I’ve been lucky enough to travel to some pretty cool places in my day. But, perhaps some of the coolest places I’ve visited were inspired by the television shows that I love. Over the years I have traveled all over the world just to see where certain TV shows and movies were filmed. But, the show that tops the list for me is Game of Thrones. I’ve now been to around four or five countries where the show has been filmed. And while I didn’t travel there specifically because it was filmed there, I did seek out filming locations! And that’s why I was so thrilled to find a Game of Thrones tour in Northern Ireland.
Game of Thrones Tour In Northern Ireland
When I decided to go to Belfast, a huge part of that was because it’s pretty much the headquarters for Game of Thrones. So, I knew that I had to sign up for a Game of Thrones Tour that would depart from Belfast and take me around the Northern Ireland Coast.
I knew that this would be the easiest way to see all of the places I wanted to visit without a car. Generally, I don’t love tours, but they are great if you’re traveling alone and don’t feel comfortable driving by yourself in another country (especially one where they drive on the opposite side of the road).
So, I reached out to City Tours Belfast and they set me up with a Game of Thrones Tour with Stones and Thrones. The cool part about this tour group is that they’re also the official transportation for the cast of the show. Yes, that means that my bus driver has had a chat with Kit Harrington before.
The Tour Itself
The day began at 9 AM in front of the tourism office near City Hall. From there we boarded a bus and the guide started giving us some information about our itinerary. The Stones and Thrones tour is about a nine-hour day, but you won’t really notice because you get on and off the bus so much.
What You See
The day started off with a bang as we drove past The Wall. My face was basically pressed up against the glass on the bus because I was just so excited. Unfortunately, we couldn’t stop there as it’s an active film location (they were there as we drove by).
And sadly, due to flooding, we couldn’t stop at the first stop that’s on the itinerary. This would have been Carncastle from Season 1, Episode 1. It’s where Ned Stark beheads the deserter from the Night’s Watch.
Next up was Carnlough. We hopped off the bus to see where Arya pulled herself up the steps in Season 6, Episode 7 after being stabbed. This was a fun stop because literally right across the street is a grocery store. It’s just funny to see the perspective.
From there we headed to the Cushendun Caves. You’ll remember these from Season 2, Episode 4. It’s the spot where Melisandre gave birth to the Shadow Child.
Next up we drove past a few more locations. We didn’t get off the bus though, and I did think we would. These stops were Larrybane, where Brienne beats Sir Loras in Season 2, Episode 3 and Ballintoy Harbor, which is where Theon arrives at the Iron Islands in Season 2, Episode 2.
Location, Location, Location
From there we went to Carrick-A-Rede, home to the famous rope bridge. This was definitely one of my favorite spots we visited because we got to actually walk over the rope bridge if we wanted. This area is the Iron Islands and the place of death for Baylon Greyjoy. It was a rush crossing that bridge as it was super windy out!
We then quickly checked out Dunluce Castle, which is also the Greyjoy castle. You can’t actually go in here because it’s in ruins, but you can see it from the road.
Afterward, we went to Giant’s Causeway, which isn’t actually a filming location for the show. Still, it was pretty unreal to be able to see this natural phenomenon. It was incredibly slippery, so definitely be careful when walking around on the rocks. I watched several people fall down.
And finally, our last stop took us to the Dark Hedges a.k.a the King’s Road. This was the coolest thing ever because there weren’t a ton of people there so you could really get the feel of the area!
Go!
I have a lot more Game of Thrones Tours to take (I’m thinking Spain next) but definitely, head to Belfast soon to check out these spots! Northern Ireland is a really beautiful place and definitely worth the visit.
Travel Colorfully was offered a media rate for the Stones and Thrones Tour, but as always all opinions are my own.
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