When audiences first saw “Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope” in 1977, Tatooine felt like a completely new world. In reality, the production team combined North African deserts, English sound stages and California canyons to construct the galaxy far, far away.
Many of the most iconic Tatooine shots were filmed in Tunisia. The desert around Nefta and Tozeur provided endless dunes and salt flats, while traditional underground homes in Matmata became the Lars family homestead. You can still stay in some of these troglodyte structures, which now proudly display their connection to the film.
The exterior of Mos Eisley and several canyon sequences used locations such as Sidi Bouhlel and Chott el Jerid. These spaces, with their layered rock formations and open horizons, gave George Lucas the ability to stage swoops, landspeeders and blaster fights in a way that felt tangible.
Back in England, Elstree Studios hosted the Death Star interiors, Rebel briefing rooms and hangar bays. The production built full-scale corridors and control rooms, which were later referenced and expanded in the sequels and spin-offs. Some of those sets have inspired theme-park recreations and fan builds around the world.
On Where Was It Filmed you can explore these locations on a single map. Search for “Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope” to see Tatooine villages, canyon vantage points and Death Star-adjacent spots that you can actually visit.