Here is a sampling of tours in destinations where movies, TV shows and books take place.
Sightseeing Excursions
Unless noted, tours are by motorcoach and last two to four hours. Price quoted is per adult guest.
Rome
As seen in: Gladiator, Roman Holiday, La Dolce Vita, Open City, other classics by Fellini, Rossellini, et al. Price: 58 euros (approx. $91). Contact: Rome Movie Tours, www.rome-movie-tours.com, 011-39-06-478-257-06 or [email protected].
New York
As seen in: Friends, The Cosby Show, Will & Grace, Rescue Me, The Apprentice, The Devil Wears Prada, Spider-Man, Men in Black, Hitch, Ghostbusters. Price: $36. Tours dedicated to one show or setting: Sex and the City ($40), The Sopranos ($42), Central Park ($18, walking tour). Contact: On Location Tours, www.screentours.com, 212-683-2027.
Boston
As seen in: The Departed, Mystic River, Good Will Hunting, Cheers, Ally McBeal, Boston Legal, The Thomas Crown Affair, Legally Blonde. Price: $35 for 21/2 hours by bus; $20 for 90-minute walking tour. Contact: Boston Movie Tours, www.bostonmovietours.net, 866-668-4345.
Washington, D.C.
As seen in: Wedding Crashers, True Lies, The Exorcist, The Godfather II, Mission: Impossible III, Independence Day, Forrest Gump, St. Elmo's Fire, The West Wing, The X-Files. Price: $32. Contact: On Location Tours, www.screentours.com/tour.php/dc, 212-683-2027.
Richmond, VA
As seen in: Evan Almighty, Cold Mountain, The Jackal, Hannibal, HBO's John Adams, First Kid, G.I. Jane, Doc Hollywood, Forces of Nature. Price: weekly tours are scheduled to resume in summer; last year's price was $29. Contact: Virginia Film Tours, www.virginiafilmtours.com, 804-744-1718.
San Francisco
As seen in: Full House, Mrs. Doubtfire, The Pursuit of Happyness, The Princess Diaries, Vertigo, Bullitt, Interview With the Vampire, The Maltese Falcon. Price: $47. Contact: San Francisco Movie Tours, www.sanfranciscomovietours.com, 877-258-2587.
Also available is a literary tour, featuring writers such as Mark Twain, Bret Harte, William Saroyan, Jack London, John Steinbeck, Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsburg. Price: $25 for two-hour walking tour. Contact: San Francisco Literary Tours, www.sfliterarytours.com, 415-441-0140.
Monterey, CA
As seen in: From Here to Eternity, Basic Instinct, Play Misty for Me, National Velvet, East of Eden, The Parent Trap, Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home. Price: $49. Contact: Monterey Movie Tours, www.montereymovietours.com, 800-343-6437.
Los Angeles
Theme: Raymond Chandler and his Philip Marlowe mysteries (Farewell, My Lovely; The Lady in the Lake; The Big Sleep; etc.); "In a Lonely Place" focuses on Hollywood and downtown L.A.; "Chandler's Bay City" tours the west side and Santa Monica. Price: $55. Contact: Esotouric, www.esotouric.com, 323-223-2767.
Kauai, Hawaii
As seen in: Jurassic Park and its sequels, Blue Hawaii, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Dragonfly, South Pacific, Gilligan's Island, Fantasy Island, the upcoming Tropic Thunder. Price: $111 by mini-bus (five hours), $123 for 4x4 off-road tour (six hours); both include lunch. Contact: Hawaii Movie Tours, www.hawaiimovietour.com, 800-628-8432.
Sydney, Australia
As seen in: The Matrix; Superman Returns; Mission: Impossible II; Babe: Pig in the City; The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert; Muriel's Wedding; the upcoming World War II epic Australia, starring Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman. Price: AUS$45 (approx. US$41) for 90-minute walking tour, AUS$90 for four-hour coach tour. Contact: Sydney Movie Tours, www.sydneymovietours.com.au, 011-61-2-9357-4566 or [email protected].
Vacation Packages
Prices are per person, double, and exclude international airfare.
Lord of the Rings
Itinerary: 14-day self-drive between Auckland and Queenstown, including filming locations at Waikato, Tongariro, Wellington, Hutt River, Kaitoke Regional Park, Nelson, Cardrona Valley Departures: year-round, on request. Price: from $1,407 for car rental, all accommodations, ferry between North and South Islands. Contact: Goway Travel, www.goway.com/selfdrive/lordoftherings.html, 800-387-8850.
Sound of Music
Itinerary: Escorted 10-day trip from Vienna to Munich, with three days in Salzburg visiting many of the classic 1965 film's settings. Departures weekly through mid-October. Price: $1,420-$1,890, depending on date. Contact: Trafalgar, www.trafalgartours.com, 800-854-0103.
Harry Potter
Itinerary: Eight-night guided tour for families in England and Scotland, featuring Hogwarts-style banquet in Edinburgh Castle, a ride aboard the train used as Hogwarts Express, scavenger-hunt tour of London film locations, Thames cruise (as seen in Order of the Phoenix), accommodations in hotel used by the cast, Potter-themed games and activities. Dates: July 15-23. Price: $3,099; $400 discount for children under 13 sharing room with adult. Contact: HP Fan Trips, www.hpfantrips.com/2008/lsf, 800-487-1136.
Christian England & the World of C.S. Lewis
Itinerary: 10-day escorted tour from London to Oxford (where Lewis lived and is buried) to York via the Cotswolds; also visits places with connections to writers J.R.R. Tolkien and John Bunyan. Departures: July 26, September 6, October 4. Price: $1,889-$1,919, depending on date. Contact: Globus, www.globusjourneys.com/product.aspx?content=overview&trip=8TW, 866-755-8581.
Other British Authors
Itineraries: Five-night "The Brontës Literature and Countryside" in Yorkshire; three- or four-night "Jane Austen and the Regency" and three-night "Sherlock Holmes and His Creator," both in England's South Downs region. Departures: July 18, October 13 for Austen; October 12 for Brontës; September 26 for Sherlock Holmes. Price: $1,012-$1,222, depending on itinerary. Contact: Lynott Tours, www.lynotttours.com/b-lit.htm, 800-221-2474.
Tuscany–Discover the Heartland
Itinerary: Eight-day small-group tour featuring day trips to various Tuscan towns while staying in Pienza, where The English Patient and Zeffirelli's Romeo and Juliet were filmed, and concluding with a day and night in Cortona, setting of Under the Tuscan Sun. Departures: June 22, August 31, October 12. Price: 1,585 euros (approx. $2,460). Contact: Tuscany Under the Skin, www.tuscanyundertheskin.com/tourinfo.html#anchor-tuscany-11481, [email protected] or 011-61-414-398-450.
Around the World in 80 Ways
Itinerary: A 28-day journey by private jet, packed with exclusive activities and amenities; the 12 destinations include many of those visited by Phileas Fogg in Jules Verne's Around the World in 80 Days, including London, Hong Kong, Japan and New York. Dates: per client preference. Price: $1 million per couple (yes, this pays 10 percent commission!). Contact: The Leading Hotels of the World, www.lhw.com/80ways, 212-515-5704.