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The King's Banquet at Winterfell
Strangford, County Down

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Experiences, Activities & Attractions

Cinema and TV-inspired things to see and do in Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland has it’s very own Hollywood. We’re not just talking about the pretty seaside village on the northern coast of County Down here, we’re talking about a track record in film and TV productions that stretches right across the country. Which means that everywhere you go here, there’s a TV or film location, activity, tour, experience or source of creative inspiration to be found.

The biggie: Game of Thrones®

Dragons, dwarves, armoured horses, swords and swordsmen, Game of Thrones® has it all going on, and much of it went on in Northern Ireland. HBO didn’t have to look far for their castellated, brooding landscapes to bring mythical Westeros to life, because Northern Ireland’s dramatic and breath-taking landscapes and atmospheric castles and manors more than fitted the bill.

Better still, not only are the spectacular Game of Thrones® locations a must-see if you’re a confirmed Thronie, they’re well worth seeing in their own right too, even if you don’t take one of the many themed tours or experiences on offer.

See the places and palaces for yourself

Self-guided tours are ideal if you want to do your own thing or follow your own schedule. You can visit key locations at your leisure and stay as long or as short as you like.

In County Down you can visit both the dramatic Castle Ward Estate which doubled as Winterfell, and the Haunted Forest from Series 1 at Tollymore Forest Park. Meanwhile, up north in County Antrim, the Cushendun Caves appeared as a cove in the Stormlands.

One of the most popular and memorable locations is a little inland of Ballycastle, where an atmospheric, tunnel-like avenue of beech trees leading to Gracehill House was transformed into the Dark Hedges. Up on the coast from here you’ll find Mussendun Temple, known as Dragonstone in the series, and Downhill Beach, while further south in County Fermanagh look out for Pollnagollum Cave, which stood in for the series’ sprawling underground complex known as Hollow Hill.

Get close to the action with a Game of Thrones® experience, or two

There are loads of Game of Thrones® experiences to choose from – guided & behind-the scenes insider tours, self-drive tours, immersive experiences and food experiences. Here are some that any fan of Game of Thrones® or fans of breath-taking scenery should check out.

The Game of Thrones® Tour is definitely one for the fans! This tour is run by McCombs, the same company responsible for transporting cast and crew to and from filming locations during Seasons 1-5, so these guys have the inside scoop. You will travel along the famous Causeway Coastal Route, stopping at key filming locations, including: Cushendun Cave where Melisandre gave birth to the shadow creature, Ballintoy where Theon Greyjoy arrived back to Pyke Harbour, and the Dark Hedges where Arya Stark made her escape.

Meanwhile, on a Giant Tours Ireland experience meet Flip Robinson (your guide), a stand-in for Hodor and The Mountain in Season 6. He also doubles as your driver in this relaxed tour which takes in extraordinary landscapes, dramatic views and delicious behind-the-scenes tidbits from the show.

Aim for a bellyful of Castle Ward Estate aka Winterfell

This is set within the grounds of Castle Ward Estate, better known to Thronies as Winterfell Castle and Demesne, and is just a short 40-minute drive from Belfast. You’ll recreate the experience of stepping into the GoT world by dressing like a member of the Stark family. You will also tour the movie set, take loads of photos of your experience and test your archery skills in the real-life Winterfell! 

While you’re at it Castle Ward Estate is also the venue for the King’s Banquet, a lavish banquet which replicates the meal that welcomed King Robert, Queen Cersei and Joffrey when they made their visit North to ask Ned Stark to be the 'King's Hand'.

Beyond the thrones

Game of Thrones® might be playing a starring role in recent years, but there’s plenty of other silver screen and small screen stuff to be explored while you’re here. And if it’s films about Northern Ireland that spark your interest, there’s plenty here to interest you too.

Derry Girls

With its unique blend of humour, 90s nostalgia and teenage angst, this comedy struck a chord with people everywhere. The multi-award winner was shot in Derry-Londonderry and Belfast so keep a beady eye out for the Guildhall, Bishop’s Gate on the historic Derry Walls, and the Bogside shops. There’s a selfie-friendly mural of the show beside the city’s Foyleside Shopping Centre and there’s also a walking tour of the places that popped in and out of the series, including Dennis’s Wee Shop.

