Game of Thrones Filming Locations: The Complete Northern Ireland + Croatia Road Trip (8 Days, 25+ Sites)

Why a Road Trip Beats Any Game of Thrones Tour

The standard Game of Thrones day tours from Belfast and Dubrovnik cover four or five locations and have you back in your hotel by dinner. The Belfast Antrim tours skip Tollymore Forest entirely because it's the wrong direction. The Dubrovnik walking tours never make it to Trsteno Arboretum. Nobody runs a tour that spans both countries because nobody flies clients between locations.

A self-drive road trip is the only way to actually see Castle Ward (the real Winterfell) at the time of day when it photographs well, drive yourself down the empty Bregagh Road to walk under the Dark Hedges before the Instagram crowds arrive, and stand alone at the base of Lovrijenac Fortress at sunrise before the cruise ships dock. Both countries are built for self-drive tourism — the roads are good, the distances are honest, and the locals in Northern Ireland (where Game of Thrones is now genuinely part of the regional economy) will tell you exactly where the cameras were placed if you ask.

Quick Overview of the Route

Before You Go: Essential Planning Notes

When to Visit

The best windows for both countries are late May to mid-June and September to early October. Northern Ireland is mild and dryish; Dubrovnik and Split are warm but not yet (or no longer) suffocating with cruise-ship crowds. Both shoulder seasons share the same weather pattern: long daylight, fewer tourists, and accommodation at roughly 60% of peak prices.

July and August are punishing in Dubrovnik. Five cruise ships a day disgorge 8,000 passengers into a walled city designed for 4,000 residents, and the City Walls path becomes a single-file shuffle. If you can only go in summer, do Northern Ireland in late June and Croatia in early-to-mid June, and stay in Cavtat or Mlini rather than central Dubrovnik.

How to Get Around

You need a rental car in both countries. Northern Ireland drives on the left; Croatia drives on the right. Pick up a small automatic at Belfast International on day one, drop it at Belfast International on day four, and pick up a fresh car at Dubrovnik Airport that evening. Rentals in Croatia are roughly 30% cheaper than in Northern Ireland, but airport drop-off fees in Split are higher (around €60–90 if you return the car at Split rather than Dubrovnik).

The flight from Belfast to Dubrovnik almost always requires a connection — common routings go via London Heathrow or Gatwick, around 6–8 hours total including layover. Plan for a full half-day of travel on day four. The new Pelješac Bridge (opened 2022) lets you drive from Dubrovnik to Split entirely within Croatia, skipping the old border crossing through Bosnia.

How Much It Costs

Prices assume two people sharing accommodation. International flights to Belfast and home from Split are extra — expect £200–450 from elsewhere in Europe, US$700–1,300 from North America.

Tickets You Must Book in Advance

Five bookings cannot wait. The Game of Thrones Studio Tour at Linen Mill Studios sells out two-to-four weeks ahead in summer — book the moment you confirm dates. Dubrovnik City Walls have a daily visitor cap — pre-purchase online with an 8 AM slot (the only time the walls aren't a single-file shuffle in shoulder season). Lokrum Island boats sell out by 11 AM on cruise-ship days. Klis Fortress shuttle from Split needs advance booking in summer. Castle Ward archery experience (if you want it) requires pre-booking; the grounds themselves are pay-on-arrival.

Day-by-Day Itinerary

Day 1 — The Antrim Coast: Iron Islands and Beyond the Wall

Collect your rental car at Belfast International. Head north on the A26 then east onto the A2 coastal road — one of the great driving routes in Europe regardless of any television show.

Ballintoy Harbour — Pyke and the Iron Islands. A small fishing harbour east of the Giant's Causeway, used as the port of Pyke where Theon Greyjoy returns home. Several scenes were shot on the rocks just east of the harbour. Free, open at all hours; arrive before 10 AM for empty conditions. The Harbour Tea Room serves breakfast if you're early enough.

