I’ve spent the better part of 20 years traveling the world, and some of my favorite memories have nothing to do with famous landmarks. There was the time I knocked on a stranger’s door in rural Idaho dressed as Deb from Napoleon Dynamite, the night I had drinks in the same Belfast bar as Jon Snow and the rainy afternoon I sat beside Jane Austen’s grave on the anniversary of her death. That’s the magic of set-jetting, also known as screen tourism or film tourism: traveling to the real places behind your favorite TV shows and movies.
When you already know a place from the screen, you arrive with a story in hand, and the trip becomes part of it.
That obsession has also taken me to a vintage garden party at the real Downton Abbey, a muddy Regency promenade in Bath, James Bond’s favorite grotto in the Bahamas and the cinematic, Jurassic cliffs of Kauai.
Some of these spots are bucket-list famous. Game of Thrones fans flock to Dubrovnik’s city walls and Northern Ireland’s Dark Hedges by the busload, and Harry Potter fans book the Studio Tour months in advance. Others are delightfully off the radar, like Napoleon Dynamite’s hometown, where you’ll likely have the tetherball pole all to yourself. All are worth the trip. This guide rounds up some of my favorite set-jetting destinations around the world, from blockbuster filming locations and HBO’s most famous hotels to the quirky places most travelers drive right past, plus how you can visit them yourself.
In this guide:
- Scranton, Pennsylvania (The Office)
- Preston, Idaho (Napoleon Dynamite)
- Harry Potter filming locations in England and Scotland
- Highclere Castle (Downton Abbey)
- Bath and Jane Austen’s England
- Game of Thrones filming locations
- The White Lotus filming locations
- Kauai, Hawaii
- Thunderball Grotto, Bahamas (James Bond)
- Petra and Wadi Rum, Jordan
- New York City
- Hamilton locations from Nevis to New York City
- Set-jetting FAQ
Scranton, Pennsylvania: The Office Filming Locations and Real-Life Landmarks
Scranton may look like a small Northeastern city at first glance, but for fans of The Office, it is a sacred pilgrimage. While the show was filmed primarily on soundstages in California, Scranton itself became a character thanks to constant references, exterior shots and real local landmarks woven into the storyline. Visiting lets you experience the places that inspired Dunder Mifflin’s world and gives context to jokes that longtime fans instantly recognize.
One of the most recognizable stops is the Welcome to Scranton sign at the Marketplace at Steamtown (formerly the Steamtown Mall), which appeared repeatedly throughout the series. You can also visit Poor Richard’s Pub, Cooper’s Seafood House and Alfredo’s Pizza Cafe, all real places referenced directly in episodes. Walking downtown, it is easy to spot familiar streets and settings that helped shape the show’s version of Scranton.
What makes this set-jetting experience special is how approachable it feels. Scranton embraces its Office legacy without feeling overproduced. Fans can explore at their own pace, grab a drink or a meal tied to the show and get a feel for the town beyond the screen. I break down the stops that matter most and how to plan your visit in my full guide to The Office tour in Scranton.
How to visit: Scranton is about a two-hour drive from New York City or Philadelphia, making it an easy weekend road trip. Stay downtown so you can walk to most of the stops.
Napoleon Dynamite Filming Locations: An Unlikely Pilgrimage to Preston, Idaho
Not every set-jetting trip comes with a gift shop. Preston, Idaho, a rural town of about 5,000 people near the Utah border, is the real-life hometown of Napoleon Dynamite. More than 20 years after the movie’s release, very few fans make the trek, which is exactly what makes it so much fun.
My brother, sister and I made the pilgrimage on a road trip across the American West. We pulled into town, changed into costume in a gas station parking lot and set off as Napoleon, Deb and Pedro on a scavenger hunt for filming locations. At Napoleon’s house, I was nominated to knock on the door in my side ponytail and fanny pack to ask permission for photos, and the homeowner kindly said yes. From there we visited Preston High School, where we had the summer campus (and the tetherball) to ourselves, and Pedro’s house, which we spotted thanks to a Vote for Pedro sign in the window.
From 2004 to 2008, Preston hosted an annual Napoleon Dynamite Festival with tater tot eating contests and tetherball tournaments, but today the town is quiet. Dress the part, bring your own tots and you’ll likely have the locations all to yourself. Read the full story of our unlikely pilgrimage to Napoleon Dynamite’s hometown.
