Since 2011 billions of people around the world have been hooked on the award-winning HBO phenomenon Game of Thrones. We’ve followed the Starks, Targaryens, Lannisters, Greyjoys and Baratheon, amongst many others. Births, deaths, marriages, bloody battles, incest, resurrection and even dragons have kept us glued to our screens. Of course and as you would expect CGI is a major factor in creating the scenes used on the show. However, a number of the locations used are real places. In fact, the majority of which are popular holiday destinations are they are all places all Game of Thrones fans need to visit.
However with an estimated 40ish countries been used as filming locations, we’ve narrowed it down to the top 7 Kingdoms, sorry we mean countries and the key filming locations in them that you could take a trip to. This would allow you to walk in the footsteps of your favourite characters.
Croatia
It’s not only a beautiful country, but Croatia is a key Game of Thrones filming location to boot and they are all waiting to be explored. Many spots in Croatia’s capital, Dubrovnik, play a pivotal part of the show’s story. Dubrovnik itself is used as the capital of the Seven Kingdoms and the seat of the iron throne – King’s Landing.
The walled city is not only a Game of Thrones fan’s dream come true but also a perfect holiday destination. The narrow limestone-paved streets are great for getting lost in. You’ll never know what Games of Thrones site you’ll stumble across. From Littlefinger’s brothel. To the steps where the speech against the Lannisters was delivered. And not forgetting the location of one of the most famous Game of Thrones scenes ever – Cersei Lannister’s ‘Walk of Shame’.
The island of the coast of Dubrovnik – Lokrum was also a key filming location in season 2. It was used as a stand-in for the city of Qarth near the Jade Sea. The botanical garden and the Benedictine Monastery which can both be found on the island have also featured on the show. Getting to Lokrum is easy, you simply need to jump on a ferry at Dubrovnik harbour. The journey takes approximately 15 minutes. Lokrum is also home to a number of nudist coves if that’s up your street.
Other Croatian Game of Thrones filming locations and places worth exploring include Split, Trogir and Šibenik.
Iceland
Since season 2 of Game of Thrones, Iceland has been used as a filming location for many scenes. If you’ve ever visited Iceland you will instantly understand why. Iceland is a very unique country with wild landscapes which are perfect backdrops for the show. It’s, however, important to remember that the weather conditions can become treacherous during the winter months. This makes some of the filming locations quite difficult to get to. Therefore, ensure you take it easy, especially on the many gravel roads you will find in Iceland or take an organised tour from Reykjavík if you don’t fancy braving the journey on your own.
Head to the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Thingvellir National Park. It is located in southwest Iceland and it is where the White Walkers’ scenes (Kirkjufell mountain) and also the Bloody Gate scenes (the canyon near the Öxaráfoss waterfall) were filmed. Other must-visit locations include Thjorsárdalur Valley which is where The Wildlings Ygritte and Tormund met Thenn Styr the cannibal. Svinafellsjokull Glacier which was used to represent the snowy landscapes of Beyond the Wall in season 2. And not forgetting Skógafoss waterfall where Jon and Daenerys fly to on the Dragons in the last season, season 8.
Malta
Many people think Dubrovnik has always been King’s Landing. However, during season 1, the walled ‘Silent’ city of Mdina in Malta was actually used as the original capital of Westeros. Therefore, making it a popular spot on the island to visit. In fact, a lot of season 1 was filmed in Malta and on the tiny neighbouring island of Gozo.
St Dominic’s Convent in Rabat is where Cersei famously informed Ned Stark ‘When you play the game of thrones, you win or you die. There is no middle ground.’ The balcony at San Anton Palace, the official residence of the President of Malta, is from where Joffrey shows Sansa the head of her father Ned on a spike. And the Azure Window in Gozo, which unfortunately crumbled into the sea in 2017, was the scene of the wedding feast of Khal Drogo and Daenerys Targaryen. It is however still worth taking the short ferry ride over to Gozo, as it is a beautiful island in its own right.