Larrybane Quarry. A ten-minute drive further east, at the Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge car park. The disused chalk quarry was where Brienne of Tarth fought Loras Tyrell in the Renly Baratheon tournament, and where the Kingsmoot of the Iron Islands was held in later seasons. The quarry is fenced off but the viewing point above gives you the camera angle. Combine with a walk to the Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge — no Game of Thrones connection, but one of the most photographed spots in Ireland.

Cushendun Caves. Forty minutes further east. The small sea caves at Cushendun Bay are where Melisandre gave birth to the shadow assassin in Season Two. Free, always accessible. The village of Cushendun is worth a slow lunch — try Mary McBride's pub for fish and chips.

Where to sleep: The Marine Hotel Ballycastle (comfortable mid-range), Whitepark House nearby (the romantic upgrade).

Day 2 — The Kingsroad and Dragonstone

A shorter driving day, but dense with locations. Backtrack west on the A2.

The Dark Hedges (Bregagh Road). Twenty minutes inland from Ballycastle. The avenue of 200-year-old beech trees that became the Kingsroad in Arya's escape from King's Landing. The road is now closed to vehicles to protect the trees; park at the Hedges Hotel or the small lay-by and walk. Best photography is at sunrise (5–6 AM in summer) or in heavy fog. By 10 AM in season, the path is busy. Free, always open.

Downhill Beach — Dragonstone. Forty minutes west, below the Mussenden Temple. The long sand beach was the setting for the Dragonstone exterior where Melisandre burned the Seven idols. Park at the Mussenden Temple car park (small fee), walk down to the beach. Allow 90 minutes.

Binevenagh. Inland from Downhill, the basalt cliff plateau used as the Dothraki Sea in Season Six. A short drive to the Binevenagh Forest car park and a 20-minute walk gives you the cliff-top view used when Daenerys is captured by Khal Moro's khalasar.

Where to sleep: The Bushmills Inn (brilliant 17th-century coaching inn with peat fires — book months ahead in summer); Portrush has more chain options.

Day 3 — Winterfell and the Stark Lands

Today's drive heads south, around Belfast via the M2 ring, and into County Down. Total drive time about three hours, broken by three filming stops.

Castle Ward — Winterfell. Two hours south of the Antrim Coast, on Strangford Lough. The 18th-century courtyard and stable block played Winterfell in Season One and subsequent flashbacks. A National Trust property — pay entry at the gate and walk to the courtyard. The Winterfell Tours operator runs a 3–4 hour experience including the archery range and Stark costume dressing — touristy but genuinely fun with the right group. Pre-book the experience; grounds are pay-on-arrival (£10).

Audley's Castle. A short walk from Castle Ward. The 15th-century tower house was the Lannister camp at Riverrun in Season Three exteriors. Walk the public footpath — a five-minute stop.

Tollymore Forest Park. Forty minutes south, at the foot of the Mourne Mountains. The forest where the Stark men found the direwolf pups in the first episode, and where the Night's Watch encountered the dismembered Wildling bodies. The "Game of Thrones location walk" is about 90 minutes and visits the main filming spots. Parking £6, no other entry fee.

Inch Abbey. A ruined 12th-century abbey near Downpatrick (30 minutes north). Where Robb Stark was proclaimed King in the North in Season One. Free, always open, 20-minute stop.

Where to sleep: Slieve Donard Resort & Spa (the famous Victorian hotel at the foot of the Mournes), Burrendale Hotel (practical mid-range).

Day 4 — Game of Thrones Studio Tour and Transfer to Croatia

The transition day. Move with intent — you have a flight.

Game of Thrones Studio Tour, Linen Mill Studios. Drive 90 minutes from Newcastle to Banbridge. The official tour opened in February 2022 at the actual studio where most of the show's interior sets were filmed. The Throne Room, Cersei's map room, Daenerys' throne in Meereen, the Hall of Faces, costumes, weapons, props — all original, all preserved on the actual sets. Allow three to four hours (self-paced, one-way route). Tickets around £39.50 per adult. Book a 10 AM slot to be done by lunch.

