Wondering where The Tourist season 2 was filmed? You're probably not alone as the popular BBC drama switched things up for their characters in the new series.
Originally intended as a stand-alone series it was a testament to the impact of The Tourist that the BBC drama was renewed for a second instalment and now that series 2 is here many of us might have some major questions. Elliot (played by Jamie Dornan) might have found out some aspects of his forgotten past in season 1 but his backstory is far from fully explained. Going into The Tourist season 2 this is set to be taken even further but it’s not the only thought-provoking element in the series.
The change in setting between seasons is also intriguing and has left some viewers wondering where The Tourist season 2 was filmed whilst others might be interested to discover how to watch The Tourist from the beginning too.
Where was The Tourist season 2 filmed?
When it comes to where The Tourist season 2 was filmed fans might be surprised to learn that the BBC drama headed to the Republic of Ireland. This is a huge change from The Tourist season 1 which was set in Australia and filmed there. As revealed by the BBC in a filming announcement last year, the production began in Dublin in April. The Tourist season 2 was filmed in and around the Dublin area. The countryside is something that was a particular focus for the film crew, with Jamie Dornan explaining to the BBC how they also filmed in Kilpedder.
“It's amazing. The first day of shooting we were in Kilpedder in Wicklow, and I was walking through the trees and the worst rain I think I've ever seen came in and I thought, this is what it's like to film in Ireland,” he declared. “I had sort of forgotten it being three or four years since I filmed here but Ireland is beautiful. I've been to parts of Ireland that I'd never been to before.”
Jamie went on to confirm that they “predominantly” filmed in Dublin and Wicklow, but added that they also “managed to travel a little bit outside of there”. He also expressed his delight that the location where The Tourist season 2 was filmed enabled them to “showcase what a beautiful place Ireland is”.
Meanwhile Danielle Macdonald who plays Helen, the woman Elliot met and fell in love with in Australia after an accident which left him with no recollection of his past, found a lighthouse in Wicklow to be her “favourite location”. She shared that they filmed on Wicklow Beach where there are three lighthouses and wild horses “running around set” which made it all “so stunningly beautiful”.
Where is The Tourist season 2 set?
Perhaps unsurprisingly given that The Tourist season 2 was filmed in Ireland, the setting of the second series is also Ireland. This is a contrast from fellow BBC thrillers with many locations - including where Vigil series 2 was filmed - being not necessarily the same as the setting. Elliot and Helen arrive in Ireland in the second season and episode 1 in particular showcases the country in epic style.
“We've taken that away this time and we have suddenly gone from the orangey dirt of the Outback to the lush green settings of Ireland. Particularly with the first episode, it's like a Tourism Ireland advert,” Jamie Dornan said. “It's different and I hope that people are on board with that and get the same sort of satisfaction as they did from the first series.”
He also explained how the success of the first series of The Tourist helped to shape the second as it was felt there was “a lot of pressure” to “get it right”. Acknowledging that it’s a “very different setting”, Jamie - who is also an executive producer on the show - revealed that it was important to pay tribute to what viewers loved so much despite the setting changing.
“For the second we are in Ireland, which has a very different vibe. It's tricky trying to establish the different settings and make it its own thing but also honour what people loved about the first series. I was excited by it, it’s an exciting thing to continue the journey. Selfishly for me, not having to uproot my entire family again was quite a good thing,” he said.
Remarking upon how Elliot’s journey is taken further once he and Helen arrive in Ireland, Jamie continued, “He finds out a lot more about himself now that he's back in Ireland; the land that he's from. There's a lot of big discoveries about who he is and who his family are. Elliot finds out a lot about the sort of shenanigans that his family have been involved in and the implications that's had on his life.”
Having forgotten his life prior to the accident in Australia that led him and Helen to meet and for romance to blossom between them, this return to Ireland is a momentous time for Elliot.
How to watch The Tourist season 2 in the UK
If you’ve not yet dived into The Tourist either from the beginning or since The Tourist season 2 began on 1st January, then the places to head are BBC One and BBC iPlayer if you’re UK based. Anyone who wants to watch The Tourist season 2 week by week can enjoy doing so at 9pm on Sundays on BBC One - after the next episode which will air on Tuesday 2nd January in the same time slot and on the same channel.
However, if you’d rather watch the whole of The Tourist season 2 in one go then all six episodes are already available to stream for free on BBC iPlayer - as are all episodes of The Tourist season 1 so you can immerse yourself in Elliot and Helen’s journey from the very beginning.
How to watch The Tourist season 2 from anywhere
Australian citizens can watch both The Tourist seasons 1 and 2 via Stan which has plans available starting from 10 Australian Dollars a month as well as a 30-day free trial. The Tourist season 2 will also air in the US on Netflix but not until 29th February 2024, meaning there’s quite a wait yet.
If you’re a citizen of the UK or Australia on vacation or working overseas, you can still watch The Tourist just as you would at home. There's a handy piece of software called a VPN which can change your IP address to make it look like you're accessing streaming services from any country in the world.
Our sister site, TechRadar, has tested all of the major VPN services and they rate ExpressVPN as the absolute best. They say, “It’s compatible with all of your devices, supports most streaming services, and ranks among the fastest. You can even install it on devices like an Amazon Fire TV Stick, Apple TV, Xbox, and PlayStation. So for a one-stop-shop, you can’t go wrong with Express.”
