影片讲述历史上的唐朝高僧玄奘历时17年，不畏艰难险阻，前往天竺取经的传奇故事。大唐贞观盛世，年轻的玄奘法师（黄晓明 饰）为求佛法真谛冒死偷渡出境，一路上遭遇千难万阻，天灾人祸，却也深得民间疾苦。官兵围堵、徒弟背叛、埋身沙海、断水绝粮，玄奘法师一心求法，最终抵达印度，在印度弘扬善念静心修佛，等到从无遮大会辩论成功回国之时，已经是年逾五十的老人了。During the Tang Dynasty's during the era of "Zhen Guan" (era name during rule of Emperor Taizong), the young Xuan Zang monk, in his quest for the knowledge in Buddhism, embarked on a journey to India, that is fraught with perils and dangers, natural disasters, and sees the sufferings of the common people. Soldiers gets in his way, his disciples betrays him, he struggles through deserts, runs short of food and water, all in the quest for Buddha's teachings. He finally arrives in India, and studies Buddhism in earnest. By the time he returns to China, he is already 50 years old.