After lunch at the Studio Tour café, drive to Belfast International Airport (about an hour) and fly to Dubrovnik. Total elapsed time including layover is 7–9 hours. Pick up your rental at Dubrovnik Airport and drive the 25 km into town (30–40 minutes by the coast road). Park outside the walls — Old Town is pedestrian-only.

Where to sleep in Dubrovnik: The Pucic Palace (premium, inside the Old Town walls), Hotel Stari Grad (mid-range, nine rooms inside the walls), Karmen Apartments (charming budget option).

Day 5 — King's Landing: A Full Day in Dubrovnik Old Town

A walking day. Leave the car — everything in the Old Town is within fifteen minutes on foot.

Dubrovnik City Walls — King's Landing's Outer Walls. The complete circuit takes 90 minutes to two hours. The walls played the outer fortifications of King's Landing in countless scenes. Specific recognisable points: the walk along the southern wall is what Tyrion paced; the Maritime Museum corner appears in Season Two's Battle of Blackwater; the steps down to the Old Port were Cersei's exit point. Tickets €40, pre-purchase online with an 8 AM slot.

Lovrijenac Fortress — The Red Keep. On its own rocky outcrop just outside the Pile Gate. The clifftop fortress played the Red Keep in numerous scenes, including Joffrey's name-day tournament and Cersei's interior shots. Entry included with the City Walls ticket. The climb is 175 steps but the view is the single best in Dubrovnik. Allow 45 minutes.

Pile Gate — Exit from King's Landing. The main gate into the Old Town. The square outside (with the Onofrio Fountain) was where Cersei and Sansa fled from the rioters in Season Two.

Minčeta Tower — House of the Undying. At the northwest corner of the walls. The circular fortress played the exterior of the House of the Undying in Qarth in Season Two. Part of the wall circuit, not separately accessible.

Jesuit Stairs — The Walk of Shame. Connecting St Ignatius Church to Gundulić Square. Cersei's walk of shame in Season Five's finale was filmed entirely on these steps and through the streets below. The view from the top of the stairs looking down is the iconic establishing shot. Free, always accessible. Best photographed mid-morning when the light hits the limestone.

Dinner inside the walls: Proto for traditional Dalmatian fish; Restaurant 360 for the splurge with a view onto the harbour; Buža Bar for sunset drinks on a literal cliff-edge.

Day 6 — Qarth, the Spice Kingdoms, and the Drive to Split

A mixed day: one more half-day in the Dubrovnik area, then a long-ish drive up the coast.

Lokrum Island — Qarth. A 15-minute ferry from the Old Port (boats run every half hour, €27 return). The island's Benedictine Monastery was used as Qarth's palace exterior, where Daenerys negotiates with the Thirteen. A faithful replica Iron Throne sits inside the monastery and is the most photographed prop on the island. Allow three hours including ferry transit.

Trsteno Arboretum — King's Landing Palace Gardens. 30 minutes north of Dubrovnik by car (return to your rental first). The 15th-century private garden became the palace gardens of King's Landing — where Margaery and Sansa, the Queen of Thorns and Tyrion, and Cersei held many conspiratorial conversations. Entry €10, allow 90 minutes. Quieter than anywhere in Dubrovnik proper.

Drive Dubrovnik to Split. Two routes: the coast road (D8) is 230 km of stunning views at 4.5–5 hours; the A1 motorway via the Pelješac Bridge is 270 km in about 3 hours. The bridge route is the all-Croatian option most travellers now choose. Stop for lunch in Ston (oysters, salt pans) if you take the bridge route.

Where to sleep in Split: Hotel Park Split (premium, beachfront), Heritage Hotel 19 (mid-range, inside the Palace), Cornaro Hotel (mid-range, well-located).

Day 7 — Meereen and Klis: Daenerys' Conquest

Split was Daenerys' city for three seasons. The interiors and exteriors of Meereen were almost entirely shot here.

