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An increasingly popular travel trend is visiting locations where famous TV shows and movies are filmed. The Guardian’s website has an entire section of their website devoted to film-inspired holidays, and the National Geographic has a great article on locations that have hosted multiple film crews. While this type of travel has existed for decades, it seems to be growing. In New York City and other places where filming happens often, day tours are often focused on stopping at some of the hottest filming locations. Hundreds of films and TV shows have been shot in the city’s famous Central Park alone, and that doesn’t begin to cover the buildings made iconic by the entertainment industry.
The firehouse made famous by Ghostbusters (Image source: Wikipedia).
While New York is an obvious go-to when thinking about a film location focused trip, there are many other places that are the backdrops to famous movies and shows. The following are just a few of a multitude of filming locations:
Hobbiton: North Island, New Zealand
For fans of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit, Hobbiton Movie Set is not to be missed. You can stay in a real hobbit hole, eat in replicated restaurants and amble the rolling green hills of New Zealand. While this landscape is created entirely for the film and fandom, it’s also a stunning location for those interested in staying in an earthy and home-y place.
Hobbit holes, which are dug into hillsides, are notable for their round doors (Image source: Wikimedia).
Bodleian Library: Oxford, England
Harry Potter fans may be dismayed to hear that visiting the Hogwarts Castle would be a feat of true magic – the Castle is compiled of many locations across the UK. However, you can visit it in bits and pieces. Oxford’s Bodleian Library is home to the courtyard Harry and his friends so often stroll across, as well as the Hogwarts Infirmary.
Image source: Wikimedia
Multiple Sites, Northern Ireland
Game of Thrones fans will be happy to know that there are multiple tour groups offering up close and personal views of the open fields, craggy hills and crumbling castles of Westeros, where the book and show are fictionally set. Beyond exploring the beautiful sets, you can find costumes that will make you archery, horseback or photo-op ready.
Tollymore Forest, where men of the Night’s Watch get lost in the forest, and the Starks first find their direwolf pups (Image source: Wikimedia).
Looking to book a trip to the site of your favorite film or show? Share the location with us in the comment section below, and be in touch with our agents for help planning and booking your trip.
Sources: Causeway Coast and Glens, Discover Northern Ireland, Game of Thrones Tours, Hobbiton Tours, Visit Britain
