From the otherworldly landscapes of The Mandalorian to the regal residences in The Crown, the locations of our favourite TV shows have given us a healthy dose of wanderlust.
Click through the gallery to discover the real-life settings of some of the most-loved TV hits of the 21st century, including Italian villas featured in Succession and the actual resorts used in The White Lotus...
The Crown, a fascinating series about the life of the Royal Family, has plenty of recognisable landmarks. The sixth – and final – series, which depicts events that took place between 1997 and 2005, offers up some of Britain's most famous sights, from Buckingham Palace (whose interior was actually filmed at London's Lancaster House) to Windsor Castle – played by both Burghley House in Lincolnshire and Belvoir Castle in Leicestershire. London's Canary Wharf was used as a stand-in for Chicago, while the elegant Dartmouth House in Mayfair hosted scenes set in the Ritz Paris. Further afield, Barcelona and its sorroundings were used to depict Paris, while Mallorca was used as a stand-in for Saint Tropez, where Diana and Dodi holidayed together just before her tragic death in August 1997.
Balmoral Castle has played a recurring role in the show, though appearances can be deceiving. The stand-in for the real deal's exterior was the impressive Ardverikie House in the Scottish Highlands, while interior shots were filmed at a number of British stately homes, including Knebworth House in Hertfordshire. Elsewhere in Scotland, the production filmed within the University of St Andrews campus for the final series, shooting scenes of William and Kate's courtship.
The Succession saga drew to a close in 2023 with the fourth and final season. It followed the story of the dysfunctional Roy family as they fought for control of their ailing patriarch’s billion-dollar media conglomerate. The power-play mostly takes place in NYC, but with private jets, yachts and helicopters at their disposal, the Roys don’t usually stay in one place for long.
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One of the standout moments from the third season was the family’s trip to ‘Chiantishire’ for a wedding. Filmed around the region of Val d’Orcia, the last two episodes of the season featured lavish scenes of country villas, cobbled Tuscan streets and manicured gardens. Pictured here is Villa Cetinale, a 17th-century palazzo available for private rental, which was used in the show. Succession has also previously shot in dreamy locations such as the Hamptons and southern Croatia, while season four included a visit to Norway’s west coast.
For three seasons viewers have been following Emily (played by Lily Collins) and her enviable life as a young creative, who's swapped Chicago for Paris to pursue a career in marketing. The show is a real visual feast, ticking off some of Paris' most recognisable locations, from the famous Jardin du Luxembourg to wanderlust-inducing streets, cafés and even the iconic Eiffel Tower.
Perhaps the best location to put yourself in Emily's shoes is Place de Valois, the real-life location of Emily's marketing firm. In the show, the agency is located in the up-market square next to the Palais Royal. Emily and her co-workers are often seen eating and drinking at the Bistrot Valois in the square (pictured), which is a real-life bistro restaurant you can actually visit.
Much like its sister show Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon (a prequel focusing on the Targaryen dynasty) features many fantastic destinations used to recreate the fictional nation of Westeros. Historic Cáceres in Spain once again stands in for King's Landing, while Trujillo Castle doubles as Casterly Rock and picturesque Monsanto in Portugal provides the setting for Dragonstone. However, it's the UK – especially the wild and rugged coastline of Cornwall – that features most heavily in the series.
Eagle-eyed viewers will spot the famous tidal island St Michael's Mount, rugged Kynance Cove (pictured) and the golden sands of Holywell Bay Beach near Newquay, which features in scenes between Matt Smith's Daemon Targaryen and Emma D'Arcy as an adult Rhaenyra Targaryen. Other UK locations include Caesar's Camp in Surrey and the Peak District.
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Ever since the first Lord of the Rings movie was filmed in New Zealand more than 20 years ago, visitors have flocked to the country to discover the awe-inspiring location in real life, so much so that the phenomenon has its own name: 'Tolkien tourism'. Last year saw the release of the much-hyped Amazon TV series, Rings of Power, which is set thousands of years before Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, and uses the country's stunning landscapes as a backdrop.
