Do you have a couple of extra bucks in your pocket and wanderlust in your heart? Are you a film lover who's always wanted to get a glimpse of what it looks like to be in the place that started it all? Well, you're in luck. We've compiled a list of accessible, beautiful, and totally exciting locations for your next themed vacation.
Goodwill Hunting
Goodwill Hunting was set on the south side of Boston, and to retain its authenticity, absolutely nothing was changed or cleaned while the cameras were rolling. Although a lot of these restaurants and businesses are closed, the L St. Tavern still proudly serves the cheapest and coldest beer around. The next time you’re in Boston, be sure to take the scenic route around the south side—you’ll surely see something you recognize.
Game of Thrones
Dubrovnik, Croatia is home to one of the most memorable scenes in the entire eight seasons of GOT. This alleyway is located along the Adriatic Sea, and it’s where the famous “walk of atonement” scene was shot. Cersei voluntarily walked through the streets in the nude and was pelted with rotten vegetables and meat to repent for her sins when she was accused of adultery, incest, and regicide by the Faith Militant. All of that went down right here, and the townsfolk that came to watch all helped clean up the mess to meet the cast.
Planet of the Apes
Do you remember the scene in the original Planet of the Apes when George Taylor discovers the Statue of Liberty half-buried on a beach, leading him to discover that the planet he was on was actually Earth? Well, you can go visit that spot at one of the California State Beaches in Malibu, called Point Dume. Although you’re going to have to imagine the Statue of Liberty being there, this particular area was a well-kept secret until recently, when fans put 2 and 2 together and started visiting this site regularly for photographs.
Pirates of the Carribean
Would you believe that there are actually no salt-flats anywhere near the Carribean? In fact, this particular scene was shot in none other than one of the US’s driest states, Utah. This incredibly memorable movie moment was shot in a salt-flat, located 10 miles west of Salt Lake City. You can visit this spot, but there is no telling whether you’ll be in the correct place or not since everything looks exactly the same around there.
Tomb Raider
Although the majority of this movie was filmed on a set in Los Angeles, quite a few of the shots were taken in Angkor, which is in the Siem Reap Province in Cambodia. Angkor is home to a ton of ancient temples, but the one that we’re referencing here is the Ta Prohm temple. This served as a Mahayana Buddhist monastery and was later treated as a university for those studying Buddhism. Nowadays, this is just a tourist destination where you can go and stand under the same giant tree that Angelina Jolie did.
Avatar
Although it is physically impossible for these mountains to be floating like they were in the movie, the inspiration behind James Cameron’s “Hallelujah Mountains” came from the Hunan province of China. The sandstone and quartz pillars of the Zhangjiajie mountain range stick straight up like spires towards the heavens, and since Avatar was such an enormous box office hit, the Zhangjiajie government has basked in the cash that’s been coming in from tourism. In fact, they renamed the Southern Sky Column of the mountain range to the “Avatar Hallelujah Mountains” to pay homage to the root of their current economic success.
Argo
Although the plot of Argo took place in Tehran, Iran, the entire film was actually shot between Los Angeles and Istanbul, Turkey. When Argo was filmed, there was no way for an American film team to enter an active warzone in Iran to shoot for a couple of weeks and leave unscathed, so they opted to shoot in places like the Istanbul Grand Bazaar and the Hagia Sophia Mosque instead of some of the extremely ornate buildings that are actually in Tehran. These places are just regular, everyday tourist traps, and you can go into both of them free of charge.
The Avengers
Uh, oh! Our first spoiler warning is now being deployed. If you haven’t seen Avengers: Infinity War or End Game, you might want to skip to the next page. If you don’t care about the spoilers, and you just want to see some beautiful pictures of a mountain range, stare straight ahead because this one is special. Located in the Philippines, this mountain range is where Thanos retired to process his victory in Infinity War, and this was also the spot that the Avengers came to retrieve the infinity stones in End Game. This place is called the Batad Rice Terrace, and it is just as beautiful in person as it is on camera.
