You might be able to visit the world of Star Wars in theme parks soon but have you thought about visiting Star Wars filming locations?
After releasing 8 movies and 1 on the way at the end of this year, the Star Wars team had to use some amazing locations for filming.
And since we’re huge Star Wars nerds and self-proclaimed Jedis…
We put together a list of some awesome Star Wars filming locations you can visit today!
And if the force is on your side, we have no doubts you’ll be able to check these places off your bucket list.
Remember:
Do travel or do not travel. There is no try.
Check out the filming locations below!
1) Hotel Sidi Driss
Movie: A New Hope & Attack Of The Clones
Set: Luke Skywalker’s Childhood Home & Anakin’s Search For His Mother
Hotel Sidi Driss is a hotel in Matmatat-Al-Qadimal, Tunisia. In 1976, George Lucas used the hotel to serve as Luke Skywalker’s childhood home in Tatooine.
Luke grew up in Tatooine with the Lars family before starting his quest in becoming a Jedi.
The rebuilding of the set took place in 2000 for filming Attack Of The Clones. You can see the hotel when Anakin returns home to look for his mother.
Today, the hotel still has the Star Wars decorations up…
And you can stay at the hotel!
You can even eat in the Lars family dining room while you stay there.
2) Plaza de Espana – Seville, Spain
Movie: Attack Of The Clones
Set: Theed
Plaza de Espana is a gorgeous building in Seville, Spain. It’s so impressive that the Star Wars team decided to use the exterior of the building in Attack of the Clones.
You can see the building as the exterior of Theed while Anakin and Padme are in Naboo. The building appears before the two of them go into hiding at the lake palace.
3) Skellig Michael
Movie: The Force Awakens & The Last Jedi
Set: Luke Skywalker’s Island Hideaway
Skellig Michael is a neat little island about 7 miles off the southwest coast of Ireland. The island’s history dates back to the year 600 CE. A group of monks built a monastery about 600 feet above sea level.
You might remember this filming location from the Force Awakens and the Last Jedi. It’s the island where Luke lives in exile and where he trains Rey in the ways of the force.
The island is gorgeous and has unique rock formations that you don’t see every day. But it’s pretty safe to say that Star Wars put Skellig Michael on the map for tourist destinations. The island has seen an uptick visitors that are Star Wars fans.
4) Puzzlewood – Forest of Dean
Movie: The Force Awakens
Set: Takodana
Puzzlewoord is in the Forest of Dean near Gloucestershire, England. You might remember the forest where Rey and Klyo Ren have an epic battle at the end of The Force Awakens.
Well, you can thank Puzzlewood for the climax of the movie.
Puzzelwood is a great place to visit whether you’re going with some friends or bringing your kids along. The forest is full of great outdoor activities. There are mazes, a playground, farm animals, and interactive treasure hunts!
5) Death Valley, California
Movie: A New Hope & Return Of The Jedi
Set: Tatooine
Whenever Lucas was shooting his Tatooine scenes in Tunisia, he turned to Death Valley, California for additional pick up shots.
In A New Hope, you can see Death Valley in the scene where Luke meets Obi-Wan Kenobi. In Return Of The Jedi, you’ll see Death Valley when C3PO and R2D2 travel to Jabba’s Palace at the beginning of the movie.
6) Grindelwald, Switzerland
Movie: Revenge Of The Sith
Set: Alderaan
It’s no surprise that Lucas often used the green screen when filming Star Wars scenes. But he would also send some teams out to film some locations around the world with stunning scenery.
One of those beautiful places is Grindelwald, Switzerland.
Grindelwald is not just one of the best places to visit in Switzerland…
It’s one of the best places you’ll ever visit!
Grindelwald is a village nestled in the Alps and is peaceful as it gets. The village is great for skiing during the winter and even better for hiking during the summer.
Grindelwald served as the backdrop for Princess Leia’s home of the planet Alderaan. You can see it in Revenge of the Sith!
7) Ajim, Tunisia
Movie: A New Hope
Set: Obi-Wan Kenobi’s Home
Lucas used Tunisia for most of the filming done for the planet of Tatooine. The city of Ajim is the filming location used to shoot Obi-Wan Kenobi’s home.
The building in real life used to be an old mosque and it’s still intact today.
