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Is the Game of Thrones Tour in Dubrovnik Worth it? (Review)
Should you take a Game of Thrones walking tour in Dubrovnik?
Yes, the Game of Thrones tour in Dubrovnik is worth it – even for non-fans! Not only do you explore the historic centers of Dubrovnik, but you also get stunning photo-ops.
History gets blended with the movie scenes, making it more exciting than any other tour I took in Croatia!
When I found out that you could take a Game of Thrones tour in Dubrovnik, Croatia, I knew it was the perfect opportunity to blend my love of Game of Thrones with a destination I was dying to visit. After all, who doesn’t want to visit another country and learn about the filming locations for their favorite show?
It’s also an awesome experience when you can see where some scenes were shot with your own eyes and then rewatch them on TV and be like “I’ve been there!”
I assumed everyone knew Game of Thrones partially filmed in Dubrovnik, but apparently my crazed-fan was showing more than I realized.
So, for those who aren’t aware, Game of Thrones films across the globe. From Ireland to Croatia, you can find spots where the famous series was shot. Albeit, much of the scenery is often CGIed so things like flying dragons can be possible.
That’s why Game of Thrones tours are so helpful: they show you the parts of the city you might not realize were a part of the show.
To help you decide whether or not to take a Game of Thrones walking tour in Dubrovnik, I’m giving an honest review of my experience with Dubrovnik Walks.
🗡 I recommend this Game of Thrones tour!
Croatia Game of Thrones Tour Locations
Game of Thrones was filmed across Croatia, with many of the locations being used to represent the warmer areas of the fantasy world.
You’ll mainly find sites relating to Kings Landing and Daenerys’ adventures across the sea.
For colder filming locations, such as Winterfell, you’ll need to head to Belfast in Ireland.
Split:
- Klis Fortress – Where Daenerys seized the city of Meereen and hung the Masters from crosses.
- Diocletian’s Palace – Where Daenerys trains her dragons inside.
- Zrnovnica – Where Daario Naharis kills Meereen’s champion.
Dubrovnik:
- Trsteno Arboretum – Palace gardens of Kings Landing.
- Mineeta Tower – Where Khaleesi tries to enter the House of the Undying to rescue her dragons.
- Lovrojenac Fortress – Setting for King Joffrey’s name day celebrations.
- Bokar Fortress – Where Tyrion tells Lord Varys that he is good at being the hand of the king. Used as a Kings Landing setting.
- Pile Gate – Where Sansa and Lord Baelish discuss escape plans.
- Dominika Street – Site of the walk of shame.
- Where Khaleesi meets the Spice King.
🗡 I recommend this Game of Thrones tour!
Best Game of Thrones Walking Tour Dubrovnik
There are plenty of Game of Thrones walking tours available in Dubrovnik, but if you want to follow the path that the cast and crew took during production then this is definitely your best bet.
My Dubrovnik walking tour was with Dubrovnik Walks took me to all of the locations where Game of Thrones filmed in the city.
But every tour does that.
So what made this tour stand out?
Well, the guides on this tour have actually been in scenes for Game of Thrones.
And they had behind-the-scenes photos to prove it!
The guides possess a rich knowledge of the filming process and how Dubrovnik was used as one of many locations across Europe.
They bring it all together with their own personal tales of auditioning to be extras, getting paid to close up shops for filming, and meeting the cast of the show. And every guide will bring their own unique spin, so taking the tour feels different every time!
That means that using your friend’s tips from their tour won’t be as informative as taking your own, where you can get even more behind-the-scenes facts about the show.
🗡 I recommend this Game of Thrones tour!
Locations You’ll Visit
Lovrijenac Fort (the Red Keep)
When you first enter the Lovrijenac Fort, one of the Red Keep’s iconic long corridors is on your left.
This is where Cersei and Littlefinger have their long dialogues in Season 1. It’s also where that famous “knowledge is power” quote comes from.
Head upstairs to get amazing views over Old Town Dubrovnik, where you can see it as Kings Landing from above.
This level was also used as the location for King Joffrey’s name day celebrations.
It is also where the Mountain was killed. This particularly grizzly scene was filmed using close ups that make it hard to tell that it was filmed here.
Gradac Park (the Purple Wedding)
Gradac park is a must for Game of Thrones fans, as this was the location for one of the most shocking weddings in series history.
Joffrey and Margaery’s wedding celebrations were filmed here and it is where Joffrey gets assassinated thanks to Olenna Tyrell and Petyr Baelish.
