One Day filming locations trace a real map across Scotland, England, Italy, Greece and France, and most of them are far easier to visit than you’d expect. Netflix’s adaptation of David Nicholls’ novel follows Emma and Dexter on the same date, 15 July, across twenty years, and the production leaned hard on genuine places rather than studio sets to make that time jump feel believable.
We went through the series scene by scene to work out exactly where it was filmed, what you can actually visit today, and what’s changed since the cameras left. ConnollyCove, the Ireland-based travel and culture platform, has covered plenty of screen tourism closer to home, from Game of Thrones sites in Northern Ireland to filming locations across Europe, and this guide follows the same approach: real addresses, current access details, and a few things the show doesn’t tell you.
Table of Contents
Edinburgh: Where Emma and Dexter’s Story Begins
Edinburgh anchors the whole series, and three spots do most of the emotional work: the Old College courtyard, the Vennel Steps, and Arthur’s Seat. The show opens here in 1988 and returns to it in the final episode, using the city’s unchanging skyline to underline how much the characters have changed instead.
The Old College and the graduation party. The University of Edinburgh’s Old College, on South Bridge, provided the courtyard where Emma and Dexter met at their graduation. It’s a working part of the university, so you can walk through the courtyard freely during the day, though the interiors used for other scenes aren’t open to casual visitors.
The Vennel Steps. This short, steep stretch near the Grassmarket gives the classic view of Edinburgh Castle that closes episode one, and it reappears for the flashback kiss in the final episode. It’s free to visit and only takes a few minutes to walk, but it has become one of the most photographed spots in the city since the show aired, so arriving early in the morning or later in the evening gets you a clearer shot and a quieter step.
Arthur’s Seat. The hike up this extinct volcano in Holyrood Park appears more than once in the series, and the production team climbed it for real rather than faking the ascent. The main path from the Holyrood Palace side takes most walkers 45 minutes to an hour each way, and the summit view over the city and the Firth of Forth is the reward the show is clearly borrowing from.
“Edinburgh’s wynds and closes were built for exactly this kind of storytelling,” says Ciaran Connolly, Founder of ConnollyCove. “Walking down the Vennel with Arthur’s Seat behind you and the Castle ahead, you understand straight away why a story spanning twenty years needed a city that looks the same in every one of them.”
Beyond the filming spots, Edinburgh rewards a longer stay. The Royal Mile and Edinburgh Castle sit a short walk from the Vennel, and if you want a fuller list of what else to see between filming stops, ConnollyCove’s guide to Edinburgh’s top attractions covers the rest of the Old Town.
London: The City That Keeps Bringing Them Back
London isn’t where One Day begins, but it’s where Emma and Dexter keep circling back to, and the filming locations reflect that: a mix of well-known landmarks and quieter residential corners that only make sense once you know the story.
The “Mexican restaurant” in Hammersmith. Loco Caliente, where Emma and Ian work, was filmed at Old Suffolk Punch, one of Hammersmith’s older pubs. If you’re planning to visit expecting a working restaurant, hold off. Reports from the area indicate the site has been closed and is awaiting redevelopment for some time, so check its current status locally before building a trip around it.
Primrose Hill. In episode 8, Emma and Dexter’s rooftop-adjacent conversation plays out on Primrose Hill in Camden, one of London’s best free viewpoints. The grassy slope gives an open view across the skyline towards the City, and it’s busiest at sunset, when half of north London seems to have the same idea.
Soho and Old Compton Street. Maoz on Old Compton Street stood in for the restaurant kitchen scene in a later episode. Soho rewards slow walking more than a fixed itinerary; side streets like Berwick Street and Greek Street hold up the atmosphere the show is going for, even away from the exact filming spot.
Further afield. Scenes were also shot at Benington Lordship, a private garden estate, and at hotel exteriors, including The Savoy, giving the London chapters a wider geographic spread than a single postcode.
For a fuller sense of the city outside the filming locations, ConnollyCove’s London travel guide covers transport and neighbourhood basics, and there’s a separate roundup of things to do in London if you’re building out a longer visit.
Hertfordshire: A Grand English Country House Chapter
Hatfield House, in Hertfordshire, hosts one of the series’ quieter but visually richest sequences: the wedding reception in the historic Old Palace, plus a walk through Lime Walk in the West Garden. Built in the early 17th century and once the childhood home of Elizabeth I, Hatfield House has appeared in enough period productions (Bridgerton and The Favourite among them) that it’s become something of a go-to for filmmakers needing genuine Jacobean grandeur without a studio build.
The house and gardens are open to visitors on a seasonal schedule, with the state rooms typically closed over winter, so it’s worth checking Hatfield House’s own visitor information before travelling. It sits around 30 minutes from London by train from King’s Cross, making it a realistic day trip rather than a detour.
