The Spy was mainly filmed in Morocco, specifically Rabat, Salé, Kénitra, Fez, and Casablanca, which stood in for 1960s Syria. Additional scenes were shot in Budapest, Hungary, and the UK. Filming took place in 2018 because the Syrian Civil War made shooting in Syria impossible. Production came from French company Légende Entreprises for Canal+ and Netflix.
The Spy, released on September 6, 2019, follows Israeli agent Eli Cohen through Damascus in the 1960s, with Sacha Baron Cohen in the lead role. Viewers often assume the series was shot in Syria or Israel. In reality, none of it was.
The Syrian Civil War ruled out location shooting in Damascus, so the production rebuilt the period Middle East elsewhere. Morocco carried most of the load, using its historic medinas and colonial-era streets, while Budapest and the UK filled in the gaps. Here is where the cameras actually rolled.
Rabat, Morocco's historic capital, stood in for Syria during the 2018 shoot. Its older quarters and government architecture gave the production the period look the script demanded. Today visitors can walk the same streets freely, as the city remains fully open to the public and easily reached by train from Casablanca. It pairs naturally with nearby Salé, just across the river, for anyone tracing the filming trail.
Location 02
Salé
Rabat-Salé-Kénitra, Salé, Morocco Free to see
Filmed here: Various scenes standing in for Syria
Salé sits directly across the Bouregreg river from Rabat and served as another Syrian stand-in during filming in 2018. Its old town retains the narrow lanes and aged facades that suited the 1960s setting. There is no formal filming site to visit, but the medina is public and walkable, and most travellers reach it in minutes from central Rabat. It makes an easy half-day addition to any Rabat itinerary.
Location 03
Kénitra
Rabat-Salé-Kénitra, Kénitra, Morocco Free to see
Filmed here: Various scenes standing in for Syria
Kénitra, north of Rabat in the Rabat-Salé-Kénitra region, was another Moroccan city used to double for Syria in 2018. Few details survive about which specific scenes were shot here, but the city was part of the production's network of locations around the capital region. Travellers can reach Kénitra by rail from Rabat or Casablanca. Expect a working Moroccan city rather than a polished tourist stop.
Location 04
Fez
Fès-Meknès, Fez, Morocco Free to see
Filmed here: Various scenes standing in for Syria
Fez supplied the old town and medina areas used for period filming in 2018. With one of the best preserved medieval cityscapes in the region, it was a natural choice for recreating 1960s Damascus street life. The medina remains fully open to visitors, who can wander its alleys with or without a guide. Many travellers consider Fez the most atmospheric of the show's Moroccan locations and the easiest to imagine on screen.
Location 05
Casablanca
Casablanca-Settat, Casablanca, Morocco Free to see
Filmed here: Various scenes; main filming base
Casablanca served as the main Moroccan filming base, with various scenes shot in and around the city and extras recruited locally in 2018. Sacha Baron Cohen was spotted filming here in August of that year. As Morocco's largest city, it is the most practical entry point for a locations trip, with major rail links to Rabat, Salé, Kénitra, and Fez. Specific filming spots are not marked, but the city anchors any visit.
Location 06
Budapest
Central Hungary, Budapest, Hungary Free to see
Filmed here: Various scenes standing in for multiple locations
Budapest stood in for multiple locations in the story, and Sacha Baron Cohen was spotted filming here in August 2018, with the Sziget Festival area noted in reports. The Hungarian capital has a long history as a screen double for European and Middle Eastern cities alike. A walking tour of film locations in Budapest, priced at $44.89, visits sites connected to the city's movie history.
Location 07
United Kingdom (various)
United Kingdom, Various, United Kingdom Outside only
Filmed here: Additional scenes
The UK hosted additional scenes for the series, though limited public details exist about which specific spots were used. Exterior filming appears to have been the extent of publicly known activity. For travellers, this means there is little to seek out directly. The UK leg matters mostly as context: it shows how the production spread across three countries to assemble its 1960s world when Syria itself was off limits.
Where It Is Set Versus Where It Was Filmed
The story is set in 1960s Syria, including Damascus, as well as Israel and Argentina, yet none of those countries hosted the cameras. Filming occurred primarily in Morocco in 2018 because the Syrian Civil War made shooting in Syria impossible. Rabat, Salé, Kénitra, and Fez doubled for Syrian settings, Budapest stood in for multiple locations, and the UK supplied additional scenes.
Tours That Visit These Locations
No dedicated tours exist for The Spy's Moroccan locations, but travellers in Budapest can join a film locations walking tour that explores the city's screen history.
Budapest Film Locations Walk
Lights! Camera! Budapest! - Movie Locations Walking Tour
This guided walking tour, from $44.89, visits film locations around Budapest, the city where Sacha Baron Cohen was spotted shooting in August 2018. It is a general movie locations tour rather than a Spy-specific outing, so expect a broader look at the capital's screen credits.
No. Although the story is set largely in Damascus and elsewhere in 1960s Syria, the Syrian Civil War made location shooting there impossible. The production filmed in Morocco, Hungary, and the UK instead.
When was The Spy filmed?
Filming took place primarily in 2018. Sacha Baron Cohen was spotted on set in Morocco in August 2018 and at Budapest's Sziget Festival area the same month.
Which Moroccan city was the main filming base?
Casablanca. The series was mainly filmed there, with the city also serving as a hub that included recruitment of extras in 2018. Other Moroccan locations included Rabat, Salé, Kénitra, and Fez.
Can you visit The Spy filming locations?
Yes. All the Moroccan locations, including Fez's medina and the old towns of Rabat and Salé, are public and walkable. Budapest is likewise fully open to visitors. The UK locations remain largely unidentified publicly.
Why did Morocco stand in for Syria?
Morocco's historic medinas and period architecture offered a convincing match for 1960s Damascus, and the country was safe and practical for production when Syria was not. Fez's old town in particular provided the needed period streetscape.
Who made The Spy and when did it come out?
The series was produced by French company Légende Entreprises for Canal+ and Netflix, and was released on September 6, 2019.
Morocco does the heavy lifting behind The Spy's Damascus. A trip combining Casablanca with Rabat, Salé, and Fez covers nearly every Syrian street seen on screen, while Budapest adds a second layer for completists. None of the sites are marked or ticketed, so the experience is really about walking cities that happen to look like the 1960s Middle East, which is part of the appeal.