One of the otherworldly landscapes that features in the series is Hooker Valley Track (pictured), a scenic hiking route on New Zealand's South Island which includes a panoramic bridge stretching over its namesake river. The Putangirua Pinnacles, a set of unique rock formations on the North Island, are another scenic spot which feature in the series and the franchise – they were chosen by Peter Jackson to represent the Paths of the Dead in Return of the King. Fiordland National Park on the South Island is another stunning spot which features heavily in the franchise.
An adaptation of Walter Tevis' 1983 novel of the same name, Netflix's The Queen's Gambit had us all glued to the TV screens. Following the story of Beth Harmon, an orphan chess prodigy, the series is set in Lexington, Kentucky, but most of the series was filmed in the German capital Berlin with a few additional scenes shot in Ontario, Canada.
A story set within the Star Wars universe, The Mandalorian takes place five years after the events of Episode VI – Return of the Jedi. The series follows a Mandalorian bounty hunter, who is hired to retrieve The Child. It turns out to be a baby alien of the same species as Yoda and the two embark on a quest to learn more about its origins. Unsurprisingly, most of the series is filmed in studios and large sets in and around Los Angeles, but there is one location where fans can feel like they've travelled into the Star Wars universe.
In the very first episode of the hit Disney+ show, a spacecraft is seen arriving on Arvala-7. It's the Death Valley National Park's Zabriskie Point (pictured) that acted as the otherworldly terrain of the distant planet. Curiously, the location has a previous Star Wars connection too as this arid landscape in southeastern California also served as an additional filming location of Tatooine in the 1977 flick Episode IV – A New Hope.
Based around the novels by Diana Gabaldon, Outlander is both a story of time travel, and one of the very real Jacobite uprisings of 18th-century Scotland. Viewers can expect action, romance, history and, most importantly, the beauty of Scotland on full display.
Long-time viewers of the show will know that star-crossed sweethearts Jamie and Claire Fraser left their beloved Scotland for the New World during season three, but it's somewhere neither the characters nor the audience have been able to forget. Among the most striking Scottish locations featured in the series are Doune Castle in Perthshire (pictured), which is used as the setting for Castle Leoch. Parts of the show were also filmed in the naturally beautiful surrounds of Kinloch Rannoch.
The Good Place graced US screens from 2016 and lovers of the series can still watch it on Netflix. From the word go, the show – which follows four former citizens of Earth on their whimsical journey through the afterlife – earned critical acclaim for its sharp humour and high concept. And its beautiful setting – the eponymous "Good Place" – garnered plenty of attention too.
While much of the series was filmed at Universal Studios Hollywood, some scenes were shot on location. Highlights include Malibu's windswept Leo Carrillo State Beach, home to a moving scene where personal assistant Janet is "reset", and the Huntington Library Botanical Gardens in San Marino, which doubles as The Good Place's beautiful outdoor space.
Villanelle, the merciless and whip-smart assassin in Killing Eve, portrayed by Jodie Comer, captured the attention of fans in the US and across the pond – as did Sandra Oh's tenacious Eve Polastri. But Killing Eve's other star was its many filming locations, from the English Buckinghamshire countryside to the streets of Berlin. And one city looked particularly good on camera.
Given that Stranger Things was concocted based on information about viewer preferences, it's no wonder it was such an immediate hit. The wacky series brings together a whole heap of 1980s nostalgia, plus sci-fi and missing person storylines. Thrown into the mix are a bunch of great filming locations too.
Much of the show was filmed in and around Atlanta, Georgia, with the little town of Jackson generally standing in for the fictional town of Hawkins, Indiana – Jackson's courthouse (pictured) represented the exterior of the series' Public Library, for example. Fans of the show will also find the real Benny’s Burgers, The Palace Arcade and more.
As the name suggests, Prison Break centres around an elaborate prison escape plan, formulated by two brothers, and it had viewers gripped from its first airing. Throughout the drama's five seasons, filming locations have generally been in the Chicago area, and there's one place in particular that stands out.