Forrest Gump
If you have ever been through Savannah, Georgia, you’ve likely walked past Chippewa Square. Located in the heart of downtown Savannah, this is where Forrest Gump sat on that famous bench and retold the stories of his chaotic, tumultuous, and inspiring escapades. Additionally, there is a sweets shop right across the street from this bench, so you can go grab yourself a box of chocolates and think about life.
Django Unchained
Louisiana is home to hundreds of untouched plantation-style mansions that were either long abandoned during the housing collapse of the 1990s and 2008, or are being regularly preserved by the families that live within them in an attempt to hang onto their historical value. This particular mansion was a product of the latter, This place is called Bennett Manor, and it’s located on the west side of the Mississippi River, just south of Wallace, Louisiana.
You’ve Got Mail
If you’ve ever walked through Riverside Park, located on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, just south of the Bronx, you’ve probably walked past this iconic location and didn’t bat an eye. This is where Joe Fox and Kathleen Kelly shared their first kiss, right in front of the sign for the 91st st. community garden. Nowadays, this plot is managed by long-time community members, some of which planted the flowers that were in bloom when this scene was shot.
The Martian
All of the scenes that were not shot on a green screen in Los Angeles were shot in a place called Wadi Rum, which is a world heritage site that’s located in Jordan. Adjust the lighting just a little bit, saturate the orange hues in the rocks in the surrounding area, and you’ve got a place that looks just like the surface of Mars. As cool and creative as this is, The Martian was not the first movie that came up with the idea of using Wadi Rum to depict Mars. Mission to Mars, Red Planet, and The Last Days on Mars all utilized this site.
Orange Is the New Black
Although Orange Is the New Black was 90% shot on a sound stage, some of the outdoor scenes were shot in front of a small, abandoned admission hospital called the Rockland Children’s Psychiatric Center. This semi-dilapidated psychiatric center opened in 1931, and at one point it housed over 11,000 patients. Although it is not a real prison, it’s extremely difficult to tell from the exterior of the building.
Into the Wild
Into the Wild was actually a retelling of Christopher McCandless’s experience being stranded in the Alaskan wilderness. The set designers perfectly recreated the abandoned bus he slept in, going off of the actual relic that still exists just 50 miles south of where the movie was shot. Reaching the real bus is a hiking challenge now, posing a daunting 20-mile trek through difficult terrain. Those who reach it are considered to be top-notch hikers.
The Hunger Games
The Hunger Games sourced numerous wild areas to showcase their “arena’s” diverse natural climate. However, one of the most notable moments in this film was shot in North Carolina’s Dupont State Forest. The waterfall that Katniss discovers Peeta hiding by is named Triple Falls, and you can visit that place, as long as you have a pass from the park rangers. Another waterfall that’s nearby Triple Falls is called the Bridal Veil, this is the spot that Katniss douses her flaming leg in.
James Bond
Even though James Bond has had canonical Scottish roots since the beginning of the series, he never actually makes the character pilgrimage until Skyfall. After traveling to London, Japan, Turkey, back to Japan, Bond needed a little break to get his life back on track. This is a nondescript vista overlooking a plain in central Scotland, and just because this particular place is difficult to find, that doesn’t mean it’s not worth searching for. 007 fans have left geocaches around the area, so following the coordinates will bring you to this exact spot.
Mad Max: Fury Road
The original Mad Max was completely shot in the Australian outback, but the 2015 addition to the Mad Max pantheon was almost entirely filmed in Namibia. The team originally planned on filming in the same spot in Australia, but global warming has introduced rain to the original area where it was previously shot in 1985. Since then, the land looks entirely different. Namibia was the perfect alternative to just caving and filming the movie on a set, like a coward would do.