More lights, camera, action

Jed Mercurio’s tense anti-corruption cop drama Line of Duty stars local hero Adrian Dunbar, and also Belfast’s BT Tower and the Invest NI building. More local heroes, Holywood, County Down actor Jamie Dornan and Armagh-native John Lynch, together with The X-Files’ Gillian Anderson, starred in The Fall, a gripping thriller about a serial killer which featured Belfast’s Merchant Hotel, Botanic Gardens, Belfast Waterfront and the Malmaison Hotel.

Belfast’s thriving music scene was the subject of Good Vibrations, based on a true story of a record shop and label that championed the city’s underground punk scene. Belfast locations including the Tavern Bar, Oh Yeah music centre, and Queen’s University featured heavily.

If Game of Thrones® wasn’t speculative enough for you, then blockbuster movie The Lost City of Z, tells the story of Percy Fawcett, who led explorations into the Amazon in 1925 in search of a lost civilisation. Its star-studded cast includes Charlie Hunnam, Robert Pattinson and Sienna Miller and much of it was filmed at Castle Ward Estate in Co Down, and around the Antrim Hills which doubled as the Somme battlefields.

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Number of results: 12

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Tripadvisor Traveller Rating
118 reviews
Giant Tours Ireland

Ballycastle

Address

North Street, Ballycastle, County Antrim, BT54 6BW

Telephone
+44 (0) 7555 665 900

flip@gianttoursireland.com

Type

Type:

GoT Guided Tours

Visit off-the-beaten-track filming locations from Game of Thrones® in the company of a real expert.

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McComb’s Game of Thrones Tour

Belfast

Address

22 Donegall Road, Belfast, County Antrim, BT12 5JN

Telephone
+44 (0) 28 9031 5333

info@mccombscoaches.com
Gradings
- Five Star Quality Assurance
Type

Type:

GoT Guided Tours

For those of you who have been blown away by some of the stunning scenery featured as the backdrop in HBO's Game of Thrones, then these are the tours for you!
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Tripadvisor Traveller Rating
518 reviews
Game of Thrones Studio Tour

Banbridge

Address

Game of Thrones Studio Tour Parking, The Boulevard, Banbridge, County Down, BT32 4LF

Telephone
+44 (0) 2840 464 777

info@gameofthronesstudiotour.com

Type

Type:

Game of Thrones Experiences

Created in official partnership with Warner Bros., the world’s first and only Game of Thrones Studio Tour has arrived in Northern Ireland.
Located at the authentic filming location of Linen Mill Studios in Banbridge, County Down, Game of Thrones…
Special Offers
- Late Bird Offer
  £25 per person
  Don't miss Game of Thrones Studio Tour's Belfast 'Late Bird' offer. Get the 2pm return coach from Belfast for only £25. Pick up from the Visit Belfast Centre (in Belfast City Centre), to the Studio Tour in just 30 minutes. Admission Ticket(s) included. Tour is self guided and lasts approximately 2-3 hours. Return coach will depart from the Studio Tour, to the Visit Belfast Centre, in just 30 minutes.
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Dates

From:

1 Mar 2025to30 Sept 2025Open 10:00 - 18:30

From:

1 Oct 2025to31 Dec 2025Various Opening Times

From:

2 Jan 2026to28 Feb 2026Various Opening Times
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Parking & Transport
- Off site parking
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- Ramp / Level Access
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Winterfell Trek from Belfast

Belfast

Address

Pickup from Leonardo Hotel, Great Victoria Street, Belfast, County Antrim, BT1 6DY

Telephone
+44 (0) 28 9568 0023

info@gameofthronestours.com

Price
Price £45.00 to £49.00 Per Ticket

Type

Type:

GoT Guided Tours

Morning trek at Old Castle Ward aka Winterfell and to Audley’s Castle aka Walder Frey’s Twins. Inch Abbey, where Robb became King in the North. Afternoon trek in Tollymore Forest to the wildling pit and where the Starks found the direwolf pups.

