11 Real Star Wars Locations You Must Visit

Dust off your passport and make a pilgrimage to these iconic Star Wars sites

star wars yavin
Lucasfilm

Much of the settings for the Star Wars films have been set will forever live in a galaxy far, far away but there are a few somewhat closer to home.

With the release of Episode VII not far away once again fans will make a beeline for destinations here on Earth with their kids, partners and best mates as they rekindle their love for the world's most popular sci-fi franchise.

In real terms that means doing a selfie at Luke Skywalker's house.

For nearly 40 years production crews have scoured the Earth for epic vistas, luxurious landscapes and bewildering buildings that match the vision of George Lucas and Ralph McQuarrie, cherry-picking the very best on offer. 

When it comes to stunning scenery, except for the occasional dalliance with CGI (Battle of Genosis we're looking at you), Star Wars simply doesn't do boring locations and when it comes to going au naturel, few do it better.

From the dusty desert streets of Tunisia and the giant redwoods of California to the rocky shores of Ireland, if you're any sort of fan looking for an adventure off the beaten track, here are 11 real Star Wars locations you must visit.

11. Djerba (Tunisia)

star wars yavin
Disney

Featuring heavily in the first Star Wars adventure and five films in total, the stunning desert backdrop of Tunisia is almost a Star Wars character in its own right.

In 1976 the dusty, alien-like Avenue Abou El Kacem Chebbi doubled as the entrance to salubrious space port Mos Eisley, best known as the setting for the infamous "These aren't the droids you're looking for" quote from Obi-Wan Kenobi.

To the west of Djerba you'll find Obi-Wan Kenobi's house, a small storage house used by local fisherman and the Toshi station in Anchorhead which used to sell some decent power converters back in the day.

A few kilometres north is the small fishing port of Ajim where LucasArts modified the exterior of a small building as it became the entrance to the famous Mos Eisley cantina. Visually not much has changed since the early days and funnily enough, droids still aren't allowed in.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMZFnYeqfow

Due to age and bad weather, last year the Tunisian state launched a fundraising campaign to help restore some of the less-popular locations in the area including Oung Jmel which became Mos Espa, the boyhood home of Anakin Skywalker. 

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