10 travel destinations inspired by your favorite TV shows
A 2023 photoAiD survey found that 96% of surveyed Americans have visited places associated with their favorite TV shows or movies. Since then, streaming and social media have accelerated the trend dramatically.
All are real, visitable, and worth the trip regardless of your level of fandom. Here, we’ve rounded up some of our favorite “film tourism” locations. What did we miss? Did your favorite location make the list?
Dubrovnik, Croatia — “Game of Thrones”
The tourism surge was so extreme that city officials imposed a hard cap of 8,000 visitors in the old town at any time. St. Dominika Street, Lovrijenac Fortress, and the Trsteno Arboretum are all recognizable from the show.
Albuquerque, New Mexico — “Breaking Bad”
The AMC series won 16 Emmy Awards and turned Albuquerque into a pilgrimage site. According to Outlook Travel Magazine, the city offers guided tours of Walter White’s house, Saul Goodman’s office, the car wash, and Twisters restaurant, which served as Gus Fring’s Los Pollos Hermanos. The Visit Albuquerque website hosts a Google Map of filming locations. The Hollywood Reporter confirms that more than a decade after the finale, fans are still making the trip.
Paris, France — “Emily in Paris”
Marie Claire notes that Emily’s apartment faces the fountain at Place de l’Estrapade, and that the show has sent a wave of visitors to the Jardin du Luxembourg and neighborhoods well outside the standard tourist circuit.
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Highclere Castle, England — “Downton Abbey”
Visitor numbers to Highclere Castle doubled after the show debuted. The castle now offers dedicated tours and exhibitions for fans.
Scotland — “Outlander”
Annual visitors to Doune Castle climbed from 38,000 in 2013 to 142,000 by 2020. VisitScotland maintains an interactive map of over 40 filming locations across the country, and many visitors arrive in tartan dressed as their favorite characters.
Sicily, Italy — “The White Lotus” Season 2
The Four Seasons San Domenico Palace in Taormina served as the backdrop for season two, according to Marie Claire. Taormina’s clifftop views of the Ionian Sea are worth the trip regardless.
Greenwich Village, New York City — “Friends”
The exterior of the Friends apartment building is at 90 Bedford Street in Greenwich Village. Outlook Travel notes that the neighborhood is also home to the real café that inspired Central Perk, making it a compact destination for fans who want to cover the key locations in a single afternoon. Greenwich Village is worth the walk regardless, with Washington Square Park, independent bookshops, and some of the city’s best pizza within a few blocks.
Iceland — “Game of Thrones”
Iceland experienced a 500% increase in American visitors between 2012 and 2016. The Jökulsárlón lagoon, Vatnajökull glacier, and Thingvellir National Park all featured in the series.
Monterey, California — “Big Little Lies”
Marie Claire describes a coastal city of moody beaches and dramatic cliffs that the show captured precisely. Big Sur and Carmel-by-the-Sea are within easy reach.
Montana and Wyoming — “Yellowstone”
The show films around Darby and Hamilton, Montana, with Yellowstone National Park providing the sweeping aerial establishing shots. HuffPost confirms it has significantly boosted tourism to a region that receives over four million park visitors annually and needs no television show to justify the trip.
The bottom line
Ten shows, ten destinations, and a travel industry that has learned to follow the camera. The screen has always shaped how we see the world. The difference now is that more people are going to check whether what they saw was accurate.
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