Northern Ireland for Thronies: Visiting Filming Locations from Game of Thrones via Motorhome

Northern Ireland's rough coastline, mystical woods and enchanted moors are the perfect backdrop for one of the world’s most successful fantasy series: Game of Thrones. On this motorhome tour, you’ll stroll with Arya Stark along the Kingsroad, follow the Wildlings through the Haunted Forest and fly with Daenerys on Drogon’s back above the prairies of Pentos.

Scene 1: Direwolves and Vaes Dothrak

Your motorhome tour through George R. R. Martin’s fantasy world begins in the Mourne Mountains. This was the setting for the Dothraki city, Vaes Dothrak, though admittedly, both the city and the Horse Gate were added to the rough landscape in post-production. From here, travel north into the Tollymore Forest, which you’ll recognize as the Haunted Forest. Not only is this where the first White Walkers appear, but the Stark children and the bastard Jon Snow find their direwolf pups here as well. The Annalong Holiday Park is a good place to spend the night: It’s location is an ideal starting point for visiting both of these filming locations.

Mourne Mountains © pexels/Steven Hylands

Scene 2: Winterfell — The Gate to the North

Just like in the series, you’ll pass Winterfell, the home of House Stark, on your journey north. Castle Ward, as it’s really called, has become quite a popular tourist attraction. Visitors can show off their archery marksmanship and have their picture taken while they wear fur cloaks like Jon Snow and pose with the direwolves, Summer and Grey Wind. There’s a lot to discover in the area surrounding the castle, too. Not far from here, you'll find the river Quoile (for Thronies, the Trident) and Inch Abbey, which was used as a model for The Twins. The Delamont Country Park is the perfect place for reflecting on all the events of the day.

Inch Abbey - County Down © flickr/Paul Bowman (CC BY 2.0)

Scene 3: Belfast and Jousting

The third day is all about soaking up the city: Belfast is home to Titanic Studios, where a majority of the Game of Thrones scenes were filmed. You’ll also find the highly contested Iron Throne here. Unfortunately, the studios are not open to tourists, but there are special exhibitions on a regular basis. Continuing on from Belfast, you’ll head back to out to the countryside to Shane’s Castle on Lough Neagh. The joust in the first season between Gregor Clegane, better known as The Mountain, and Loras Tyrell, took place here. The best place to dream of exciting battles is the Six Mile Water Caravan Park, which is located right along the shore.

Ballintoy Harbour © unsplash/Adam Strong

Scene 4: From Pentos to Castle Black

Leaving the inland through the Shillanavogy Valley, the tour continues on along the rough Irish coastline. The valley is famous as the Dothraki grasslands and is perfect for a short hiking tour. Your next stop is Cairncastle, better known by fans as Moat Cailin, which is considered the passage to the north in Westeros. Magheramorne Castle, which was the model for Castle Black and home of the Night’s Watch, is located further south, but if you look for the wall here, you’ll be searching in vain. The Carnfunnock Country Park provides you with a place to sleep that’s definitely less gloomy than the rooms of Castle Black.

Scene 5: The Stormlands

There are numerous Game of Thrones filming locations along the Causeway Coastal Road. During the second season,, for example, the Red Priestess Melisandre gave birth to the murderous shadow that kills Stannis Baratheon’s brother in the Cushendun Caves. Continuing on to Murlough Bay, you’ll see where they filmed the scene where reunited siblings Yara and Theon Greyjoy shared a horse ride together. The Ballintoy Harbour looks just like the harbour on the Iron Island of Pyke, and it’s the last stop of the day before turning in for the night at the Ballyness Caravan Park.

Scene 6: The Kingsroad

One of the most photographed subjects in Northern Ireland also appears in the fantasy series: the Dark Hedges. It’s actually just an eighteenth-century avenue lined with beech trees, but as a Game of Thrones fan, you’ll immediately recognise the most important road in Westeros — the Kingsroad. Back on the coast, you’ll pass by the ruins of Dunluce Castle (House Baratheon in the series) on your way to Downhill Strand. This gorgeous sandy beach would be worth a detour even if it weren’t connected to the series, but as a Thronie, how could you pass up the chance to stand on the shores of Dragonstone? You can spend the night right near the beach at the Golden Sands Caravan Park.

If this tour through Northern Ireland has given you Game-of-Thrones-fever, keep on travelling: Croatia, Malta and Iceland await with more incredible landscapes and unmistakable GoT settings.