Game of Thrones tours guide

Northern Ireland as Westeros

For eight seasons, Northern Ireland’s coastline, forests and manor estates stood in for the fictional world of Westeros. The production used the region extensively from 2010 to 2019, and the filming locations have become a significant tourism draw in their own right — with or without the show. The Causeway Coast is genuinely one of the most dramatic coastlines in Europe; the Dark Hedges is beautiful even without its onscreen fame; and Castle Ward’s estates would be worth visiting regardless.

The official Game of Thrones Studio Tour opened in 2023 in Banbridge, County Down, in the former Paint Hall studios where most interior scenes were filmed. It brings together original sets, costumes and props for the first time in a permanent exhibition.

Essential travel information for Northern Ireland

Currency: Northern Ireland uses GBP, not EUR. Bring British pounds or use a multi-currency card (Revolut, Wise).

Entry for US, Canadian and Australian visitors: A UK ETA is required to enter Northern Ireland. Apply at gov.uk/apply-for-an-eta. Cost: £10, valid 2 years. Apply well before travel.

EU/EEA citizens cross freely. No physical border checkpoints exist on the land border between the Republic and Northern Ireland.

The main Game of Thrones tours from Dublin

Full-day filming locations tour

The Game of Thrones Winterfell filming locations tour from Dublin is the most comprehensive one-day option from Dublin. About 11.5 hours; depart Dublin early morning, cover multiple filming locations across County Down and County Antrim, return in the evening. About €55.

This tour typically covers: Castle Ward (Winterfell), the Dark Hedges (Kingsroad), Ballintoy Harbour (Lordsport, Iron Islands), and often the Giant’s Causeway area. A full and rewarding day for fans.

Most of the Northern Ireland filming locations lie along the Antrim coast between Belfast and the Causeway, which is the same road a scenic day trip already takes: a Giant’s Causeway and Game of Thrones day from Belfast covers both readings of that coastline.

The official Studio Tour with coach transfer

The Game of Thrones Studio Tour with coach transfer from Dublin combines transport from Dublin with admission to the official Studio Tour in Banbridge. About 6.5 hours total; €63 including transfer and admission. The tour focuses on the Studio Tour itself rather than the outdoor filming locations — ideal if you want the props and costumes experience specifically.

Belfast-based Winterfell tour

The Belfast Game of Thrones Winterfell locations tour departs from Belfast rather than Dublin — relevant if you are already in Belfast (perhaps on the Belfast day trip). About 8 hours; focuses specifically on the Winterfell-related locations in County Down.

Giant’s Causeway and Dark Hedges combination

Many visitors combine the Game of Thrones filming locations with the Giant’s Causeway on the same day. The Giant’s Causeway, Dark Hedges, Dunluce and Belfast tour covers the Causeway Coast extensively — the Dark Hedges, Dunluce Castle (used as the House of the Greyjoys), and the Causeway itself. See the Giant’s Causeway day trip guide for full details.

Comparing the tour options

The filming-locations tour suits fans who want to stand where the show was actually shot; the Studio Tour suits fans more interested in props, costumes and the production side, and is also the better choice on a wet day since it’s almost entirely indoors. The Causeway combination suits visitors who want the Game of Thrones locations as a bonus on a trip primarily about the coastline.

The key filming locations

Castle Ward — Winterfell

Castle Ward estate in County Down served as the exterior of Winterfell in Seasons 1–2. The 18th-century manor house, courtyard and surrounding woodland are all recognisable from the series. Tours of the estate include archery experiences, costumes for photographs, and guided walks through the Winterfell locations. The estate is managed by the National Trust; admission charges apply separately from the filming tour.

The Dark Hedges — the Kingsroad

The Dark Hedges is a 300-metre avenue of intertwined beech trees planted in the 18th century near Armoy, County Antrim. It appeared in Season 2 as the Kingsroad, and it became the most photographed natural feature in Northern Ireland almost immediately. The trees are genuinely beautiful — best in early morning light or in autumn when the leaves turn. The avenue has lost several trees in recent storms; what remains is still striking.

The Game of Thrones Studio Tour, Banbridge

The official studio tour opened in April 2023 in the former Titanic Quarter Paint Hall studios, now relocated to Banbridge in County Down. It is the largest Game of Thrones exhibition ever assembled: the original Iron Throne, the complete Great Hall of Dragonstone set, character costumes worn in the show, original props (weapons, jewellery, maps) and interactive green-screen experiences.

Admission: approximately €34/£30. Allow 2–3 hours. Book well in advance — the studio tour sells out regularly, particularly at weekends and in summer.

Ballintoy Harbour — Lordsport and the Iron Islands

Ballintoy Harbour is a small working harbour on the Causeway Coast between Ballycastle and the Giant’s Causeway. It appeared as Lordsport Harbour in the Iron Islands episodes. The drive along the coast road from Ballycastle is spectacular regardless of the show connection.

Dunluce Castle — the Greyjoys’ seat

Dunluce Castle is a clifftop ruin on the Antrim coast that appears in the show as various locations, most notably the Greyjoy stronghold. Admission about £6. A 20-minute stop on most causeway tours.