You may not recognize it at first, as a lot of props were added in to make it grand enough for the movie.
Pile Bay (Blackwater Bay)
Pile Bay may be small, but it houses a number of scenes from the Game of Thrones series.
It was used in all of the Blackwater Bay scenes, so it makes sense that you’ll see Dubrovnik Game of Thrones tours heading here.
The bay is where Joffrey orders the death of all bastards born to his father’s illegitimate children.
It’s also where Myrcella leaves for Dorne and returns again in Season 6.
Pile Gate (The Riot)
Pile Gate is one of the main gateways into Dubrovnik Old Town, and you’ll want to go there to see where all of the scenes from Season 2’s infamous riot at King’s Landing were filmed.
This is where Joffrey orders for every member of the crowd to be killed after someone throws manure at his face.
Sansa tries to escape down an alleyway but is chased by men.
It is later used in Season 3 when Jamie Lannister enters the capital to visit Cersei.
Walk of Shame (Dominika Street and the Spanish Steps)
Cersei has to endure an entire city harassing her while being made to walk naked from the Great Sept of Baelor in Kings Landing down several streets towards the Red Keep.
There are some very recognizable Spanish Steps not near Dominika Street that were used for this iconic moment. They filmed the first part of the walk near Saint Ignatius Church. Then moved the scene to the longer Dominika Street.
This was the most expensive scene in Game of Thrones, even though it didn’t involve CGI.
Why?
Because they had to pay for all of the restaurants and coffee shops to close while they filmed for three days.
City of Qarth
Qarth was filmed at a number of locations in Dubrovnik. The House of the Undying was filmed in a secret location, but you will get to see the exterior at the Minceta Tower.
You’ll also visit the Spice King’s Palace, where Danaerys tried to negotiate for an army and ships from the Thirteen rulers of Qarth. Head to the Rectors Palace to view this stunning location.
🗡 I recommend this Game of Thrones tour!
An Honest Review of Dubrovnik Walks’ GoT Tour
I’d never been on a movie tour before going to Croatia so I didn’t really know what to expect.
Did they just tell you what happened in that spot and move on? Did they play the movie? How did it all work??
Our guide carried a binder full of stills from the show. He held them up at each stop to show us exactly how the scene before us appeared in Game of Thrones. Without that, I would have needed to binge-watch the whole show before the tour to have caught half the references he made (it’s a seriously dense show, even for a fan!).
I was so glad they made an effort to visually connect every spot to the show. The photos made it much more real, even when our guide was undoing the movie magic behind them.
However, I still love movie magic.
Partially, because I love learning the truth behind it.
Dubrovnik wasn’t used as just one place in the shows: it was featured in numerous scenes around the GOT world.
One of my favourite facts was learning where they filmed the Battle of Black Water: a tiny inlet used for starting kayak tours.
Real ships couldn’t possibly fit there, so it all had to be CGIed. The Croatian government (justifiably) refused to let the crew have a green fire lit on the ocean, so that had to be done on an Irish lake.
But, through movie magic, it all became the dramatic battle we got to watch on TV that looked like it was happening in the same place.
How cool is that?!
Our guide seemed to know every detail about Game of Thrones (the show – he hadn’t read the books when he gave our tour) and the actors’ time in the city.
It’s very common for citizens of Dubrovnik to have worked as extras on the set, since so many people were needed.
That means that about half the city has personal stories about their time on set. Those that don’t have their own absorb everyone else’s and share them with the tourists.
For example, our guide had taken some of the actors on a kayaking tour when he worked on Dubrovnik Walks’ kayaking tours.
The rest of his knowledge had either come from an extremely intensive training or an equally intensive love of the show.
(I like to think it was the latter, especially with how excited he got talking about the Mountain’s death scene.)
🗡 I recommend this Game of Thrones tour!
Tips for Taking a Game of Thrones Walking Tour in Dubrovnik
- Wear walking shoes. You’ll be walking up staircases and over cobblestone streets, so bring good walking shoes.
- Bring your own reusable water bottle to have drinks during the 2-hour tour.
- Remember to bring a camera to take photos of the stunning scenery!
- Wear a hat and sunscreen to protect yourself from the intense heat.
- Bring a bag, but don’t bring anything too heavy – you’ll have to carry it through part of the tour.
- If you have low blood sugar, like me, you’ll need a snack for your walk. Pick up a traditional bourek before you go on the tour!
🗡 I recommend this Game of Thrones tour!