How to visit: Preston is about two hours north of Salt Lake City, making it an easy detour on a Utah or Idaho road trip. Several filming locations are private homes, so stay on the street or ask permission before taking photos.
Harry Potter Filming Locations: From Leavesden Studios to Scotland to Florida
For Harry Potter fans, set-jetting spans far beyond one location. Warner Bros. Studio Tour London: The Making of Harry Potter in Leavesden is the crown jewel, preserving the actual sets, props and costumes from all eight films. I’ll admit I didn’t expect much. I’d already worked the PR for the grand opening of the original Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Orlando, and I figured no studio set could compete with walking the streets of Hogsmeade. I was really happy to be really wrong.
Wandering through the Great Hall, Dumbledore’s office, the Weasleys’ house and a dark, cramped Diagon Alley, the detail wowed me. The masks and special effects room was a favorite, as was the enormous Hogwarts model used for aerial shots and the Knight Bus, which is actually two double-decker buses cut and joined together. I gazed into the Mirror of Erised hoping to see my heart’s desire (mostly I saw photobombing tourists). And yes, I bought every green screen photo and video of myself flying a broomstick over London. No regrets.
My Potter pilgrimage actually started years earlier, when I flew from Spain to London on a whim to see Deathly Hallows Part 2 at midnight, only to find a half-empty theater of indifferent Muggles. Undeterred, I folded Potter sites into my Jane Austen pilgrimage. I visited Platform 9 ¾ at King’s Cross and the Millennium Bridge the Death Eaters destroyed in Half-Blood Prince. In Oxford, Christ Church inspired the Great Hall, and in the Cotswolds village of Lacock I found Professor Slughorn’s house and the Potters’ home in Godric’s Hollow. Elsewhere in England, Durham Cathedral’s cloisters doubled as Hogwarts corridors, Alnwick Castle hosted early broomstick lessons and Gloucester Cathedral became familiar hallways and classrooms. In Scotland, the landscapes around Glencoe and the Glenfinnan Viaduct bring the Hogwarts Express journey to life.
Closer to home, the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Orlando is where my sister Rachel and I have spent more time than almost anywhere outside our own homes. We’ve been annual passholders since Hogsmeade opened in 2010, we’re card-carrying Slytherins and we’ve both worked at Universal over the years. Orlando now has three Wizarding World lands, including the Ministry of Magic at Epic Universe, and there are more in Hollywood, Osaka and Beijing. While these are themed environments rather than filming locations, they connect directly to the films through meticulous design. My favorite insider tips: let a wand choose you at Ollivanders, use the single rider line at Escape from Gringotts once you’ve seen the queue and dial 62442 (MAGIC) in the red phone booth outside Diagon Alley to reach the Ministry of Magic.
Plan your own pilgrimage with my guides to Harry Potter filming locations in England, the Warner Bros. Studio Tour London and our Wizarding World of Harry Potter tips and secrets.
How to visit: Studio Tour tickets aren’t sold onsite, so book in advance, especially for weekends and school holidays. A shuttle runs to the studio from Watford Junction station, about 20 minutes by train from London Euston. In Orlando, get a park-to-park ticket so you can ride the Hogwarts Express between Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade. If you’re trying to figure out where to stay near Universal Orlando, I’ve stayed at all the hotels and I have thoughts!
Downton Abbey Filming Location: Visiting Highclere Castle
Highclere Castle in Hampshire is instantly recognizable as Downton Abbey, the grand country estate that anchored the beloved series and its films. Unlike many filming locations that require imagination, Highclere feels exactly as it does on screen because it largely is. The exterior, main rooms and surrounding grounds were all used extensively in filming.
The castle has been the seat of the Carnarvon family since the 17th century and remains a working private home, and its real history is every bit as dramatic as anything Julian Fellowes wrote. The 5th Earl helped discover King Tut’s tomb in 1922, and Egyptian antiquities fill an exhibition in the cellar. Inside, I felt like Belle from Beauty and the Beast in the library, with nearly 6,000 books and Napoleon’s desk nearby. My sister Rachel nearly swooned in the Rose Bedroom, scene of Lady Mary’s ill-fated dalliance with Mr. Pamuk. Photos aren’t allowed inside, so soak it all in.
