5 Real-World Trips To The World Of Indiana Jones

Indy is back. With Harrison Ford reprising his role as Indiana Jones, the world’s most famous swashbuckling archaeologist is set to renew a lust for far-flung travel in us all. Dr. Jones has been inspiring world travelers and real life researchers ever since 1981’s “Raiders of the Lost Ark” hit the silver screen.

“Growing up in Egypt, everyone knew Indiana Jones,” says Egyptologist Ramy Romany. “Some movies are so embedded in the Egyptian culture that they become adjectives. ‘Indiana Jones’ is an adjective in Egypt. Whether you’ve watched the movies or not, you know what that means.”

In the 42 years since the franchise first put archaeology atop the public zeitgeist, many of the mind-bending locations depicted in its films have cashed in on their moment in the spotlight. From ancient desert ruins in the Middle East to the jungle encrusted stones of Southeast Asia, an entire industry has emerged—at least in part—thanks to the generations of travelers inspired by creator George Lucas’s world of reckless ruin hopping and museum piece mischief.

Here’s how you can visit the world of Indiana Jones for yourself.

Giza, Egypt

The bustling streets of Cairo and a hidden world beneath the sands of the Giza Plateau are early introductions to the film franchise. Both starred in “Raiders of the Lost Ark” and both went on to become signature set pieces of the series. Though much of the filming for “Raiders” took place in Tunisia, Egypt remains a world solidly engrained with Indiana Jones.

“Indy’s impact on Egyptology is positive,” says Romany. “The more awareness, the better. Ancient Egyptian history and archaeology, in my opinion, doesn’t just belong to Egyptians. It belongs to mankind, and the more people now of it, the more care pours into supporting my heritage from all over the world.”

Uniworld immerses travelers to Egypt with a tour that goes far beyond Cairo and its adjacent pyramid-strewn plateau. Their 12-day Splendors of Egypt & the Nile cruise begins and ends in Cairo. It takes visitors to south to Aswan, past the towering ruins of the Temple of Karnak and the mystifying Temple of Luxor. A requisite trip to visit the Great Pyramid of Giza and the Sphinx is included. A pit full of snakes; however, is not.

Yosemite National Park, California

“Temple of Doom” brought with it another iconic, action-packed scene still emblazoned on the brains of moviegoers 39 years after its release. Near the 15:00 mark, Indy and Co. find themselves careening down whitewater rapids after an improbable emergency escape from a crashing airplane. The scene is famous in part because Indy’s signature hat manages to stay on his head during a dunking in powerful whitewater rapids.

The scene was filmed in California’s Sierra Nevada Mountains, with the rafting itself taking place on the Tuolumne River near Yosemite National Park. You don’t have to be a whitewater guide to experience the Tuolumne River. REI Adventures’ Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne backpacking trek provides an up-close view without having to take a swim.

The five day trip traverses Muir Gorge, Grand Mountain, Colby Mountain and Tuolumne Peak while camping alongside the same river Dr. Jones strolled out of each and every night.

Petra, Jordan

Director Steven Spielberg was on his A game when he chose Jordan’s Petra as the climactic stage for the location of the Holy Grail in 1989’s “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.” After being featured in the blockbuster film, Petra—a largely forgotten t for 1,200 years before finally making its way onto maps in the 1800s—began seeing as many as 5,000 visitors per day. Last year, the site drew about half that figure, with just over 905,000 tourists visiting “the rose colored city.”

Contiki’s Jordan Uncovered itinerary journeys through the ancient and modern sites of Jordan where travelers can experience Petra for themselves. Starting in Amman, trip visits the Iraq Al-Amir Women’s Co-Operative Society to see the work they are doing to make local women financially independent. The group then travels to the ancient city of Jerash and as well as Petra, before spending a night in the desert of Wadi Rum and enjoying the beaches of the Red Sea.

Iguazu Falls, Argentina and Brazil

Ford reprised his signature role as Indiana Jones in 2008’s “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.” While not as beloved as the original 1980s trilogy, the piece co-starring Shia LaBeouf, Cate Blanchett and a returning Marion Ravenwood in Karen Allen manages to maintain its sense of travel, wonder and excitement. Notably, the most famous example of its signature artifact, the mysterious crystal skull in London’s British Museum, has since been debunked.

Fortunately for travelers, many of the breathtaking vistas depicted in the film remain as real as ever. Iguana Falls, perched on the precipice of two South American nations, is part of the largest waterfall system in the world. The two-step falls are nearly 250 feet in height when combined and draw more than a million annual visitors.

Trafalgar’s 17-day South American Landscapes tour takes visitors to Iguazu Falls en route to breathtaking stops in Santiago, Buenos Aires, Rio de Janeiro and Manaus. At Iguazu, guests are ferried to the falls on an open-air ecological jungle train before a visit to the catwalk peering down at the Devil’s Throat Falls section.

Melrose, Scotland

Though many of the filming locations for 2023’s “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” have yet to be parsed out, early releases do include a dramatic, 19th-century Scottish viaduct on the Rivet Tweed. In 2021, keen-eyed observers spotted Ford in his signature fedora near the viaduct flanked by roughly 60 crew members. Though it is unclear what role the location has to play in the upcoming film, it’s clear that Scotland is poised to capitalize on its brush with stardom.

National Geographic Expeditions recently announced the launch of a Scotland Hiking Adventure for 2024. The route begins in Edinburgh, just north of Melrose, and takes travelers on archaeologist-guided hikes beneath Ben Nevis, through Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park, into the highlands and up to the Isle of Skye.