A New York guard named Frank “Tony Lip” Vallelonga is looking for a new job after the nightclub he was working on closed for renovations. Eventually he arrives at an interview to hire himself as a driver for Doc Don Shirley, a renowned pianist. The first encounter between the two does not work well because Tony’s tactless and lackluster culture collides with Don’s.
Eventually, Don decides to hire Tony after being advised by the close because he needs someone to keep him out of trouble for eight weeks when he will play in several locations in South America. They are on their way with the plan to return home until Christmas Eve. Tony receives from Don’s recording studio a copy of the Green Book, a guide for colorful travelers to find safe places in the South segregated.
The two begin their tour in the Middle West and then head south. Tony and Don have many confrontations because of their differences, Tony feeling uncomfortable when asked to behave manners, and Don is disgusted with Tony’s habits. However, Tony is impressed by Don’s pianist talent, but also increasingly disgusted by the discriminatory treatment the latter is subjected to by the organizers when out of the scene.