MomSkoop
One of the prettiest fountains in a Tuscan hill town’s movie scenes was never really there. The film crew built it as a prop for the square, and it does not stand there today. Movies have a funny habit of turning ordinary corners into travel goals. A set of church steps in Paris and a karaoke room in Tokyo now sit on plenty of fan wish lists.
The best ones make you care about a street, a beach, or a hotel window as much as the people standing there. That’s the part that interests me, because some of these spots are easy to visit and others come with surprises. So grab some popcorn, because a few of these backdrops are not quite what they seem on screen.
1. The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
Greenland, the Himalayas, and a mountain road in Iceland walk into a movie, and it turns out they are mostly the same country.
Ben Stiller directed and starred in this 2013 adventure about a daydreaming photo manager chasing a missing negative.
Walter starts out stuck in a New York office, and the story slowly pushes him out the door.
Once he leaves, Iceland quietly plays several roles, which feels like the best casting choice in the film.
The harbor town of Stykkishólmur stood in for Nuuk, Greenland, where Walter lands and goes looking for answers.
Grundarfjörður also served as a Greenland setting, with the pointed peak of Kirkjufell rising in the background.
Then comes the longboard ride, which many viewers remember long after the credits.
Stiller filmed it on the curving mountain road that drops into Seyðisfjörður, a small fjord town in eastern Iceland.
Scenes meant to look like the Himalayas were shot around Vatnajökull National Park, home to Europe’s largest glacier.
If you plan a trip around this movie, renting a car makes sense, since these spots sit far apart.
You can drive parts of that same road yourself, though maybe skip the skateboard.
Your knees will thank you.
2. Eat Pray Love
Pizza in Naples counts as a spiritual experience in this film, and honestly, that seems fair.
Directed by Ryan Murphy in 2010, the movie stars Julia Roberts as Elizabeth Gilbert, based on Gilbert’s 2006 memoir.
The story splits into three chapters, each tied to a different country.
Italy handles the eating, India handles the praying, and Bali takes care of the love part.
In Rome, Liz soaks up scenes around Piazza Navona and its Fountain of the Four Rivers, plus views of the Colosseum.
Her trip to Naples brings her to L’Antica Pizzeria da Michele, a long-running pizza spot that still serves hungry visitors.
For the India section, the crew filmed at the Hari Mandir Ashram in Pataudi, Haryana, not far from Delhi.
Gilbert never named the real ashram from her book, so this location is a stand-in rather than the actual place.
Bali scenes center on Ubud, with its market and the stepped green Tegalalang Rice Terraces.
Liz’s romance with Felipe plays out near Padang Padang Beach on the Bukit Peninsula.
Here’s a fun catch: the beach bar from the movie was a temporary set.
The sand and clear water, luckily, were real.
3. Under the Tuscan Sun
Buying a crumbling house on a whim sounds risky in real life, but on screen it looks delightful.
Audrey Wells wrote and directed this 2003 film, starring Diane Lane as writer Frances Mayes.
The story comes from Mayes’s 1996 memoir about restoring a home in Tuscany.
Most of the action takes place in Cortona, a hill town with steep lanes and wide views.
Here’s a twist many fans miss.
The real Villa Bramasole is Mayes’s private home, and it was already fixed up by filming time, so the crew used another property called Villa Laura a few kilometers outside town.
Villa Laura has since been restored and can now be rented.
That means you can sleep in the fixer-upper without fixing anything yourself.
In Cortona, Piazza della Repubblica hosted a market scene, and Teatro Signorelli appeared in a theater moment.
Piazza Signorelli held that charming fountain, which was only a prop.
Frances also travels to Florence, Rome, and Positano on the Amalfi Coast.
If you visit Tuscany, give yourself time to wander Cortona slowly, because its hills reward patience more than speed.
4. Roman Holiday
Back in 1953, filming a big Hollywood movie entirely in Rome was a bold move.
William Wyler directed this romantic comedy, and the result still feels like a guided tour with better outfits.
Audrey Hepburn plays Princess Ann, a royal who slips away from her duties for a day.
Gregory Peck plays Joe Bradley, an American reporter who spots a big story and a bigger problem.
Hepburn won the Academy Award for Best Actress for the role.
