Real Stays in The Galaxy
From the original 1977 deserts of Tunisia to the remote Irish sea stacks used for Luke's island, Star Wars has always found its otherworldly landscapes on Earth. These are the best places to stay near every major location.
Wadi Rum Night Luxury Camp โ Sleep Inside Jakku
Wadi Rum's rose-red desert of sweeping sand dunes, towering sandstone pillars and absolute silence is one of the most alien landscapes on Earth โ which is precisely why J.J. Abrams chose it for both The Force Awakens and The Rise of Skywalker. Wadi Rum Night Luxury Camp places you inside the film set in a transparent bubble tent, staring up at the same Milky Way that inspired the galaxy far, far away. By day, Star Wars location jeep tours visit the exact valley where Rey scavenged among Star Destroyer wreckage.
Hรดtel Sidi Driss โ The Actual Lars Homestead
This is the most extraordinary film location stay in the world: the Sidi Driss Hotel in Matmata is the actual building George Lucas used as the Lars homestead interior in 1977. The Berber troglodyte pits โ excavated courtyards carved into the earth โ became Luke Skywalker's childhood home. The hotel has kept the original Star Wars props and murals. You can eat breakfast in the exact courtyard where Luke and his aunt and uncle had their last meal together.
The Moorings โ Gateway to Luke's Island
Skellig Michael โ a pyramid of rock rising 230 metres straight out of the Atlantic โ is one of the most dramatic places on Earth, and Rian Johnson chose it as Luke Skywalker's island exile for good reason. The island is only reachable by boat from Portmagee, a tiny fishing village on the Kerry coast. The Moorings guesthouse sits right on the harbour where the Skellig boats depart. Book early: landing permits are strictly limited and the island closes in winter. On clear nights, the Skellig Michael lighthouse and the Milky Way are breathtaking.
Finse 1222 โ The Actual Hoth Hotel
The Battle of Hoth โ one of cinema's greatest action sequences โ was filmed on the Hardangervidda glacier plateau in Norway, the most remote and inhospitable terrain in Europe. The 1980 production team stayed at Finse 1222, the only hotel at Finse โ accessible only by train โ during a blizzard that shut the area down for weeks and nearly destroyed the production. Today Finse 1222 embraces its Star Wars heritage: the hotel sits at the exact location of the Echo Base exterior shots, and guests can snowshoe or ski to the filming spots on the glacier. In winter, this really does look like another planet.
The Speech House Hotel โ Inside Maz Kanata's Forest
J.J. Abrams chose Puzzlewood in the Forest of Dean as the alien forest of Takodana โ the ancient, mossy, gnarled woodland that surrounds Maz Kanata's castle. The forest's labyrinthine paths, twisted roots and moss-covered rock formations look genuinely extraterrestrial. The Speech House Hotel โ a 1669 former Royal Forest Court set deep in the Forest of Dean โ is the most characterful base for exploring the filming locations. Tolkien was also inspired by the Forest of Dean, so you're sleeping in Middle-earth and a galaxy far, far away simultaneously.
Grand Hotel Tremezzo โ On the Shores of Naboo
George Lucas chose Villa del Balbianello on Lake Como as the Naboo lake retreat where Anakin Skywalker and Padmรฉ Amidala fall in love in Attack of the Clones. The villa's terraced gardens tumbling down to the lake, with snow-capped Alps reflecting in the water, created one of the saga's most romantic settings. Grand Hotel Tremezzo โ a 1910 belle รฉpoque palace directly across the lake โ is the finest place to stay near the filming location. The hotel runs its own boat service to villa tours. James Bond's Casino Royale also filmed nearby.
Star Wars Filming Locations at a Glance
| Film | Planet / Scene | Real Location | Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| A New Hope (1977) | Tatooine โ Lars homestead | Matmata troglodyte pits | ๐น๐ณ Tunisia |
| The Empire Strikes Back (1980) | Hoth โ Echo Base | Finse, Hardangervidda | ๐ณ๐ด Norway |
| Return of the Jedi (1983) | Endor โ Ewok village forest | Redwood National Park | ๐บ๐ธ California |
| The Phantom Menace (1999) | Naboo โ Royal Palace | Caserta Royal Palace | ๐ฎ๐น Italy |
| Attack of the Clones (2002) | Naboo lake retreat | Villa del Balbianello, Lake Como | ๐ฎ๐น Italy |
| The Force Awakens (2015) | Jakku desert | Abu Dhabi desert | ๐ฆ๐ช UAE |
| The Force Awakens (2015) | Takodana โ Maz's forest | Puzzlewood, Forest of Dean | ๐ฌ๐ง England |
| The Last Jedi (2017) | Ahch-To โ Luke's island | Skellig Michael | ๐ฎ๐ช Ireland |
| The Rise of Skywalker (2019) | Pasaana โ desert festival | Wadi Rum desert | ๐ฏ๐ด Jordan |