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Where Star Wars was filmed: Tunisia, Norway, Guatemala and seven more locations
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Updated:10 min1,939 words95

Where Star Wars was filmed: Tunisia, Norway, Guatemala and seven more locations

Tunisia, Norway, Guatemala, and Ireland look like planets from a distant galaxy on screen. In reality, they are ordinary places where you can buy a ticket and go.

George Lucas barely painted entire worlds from scratch. He sent cameras to places where nature had already created the landscape he needed: salt flats, glaciers, jungles, and cliffs. We followed the trail of these shoots and put together ten locations open to tourists.

Each spot below includes a practical section: what the scene is, how to get there, and what to consider before the trip. Some of the sets are still preserved right in hotels and nature reserves, so you can see them with your own eyes.

💡 In short:

  • Ten real filming locations, each with directions, the scene, and a practical tip.
  • Some spots are free, others charge an entrance fee or a boat fee.
  • The route around the locations is easy to split into short half-day segments.

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Man walking past cave dwellings in the Tunisian desert

Quick reference for the locations:

Location

Planet in the film

Country

Matmata, Tataouine, and Chott el Djerid salt flat

Tatooine

Tunisia

Hardangerjøkulen glacier near Finse

Hoth

Norway

Death Valley

Tatooine

USA

Lake Como and Caserta

Naboo

Italy

Phang Nga Bay near Phuket

Kashyyyk

Thailand

Tikal National Park

Yavin IV

Guatemala

Grindelwald

Alderaan

Switzerland

Skellig Michael

Ahch-To

Ireland

Dubrovnik

Cantonica

Croatia

Redwood National Park

Endor

USA

1. Settlements and deserts of Tunisia (Tatooine)

Most of "A New Hope" takes place on the desert planet Tatooine, where Luke Skywalker grew up. Suitable landscapes were found in Tunisia, and the same country played Tatooine in almost all the other episodes.

The most recognizable spot: the Sidi Idriss hotel in the town of Matmata, which was filmed as Owen Lars's homestead. The building is carved into the rock, and the rooms look like caves. The hotel still operates, and you can stay overnight there: it has a bar and a restaurant (as of 09/2026, official website).

Palm trees and a mosque in the sandy Matmata desert© Tanya Dedyukhina · CC BYPhoto: Tanya Dedyukhina, CC BY (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), Wikimedia Commons

The entrance to that very dwelling was filmed separately, on the dried-up Chott el Djerid salt flat. The clay hut was eventually washed away, but enthusiasts rebuilt it, so you can still take a souvenir photo today.

North of the city of Tataouine lies the village of Ksar Hadada. The sets from the shoot are preserved there, and for fans it is the most interesting place in the south of the country. A couple of scenes were also filmed on the resort island of Djerba, but it is just ordinary desert there, and it is worth going only for the collection.

2. Hardangerjøkulen glacier, Norway (Hoth)

"The Empire Strikes Back" opens with a scene on the ice planet Hoth, where the rebel base fights off Imperial walkers. The creators were looking for real snow and even considered the North Pole, but settled on Norway.

The Hardangerjøkulen glacier near the village of Finse provided the cold and deep snow they needed. The film crew stayed at the Finse 1222 hotel at an elevation of 1,222 meters above sea level (as of 09/2026, official hotel website). Today the hotel hosts themed "Hoth" weekends, and marked routes through the filming locations are laid out around the station.

Aerial view of Hardangerjokulen ice cap, Norway© kallerna · CC BY-SAPhoto: kallerna, CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0), Wikimedia Commons

In winter, you reach the glacier on skis from Finse. In summer, you can walk the same route, but some snowfields remain in the mountains until August.

3. Death valley national park, USA (Tatooine)

Some Tatooine scenes were filmed in Death Valley in California: the footage from Tunisia was not enough, and the budget did not allow going back. This is where R2-D2 is captured by the Jawas, and Luke races across the desert on a landspeeder.

The park is interesting not only to fans. It is an open-air geological museum: the colorful Artist's Palette and Golden Canyon, salt flats, and sand dunes.

Dirt road in a desert valley near mountains

Twenty Mule Team Canyon was used for "Return of the Jedi": R2-D2 and C-3PO walk through it on their way to Jabba's palace. In summer, it is best to come here at dawn; the midday heat is exhausting even in a car.

4. Lake como and the city of Caserta, Italy (Naboo)

The planet Naboo got its green gardens, clear lakes, and waterfalls, and it was filmed in Italy. The Attack of the Clones scenes were shot at Villa del Balbianello on Lake Como: that is where Anakin and Padme first kiss and later secretly marry.

Panorama of Como city and lake surrounded by mountains

The Royal Palace of Caserta served as the prototype for Queen Amidala's throne rooms. Council meetings and the droid attack in The Phantom Menace were filmed inside.

The palace is half an hour from Naples, while Lake Como is in the north of the country. These spots are best split across two separate trips, otherwise you will spend a whole day just on travel.

5. Phang Nga Bay, Thailand (Kashyyyk)

Chewbacca appears in the saga from the very beginning, but audiences did not see his home planet of Kashyyyk until Revenge of the Sith. When Master Yoda arrives to help the Wookiees, the background features limestone cliffs with trees and vines.

Those shots were filmed from the air in Phang Nga Bay near Phuket. Landscapes from Guilin, China were later added to the scenes to make the visuals richer.

