10 Vacation Destinations Inspired by Beloved TV Shows
Whether you're ready to experience life like the lords and ladies of 'Downton Abbey' or are craving an 'Emily in Paris'-style adventure.
Falling in love with a TV show often means developing an affinity for its characters—along with the place a series is set. A plethora of shows, such as Gilmore Girls and Pretty Little Liars, were filmed on the Warner Bros. backlot in Hollywood, making it easy to visit a ton of different locations in just one tour. Meanwhile, some shows take audiences further afield, filming scenes in unexpected places both at home and internationally. Whether you remain a Game of Thrones superfan following the release of House of the Dragon, or you're still not over Carrie Bradshaw's iconic brownstone in Manhattan, it might be time to consider planning your next vacation around your most beloved TV shows.
While The White Lotus has transported viewers to three completely different and unique destinations, cities such as Wilmington, North Carolina, provide the backdrop for some of the most iconic late '90s and early '00s teen television shows. If you're ready to experience life like the lords and ladies of Downton Abbey or you're craving an Emily in Paris-style adventure, we've compiled the only itineraries you'll need.
1. 'The White Lotus'
Aimee Lou Wood and Walton Goggins in The White Lotus season 3.
Every season of The White Lotus is set in a different country, taking viewers to glamorous resorts in Hawaii, Italy, and Thailand. Even though the namesake resort doesn't exist in real life, location scouts sought out the perfect destinations to film Mike White's darkly humorous series. Season 1 used Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea in Hawaii as the backdrop for The White Lotus, and season 2 took viewers to Four Seasons San Domenico Palace in Taormina, Italy.
Bang Makham Beach, close to The Four Seasons Resort in Koh Samui, Thailand.
Upping the ante once more, season 3 takes place in Thailand at the Four Seasons Resort Koh Samui. While the characters of The White Lotus don't always appear to be enjoying themselves, the real life resorts are likely to provide a much more tranquil experience. Admittedly, vacationing like Parker Posey's Victoria Ratliff or Jennifer Coolidge's Tanya McQuoid won't be cheap, but it'll certainly be memorable. Let's just hope no mysterious deaths occur during your stay, à la HBO's hit series.
Where to stay:
Four Seasons Resort Koh Samui. Rates start at $1,000 per night.
Kimpton Kitalay Samui. Rates start at $250 per night.
2. 'Downton Abbey'
Maggie Smith as the Dowager Countess of Grantham in Downton Abbey.
Julian Fellowes's historical British television drama was an instant hit with viewers around the world. Set in a fictional town in the north of England, Downton Abbey documents the lives of the aristocratic Crawley family and the large staff of butlers, maids, and cooks they employ. Starting in 1912, the very same year the Titanic sank, viewers are transported to another era in which drastic class divides converge.
Highclere Castle, the property seen in Downton Abbey.
Luckily, viewers can visit Downton Abbey, real name Highclere Castle, which is actually located in the south of England. The palatial estate offers tours, afternoon teas, and special events. Sadly, it's not possible to stay in the iconic building itself, but two renovated lodges on the Highclere Estate are available for short stays, with budget options close by.
Where to stay:
London Lodge or Grotto Lodge at Highclere Castle. Rates start at $1,100 for two nights.
Hare and Hounds in Newbury. Rates start at $185 per night.
3. 'Sex and the City'
Sarah Jessica Parker as Carrie Bradshaw in And Just Like That...
Throughout Sex and the City's six seasons, two movies, and the first two seasons of its spin-off, And Just Like That..., protagonist Carrie Bradshaw lived in a seriously enviable Manhattan brownstone. While critics questioned how a struggling writer could afford to live in such a luxurious zip code, fans flocked to the steps of Carrie's fictional abode, leading the home's real owner to beg tourists to stay away.
Carrie Bradshaw's iconic apartment, which is located on Perry Street in Greenwich Village, New York.
As Carrie's apartment is actually a privately owned house, it's not possible to stay in the building. However, fans can take a three-hour Sex and the City bus tour, which stops at a whole host of filming locations, including Magnolia Bakery, The Plaza Hotel, and Aidan and Steve's bar Scout. Pro tip: nab a reservation at French restaurant Pastis, where Carrie dined with her season 6 beau, Aleksandr Petrovsky.
