Bookmark These Must-Visit Destinations from Your Favourite Books

For readers who dream of stepping beyond the page, the world is full of real-life locations that shaped iconic stories. From fantastical realms brought to life on film to quiet cafés that inspired bestselling novels, these destinations promise book lovers an immersive journey through the worlds they adore.

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These places let you “travel by the book” in the most literal way:

1. Middle-earth: New Zealand, from The Lord of the Rings

J.R.R. Tolkien might never have travelled to New Zealand, but the country’s landscapes match his descriptions of Middle-earth with uncanny precision. Begin your journey in Matamata, home to the Hobbiton film set. Its rolling green hills, round hobbit doors, and perfectly kept gardens look exactly as they do on screen, almost as though Bilbo or Sam might step out with a tray of scones at any moment.

Further south, Tongariro National Park brings the darker side of Middle-earth to life. Its volcanic peaks became the foreboding slopes of Mordor and Mount Doom in the films. Whether you join a guided tour or hike independently, the raw and elemental scenery makes it easy to imagine the Fellowship trekking alongside you. New Zealand’s cinematic landscapes make this one of the world’s most immersive literary destinations.

2. Wizardry in Britain: celebrating Harry Potter

London remains the gateway to the wizarding world. At Leadenhall Market, the colourful Victorian arches instantly recall the charm of Diagon Alley, while King’s Cross Station draws fans to its famed Platform 9¾. Explore the cobbled streets around Soho and the City, where film crews once transformed ordinary corners into magical backdrops.

Head to Oxford next, where historic colleges embody the academic grandeur of Hogwarts. Christ Church’s dining hall famously inspired the Great Hall, while the Bodleian Library’s Divinity School and Duke Humfrey’s Library appear in several key scenes. A true highlight is Alnwick Castle in Northumberland, the real-world stand-in for Hogwarts Castle in the early films. Its vast courtyards and medieval archways feel instantly familiar.

Finally, travel north to Scotland to board the Jacobite Steam Train. As it glides across the Glenfinnan Viaduct, you will understand why this scenic journey became one of the most iconic images in the series. With mist-covered glens and tranquil lochs, Scotland feels truly spellbound.

3. England’s Brooding Brontë Country

England is also home to other literary classics. The windswept Yorkshire moors surrounding Haworth inspired the haunting landscapes of Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre, two of English literature’s most atmospheric novels. The village still feels steeped in nineteenth-century charm, with stone cottages, steep cobbled lanes, and rolling fields that shift colour with every change in weather. 

Visit the Brontë Parsonage Museum, where Charlotte, Emily, and Anne wrote many of their works, then wander onto the open moorland. The dramatic paths, rugged outcrops, and far-reaching views make it easy to imagine the wild passion of Heathcliff and Catherine or the quiet resilience of Jane as she finds her way through the world.

4. Dystopian Chicago from Divergent

In Divergent, Chicago becomes a faction-based dystopia, but its real-life setting remains vibrant and full of character. Begin your exploration at Navy Pier, where wide open views of Lake Michigan recall the vast spaces described in the novels. The waterfront, busy with cafés and street performers, feels surprisingly peaceful compared with the tense atmosphere of the books.

Next, visit the Willis Tower, formerly the Sears Tower, which inspired the dizzying heights associated with Dauntless training. Standing on its glass-floored Skydeck gives you a sense of the thrill and sheer terror portrayed in the series. Modern Chicago, however, is warm, creative, and full of culture. Its museums, deep dish pizza, and impressive architecture offer a far friendlier experience than the novels suggest.

5. Visualising The Great Gatsby in New York

Before being the ideal destination for meet-cutes in romantic comedies, New York inspired several books, one such classic is The Great Gatsby, which is still being read in Literature lessons today. The book by F Scott Fitzgerald captures the glamour, excess, and ache of America’s Roaring Twenties. 

To step into this world, explore Long Island’s Gold Coast, where enormous mansions once hosted lavish parties reminiscent of Gatsby’s own. Stroll through the grounds of Old Westbury Gardens, where fountains, rose gardens, and grand staircases set the scene for glittering soirées.

