5 Book Adaptations That Are Making 2026 The Year For Literary Travel

Reading on vacation is nothing new, but immersing yourself in the location of your holiday read? Now that’s how to bring a story to life. Welcome to literary travel, a booming trend that sees travelers experiencing the places that inspired literary works, or the lives of the authors themselves.  

Now combine that with a bumper year for movie adaptations of literary classics and the phenomenon of set-jetting (visiting filming locations from the big screen), and the opportunity to truly immerse yourself in literary travel is easier than ever before. Connect with the stories that move you even more, visiting locations where the book was set or where its film counterpart was shot.

Follow the footsteps of Frankenstein in Scotland or retrace Homer’s epic Odyssey through ancient Greece – with filming locations across the world, these five movie adaptations will help you take literary travel to the next level.

1. Frankenstein 

There have been countless adaptations of and stories inspired by Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein novel, but the most recent was released in October 2025 with legendary director Guillermo Del Toro (Pan’s Labyrinth) at the helm. 

The story of Frankenstein follows Victor Frankenstein, an experimental scientist and philosopher who creates his own creature, sewing him together like a patchwork quilt of different body parts from various deceased people. His dreams of defying death come true and the creature comes to life, but Frankenstein is so horrified by what he makes that he abandons his ‘monster’ to wander the world alone. Unsurprisingly, the creature begins to plan its revenge. In the 2025 adaptation of the 200-year-old story, Frankenstein is played by Oscar Isaacs (Dune) while Jacob Elordi (Euphoria) transforms into the creature, with Mia Goth and Christoph Waltz in supporting roles.

Much of Shelley’s original 1818 Gothic novel is set in Scotland, inspired by a trip she took to Dundee a few years before writing it, which sees Victor Frankenstein travel through Edinburgh, Perth and St Andrews to eventually settle in Orkney. True to its source, this led to much of Del Toro’s movie being filmed in Scotland – unlike many other adaptations. 

Glasgow Cathedral

Where it’s set: Scotland 

Where it was filmed: All over Scotland, with key settings including Edinburgh’s Royal Mile and Canongate, Glasgow Cathedral and Aberdeenshire, as well as Gosford House in East Lothian as the Frankenstein family home. 

How to experience it: It’s like our Country Roads of Scotland tour was made to visit these filming locations, taking you from Edinburgh to Glasgow with an island detour to Orkney along the way. In Edinburgh, your Local Expert will take you through this historic city from Princes Street to the Palace of Holyroodhouse, while in Glasgow you’ll see plenty of key sights. With free time in Glasgow, perhaps take a look inside the cathedral and see the lower arches where the confessional scene of Frankenstein was filmed?

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2. Wuthering Heights 

With at least 10 film and TV adaptations of Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights, you might think there have been enough iterations of her 1847 novel – but Saltburn director Emerald Fennell thinks otherwise. A star-studded lineup of Margot Robbie (Barbie) and Jacob Elordi (again!) as Heathcliff and Catherine has enamored some and divided others, but you’ll be able to form your own opinion after its release on Valentine’s Day 2026. 

Aside from our hero and heroine, there’s another character that’s ever-present in Wuthering Heights: the Yorkshire Dales. The untamed, wild moors are a force to be reckoned with throughout the story – just like the emotions of the characters – and the location has become synonymous with this tale.

Although there are many ways in which Fennell’s adaptation has departed from the original material, the movie was shot on location in Yorkshire, paying homage to Brontë’s first (and only) novel.  

The Yorkshire Dales

Where it’s set: Yorkshire 

Where it was filmed: Within the Yorkshire Dales National Park, across the Arkengarthdale valley, the Grade II listed Surrender Bridge, as well as the Low Row, Reeth and Swaledale villages. 

3. Hamnet 

Maggie O’Farrell’s novel Hamnet shot to popularity when it was published in 2020, following the story of William Shakespeare, his wife Agnes (or Anne) Hathaway, and their son Hamnet. Historians know that Hamnet was Shakespeare’s only son who died aged 11; the novel imagines the unfolding of these tragic events, and the effect they had on Shakespeare to write his masterpiece, Hamlet.  

From the critically acclaimed, bestselling author Maggie O’Farrell, a deeply moving novel about the death of Shakespeare’s eleven-year-old son, Hamnet, and the years leading up to the production of his great play. Both novel and film imagine that the writing of Hamlet was a way for Shakespeare to grieve his son. 

Directed by Chloé Zhao (Nomadland) with Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal as the film’s leads, Hamnet was released in November 2025 in the US. It follows the early romance of Shakespeare and Agnes in Stratford-upon-Avon, before the playwright moved to London to put on his plays after Hamnet’s death.

