Game of Thrones in Northern Ireland: Five Days

Overview

From the studio sets to the stony shores of Westeros

Game of Thrones spent ten years in Northern Ireland, and this tour shows you both halves of that story. On the second day you walk through the Game of Thrones Studio Tour at Linen Mill Studios in Banbridge, where the show built many of its sets, for about three hours among the Great Hall of Winterfell, costumes, weapons and props. Then you go out to the places the crews filmed: the forest of Tollymore, where the Starks find the direwolf pups, and the farmyard at Castle Ward that played Winterfell.

The second half moves to the north coast, where we stay two nights by the sea. Niamh Magennis, our Northern Ireland tour leader, takes the group up the Antrim coast road to the caves at Cushendun, walks you through the Dark Hedges before the coaches arrive, and brings you down to Ballintoy Harbour, the Iron Islands. The last full day ends with the Giant's Causeway and sunset at Mussenden Temple above Downhill Strand, the beach of Dragonstone.

Itinerary

Northern Ireland Thrones tour: day by day

A 16-seat Mercedes Sprinter van with a local professional driver for every transfer and location, and short walks at each stop. Ticketed times shift with the season; your final timetable comes two weeks before departure.

Day 1BelfastArrive in Belfast

• Our driver meets you at Belfast International or Belfast City airport; from Dublin airport we arrange a private transfer of about 1 hour 45 minutes.
• Check in from 3 p.m. at the hotel in the city center; bags can be left earlier.
• At 5:30 p.m. Niamh meets the group in the lobby for a walk past the City Hall and down to the river, where the cranes of the shipyard stand over Titanic Studios, the show's base for ten years.
• Welcome dinner in the Cathedral Quarter.

Meals: dinner

Day 2Banbridge and the MournesThe Studio Tour and Tollymore Forest

• Drive to Banbridge, about 40 minutes, for the Game of Thrones Studio Tour at Linen Mill Studios: about three hours, self-guided, with the sets, costumes, weapons and props from the series.
• Lunch in Banbridge, included.
• Drive to Tollymore Forest Park near Newcastle, 40 minutes, under the Mourne Mountains, for a 1-mile walk along the Shimna River, where the first episode was filmed.
• Back to Belfast by 6 p.m.; free evening.

Meals: breakfast, lunch

Day 3Strangford and the Glens of AntrimWinterfell, then north on the coast road

• Drive to Castle Ward on Strangford Lough, 1 hour, for the farmyard and tower house that played Winterfell, and a walk on the estate.
• Lunch in Strangford village by the ferry slip.
• North on the Antrim coast road, through the Glens of Antrim, to Cushendun and its caves, where Melisandre comes ashore in season two.
• Check in on the Causeway Coast for two nights; dinner at the hotel.

Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 4The Causeway CoastThe Dark Hedges, the Iron Islands and the Causeway

• 8 a.m. at the Dark Hedges, on foot along the Kingsroad before the day trips arrive.
• Ballintoy Harbour, Lordsport on Pyke, and the view toward the Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge.
• Midday at the Giant's Causeway, with time to walk down to the basalt columns and the visitor center, entry included.
• Late afternoon at Mussenden Temple and Downhill Strand, the Dragonstone beach, then a farewell dinner by the sea.

Meals: breakfast, dinner

Day 5BelfastDeparture

• Breakfast and checkout.
• Transfer to Belfast International, about 1 hour 15 minutes, or to Dublin airport, about 2 hours 30, timed to your flight.
• Staying on? We can book extra nights in Belfast.

Meals: breakfast

On screen

Films and series on the Northern Ireland Thrones tour

The productions behind the stops on this tour, where they filmed and what you see there today.

Filming spots change over time: storefronts get new owners, sets are rebuilt and some interiors were shot on stages elsewhere, so your tour leader tells you on the day what is still there.

Hotels

Hotels on the Northern Ireland Thrones tour

4 nights, rooms with private bathroom, breakfast every morning. We name the class and the area; the exact hotel, or a similar one, is confirmed with your booking.

What is included

What the Northern Ireland Thrones tour price includes

Meals: daily breakfast, 2 lunches, 3 dinners. The price is per person sharing a double or twin room. Flights to the start of the tour and home are not included.

• 11 things in the price
• 4 hotel nights
• Daily breakfast, 2 lunches, 3 dinners
• 7 productions on the film list

Dates and prices

Northern Ireland Thrones tour departures and prices

Price per person sharing a double room. Single room: +$520.

• $250 deposit

  Confirms your booking after the free 72-hour hold. The balance is due 60 days before departure. See the booking terms.

• Guaranteed means it runs

  A guaranteed departure goes ahead whatever the final numbers.

• No surcharges

  The price you book is the price you pay. No fuel surcharges after booking.

• Free date change

  Move to another date of this tour up to 30 days before departure, once, at no fee.

Before you book

Straight talk about the Northern Ireland Thrones tour

What the days are really like, so there are no surprises.

• Pace and walking

  Easy, 2 of 5. Short walks at every stop, 5 to 15 minutes from the van on paths, quays and sand, and two longer walks of 1 to 2 miles at Castle Ward and on Downhill Strand.

• What can change

  Filming, events and closures can move a stop or close an interior on the day. Your leader swaps in another location nearby and tells you why.

• Inside or outside

  Museums, studio tours and open businesses you enter as a visitor. Working businesses that ask for quiet, and every private home, are seen from the public street or not at all.

• Getting there

  Flights are not included. Plan to land in Belfast by mid afternoon on day 1 and to fly home from Belfast after lunch on the last day.

Practical information

Before you go on the Northern Ireland Thrones tour

Your travel pack, with ticket times and hotel addresses, arrives two weeks before departure. Weather, airports and the best months are on the Northern Ireland page.

• Weather

  Expect 55 to 65 F from April to June and a little warmer in summer, with showers that come and go. The coast is windy, so a warm layer helps even in July.

• What to wear

  A waterproof jacket with a hood, shoes with grip for wet grass and rocks, and a hat. Umbrellas do not last long on the Causeway Coast.

• ETA

  Apply for your UK Electronic Travel Authorisation online or in the official app a few weeks before you fly. You need it even if you arrive through Dublin.

• Money

  Northern Ireland uses the pound sterling. Cards work almost everywhere, including small cafes; Dublin airport and the Republic use the euro.

• Studio Tour rules

  Photos are allowed in most of the Studio Tour. Large bags go in lockers, so bring a small day bag for that morning.

Tour FAQ

Northern Ireland Thrones tour: questions and answers

More answers on the FAQ page and in how to book.