Two young hippies on the fringes Wyatt (Peter fonda) Y Billy (Dennis Hopper); They undertake a journey aboard their motorcycles, across the country.
Along the way they will find hard drugs, a lot of “rock”, various characters, and so on. and the hypocrisy and hatred of the small towns.
But you will also find people who lead an “alternative” way of life, who resist the narrow-mindedness of those who question them.
When they arrive at a stop on the route, they are insulted by the owner of the premises and arrested and imprisoned on weak pretexts.
In jail they will meet George hanson (Jack Nicholson), a lawyer, alcoholic and liberal, who will manage to free them and continue with them the trip to New Orleans, just in time for the festival of Mardi Grass.