May the Fourth is of course Star Wars Day, where Star Wars fans around the world come together to celebrate their favourite space-age series. The saga boasts dramatic, otherworldy settings, like the icy planes of Hoth and the scorched deserts of Tatooine.
And you don't have to travel to a galaxy far, far away to explore the Star Wars universe. From the Valley of the Moon in Jordan to picturesque Scottish glens, here's some of the planet's top Star Wars filming locations you can visit.
Wadi Rum | Jordan
Rogue One & The Rise of Skywalker
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Most Star Wars destination guides start with Tunisia, which gave us the desert landscape and towns of Tatooine in A New Hope and has been used extensively in Episodes I and II. It wasn't used for The Mandalorian or Book of Bobba Fett though, which are also set on Tatooine but were filmed almost entirely in Californian studios during lockdowns.
However, many of the locations used in the films are in the south of Tunisia near the border with Libya, an area currently under an FCDO travel warning. The whole country still has paperwork and Covid rules to navigate – so it's probably best to look elsewhere for your Star Wars adventures.
For an alternative, try Jordan. The country has dropped all travel restrictions so you can simply fly in and pick up the mandatory visa for a few pounds at the airport when you land.
Now, we trust you to head out straight to the spots where they filmed, obviously, but there are other things to see in Jordan too. Most notably the ancient city of Petra, considered one of the Seven New Wonders of the World. And, if you're hitting up important film sites where Harrison Ford once trod, Petra is also a key location in The Last Crusade.
The big Star Wars location in Jordan is Wadi Rum, which has doubled up as Jedha in Rogue One, and Pasaana in Episode IX. Known as the Valley of the Moon, it's also appeared in a slew of other films including Lawrence of Arabia, The Martian and the recent version of Dune.
Eyjafjallajökull and Reynisfjara | Iceland
Rogue One & The Force Awakens
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Iceland is home to whales, waterfalls, geysers, Northern Lights, the Blue Lagoon and iconic scenes from two Star Wars titles.
Eyjafjallajökull – thrillingly an ice cap over an active volcano – was used as the snowy surface of Starkiller Base in Episode VII. Eyjafjallajökull is two hours' drive east along the coast from Reykjavik, and the whole route east of the capital is one we'd recommend. Along the way you'll see ice floes, glaciers and the coastal karst, and it's the gateway to Iceland's unexplored east coast and fjords.
The black basalt sea stack at Reynisfjara is just another half hour along the same coast road, and was the planet Eadu in Rogue One (home of Galen Erso and scene of his attempted assassination). Reynisfjara is a famous black sand beach and so, like Eyjafjallajökull, well worth a visit in its own right.
Skellig Michael | Ireland
The Force Awakens & The Rise of Skywalker
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Skellig Michael, a dramatic twin-pinnacled crag and one of two UNESCO World Heritage sites in the Rebublic of Ireland, provides the perfect setting for Luke's home in Episode VII and Rey's training ground in Episode VIII. It's also the site of a 6th-century monastery (a long time ago...) and has been drawing visitors since long before the saga came along.
Getting there is no mean feat. Fly or drive from Dublin down to the very furthest south-western corner of Ireland, County Kerry. Book a boat trip for the eight-mile journey out to sea, and Skellig Michael is two and half hours off the coast.
It's worth the trip though. The drive from Dublin to Kerry is one of the most beautiful in the world, Irish roads are quiet and well-maintained, you can take in Cashel and Limerick on the way and once you're there Killarney is on the doorstep.
Hardangerjøkulen | Norway
The Empire Strikes Back
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Used to film the exterior and establishing shots of Hoth in Episode IV (the battles were filmed in studio with models), Hardangerjøkulen is Norway's sixth-largest glacier and can be reached easily enough during ski season by skiing in from the village of Finse to the north.
Even in Norway, ski season only runs to the end of April though so you've just missed the chance this year – but Norway isn't short of winter so try again in a few months' time.
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Spring break!Haddhunmathi or Laamu Atoll | The Maldives
Rogue One
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The Haddhunmathi or Laamu Atoll in the Maldives includes one of the country's largest islands, Gan, and is a popular tourist destination. The atoll was used as the tropical planet Scariff in Rogue One.
It is, quite simply, a lavish island paradise almost entirely given over to making sure visitors have a memorably wonderful time in the clean, warm, blue-green waters. So if you're thinking of splashing out for a special trip, the Maldives will never disappoint.
Glen Tilt | Scotland
Andor
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If you don't fancy heading overseas, there's plenty of Star Wars filming locations at home in the UK. Famously Whippendell Woods near Watford made up part of the forest of Naboo in The Phantom Menace, Puzzlewood in the Forest of Dean features in The Force Awakens, and Hever Castle in Kent was used for some (deleted but still findable) scenes in The Phantom Menace.
Or why not head to Glen Tilt in Scotland, which appeared as the luscious green planet Aldhani in Andor. 15 minutes north of Pitlochry by car, you can park at the southern end of the Glen and hike through in a couple of hours.
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From lively Edinburgh and Glasgow to mysterious lochs, here are just some of the Scottish landmarks you need to visit…
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