Rachel and I were invited to Highclere’s first-ever 1912 vintage garden party, fresh off the Jane Austen Festival in Bath. Naturally, nothing went to plan. Our train was delayed, leaving us less than 15 minutes to change in a Newbury pub, and Rachel’s rental dress arrived hot pink and more Renaissance Fair than Downton. Luckily, I’d packed a backup. We did our makeup in the back of the taxi with the Downton soundtrack playing on YouTube, and when the castle came into view, we stepped out into 1912.
We picnicked on pork pies and Pimm’s, rode the vintage carousel and cheered as Lord and Lady Carnarvon awarded prizes for the best upstairs and downstairs costumes. The highlight came when Lady Carnarvon invited us inside for tea. She was so unbelievably nice to us, and when the party ended, we spotted her in jeans moving flowerpots in a pickup truck with the staff.
Read more about our vintage garden party at Highclere Castle, tea with Lady Carnarvon and what to wear to a party at Downton Abbey.
How to visit: Highclere opens on limited dates, mostly in summer, plus special events, and tickets are sold through the castle’s official website. It’s about 90 minutes from London by car or a short taxi ride from Newbury station. Learn from us: arrive a day early in case of train delays, pack a backup outfit if you’re dressing up and bring cash. To see the village scenes too, look for day tours from London that include Bampton, Oxfordshire.
Downton Abbey Tours and Experiences You Might Like:
Jane Austen Filming Locations and Literary Travel in Bath
Jane Austen’s novels may be works of fiction, but the places tied to her life and the adaptations of her books are very real. My own Austen pilgrimage began in 2011, in the middle of my round-the-world trip, when an English bloke turned out to be more Wickham than Darcy and I turned to Jane for comfort. (Read the full sordid tale in my book Flirting with Disaster!) In Winchester, I sat cross-legged on the cold stone floor beside her grave in the cathedral as rain pounded the roof, only to realize it was July 18, the anniversary of her death. Goose bumps. At Chawton, I stood beside the tiny writing table where she wrote Mansfield Park, Emma and Persuasion and knew eventually I’d write a full length book myself. (And I did!)
But it was Bath that wooed me most of all. The setting of Northanger Abbey and Persuasion and a frequent filming location for adaptations, the city’s Georgian architecture, Royal Crescent and Pump Room remain beautifully preserved and instantly recognizable on screen. Years later, I finally returned with my little sister Rachel for the Jane Austen Festival, held each September, fully costumed of course. We joined hundreds of revelers in Regency dress for the Grand Regency Costumed Promenade, which once set a Guinness World Record, and marched the whole 90 minutes in pouring rain until our petticoats were caked in mud. Afterward, we toasted Jane with a Darcy and a Wickham Mule at the Canary Gin Bar, where a winking portrait of the author presides over 180 gins.
Beyond Bath, filming locations stretch across England, including Lyme Regis, Chatsworth House and Wilton House, which have stood in for settings in Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility and other adaptations. Lacock, one of my favorite Potter stops, appears in Austen adaptations too. Read more about the Jane Austen Festival in Bath, what to wear to the Jane Austen Festival, visiting Jane Austen’s grave in Winchester and gin with Jane Austen in Bath.
How to visit: Bath is about 90 minutes from London Paddington by train, and Winchester and Chawton are about an hour by bus from London Victoria. Book early if you’re going during the festival, when hotels fill quickly. If you want to dress the part, rent a costume from a UK company that ships to your hotel, or shop the Regency Fayre after the Promenade. And pack a sturdy umbrella, because a lacy parasol won’t cut it.
Jane Austen tours and experiences you might like:
- Jane Austen’s Bath And History Trail
- Pride & Prejudice 2005 Movie Locations Tour from Manchester
- Private 4-Hour Guided Tour In the Footsteps of Jane Austen in London
Game of Thrones Filming Locations: Northern Ireland, Croatia and Spain
Few shows have turned filming locations into travel destinations quite like Game of Thrones. The series was filmed across multiple countries, and fans can still trace Westeros across Europe today.
