8 Phenomenal Game of Thrones Sites in Northern Ireland (2023)

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If you’re looking for Game of Thrones sites in Northern Ireland, you’re in the right place.

I am a huge Game of Thrones fan! At this point, who isn’t? A huge bulk of the show was actually filmed in various locations around Northern Ireland, which makes it a perfect place to visit as an avid watcher of the series.

It was also filmed in other countries in Europe, including Croatia, where you can go on a Game of Thrones tour in Dubrovnik.

I’ve put together this list of my most-recommended places to visit in Northern Ireland as a Game of Thrones fan, all of which are easily within reach by tour bus or car while using Belfast as a home base.

It’s super easy to even reach all these places on a day trip while spending a weekend in Belfast. Of course, there are way more than just 8 locations to visit if you’re a diehard fan!

Here are the best Game of Thrones sites in Northern Ireland.

How to Get to Belfast

If you’re not in Ireland, the easiest way to get to Belfast is to fly directly into Belfast International Airport. Already being in Ireland gives you a few more options; then you can fly, rent a car, take a train, or take a bus.

When you do rent a car in Ireland, however, make sure you check with your rental service to see if you can bring your car into Northern Ireland.

Northern Ireland Game of Thrones Tour Options

If you’re anything like me, then you might have to end up seeing all of these marvelous filming locations on a tour bus. However, it just makes it even more fun because you can visit all these places with other avid fans!

All of these have different filming location stops, but the one I recommend most is the tour with Irish Tour Tickets. This was the best Game of Thrones tour of Ireland for us!

This is the tour that I took that introduced me to some of these amazing locations, like the Fullerton Arms Restaurant, which any fan should definitely stop at!

Here’s a list of some other great Game of Thrones tours from Belfast:

• Private Game of Thrones Tour from Belfast
• Full Day Tour with McComb’s Coach Travel Ltd
• Private Game of Thrones and Norman Castles Tour
• Game of Thrones Westeros and Giant’s Causeway Tour

Best Game of Thrones Sites in Northern Ireland

Carnlough Harbour

Carnlough Harbour was first featured in season six of Game of Thrones. Supposedly it’s one of the prettiest ports along the Antrim coast!

One of the cool things about this place for GoT fans is that there’s even a sign showing what happened directly in the harbor from the show. I thought that was so awesome!

Arya Stark was crawling up the side of the harbor after being stabbed. Yes – this was spoiled for me on tour, so be careful!

But, I mean, I still am not sure of all the context and everything, and it was still cool to stand in the same place as Arya Stark.

This Carnlough Harbour Game of Thrones site is one that you can’t miss out on!

Cushendun Caves

I think we all know what happened here with Melisandre in season 2. If you’ve forgotten and need a refresher, it’s where she gave birth to Shadow. These caves are really something of a miracle, and they’re extremely beautiful to look at.

You’ll definitely get sucked into the view by watching the water hit against the rocks! These caves were formed over 400 million years, and they’re such a natural beauty. I still think about them!

Carrick-A-Rede Rope Bridge

Carrick-A-Rede Rope Bridge is one of the top sights in Northern Ireland! Local fishermen put up this rope bridge almost 400 years ago to catch Atlantic salmon.

Now you can pay a small fee and cross the bridge yourself!

I will say that it isn’t for those who hate heights! However, it is completely worth it because once you cross the bridge, you are rewarded with some amazing views.

If you’re wondering if crossing the bridge is scary at all, I would say it isn’t. I didn’t even feel the rope bridge moving until I was about in the middle of it.

This location was used in season 6 during a duel between Balon Greyjoy and Euron.

Larrybane Limestone Quarry

This location was used for the camp of Renly Baratheon in The Stormlands. It was also used for many more scenes too!

The one I think it’s most known for is the scene in season 2 during the tournament where we are first introduced to Brienne of Tarth.

This location is also within walking distance of the rope bridge so that you can cross off two things on this list with one stop!

Fullerton Arms Restaurant

If you’re traveling throughout Northern Ireland, you absolutely must stop at Fullerton Arms Restaurant. You are allowed to pay with a card here.

It is a Game of Thrones-themed restaurant, though, which is pretty awesome.

There’s even a special room that you can go into with props and an Iron Throne, so you can take your own photo here! Check out some of the photos my friends and I took below.

I tried so hard to make a serious badass face and seriously failed.

Giant’s Causeway

Giant’s Causeway is another top spot in Northern Ireland. The story behind the causeway is also pretty cool and exciting!

The legend states that all the rocks left are actually there because a giant, Finn McCool, began bridging the gap to Scotland only to end up in a fight with him, leading a lot of the rocks to be thrown around.

There are almost identical rock columns in Scotland! Some of the columns reach nearly 40 feet high.

It’s even considered the eighth wonder of the world by many people. It was formed 60 million years ago and is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Though Giant’s Causeway is not an actual filming location, you’re completely cheating yourself on this trip if you don’t stop by.

It’s an amazing natural wonder that can not be missed. It’s made up of almost 50,000 rocks!

Dunluce Castle

Dunluce Castle is used as the location for Castle Greyjoy. It’s unbelievably beautiful in person, surrounded by cliffs and amazingly blue water. It’s definitely a photo stop, at the least.

This castle is a sight to behold and was built at the beginning of the 16th Century by the MacQuillan family. It has a long history of ownership, as it was seized by the MacDonnell clan and eventually got into the hands of the County Antrim earls.

Dark Hedges

The Dark Hedges is one of the most famous filming locations, as it’s used as the King’s Road in the series.

This site is free because it is just a road with many trees. Be careful when you go, though; I’m sure if you go earlier in the day, you can beat many tour groups and other tourists.

These trees were believed to have been planted by the Stuart family in the 18th Century, though in the past few years have succumbed to a lot of damage, unfortunately.

A lot of trees were knocked over during Storm Gertrude and were eventually made into a series of doors that you can now see throughout Northern Ireland.

Each of these doors specifically represents an episode from season 6, and one of them is even at the Fullerton Arms Restaurant I recommended earlier in this post!

I hope you enjoyed this post about the best Game of Thrones sites in Northern Ireland! Enjoy your Game of Thrones Northern Ireland sightseeing.

Frequently Asked Questions

What to see in Northern Ireland?

Some of the top places to visit in Northern Ireland include Belfast, Derry, The Causeway Coast, The Dark Hedges, Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge, and the Giant’s Causeway.

Why was Game of Thrones filmed in Northern Ireland?

There are several reasons why the Game of Thrones producers chose to film in Northern Ireland.

One reason is that the landscape there is incredibly diverse, providing a perfect backdrop for the many different locations featured in the show.

The country also has a long history of film production, so the infrastructure was already in place to support a large-scale project like Game of Thrones.

Finally, there are significant financial incentives to productions that choose to film in the country, which helps offset the high cost of production!

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