Continue to Oheka Castle, a historic estate with ornate interiors and sweeping lawns. Standing on its terraces offers a glimpse into the grandeur that defined the era and inspired Fitzgerald’s sharp commentary on wealth, longing, and the pursuit of the American dream. Here, it is easy to imagine Gatsby watching the shoreline, waiting for Daisy’s green light to appear across the bay.

6. Tokyo’s surreal corners and cafes recreate Haruki Murakami’s novels and Before the Coffee Gets Cold

Japanese literature has taken the world by storm with cosy stories that warm the heart. For example, Haruki Murakami’s stories drift between reality and the surreal, yet many of their settings are rooted in Tokyo’s very real neighbourhoods. Begin in Shinjuku, the backdrop of After Dark, where late-night jazz bars, neon signs, and quiet alleyways create the dreamlike atmosphere that defines the novel. Walk through Koenji and Nakano, districts filled with record shops and retro cafés that echo the mood of Norwegian Wood and the musical obsessions that appear throughout Murakami’s works.

For a more introspective experience, wander the quiet residential lanes of Setagaya, where the stillness captures the emotional tone of The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle. Murakami’s Tokyo is not about precise settings but rather about the subtle strangeness found between moments, and exploring the city through this lens brings his stories to life.

Moreover, Before the Coffee gets Cold, Toshikazu Kawaguchi’s bestselling nostalgic novel, takes place in a tiny basement café where customers travel through time as long as their coffee stays warm. While Funiculi Funicula is fictional, the spirit of the story lives on in Tokyo’s Kanda and Jimbocho districts. Jimbocho, also known as Tokyo’s book town, is packed with second-hand bookstores and old-fashioned kissaten that feel wonderfully frozen in time.

7. South Korea’s literary cities: Seoul and Busan

Korea’s modern literature often unfolds between Seoul’s fast-moving streets and Busan’s coastal calm. In Seoul, start in Bukchon Hanok Village, where traditional hanok houses face the modern skyline. The contrast reflects themes seen in Cho Nam Joo’s Kim Jiyoung Born 1982 and Kim Young Ha’s I Have the Right to Destroy Myself. Wander through Jongno for the quiet, reflective moods found in works by Park Min Kyu and Hwang Jungeun.

Then explore Hongdae and Sinchon, lively districts filled with cafés, bookshops, and youthful energy. Their creative spirit mirrors the coming-of-age stories written by Kim Ae Ran and other contemporary authors.

Travel south to Busan for a gentler, more nostalgic tone. Gamcheon Culture Village, with its colourful hillside homes, feels like a scene from Gong Ji Young’s Our Happy Time. Continue to Haeundae Beach, where the waves and wide horizons suit stories about loss, healing, and new beginnings. Together, Seoul and Busan offer two contrasting but complementary settings that capture the emotional heart of Korean fiction.

8. India’s lavish literary landscapes: Life of Pi and Ruskin Bond

India offers some of the most atmospheric real-world settings tied to beloved novels. Fans of Life of Pi can explore the warm, sunlit French Quarter of Pondicherry, where Pi Patel spends his childhood among pastel colonial villas, serene ashrams, and the lush botanical gardens seen in the film adaptation. The town’s quiet streets and seaside promenades capture the gentle, reflective tone of the book.

Further north, the mist-covered hills of Mussoorie, Landour, and Dehradun bring Ruskin Bond’s nostalgic worlds to life. Walk the leafy slopes around Ivy Cottage, browse the old shops along The Mall, and wander through the peaceful Garhwal villages that inspired The Blue Umbrella and many of Bond’s short stories. These hill stations offer the same charm, simplicity, and warmth that make his writing so enduring.

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Final chapter

Whether you are wandering through Hogwarts like a budding wizard, tracing the quiet footsteps of Ruskin Bond in the Himalayas, or chasing echoes of the Brontës across the Yorkshire moors, the world is filled with places that bring stories off the page and into real life. 

These destinations remind travellers that every journey holds a narrative of its own. So pack a good pair of walking shoes and an even better imagination, because the next chapter of your travels is waiting to be written. After all, the best trips are the ones you can truly book.