Where to stay:
The Standard, High Line. Rates start at $600 per night.
Hilton Club The Quin New York. Rates start at $320 per night.
4. 'One Tree Hill'/'Dawson's Creek'
The cast of Dawson's Creek.
Wilmington in North Carolina is a popular filming location, providing the backdrop for everything from Nicholas Sparks movies to The Summer I Turned Pretty. Iconic teen TV shows Dawson's Creek and One Tree Hill were both filmed in the port city, which is so aesthetically pleasing, you'll forgive the fact Tree Hill and Capeside aren't real places.
North Front Street in Wilmington, North Carolina.
TRIC tours focus on the nightclub and recording studio that was a central part of One Tree Hill's later seasons, and it's also possible to embark on a self-guided tour of the show's most important filming spots. The famous bridge featured in One Tree Hill's opening credits is even marked on Google Maps. Even though the show is older, it's still possible to find a ton of crucial Dawson's Creek landmarks, from Joey's Wall to the unforgettable pier in the yard of the Leery house.
Where to stay:
Hotel Ballast Wilmington, Tapestry Collection by Hilton. Rates start at $150 per night.
Hampton Inn & Suites Wilmington/Wrightsville Beach. Rates start at $140 per night.
5. 'Insecure'
Issa Rae and Kendrick Sampson as Issa and Nathan in Insecure.
Insecure is Issa Rae's love letter to Los Angeles and the misadventures of an awkward Black woman—which just so happens to be the name of her book. Throughout five seasons, Issa Dee and her best friend Molly Carter navigated the messy experiences of falling love, breaking up, building careers, sustaining friendships, and trying to find their footing.
A block party in Inglewood.
With neighborhoods like Inglewood and Leimert Park as the backdrop, Insecure provided a roadmap to some of the city's lesser known but completely unmissable restaurants. Fans point to Mexican restaurant Damian, food store Simply Wholesome, Ethiopian restaurant Merkato, and Hilltop Coffee, which Rae co-owns, as important stops on the tour. Visiting food stops like Worldwide Tacos, Swift Cafe, The Line Hotel's Openaire restaurant, and '50s-style diner Pann's will also help you feel like you're in an episode of the HBO series.
Where to stay:
Hilton Los Angeles Culver City. Rates start at $130 per night.
The Shay Culver City. Rates start at $360 per night.
6. 'Game of Thrones'
Maisie Williams, Isaac Hempstead Wright, and Sophie Turner as the Stark children in Game of Thrones.
Game of Thrones is truly an international TV series, with filming locations encompassing everywhere from an uninhabited island in the Adriatic Sea to the Basque Coast of Spain and the Glens of Antrim in Northern Ireland. Planning a trip around every one of the show's filming locations would be quite an undertaking; luckily, choosing just one destination will still result in a jaw-dropping vacation.
Visitors at the Castle Ward Estate in Strangford, Northern Ireland.
Banbridge in Northern Ireland is home to the official Game of Thrones Studio Tour, an exhibition housing authentic costumes, props, sets, and behind-the-scenes secrets relating to the HBO series. An impressive range of walking and coach tours are also available via Game of Thrones Tours, taking fans to some of the show's pivotal locations, from castle ruins to ancient abbeys in and around Belfast. It's also possible to visit Old Castle Ward, an 18th century mansion in Strangford, County Down, which doubled as Winterfell Castle.
Where to stay:
Belmont House Hotel. Rates start at $130 per night.
The Cuan in Strangford Lough. Rates start at $140 per night.
7. 'The Prisoner'
Patrick McGoohan as "Number 6" in The Prisoner.
British television series The Prisoner starred Irish American actor Patrick McGoohan as a former intelligence officer known only as Number Six. The show, which was released in the late '60s, followed Number Six who, after quitting his job, finds himself kidnapped and imprisoned in a strange coastal village. Filmed in the quaint and idiosyncratic tourist village of Portmeirion in Gwynedd, North Wales, The Prisoner was specifically filmed in color to capture the bold hues and dramatic architecture of its location.
