Game of Thrones Filming Locations That Will Make You Drop Everything and Go On an Adventure

Game of Thrones fans: it’s your time to go travelling. 

If you are a real Westeros / Essos enthusiast, it will not surprise you to hear that very few locations in the series have been shot outside of Europe. The Seven Kingdoms are actually right on our doorstep to visit and live the fantasy!

The night is dark and full of terrors, and so is being the waiting for Season 7. If you can’t wait for the new adventures of Daenerys and John Snow, at least you can visit the places where they’ve been filmed and relive the stories that took place there.

Read through our guide and you’ll be on an adventure in no time:

Northern Ireland:

Since the beginning of Season 1, the northern regions of Westeros have been filmed in Northern Ireland. As this is also where the Game of Thrones studios are and the weather is (miserably) perfect, we can expect to see a lot more where that came from in the new season.

Castle Ward in Northern Ireland became Winterfell (dailymail.co.uk)

The mystical road from Winterfell to King’s Landing is a Northern Irish road called ‘Dark Hedges’

The Iron Islands are a digitally edited version of Dunluce Castle in Ireland (below) (gameofthrones.wikia.com)

Magheramorne Quarry has been used both for Castle Black (the tiny building you see on the left) and for the EPIC battle with White Walkers in Season 5 (winteriscoming.net)

Dunluce Castle, inspiration for the Iron Islands (shannonprincess.com)

Croatia:

Moving further south (both in the fictional kingdom and in real geography), settings in and around Croatia’s city of Dubrovnik have been used for a variety of locations, most notably King’s Landing.

Scenes involving King’s Landing or the Dothraki tribe were filmed in Malta in Season 1, but the crew have not since returned.

Azure Window, Malta, was the backdrop for the Dothraki wedding in Season 1

Dubrovnik, Croatia = King’s Landing. The Battle of Blackwater Bay takes place here

Qarth scenes were also shot in Dubrovnik (gameofthrones.wikia.com)

The old walls of Dubrovnik, King’s Landing (gameofthrones.wikia.com)

Familiar? ‘Shame, shame…’ (streets of Dubrovnik) (watchersonthewall.com)

BUT: Will we see them there in Season 6? Malta has been long abandoned by Game of Thrones in favour of Croatia. But no one has reported any casting calls for extras in Croatia during the production of the new season. Where will we find King’s Landing this year?

Iceland:

For all scenes involving mountains and / or ice, where do you go? Iceland, of course.

Whatever happens, we know that the White Walkers will be a problem this season, which means scenes North of the Wall.  The Game of Thrones effect has also favoured Iceland tourism: the number of visitors has almost duplicated since the series premiered in 2011. So get ready for more shots of Iceland like these!

This is a hot spring in one of Iceland’s Grjótagjá caves which was Jon Snow and Ygritte’s love nest. You can actually visit and bathe!

Svinafellsjokull glacier in Iceland, used for the more dramatic scenes North of the Wall (dailymail.co.uk)

The Wildling lands and camps were filmed here in the Dimmuborgir region (thesun.co.uk)

Ayra and the Hound’s journey also sees many stunning shots of Iceland’s Thingvellir National Park

Spain:

In Season 5 for the first time, shooting took place in Spain in the town of Seville for scenes in Sunspear, Doorne.

Seville’s Moorish architecture featured in Dorne’s capital Sunspear (overmental.com)

The Alcazar of Seville became Dorne also (scribblerinseville.com)

Ok so this one’s a bit of a cheat; the battle between the Viper and the Mountain is actually back in an abandoned hotel in Dubrovnik, Croatia

We had more Spain in Season 6, since King’s Landing, Doorne, and other sunny locations have now moved to Croatia to Spain.

The streets of Girona. Beautiful setting we saw during Sixth Season (www.demorgen.be)

The Castle of Zafra in Guadalajara is a confirmed location

This Banys Arabs in Girona was closed for filming. (watchersonthewall.com)

Mother of Dragons was also around the stunning Bardenas Reales Natural Park (watchersonthewall.com)

And this is where it becomes interesting. Spanish locations are also confirmed for upcoming Season 7. Can you guess what kind of adventures will take place in this landscapes?

Almodóvar del Río Castle, in Andalusian region of Córdoba, is hostin Tyrells’ House of Highgarden

Daenerys has been seen around Muriola Beach in Vizcaya, rumoured to be Dragonstone

Ancient Roman City of Italica, in the region of Sevilla, has attracted HBO producers as well

So have you packed your bags yet? But these locations are so close; don’t waste another minute!

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