Star Wars Filming Locations And Tours

The Short Answer

Star Wars was filmed mainly at Pinewood and Elstree Studios in the United Kingdom, with location shooting in Tunisia for Tatooine, Ireland's Skellig Michael for Ahch-To, Norway for Hoth, Jordan, Bolivia, Guatemala, and California. Many sites can be visited today, from the Hotel Sidi Driss in Matmata to the Mos Espa set near Tozeur.

Star Wars has been produced continuously since 1977, and its real-world footprint spans four continents. The studio work happened in England, but the saga's deserts, ice fields, and island temples came from genuine locations that travellers can still stand in today.

Some of these places require serious effort to reach, such as a boat landing on a protected Irish island or a train ride to a Norwegian mountain village. Others, like a working hotel in Tunisia, are remarkably easy to walk into. Desert tours from Tozeur remain the most developed way to see surviving sets.

Every Location At A Glance

Location	Where	What was filmed	Access
Skellig Michael	County Kerry, Ireland	Ahch-To, Luke Skywalker's refuge and Jedi temple scenes	Ticketed
Hotel Sidi Driss	Matmata, Tunisia	Lars Homestead interior and courtyard scenes	Free to see
Mos Espa film set	Nefta, Tunisia	Mos Espa marketplace, podrace arena elements	Free to see
Tikal National Park	Flores, Guatemala	Yavin 4 Rebel Base exterior panoramic shots	Ticketed
Wadi Rum	Wadi Rum, Jordan	Jedha moon and Pasaana desert scenes	Free to see
Salar de Uyuni	Uyuni, Bolivia	Crait salt flat battle scenes	Free to see
Finse	Finse, Norway	Hoth glacier and battle scenes	Free to see
Death Valley National Park	Death Valley, United States	Tatooine desert scenes including Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes	Free to see

Filming Locations Map

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

Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors

Location By Location

This UNESCO World Heritage Site in County Kerry doubled as Ahch-To, Luke Skywalker's refuge and Jedi temple, in the three sequel films. The island appears exactly as it does on screen: a steep rock with ancient stone steps and a ruined monastery. Visits run by boat from Portmagee with limited landings permitted, so advance booking is essential. Trips are weather dependent, and the climb is demanding, but the setting is unmistakable.

The troglodyte hotel in Matmata served as the Lars Homestead interior and courtyard in A New Hope and Attack of the Clones. It still operates as a hotel, and visitors can tour the film site pits where the moisture farm scenes were shot. Of all the Star Wars locations, this is the most accessible, since the set is the building itself. Fans eat and sleep inside a piece of the original 1977 production.

Built for The Phantom Menace and reused for Attack of the Clones, the Mos Espa marketplace and podracing-related structures still stand in the desert near Nefta. The set has survived decades of sun and encroaching sand, and it remains one of the few places to walk through a full Star Wars construction rather than a natural landscape. Access is via tours from Tozeur or Nefta.

Panoramic shots of Maya temples rising from jungle canopy became the Yavin 4 Rebel Base in the original 1977 film. The Guatemala park is a major archaeological destination in its own right, with standard entry fees. Climbing a temple and looking out over the canopy reproduces the exact viewpoint used in the movie. The park sits near Flores in the Petén region.

Jordan's protected desert valley stood in for the Jedha moon in Rogue One and the Pasaana desert in The Rise of Skywalker. The red sandstone terrain needs little set dressing to read as an alien world. Jeep tours are the standard way to explore, and the valley is a well established desert tourism destination with camps and guides operating out of the nearby village.

The world's largest salt flat provided the vast white expanse of Crait, site of the climactic battle in The Last Jedi. Located near Uyuni in Bolivia, the flats produce the mirrored and blinding-white landscapes seen on film. Tours run regularly and conditions are best in the dry season, when the surface reads most like the planet Crait.

This remote Norwegian mountain village, reachable by train, stood in for Hoth in The Empire Strikes Back. Glacier and battle scenes were shot in the surrounding snowfields, and the local hotel housed the film crew. There is little set dressing to find, since the landscape itself is the star, but winter visits offer conditions close to those on screen.

California's Death Valley provided Tatooine desert scenes for A New Hope, including shots at the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes. The park charges an entry fee and is easily reached by car from Las Vegas or Los Angeles, making it the simplest Star Wars location for American travellers. Extreme summer heat means spring, fall, and winter are the sensible times to go.

