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Since hitting the big screen 40 years ago James Bond has travelled to a whole host of luxurious destinations around the globe.

Some of the world’s best-known islands, ski resorts and hotels were first introduced to us by Bond. In tribute to everyone’s favourite secret agent, Travel Weekly reveals the greatest 007 locations of all time and finds out where he would be checking in today.

Jamaica is the spiritual home of Bond. Not only is this where Ian Fleming dreamt up the concept of 007, it’s also where one of the most memorable scenes of all time was shot. Who can forget the white bikini-clad Ursula Andress in Dr No? It was filmed on Laughing Waters Beach and is a must-visit for any Bond fan.

Wow factor: scuba diving in crystal clear waters, horse riding on the sands of Runaway Bay, or enjoying a massage for two at the Aveda Spa at Strawberry Hill – where Lauren Hill and Kate Moss have stayed. Aspiring secret agents can turn their hand to river-rafting down the Rio Grande or climbing the cascading Dunn’s River Falls.

Home James: there’s only one place for Bond fans to head in Montego Bay – the legendary Goldeneye, a luxurious cliff-top retreat built by Ian Fleming in the 1950s. He penned 14 Bond novels there and now it’s been transformed into a magical hideaway. Guests will follow in the footsteps of Noel Coward, Elizabeth Taylor and Evelyn Waugh. ITC Classics offers seven nights’ all-inclusive in a three-bed villa from £16,076, based on six sharing.

The Jôkulsárlón glacial lagoon in southeast Iceland was the stunning backdrop for the latest Bond film Die Another Day. The jaw-dropping scene where 007 endures a five-minute car chase while dodging bullets and massive icebergs on the frozen lagoon looks set to go down in cinematic history.

Wow factor: exploring the wondrous lagoons and glaciers of Jôkulsárlón and visiting the hot springs, glaciers and volcanoes. Indulge in a massage at Mecca Spa in Reykjavik using hot lava stone and lava powder – Bond would approve as it’s great for the mind and body.

Home James: Bales Worldwide offers 14-day trip to Iceland from £3,285 per person. For those who want to stay in an ice hotel like that featured in the film, try the Ice Hotel in Sweden. Scantours has a three-night package, combining one night in Stockholm, one night in the Ice Hotel and one night in a local hotel, from £995 per person including most meals, flights and snowmobiling and reindeer excursions.

From Russia With Love was filmed throughout Eastern Europe, with many scenes shot in photogenic Istanbul. The film’s most awe-inspiring scene was Bond’s epic train ride on the Orient Express.

Wow factor: a journey on the Orient Express with a cabin for two and martinis on tap – what more could you wish for? Explore the 500 palaces and mosques of Istanbul, barter for souvenirs in the Grand Bazaar and climb Galata Tower for breathtaking views of the city.

Home James: a trip east on the Orient Express is one of the great train journeys of the world, and is just as spectacular today as it was in 1963 when the film was shot. Venice Simplon-Orient-Express offers a nine-night Journey To The Ottoman Empire from Paris to Istanbul departing on September 1, with overnights in Budapest and Bucharest, and three nights in Istanbul, from £4,935 per person.

Roger Moore teams up with another British Secret Service agent in India in the 1983 hit Octopussy. Most of the action takes place around the stunning palaces of Rajasthan, allowing audiences glimpses of the spectacular scenery of northern India.

Wow factor: the legendary floating palace in Lake Pichola, Udaipur, not to mention elephant rides, ancient temples and palaces and exploring the desert by camel. Take a jeep safari in Ranthambore or Sawai Madhopur to spot wild tigers – the former hunting ground for the maharajahs of Rajasthan.

Home James: if Bond was revisiting his old haunts today he’d no doubt take advantage of Cox and Kings’ Royal Rajasthan tour, a 16-night trip encompassing a host of the film’s locations, with stops at the finest hotels along the way. The 16th century Khimsar Fort is one of India’s top heritage hotels, while the Deogarh Mahal in Deogarh overlooks the Aravalli Mountains. The tour starts at £1,825 per person.

The famous scene in The Spy Who Loved Me, when Jaws crosses swords with 007, was shot at the temple of Karnak in Luxor. Cairo and Abu Simbel were also used as locations.

Wow factor: a Nile cruise is a must for seeing the wonders of Egypt in a manner fit for a British spy. Sipping a cocktail as the tomb of Tutankhamun appears on the horizon is pure Bond. Take a dawn hot air balloon flight over Luxor for an unforgettable view of the city, visit the painted tombs of Valley of the Kings or go on a camel ride to the villages surrounding Aswan.

Home James: one of the most luxurious hotels in Luxor is the Old Winter Palace on the bank of the Nile, with its giant swimming pool and swim-up bar for that all-important sun-downer martini. Cox and Kings offers a 10-night Cairo/Nile cruise on Oberoi Philae, with a three-night extension at the Old Winter Palace, from £1,690 per person.

The real star of Bond classic Man With The Golden Gun is Thailand. Golden beaches, mystical temples and bustling Bangkok were the backdrop for much of the film, and Bond disciples have been making pilgrimages east ever since.

Wow factor: Scaramanga’s Island in Phang-Nga Bay near Phuket – home to one of Bond’s most notorious baddies – is top of the agenda, followed by Chiang Mai’s golden temples. Beaches, spectacular spas and great hotels and resorts are guaranteed to set hearts on fire and lovers swooning.

Home James: the Four Seasons Chiang Mai is the sort of five-star establishment anyone with Bond-esque tendencies would feel at home in, with meals and drinks served on private terraces, king-sized beds, teak flooring and a magnificent pool to relax around. At The Banyan Tree in Phuket, lotharios can check in to a villa with outdoor spa bath and private garden patio. Kuoni offers five nights at the Four Seasons Resort Chiang Mai from £1,067 per person room-only, including flights and transfers, and five nights at the Banyan Tree Phuket from £1,157 per person room-only, also with flights and transfers.

Bond likes nothing better than a quick gamble, as seen in Diamonds Are Forever when he encounters Plenty O’Toole in a Las Vegas casino.

Wow factor: among the extra-curricular activities Bond could now enjoy in the city of sin are helicopter tours of the Nevada valley, hiring a limo and cruising down the strip or taking to a hot air balloon at sunrise. Try a night-time helicopter ride, a round of golf on one of Vegas’ 50 courses and dining and gambling in the revolving Stratosphere Tower.

Home James: these days 007 would head straight for a penthouse suite at the $1.6 billion Bellagio, one of the most expensive hotels ever built. The glitz and glamour of this hotel is intoxicating, from its musical fountains to its opulent casino – one of the few places in Vegas where guests wouldn’t look out of place in a tux. Tradewinds offers three nights at the Bellagio from £153 per person, room-only.

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