Phang Nga Bay with karst islands© Vyacheslav Argenberg · CC BYPhoto: Vyacheslav Argenberg, CC BY (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0), Wikimedia Commons

6. Tikal National Park, Guatemala (Yavin IV)

Tikal spreads across the jungle: swamps, forests, and the ruins of a Maya city with four temples at its center. The park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and it is easy to see why it was chosen for the rebels' secret base (as of: UNESCO).

The top of Temple IV was used to film the New Hope sequence: as the Millennium Falcon comes in to land, the roofs of the other three temples appear in the frame. The temple itself was once considered the tallest structure in the Americas, and the climb up its steps will stay with you for a long time.

Two Mayan pyramids in Tikal, Guatemala© amslerPIX · CC BYPhoto: amslerPIX, CC BY (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), Wikimedia Commons

7. Grindelwald, Switzerland (Alderaan)

In A New Hope, Alderaan is destroyed by the Death Star, so there is no chance to see the planet in detail. Revenge of the Sith shows it more closely: Bail Organa brings baby Leia home.

The city on screen is computer-generated, while the snowy backdrop comes from the real Alps around the village of Grindelwald. In winter there are ski slopes, in summer hiking trails, and year-round views of the north face of the Eiger.

Grindelwald valley with a wooden house and snow-covered Alps

8. Skellig Michael, Ireland (Ahch-To)

The rocky island of Skellig Michael off the west coast of Ireland became famous after The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi. The uninhabited island with two peaks played the planet Ahch-To, where Rey goes in search of Luke.

The first Jedi temple from the film was shot on the site of the ancient monastery of St. Fionan. The monks prayed and slept in stone beehive huts, and some of the structures still stand today. The climb follows stone steps, around 600 of them (as of 09/2026, Heritage Ireland).

Rocky island of Skellig Michael in the ocean© Jerzy Strzelecki · CC BY-SAPhoto: Jerzy Strzelecki, CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0), Wikimedia Commons

The island is now a favorite spot for ornithologists who observe rare birds. For you, the trip depends on the sea: boats do not go out in storms.

9. Dubrovnik, Croatia (Cantonica)

Dubrovnik is more often remembered as King's Landing from Game of Thrones. In The Last Jedi, it plays the city of Canto Bight: Finn, Rose, and BB-8 set the fathiers free and race down the Stradun.

The historic center is enclosed by a fortress wall nearly 2 km long (as of 09/2026, official city walls website). From the top, you get a view of tiled roofs and the Adriatic, and the wall route itself takes about two hours. Tickets and opening hours: as of 09/2026, verified on the official Dubrovnik city walls website.

Narrow stone street in old Dubrovnik with lanterns© Stéphane Gallay from Laconnex, Switzerland · CC BYPhoto: Stéphane Gallay from Laconnex, Switzerland, CC BY (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), Wikimedia Commons

10. Redwood national park, USA (Endor)

The forest moon of Endor from Return of the Jedi grew out of California's redwoods. The forests of the northern part of the state provided the green backdrop for the speeder chase, while the Ewoks exist only on screen.

The park is famous for the tallest trees on the planet. Redwoods grow here, and the old groves are protected as heritage, so you leave your car at the parking lot and continue on foot.

Fog in the redwood forest of Redwood Park© Michael Schweppe · CC BY-SAPhoto: Michael Schweppe, CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0), Wikimedia Commons

⁉️🤔 Frequently asked questions

Can you visit all ten locations in one trip?

No. The spots are spread across four continents: Tunisia, Norway, the USA, Italy, Thailand, Guatemala, Switzerland, Ireland, Croatia. In one trip, it is realistic to cover one or two regions. Even Lake Como and Caserta in the same Italy are separated by about 800 km.

Where are the actual sets from filming still standing?

The structures in Tunisia last the longest: the Sidi Idriss hotel in Matmata and the hut on the Chott el Djerid salt flat. In Death Valley and Redwood, only nature was filmed, so there is no need to look for props there.

What should you book in advance?

Tickets for Skellig Michael and boat seats sell out first: access is limited by weather and daily quotas. Hotels at Lake Como and in Dubrovnik are worth booking a couple of months before summer, while US parks generally admit everyone without reservations.

How much does it cost to visit the locations?

Some spots are free, such as the salt flat and the village in Tunisia. US and Guatemala national parks charge an entrance fee, and Dubrovnik sells a combined ticket for the walls. Check exact amounts on official websites before your trip, as they change every season.

When is the best time to go to see the sets?

Norway and Switzerland are good from February through April, while there is snow. Tunisia and Guatemala are best planned for the dry season, and Ireland and Dubrovnik for May and September. Visit US parks in spring or fall; summer heat in Death Valley is dangerous.

In short: what to book

If you have a week in Europe, go for Lake Como with Caserta or Dubrovnik. If the sets themselves matter most, start with Matmata and Ksar Hadada. A route through US parks is easy to build around Death Valley and Redwood.

It is better to book your trip in advance: see hotels on Trip.com, tours on GetYourGuide.

Look for car rentals for US national park routes on DiscoverCars.

tourism.com.de Editorial Team
tourism.com.de Editorial TeamTravel editorial team: research, fact-checking, updates→ All publications

A small editorial team writing guides for independent travel. We travel ourselves, but we haven’t been everywhere, so we check prices, opening hours and how to get there against official sources.