Forrest Gump
The iconic “run forest run!” scene (not the one at the beginning, the one towards the middle of the movie) was shot almost exclusively on US Rt. 163, which runs from the end of Colorado to the end of Utah. This road was chosen because it historically has the most beautiful scenic views on the western side of America (no offense to Rt. 66). Could you imagine spending 3 years running up and down the same stretch of highway and enjoying the beautiful views? There are definitely worse ways to spend your time.
When Harry Met Sally
You may have already heard of it, you may have already eaten there, but for those who have not, Katz’s Deli is where one of the most iconic scenes in 1980s cinema went down. Located in the Lower East Side of Manhattan, Katz’s Deli is both cinematically and culinarily historical. Katz’s has been granted numerous awards for making one of the pastrami sandwiches in the entirety of the Big Apple, which is something that’s definitely worth screaming about.
Star Wars
Star Wars was one of the first important films to portray real Earthly places as being otherworldly, more specifically, the planet Tatooine. Tatooine is actually located in Southern Tunisia, which probably just made you realize that you have no idea where that is. Fear not, Tunisia is in a deserted desert region of northern Africa, and the remote hideout that housed Luke Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi still stands to this day.
Lost
Although the island that the characters of Lost crash-landed on was definitely not canonically Hawaii, that is where they spend the majority of their time shooting beach scenes. In recent history, this filming location has helped boost the tourism economy in the surrounding areas on the Big Island. However, this is a double-edged sword, because as the local economy grows, the formerly untouched jungle region suffers.
Rocky
For those who have been to, or live in, Philadelphia, there are three places that people generally go to see when they’re visiting. As a tourist in Philadelphia, you go see the Liberty Bell, you visit Pat’s and Geno’s and grab a cheesesteak from whichever looks more enticing, and you go to the art museum in Fairmount to run up the stairs and pretend you’re Sylvester Stalone. Follow up your brief jog by taking a picture with the Rocky statue that stands at the bottom of the iconic staircase, and try not to trip, those stairs are strangely spaced.
Lord of the Rings
As you may know, the entirety of the Lord of The Rings was filmed in New Zealand. The filmmakers did have to utilize CGI in quite a few aspects of the movie, the places that they filmed are still widely recognizable. Take the Argonath Gate, for example. This waterway is called the Kawarau River, and it’s a widely traveled tourist attraction. Die-hard fans can sign up to take rafting tours through the river, and a Lord of the Rings movie memory guide will explain exactly how this scene was shot as you pass through the stone gates.
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Wes Anderson pulled off some of his classic movie trickery when he took the setting for the Grand Budapest Hotel, which is supposed to be in Hungary, and moved it to a small town in Germany. Most particularly, he used the inside of Mendl’s Creamery to represent Mendl’s Bakery in the film. In addition to that, he purchased some of the ornate, vintage tiles that covered the floors and walls of the creamery for his own personal use.
Star Wars
Yes, we know that Star Wars was previously represented on this list. But, that was one of the original 3 movies, here we’re talking about one from the newest iterations of Star Wars, Episode 7: The Last Jedi. Luke Skywalker is found hiding on the planet Ahch-To, which in all actuality is just southern Ireland. This small enclosure is where Christian monks would retreat to in order to remove themselves from the distractions of the real world.
The Hobbit
Peter Jackson constructed an entire town for his fictional Hobbits on a family-owned farm in Waikato, New Zealand. This area is technically private property, but if you send an email ahead of time, the family would gladly bring you out to the secluded patch of their farm and show you the Hobbit holes that were created to film this beautiful movie. Although it is no longer regularly maintained, there were 37 fully constructed Hobbit holes within this 1 acre stretch of land.
Star Trek
The newest iterations of Star Trek were all filmed in Los Angeles, mostly on a sound stage, with an extremely high budget. However, every once in a while they needed some shots with natural lighting that they couldn’t fake via green screen. For instance, this particular scene utilized the Vasquez Rock formation located in northern L.A. to mimic that of a naturally occurring alien structure.