The screenplay credit also has an interesting history, since blacklisted writer Dalton Trumbo had his full credit restored in 2011.
Ann’s adventure includes gelato on the Spanish Steps and a haircut near the Trevi Fountain.
Joe lives at Via Margutta 51, a street long linked to artists.
The funniest stop might be the Mouth of Truth outside Santa Maria in Cosmedin.
Peck’s fake hand scare there remains a fan favorite moment for many viewers.
Their Vespa ride passes the Colosseum, and the story ends with scenes near Castel Sant’Angelo.
Visiting early in the morning helps you enjoy these spots before crowds arrive, and before you start dreaming about scooters.
5. Midnight in Paris
Sitting on old church steps at midnight usually ends with a sore back.
In this 2011 film from Woody Allen, it ends with a trip to the 1920s.
Owen Wilson plays Gil Pender, a screenwriter visiting Paris with his fiancée Inez, played by Rachel McAdams.
Each night, a vintage car picks Gil up and drops him into a world of famous writers and artists.
His magic spot is the steps of Saint-Étienne-du-Mont in the Latin Quarter.
You can visit it today, though classic cars rarely show up on schedule.
Gil meets Ernest Hemingway, played by Corey Stoll, at Restaurant Polidor, a long-running bistro.
Kathy Bates appears as Gertrude Stein, and Adrien Brody pops in as Salvador Dalí.
Daytime scenes show off the Musée de l’Orangerie, home to Monet’s Water Lilies, and the Musée Rodin gardens.
The couple also visits Versailles and Monet’s gardens in Giverny.
Gil and Inez stay at the Hôtel Le Bristol, and Pont Alexandre III shines in the opening montage.
Walking the Latin Quarter at night gives you a taste of Gil’s mood, even if the 1920s stay out of reach.
6. Lost in Translation
Jet lag rarely looks this stylish.
Sofia Coppola wrote and directed this 2003 film about two Americans who can’t sleep in Tokyo.
Bill Murray plays Bob Harris, an actor in town to shoot a whisky ad.
Scarlett Johansson plays Charlotte, a recent college graduate left alone while her husband works.
Much of the story unfolds at the Park Hyatt Tokyo, which fills the top floors of Shinjuku Park Tower.
The New York Bar on the 52nd floor is where Bob and Charlotte first meet, with the city glowing below.
Outside the hotel, Charlotte walks through Shibuya Crossing with a clear umbrella.
Bob’s face even rolls past on an advertising truck, which is a funny detail if you catch it.
The karaoke night happened at Karaoke Kan in Shibuya, in rooms 601 and 602.
Bob sings “More Than This,” and the scene feels both silly and sweet.
Charlotte also takes the bullet train to Kyoto, visiting Nanzen-ji Temple and Heian Shrine.
If Tokyo’s noise feels like a lot, that quiet Kyoto day trip offers a nice reset, just like it does for her.
7. Into the Wild
A yellow Datsun, a backpack, and a burned stack of cash kick off this road trip.
Sean Penn directed this 2007 drama based on Jon Krakauer’s 1996 book.
Emile Hirsch plays Christopher McCandless, a college graduate who leaves his comfortable life behind.
He calls himself Alexander Supertramp and drifts across the country toward Alaska.
Penn aimed to film in places McCandless actually traveled.
The journey passes Carthage, South Dakota, where he works at a grain elevator for Wayne Westerberg, played by Vince Vaughn.
In California, he spends time at Slab City and Salvation Mountain, the painted hillside made by Leonard Knight.
Earlier, he abandons his car near Lake Mead after a flash flood.
The Alaska scenes are the most famous, centered on an old bus along the Stampede Trail.
The movie used a replica bus near Cantwell, which was easier for the crew to reach.
The real Bus 142 was removed in June 2020 after many risky hiking attempts, and it now sits at the University of Alaska Museum of the North.
That museum is the safest way to see it, and your boots will stay dry too.
8. Mamma Mia!
The island of Kalokairi doesn’t exist, which is a little heartbreaking after hearing so much ABBA.
Lucky for fans, the real filming spots in Greece are easy to find.
Phyllida Lloyd directed this 2008 musical, written by Catherine Johnson from her stage show.
