A thief who steals corporate secrets through the use of dream-sharing technology is given the inverse task of planting an idea into the mind of a C.E.O., but his tragic past may doom the project and his team to disaster.
The Last Bookstore, 453, South Spring Street, Gallery Row, Historic Core, Downtown, Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California, 90013, United States of America
Crypte Archéologique du Parvis Notre-Dame, 7, Accès Crypte Archéologique, Quartier Les Îles, Paris 4e Arrondissement, Paris, Île-de-France, France métropolitaine, 75004, France
Kananaskis Country, Elbow Valley Trail, Kananaskis Improvement District, Alberta, Canada
Place de la Ligue Arabe, Moulay Ismail, arrondissement de Charf-Souani الشرف السواني, طنجة, Pachalik de Tanger باشوية طنجة, Préfecture de Tanger-Assilah عمالة طنجة-أصيلة, Tanger-Tétouan-Al Hoceïma ⵟⴰⵏⵊ-ⵟⵉⵜⴰⵡⵉⵏ-ⵍⵃⵓⵙⵉⵎⴰ طنجة تطوان الحسيمة, 90023, Maroc ⵍⵎⵖⵔⵉⴱ المغرب
Scene: (as Mombasa, Kenya)
静岡市役所, 青葉通り, 七間町, 葵区, 静岡市, 静岡県, 420-8602, 日本
Municipal District of Lesser Slave River, Alberta, Canada
D 51, Sarzay, La Châtre, Indre, Centre-Val de Loire, France métropolitaine, 36230, France
Scene: (as Café Debussy)
Kananaskis Country, Elbow Valley Trail, Kananaskis Improvement District, Alberta, Canada
Brogborough FP6, Brogborough, Central Bedfordshire, England, MK43 0XU, United Kingdom
The Rowan Building, 460, South Spring Street, Gallery Row, Historic Core, Downtown, Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California, 90013, United States of America
Aouint Yghomane عوينة يغمان, caïdat d'Aouint Yghomane, Cercle d'Assa دائرة آسا, Province Assa-Zag ⵜⴰⵙⴳⴰ ⵏ ⴰⵙⵙⴰ ⵣⴰⴳ إقليم آسا الزاك, Guelmim-Oued Noun ⵜⴰⵙⴳⴰ-ⵡⴰⴷ ⵏⵓⵏ كلميم وادي نون, Maroc ⵍⵎⵖⵔⵉⴱ المغرب
CBS Studio Center, Woodbridge Street, Studio City Neighborhood Council District, Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California, 91604, United States of America
Pasadena Civic Center District, East Union Street, Old Pasadena, Pasadena Council District 3, Pasadena, Los Angeles County, California, 91129, United States of America
Christopher Nolan’s dream-heist spans a city that folds in on itself, a hotel of tumbling corridors and a snow fortress under siege – and shot it for real on four continents, from the streets of Paris to the mountains of Alberta, with Tokyo, Tangier and a vast English hangar in between.
Where was Inception filmed?
Inception was filmed in Paris, Los Angeles, Alberta (the snow fortress), Tokyo, Morocco (as Mombasa) and England.
Every Inception location, explained
1
Paris – the folding city
The dream-training scenes, including the famous folding street and the Pont de Bir-Hakeim, were shot in real Paris.
2
Alberta – the snow fortress
The final snowbound assault used Fortress Mountain in Kananaskis Country, Alberta, Canada.
3
Tokyo and Tangier
The film opens and returns to Tokyo, Japan, while the rooftop chase set in “Mombasa” was filmed in Tangier, Morocco.
4
Los Angeles and England
The van-off-the-bridge and freeway chase used Los Angeles, while the rotating-corridor hotel and other sets were built at Cardington’s huge hangars in England.
Planning a visit
Paris offers the most accessible pilgrimage – the Pont de Bir-Hakeim and the city streets of the dream training – while Alberta’s Kananaskis Country holds the dramatic snow-fortress scenery.
Inception Fun Facts
1
The rotating corridor was real The gravity-defying hotel corridor fight was filmed in a genuine rotating set, not CGI.
2
'Mombasa' is Morocco The Kenyan-set rooftop chase was filmed in Tangier, Morocco.
3
They really folded Paris The street-folding effect combined practical Paris photography with visual effects.
4
An English hangar held the sets Many large sets, including the snow-fortress interiors, were built at Cardington’s airship hangars in Bedfordshire.
5
That ending still divides fans The spinning-top final shot remains one of cinema’s most debated cuts to black.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where was the snow-fortress scene filmed?
At Fortress Mountain in Kananaskis Country, Alberta, Canada.
Where is the 'Mombasa' chase?
It was filmed in Tangier, Morocco.
Can you visit the locations?
Yes – Paris’s Pont de Bir-Hakeim and Alberta’s Kananaskis Country are both accessible.
