Where to Set-Jet in 2025

Places like New Zealand, Belfast and Dubrovnik have been dining out on worldwide phenomena like The Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones for decades now – entire industries built upon set tours, famous locations and, well, some more tenuous links (looking at you, ‘Platform 9 ¾’ at Kings Cross Station).

Today, set-jetting is now considered one of the biggest tourism drivers. The Sicilian town of Taormina saw a €2m hospitality boost and a spike of over 300% in Google searches after The White Lotus decamped there in 2022. After the final season of Succession in 2023, many found themselves searching for north Norway (the hotel that featured in one episode went from 400 daily views to 18,500 in a day, crashing the site). And for those wanting to strap on a pair of gladiator sandals (for a more modern take on the footwear, see Christian Dior’s S/S 24 show), then the Paul Mescal-starring Gladiator 2 – set to premiere in November 2024 – has already triggered an uptick in interest to the sunny isles of Malta.

With more people than ever keen to emulate the escapades of on-screen characters, we’ve compiled the top places to travel in 2025 – and the best Belmond hotel or train to pair it with.

While a rewatch of Season 2 might still inspire a trip to Grand Hotel Timeo and Villa Sant’Andrea in sunny Taormina, 2025 is all about the Land of Smiles. Thailand was already an on-the-up destination (the number of tourists increased by 20% from 2022 to 2023) when HBO announced that Season 3 of The White Lotus would take place on the island of Koh Samui. Premiering in 2025, this season will be a “satirical and funny look at death and Eastern religion and spirituality,” starring Aimee Lou Wood, Jason Isaacs and Parker Posey, among others.

Stay at Napasai, A Belmond Hotel, Koh Samui: a tranquil tropical retreat spread out among cashew and coconut groves, between hibiscus and bougainvillea. Elegant, teak-furnished villas, beachfront dining and excellent fitness and wellness offerings are stand-out features.

VISIT KOH SAMUI

Bonnie Scotland is really having a moment. From Netflix tear-jerker One Day practically making Arthur’s Seat in Edinburgh a main character to BBC’s The Traitors inspiring us all to add more tartan to our wardrobe, this windswept country has been catnip to creatives wanting to heighten the drama onscreen.

Book a trip on Royal Scotsman, A Belmond Train: a place where fine dining is paired with spirited ceilidhs and wild swims in mystical lochs are followed by crystal-cut glasses of single malt. Journeys range from 2 to 7 nights, in private cabins laden with polished mahogany and tweed.

VISIT SCOTLAND

Over 45 million people watched Bridgerton Season 3 in its first four days, cementing the grip this Regency-era romp has on viewers. It does a substantial amount of filming at Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire, which now offers Bridgerton tours complete with a ‘Duchess’ afternoon tea and string quartet performances. Meanwhile, The Crown is still drawing crowds to England’s opulent cathedrals and stately homes; the sixth and final season spotlit locales like Winchester, Ely, York and Salisbury. The untitled third Downton Abbey film is coming in late 2025, too.

Book a trip on British Pullman, A Belmond Train: Britain’s most beloved luxury day train offers a range of experiences and gourmet escapades, including trips to Blenheim Palace, York, and much more. Get your finest ‘diamond of the season’ outfit ready.

VISIT ENGLAND

With everyone’s favourite animated bear from ‘deepest, darkest Peru’ getting his third film instalment in November 2024, experts are predicting a rise in interest in the South American country – even Jo Malone has released a Paddington-themed marmalade cologne for the occasion. This instalment is actually set in Peru, not London, with a plot that will see the bear “searching for his Aunt Lucy in the Amazon rainforest and the Peruvian mountains.”

Stay at Belmond Hotels in Peru: Paddington in Peru is set to showcase various parts on the country including Lima, Cusco and Machu Picchu. We advise staying first at the capital’s Miraflores Park, before flying to historic Cusco to visit Monasterio or Palacio Nazarenas, and then taking in the 15th-century Inca citadel of Machu Picchu from the comforts of Sanctuary Lodge.

VISIT PERU

2024 seemed to be the year where everyone finally announced that Emily in Paris was their guilty pleasure. Sitting pretty at No. 1 on the Netflix Global Top 10 for weeks after Season 4 launched, it remains a frothy and lighthearted look at the capital from the outside – clichéd, perhaps, but as irresistible as a pain au chocolat.

Book a trip on the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express: there is no more stylish way to arrive at or leave the capital than on the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express, which can spirit you from the city of Love to Prague, Vienna, Budapest, Florence, Rome, and beyond. With a history of hosting famed parties and intriguing guests, these journeys have developed a reputation for memorable connections made over fine dining and late-night toasts.

VISIT PARIS

Italian director Paolo Sorrentino bagged an Oscar in 2013 for his Rome-set masterpiece The Great Beauty. Now, he’s turning his eye to the sun-drenched coast. Parthenope was filmed in Naples and the island of Capri – early reviews promise endless shots of sparkling sea, crumbling palazzos and languid summer yearning.

Stay at Caruso, A Belmond Hotel, Amalfi Coast: One hour down the coast from Naples (or a thirty-minute boat from Capri to Amalfi), this 11th-century palace is suspended between sea and sky – the pure evocation of Italian dolce vita. From the moment you order the signature L’Amalfintano cocktail and gaze out across the infinity pool, you can rest easy knowing you’re enjoying the finest view on the entire coastline.

VISIT THE AMALFI COAST