The White Lotus Travel Guide: Hawaii, Sicily, Thailand & the French Riviera

The White Lotus has become one of those shows where the destination is almost another character.

Season 1 gave us Hawaii. Season 2 moved to Sicily. Season 3 went to Thailand. Season 4 is now filming on the French Riviera.

If the show keeps making you want to book a trip, the fun question is not really, “Which White Lotus hotel should I stay at?” It is which of these destinations actually sounds like your kind of vacation.

Hawaii: easiest if you want the resort feeling without going international

The first season was filmed on Maui, and Hawaii still gives you the most familiar version of the White Lotus idea: a beautiful resort, beaches, pools, tropical scenery and plenty to do when you leave the property.

The nice thing is that you do not have to stay on Maui or make the whole trip about one hotel. You can pair Maui with Oahu, Kauai or the Big Island, or even see several islands without changing hotels by taking an inter-island cruise.

My Oahu, Big Island and Maui itinerary is one example if the show gave you the Hawaii idea but you want to see more than one island.

Sicily: for the food, history and towns as much as the hotel

Season 2 made Taormina and Sicily look pretty irresistible.

This is the destination I would choose if what caught your attention was the combination of beautiful hotels, old cities, dramatic coast, food and that feeling of being somewhere with layers of history.

Taormina is the obvious White Lotus stop, but Sicily is much bigger than Taormina. Palermo, Syracuse and Ortigia, the Valley of the Temples, baroque towns and the western side of the island can turn the idea into a real Sicily trip.

If you want to see more of the island, my Southern Sicily itinerary from Syracuse to Palermo gives you a completely different side of Sicily than staying at one resort.

Thailand: the biggest range of experiences

Season 3 filmed across Koh Samui, Phuket and Bangkok, which is a good picture of why Thailand can be such an interesting trip.

You can have the beach-resort portion on an island, then switch completely into city, food, temples and culture. That makes Thailand a good choice if you like the luxury-resort look of the show but do not want to spend an entire vacation sitting by the pool.

You can go even farther beyond the filming areas. My Thailand and Cambodia itinerary starts in Bangkok and continues through northern Thailand to Angkor Wat, which shows how much bigger a Southeast Asia trip can become.

The French Riviera: Season 4 goes glamorous again

Season 4 is filming in Cannes, Saint-Tropez and Monaco, with some filming in Paris and the story centered on the Côte d’Azur during the Cannes Film Festival.

This one feels different from the tropical-resort seasons. The inspiration is more French Riviera: waterfront hotels, Cannes, Saint-Tropez, Monte Carlo, restaurants, beaches and a trip that can easily connect with Paris.

I already went deeper into the route in my White Lotus Season 4 French Riviera guide.

If you want an existing trip to use as a starting point, the Paris, Provence and French Riviera itinerary includes time along the Côte d’Azur and Monaco.

Which White Lotus destination would I choose?

I would choose based on the trip, not the show.

Hawaii works if you want tropical resort time, easy U.S. travel and the option to add multiple islands.

Sicily is the one for food, historic towns, Mediterranean scenery and a trip where sightseeing matters as much as the hotel.

Thailand gives you the biggest contrast between beaches, resorts, Bangkok, culture and the option to make it a larger Southeast Asia trip.

The French Riviera fits if what you want is Cannes, Saint-Tropez, Monaco, great hotels and a France trip that can easily include Paris.

You can stay at the famous hotel, but you do not have to

I think this is important with any show-inspired trip.

The actual filming hotel can be a really fun splurge if that is part of the experience for you. It can just as easily be somewhere you visit for a meal, or something you skip completely because another hotel fits your budget or travel style better.

The show is supposed to give you ideas, not rules.

If one of these seasons has you thinking, “That is my trip,” I can build a custom version around the destination you actually want, whether that looks anything like the television itinerary or not.