The tourist town of Portmeirion in North Wales.
Whether or not you've watched The Prisoner, Portmeirion is an indelible vacation destination. The village's Central Piazza features an ornamental garden, while its colorful buildings appear to draw their inspiration from the Italian Riviera. A picturesque waterfront is accompanied by a spa, cafes, stores, and an oversized chess board, making this one of the most unusual places you're likely to ever visit.
Where to stay:
The 4-Star Hotel Portmeirion. Rates start at $280 per night.
Castell Deudraeth. Rates start at $240 per night.
8. 'Emily in Paris'
Lily Collins as Emily and Ashley Park as Mindy in Emily in Paris.
If you've already been honing your French girl beauty skills, a trip to Paris might be on the horizon. Although some of season 5 of Emily in Paris is set to take place in Rome, there's literally never a bad time to book a flight to France. One of the most important locations featured in Netflix's Lily Collins-starring show is The Place de l'Estrapade in the 5th arrondissement of Paris, which is where Emily and Gabriel live. And, yes, it's possible to stay in their building.
Terra Nera restaurant located on Place de l'Estrapade.
The square outside Emily's apartment features a gorgeous fountain, and Boulangerie Moderne, the bakery at which our titular character discovers authentic pain au chocolat. Terra Nera, an Italian restaurant in the square, transforms into Gabriel's Les Deux Compères in the series. Venturing further afield, Emily's workplace, Savoir, is located at 6 Place de Valois, another chic square featuring hotels, restaurants, and galleries. Special mention must go to Jardin du Luxembourg, the tree-lined park and gardens where Emily and Mindy spend many lunches and coffee breaks.
Where to stay:
Paris Art Hôtel Quartier Latin. Rates start at $225 per night.
Hotel Bachaumont. Rates start at $320 per night.
9. 'Big Little Lies'
Shailene Woodley as Jane, Reese Witherspoon as Madeline, and Nicole Kidman as Celeste in Big Little Lies.
Star-studded series Big Little Lies is set in Monterey, a coastal city in California. Punctuated by moody beaches and an alluring, high-class fisherman aesthetic, it's unsurprising that some viewers have flocked to the twisty drama's filming locations. For starters, fans of the series can't resist driving over Big Sur's Bixby Creek Bridge, just like the characters do in the opening credits of Big Little Lies.
Bixby Creek Bridge on the way to Monterey.
From Lovers Point Park to Monterey Bay Aquarium and Fisherman's Wharf, so many of the city's landmarks provide the backdrop for the show's most important scenes. Meanwhile, stars like Nicole Kidman were apparently anamored with nearby restaurants like Passionfish, Paluca Trattoria, and Happy Girl Kitchen Co., via Town & Country. Bonus: it's actually possible to stay in the beach house where Madeline Mackenzie (Reese Witherspoon) and her family live, but it's in Malibu, not Monterey.
Where to stay:
InterContinental The Clement Monterey. Rates start from $300 per night.
Centrella Hotel, A Kirkwood Collection Hotel. Rates start from $140 per night.
10. 'Bridgerton'
Regé-Jean Page as Simon and Phoebe Dynevor as Daphne in Bridgerton.
Netflix's Regency era Shondaland drama has taken the world by storm. Based on the book series by Julia Quinn, Bridgerton follows members of the noble Bridgerton family as they attempt to find spouses, taking place in an alternate universe in which racial equality has been established. Filmed in some of the United Kingdom's most wonderful locations—like Osterley Park and House in London and Basildon Park in Berkshire—Bridgerton is the ideal TV series to build a vacation around.
Ranger's House in Greenwich Park, now featured in Bridgerton.
The Bridgertons's Mayfair home is actually Ranger's House in Greenwich Park, an English Heritage property fans can visit, housing a private art collection. Meanwhile, King Henry VIII's former home, Hampton Court Palace, served as the exterior of Queen Charlotte's humble abode, while Lancaster House in Westminster provided the interior.
Where to stay:
Henrietta Hotel. Rates start from $390 per night.
The Mitre, Hampton Court. Rates start from $160 per night.