A great way of getting around the island is to hire a car and because of Malta’s size, it’s easy to hit a number of filming locations in a short amount of time.
Morocco
There a couple of extremely famous Game of Thrones filming locations in Morocco.
The first couple are the fortified villages of Aït-Ben-Haddou and Ouarzazate which is often referred to as the Hollywood of Morroco and is located on the ancient Caravan route. The journey can be long and difficult. However, guided tours including coach transfers are readily available if you don’t fancy braving the Morrocan public transport system. Both villages have also been used as filming locations for numerous TV shows and movies. In Game of Thrones, the ksar (made up of around half a dozen kasbahs) of Aït-Ben-Haddou which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site was used as the backdrop for both the fictional cities of ‘Yunkai’ which Daenerys Targaryen took siege of and one of the Free Cities ‘Pentos’ during season 3. Quarzazate is also home to the Atlas Studios. Here you can see the sets used when Game of Thrones (and other shows/movies) was filmed in the village.
The other is the picturesque coastal town of Essaouira, nicknamed the Windy City. It was used as the filming location for the town of Astapor, also known as the Red City. Essaouira is easy to get to from Marrakech, again there are numerous guided tours available. One of the city’s most famous attractions are the ramparts which were constructed in the 1760s. You will recognise them as the Astapor’s ‘Walk of Punishment’, again from season 3. You too can walk the ramparts. However, it gets super busy and extremely hot. Therefore if possible, opt to do it first thing in the morning or last thing at night.
Northern Ireland
Some of the most famous Game of Thrones Filming locations can be found in Northern Ireland. With many scenes from the first 7 seasons being filmed at over 25 different locations, Northern Ireland will not disappoint. The locations include but are not limited to Cushendun Caves, Murlough Bay, Ballintoy Harbour, Larrybane, Antrim plateau, Castle Ward, Inch Abbey, Downhill Strand and of course the famous Titanic Studios in the country’s capital, Belfast. Amongst many others.
Some of the must-visit filming locations include Tollymore Forest in County Down used as the lands around Winterfell when Ned Stark finds the orphaned direwolves in season 1. The beautiful and National Trust managed area of Portstewart Strand in County Londonderry. It featured in season 5 when Cersei tasked her brother Jamie Lannister to bring back daughter Myrcella to King’s Landing. And possibly the most famous and likely most photographed location – the Dark Hedges. The Dark Hedges can be found in Stranocum in County Antrim. They were used to represent the Kingsroad in season 2. It saw Arya Stark together with Yoren, Gendry and Hot Pie all travel down it on the back of a cart.
Again, as with Malta, the size of Northern Ireland makes hiring a car a great option. However, if you can not or do not want to drive, there are as you would imagine lots of organised Game of Thrones tours you can opt for instead.
Scotland
Andrew Shiva / Wikipedia, via Wikimedia Commons
The main filming location in Scotland is Doune Castle which is a 14th-century courtyard castle in Doune near Stirling. It was used originally as Winterfell, the house of Stark and considered to be the capital of the north. That was before the filming location was moved to the Paint Hall in Belfast in the later seasons of the show. Doune Castle has also been used as a filming location for a number of other shows and movies. You can visit it for just £9 per adult.
Spain
A number of places across Spain have been used as filming locations for Game of Thrones. Predominately in seasons six and seven of the show. One of, if not, the most famous filming location in Spain is the city of Girona. As a number of the hotspots are within walking distance of each other, the best way to see them all is by taking an organised walking tour of Girona with a local tour guide. It will also allow you to explore the medieval alleys, the Jewish Quarter and historic architecture too.
Other recognisable places to visit include the rocky beach seen frequently is filmed at a place called Itzurun. It’s a very popular beach, particularly with surfers. The footbridge that Jon Snow and Daenerys walk along can be found at the islet of San Juan de Gaztelugatxe, which is close to the city of Bilbao. And not forgetting the thrilling and tense season finale which was filmed inside the amphitheatre at Italica, found close to Seville.
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