Stanley Johnson's new travel documentary, which documents a journey he first tried to make with two of his friends from the University of Oxford, premiered last week.

The screening of 'In the Footsteps of Marco Polo' took place at the Curzon cinema in Mayfair on July 4.

In 1961, Mr Johnson made the journey up to Wahkan Corridor, on the Afghanistan-China border, with Oxford University friends, novelist Michael de Larrabeiti and historian Tim Severin.

Stanley Johnson at the premiere of his new travel documentaryStanley Johnson at the premiere of his new travel documentary (Image: SWNS)

The trio could not cross the high Pamirs on their motorbikes, but pledged to one day finish the journey from Venice to China.

Unfortunately, both Mr de Larrabeiti and Mr Severin passed away in 2008 and 2020 respectively.

Now aged 83, Mr Johnson has finally been able to accomplish their shared dream of retracing Marco Polo’s 4,000 mile journey along the Silk Road.

He said the documentary “picks up where we left off” and follows him and youngest son Max, 39, as they drive the remaining 2,500 miles to Beijing.

He said: "Completing the Silk Road has taken 62 years and was something Michael and Tim, my two late co-conspirators, would have loved to have been a part of.

Boris Johnson at the premiere of his father's new travel documentaryBoris Johnson at the premiere of his father's new travel documentary (Image: SWNS)

"I am eternally grateful to our other guests for lending us their time on this important night to watch Max and me fulfil that lifelong dream."

An accompanying book, also titled 'In the Footsteps of Marco Polo', was released on the same day.