Beware… you’re now entering a geek zone!
So here at In 4 the Long Haul, we tend to get a tiny bit obsessed over things. From Harry Potter films and locations to trekking to Northern England to find puffins, anything that either Joe or I mildly like will soon form into a major obsession that we over-zealously commit to.
And the TV hit show Game of Thrones is no exception. I’m sitting here at the moment drinking from my ‘Winter is coming’ mug’. Um.
Having visited Northern Ireland, Malta and Iceland, where some of GoT is filmed, we decided to succumb to our inner geeks and sight see some of the places that inspired the HBO mega series.
As the show comes to an end, we’ve marked some of the places fans can visit.
While production of the show is headquartered at the Titanic Studios in Belfast, Northern Ireland’s craggy castles, ice-cold coast and rugged landscape provided amazing backdrops to the series.
- Where: Dark Hedges
Location: Bregagh Road between Armoy and Stranocum in County Antrim
Scenes: Ayra’s escape from King’s Landing to the North and the location used to film scenes on King’s Road
- Where: Old Castle Ward
Location: Strangford Lough, County Down
Scenes: Winterfell
- Where: Ballintoy Harbour
Location: Ballintoy, County Antrim
Scenes: Balon Greyjoy’s burial
- Where: Inch Abbey
Location: Downpatrick, County Down
Scenes: Robb’s Camp
- Where: Larrybane Quarry and Carrick-a-Rede
Location: Ballycastle
Scenes: Catelyn Stark meets King Renly. Brienne of Tarth is introduced. It is also where she fought Loras Tyrell (and won).
- Where: Tollymore Forest Park
Location: Bryansford, near the town of Newcastle
Scenes: Wolfswood and Haunted Forest
- Where: Magheramorne Quarry
Location: County Antrim
Scenes: Castle Black, Hardhome and The Wall
- Where: Downhill Strand
Location: County Londonderry
Scenes: Dragonstone where the Seven Idols of Westeros were burned
FYI… The largest ever GoT public display opened in April and runs to 1 September 2019 at TEC Belfast. The exhibition includes props, costumes and settings from all seven seasons. Click here for more.
GoT tours:
- Winterfell Tours
- Game of Thrones Tour from Belfast with Giant’s Causeway
- Paddy Wagon tour from Belfast
Yes, while Kit Harington and others were freezing their little socks off in Northern Ireland, Emilia Clarke et al were living it up in the Mediterranean country of Malta. Hard times! Characterised by fishing villages, ancient forts and crystal blue waters, the region was a perfect setting for filming.
- Where: The Gate of the Mdina
Location: Mdina
Scenes: King’s Landing
- Where: Church of St Dominic & The Blessed Virgin
Location: San Duminku, Ir-Rabat
Scenes: Red Keep Garden
- Where: Mtahleb Cliffs
Location: Rabat
Scenes: Dothraki camp
- Where: Mesquita Square
Location: Mdina
Scenes: The entrance and balcony to Little Finger’s brothel and the Street of Steel
- Where: Fort Ricasoli
Location: Valletta
Scenes: The Gate of the Gods of King’s Landing
FYI… The Azure Window in Gozo used to film Daenerys and Drogo’s wedding scene sadly is no longer there after it collapsed in stormy weather on 8 March 2017.
GoT tours:
With breath-taking scenery, teeth-chattering waterfalls, caves and black beaches, the country’s otherworldly nature was a fitting place to film the fantasy drama
- Where: Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach
Location: Vík í Mýrdal
Scenes: Eastwatch-by-the-sea
- Where: Kirkjufell
Location: Snæfellsnes peninsula, near the town of Grundarfjörður
Scenes: Jon Snow, The Hound and Jorah Mormont brave the wilderness in hopes of catching an undead wight
- Where: Hengilssvæðið
Location: Reykjavík
Scenes: When Arya and the Hound part ways
- Where: Thingvellir National Park
Location: East of Reykjavík
Scenes: Littlefinger and Sansa travel to the Eyrie and the castle which guards the western edge of the Vale of Ar ryn
- Where: Skogafoss Waterfall
Location: Skógar
Scenes: Daenerys and Jon Snow ride the dragons
GoT tours:
- Gray Line Game of Thrones tour
- Extreme Iceland filming locations tour
- Local Iceland Tours Game Of Thrones Tour
Other places to visit to feed your GoT cravings
- King’s Landing — the capital and largest city of Westeros – is filmed in Dubrovnik, Croatia.
- The city of Qarth and the fortification used for the House of the Undying is filmed on the Island of Lokrum, Croatia.
- The Iron Bank of Braavos is filmed in Sibenik, Croatia.
- The Alcázar of Seville (royal palace) in Seville, Spain was used in the GoT. The Ambassadors’ Hall, Mercury’s Pool, the Baths of Maria de Padilla and the gardens all featured in the show.
- Bardenas Reales Natural Park in Navarra, Spain is home to the Khalasars.
Checking out C & J
In 4 The Long Haul 