how to find the Force in Tunisia

From abandoned sets in the Sahara desert to a troglodyte hotel, here’s our guide on how to visit the Star Wars film locations in Tunisia

With over 1,000km of golden sandy beaches, non-stop sunshine and the glittering Mediterranean Sea, Tunisia has drawn flocks of tourists for decades. Beyond the beach resorts, there are superbly preserved Roman ruins, ancient towns with bustling medinas and, of course, the abandoned film sets of four of the six iconic Star Wars movies.

Tunisia’s Star Wars film locations

I recently visited Tunisia on a 5-day Star Wars Light Speed Tour with Mosaic North Africa to explore several of the country’s main sites as well as the famous film locations. Whether you’re a die-hard Star Wars fan or – like me – just have fond childhood memories of wielding toy lightsabers with your siblings, a tour of the franchise’s fictional desert planet of Tatooine (otherwise known as southern Tunisia) is a journey through a landscape of extremes.

There is the arid moonscape of Chott el Djerid salt lake, the rolling sand dunes of the Sahara Desert, the rose-red canyon of Sidi Bouhlel and the traditional Berber troglodyte houses cum Skywalker family home. Each otherworldly landscape forms a location on Tatooine, the epic space opera’s lawless desert planet located in the galaxy’s Outer Rim where settlers scratch out a living on moisture farms and spaceports hide criminals and smugglers like Han Solo.

Fortunately, the ‘real’ Tatooine is not as hostile. In fact, it’s remarkably easy to visit. To help you with your trip, we’ve put together the following not-to-miss Star Wars film locations in Tunisia.

Lars Homestead Interior

Seen in: Episode IV: A New Hope (1977), Episode I: The Phantom Menace (1999), Episode II: Attack of the Clones (2002)

Known as the ‘heart of Star Wars’, Matmata is one of southern Tunisia’s most popular destinations – and for good reason. Hotel Sidi Idriss is one of the most recognisable Star Wars sites in the country. The traditional Berber troglodyte dwelling was transformed into a hotel in 1969, seven years before George Lucas and his crew rolled into town.

The complex is spread over several pit courtyards connected by underground tunnels. It stood in for Luke Skywalker’s childhood home on Tatooine in the original 1977 movie and was used again in the prequel trilogy. The main courtyard has…