Northern Ireland is the heart of it all, and it’s where my inner Game of Thrones nerd truly came out to play. Rick and I kicked off our Irish road trip at Castle Ward, the real Winterfell, where we put on actual costumes from the show for an archery lesson on the very spot where Bran learns to shoot in the first episode. We were the only two in the class, and our guide, like seemingly everyone in Northern Ireland, had been an extra in multiple episodes. Rick was all bullseye. I had to be reminded more than once not to point my arrow at the instructor, but I caught on quickly, so you can call me Queen of the North and go ahead and bend the knee.
That night we had dinner at The Cuan, an inn popular with cast members that’s home to one of the Doors of Thrones carved from fallen Dark Hedges trees and its own Hodor-themed beer. Back in Belfast, we ran into five cast members staying at our hotel, including Sansa, Ser Jorah, Brienne and Bran, and spent our anniversary night having drinks in the same bar as Jon Snow. I resisted the urge to ply him with martinis in exchange for final season spoilers, and I still kind of regret it.
Driving the Causeway Coastal Route, we stopped at Melisandre’s Cave in Cushendun, then woke before dawn for the Dark Hedges, the eerie tunnel of beech trees that played the Kingsroad. Golden light filtered through the twisted branches, and we had the road almost entirely to ourselves. Nearby, Ballintoy Harbour became the Iron Islands. Read my tips for taking epic photos at the Dark Hedges and the full story of our whirlwind Irish road trip itinerary.
Game of Thrones even followed us south to Killarney, far from any filming location. The white-haired jaunting car guide who greeted us at the national park was a dead ringer for Maester Aemon, and what happened next is a story you’ll have to read to believe.
In Croatia, Dubrovnik’s medieval Old Town doubled as King’s Landing. Walk the city walls, climb the Jesuit Staircase from Cersei’s walk of atonement and look out over Fort Lovrijenac, which played the Red Keep. Spain delivered some of the show’s most dramatic settings too. The Royal Alcázar of Seville became the Water Gardens of Dorne, and the island hermitage of San Juan de Gaztelugatxe was used for Dragonstone.
The prequel House of the Dragon added new stops for fans, including Cáceres in Spain and St Michael’s Mount in Cornwall.
How to visit: Belfast makes an easy base for the Northern Ireland sites, and the Bushmills Inn is a cozy stop about 20 minutes from the Dark Hedges. Arrive at the Dark Hedges around sunrise for the best light and fewest people, since tour buses start rolling in around 10 a.m. The road is now closed to cars, so park at either end and walk. Take it from me: driving narrow country lanes on the left side of the road is stressful, so a guided tour covering the coastal sites is woth considering. In Dubrovnik, a guided walking tour is the best way to find specific scenes within the Old Town.
Game of Thrones Tours You Might Like:
- Game of Thrones – Private Audi A6 tour with Richard the Wildling
- Game of Thrones Studio Tour from Dublin (there’s also one from Belfast)
- Game of Thrones and Giant’s Causeway Tour
Kauai Filming Locations: Hollywood’s Favorite Island
Kauai has earned its reputation as Hollywood’s favorite backdrop thanks to its dramatic cliffs, lush valleys and pristine beaches. The island has appeared in dozens of films and TV shows, often standing in for far-flung locations or imagined worlds. Some of the most famous include Jurassic Park, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides and Raiders of the Lost Ark. It’s also the setting of Disney’s original animated Lilo & Stitch, inspired by the colorful west side town of Hanapepe, though the 2025 live-action remake moved the story to Oahu.
Locations like the Na Pali Coast, Manawaiopuna Falls and the Huleia River, where the opening of Raiders of the Lost Ark was filmed, have been used repeatedly because of their cinematic scale. Manawaiopuna Falls, often called Jurassic Falls, gained fame after appearing in Jurassic Park and remains one of the island’s most talked-about filming sites, accessible only by helicopter.
Kauai’s Hollywood résumé goes back decades, with more than 60 feature films shot on the island. South Pacific turned the north shore into Bali Ha’i, with scenes at Lumahai Beach, Hanalei Bay and Tunnels Beach. Elvis crooned his way through Blue Hawaii at the Coco Palms Resort and along the Wailua River, and Coco Palms later hosted Jack Sparrow’s captivity in Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides. Wailua Falls appeared in Fantasy Island, and Moloaa Bay was used for the original Gilligan’s Island pilot. More recently, George Clooney’s The Descendants showcased Hanalei Bay and the Tahiti Nui bar, while Tropic Thunder, called the largest film production in Kauai’s history, transformed the island’s forests into Vietnam.
