Some movie locations exist only on a soundstage, but a surprising number of cinema’s most iconic backdrops are real places you can actually book a flight to. From a hobbit village built into real New Zealand farmland to a desert canyon carved by actual ancient hands, here are 10 genuinely visitable filming locations that look just as striking in person as they do on screen.
1. Hobbiton, Matamata, New Zealand — The Lord of the Rings
Built on a working sheep farm, Hobbiton’s 44 permanent hobbit holes and the Green Dragon Inn are now one of New Zealand’s biggest tourist draws. Unlike most movie sets, this one was built to last, and guided tours let you walk the same paths Frodo and Bilbo did on screen.
2. Aït Benhaddou, Morocco — Gladiator
This UNESCO-listed fortified village, where Maximus was sold into slavery on screen, has been a filming magnet for decades — “Lawrence of Arabia” used it too. Its mud-brick alleys are still inhabited today, making it one of the rare movie locations that’s also a living town rather than a preserved relic.
3. City Palace, Udaipur, India — Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani
Udaipur’s lakeside City Palace complex has hosted some of Bollywood’s most romantic sequences, including key scenes between Ranbir Kapoor and Deepika Padukone. The palace still functions partly as a museum and luxury hotel, so visitors can actually walk through the same courtyards.
4. Jaisalmer Fort, Rajasthan, India — Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam and More
Rajasthan’s golden desert fort has appeared in dozens of Bollywood productions over the decades, from the “Nimbooda” song sequence in “Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam” to numerous other shoots drawn to its sandstone havelis. It remains a living fort with residents, shops, and temples inside its walls.
5. Jeonju Hanok Village, South Korea — Parasite
Roughly 60% of Bong Joon-ho’s Oscar-sweeping “Parasite” was shot at the nearby Jeonju Film Studio Complex, and the adjacent Hanok Village’s traditional architecture has made the wider area a magnet for K-drama and film productions for years. For more on the genre Parasite helped define, see our guide to the best Korean thrillers streaming right now.
6. Old City Walls of Dubrovnik, Croatia — Game of Thrones
Dubrovnik’s medieval old town stood in for King’s Landing across multiple seasons of “Game of Thrones,” and its real fortress walls are now a full walking tour in their own right. The city has leaned into the association, with several operators running dedicated Thrones-themed tours along the same ramparts.
7. Skellig Michael, Ireland — Star Wars: The Force Awakens
This remote, UNESCO-listed island off the coast of County Kerry became Luke Skywalker’s hiding place on screen, and its genuinely ancient monastic ruins make the location feel otherworldly even without the Star Wars connection. Access is weather-dependent and boat tours are limited, which only adds to the sense that this is a real place worth the effort.
8. Sassi di Matera, Italy — No Time to Die
Matera’s cave-dwelling districts, inhabited since the Paleolithic period, provided the dramatic car-chase backdrop for the opening of “No Time to Die.” The Sassi have since been restored into boutique hotels and restaurants, letting visitors actually sleep inside the same cave structures.
9. The Treasury, Petra, Jordan — Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
Al-Khazneh, the facade carved directly into sandstone cliffs at Petra, played the resting place of the Holy Grail in “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.” The approach through the narrow Siq canyon before the Treasury comes into view is as cinematic in person as it is on film.
10. Monument Valley, Arizona-Utah — Classic Westerns
Director John Ford shot a string of classic Westerns against Monument Valley’s towering sandstone buttes, cementing the Navajo Nation Tribal Park as cinema’s single most recognizable desert backdrop. It’s remained a working filming location for decades since, from Westerns to road-trip dramas.
Planning a Trip Around Any of These
Several of these locations cluster well for a single trip — Jaisalmer and Udaipur sit within a reasonable Rajasthan road-trip loop, while Petra and other Jordan sites pair naturally with regional itineraries. Always check current visitor access and any seasonal restrictions before booking — UNESCO’s official World Heritage list is a reliable source for current site status, since several of these (Skellig Michael especially) have limited tour availability tied to weather. If this list has you planning a cinema-themed trip, our feel-good movie guide and upcoming Bollywood movies guide are good watchlist starting points for the flight over.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you actually visit the Hobbiton movie set?
Yes, Hobbiton in Matamata, New Zealand offers guided tours of its permanent hobbit holes and the Green Dragon Inn, making it one of the most accessible filming locations on this list.
Which Game of Thrones filming location is a real city?
Dubrovnik, Croatia’s medieval old town, which stood in for King’s Landing, is a fully functioning UNESCO World Heritage city with its own dedicated walking tours along the real fortress walls.
Is Petra’s Treasury really from Indiana Jones?
Yes, Al-Khazneh (the Treasury) at Petra, Jordan served as the resting place of the Holy Grail in “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade,” and remains one of the most visited ancient sites in the Middle East.