The Old Joliet Prison, in Joliet, less than an hour from the Windy City, was used as the Fox River State Penitentiary from 2005, after being closed in 2002. Today, the prison offers tours to share the institution's long history, as well as its role as a filming location. A Guard Tour offers special insights into what life was like as a staff member and an inmate here too.
Narcos, Netflix's original series about the rise and fall of infamous Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar, is as educational as it is entertaining, with its documentary style enlightening a whole generation previously unfamiliar with the Medellín Cartel. Though the gripping series has more than a few scenes that are hard to watch, it's impossible to tear your eyes away from the magic of Colombia on-screen, from the misty forests to the frenetic streets full of colour.
Pablo Escobar's hometown Medellín, which served as a location for the show, is cashing in on the success of the series. Visitors can tour La Catedral, the "prison" that was famously constructed for the drug lord, which was more like a 5-star hotel, as well as visit his home and his final hideout before he was captured and killed on a Medellín rooftop.
Centred around the lives of the ultra-rich in the south of France, thriller Riviera isn't just a fast-paced series that keeps you on your toes – it's also an ode to the beauty of the Côte d'Azur.
The show takes viewers on a grand tour of several locations in the French Riviera, from pebbly beaches in Nice and winding streets in Monte Carlo to grand hotels in Cap Ferrat and enormous villas in Mougins, as well as glamorous port scenes in Villefranche-sur-Mer. Most of these picturesque places and resorts can be visited by car on a road trip through the region.
Generally considered to be one of the most successful series of all time, Breaking Bad changed TV forever. From the very first episode, viewers were not only hooked on chemistry teacher Walter White's descent into a life of serious crime, but also on the beautiful, deliberate way in which Albuquerque's bright skies, endless deserts and suburban streets were shot.
Many of the most memorable settings in Breaking Bad, including the Whites' house, the A1 carwash and even Twisters, the real-life chain that plays the part of Gus Fring's Los Pollos Hermanos, actually exist. You can get a glimpse of Jesse Pinkman's house and also check out Saul Goodman's office (great news for fans of the spin-off, Better Call Saul). There are a number of guided tours taking in Breaking Bad landmarks, some of which will even stop off at bakeries offering "meth doughnuts" – doughnuts sprinkled with blue sugar to look like the coloured drug Walter White made famous.
To watch House of Cards is to get an insight into the inner workings of American politics and Washington DC – and to be stunned by the mind games and manipulations of its main characters, Francis and Claire Underwood. But while it gets under the skin of DC, where was the intriguing show actually shot?
Although some of the series was indeed shot in the USA's capital, Washington DC, there's plenty that isn't. The homes of Frank Underwood and Zoe Barnes are both located in neighbouring Baltimore, Maryland. DC dominates the opening credits, however, and many of its landmarks can be explored on foot, from the White House and Capitol Hill (pictured) to the various memorials to past presidents. In Maryland there are a few more grand filming locations to take in, including the Baltimore Museum of Art and the Peabody Institute.
Twin Peaks is a gripping series that centres around the murder of high-school student and homecoming queen Laura Palmer and law enforcement's quest to find and bring her killer to justice. Its cult appeal of course owes a lot to its plot line and characters, but also to its eerie setting in Snoqualmie, Washington, around a half-hour drive from Seattle.
Fans of the show can easily spot plenty of the series' most recognisable landmarks around Snoqualmie. These include the Great Northern Hotel, which is called Salish Lodge & Spa in real life, and the breathtaking Snoqualmie Falls, which appear in the opening credits. There's also a Twin Peaks tour for die-hard fans, which explore cafés, restaurants and bridges featured in the show.
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Who'd have thought that the inner workings of mayoral politics could be so thrilling? Set against the striking backdrop of the eponymous French port city, Marseille had viewers hooked from its very first episode and it ran on Netflix for two seasons.
Filmed in and around Marseille, there are countless locations fans of the show will recognise immediately. Perhaps one of the most charming is the Vieux Port – Marseille's old port pictured here.
The popular crime drama series The Sopranos earned a cult following when it first aired, and remains a fan favourite even after six seasons and more than two decades on screen (the last season finished in 2007). Luckily its locations are easy for fans to find, with most of the show's exterior scenes being filmed on location in New Jersey.
