This article was produced by National Geographic Traveller (UK).
Travelling to your favourite film locations — or ‘set -jetting’ — can be big business. In the three months after the first two seasons of The White Lotus hit our screens, travel company Expedia found that searches for hotels in Hawaii and Sicily (where each season was set) spiked by more than 300% as fans clamoured to sit, stand and sip cocktails where their favourite characters previously had. Now, just months away from the third season, the Thai island of Koh Samui can expect a similar frenzy of attention once the acclaimed dark comedy kicks off from the isle’s palm-fringed sands.
A host of other spectacular destinations will soon be on the radars of film and TV enthusiasts, with plenty of new seasons and much-anticipated sequels in the works. From the hottest restaurants in Chicago to the elegance of rural England, we’ve picked our favourite destinations in the spotlight this year and next so you can seek out the real-life locations from the screen.
1. The White Lotus
The White Lotus follows the simmering tensions between guests and employees of the White Lotus hotel group, with each season set in another of the chain’s luxurious properties.
The iconic scene: The show is as much about the backdrops as it is the drama, from the swaying palms of Hawaii in the first season to Taormina’s glamorous, flowery terraces in season two. But the stand-out star is, without doubt Jennifer Coolidge, whose performance as the egotistical, clueless Tanya McQuoid had fans howling with laughter and won her a Golden Globe in 2023.
The location: It was only a matter of time before production crews turned their attentions to Koh Samui. A riot of greens and cerulean blues, Thailand’s second-largest island is incredibly photogenic, ringed with paradise beaches and plenty of uber-luxurious hotels. Much of the action in season three will take place at the Four Seasons Resort Koh Samui, standing in for the third hotel in the White Lotus chain. Located in the island’s north west with 60 villas set beneath the palms, the resort is nothing short of spectacular, with Bill Bensley-designed interiors and a spa hidden in the gardens. Other rumoured filming locations include Bangkok’s busy streets and the private, poolside villas of the Anantara Mai Khao Phuket Villas on Phuket, the tropical isle known for both its coconut-littered beaches and booming nightlife.
While you’re there: Koh Samui isn’t all about long, languid days on the beach — its wild, luscious heart is a playground of craggy peaks and jungle waterfalls. Hike through the forest and cool off in the pearly pools that gather beneath Na Muang, a glorious pair of cascading falls that tumble down rocky hillsides. Afterwards, towel off and head north for the Fisherman’s Village in Bophut, where the raucous Friday night market springs to life at sundown.
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The steel towers and industrial backstreets of Chicago’s North Loop district set the scene in The Bear. Photograph by Getty
2. The Bear
High-flying chef Carmy leaves the world of Michelin-star kitchens to turn round his late brother’s struggling sandwich shop, all while managing a difficult team of staff and confronting his own personal demons.
The iconic scene: The stressful kitchen scenes aside, the recipe to The Bear’s success is its blend of the heartfelt and the hilarious: from Carmy’s emotional, seven-minute monologue at Al-Anon to ‘cousin’ Richie accidentally mixing Xanax into a bowl of punch at a children’s party.
The location: The steel towers and industrial backstreets of Chicago’s North Loop district set the scene. Also in the spotlight are a host of classic Chicago eats, including Italian beef sandwiches — a hunk of French bread loaded with gravy-rich beef. These have been a long-time local favourite but are now the stuff of legend since The Bear took off in 2022. Try one at Mr Beef, whose sloppy sandwiches both inspired and starred in the show. Just grab plenty of serviettes.
Pizza Lobo in Logan Square is where sous chef Sydney gets a slice of New York-style pizza (a controversial choice in the home of deep-dish), and Kasama is where she went for that breakfast sandwich, crammed with Filipino sausage and hash browns. Richie finds his love of fine dining at three-Michelin-star restaurant Ever, while Roeser’s Bakery has been icing cakes since 1911 and had budding pastry chef Marcus drooling in season one.
While you’re there: If you’ve overindulged on deep-dish pizza, then there’s no shortage of ways to work it off in the Windy City. Follow the leafy Bloomingdale Trail — otherwise known as the 606 — a disused, elevated railway turned public park, which slices through the skyline, or hire a bike and pedal the scenic shores of Lake Michigan. For a whole new perspective, kayak beneath the iron bridges of Downtown, with Chicago’s skyscrapers soaring above.
(A culinary guide to Chicago beyond ‘The Bear’.)
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3. Gladiator 2
After more than two decades, Ridley Scott has reprised his director role in this sequel to the classic, which came out in 2000 and starred Russell Crowe. This time, gladiator Lucius, played by Paul Mescal, resolves to fight the oppressive rule of co-emperors Caracalla and Geta.
The iconic scene: Gladiator was summed up in one pivotal scene when the murderous Emperor Commodus asks to know the identity of our titular, helmeted warrior. With a terse, stirring monologue, Crowe removes his helmet and reveals himself as Maximus Decimus Meridius and vows for revenge in what became one of the film’s stand-out scenes.
