Aspiring young writer Sal Paradise lives a sedentary life in New York, bereft of inspiration after the death of his father. His world changes when he meets the charismatic and free-spirited Dean Moriarty, a former car thief from the West who exudes an infectious zest for life. Alongside Dean is his young and liberated wife Marylou, who shares Dean’s appetite for freedom. The trio forms an immediate bond, united by their shared desire to break from convention and pursue a life beyond the constraints of societal norms. Sal is especially drawn to Dean's wild and untamed energy, hoping to find the muse he needs for his writing.

Eager to experience a life less ordinary, Sal joins Dean and Marylou on an exhilarating cross-country road trip. They traverse America's wide landscapes, from the jazz-fueled nights of New York, through the cotton fields and diners of the Midwest, to the intoxicating allure of the West Coast. The journey is marked by a series of episodic adventures filled with a cast of bohemians, poets, and eccentrics encountered along the way. Through these experiences, Sal's perspective on life is forever altered as he indulges in a heady mix of sex, drugs, and the pursuit of new experiences. This road becomes an emblematic search for meaning in a post-war America, rife with cultural and personal awakening.