Stratford-upon-Avon, Shakespeare’s birthplace

Where it’s set: Stratford-upon-Avon 

Where it was filmed: Filming primarily took place across Wales and Herefordshire, transforming the village of Weobley into a 16th century Stratford-upon-Avon – with its half-timbered houses and crooked buildings, it didn’t take much for this Herefordshire market town to resemble Shakespeare’s home. Cwmmau Farmhouse was used to represent the childhood home of Agnes Hathaway, though you can still visit the original building in Stratford-upon-Avon.

How to experience it: Our Best of Britain tour will take you straight to the heart of this story, as you visit Shakespeare’s Birthplace in Stratford-upon-Avon. Dive into his legacy, discovering fascinating memorabilia and artefacts relating to his life, and walk among the Tudor houses that will transport you back in time. Immersing yourself in the world of literary travel has never been easier than in this quaint, preserved town.

4. The Odyssey 

Transforming Homer’s ancient Greek epic poem The Odyssey onto the big screen is no easy feat, but Christopher Nolen – known for epics of his own like Interstellar and Inception – has taken it on.  

The Odyssey by Homer is an epic poem attributed to the ancient Greek poet, believed to have been composed in the late 8th century BC, and changed Western literature for good with its timeless themes of heroism, resilience, and finding your way home. 

The story is set after the Trojan War and follows Odysseus, King of Ithaca, on his 10-year journey home. He encounters perilous creatures and gods, from the Cyclops and the Sirens to Circe, a powerful sorceress and enchantress. Meanwhile, Odysseus’s wife Penelope and son Telemachus have struggles of their own back in Ithica, protect his kingdom from aggressive suitors.  

In Nolan’s version, Matt Damon takes on the role of Odysseus, while Tom Holland plays his son Telemachus, with many other stars rumored to take part including Anne Hathaway, Zendaya, Elliot Page and Robert Pattinson. All will be revealed in July 2026 when the movie is released. 

Valle dei Templi Agrigento

Where it’s set: (Ancient) Greece 

Where it was filmed: While filming has already taken place across Morocco, Greece and the UK, one of the most prominent locations is Sicily. Sicily’s history is deeply intertwined with Ancient Greece; from around 750 BCE Greeks began to settling in Sicily, with the most prominent colony in Syracuse.

Favignana, known as ‘Goat Island’ off Sicily’s northwest coast, is a significant shoot location for The Odyssey, not least because many scholars believe that the island was referenced in the original text. Steeped in mythology, it is believed to be one of Odysseus’ landing spots during his journey, making it one of the most authentic locations to recreate the epic. 

Other likely locations are the Greek Theatre of Syracuse and Agrigento’s Valle dei Templi (Valley of the Temples), home to some of the best-preserved Greek temples. 

How to experience it: Our Grand Italy & Sicily itinerary is perfect for an odyssey of your own, finishing your mainland journey with three days exploring Sicily.  

The myths begin as you sail through the Straits of Messina, a narrow strait between the ‘toe’ of Southern Italy and the eastern tip of Sicily. According to ancient legend, it was here at the Straits of Messina where the twin whirlpools of Scylla and Charybdis carried unwary seafarers away to their doom. In Taormina, feel the size of its ancient Greek Amphitheatre as you’re guided by a Local Expert. Set on a cliff, open to the sky, take your seats and enjoy the view through the crumbling arches to Mount Etna. 

5. Sense and Sensibility 

With 2025 marking Austen’s 250th birthday, it’s only fitting we should be treated to news of another big screen adaptation of her work – this time it’s Sense and Sensibility, first published in 1811.  

This beloved story follows the three Dashwood sisters. After their father dies, they are forced to leave their family estate with their mother and move to a cottage. The two eldest daughters, Elinor and Marianne, are navigating this difficult time all while trying to secure financial stability through potential suitors. Practical Elinor embodies the ‘sense’, while passionate Marianne represents ‘sensibility’, and the story takes a look at female challenges in Georgian England. 

Many film fans will remember its 1995 Oscar-winning adaptation, starring Emma Thompson and Kate Winslet. This time Daisy Edgar-Jones (Normal People) will lead as Elinor alongside Esmé Creed-Miles as Marianne, with the film being directed by Georgia Oakley (Blue Jean).  

Where it’s set: England 

Where it was filmed: Sense and Sensibility is set in England during the early 19th-century, with key locations including Dashwood’s original estate of Norland Park in Sussex, their modest cottage in Devonshire, and London, where they visit and stay with various relatives and acquaintances. 

How to experience it: Step into the world of Jane Austen on Country Roads of Wales, Devon & Cornwall, where you’ll enjoy a quintessential Devonshire high tea with freshly baked scones and sandwiches. While not specific to Sense and Sensibility, during your free time in Bath perhaps learn more about the life of the esteemed author Jane Austen, who made this heritage city her home?

Step out of the pages and into the world of literary travel with an Insight Vacations premium tour.