Meryl Streep plays Donna, and Amanda Seyfried plays her daughter Sophie, who invites three possible dads to her wedding.
Skopelos, in the Northern Sporades, handled most of the outdoor scenes.
Kastani Beach hosted songs like “Lay All Your Love on Me,” though the pier and beach bar were temporary sets.
The hilltop chapel of Agios Ioannis in Kastri served as the wedding spot.
Reaching it means climbing about 200 steps, so pack water and comfy shoes.
Cape Amarandos appears in the opening “Honey, Honey” scene, known for its turquoise water.
Glysteri Beach, near Skopelos Town, also turns up in several moments.
Nearby Skiathos gave the film its Old Port, where Sam, Harry, and Bill meet trying to catch a ferry.
Damouchari, a fishing village on mainland Greece’s Pelion Peninsula, helped with harbor scenes, so you could easily turn one movie into a two-island trip.
9. Call Me by Your Name
Bikes, peaches, and long lazy afternoons set the pace in this summer story.
Luca Guadagnino directed this 2017 drama, set in northern Italy in 1983.
James Ivory wrote the screenplay from André Aciman’s 2007 novel, and he won an Academy Award for it.
Timothée Chalamet plays Elio, a teen who falls for Oliver, a graduate student staying with his family.
The family’s home is Villa Albergoni in Moscazzano, a 16th-century estate near Crema.
Its frescoed ceilings and fruit trees make the house feel like part of the cast.
Crema’s Piazza del Duomo is where the two sit at a café near the Gothic cathedral.
Fans visit this square often, and some bikes and tables have been set out for photos.
In nearby Pandino, a war memorial in the town square frames an important talk between Elio and Oliver.
A quiet pond in Capralba becomes Elio’s secret swimming spot.
A day trip to Sirmione on Lake Garda includes the Grotte di Catullo, ruins of a Roman villa.
Renting a bike in Crema is a simple way to explore, though the hills near Bergamo may test your legs.
10. Crazy Rich Asians
Few movies make a food court look as exciting as a wedding, but this one pulls it off.
Jon M.
Chu directed this 2018 romantic comedy, based on Kevin Kwan’s 2013 novel.
Constance Wu plays Rachel Chu, an economics professor visiting Singapore with her boyfriend Nick, played by Henry Golding.
She soon learns his family is very rich, and his mother, played by Michelle Yeoh, is not easily impressed.
One of the first stops is Newton Food Centre, a hawker market known for satay and other local dishes.
It’s a friendly reminder that great meals in Singapore don’t need fancy tablecloths.
The big wedding takes place at CHIJMES, a 19th-century former convent, with a water-filled aisle built for the scene.
The after-party lights up the Supertree Grove at Gardens by the Bay, which hosts a free nightly light show.
Marina Bay Sands appears too, though its rooftop pool is for hotel guests only.
The SkyPark Observation Deck is open to the public for city views.
Some scenes shifted to Malaysia, including Carcosa Seri Negara in Kuala Lumpur and the Blue Mansion in Penang.
That mahjong showdown was filmed in Penang, proving tiles can be thrilling.
11. The Darjeeling Limited
Three brothers, a pile of matching suitcases, and a train ride across India make for one chaotic family trip.
Wes Anderson directed this 2007 comedy and wrote it with Roman Coppola and Jason Schwartzman.
Owen Wilson, Adrien Brody, and Schwartzman play Francis, Peter, and Jack.
They haven’t spoken in a year, which makes sharing a train cabin extra awkward.
The train was real, adapted for the production and run along actual tracks in Rajasthan.
Much of the filming happened around Jodhpur, the Blue City, where the opening chase takes place.
Anjelica Huston plays the brothers’ mother, Patricia, who lives at a remote convent.
Those scenes used locations around Udaipur and the heritage hotel Rawla Narlai in the village of Narlai.
The desert dunes near Osian, at the edge of the Thar Desert, set the stage for a moving funeral scene.
Bill Murray and Natalie Portman also make short appearances, so keep your eyes open.
Visiting Rajasthan works best in the cooler months, roughly October through March.
Whatever season you choose, pack lighter than these brothers, since their luggage could fill a small house.