Tunisia is home to nearly every memorable exterior filming location for the Star Wars planet of Tatooine, including locations like Lars Homestead and the set of Mos Espa. As a huge Star Wars fan my entire life—from the movies to the books, games, LEGO, really everything—I have always wanted to see where it all started. That seemed like an impossible dream until, in 2014, I read an article on StarWars.com (since deleted, but thankfully preserved by the Wayback Machine here) that had GPS coordinates, pictures, a map, and information on how to get to every Star Wars site in Tunisia. It was everything I needed to start making this trip a reality. When Ash and I started traveling internationally together in 2017, Tunisia quickly rose to the top of my list, thanks to its deep connection to Star Wars. I was eager to visit Tatooine’s iconic locations before they were lost to time. Many Tunisians are not particularly aware of Star Wars or its cultural impact, and as a result, these locations have largely been left unmaintained. Unfortunately, this neglect means that many of these sites are at risk of deteriorating or disappearing entirely at any time. Equipped with all the knowledge I thought I needed, I began to plan our trip for March 2020. Our planned trip to Tunisia completely fell apart days before we were set to depart.
Fast forward to March 2024, almost exactly four years to the date of our failed trip, and our trip to Tunisia finally came to life—this time with Keira in tow.
It is surprisingly easy to get to Tunisia. Multiple airports in France fly directly to multiple airports in Tunisia. We flew direct from SLC → Paris and got to spend some time at Paris Disneyland (our final Disney park), Lyon, Marseille, Nice, and Monaco before making our way across the Mediterranean Sea, flying from Nice to Monastir for around $80. While we took our time getting there, it’s completely possible to get there with a single layover from the US.
The filming locations are all in the middle of the country. Djerba and Monastir are both great airports to start your journey from. We started in Monastir and ended in Djerba since that was the way the flights worked out best, but you really can’t go wrong. It’s worth mentioning our hotel in Monastir was unbelievably nice, a large suite with a separate bedroom, a beautiful pool, and right next to the beach…for $80. Djerba also has nice hotels and is basically a European retiree tourist destination, complete with old people dancing and early dinners.
The US Department of State gives this warning regarding driving in Tunisia: "Drivers often fail to obey the rules of the road, even in the presence of police. Traffic signs and signals are often ignored, and drivers sometimes drive vehicles on the wrong side of the road or the wrong direction on a one-way street. Defensive driving is a must in Tunisia." Going in with that knowledge, driving around Tunisia wasn’t bad. Once you’re on the highway, everything is well maintained, doesn’t have much traffic, and aside from the occasional camel or sand drift, is pretty relaxed. The smaller cities are definitely a bit more chaotic with mopeds, horses, and carts, but we were fine just taking it slow. There are also areas that the US Department of State advises against traveling through and in. Unfortunately, Google recommends driving right through some of these areas, so paying attention to your route and planning ahead is key. You also have to keep an eye on the weather, as you wouldn’t be able to drive a sedan through the desert to some of the sites if it has recently rained.
Our schedule:
Day 1: Short flight to Monastir
Day 2: Drive to Tozeur, visit the Star Wars Canyon (Episode IV canyon shots)
Day 3: Mos Espa, Oung Jamel (Darth Maul’s arrival, podracer scenes), Lars Homestead exterior
Day 4: Drive to Djerba, Hotel Sidi Driss (Lars Homestead interior), Medenine (Anakin’s front door)
Day 5: Djerba (Obi-Wan’s home, Tosche Station, cantina exterior)
Day 6: Fly to Paris
We skipped Ksar Ouled Soltane and Ksar Hadada. Both of these were additional filming locations for the slave quarters in Episode I, but Medenine has the filming location for Anakin’s home entrance, and that felt sufficient. If you’d like to go to them, add another two hours to the 13-hour drive and additional stress from driving through some very chaotic (for US tourists) cities. Google sent me down a one-way road in Medenine (just like the Department of State warned!), and I only found out it was a one-way road when a guy came over and started directing traffic for me to back out. The Tunisian city of Tataouine, the inspiration for the name of Tatooine, is also along that route, but there isn’t really anything to see there other than road signs.
If you’re still following this far in, thanks! I’ll post more pictures and details in additional posts. This trip was so much fun and well worth the wait. Re-watching Star Wars and seeing the locations I've been to has made it all the more special to me. It's hard to believe one of the most iconic movies of all time was put together out in the middle of the desert.