Where Was Breaking Bad Filmed?

The Short Answer

Breaking Bad was filmed mainly on location in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The show was originally written to be set in Riverside, California, but production moved to Albuquerque for a 25% New Mexico film tax rebate. Real exteriors across the metro area stand in for the story's locations, while interiors and the superlab were built at Albuquerque Studios.

Breaking Bad ran from 2008 to 2013 and turned Albuquerque into a character of its own. Nearly every exterior in the show is a real address you can drive past, and the city has embraced the attention: restaurants, car washes, and even a family fun center that appeared on screen still operate today, often welcoming fans.

Most sites sit within Bernalillo County and are easy to visit by car or on an organized filming locations tour. A few are private homes where the only polite option is a quick look from the street.

Every Location At A Glance

Location	Where	What was filmed	Access
Walter White's House	Albuquerque	Walter and Skyler's home exterior (and some interiors in early seasons)	Private property
Twisters (Los Pollos Hermanos)	Albuquerque	Los Pollos Hermanos restaurant exterior and interior	Free to see
A1A Car Wash (Mister Car Wash)	Albuquerque	Car wash where Walt worked and laundered money	Free to see
Saul Goodman's Law Office	Albuquerque	Saul Goodman's office exterior	Outside only
Jesse Pinkman's House	Albuquerque	Jesse's house exterior (and some interiors)	Private property
Gus Fring's House	Albuquerque	Gus Fring's home exterior and interior	Private property
To’hajiilee (Desert Scenes)	To’hajiilee	Multiple desert/RV cook and confrontation scenes	Free to see
Hinkle Family Fun Center	Albuquerque	Arcade/laser tag scenes in Season 3 and 5	Free to see

Filming Locations Map

8 locations. The map loads when it scrolls into view.

Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors

Location By Location

This modest home in Albuquerque's Northeast Heights served as the exterior of Walter and Skyler's house, with some interiors shot there in early seasons. It is a private residence, so viewing is strictly from the public street. The owners installed a fence and security measures after repeated fan activity, including the famous pizza throwing incidents, so keep any visit brief and respectful.

The Twisters burrito stand doubled as Los Pollos Hermanos, Gus Fring's fried chicken front, for both exterior and interior scenes. It remains an operating restaurant and is one of the most fan-friendly stops on any tour. Buy some food, enjoy the interior mural, and take advantage of the photo opportunities while respecting the staff during busy service.

The car wash where Walt worked, and later laundered money, was filmed at this fully operational Mister Car Wash location. It is open to the public, and the simplest way to see it is as a customer: drive your own car through the wash and look out for the familiar layout from the show. No special arrangements are needed.

Saul Goodman's law office exterior is a strip mall storefront in Albuquerque. There is nothing to enter; the filming value is the facade, best appreciated from the public areas of the parking lot. It pairs easily with nearby stops in the same part of town and requires only a few minutes.

Jesse's party house is another private Albuquerque residence, used for exterior shots and some interiors. Fans can view it from the public street only. The owners live there, so photographers should keep their distance and move along quickly rather than lingering, which keeps these locations accessible for future visitors.

Gus Fring's deceptively ordinary home was filmed at a private residence in Albuquerque, used for both exterior and interior scenes. As with the other homes on the trail, access is exterior only from public areas. A short stop is enough to appreciate the contrast between the tidy facade and the character's darker double life.

The desert around To'hajiilee, west of the metro area, hosted the RV cook scenes and several major confrontations. The land is remote reservation territory, so visitors should follow Navajo Nation rules and leave no trace. Unpaved roads and long distances from the city make this a stop best suited to guided tours or well prepared drivers.

Hinkle Family Fun Center provided the arcade and laser tag settings in Season 3 and Season 5. Unlike many filming locations, it remains a working family entertainment center that is fully open to the public. Fans can play the same games inside, making it one of the few Breaking Bad sites you can genuinely experience rather than just photograph.

Where It Is Set Versus Where It Was Filmed

Here the story and the production line up almost perfectly. Breaking Bad is set in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and was filmed primarily in and around Albuquerque, with real neighborhoods standing in for themselves. The original plan was different: creator Vince Gilligan wrote the show to be set in Riverside, California, but production relocated to New Mexico to take advantage of a 25% film tax rebate, and the setting became inseparable from the show's identity.

