The hotels in The White Lotus are fictional. The settings are not. Across four seasons, the series has used some of the world's most visually distinctive resorts and destinations, from Hawaii and Sicily to Thailand and the French Riviera. For travellers, the useful distinction is between places that make a good screen grab and places that are genuinely worth building a holiday around.
Maui, Hawaii: season one
The first season was filmed largely at Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea, with additional scenes around Maui and nearby Lānaʻi. The resort provides the show's original visual language: manicured lawns, volcanic landscapes, wide Pacific views and the slightly airless perfection of a luxury holiday designed to feel effortless.
Maui is the best choice if you want more than a hotel stay. The island offers beaches, volcanic scenery, winding roads, local food and enough variety to support a longer trip. Wailea itself is polished and convenient, though it is not the most characterful base on the island. We would use the resort area for a few nights, then add time elsewhere rather than spending an entire holiday beside the pool.
Taormina, Sicily: season two
Taormina is the series' most rewarding destination away from the hotel itself. San Domenico Palace, a former convent now operated as a Four Seasons hotel, stands in for the Sicilian White Lotus. The town's steep streets, historic buildings, sea views and glimpses of Mount Etna give the season a richer sense of place than a resort setting alone could provide.
The ancient theatre is the obvious landmark, but the pleasure of Taormina is in moving slowly through the centre: Corso Umberto, Piazza IX Aprile and the quieter lanes above town. Isola Bella, below Taormina, is worth seeing, although it can feel crowded and the beach is small. A short visit of two or three nights is enough for the main locations; add days only if you plan to explore eastern Sicily.
Noto: the baroque backdrop
Several of season two's most elegant scenes were filmed in Noto, including streets and buildings around the Cathedral of San Nicolò, the Church of San Francesco all'Immacolata and Palazzo Ducezio. The town is compact, walkable and built from the warm limestone that gives southeastern Sicily its distinctive colour.
Noto deserves a visit even if you have no interest in the series. It works best as part of a wider southeastern Sicily itinerary, alongside Syracuse, Modica or Ragusa. A few hours can cover the centre, but staying overnight gives you a quieter experience after the day-trippers leave.
Cefalù: the beach and old town
Cefalù represents the resort's private beach at the beginning of season two. Filming also took place around Piazza Duomo, the old harbour and the narrow streets near the waterfront. The town is more than a backdrop: its sandy beach sits beside a compact medieval centre, with the Norman cathedral as its main architectural landmark.
Cefalù is worth adding if you want a seaside stop with more substance than a resort strip. It is also one of the easier locations to enjoy without a detailed filming map. Allow at least one night, or two if you want time on the beach. Villa Tasca, another season two location near Palermo, is used for hospitality and is not simply an attraction you can turn up and tour.
Koh Samui, Thailand: season three
Season three shifts to Thailand, with Koh Samui as the principal setting. Four Seasons Resort Koh Samui provides the main resort backdrop, while other scenes were filmed in Bangkok, Phuket and elsewhere on the island. The season uses Thailand's beaches, temples, wellness culture and contrasting urban energy as part of the story rather than relying on one postcard view.
Koh Samui is the most straightforward White Lotus destination for a conventional resort holiday. It is easy to combine a beautiful hotel with boat trips, local restaurants and a few quieter beaches, although the island varies considerably by area. Staying on the north or northwest coast generally gives a calmer feel; Chaweng is more convenient for nightlife and activity but less aligned with the show's secluded resort mood.
Bangkok and Phuket: supporting locations
Bangkok brings the series into a denser, more urban register, while Phuket supplies beaches, boats and a different kind of resort landscape. These locations are best understood as part of a Thailand trip, not as standalone pilgrimage sites. The individual scenes are often brief, and some properties used for filming are private hotels or working businesses.
For most travellers, Bangkok deserves several days on its own. Phuket is worth adding if you want a beach extension or plan to explore the Andaman coast. It is less useful to cross the country simply to photograph one recognisable scene.
The French Riviera: season four
The latest announced season moves to France and centres on the Cannes Film Festival. Production began in France, with Cannes and Saint-Tropez among the principal locations reported for the season. The fictional resort setting includes real grand hotels, while the wider Riviera provides the show's next combination of wealth, performance and social tension.
This is the easiest location group to turn into a polished short break. Cannes works for the festival atmosphere, waterfront promenades and restaurants; Saint-Tropez offers a smaller, more resort-driven rhythm. The practical limitation is timing: visiting during the festival means high demand and a very different experience from travelling outside the event period. Unless the festival itself is your reason for going, a quieter date may be the better choice.
A note on filming locations
The White Lotus often combines several real properties and locations to create one fictional resort. A hotel may appear in exterior shots while interiors, restaurants, beaches or villas belong to different places. Some locations are private, seasonal or accessible only to hotel guests. Check current access rules before planning a visit, and avoid treating a working hotel as a film set open to the public.