What makes set-jetting on Kauai especially rewarding is that these locations are woven into everyday exploration. You can hike, boat or fly over places you’ve seen on screen while also experiencing the island on its own terms. I break down filming locations alongside practical travel tips in my complete Kauai travel guide.
Kauai isn’t the only Hawaiian island with screen credits. On Oahu, Kualoa Ranch has hosted Jurassic Park, Jurassic World, 50 First Dates and Lost, and offers movie site tours through its dramatic valley. The 2025 live-action Lilo & Stitch was filmed and set here, from Waikiki to Haleiwa. Lost was filmed all over the island, Hawaii Five-0 turned Honolulu into a star and Turtle Bay Resort on the North Shore played the hotel in Forgetting Sarah Marshall. Over on Maui, the Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea became the very first White Lotus.
How to visit: A helicopter tour is the only way to see Manawaiopuna Falls, and some tours land at its base. Boat tours of the Na Pali Coast depart from the island’s west side.
Hawai’i experiences and tours you might like:
- Kauai’ Exclusive Helicopter Tour: JURASSIC CANYON LANDING
- Kauai: Hawaii Movie Tour
- Kualoa Ranch Jurassic Adventure Tour (Oahu)
- Kualoa Ranch Movie Sites and Ranch Tour (Oahu)
Thunderball Grotto: James Bond Filming Locations in the Bahamas
The Bahamas is my most-visited country. I’ve worked there, vacationed there and had my destination wedding and honeymoon there. But for set-jetters, one tiny spot stands out: Thunderball Grotto, a hollow limestone island just off Staniel Cay in the Exumas. The grotto starred in the 1965 James Bond film Thunderball, returned in Never Say Never Again and also appears in Splash, making it a double bill for Bond fans and wannabe mermaids alike.
I first visited on the very first press trip I ever led as a publicist for The Bahamas, and it never gets old. You swim in through a narrow cut in the rock at slack tide, and the cave opens up as sunlight streams through holes in the ceiling. I still can’t figure out how a film crew managed to shoot in there. Most recently, I returned with my friend Alex in Wanderland for a girls’ getaway at EMBRACE Resort, where Alex’s shoe broke the moment we landed and she spent the rest of the trip happily barefoot. On Staniel Cay, nobody bats an eye. Don’t leave without visiting the famous swimming pigs on nearby Big Major Cay.
Read more about my mermaid adventures in Staniel Cay, my EMBRACE Resort review and my tips for visiting the swimming pigs.
How to visit: Staniel Cay is reachable only by small plane or boat. From Florida, Makers Air and Staniel Air fly from Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport, or you can fly into Nassau and connect on Titan Air. If you’re just popping into Nassau for a few days, book one of the tours below. Time your grotto swim for slack tide, when the current is calmest, and go with a local guide. December through April brings the best weather.
- Exuma Elite Escape: 7-Stop Luxury Swimming Pigs Tour from Nassau
- CHIPPIES BAHAMAS Island Tours : Feel The Culture
- Nassau, Bahamas, City Tour
Petra and Wadi Rum: Indiana Jones, Lawrence of Arabia and Star Wars in Jordan
Few filming locations are as instantly recognizable as Petra’s Treasury, the rose-colored facade at the climax of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. Farther south, Wadi Rum’s red desert has played everything from the real-life setting of Lawrence of Arabia to Mars in The Martian, Arrakis in Dune and distant planets in Star Wars.
I first visited solo in 2012 and decided my knees were too precious to climb to the famous viewpoint above the Treasury, so I hired a mule from a Bedouin guide I dubbed Wise Old King Solomon. Six hours of shrieking later, I had bruised palms from death-gripping the harness and one piece of hard-won advice: just walk. In Wadi Rum, it rained for my entire February visit, canceling my jeep tour and camel trek, but I did spot a carving of Lawrence of Arabia in a sandstone boulder before spending a freezing night under three blankets at a Bedouin camp.
My sister Rachel had better luck on her 2019 trip. She arrived in full Indiana Jones gear, only to find the visitor center lined with shops selling the same hats, whips and satchels. Her favorite moment was Petra by Night, when more than 1,500 candles light the Siq and the Treasury glows in the dark. Read about my Petra by mule misadventure, my rainy night in Wadi Rum and Rachel’s 48-hour Petra itinerary.