The location: In the first film, the glory of the Roman Empire is offered by the city of Ouarzazate and the nearby ksar (fortified town) of Aït-Ben-Haddou, which rises from the foothills of Morocco’s Atlas Mountains like a grand mirage. Filled with distinctive clay buildings, the UNESCO-protected site has featured in several historical productions, including The Mummy and Lawrence of Arabia. Filming for Gladiator 2 took place in both the city’s rust-red streets and the Atlas Film Studios, while an entire arena was constructed for its thrilling battle scenes.
Malta also reprised its role as the sun-drenched backdrop for 3rd-century Rome. The sprawling, 17th-century Fort Ricasoli in Kalkara was transformed into a mini version of the city, complete with the Forum and Colosseum. Closer to home, the chalk grasslands of Devil’s Dyke in the South Downs were also used for scenes in the sequel.
While you’re there: Thrill-seekers often set their sights on scaling Toubkal, the highest peak in North Africa at 13,671ft. However, there’s plenty for the adventurous to discover at ground level, too, such as sunset camel rides through the dunes of Merzouga or guided treks into the Dadès and Todra gorges, whose soaring, ochre canyons and utter silence give the impression of stepping into another world — or, indeed, a Hollywood film set.
(Explore Valletta, Malta’s capital with an eye for art and entertainment.)
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Step into Nevermore Academy, or Cantacuzino Castle — one of the few real life filming locations in Romania. Photograph by Alarmy
4. Wednesday
Emotionless goth Wednesday Addams is packed off to Nevermore Academy, where she attempts to unravel the mystery that entwined her parents at the school decades before — all under the eye of shapeshifting headmistress, Larissa Weems.
The iconic scene: Jenna Ortega plays the perfect pig-tailed killjoy, whether she’s unleashing piranhas on the water polo team to avenge her brother Pugsley or breaking into that kooky, straight-faced dance routine at prom that set social media abuzz.
The location: Though the spooky series is set in Vermont, the dark, forested hills and castles of Romania were chosen for the main bulk of the filming of seasons one and two. Most of the action for Wednesday took place at Buftea Studios outside Bucharest, although a handful of real-world locations allows fans to embrace their inner goth. Cantacuzino Castle’s grand facades featured as Nevermore (albeit with some CGI augmentation), while the octagonal glasshouse in the Dimitrie Brândză Botanical Garden doubled as the school’s greenhouse.
The gothic, chateau-like Casa Niculescu-Dorobantu, home to ornate stairways and striking stained-glass, was the backdrop to a scene with Bianca and Lucas in episode six, while just outside the city, the Olga Greceanu mansion stood in for the abandoned Gates Mansion. The interior was completely transformed by the crew, and while the house isn’t open to the public, it’s a fine example of Moldovan-style architecture.
While you’re there: Romania — specifically, Transylvania — is forever entwined with the story of Dracula, and nowhere more so than Bran Castle. There’s no evidence author Bram Stoker ever visited or set his story in this imposing, 14th-century fortress, but it is still a stirring place to explore, with its turrets that rise high above the forest. Elsewhere, Corvin Castle is like something from a dark fairytale, accessed by a mammoth drawbridge, while Peleş Castle is one of the country’s architectural treasures, a lavishly carved neo-Renaissance masterpiece set beneath the Carpathian Mountains.
(Dracula-hunting and bear hides—inside the Romanian region that has it all.)
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Spoiler alert: Highclere Castle was used as backdrop for the leading couple’s long-awaited engagement in Downtown Abbey’s second season finale. Photograph by Alarmy
5. Downton Abbey 3
Details of the sequel are limited for now, but it’s expected the third instalment will pick up where 2022’s Downton Abbey: A New Era left off, following the lives of the stately home’s aristocrats and household staff. It’s slated for a September 2025 release.
The iconic scene: The show’s leading couple — Matthew and Mary Crawley — provided no end of emotional highs and lows, but Matthew’s romantic proposal to Mary in the snow during season two’s Christmas finale still stands out. Alternatively, few can forget Lady Violet Crawley’s one-liners, acerbically delivered by Maggie Smith.
The location: Though supposedly set in Yorkshire, the fictional pile of Downton Abbey is Highclere Castle, a stately, turreted estate in the rolling Hampshire Downs. For centuries the house has been the seat of the Earls of Carnarvon; the fifth earl famously sent Howard Carter to Egypt in 1922 and a glittering exhibition on his discovery can be found in the castle’s basement. Stroll past the oaks, elms and sweeping lawns of the Capability Brown-designed grounds and look back at the castle’s golden, gothic pinnacles — notice any resemblance? The building was reimagined in in the 19th century by Charles Barry, the architect behind the Houses of Parliament.