Ajim is also the location used to shoot the scene where Obi-Wan takes Luke into the Mos Eisley spaceport. So you can thank Ajim for the famous, “These are not the droids you’re looking for” scene.
8) Hardangerjokulen
Movie: The Empire Strikes Back
Set: Hoth
One of my favorite battle scenes in the series was the battle on Hoth at the start of The Empire Strikes Back. That’s when the AT-ATs came into the scene and Luke had to tie that beast’s leg’s up to take it down.
Well if you want to visit the planet Hoth in real life, you’re going to want to visit the Hardangerjøkulen Glacier in Norway. It’s Norway’s 6th largest glacier and most Jedi friendly.
9) Yuma, Arizona
Movie: Return Of The Jedi
Scene: Sarlacc Pit
Yuma, Arizona is home to the set of one of the most memorable Star Wars scenes. Everyone remembers when Luke saved his friends from Jabba the Hutt in Return Of The Jedi. His Jedi skills were firing on all cylinders.
Jabba had the intention of feeding Luke to the Sarlacc Pit but Luke Jedi’d his way out of there.
The filming crew used the Buttercup Valley in Yuma, Arizona to set the scene in the desert. It’s actually home to the Imperial Sand Dune’s Recreation Area in California.
10) Villa del Balbianello
Movie: Attack of the Clones
Set: Anakin and Padme’s Lake Retreat
Alright, so Attack of the Clones is probably the worst Star Wars movie ever made…
But that doesn’t take anything away from the beautiful filming location.
Whenever Anakin and Padme go into hiding during Attack of the Clones…
And the movie suddenly turns into a romance film…
You might remember them staying at a really nice vacation house.
Well, that place is Villa del Balbianello in Lenno, Italy. Built during the 18th century, the villa served as a monastery until 1988.
Another reason to visit the villa is its location on Lake Como!
11) Dubrovnik, Croatia
Movie: The Last Jedi
Set: Canto Bight
When Finn and Rose start their search to find a codebreaker in The Last Jedi, they travel to the city Canto Bright.
The Star Wars team used Dubrovnik, Croatia for the filming location of the casino city. Dubrovnik is one of the best cities to visit in Europe. The city still has its fortified walls and unique architecture.
Dubrovnik is also seen frequently in Game Of Thrones as the setting for King’s Landing. So this is the place to visit for Star Wars and Game of Thrones fans.
12) Tikal, Guatemala
Movie: A New Hope
Set: Rebel Alliance’s Massassi Outpost
Lucas used Tikal National Park in Guatemala to set the scene for the Rebel Alliance’s Massassi Outpost in A New Hope. In real life, the park houses some amazing Ancient Mayan ruins that you should visit if you ever get the chance.
13) Rub Al Khali Desert
Movie: The Force Awakens
Set: Jakku
The Rub’ al Khali desert helped start the story of The Force Awakens and the final trilogy.
The desert is the filming location for Ray’s home planet, Jakku. It’s the planet where Poe and Finn crash while escaping the First Order. And it’s the location where Finn and Ray meet and form a dynamic duo.
The Rub’ al Khali desert is in the United Arab Emirates and only a few hours away from Abu Dhabi. It’s the largest contiguous sand desert in the world!
14) Whippendell Woods
Movie: The Phantom Menace
Set: Meeting Jar-Jar Binks
The Phantom Menace introduced us to one of the most unique characters in the Star Wars universe…
Jar-Jar Binks.
Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi run into Jar-Jar in a beautiful wooded area in the Phantom Menace.
And that’s not CGI… It’s a real place!
Whippendell Wood is a gorgeous area in Watford, England.
15) Del Norte County, California
Movie: Return Of The Jedi
Set: Endor
Who didn’t love the Ewoks and the great battle on Endor at the end of Return Of The Jedi?
The Endor scenes were all shot in Del Norte County, California. One of the most beautiful areas in the United States. This is an area full of redwood forests and has no shortage of outdoor activities.
Here you can go camping, hiking, whitewater rafting, and fishing…
And maybe you’ll run into some Ewoks along the way.
Conclusion
Now you know where you must travel to complete your Jedi training. The force has always been inside of you.
In all seriousness, we hope you add these filming locations to your future travel plans. They’re all unique and have something different to offer visitors.
And you can stand in the same spots where your favorite Star Wars characters stood!
Have you ever visited one of the locations listed above?
Tell us about it in the Comment Section!