Motivation is a multifaceted psychological and neurobiological process that drives goal-directed behaviors essential for survival and adaptation. Histamine is traditionally regarded as an arousal-promoting neurotransmitter in the central nervous system. However, emerging evidence suggests that histamine and histaminergic neurons also play a pivotal role in regulating motivational behaviors across distinct phases, including appetitive, instrumental, and consummatory processes. Through their widespread projections, histaminergic neurons modulate key brain regions involved in motivation, such as the prefrontal cortex, nucleus accumbens, and ventral tegmental area, where they interact with dopaminergic and other neurotransmitter systems. In this review, we first outline the definition, phases, and neural mechanisms underlying motivation. Next, we update the current knowledge on the role of histamine in different motivational processes and discuss the contributions of histaminergic circuits within motivational networks. Finally, we examine receptor-specific mechanisms and explore potential therapies targeting histamine receptors. Despite recent advances, the precise roles of histaminergic neurons and receptors across motivational directions and phases remain incompletely understood, warranting further investigation.