Maps of Movies

Apocalypse Now (1979)

Where Apocalypse Now says it takes place, and where it was really shot.

The film's river runs from Vietnam into Cambodia, but it was shot in the Philippines, and no Cambodian filming is recorded.

Scenes and places

The briefing in Nha Trang (1969)

Willard is summoned and told that Colonel Kurtz has gone rogue. He is ordered to find him and end his command.

Set in I Field Force headquarters, Nha Trang — The U.S. Army headquarters where Captain Willard is given his mission. Google Maps · Apple Maps

Nha Trang is a coastal city in south-central Vietnam; the film places a U.S. field force command there.

The helicopter attack on the river-mouth village (1969)

Lt. Col. Kilgore's helicopters attack the village with music blaring from loudspeakers, clearing the river mouth for Willard's boat.

Set in Village at the mouth of the Nùng River — A Viet Cong-held village on the coast that Kilgore's helicopters attack to open the river.

The Nùng River in the film is not a real river; the sequence stands in for the Vietnamese coast.

Filmed at Baler, Aurora (Aurora, Baler, Philippines) — The helicopter attack sequence was filmed in the Baler area. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there:

The beach that Kilgore wants to surf (1969)

Kilgore tries to talk Lance into surfing the newly captured beach while fighting still goes on. Willard resists and gathers the crew to leave.

Set in The captured beach — The beach just taken by the helicopter assault, where Kilgore wants Lance to surf.

Baler Bay in Aurora is a stretch of coast now known in the Philippines for surfing.

Filmed at Baler Bay (Baler Bay, Baler, Philippines) — The surfing sequence was filmed on the bay at Baler. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there:

Up the river on the patrol boat (1969)

The crew moves upriver. A stop for mangoes ends with a tiger in the undergrowth, and Willard begins to see cracks in the crew.

Set in The Nùng River — The river Willard's patrol boat follows toward Kurtz's outpost.

The Bumbungan River, also called the Pagsanjan River, runs through Laguna province south-east of Manila.

Filmed at Pagsanjan (Bumbungan) River, Laguna (Laguna, Pagsanjan, Philippines) — River sequences of the journey were shot along this river. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there:

The last army outpost and the mail (1969)

The boat reaches a night-lit outpost under attack and picks up the mail. Willard learns that another officer, Captain Colby, followed the same mission and joined Kurtz.

Set in Do Lung Bridge outpost — A chaotic army outpost at a bridge, described as the last one on the river.

The Do Lung Bridge outpost is a place in the film; the sources do not say where it was shot.

Further upriver: smoke and spears (1969)

A smoke grenade set off by Lance draws fire from the bank, and Mr. Clean is killed. The crew keeps heading upriver.

Set in Upper Nùng River — A narrowing stretch of river where the crew is attacked from the banks.

Another stretch of the river that the sources only describe in general terms.

Filmed at Pagsanjan (Bumbungan) River, Laguna (Laguna, Pagsanjan, Philippines) — Same river as the main journey; the sources do not pick out the exact stretch for this scene. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there:

Kurtz's compound (1969)

Willard and the crew arrive at the temple outpost. A photojournalist greets them with praise for Kurtz and Willard meets Colby among the followers.

Set in Kurtz's temple outpost, eastern Cambodia — A Khmer temple outpost deep in the jungle, full of Montagnard followers.

The compound is placed in eastern Cambodia in the plot; the film itself was shot in the Philippines.

Filmed at Casa Real, Pakil (Laguna, Pakil, Philippines) — One travel article says the interiors of Kurtz's compound were filmed here; the town coordinates are used, not the building's. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there:

Filmed at Iba, Zambales (Zambales, Iba, Philippines) — Scene not specified in the sources Google Maps · Apple Maps

Filmed at Chavón River, La Romana, Dominican Republic (La Romana, Dominican Republic) — Scene not specified in the sources Google Maps · Apple Maps

Characters

• Captain Willard — A U.S. Army captain sent up a river to deal with a colonel who has gone his own way.
• Lt. Col. Kilgore — A helicopter cavalry commander and keen surfer who escorts the boat to the river mouth.

Questions answered on the map

• Where was the Apocalypse Now helicopter attack and surf beach filmed?
• Which real river stood in for Kurtz's river in Apocalypse Now?