How to visit: Plan at least two days in Petra, and see it by day before booking Petra by Night so you know your way around. Wear comfortable shoes and drink lots of water. For Wadi Rum, spring is far more pleasant than the chilly, wet winter months. Many Wadi Rum jeep tours include stops at The Martian and Star Wars filming spots.
Tours in Jordan including Petra and Wadi Rum you might like:
- Full-Day Private Tour in Petra with Hotel Pick-Up
- Wadi Rum Private Tour from Petra with Martian and Star Wars Film Site
- Wadi Rum Cave Camping with Jeep Tour
New York City: The Ultimate Movie Set
I lived in Manhattan for five years before quitting my PR job to travel the world, and in New York, you can’t walk a block without stumbling onto a filming location. My tiny Hell’s Kitchen apartment, shared with three roommates, was a short subway ride from just about every set you can name.
Friends fans can find the show’s apartment building exterior at Bedford and Grove Streets in the West Village, a few blocks from Carrie Bradshaw’s stoop on Perry Street from Sex and the City. Seinfeld‘s diner is Tom’s Restaurant near Columbia University, and When Harry Met Sally‘s most famous scene was filmed at Katz’s Delicatessen on the Lower East Side. Home Alone 2 fans can check into The Plaza, Elf fans can skate at Rockefeller Center and Gossip Girl fans can lunch on the steps of the Met. My own favorite corner of the city, Bethesda Terrace and Bow Bridge in Central Park, has appeared in more movies than I can count. Pair these with the Hamilton sites below, and NYC could fill an entire set-jetting trip on its own.
How to visit: Group the West Village stops into one walk, and save Central Park for a quiet morning. A sunset Circle Line cruise around Manhattan shows off the skyline you’ve seen in countless films.
Hamilton Locations: From Nevis to New York City
Hamilton isn’t a movie in the traditional sense, but since the filmed Broadway production landed on Disney+ in 2020, it has inspired one of the most popular set-jetting trails in America. My sister Rachel and I have been obsessed with Lin-Manuel Miranda’s musical for years, and when we get into a story, we get into it all the way down to where we travel.
Our pilgrimage started at the beginning, on Nevis, the Caribbean island where Hamilton was born. Given the musical’s fever-pitch popularity stateside, I expected Hamilton everywhere. Instead, Nevis is wonderfully low key about everything, Hamilton included. There’s a modest museum built on the foundations of the house where he’s believed to have been born, and we stumbled on the ruins of the old Hamilton plantation during a Funky Monkey ATV tour that also took us to dip our feet in volcanic hot springs. We spent five days on island time, traded chain restaurants (there are none) for rum punch at Sunshine’s on Pinney’s Beach and started planning our return before we ever left.
From there, Hamilton’s footsteps lead north. At Yorktown Battlefield in Virginia, where Hamilton led a daring nighttime assault that helped bring about the British surrender, a park ranger’s retelling of the siege had me choking back tears. We drove straight to the battlefield afterward and blasted “Yorktown (The World Turned Upside Down)” in the rental car. In Philadelphia, you can visit Independence Hall, where Hamilton helped win support for the Constitution. In Albany, tour the Schuyler Mansion, where he married Eliza in 1780.
New York City is the mother lode. Visit Hamilton Grange, his family home now in St. Nicholas Park, and Fraunces Tavern near Battery Park. At the Morris-Jumel Mansion, Lin-Manuel Miranda wrote parts of the show in Aaron Burr’s former bedroom. Pay your respects at Trinity Churchyard, where Hamilton, Eliza and Angelica are buried, then cross the Hudson to the Weehawken dueling ground. Follow the full trail in my guide to Alexander Hamilton historic sites and my Nevis travel guide.
How to visit: Fly into St. Kitts, take a 20-minute taxi to the dock, then a water taxi of less than 10 minutes across The Narrows to Nevis. Cruise passengers can easily visit on a day trip from St. Kitts. On Nevis, we loved Nisbet Plantation, dinner at Golden Rock Inn and a spa day at the Four Seasons. In New York, a Hamilton walking tour covers the downtown sites, and Hamilton Grange is a short walk from the 145th Street subway station.