Dubrovnik Walks’ Game of Thrones Tour
Interested in taking the tour? It runs every day at 2pm in English and Spanish.
The guides’ English is perfect.
Seriously, I took two tours with the company and spoke with a few other guides and their English was incredible. It’s super easy to understand them, even if you aren’t a native English speaker.
Book online to ensure there’s room for you, as tours fill up quickly (especially in the high season of summer).
The tour costs 20 Euros for adults.
That doesn’t include the 7 Euro entrance fee to get into the St. Lawrence fort. If you have a Dubrovnik Card, your entrance is free.
(Don’t worry about buying this ticket ahead of time. You can get it on your way in!)
The walking tour lasts 2-3 hours, depending on the pace of the tour goers.
🗡 I recommend this Game of Thrones tour!
My Experience
The Game of Thrones Dubrovnik tour takes you around the city – actually more than a city tour does.
You start by walking to the St. Lawrence fort, which featured heavily in many unrelated parts of the show. (Note: this is not for someone with limited mobility. The walk up to the fort has a ton of stairs to get up to it.)
The tour continues past the docks, up through the city centre to the street where Cersei did her walk of shame, and around to the front gates of the old town.
Finally, we ended by sitting in an Iron Throne replica in a prop shop in one of Dubrovnik’s many narrow passageways.
Our guide weaved in bits of information about the city itself, but the focus was definitely on Game of Thrones.
You can enjoy the tour without seeing the show, but it’s not what you’re looking for if you want Dubrovnik history.
I loved taking the tour because it offered a different view of Dubrovnik and explored more locations than the Old Town itself. With most tours focusing on the city walls or historic battles, this Game of Thrones walking tour painted a more modern, fantastical view of the ancient city.
For the low cost and the wealth of knowledge, I highly recommend this tour to anyone looking for a fun activity to add to a Croatian itinerary.
🗡 I recommend this Game of Thrones tour!
5 Fun Facts I Learned on my Game of Thrones Walking Tour
- When filming in St. Lawrence fort, they had to carry all of the equipment and costumes up to the fort. That meant every actor going up had to lug their fair share to get everything they needed to the top.
- Lena Headey, who plays Cersei, is quite short in real life. With that and her dark hair, people never recognized her on the streets.
- The bishop in Dubrovnik wanted to ban the naked walk of shame scene. Unfortunately, GOT pays very well to close down businesses for the use of areas for filming, so the bishop didn’t get his way. People rioted to allow the filming to occur. In the end, they compromised by only using the main entrance of the cathedral in the walk.
- Most of the filming occurred in July and August, since that’s when Dubrovnik gets the least rain. It also happens to be the hottest time of year. I visited in May and it was HOT – like summer-shorts-and-tee-shirt-but-still-sweating kind of hot. Those poor actors had to rewear (heavy) costumes and stand in the hot sun for up to 12-hour days.
- The rooftop view of Dubrovnik’s old town is actually King’s Landing in the show. You wouldn’t know it looking at them side by side, since the old town had to be greatly expanded to fit the million said to live in King’s Landing. The only building structure that maintained was the cathedral, which they used as the roof of the sept (although they made it stand out more).
Book Your Game of Thrones Tour Today!
FAQs About Game of Thrones in Dubrovnik
Where is the walk of shame in Dubrovnik?
The walk of shame was filmed on Dominika St. This major street is full of cafes when it isn’t being used for Cersei’s naked walk.
It’s said that over 1,000 actresses auditioned to be Cersei’s body double for the naked walk.
Can you visit Kings Landing?
Kings Landing is actually Dubrovnik’s Old Town. It was CGIed for aerial shots, where buildings like the iconic Red Keep were added in.
That said, it’s practically impossible to tell that King’s Landing isn’t real once your eyes adjust to what it looks like in the movies.
A walking tour through Dubrovnik’s Old Town will take you through some of locations that appeared in the television series as Kings Landing locations.
Closing Thoughts on Taking a Game of Thrones Walking Tour in Dubrovnik
Taking a Game of Thrones tour is one of the best things to do in Dubrovnik.
It’s so filled with information that I had a hard time jotting it all down as the tour went on.
You’ll be entertained from start to finish by your guide’s GOT facts, the beauty of the city you’re in, and the helpful photos that bring you into the show.
For 27 euros, it’s a great deal that will keep you busy for a couple of hours and leave you with tons of facts to wow your friends.
As Petyr Baelish says, “Knowledge is power.”
… even if that power is just winning GOT trivia.
🗡 I recommend this Game of Thrones tour!
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