Guided tours transform cities into living sets, connecting movies, series, and urban landscapes in walks full of narrative
Submitted at Mar 2, 2026, 5:53 PM
Emily em Paris (Divulgação/Divulgação)
Walking through a city can reveal much more than traditional tourist spots. In some cases, the route is built from familiar images, when streets, squares, and buildings become recognized as settings for movies and series. It is at this intersection between urban space and audiovisual narrative that guided walking tours emerge.
These routes propose a different reading of the space, connecting architecture, cultural memory, and behind-the-scenes aspects of productions that have marked cinema and television. By revisiting real locations, visitors perceive how the city influences the narrative — and how fiction, in turn, transforms the way people view these places. We have gathered five recommendations below!
Shot mostly in Recife, The Secret Agent has sparked a new perspective on the center of the Pernambuco capital. The presence of the film in the city's historic streets has boosted guided walking tours that explore key filming locations.
O Agente Secreto (TV Globo/Divulgação)
The route typically passes through locations like Parque 13 de Maio, Ginásio Pernambucano, Chá-Mate Brasília, and Cinema São Luiz. As visitors walk through these spaces, they realize how urban, everyday, and political Recife integrates into the film's narrative.
Central Park in New York is one of the most filmed settings in the world and has become the star of some of the city's most popular guided tours. The walk includes over 30 well-known filming locations from cinema and television, including Wollman Rink, Bow Bridge, the carousel, Naumberg Bandshell, and Strawberry Fields.
Central Park, paisagismo por Frederick Law Olmsted. (Reprodução/Divulgação)
Along the route, references to productions such as Serendipity, Breakfast at Tiffany's, The Avengers, When Harry Met Sally, Ghostbusters, and Sex and the City arise. Usually led by local guides, the tours combine behind-the-scenes curiosities, scene images, and historical facts about the park.
In London, guided tours dedicated to the world of Harry Potter explore areas such as Westminster, Southwark, and the City, revealing how the "Muggle world" has been incorporated into the saga's aesthetic. With an average duration of two and a half hours, the route includes more than ten locations used throughout the franchise.
Harry Potter (Divulgação/Divulgação)
Highlights include the subway station from which Harry and Mr. Weasley head to the Ministry of Magic, the spiral staircase that inspired Professor Trelawney's classroom, the bridge destroyed by Death Eaters, and the covered market that shaped Diagon Alley.
The guided (or self-guided) tours inspired by Emily in Paris focus mainly on the 5th arrondissement in Paris and its surroundings. The route usually lasts between two to three hours and connects some of the series' most iconic locations.
Emily em Paris (Divulgação/Divulgação)
The Place de l’Estrapade serves as a central point, bringing together the building where Emily lives, Gabriel's restaurant, and cafes that appear in the scenes. The route goes through Boulangerie Moderne, Panthéon, Jardin du Luxembourg, and advances to Pont Alexandre III and Palais Royal, where the fictional office of Savoir is located.
In Dubrovnik, the guided walking tours take visitors directly to King’s Landing. The historic city served as the backdrop for decisive moments in Game of Thrones, and the route passes through places like Pile Gate and Fort Lovrijenac.
Game of Thrones (Divulgação/Divulgação)
During the walk, guides point out where iconic scenes were filmed, explain scenic transformations, and share behind-the-scenes stories. The tour often concludes with the classic photo in the Iron Throne, reinforcing the immersive experience and the relationship between fiction and urban space.
