7 Star Wars Filming Locations You Can Actually Visit

With its rust-colored landscape and dramatic rock formations, there’s little wonder why Wadi Rum in Jordan is known as “The Valley of the Moon.” Wadi Rum’s lunar landscape was determined to be the perfect place to set the scene for Planet Jedha in the last of the saga, The Rise of Skywalker. To get a feel of what Planet Jedha, or Wadi Rum, looks like before seeing the movie in theaters, look no further than the film’s teaser—Rey’s backflip over a TIE Silencer is set here.

“Wadi Rum is breathtakingly beautiful and the perfect location for our film,” said J.J. Abrams, the film’s director, in a statement released by the Royal Film Commission Jordan. Other filmmakers agree—the area served as Mars in Ridley Scott’s The Martian, too.

Getting there
Fly into Queen Alia International Airport (QAIA) outside of Amman and then head south on the Desert Highway for a direct, four-hour journey. Or, take the more scenic, 5,000-year-old Kings Highway, which adds another two hours for a six-hour drive but allows for pit stops in Madaba, known as “The City of Mosaics” for its Byzantine and Umayyad mosaics, and Petra, a UNESCO World Heritage Site set in a narrow gorge that’s the country’s most popular tourist destination. (If you’re already in Petra, minibuses also travel to Wadi Rum daily; schedule information can be found at the local minibus stations.)

Playing there
Stop by the Wadi Rum Visitor Center where you can book 4x4 and camel tours into the desert; or, float overhead in a hot air balloon or microlight aircraft. Or, leave the planning to Condé Nast Traveler travel specialist James R. Berkeley, who will design a memorable multi-day trip thanks to his insider’s perspective.

Staying there
Camping and bed and breakfasts are the overnight options in Wadi Rum Protected Area, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Check out Arabian Nights, a traditional tent camp owned and operated by local Bedouins.