Escape from Alcatraz
This might shock you, but Escape from Alcatraz was actually shot on Alcatraz Island. This true story of the only individuals to ever escape from the “most inescapable prison of all time” was actually filmed in the real prison that held these individuals. Alcatraz is now a national park, and there are areas that you can enter to observe the most notorious shots from the film.
Black Panther
The vast majority of this film was shot in the new Hollywood (Atlanta, Georgia), some of it needed to be filmed in places with awesome waterfalls. These scenes were all shot using drones overtop of the Iguazu waterfalls in Argentina. Although these shots would have been totally doable on a green screen, the authenticity of these scenes shined through in the finished product.
The Beach
Everybody loves young Leonardo DiCaprio, and by association, you should also love his 2000 cult hit The Beach. This movie was almost entirely filmed at Koh Phi Phi Leh, which is in the Maya Bay region of Thailand. This is a popular tourist destination, so much so that the police force on the island had to shut down tourism because the tourists were destroying the natural landscape.
The Sopranos
Have you ever wondered how The Sopranos felt so authentic for the entire show? Well, that’s because they were a bunch of New Jersey Italians acting as New Jersey Italians! Here we see Holsten’s Brookdale Confectionery, which opened in 1939 in Brookdale, New Jersey. This iconic scene was shot in one of the booths in the center of the restaurant, which is still open today.
Harry Potter
Sorry to burst your bubble, but Hogwarts is not a real place. However, Alnwick Castle was used as the backdrop for all of the outdoor shenanigans that needed to be shot with natural lighting in Harry Potter, so it’s safe to say that this is the closest thing you could get to the real thing. Located in Northumberland, England, Alnwick Castle has become a Harry Potter superfan tourist destination for years. If you want to visit the grounds for a day, it’s going to cost you around $30 for a tour.
Game of Thrones
In the eighth season of Game of Thrones, the Targaryen dragon pit of Kings Landing might stick out, just a little bit. This place is located in Seville, Spain, and it is the well-preserved relic of the fallen Roman City of Italica. This particular space used to be an amphitheater for community entertainment, gladiatorial matches and concerts likely happened here thousands of years ago.
The Dark Knight Rises
Do you remember the long period of time that Bruce Wayne, not Batman, was held captive in a subterranean prison by Bane? This outrageous concept actually exists in real life. Located in Jodhpur, India, there is a prison pit on the outskirts of the Mehrangarh Fort, which was utilized during the 15th century. This is the largest fort in India, and it is mostly known for its intricate architecture, not for its impressive prison hole.
Interstellar
There are plenty of places on earth that look like they don’t belong. This particular one was actually used to depict the surface of an alien planet, just like in the Martian and Star Wars. Interstellar utilized the permanently frosted mountainous region of Iceland to depict a barren, frozen wasteland planet unknown to humankind. In a way, this is kind of how the land actually is. Nothing grows, and there is virtually no life within hundreds of miles of base campsites that are strewn around, sometimes inhabited by extreme tourists.
Indiana Jones
Turns out, Indiana Jones was actually looking for the Holy Grail in a lost city when Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade was filmed in 1989. After being rediscovered in 1812, Petra has been a site for historians and filmmakers alike to study. With its beautiful placement, architecture, and lighting, it is unbelievable that this city was buried for thousands of years and was uncovered to be in almost perfect shape. In fact, this place was given the title of one of the seven wonders of the world in 2007, so it must be important to someone out there.
The Favourite
Located in Hertfordshire, this outrageous country house served as the perfect recreation grounds to represent Queen Anne’s life. Although this was not her actual abode, this property is fit for a queen with its mile-long Louvre style garden, as well as its secluded, safe, and serene atmosphere. Additionally, The Hatfield House is a tourist attraction now. You can pay to spend an afternoon there and pretend that you’re part of the royal family.
