20 Game of Thrones filming locations in real life

Want to know what some of the most important Game of Thrones settings look like in real life? Take out virtual tour of the show’s filming locations.

Ever tuned in to Game of Thrones and wished you could spend a night at Winterfell? Ever wondered what life is like beyond the Wall? Perhaps you hated the Dornish subplot but still wished you could see those beautiful Water Gardens in real life?

HBO has shot Game of Thrones all over the world, filming in exotic locations in a wide variety of countries. Many of these locations don’t look too different from how they’re seen on TV, give or take some CGI and people standing around in armor. It’s instantly immersive.

If you want to see some of these locations up close, chances are pretty good that you could book a tour. But if don’t have the time, other fans have gone on ahead. Today, we take a look at 20 different Game of Thrones filming locations, each very different from the last, and compare how they look in real life to how they look on television. So come on our virtual tour, see where the show has been, get excited for where it’s going, and perhaps get inspired to plan your own trip!

Bridge at Shane’s Castle, Northern Ireland — Bridge in the Riverlands

Shane’s Castle is actually a very popular Game of Thrones tourist destination. You may have spotted it during the Tourney of the Hand or when King Robert and co. arrived at Winterfell.

However, it’s best known for a bridge where Jaime and Brienne fought in the season 3 episode, “Dark Wings, Dark Words.” Actress Gwendoline Christie trained for nearly two years in preparation for this scene and it paid off beautifully.

Ballintoy, Northern Ireland — Lordsport

Balon Greyjoy was a bleak man, and his funeral followed suit. Filmed in Ballintoy, Northern Ireland, this was the perfect place to stand in for the Iron Islands:

Ballintoy may look dreary on camera, but it’s quite quaint in real life! Ballintoy also stands in for scenes set in Lordsport, the town where Theon and Yara reunite in season 2.

We have one more stop on our Iron Islands tour. We can’t leave without checking out…

Dunluce Castle, Northern Ireland — Pyke Castle

The scenic Dunluce Castle stands in for Pyke, the ancestral home of House Greyjoy, although the Game of Thrones special effects team did some touching up.

Still, the castle is perfect for the Iron Islands — it looks like it’s rising right out of the sea! The castle has sat in this spot since the late Middle Ages.

Castle of Zafra, Spain — The Tower of Joy

One of the most important scenes in all of Game of Thrones goes down at the Tower of Joy in Dorne. It was here that Jon Snow’s true parentage was revealed, and fan theorists everywhere were vindicated.

In real life, the Tower of Joy is the Castle of Zafra in Guadalajara, Spain. Be sure to hit the arrows in the picture above for more stunning images.

The Alcázar of Seville, Spain — The Water Gardens of Dorne

The Alcázar of Seville in Spain stands in for the beautiful refuge of Prince Doran Martell of Dorne. The Alcázar was already a popular tourist destination before it featured on Game of Thrones, but this royal palace halfway shut down so that HBO could film scenes for season 5 there.

This site has plenty of site and gorgeous foliage. It’s easy to see how Myrcella Baratheon could fall in love here.

Plaça dels Jurats, Spain — Braavosi theater

You’ll have to stretch your imagination a bit to recognize this next Game of Thrones filming location. On TV, the Plaça dels Jurats in Girona, Spain is completely transformed by crowds and banners to become an outdoor Braavosi theatre. It was here that Arya Stark watched a play about events in King’s Landing as she spied her mark from afar.

Don’t expect any outdoor theater here in real life.

St. James Cathedral, Croatia — The Iron Bank

The Iron Bank of Braavos needed to look very old and very impressive. For that, the team went with a proper cathedral.

St. James Cathedral in Šibenik, Croatia opened all the way back in 1536, and brings the right sense of authority to this Braavosi institution.

Kaštel Gomilica, Croatia — Outside the House of Black and White

Looking to lose yourself? Croatia is the place to do it. Kaštel Gomilica stands in for the corner of Braavos where Arya stashes her stuff before embarking on a new journey with the House of Black and White.

This small town has the perfect waterfront to capture the hustle and bustle of Braavos’ various canals.

Klis Fortress, Croatia — Meereen

Croatia is also home to Meereen. It’s here that you’ll find Klis Fortress, the medieval structure that stands in for some inner streets of the city, as well as for the winding climb where Dany posts the crucified Masters.

The Klis Fortress went through a lot of digital alteration before it looked like Meereen, but it’s still easily identifiable as a Game of Thrones, and a scenic one at that.

