One of the greatest parts of the Indiana Jones movies are Indy’s wild, globe-trotting goose chases that take viewers around the world, traversing parchment maps marked with little red lines. For the contemporary globetrotter who wants to don a fedora and follow in the archaeologist’s footsteps (although hopefully without the bullwhip), here’s a look at some of the first three Indiana Jones movies’ most famous destinations.
Raiders of the Lost Ark
Viewers first met Indiana Jones during the year 1936, as he was wandering through the Peruvian jungle, exploring the ancient Incan city of Choquequirao. Sometimes called “the other Machu Picchu” or “Machu Picchu’s sister city”, Choquequirao is harder to reach than Machu Picchu and therefore not as overrun by tourists. In its heyday it was just as important as Machu Picchu, but because scientists didn’t understand this for many years, this city was known but no one began restoring it until 1993. To this day, it remains only 30% unearthed.
After Peru, Indy heads to Nepal, where he ends up picking up one of his many exes, Marion, and then the two head to Cairo, Egypt. For contemporary travelers, Cairo is a less expensive tourist destination and offers great vacation packages. In fact, entry into the Egyptian pyramids remains low at only $3 - $15 per person. By comparison, for $3 at an American theme park imitating the pyramids, one might be able to buy a napkin. Maybe. But if visiting Egypt, just be sure not to get thrown into the asp-infested Well of Souls.
Temple of Doom
In Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, Indy begins his adventures in Shanghai, China, in 1935, a year before Raiders of the Lost Ark began. After Shanghai, Indiana heads to a northern Indian region near the Himalayan Mountains. Travelers who wish to follow Indy will find this part of India, which is less populated and colder than other parts of the country, ideal for hiking and mountain climbing. Don’t worry, though – the black magic and human sacrifice is rather unlikely to happen.
The Last Crusade
The third film begins with a young Indiana Jones (RIP, River Phoenix) in the Moab Desert of Utah. Later he winds up in Germany, specifically at Castle Bürresheim. This is a real castle in Germany’s Eiffel Mountains whose oldest parts date back to the 12th century, and the good news is that it’s open to the general public.
Perhaps the most memorable location in The Last Crusade is Petra, the real cliff-carved city that is the fictional home of the Holy Grail. Located in Jordan, Petra is located in a basin near to the Dead Sea. Settled as early as perhaps 1500 BC, Petra was named a World Heritage Site in 1985. While Jordan as a vacation destination may not be very popular with western travelers these days, in 2006 a visitor’s center was built for Petra to attract more tourists.
Coincidentally, if visiting any of Indiana Jones’s adventure destinations, don’t expect to find any Jones artefacts. Most of the Indiana Jones movies were shot in alternative locations or on Hollywood sets. Instead of Choquequirao in Peru, for example, Lucas and Spielberg used Hawaii, and instead of Egypt, they used Tunisia. And most of the Temple of Doom was shot at a studio in England and in Sri Lanka. The scenes at the Castle Bürresheim, however, were really shot there, as were some of the Petra scenes.
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