Rome and Paros: Dex and Emma’s Contrasting Summers
Episode 2 splits the couple’s lives geographically as much as emotionally: Dexter teaching English and enjoying Rome’s nightlife, Emma leading a far more subdued existence back home. The Roman scenes use the Trastevere quarter, along with the Fontana dell’Acqua Paola and the streets around Via Garibaldi, and a hotel reunion scene shot near Piazza Navona and Campo de’ Fiori. Trastevere in particular still has the tangle of narrow streets and neighbourhood restaurants that the show is drawing on, and it’s walkable rather than requiring transport once you’re there. For more on the city beyond the filming spots, ConnollyCove’s guide to city breaks in Rome and its Colosseum guide cover the landmarks nearby.
Episode 4 moves to Paros, in Greece’s Cyclades, where Parikia’s whitewashed streets and Naoussa Harbour provide the backdrop for the couple’s Aegean holiday. Paros has become a repeat choice for productions wanting authentic Greek island scenery without Santorini-level crowds; it’s also where parts of My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3 were filmed, and ConnollyCove’s guide to that production’s locations covers some of the same coastline. If beaches are the priority, ConnollyCove’s roundup of the best beaches in Greece includes Paros alongside the more famous islands.
Paris: Emma’s New Chapter
By episode 12, Emma is living in Paris, and the filming reflects a quieter, more residential side of the city than the postcard version: the Passerelle Emmanuelle Riva footbridge over Canal Saint-Martin, and Rue des Gobelins in the 13th arrondissement. Neither spot is a major tourist draw on its own, which is part of the point; the show is picturing the Paris someone actually lives in rather than visits for a weekend. If you’re building out a Paris itinerary around the trip, ConnollyCove’s guide to the city’s top things to do covers the landmarks that sit alongside these quieter corners.
Planning Your Own One-Day Trip
A realistic one-day itinerary splits naturally into two legs: Edinburgh and London can be combined in the UK, while Rome, Paros and Paris each work better as separate trips given the distances involved. Edinburgh to London by train takes around 4.5 hours on the East Coast Main Line, which makes a same-trip visit to both entirely doable if you’ve got a few days.
For readers travelling from Ireland, Edinburgh is one of the more convenient European city breaks to reach directly, with flight times from Belfast under an hour, which explains part of why the novel has such a strong following among Irish readers who first picked it up well before the Netflix adaptation existed. If Northern Ireland’s own filming locations interest you as much as Edinburgh’s, ConnollyCove’s guide to Game of Thrones filming locations covers similar ground closer to home.
A few practical notes worth knowing before you go: the Vennel Steps and Arthur’s Seat are both free and open year-round, though Arthur’s Seat is exposed to Edinburgh’s weather, so waterproofs are worth packing regardless of season. Hatfield House’s gardens and state rooms run on a seasonal opening schedule, so check ahead if that’s the one stop you don’t want to miss.
Continue the Journey
One Day’s real strength as a filming location trail is how ordinary most of its settings are: a university courtyard, a public hill, a residential Paris footbridge. That’s part of what makes retracing it worthwhile rather than a checklist exercise. If Northern Ireland’s own screen tourism has caught your interest, ConnollyCove’s coverage of Game of Thrones filming locations follows the same idea a little closer to home, and our YouTube channel has video walkthroughs of several of the destinations covered here.
Frequently Asked Questions
A few questions come up more than most when people plan a one-day trip. Here are short, direct answers to get you started.
Where was One Day actually filmed?
Primarily Edinburgh, London and Hertfordshire in the UK, with additional scenes in Rome, Paros and Paris. Edinburgh and London carry the bulk of the story.
Is the Mexican restaurant in One Day a real place you can visit?
It was filmed at Old Suffolk Punch, a real Hammersmith pub, but the site is reportedly closed and awaiting redevelopment. Check locally before planning a visit around it.
Is the Vennel in Edinburgh hard to find?
No. It’s a short public stairway near the Grassmarket, a few minutes’ walk from Edinburgh Castle. Early morning or evening visits avoid the busiest crowds.
Which Greek island was One Day filmed on?
Paros, in the Cyclades. The scenes use Parikia and Naoussa Harbour rather than the more famous Santorini or Mykonos.
How long does it take to travel from Edinburgh to London for a combined trip?
Around 4.5 hours by direct train on the East Coast Main Line. Flying takes roughly 90 minutes plus airport time.
Are the One Day filming locations free to visit?
Most are, including the Vennel, Arthur’s Seat and Primrose Hill. Hatfield House charges an entry fee and runs on seasonal opening hours.