Diocletian's Palace — Meereen. Diocletian's palace is the historic centre of Split itself — Roman walls enclosing a living neighbourhood of cafés, churches, and apartments. The substructures (the cellars) were used as Daenerys' dragon pit where Rhaegal and Viserion were chained — genuinely subterranean and atmospheric. Entry to the cellars €7. The exterior streets (particularly along Diocletian Street and the alleys near the Peristyle Square) were used for various Meereen exterior shots. The Peristyle Square itself, with its sphinx and colonnaded façade, is one of the most cinematic real spaces in Europe.

Klis Fortress — Meereen Exteriors. A 20-minute drive (or bus #22) inland from Split. The Crusader-era hilltop fortress was used as the establishing exterior of Meereen — particularly the wide aerial views of Daenerys' city. The views from the top extend to the Adriatic. Entry €15, allow two hours including the drive.

Dinner in Split: Bokeria Kitchen and Wine for modern Dalmatian; Konoba Marjan for traditional fish; Bajamonti for the splurge on the Riva waterfront.

Day 8 — Braavos: The Iron Bank and Home

The final day. Šibenik, an hour and a half north of Split, was the production's Braavos.

Šibenik — The Iron Bank of Braavos. The town's medieval centre, particularly the Cathedral of St James and the surrounding stairs and squares, was used as the Iron Bank in Season Six. The cathedral is a UNESCO World Heritage site and one of the finest 15th-century buildings in the Mediterranean. Entry €5. Walk the small streets above the cathedral; several specific stairways featured prominently in the scenes.

Optional: a stop at Krka National Park (45 minutes inland from Šibenik) for the famous waterfalls. No Game of Thrones connection, but a natural highlight if you have time before your flight. Entry €10–40 depending on season.

Drive back to Split for your evening flight home, or extend a day and stay in Šibenik — the town has several beautiful boutique options inside the medieval walls.

Variations on This Itinerary

The 5-Day Northern Ireland Only Version

Days 1–4 of the itinerary above, finishing with the Studio Tour and flying home from Belfast. Covers the Stark storyline completely but loses the King's Landing and Meereen contexts. The cheapest version; doable for under £900 per person all-in.

The 5-Day Croatia Only Version

Skip Northern Ireland and fly directly to Dubrovnik. Three days in the Old Town and around (Lokrum, Trsteno, City Walls properly), then two days in Split and Šibenik. Misses Winterfell and the Studio Tour but covers the most visually cinematic locations. Better than a combined trip if you have very limited time.

The 12-Day Extended Version

Adds Iceland — Vatnajökull glacier, Þingvellir, and Höfn for the Beyond the Wall and White Walker scenes — between Northern Ireland and Croatia. Adds significant cost and three travel days but completes the show's geographic logic. The version for completionists.

Game of Thrones Road Trip with Kids

The show itself isn't for children, but the locations are. Kids love the Studio Tour (sword displays, the actual Iron Throne) and Castle Ward (the archery). They find the long City Walls walk in Dubrovnik exhausting in summer heat. Consider a 6-day version with Northern Ireland and Dubrovnik only (skip Split), and split the Dubrovnik walls into two morning sessions. Family-friendly: Slieve Donard in Newcastle, Hotel More in Dubrovnik (pool), Le Méridien Lav in Split.

Honeymoon Variation

Swap standard hotels for the Bushmills Inn in Northern Ireland, Villa Dubrovnik (premium clifftop hotel just outside the Old Town), and Hotel Park Split. Add a private boat tour of the Elaphiti Islands from Dubrovnik. Take dinner at Restaurant 360 inside the Dubrovnik walls.

Plan Your Version with Viatture

The itinerary above is a template. Maybe you only have five days. Maybe you want to add a few days in Croatia's Plitvice Lakes after Split. Maybe you're a Stark loyalist who wants to skip Croatia entirely and add Iceland instead. Viatture takes this Game of Thrones base route and reshapes it to your dates, your travel style, and your budget — returning a personalised itinerary with hotels available on those exact dates, the Belfast–Dubrovnik flight options compared, and the entry tickets timed correctly.