While you're waiting for the highly anticipated final season of Game of Thrones, discover the global locations where the fantasy series was filmed
Belfast, Northern Ireland
The base for the Game of Thrones production team, the majority of location filming takes place in the capital of Northern Ireland, and a variety of companies run tours of the main sights to see. Key locations include Cushendun Caves, where the character of Melisandre gave birth to her ‘shadow assassin’, as well as the filming sites of the fictional Iron Islands and Dark Hedges. South of the city, fans can visit Castle Ward, where the Winterfell scenes are filmed, as well as Tollymore Forest – best known as the place the Stark family found their direwolf puppies.
How to get there
Game of Thrones Tours can be booked online at www.gameofthronestours.com. Fly to Belfast International Airport; tours from Belfast meet on Chichester Street, which is a 30-minute drive from the airport.
See also: Belfast city guide
Foley's bridge over Shinma river in Tollymore Forest, BelfastSara Winter / shutterstock
Dubrovnik, Croatia
Perhaps the most iconic of all, Dubrovnik’s UNESCO-listed Old Town is the main filming location for King’s Landing, the capital of the Seven Kingdoms. Here, visitors can discover Lovrijenac Fortress (the filming location of season two’s epic Battle of Blackwater), explore Trsteno Arboretum where scenes in the palace gardens were filmed, and even book a cruise on a traditional Karaka ship around the walls of the town on the same boat sailed by Mother of Dragons Daenerys Targaryen in the series. A walk around the town walls is also a must-do for any visitor to the city.
How to get there
Fly to Dubrovnik Airport, where a shuttle bus runs to Pile Gate in front of the Old Town or to the main bus station in Gruž Port. The Karaka Cruise can be booked at www.kingslandingdubrovnik.com.
See also: Dubrovnik city guide
Lovrijenac fort protects harbour, DubrovnikInu / shutterstock
Seville, Spain
The city of Seville provides the backdrop for the Water Gardens, a palace in the fictional region of Dorne. These scenes are filmed at the Alcázar – a palace originally developed by Arab Muslim kings, and still partially used by the Spanish royal family. Other filming locations in Seville include the Roman ruins of Italica, a well-preserved amphitheatre used for the Dragonpit in King’s Landing, and the plaza de toros in Osuna, which is an hour’s drive from the city centre. The plaza, still in use as a bullring, was used as the fighting pit in the fictional city of Meereen.
How to get there
Fly to Seville Airport. From here, visitors can catch bus line EA to the city centre (journey time: 35 minutes; fare: €4) or rent a car.
See also: Seville city guide
Italica roman amphitheatre, SevilleFilippo Arena / shutterstock
Mdina, Malta
Although only used in Season 1, the fortified city of Mdina in Malta provided some key filming locations for Game of Thrones. Mdina’s impressive Verdala Palace set the scene for the mansion of Illyrio Mopatis, Daenerys’s guardian, while the gate at Fort Ricasoli was transformed into the Gate of the Gods at King’s Landing. A second Maltese fort used in the series was St Angelo, which became the dungeons of the Red Keep in King’s Landing. Finally, the now-collapsed Azure Window in Malta was also used by the crew for the filming site of Daenerys’s wedding feast.
How to get there
Fly to Malta International Airport, which is a 20-minute drive from Mdina. Bus route X3 also runs to the city from the airport. From the city, Verdala Palace is a 10-minute drive away, or can be reached on bus route 181. Fort Ricasoli and Fort St Angelo are both a half hour drive away, or 1h15 on the bus.
See also: Malta country guide
Fort St Angelo, MaltaVaflya / shutterstock
Lake Mývatn, Iceland
Worlds away from the Mediterranean locations of Spain and Malta, filming in Iceland began for scenes in the uncharted territory ‘North of the Wall’ from the second season onwards. Scenes were filmed in a range of locations around Mývatn, a volcanic lake in northern Iceland where the fictional wildlings, a group of semi-nomadic hunters, live. In addition to the breathtaking Gullfoss waterfall, fans can discover where the wildling camp was filmed at the Dimmuborgir lava fields. Also nearby is popular tourist attraction Grjótagjá, a small lava cave where the protagonist Jon Snow and wildling Ygritte finally get together.
How to get there
Fly to Akureyri Airport, where you can rent a car from one of many international operators available. Lake Mývatn is an hour’s drive away, and Game of Thrones themed tours can be booked from www.icelandtravel.is.
See also: Iceland country guide
Gullfoss waterfall, IcelandChris Dolby Imaging / shutterstock