To spot some of the most famous Sopranos landmarks, fans can take an organised tour, stopping at recognisable spots from the series, from the Bada Bing nightclub to Pizza Land. Fans can even visit Holsten's Brookdale Confectionery in Bloomfield and sit in the same seat Tony Soprano sat in the final scene of the series.
Often gracing lists of the best TV shows ever made, The Wire explores corruption, failed capitalism and racism in Baltimore, Maryland. The lauded HBO series was spread over five seasons, and Maryland's most famous city came to life on the screen.
Unlike many other popular shows, which are filmed in studios or in different cities to where they are set, The Wire is inextricably connected to Baltimore, with many of its storylines based on real-life events. Fans can take The Wire themed tours which stop at several of the show's most important filming locations, from Marlo Stanfield's Hangout to the Pit.
While the storylines and dialogue in Poldark are certainly gripping, viewers can't take their eyes off the most spectacular sight of all: the Cornish background. Depicted strikingly in countless scenes, Cornwall's dramatic cliffs are used as a backdrop for difficult conversations, and many of its scenic beaches have been used as swimming spots.
Fans of the show will recognise Cornwall in so many scenes, from the beaches of Porthgwarra, where the main character, Ross Poldark, took a dip in the first series, to the popular horse-riding location of Bodmin Moor, which characters often gallop across at high speeds.
You'd be forgiven for thinking that Lost – the slightly far-fetched series that gripped us all in the 2000s – really was filmed on a remote island impossible to spot from the rest of the world. The show followed characters fighting for survival in the wake of a plane crash and, despite the trials and tribulations of the protagonists, gave us more than a little wanderlust.
However, despite the island seeming incredibly obscure and inaccessible, the popular show was in fact filmed in Hawaii, on the island of Oahu. The series was shot in a number of dreamy locations on the island, but true fans of the show can head to Police Beach – this remote strand on the North Shore was the home of the survivors’ beach camp and one of the most recognisable backdrops for the series.
The incredibly popular and prolific Game Of Thrones was filmed all over the world, from Croatia and Ireland to Malta and Spain, and it has been credited with hugely boosting tourist numbers in its many filming locations (even leading to overtourism in some places). One country that truly glitters on screen is Iceland and, thanks to its striking background and dramatic weather, it has been home to numerous recognisable scenes throughout the series.
Incredible places with brief or extended cameos throughout the eight seasons include the Jökulsárlón glacial lagoon (pictured), Vatnajökull (Vatna Glacier), Thingvellir National Park – part of Iceland's Golden Circle – and the northern Lake Mývatn area. Die-hard fans will be pleased to know that a number of companies run dedicated Game of Thrones-themed tours to various spots throughout Iceland.
The beloved British series Downton Abbey wouldn't be the same without its palatial setting. But in real life, the grand country estate is called Highclere Castle and is located in north Hampshire. It belongs to George Herbert, 8th Earl of Carnarvon, and the Countess of Carnarvon.
Fans of the series, take note: the setting of Downton Abbey can be visited in real life, since Highclere Castle opens its doors to visitors on selected days throughout the year. Visitors can roam in the spectacular gardens, which include a wildflower meadow in summer, and even enjoy afternoon tea. There are also guided tours available taking in the glittering state rooms, bedrooms and the Egyptian exhibition.
In its first two seasons, this popular dark comedy ventured to Hawaii and Italy respectively, seducing viewers with sumptuous scenery and scandal as it followed the lives of guests and employees at a fictional hotel chain, The White Lotus. Season one was shot at the Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea, while the second season focused on the Italian isle of Sicily.
Using another luxurious Four Seasons hotel – San Domenico Palace – as its base, this instalment of the show featured epic views of Mount Etna, Isola Bella and Taormina’s Roman ruins, as well as alluring scenes around the hotel’s pool, terrace, piano bar and restaurant. Outside of the resort, viewers were also treated to glimpses of Noto, Cefalu and Palermo. According to Variety, the hotly-anticipated third season of The White Lotus is believed to be heading for Thailand.