Black Panther
From a studio in Atlanta to a waterfall in Argentina, all the way to Busan, South Korea, the cast of Black Panther has seen it all. Early on in the film, some characters are discovered walking through city streets, some passing food markets, others dipping in and out of stores before eventually speeding away in vehicles. All of these shots were taken in Busan, and they were minimally touched up by the end of the movie as well.
Green Book
Tulane University was the generous host for the movie “The Green Book,” which is about a touring black pianist and his racist Italian bodyguard developing a positive relationship over the course of their tour. Tulane University was used for a scene in which Mahershala Ali played the piano in an open room with a high ceiling, which was also recorded with all of the natural reverb. This must have been a sound guy’s nightmare, but a director’s dream come true.
Mary Poppins Returns
The majority of this film was shot in studios in America, but for a select few scenes, London was the necessary alternative. Mary Poppins was momentarily filmed around Big Ben, Bank and Threadneedle Street, and St. Paul’s cathedral. Even the Tower of London is used in some shots, but in others, you can clearly tell that it’s CGI’d in post-production.
Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald
This movie is actually set in Cimetiere du Pere-Lachaise (that’s a mouthful) in Paris, but to cut costs, the team used the Highgate Cemetery in north London as a stand-in. Although these places don’t particularly look alike, the eeriness of the entrance of the Highgate Cemetery seemed to suffice. This is the only instance in which it was probably best for the producers to lie to us because otherwise, we would have had no idea about the Highgate Cemetery.
Amelie
You might remember watching this movie in your college’s art club, or if you took a film class in high school, this movie was likely part of your final. If you walk one block past Moulin Rouge in Paris, you can poke into the actual building that Amelie’s work scenes were filmed in. Unfortunately, the most notable part of that building was taken out when the cafe changed ownership in 2002.
Die Hard
For those who didn’t know, Nakatomi Plaza is a real building, and it’s located in Los Angeles. Despite this original moment being portrayed as existing in Japan, Nakatomi Plaza is actually Fox Plaza, and it has been featured in dozens of movies. Some of the more notable ones are Speed, Airheads, and Fight Club.
Ghostbusters
Even though it sounds outrageous, the Ghostbusters crew actually rented the 14th St. fire station in TriBeCa out to be their home base. Obviously, this place has returned to its former glory since then, but now it’s widely referred to as the “Ghostbusters Club House” by the people of the neighborhood. If all else fails, call the Hook and Ladder Company #8 to spray the Stay Puff Marshmallow Man off of your roof with their giant, cool hoses.
Jaws
Bet you didn’t see this one coming, Martha’s Vinyard was the setting for the 1975 classic film Jaws. As outrageous as that sounds, Martha Stewart allowed Speilberg to shoot there for free, and for as long as he liked. She wanted to represent her property in an artistic way, not for herself, but to enable those she believed in. Naturally, Martha Stewart’s initial judgment did not go in vain.
The Sound of Music
This one is not deceptive like the others, because the setting of The Sound of Music is actually set in Salzburg, Austria! It is approximated that 70% of the tourism that comes through this area is because of this movie. In fact, the already famous locations that were shot in The Sound of Music, like the Pegasus Fountain and the gazebo at Hellbrunn Palace, got significantly more famous after this movie came out.
La La Land
Los Angeles was the set and setting for this award-winning film, and the filmmakers made sure to highlight all of the beautiful, retroelements of the city. You can visit Cathy’s Corner on Mount Hollywood Drive, which is still the best view of the city than you can get. Additionally, you can visit Warner Bros. Studios and the Smoke House restaurant, which are where Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone worked in the film.
The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
Spaghetti westerns are fairly expensive to make if you want to shoot them on a set in Italy. However, if you want to keep your costs low, taking your film into Spain doesn’t require any permits whatsoever. That’s why The Good, The Bad and The Ugly was shot in the Tabernas Desert, which is just outside of Andalucia, Spain.
Mamma Mia!
