Indiana Jones: 5 Real Locations of the Most Iconic Scenes of the Saga

Among the elements that make the Indiana Jones films unforgettable, there is certainly the choice of locations. Steven Spielberg , together with his team, has been able to transform real places into mythical scenarios, chosen not only for their visual appeal, but also for the almost mystical atmosphere they can evoke. The best locations of the Indiana Jones scenes are scattered among different films and real places. Harrison Ford in the role of the brave and ironic archaeologist has conquered entire generations with five films, even if the best remain the first three alongside Sean Connery . We invite you to take a journey that touches various parts of the world to explore some locations of iconic scenes that have made this saga a jewel of international cinema.

1. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade – Jordan

This iconic location, which appeared in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade , is a real historical and archaeological site. The Treasury, a temple carved into a sandstone wall , was used as the exterior of the place where the Holy Grail is kept. In this third chapter of the saga, Harrison Ford and Sean Connery embark on a race against time in search of the Holy Grail. The sacred object, at the center of many legends from King Arthur onwards, here becomes the heart of an archaeological hunt between Europe and the Middle East. The most iconic moment of the film is set in Petra , Jordan . The two Joneses arrive on horseback in the canyon called Siq, a natural corridor carved into the rock that leads straight to the Treasury (Al Khazneh), the imposing facade carved into pink stone by the Nabateans in the 1st century BC. The scene is among the most memorable of the entire saga: the frenetic pace of the film stops, silence takes over and the magnificence of the place dominates the screen. It is no coincidence that Petra is today a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World.

2. Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom – Sri Lanka

We fly to Sri Lanka for the famous Indiana Jones rope bridge scene. This was built across a 300-foot-deep gorge downstream from the Victoria Dam north of Kandy. As the dam was still under construction, there was a good supply of engineers and equipment to tension the bridge. After obtaining the sacred Sankara Stones from Mola Ram and his Thuggee cult, Indiana Jones and his companions are chased to a canyon spanned by a rope bridge. Indiana is trapped in the middle of the bridge with enemies on either side, so he bluffs that he will drop the stones into the river below unless the high priest frees Willie and Shorty. When Mola Ram calls the bluff, Indiana cuts the bridge's rope railing, causing many of the cult to fall into the jaws of crocodiles waiting below. Mola Ram manages to hold on and climbs up the now vertical bridge to Indiana. The two wrestle and the priest begins to pull Indiana's heart out of his chest, but is stopped by a powerful punch to the face. After a further fight between the two, Indiana invokes the name of Shiva to set the stones on fire. Mola Ram grabs one, but ends up falling into the river and is devoured by crocodiles.

3. Indiana Jones: The Fate Quadrant – Siracusa

In the film’s final part, Indiana and the other protagonists travel through time and find themselves in the midst of the Roman siege of Syracuse, Sicily , during the Second Punic War . The setting is a dramatic recreation of the ancient Sicilian city, where Archimedes is shown struggling with his inventions. The warplanes swooping down on the ancient skies, the naval battle, and the defensive walls help make this one of the most visually striking sequences in the film. It makes you wonder why the franchise didn’t arrive in Syracuse until the fifth film. Once the greatest city of antiquity and a rival to Rome, Syracuse is also the birthplace of Archimedes , the mathematician linked to the so-called “Quadrant of Destiny.” The limestone streets of Ortigia – its historic center – echo with the lively sounds of the Sicilian fish markets, while in a discreet corner of the Piazza Duomo, a Caravaggio draws the eye with magnetic force. It’s just the kind of city where you might hide a treasure… with so much already out there for all to see.

4. The opening of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom – Shanghai

The opening sequence of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom features one of the most dramatic uses of a turntable in cinema history. There’s a gong, a glamorous Kate Capshaw , and a decadent 1980s atmosphere inside the subtly named “ Club Obi Wan .” It plays out like an Indiana Jones-style version of Casino Royale , with Harrison Ford in a white tuxedo taking on 1930s gangsters before being drugged and hauled away. Although this scene was shot in Macau , there are corners of Shanghai that still retain a less modern, vertical feel, most notably the riverside promenade with its period colonial buildings along the Bund.

5. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade – Colorado

The year is 1912, in the desert near a ravine, where a young Indiana Jones tries to recover a golden cross from a group of tomb raiders. The train footage, particularly Indy's escape on a circus train , was filmed near Antonito , using the historic Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad , a vintage steam-powered railroad that still operates as a tourist attraction today. This state in the American West is a destination full of adventure, with its Old West history and the rugged topography of the Southern Rockies . It's hard to resist a trip here in the winter, taking advantage of ski resorts like Aspen and Vail, although it's probably the working ranches in the state that evoke the spirit of Indiana Jones the most. For hardcore fans, there's one must-see: the Indiana Jones Home – the real-life house that served as Indy's childhood home, now a movie-themed B&B in the historic town of Antonito.