10 ‘Star Wars’ locations you can actually visit in real life

The text that precedes every opening crawl for a "Star Wars" film reminds us that the events we are about to witness take place a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, but that's not entirely true. The fictional events may not have occurred recently or nearby, but the films were largely shot on location somewhere on Earth, which means that you can actually visit them in real life.

From national parks in the United States to islands off the coast of Ireland, here are some iconic Star Wars locations you should add to your travel bucket list.

There are even tours.

(Photo by Veronique Debord)

1. Tunisia is one of the most-prolific "Star Wars" locations.

Tunisia has served as the sand-covered backdrop to scenes in several "Star Wars films." Shubiel Gorge, Chott el Jerid, Matmata, Djerba, and other areas in the north African country are the real-world stand-ins for the planet Tatooine where we were first introduced to Luke Skywalker in "A New Hope" (as well as his Aunt Beru, Uncle Owen, Old Ben Kenobi, and the Jawas).

The name of the fictional planet was borrowed from a real Tunisian town called Tataouine. There are tours that take you around abandoned sets and notable landmarks seen in the films, and there is even the option to stay in the former Owen/Beru Lars residence, now called Hotel Sidi Driss.

Death Valley National Park.

2. Death Valley has a few locations, too.

Some outdoor Tatooine scenes were also filmed in Death Valley, a US National Park situated in California and Nevada. The National Park Service website lists Golden Canyon, Dante's View, Desolation Canyon, and other key areas for "A New Hope" fans venturing to stand where our heroes once stood.

Cheatham Grove is one particular hot spot.

(Flickr photo by Miguel Vieira)

3. Grizzly Creek Redwoods State Park is one of the many forests they filmed in.

Grizzly Creek Redwoods State Park in California is one of the lush filming locations used in "Return of the Jedi" as the Forest Moon of Endor. Fans of the saga will want to visit the park's Owen R. Cheatham Grove in particular because it is where George Lucas and his crew shot the iconic speeder bike chase. Watch out for those completely stationary trees.

(Photo by Svein-Magne Tunli)

4. Reenact the Battle of Hoth in Finse, Norway.

Finse, Norway is the real, very cold, icy landscape that the filmmakers chose when they needed to shoot the fake, but still very cold and icy landscape surrounding the rebel base on the planet Hoth in "The Empire Strikes Back."

According to Starwars.com, the pretty much the only way to reach the crevasses and plateaus of Finse is by train (4-5 hours) from Oslo or Bergen. The long, scenic route will give you plenty of time to plan the Battle of Hoth reenactment of your dreams.

Skellig Michael is picture-perfect.

(Photo by Niki.L)

5. You can live like Luke Skywalker on Skellig Michael.

Skellig Michael is an island off the coast of Kerry, Ireland where Rey and Chewbacca finally tracked down Luke Skywalker at the end of "The Force Awakens." Called Ahch-To in that film and featured more prominently in "The Last Jedi," the rocky island does not have a Jedi temple but you can climb the many stone steps up to the ruins of a real ancient monastery.

6. Laamu Atoll in the Maldives will remind you of "Rogue One."

The islands of the Laamu Atoll in the Maldives are where the battle scenes on Scarif took place in "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story," though the explosions were filmed in a studio in England. It may not be one of the episodic films, but that daring mission to get the Death Star plans and the devastating battle that ensued are what led to events of "A New Hope," so seeing it in person is a must for hardcore fans.

7. Fans of the prequels will love Lake Como, Italy.

Are you a fan of the prequels? Lake Como, Italy has the distinction of being the real-world location used during the filming of "Attack of the Clones." You and your significant other can pretend you're Anakin and Padme on Naboo while viewing the lake from Villa del Balbianello or taking a stroll through the Tremezzo public gardens.

8. You may run across Jar Jar Binks in the Whippendell Woods.

Speaking of the prequels, the Whippendell Woods near Watford, England is where Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi first met the controversial "Star Wars character" Jar Jar Binks, in "The Phantom Menace." The odds of seeing a Gungan in the forest are slim, but you can snap selfies with the trees and quote a few lines of dialogue in Gunganese.

9. You can visit the fictional planet Crait in Bolivia.

The world's largest salt flat, Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia, became the site for an abandoned rebel base in "The Last Jedi." As the mineral planet Crait, the unique terrain was the stage for the film's final battle between Kylo Ren and Luke Skywalker. There is no massive metal structure, ice foxes, or ski speeders to speak of, but the photo ops provided by the vast flat landscape is worth the price of the flight.

10. Rub' al Khali makes up one of the franchise's most iconic locations.

Rub' al Khali is the desert in Abu Dhabi that Rey calls home (Jakku) in "The Force Awakens." You'll have to use your imagination if you want to see the Millennium Falcon parked in the sand, but for some fans just being there counts as a win.

This article originally appeared on Insider. Follow @thisisinsider on Twitter.