Around an hour away by car is Bampton, the pretty Oxfordshire village whose honey-toned streets have doubled as the village of Downton. Closer is the Palladian pile of Basildon Park, whose lavish interiors have stood in for Grantham House in the series.
While you’re there: For a romp through the real England of yore, head deeper into the Hampshire Downs to discover Jane Austen Country. Sit in the pews of her childhood church in Steventon, see her resting place in Winchester Cathedral and visit Jane Austen’s House Museum in the village of Chawton. Housed in the cottage where she lived and wrote for the final eight years of her life, the museum holds a vast collection of Austenian artefacts, including jewellery, her writing desk and a first edition of Pride and Prejudice from 1813.
(A UK break in Winchester: history and South Downs hikes in Hampshire.)
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6. Avatar: Fire and Ash
The third instalment of director James Cameron’s sci-fi epic is due to hit screens in December 2025 after several delays. Following on from the second film in 2022, Fire and Ash will focus on the ongoing conflict between the Indigenous Na’vi and colonist humans in the fictional world of Pandora.
The iconic scene: Perhaps the most impressive scenes of all the beautiful 3D scenes were in the final, action-packed battle between the Na’vi and humans in the second film, in which shimmering CGI marine life made the film look as epic as a high-definition nature documentary.
The location: Cameron has confirmed the third film, and its two sequels, will all be filmed in New Zealand, mainly at the Stone Street Studios in Wellington and Kumeu Studios near Auckland. But part of the magic of the Avatar franchise is the lushly rendered biomes of Pandora. Many of these fictional landscapes bear similarities to real-world locations and, given the third film’s title, the smouldering landscapes of New Zealand’s North Island may provide ample inspiration. Stand beneath the slumbering volcanoes of Tongariro National Park and it’s easy to imagine a hellish world of ‘fire and ash’, while Te Puia is a sultry, sulphurous hotspot of activity, home to the Pōhutu and Prince of Wales Feathers geysers, which spew boiling jets into the air up to 20 times a day. There’s also the possibility we’ll see Pandora’s answer to Orakei Korako, a secluded thermal field of blue-green pools, geysers and misty geothermal caves in the Taupo Volcanic Zone. Wai-O-Tapu, at the southern end of the Okataina Volcanic Centre, also feels like something from another planet: a dazzling geothermal wonderland of craters, springs and the Champagne Pool, which bubbles with malachite-green water.
While you’re there: Film fans never leave without a visit to Hobbiton in Matamata, the charming set that featured in both the Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies. Take a tour of the hobbit-holes and enjoy a drink at the old-world Green Dragon Inn on the house. Serious movie buffs can also head to the Wētā Workshop in Wellington: the studio produced some of the epic armoury and costumes in Lord of the Rings, among other films, and runs informative, behind-the-scenes tours.
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While marmalade sandwiches might be hard to come by in Peru’s Machu Picchu, it proved the perfect setting for the adventures in the sequel of Paddington. Photograph by Studio Canal
7. Paddington in Peru
Paddington returns to his homeland in Peru to visit his Aunt Lucy, now residing the Home for Retired Bears, but her mysterious disappearance plunges him — and his adoptive Brown Family — into an unexpected adventure through the jungle.
The iconic scene: Nothing sums up Paddington’s well-intentioned bumbles better than the barbershop scene from Paddington 2, in which he cuts a gentleman’s hair while minding the shop — cue lots of marmalade ‘hair gel’ and one angry customer. The flamboyant number by actor-turned-thief Phoenix Buchanan (played by Hugh Grant) and his fellow prison inmates, was another standout.
The location: Marmalade sandwiches might be hard to come by in the Amazon, but nevertheless it’s where the cast and crew headed to bring Paddington’s ‘darkest Peru’ to the screen, with scenes filmed in both Colombia and Peru. It’s the perfect setting for an adventure: winding rivers, lush waterfalls and misty canopies booming with the sound of exotic birds and howler monkeys. Where ‘darkest Peru’ might be is open to question, but Paddington’s species, the endangered spectacled bear, is mostly found in the high-altitude cloud forests of the Andes. Scenes were also filmed in the country’s capital city of Lima, predominantly in the buzzy Miraflores district, where there’s a statue of Paddington himself.
In London, Paddington station is where our furry friend has his passport headshot taken — somewhat unsuccessfully — in a photo booth. The Brown residence of 32 Windsor Gardens, meanwhile, is actually Chalcot Crescent in Primrose Hill, a short walk from London Zoo.
While you’re there: Lofty Cusco, located in southeastern Peru, was once a mighty Incan capital, later lavished with ornate Spanish-era cathedrals and busy markets, where traders hawk everything from talismans to coloured ponchos. It’s now a highlight of any Andean adventure: take in the city’s wealth of museums before discovering the ancient cities of the Inca Trail, including the terraces of Wiñay Wayna, Sacsaywamán’s grand battlements and the iconic Machu Picchu.
(What to know before you travel to Peru.)
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