The Studio Side

Interior work and constructed sets were housed at Albuquerque Studios, which opened in 2007 and hosted Breaking Bad as its second major production. The superlab was built as a set on its stages, while the laundry facility that concealed it used a real exterior at Delta Uniform & Linens. A neat detail: the GPS coordinates Walt uses in Season 5 to mark his buried money point exactly to the studio lot. The facility, now known as Netflix Albuquerque Studios, is not open to the public.

Tours That Visit These Locations

Several guided and self-guided options cover these locations, from a driven RV experience to a cheap audio tour you can follow in your own car. Guided tours handle the driving and the desert routes, while self-guided options suit travelers who want to move at their own pace.

Guided RV Tour, Small Group

Breaking Bad RV Tours

A guided RV outing with the strongest track record, rated 4.8 from 510 reviews, making it a dependable default for a full tour experience.

4.8 out of 5 · 510 reviewsAlbuquerque

PriceLive on listingCheck availability

RV Group Tour From Albuquerque

Albuquerque: Breaking Bad RV Filming Locations Tour

A themed RV adds an obvious nod to the show's most famous vehicle, with 25 reviews so far at $102.36 per person.

4.8 out of 5 · 25 reviewsAlbuquerque

From$102Check availability

Self-Guided Driving Tour

Breaking Bad Filming Locations Tour (Self-Guided, Driving)

At $10, this self-guided driving option is the cheapest way to hit the major stops in your own car, with 13 reviews.

4.1 out of 5 · 13 reviewsAlbuquerque

From$10Check availability

Small-Group Van Tour

Albuquerque: Breaking Bad SUV/Van Filming Locations Tour

An SUV or van format for $102.36, suited to travelers who prefer a standard vehicle over the RV gimmick; 12 reviews to date.

4.6 out of 5 · 12 reviewsAlbuquerque

From$102Check availability

Audio Driving Tour, Budget Price

Breaking Bad Filming Locations Audio Driving Tour in Albuquerque

A $10 audio tour rated 4.5 from 10 reviews, delivering narration as you drive between sites on your own schedule.

4.5 out of 5 · 10 reviewsAlbuquerque

From$10Check availability

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you visit Walter White's house?

You can view the exterior from the public street, but it is a private residence. The owners added a fence and security measures after fans repeatedly threw pizzas onto the roof, so respect their privacy and keep visits short.

Why was Breaking Bad filmed in Albuquerque instead of California?

The show was originally set in Riverside, California, but production moved to Albuquerque to claim a 25% New Mexico film tax rebate. The relocation ended up shaping the entire look and feel of the series.

Is Los Pollos Hermanos a real restaurant?

Yes. The Twisters location in Albuquerque served as both the exterior and interior of Los Pollos Hermanos. It is an operating restaurant where fans are welcome, provided they buy food and respect the staff.

Can you tour Albuquerque Studios?

No. The studio, now known as Netflix Albuquerque Studios, is not open to the public. The superlab was a constructed set on its stages. Fun fact: the GPS coordinates Walt uses to mark his buried money point exactly to the studio.

What is the cheapest way to see the filming locations?

Self-guided driving tours cost $10 and let you visit the sites in your own car with narration. Alternatively, several locations such as the car wash, Twisters, and Hinkle Family Fun Center are free or inexpensive to enter as a regular customer.

Is the To'hajiilee desert location easy to reach?

It is remote reservation land west of Albuquerque, reached by long and partly unpaved roads. Guided tours are the simplest option, and independent visitors should respect Navajo Nation rules and the environment.

Albuquerque offers a rare case where a show's world is almost entirely the real one, and most of it remains visitable years after the series ended. Pair a guided RV or van tour with a meal at Twisters and a round at Hinkle, and be considerate at the private homes that make the trail possible.

Sources

The Short Answer

Every Location At A Glance

Filming Locations Map

Location By Location

Walter White's House

Twisters (Los Pollos Hermanos)

A1A Car Wash (Mister Car Wash)

Saul Goodman's Law Office

Jesse Pinkman's House

Gus Fring's House

To’hajiilee (Desert Scenes)

Hinkle Family Fun Center