travel is a man, he wanders, goes to unknown countries and locations, learns their history, geography, and ethnography, sees the inside of foreign cultures, and life of the people, learns languages, that is spiritually developed and enriched. At the same time, on the way you are learning about yourself, better understanding your character, interests, spiritual roots and traditions, your country and people, you are learning everything by comparison. The attractiveness of the genre for writers and its popularity among readers is understandable.The article examines the descriptions of interesting information by Karakalpak writers who have travelled abroad in different years. In addition to descriptions of historical sites, educational and pedagogical matters are considered, and the personal evaluation and conclusions of the travellers are expressed. It is noted that the works of the travel genre first appeared in verse form, and then acquired prose form, describing the observations, impressions of the traveller, his discovery, and adventure. The article is an attempt to trace the main stages in the evolution of the literary journey genre, the peculiarities of its development, appearance, and functioning, to consider the uniqueness of the genre and its poetics, using specific works of travel literature.