Where It Is Set Versus Where It Was Filmed

The story is set in a galaxy far, far away, so nowhere on Earth is the actual setting. Filming took place primarily at UK studios, with location shooting across Tunisia, Ireland, Iceland, Norway, Italy, Spain, Jordan, Bolivia, Guatemala, California, and other sites worldwide. Every visitable location is a stand-in for a fictional planet.

The Studio Side

The Star Wars franchise was mainly filmed at Pinewood Studios in Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire and Elstree Studios in Borehamwood, Hertfordshire. The original 1977 film was largely shot at Elstree after Pinewood proved too expensive, while Pinewood became the main production hub for the sequel trilogy and recent Lucasfilm projects. Neither studio offers public Star Wars tours.

Tours That Visit These Locations

Bookable tours concentrate on Tunisia, where the Tatooine sets survive and desert infrastructure is mature. Options range from a single full day out of Tozeur to multi-day Sahara expeditions from Hammamet, Sousse, and Tunis.

2-Day Sahara From Hammamet

2-Day Tunisian Sahara Tour with Food & Stay from Hammamet

Two days from Hammamet with food and accommodation included, rated 4.3 from 96 reviews, covering the southern desert region where Tatooine scenes were shot.

4.3 out of 5 · 96 reviewsHammamet

PriceLive on listingCheck availability

2-Day Sahara From Sousse

Two-Day Tunisian Sahara Tour with Food and Stay from Sousse

A two-day Sahara itinerary from Sousse with food and stay, rated 4.4 from 78 reviews, geared to travellers based on the coast rather than Tunis.

4.4 out of 5 · 78 reviewsSousse

PriceLive on listingCheck availability

3-Day Luxury Camp From Tunis

3 Days South Tunisia Discovery Tour with luxury camp and Meals

A three-day discovery tour from Tunis rated 4.7 across 32 reviews, with a luxury desert camp and meals included, suiting visitors who want depth over speed.

4.7 out of 5 · 32 reviewsTunis

PriceLive on listingCheck availability

Full-Day Canyons From Tozeur

Tamerza, Chebika, Mides Canyons and Star Wars Full-Day Tour

The top-rated option at a perfect 5.0 from 7 reviews, this $130.9 full day from Tozeur pairs the Tamerza, Chebika, and Mides canyons with Star Wars filming sites, ideal for travellers already based in the desert southwest.

5.0 out of 5 · 7 reviewsTozeur

From$131Check availability

Day Trip To Mountain Oases

Excursion A day in Tozeur:Mountain oases/Star Wars Location

A $101 day excursion around Tozeur taking in mountain oases and a Star Wars location, a straightforward pick for a single focused day in the region.

From$101Check availability

Frequently Asked Questions

Where was the original Star Wars filmed?

The original 1977 film was largely shot at Elstree Studios in England, after Pinewood proved too expensive, with location work in Tunisia, Guatemala, and California among other sites.

Can you visit Skellig Michael, the Ahch-To island?

Yes. Boat tours depart from Portmagee in County Kerry, but landings are limited and weather dependent, so advance booking is strongly advised. The island is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Is the Mos Espa set still standing in Tunisia?

Yes. The set built for The Phantom Menace near Nefta remains in the desert and can be visited on tours from Tozeur or Nefta.

Can you stay at the hotel from Star Wars?

Hotel Sidi Driss in Matmata, which played the Lars Homestead interior, still operates as a hotel. Visitors can also tour the film site pits without staying overnight.

Which Star Wars location is easiest to visit from the United States?

Death Valley National Park in California, which provided Tatooine desert scenes including the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes. It is reachable by car and charges a standard park entry fee. Avoid summer, when heat is extreme.

Where was the Battle of Crait filmed?

The Last Jedi's salt flat battle was filmed at Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia, the world's largest salt flat. Tours run from Uyuni, with the dry season offering the best conditions.

For most travellers, Tunisia offers the richest Star Wars trip, combining surviving sets at Mos Espa and Hotel Sidi Driss with established desert tours. Ireland's Skellig Michael rewards planning and good luck with weather, while Jordan, Bolivia, Guatemala, Norway, and California each deliver a single unforgettable stand-in for a distant world.