You know that moment when you’re deep into a show and suddenly find yourself Googling “Where was this filmed?” followed immediately by “Flights to [insert dreamy location here]”? Congrats — you’ve caught the set-jetting bug. And trust us, you’re not alone.
Set-jetting, the travel trend of visiting real-life locations featured in movies and TV shows, is a clever twist on “jet-setting” and has become so popular that Expedia named it one of its top travel trends.
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I didn’t plan on becoming a set-jetter. But there I was, wandering Dubrovnik’s ancient walls—aka King’s Landing from Game of Thrones—standing on the dramatic Icelandic cliffs where Jon Snow brooded, and sipping wine on Croatia’s Vis Island, where Meryl Streep filmed those iconic Mamma Mia! Scenes.
There’s something undeniably thrilling about standing in the real-world locations where fictional worlds came to life. Set-jetting doesn’t just check off a destination. It drops you into the scene. If a place is cinematic enough for Hollywood, it’s probably bucket list-worthy.
Eleven Cinematic Set-Jetting Destinations
What makes set-jetting so irresistible is how it transforms ordinary travel into something cinematic. You’re visiting a place, but you’re also stepping into a story. Here are eleven of the most coveted set-jetting destinations that have turned screens into travel brochures.
1. The White Lotus
This HBO series has a particular talent for making resorts look simultaneously luxurious and ominous. Season one had everyone booking trips to the Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea in Hawaii, conveniently forgetting how badly things ended for some guests.
Season two sent travelers flocking to Sicily’s San Domenico Palace in Taormina, where you can sip limoncello and pretend you’re not mentally cataloging all the places where fictional characters met their demise. And season three has travelers running off to tropical Thailand.
2. Vienna’s Before Sunrise
Thanks to Richard Linklater’s romantic masterpiece, Vienna has become synonymous with late-night philosophical conversations and the kind of spontaneous romance that feels impossible in real life.
Walking through the city’s elegant streets, riding that famous Ferris wheel, you can almost hear Jesse and Céline debating the meaning of life. It’s the kind of destination that makes you want to miss your flight on purpose.
3. Twilight’s Forks, Washington
This tiny Pacific Northwest town became the unlikely center of vampire tourism thanks to Stephenie Meyer’s brooding saga. Forks, with its perpetually overcast skies and dense forests, provides the perfect moody backdrop for channeling your inner Bella Swan.
The town has fully embraced its supernatural fame, complete with Twilight-themed tours and the chance to visit the actual high school where fictional (adult) vampires pretended to be teenagers.
4. Bridgerton’s Bath
Bath, England, was already gorgeous, but Bridgerton turned it into a Regency romance pilgrimage site. Never mind that most of the interior shots were filmed elsewhere—people want to promenade where the Bridgertons might have promenaded, even if those Bridgertons are fictional and probably wouldn’t have been caught dead mingling with measly tourists.
5. Outlander’s Scottish Highlands
This show has single-handedly boosted Scottish tourism, with fans desperate to channel their inner Claire Fraser. Doune Castle (aka Castle Leoch) and the dramatic Highland landscapes promise time-travel fantasies and the chance to perfect your Scottish accent in private.
6. Emily in Paris’ Parisian Fantasy
Love it or hate it, Emily in Paris has sent millions of viewers into a Parisian daydream. From the charming cobblestone streets to those impossibly perfect café scenes, the show has turned Paris into the backdrop for reinventing your life.
Sure, the portrayal might be a bit rose-tinted, but who doesn’t want to live in a world where every outfit is flawless and every croissant is perfectly flaky?
7. Normal People’s Ireland
While everyone was obsessing over Emily in Paris, I was obsessing over this understated gem that quietly showcased Ireland’s Trinity College Dublin and Sligo’s rugged coastline (and Paul Mescal’s tiny gold chain necklace that we will never forget). The locations still feel authentic and accessible, without the overwhelming crowds that follow some other popular shows.
8. Sex and the City’s New York City
New York City is the favorite set-jetting destination for millennials. From Carrie’s apartment stoop to the restaurants and bars featured throughout the series, New York City tourism has been forever changed by four fictional women and their very real impact on how we see the city.
9. Under the Tuscan Sun’s Italian Dream
Diane Lane’s villa renovation fantasy in Cortona, Tuscany, created the ideal “drop everything and move to Italy” destination. The rolling hills, ancient stone buildings and that impossibly romantic villa (Bramasole) have inspired countless people to search for their own Italian renovation project (me included). Fair warning: the reality of Italian bureaucracy is significantly less cinematic than the movie suggests.
10. Eat, Pray, Love’s Bali
Julia Roberts’ spiritual journey put Bali firmly on the map as the destination for finding yourself. Ubud’s rice terraces, yoga retreats and that famous medicine man scene have drawn seekers from around the world.
The island’s combination of spiritual mysticism and Instagram-worthy landscapes makes it the perfect place to contemplate life changes—preferably with a beautiful sunset backdrop.
11. Lord of the Rings’ New Zealand
Perhaps the OG set-jetting destination, New Zealand’s dramatic landscapes, became Middle-earth and has been drawing Tolkien fans ever since. From Hobbiton to the rolling hills of Matamata, the country has fully embraced its fantasy film fame.
Reality Check
Sometimes the magic delivers exactly what you hoped for: those Instagram-worthy moments where fiction and reality blur just right. Other times, what seemed romantic and expansive on screen turns out to be a cramped, crowded spot where everyone’s vying for the same iconic shot.
Take Dubrovnik as an example. Stunning, yes, but grappling with overtourism thanks to its Game of Thrones fame. Those winding medieval streets lose a bit of their charm when you’re shoulder-to-shoulder with tour groups all trying their best Tyrion Lannister impressions.
Still, even in the chaos, there’s something oddly delightful about the shared experience. You’re all there for the same slightly ridiculous reason. And somehow, that makes it feel like a fan convention with better architecture.
Set-Jetting Verdict
Set-jetting marks a fundamental shift in how we choose where to travel. Instead of flipping through guidebooks, we’re letting our screens do the curating. If it’s cinematic enough for Hollywood, it’s officially flight-worthy.
Is it a little frivolous to plan a trip based on a fictional character’s storyline? Absolutely. Will you catch yourself photographing a random alley just because it might be in that one episode? Probably.
But you’ll discover destinations you’d never have thought to visit, seeing familiar landscapes through a new lens, not to mention collecting stories way more memorable than the usual tourist checklist.
And if you’re lucky, you’ll have a moment that feels just as magical as the scene that inspired it. Just… maybe skip trying to reenact White Lotus. Some plotlines are better left on screen.
Snapshot Summary
Set-jetting transforms ordinary travel into cinematic adventures by visiting real filming locations from beloved shows and movies. From Vienna’s romantic streets (Before Sunrise) to Bali’s spiritual retreats (Eat, Pray, Love), travelers now choose destinations based on screen inspiration rather than guidebooks. While some locations face overtourism challenges, this trend offers unique ways to experience places through storytelling, creating meaningful connections between wanderlust and wellness-focused escapes.
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