Mission Impossible 7 filming locations: from Abu Dhabi to Rome

The (much, much delayed) release of Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One is finally just around the corner, and if there’s one thing we know about that franchise, is that they love a bit of globetrotting almost as much as we do! That’s why we had a bit of a looksy to find out all the best Mission: Impossible 7 filming locations they’ve managed to slip into the latest instalment – there’s a lot!

If you’re into your set-jetting – that’s visiting places featured in your fave TV shows and films –  keep reading to find out where the crew went and what they did around the world this time, from Abu Dhabi to Rome…

This isn’t the first time the Mission: Impossible franchise has swung by for some shenanigans in the United Arab Emirates. Back in 2010, for Ghost Protocol, Cruise was seen over in one of our fave cities, Dubai, climbing the Burj Khalifa – the world’s tallest building – with all the same nail-biting tension as when Paddington climbed out of that incinerator chute using two hand held vacuum cleaners!

pic.twitter.com/PuVqV0Okft

— Mission: Impossible (@MissionFilm) June 26, 2023

Cruise returned a few years later for Fallout (2018), which featured scenes shot in the famous Empty Quarter, one of the largest (hence ’empty’) deserts in the world.

This time around, though, some of the Mission: Impossible 7 filming locations included the Midfield Terminal Roof at Abu Dhabi International Airport (we’re sure it’ll turn out more exciting than it sounds…), as well as scenes shot out in the desert.

There’s also a rumour or two that there might even be some scenes shot in the incredible Louvre Abu Dhabi – fingers crossed because it’s bloomin’ gorgeous, has some seriously world-class work in there, and you can even take a kayak on a tour around it if you fancy! It should defo be top of your list for your next trip.

Flights to Abu Dhabi

The cast and crew of Mission: Impossible 7 had a right ball in Italy, traipsing across the ol’ boot in search of some beautiful filming locations. Well, it is Italy, so we don’t think they had to work very hard. And nowhere makes for a more beautiful filming location than La Citta Eterna herself – Rome!

.@TomCruise actually driving and drifting one-handed through the streets of Rome – This is a moment you’ll never forget. Get tickets now for #MissionImpossible – Dead Reckoning Part One, only in theatres July 12. https://t.co/Qowms0TvZX pic.twitter.com/amdPeW2r36

— Mission: Impossible (@MissionFilm) June 14, 2023

Practically a living film set, the crew took advantage of the much smaller crowds in Rome between lockdowns during the Covid pandemic to film in such locations as the Spanish Steps, the Roman Forum, and Piazza Venezia (that’s the square in front of the Altare della Patria, also known as the Wedding Cake or the Typewriter – if you see it you’ll get why).

The city is basically a breath-taking backdrop for a good old car chase featuring none other than a vintage sunflower-yellow Fiat 500. Look out for it spinning around the Fontana della Barcaccia at the base of the Spanish Steps, as well as along the Via degli Annibaldi – that’s one of the roads that takes you right up to the Colosseum.

Flights to Rome

Declassified: check out new photos from #MissionImpossible – Dead Reckoning Part One. Only in theatres July 14, 2023. pic.twitter.com/FWT1s5Rpn6

— Mission: Impossible (@MissionFilm) April 25, 2023

La Citta Eterna wasn’t the only Italian city to offer up Mission: Impossible 7 filming locations, this little place called Venice also has a starring role…

Venice was where filming originally kicked off back in Jan 2020, just in time for the Covid pandemic to come into town, putting the whole thing on hold. Filming eventually resumed and finished just before Italy became the first country to go into a complete lockdown.

Palazzo Ducale, the Grand Canal herself, as well as many smaller side canals and bridges all have a role to play in the film – including one bridge, the Ponte Conzafelzi, which is close by to the famous Libreria Acqua Alta, or the High Water Bookshop.

And what would a movie filmed in Venezia be without a dramatic slow motion shot of a group of people stomping across the city’s so-called ‘living room’, Piazza San Marco?

Flights to Venice

When you rock up to Åndalsnes in Norway, a charming little town near the Rauma River, you’ll clock on fairly quickly as to why it’s one of the Mission: Impossible 7 filming locations – it’s literally surrounded by some of the most jaw-dropping landscapes in the world.

Known as “the alpine village by the fjord”, it’s chocka with deep valleys, rushing rivers, and towering mountains – and it’s these mountains in particular you’ll be getting an up close and personal look at with scenes involving a tense fight on the roof of a train that swings right by them on the Rauma Line, proud owner of a gong that claims it the most beautiful railway journey in Europe, according to Lonely Planet. Cruise is said to have taken a shine to the Kylling Bridge in particular, which the train crosses during the trip – the driver might even stop for a moment or two to let you grab some photos.

There’s more than just taking a ride (preferably inside) on the Rauma Line to Åndalsnes though – it’s mega popular with hikers as it’s got loads of peaks that are easy for beginners, as well as trickier climbs, like Mount Romsdalshorn, or the hiking trail that leads to the breath-taking Rampestreken viewpoint.

This small village, neighbour to the more famous (and busier) Geiranger, sits close to the entrance of the Geirangerfjord – a UNESCO World Heritage Site considered one of the most spectacular places in the world, with its 3 famous waterfalls, the Seven Sisters, the Suitor, and the Bridal Veil all crashing into the fjord below.

Why are we doing this? Because it’s #MissionImpossible. Get tickets now and see the biggest stunt in cinematic history on the BIG screen. Only in theatres July 12.

— Mission: Impossible (@MissionFilm) June 28, 2023

But Hellesylt’s got a waterfall of its own too – the Hellesyltfossen, which literally cuts the village in two! The other thing Hellesylt’s got is a great big mountain looming over it, the Helsetkopen. Make a note of this bad boy because this is the mountain used as the setting for one of biggest scenes in the film, and the biggest stunt of Tom Cruise’s (very stunt-filled) career – leaping from the cliff face on a motorbike, before releasing a parachute to land in the field below.

We don’t recommend going around trying to leap off mountains (seriously, unless you’re Tom Cruise, leave it to the professionals!!!), but we do reckon you should hire an e-bike and go for a nice easy, ride in the valley below, where you can say hello to the fish in the river – lovely.

Flights to Norway

We’re back on home turf for the next set of Mission: Impossible 7 filming locations – and we’re headed up North! First stop: Levisham. This sweet little village in North Yorkshire is surrounded by breath-taking landscapes and journeys that’ll put the scenic in scenic journeys – we reckon it might just rival Åndalsnes for views!

It sits on the route of the famous North Yorkshire Moors Railway, and the stretch between Levisham and Pickering, showing off all the best bits of the North Yorkshire countryside, is extra special – no wonder location scouts nabbed it up for some more train scenes (they do like a good train scene) for Mission: Impossible 7.

The big star of the show is actually the very quaint Levisham Railway Station, with most scenes shot using a modified train close by.

Stoney Middleton, in Derbyshire, stepped up to the plate when it come to yet more train scenes, this time of a more dramatic nature…

The nearby Darlton Quarry, which before it became an extra in the latest Mission: Impossible film had another big role in the area’s limestone extraction industry, was used for one big scene in particular – a specially designed track was constructed, leading out to a sheer drop into the quarry below for a sequence involving a train that’s deliberately driven off the tracks and over the edge, exploding in a huge burst of flames. Yikes.

And if that wasn’t enough, this is only Part 1! Who knows where they’ll end up in the next one…

This way for cheap flights