Walk in A. Ham’s footsteps with these tours & experiences:
- Historical Walking Tour (Nevis)
- Hot sauce tasting and rum tasting tour (Nevis)
- UTV Excursion Through the Beaches and Mountains (Nevis)
- Alexander Hamilton Musical Walking Tour (NYC)
- Alexander Hamilton vs. Aaron Burr Private Walking Tour (NYC)
- Hamilton Tour Liberty Bell and Independence Hall (Philadelphia)
The White Lotus Filming Locations: Hawaii, Sicily, Thailand and France
The White Lotus has made luxury hotels the stars of the show, and unlike most filming locations, you can actually check in. Season 1 was filmed at the Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea, season 2 at San Domenico Palace in Taormina, Sicily, and season 3 at the Four Seasons Resort Koh Samui in Thailand, with additional scenes in Bangkok and Phuket.
Season 4 heads to France. Filming began on the French Riviera in spring 2026, with the story set against the backdrop of the Cannes Film Festival. The Airelles Château de la Messardière in Saint-Tropez will serve as the White Lotus du Cap and the Hotel Martinez as the White Lotus Cannes, with additional filming in Monaco and Paris. It’s the first season not filmed at a Four Seasons property, and with a premiere expected in 2027, expect fans to start booking the Riviera as soon as it airs.
Beyond the hotels, season 2 sent viewers to Noto, Palermo and Cefalù, making Sicily one of the most popular set-jetting trips of recent years.
How to visit: Book directly with the resorts or through a luxury travel advisor for added perks like upgrades and resort credits. If a stay is out of budget, a lunch, spa day or sunset cocktail at the property still gets you the experience.
- Private Taormina White Lotus luxury experience (Italy)
- Taormina Vespa Tour Scenic Ride to Castelmola and White Lotus Sites (Italy)
- Semi-Private yacht adventure to Ang Thong Park’s hidden treasures (Thailand)
Plan Your Own Set-Jetting Trip
Set-jetting blends storytelling with travel in a way few other experiences can. These destinations aren’t just filming locations but places with history, character and atmosphere that extend far beyond what you see on screen.
If you love travel with a narrative thread, set-jetting offers a reason to slow down, look closer and experience a destination through a new lens. These are the places that stay with you long after the credits roll.
And my set-jetting bucket list is far from finished. I’m itching to return to Bath for Bridgerton, where the Holburne Museum plays Lady Danbury’s home, then head to Ranger’s House in Greenwich, the Bridgerton family residence. I spent three weeks in New Zealand years ago but never made it to the Hobbiton Movie Set in Matamata, so a proper Lord of the Rings pilgrimage is overdue. Emily in Paris has me dreaming of croissants on Place de l’Estrapade, where Emily’s apartment and favorite café sit side by side. And Yellowstone fans can actually stay in cabins at Chief Joseph Ranch in Darby, Montana, the real Dutton family ranch.
Which filming location is at the top of your bucket list? Tell me in the comments.
Set-Jetting FAQ: Where Were Your Favorite Shows and Movies Filmed?
What is set-jetting? Set-jetting, also called screen tourism or film tourism, is traveling to destinations featured in TV shows and movies. It can mean visiting actual filming locations, studio tours or the real places that inspired a story.
Was The Office filmed in Scranton? No. The Office was filmed primarily on soundstages in California, but the opening credits were shot in Scranton and many real local businesses are referenced throughout the series.
Where was Game of Thrones filmed? Mainly in Northern Ireland, Croatia, Spain and Iceland. The most visited locations include the Game of Thrones Studio Tour and the Dark Hedges, as well as Dubrovnik in Croatia and Seville in Spain.
Where was The White Lotus filmed? Season 1 was filmed in Maui, season 2 in Sicily and season 3 in Thailand. Season 4 is being filmed now on the French Riviera, mainly in Saint-Tropez and Cannes.
Where was Downton Abbey filmed? Highclere Castle in Hampshire, England, was used for the exterior and main rooms of the estate. Village scenes were filmed in Bampton, Oxfordshire.
Where was Napoleon Dynamite filmed? In Preston, Idaho, the small town where director Jared Hess went to high school. Fans can still visit Preston High School and see Napoleon’s and Pedro’s houses from the street.