Mission: Impossible tourism: Culture and Travel Context

This article is about the Mission: Impossible franchise. See next-to-impossible destinations for places difficult to visit.

For decades, the Mission: Impossible film series has been one of the most action-packed and exciting media franchises, rivaled only by the James Bond films among the world's best spy thrillers. The American films, loosely based on the television series of the same name, take place all around the world and even beyond it. To follow the Tom Cruise The Mission: Impossible films will send a viewer to every continent across eight movies. Travelers who want to capture some of the action will come across historic landmarks, breathtaking desolation, and a globe-hopping trip to remember.

The initial Mission: Impossible film starts in the Czech Republic, with a job gone wrong that takes hero Ethan Hunt to London and back home to the CIA headquarters to uncover a mole in his agency. In addition to the real-world locations and the fictional sets, a thrilling train scene from the climax of the film was shot along the Glasgow South Western Line, so while you are in England, you may wish to head north and take the rails from Kilmarnock to Glasgow. If you have an extra few thousand dollars burning a hole in your pocket, the last scene mentions an upcoming mission in Aruba.

6 Liechtenstein Palace Ledeburk, Malostranské nám. 258/13, 118 00 Malá Strana, ☏ +420 605 025 559.

7 Old Town Square (Staroměstské náměstí). Sadly, the explosive scene set at a restaurant surrounded by large aquariums was filmed on set, but the exterior shots surrounding it were in the Old Town Square. On the plus side, you are less likely to be drowned by 32,000 pounds (15,000 kg) of water.

10 Old CIA Headquarters, Langley, Virginia. Commit cyber-espionage at your own expense and see the Wikimedia Foundation terms of service for use of these materials to perform treason.

The second M:I installment starts and ends with a vacation: the former off with a gorgeous and expansive view of our hero free solo climbing in America and playing a seductive game of cat-and-mouse with a thief in Spain before spending time in rural and urban Australia. Australian settings were used as stand-ins for Seville. The ending suggests getting lost while on a holiday, which could be a fun way to pass a few days in Spain.

Additionally, a plane crashes in the scenic Rocky Mountains, which are convenient to travel to from Dead Horse, but try to stay in one piece.

12 Boora Point. The road where the motorcycle chase was filmed. If you hop on a bike, make sure to wear a helmet and dress for the slide, not the ride.

The third installment begins in a domestic scene set somewhere in the United States before setting off on a rescue mission in Berlin, infiltration of Vatican City, and a violent chase in northern Jiaxing and Shanghai.

This cultural overview is an excerpt of a community travel guide. Confirm current access, schedules and prices with the venue before planning a visit.

Source and licence

Text adapted from Mission: Impossible tourism by Wikivoyage contributors under CC BY-SA 4.0. Paragraphs have been selected and abridged, and formatting adjusted. This adapted text is shared under the same licence. Contributor history.