Diocletian’s Palace, Croatia — Chamber under Meereen

Another Game of Thrones filming location in Croatia? You betcha!

Diocletian’s Palace, an ancient structure located in the town of Split on Croatia’s Dalmatian Coast, is a popular tourist location that doubles as the chamber where Daenerys confined Rhaegal and Viserion during her stay in Meereen.

Jesuit Stairs of Dubrovnik — The stairs outside the Great Sept of Baelor

Dare you trod the path that Cersei trod? If you think you’re up for recreating her infamous Walk of Shame, you need only travel to the Jesuit Stairs in Dubrovnik, Croatia.

Instead of leading to the Sept of Baelor, the Jesuit Stairs will lead you to St. Ignatius Church. Check out Cersei’s personal view in this intimate video of the area:

It’s probably going to be a while before people stop walking those stairs and yelling “Shame,” huh?

Pjazza Mesquita, Malta — Littlefinger’s brothel

Travel to Malta and you could find the outside of one of Littlefinger’s King’s Landing brothels, should you want to. Simply visit the Pjazza Mesquita in the city of Mdina.

Areas of Malta stood in for King’s Landing mainly in the first season. You can read more about its importance to Game of Thrones here.

But pretty soon, HBO moved the bulk of its King’s Landing filming to Dubrovnik, which is where we’ll return next:

Pile Harbour, Croatia — Wharf in King’s Landing

Considering how beautiful the harbor at King’s Landing was, it’s almost hard to believe that Sansa spent so much time watching ships and wishing desperately that she could leave. This gorgeous setting is yet another Croatian destination: Pile Harbour, located in Dubrovnik.

And here’s the bird’s eye view:

Of course, if we’d were suffered what Sansa suffered, we’d want to leave too.

Trsteno Arboretum, Croatia — The gardens in the Red Keep

The gardens at the Red Keep are practically the definition of beauty. In real life, you can find all their gorgeous greenery at the Trsteno Arboretum in Trsteno, Croatia.

In Game of Thrones, the gardens’ many fountains, statues and gazebos are the place to go to find Olenna, Margaery or Sansa.

Girona Cathedral, Spain — The stairs outside the Great Sept of Baelor, the second time

We already talked about how how the Jesuit Stairs of Dubrovnik stood in for the Great Sept of Baelor…in season 5, when Cersei took her walk. But come Margaery’s walk in season 6, HBO had moved to the Spanish city of Girona.

Basically, if you really want the full Sept of Baelor experience, you’re going to have to make a couple stops.

The Dark Hedges, King’s Landing — The Kingsroad

If you really want to travel to Westeros, you’ll have to take the Kingsroad. The Dark Hedges, a long line of beech trees in Northern Ireland, stand in for the famous road. You can see it early in season 2, as Arya and Gendry are fleeing King’s Landing.

It doesn’t look like many special effects were needed to transform this magical setting into a Game of Thrones locale.

Castle Ward, Northern Ireland — Winterfell

If you want to go on a Game of Thrones nostalgia tour, Castle Ward in Northern Ireland is a must-see. This gorgeous structure stood in for Winterfell in the first season, as well as the grounds where Robb’s armies camped.

The site is a popular tourist destination. Certain touring companies have even put together things like archery classes on the grounds, so you can channel your inner Arya.

Tollymore Forest, Northern Ireland — Forests around Winterfell

f you want to check out the Westerosi greenery, head to Tollymore Forest, where many notable scenes were filmed. This forest park in Northern Ireland was where Ned Stark first found the direwolf pups, where Tyrion and Jon stop on their way to the Wall, and where a few men of the Night’s Watch face off with a White Walker in the very first scene of the show.

Probably best not to take home the wildlife, though.

Grjótagjá Cave, Iceland — Jon and Ygritte’s cave

One of the steamiest Game of Thrones settings is also the most accessible. Grjótagjá cave, located in Iceland, stands in as the cave where Ygritte finally gets Jon to break his vows.

You can visit the thermal pools there and have a dip Wildling style.

Plaza de Toros, Spain — Daznak’s Pit

Travel to Seville and you’ll find Daznak’s Pit in Meereen, where Drogon rescued Daenerys after the Sons of the Harpy attacked her during Meereen’s gladiatorial games.

Clearly, CGI was used to transform the Plaza into Daznak’s Pit, but you can see why this was the perfect stop for this massive spectacle.

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