Skopelos, Greece is the home for the characters in Mamma Mia! This place was a tourist destination long before Mamma Mia’s popularity, and it will likely continue being a highly visited area until global warming eventually puts it underwater. Unfortunately, the waters in this area are quickly rising, similarly to Venice, and the destruction of this sea town is inevitable in the wide-scale of things.
Pretty Woman
Beverly Hills, that’s where you want to be when you’re a huge Pretty Woman fan. Julia Roberts poked her way around Hollywood Boulevard, downtown LA, and most importantly, she found her end in Beverly Hills. She even spent some time on Rodeo Drive, specifically in the Beverly Wilshire hotel, which still stands today.
The Godfather
Although The Godfather’s family came from Corleone, Sicily, that town was unavailable for filming during the 1970s. The plan-b location was Savoca, Sicily. This place is similar to Corleone, in the sense that it was built into the side of a mountain that overlooks the Mediterranian Sea. Here, you can find Bar Vitelli and the church where Al Pachino got married.
Lost in Translation
Tokyo is the world hub for blissful modernism. Scarlett Johansson visited Park Hyatt Tokyo, which has one of the most outstandingly beautiful bars on Earth. This movie also showcases the Shibuya and Shinjuku districts, which are two of the busiest districts in the entire country.
28 Days Later
If you haven’t seen this movie yet, do yourself a favor and check it out. The most iconic shots in the entire film were centered around London’s downtown and historic districts, including the Westminster Bridge, Piccadilly Circus, and London City Town, which is an actual neighborhood. Fortunately, you won’t have to battle zombies to come to check this place out, just travel expenses.
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
One of the most popular vacation spots for people who study religion and monkish living is Hongcun, in China’s Anhui Province. This is where our characters find themselves fighting and training for the honor of the Yu family. Just three miles west of this site is the Anji Bamboo Forest, which is where this movie’s treetop battle took place.
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Eternal Sunshine was shot partially in NYC, but mostly it was filmed in Montauk beach, which is known to have the best surfing waves within 100 miles of the city center. Although the focal point of the movie was filmed inside the Montauk Point Lighthouse, the other places weren’t as authentic or close as they appeared onscreen. Jim Carrey’s character actually lived in a house in Wainscott, not Montauk like it was portrayed in the film.
Slumdog Millionaire
This film was actually shot in Mumbai’s Dharavi slum, which is where the characters are originally from. This tale of gain and loss helped boost the public knowledge of this area, which helped start charity funds to assist the individuals living within the slum with necessities and healthcare. National Geographic wrote a groundbreaking piece on the importance of assistance in Mumbai that raised over $10 million to help build proper housing.
Trainspotting
This depressing, beautiful, and terrifying story of love, loss, and addiction was shot in Glasgow, Scotland. The writer of this movie grew up in Glasgow and he experienced a similar lifestyle to what his characters did. He even had the actors visit some of his former favorite spots, like Cafe D’jaconelli, where Ewan McGregor’s character shared a milkshake with Ewen Bremner.
The Lobster
This bizarre A24 film was shot in County Kerry, Ireland. This place is a hidden gem for movie tourists and nature-seekers alike. If you really loved this movie, you can pay to stay at the Parknasilla Resort and Spa. Although Colin Farrell won’t be there, you can imagine what it would have been like to experience what he did while being pampered for the last time of his human life.
Life of Pi
This movie is absolutely beautiful, and only part of it is due to outstanding filmmaking. Thailand has become an increasingly popular tourist destination, with its lively street markets, temperate weather, and its remarkable untouched natural beauty, this place is an absolute must-see before you give up on your traveling dreams. The crew even got permission to shoot in the great Taipei Zoo, which has never been opened for business aside from that particular instance.
Ex Machina
The beautiful, scenic, and wild backdrop of this strange film is Norway’s Valdall Valley. Even though the film was intended to be shot in Canada, this modern vista overlooking a frozen lake was irresistible to the filmmakers when creating a feeling of total isolation. Fortunately, this place doesn’t actually have any hidden rooms or artificial intelligence robots inside of it, that we know of.