Planning the day

A Game of Thrones day from Dublin is a long day (11–12 hours) covering significant ground. The most efficient approach:

• Filming locations focus: Book the Winterfell filming locations tour from Dublin — covers the main outdoor sites.
• Studio Tour focus: Book the coach transfer + Studio Tour — focuses on costumes and sets, less outdoor scenery.
• Best of both: Travel to Belfast the night before, join the Belfast-based Winterfell tour the next morning, then take the train back to Dublin — adds overnight logistics but removes the long return drive.

For the full picture of Northern Ireland day trips, see the Belfast day trip guide and the best day trips from Dublin.

Also relevant: the Dublin Northern Ireland 3-day itinerary for visitors who want more than a single day in the north.

Choosing between the options

The honest way to pick a tour is to ask what you want to be looking at at the end of the day. If the answer is a photograph of yourself under the trees of the Kingsroad, you want the outdoor filming-locations tour. If it is a close look at a costume or a prop you remember from a particular scene, you want the Studio Tour. If it is a landscape that makes you stop talking for a minute, the Causeway combination is the better fit, with the show as a bonus rather than the point.

Group dynamics matter too. A table of keen fans can happily spend a long time in the Studio Tour; a mixed group, where one person has seen every episode twice and another has seen none, usually does better outdoors, where the scenery works for everyone and the fan can explain the scenes as you go. Families with older teenagers who like the show tend to enjoy the interactive parts of the studio, while younger children will find a long coach day harder than the exhibit is worth. For ideas that suit younger travellers, see Dublin with kids and the family day trips from Dublin.

Getting to Northern Ireland without a tour

Every option above is a coach tour, which is the simplest way to cover this much ground in a day. If you would rather build your own trip, the practical starting point is Dublin to Belfast transport, which lays out how the journey north works. Once in Belfast, the Studio Tour and the Down locations are a separate leg, and the Antrim coast is a different direction again, so a self-guided version needs more planning than it first appears.

Driving is possible, and driving in Ireland from Dublin covers what to expect on the road, including the switch to British units and currency north of the border. Many visitors decide that a tour is easier precisely because it removes the parking, the navigation and the long drive back at the end of a tiring day. If you do not drive at all, day trips without a car from Dublin explains why organised tours are the standard answer.

Pairing the filming locations with other stops

The Game of Thrones sites sit inside a region with plenty else to see, and the Giant’s Causeway destination page and the Causeway Coast destination page give the wider context for the north Antrim stops. The Causeway Coast scenic guide is worth reading if the coastal drive is what appeals most, since several of the filming locations are simply points along that route.

Belfast itself repays time. The Belfast destination page and the Titanic Quarter page cover the city side, and the link is a neat one: the studio that housed the production sits in the same story as the city’s industrial heritage. If you are weighing the north against the rest of the island, Giant’s Causeway vs Cliffs of Moher compares the two most famous coastal day trips from Dublin, and which day trip from Dublin is best helps if the Westeros angle is only one of several candidates.

Making the long day easier

A day of this length rewards a little preparation. Wear shoes you can walk in on wet grass and uneven paths, since the estates and the coast are not paved promenades, and bring a layer you can add or remove, because weather on the coast changes quickly. A portable charger is useful if you take many photographs, and a small snack means you are not relying on a single stop for food. Check your passport, your ETA confirmation if you need one, and a card that works in pounds before you leave your hotel, not at the coach door.

Early starts are part of the deal. Go to bed at a sensible hour the night before, and treat the coach as a place to rest between stops rather than a reason to stay awake. If you want to plan the rest of your stay around a big day out, how many days in Dublin and the Dublin 3-day planning guide show how to place a long excursion without exhausting yourself, and the Dublin 4 days with a day trip itinerary builds one in directly.

It also helps to book early on the day you have in mind. Booking attractions in advance in Dublin explains why popular experiences fill up, a lesson that applies at least as strongly to a sought-after studio exhibition. When you are choosing the date, the best time to visit Dublin is a useful companion, since the same seasonal logic of light, crowds and weather applies on the coast to the north.

Non-fans: is it still worth the day?

Yes, with the right expectations. Strip away the show entirely and you still have the Causeway Coastal Route, one of the most dramatic drives in Europe, plus the Dark Hedges (a genuinely beautiful avenue regardless of fame) and Dunluce Castle’s clifftop ruin. Non-fans travelling with a Game of Thrones enthusiast tend to enjoy the scenery-focused filming-locations tour more than the Studio Tour, which leans heavily on recognising specific costumes and props. If nobody in the group has seen the show, prioritise a Causeway-focused itinerary over the Studio Tour.

Top experiences

Bookable activities with verified prices and instant confirmation on GetYourGuide.

From Dublin: Game of Thrones Winterfell filming locations tour

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⏱ 11.5h From €55

From Dublin: Game of Thrones Studio Tour with coach transfer

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⏱ 6.5h From €63

Belfast: Game of Thrones Winterfell locations tour

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⏱ 8h From €45

From Dublin: Giant's Causeway, Dark Hedges, Dunluce & Belfast tour

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⏱ 12h From €55