Dates

From:

1 Jan 2025to31 Dec 2025

Price
Price £45.00 to £49.00 Per Ticket

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Game of Thrones® Tour

Coleraine

Address

3 Glenara Woods, Coleraine, County Londonderry, BT52 3TR

Telephone
+44 (0) 28 7035 1186

frances@glenara-elite-travel.co.uk

Type

Type:

GoT Guided Tours

The Glenara Elite Travel Game of Thrones® Tour gives you the chance to see many of these showcased sites from each series of the show, as well as other diamonds of Northern Ireland's North Coast.

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Parking & Transport
- On site parking
Game of Thrones® Film Locations Tour

Belfast

Address

10 Great Victoria Street, Somerdale Park, Belfast, County Antrim, BT14 7HD

Telephone
+44 (0) 28 9032 1321

info@citysightseeingbelfast.com

Type

Type:

GoT Guided Tours

Book your group on-board our coach to the 'Kings Road' and join us for a day visiting the main filming locations featured in this phenomenal series.

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Cutting Edge Helicopters - Game of Thrones® Air Tours

Eglinton

Address

City Of Derry Airport, Eglinton, County Londonderry, BT47 3GY

Telephone
+44 (0) 28 7181 2555

info@cuttingedgehelicopters.com

Type

Type:

GoT Guided Tours

Games of Thrones® thrilling Air Tour Adventure. Enjoy stunning aerial views and the picturesque scenery of the Causeway coast used as film locations by HBO in the award winning series Game of Thrones® plus Giant's Causeway, Dunluce Castle and more.

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Stones and Thrones Game of Thrones® Location Tour

Belfast

Address

Donegall Square North, Belfast, County Antrim, BT1 5GB

Telephone
+44 (0) 28 9032 1912

info@citytoursbelfast.com

Price
Price £25.00 to £35.00 Per Ticket

Type

Type:

GoT Guided Tours

The Stones & Thrones tour is a unique day tour of discovery where you can explore the scenic splendor of the seven kingdoms and see where so many of the pivotal Game Of Thrones scenes were shot!

Price
Price £25.00 to £35.00 Per Ticket

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Iron Islands & Giant's Causeway from Belfast

Belfast

Address

Pickup from Leonardo Hotel, Great Victoria Street, Belfast, County Antrim, BT1 6DY

Telephone
+44 (0) 28 9568 0023

belfast@gameofthronestours.com

Price
Price £45.00 to £49.00 Per Ticket

Type

Type:

GoT Guided Tours

Visit Cushendun Caves where Melisandre gave birth to a shadow assassin, the Iron Islands beach where Theon and Euron Greyjoy were born again in the ‘Drowned God’, Dragonstone beach, the Giant’s Causeway and the Dark Hedges.

Dates

Price
Price £45.00 to £49.00 Per Ticket

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Game of Thrones® Afternoon Tea at Ballygally Castle Hotel

Ballygally

Address

274 Coast Road, Ballygally, County Antrim, BT40 2QZ

Telephone
+44 (0) 28 2858 1066

res@bcg.hastingshotels.com

Type

Type:

GoT Food Tours

Ballygally Castle Hotel is offering a Game of Thrones® Afternoon Tea which will delight fans of the world-renowned show as well as those who love the indulgence of a delicious afternoon tea.

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Parking & Transport
- On site parking
Game of Thrones® Sea Safari

Portstewart

Address

14 Portmore Road, Portstewart, County Londonderry, BT55 7BE

Telephone
+44 (0) 28 7083 2584

info@aquaholics.co.uk

Type

Type:

GoT Guided Tours

Join this Game of Thrones® sightseeing trip and get a unique ocean perspective of many of the stunning locations where this popular fantasy series was filmed.

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Winterfell Tours - Game of Thrones®

Strangford

Address

Winterfell Castle and Demesne, Strangford, County Down, BT30 7LS

Telephone
+44 (0) 28 4372 3933

raven@winterfell-tours.com

Type

Type:

Game of Thrones Experiences

Meet the real-life Direwolf Dogs & explore over 20 key Game of Thrones tour filming location hotspots on the beautiful 1,000-acre ancient sprawling demesne of Old Castle Ward, used for filming the epic adaption of George RR Martins Game of Thrones®…

Dates

From:

1 Jan 2025to31 Dec 2025

More Info
Facilities

Parking & Transport
- On site parking