I’m a huge Game of Thrones fan. I was late to start and caught up 2 seasons within 2 weeks. But one of the real highlights of my Game of Thrones obsession was a tour I did in Dubrovnik, Croatia. It was one of the best Game of Thrones tours I’ve done. Next to the Game of Thrones Museum in Banbridge, Northern Ireland. But this private Game of Thrones tour has consistently broken the records and is the one tour that everyone wants to do.

I spent one month in Split Old Town and was ridiculously excited to see the trailers and production crew for Game of Thrones all set up for filming. Knowing scenes like the Battle of Blackwater were brought to life in Croatia made it even more surreal, especially imagining characters like Ser Barristan Selmy walking these same stone streets.

Naturally, I attempted my own brush with celebrity status when I heard casting was happening. My acting career ended before it began, though, because one phone call confirmed they were only looking for males under 190cm.

Depressed I started drowning my sorrows googling Game of Thrones and soon enough I came across the best Game of Thrones tour with Tours By Locals. And it was in Dubrovnik. So close! I piled the kids in the car with some of our good friends and we commenced our Split to Dubrovnik road trip.

If you have not succumbed to this popular TV show yet then perhaps I can entice you.

Meeting the Tour Guide

We met Tom, our Toursbylocals tour guide, at the Pile Gate. It’s the busiest gate in the city as all the cruise ship tourists enter from here, so make sure you know who you are looking for.

Tom has been a Dubrovnik local for 30 years and is not just fluent in Game of Thrones, but in Dubrovnik. His mastery of the city and its culture was an excellent bonus to the best Game of Thrones tour.

On top of what Tom knows about Dubrovnik, he’s lucky enough to have a sister who was a Game of Thrones extra.  This meant he had in-depth insider knowledge of the different locations and plenty of sordid stories on the famous HBO series.

The Best Game of Thrones Tour

Describing the tour is hard because you really just have to be on it to get it. Our guide brought along a thorough picture booklet of scenes from the show that we could hold up and compare to the actual place he was showing us.

We visited places within the city’s ancient limestone walls, outside the city’s 13th century walls, and even walked up to the nearby fortress. Entrance to the fortress was included in our old city wall ticket that we had purchased the previous day; otherwise, you may need to purchase one.

Do you recognise some of these show locations?

I don’t want to spoil the tour, so I’m not going to describe everywhere we went. But there is a good dose of Dubrovnik, and its history, plus you get to visit multiple Game of Thrones filming locations.

What Do You See?

The best Game of Thrones tour will have you wandering the Walls of Dubrovnik and meandering through Fort Lovrijenac, which were used for scenes in King’s Landing and the Red Keep. In fact, Dubrovnik is often referred to as ‘King’s Landing’ these days.

The Old City of Dubrovnik is more than Game of Thrones; it’s one of the UNESCO Heritage Sites.

From the fortress, you can see the island of Lokrum which is used for scenes set in Qarth.

The fortress itself was used for many scenes, including King Joffrey’s name day. And from there you can see the Minceta Tower, which was where Daenerys entered the House of the Undying.

The rest you’ll have to find out for yourself…

The Secret Hole-In-The-Wall

After our tour, Tom led us down several winding back streets in the old city to a small, gated hole in the wall. It was an absolutely epic surprise to head through the gate and down the stairs to the most happening, scenic bar/café I’ve ever encountered. Perched on the rocky cliff overlooking the Adriatic Sea – picture perfect. Buza Bar or Buza Café translates to “hole in the wall”. Very appropriate.

It also happened to be the best spot for cliff diving into the gorgeous blue seas below.

This is the place you’ve been looking for your whole life!

Favourite Game of Thrones Character

Who’s your favourite character? Mine is Tyrion Lannister (AKA Peter Dinklage). So you can imagine my delight when after our cafe swoon we stumbled into a tiny hostel with an unbeatable calling card.

The story goes that late one night after drinking on the town, Peter Dinklage made friends with some laid back Aussies and joined them at their hostel to continue drinking.

The next morning the hostel staff found him passed out on the couch. She had no idea who he was (and neither did the Aussies) and demanded he pay for all the mini bar alcohol that had disappeared and for the night on the couch.

They know now and you can find a proud sign above the couch. The Owners of this place are legends, I mean they even offered my kids a jam donut while I eyed off Peter’s comfy couch bed. If only he’d still been there that day.

Other Places To Visit

Beyond Dubrovnik, there are several other incredible places in Croatia where you can step into the world of Game of Thrones.

If the best Game of Thrones tour in Dubrovnik still leaves you wanting more, Croatia has plenty of other filming locations to explore. In Split old town, you can visit the Temple of Jupiter inside Diocletian’s Palace. Diocletian’s Palace in Split, Croatia, is also home to Saint Domnius Cathedral. And even more impressive are the palace basements, which were transformed into Daenerys Targaryen’s Meereen Throne Room. Papalićeva Street in Split, Croatia, is a key Game of Thrones filming location also within the Diocletian’s Palace complex.

The “Sons of the Harpy” ambush scene and the Let Me Pass Street were primarily filmed in Split old town, Croatia, not Dubrovnik.

Also in Split, explore Perun quarry east of Split, Mosor mountain, Split City museum, and Baška Voda further down to the south.

Head to Šibenik, which doubled as the city of Braavos, where Arya trained with the Faceless Men. Visit Trogir, a stunning medieval town used as a backdrop for scenes in Qarth. Explore Kliss Fortress just outside Split, which became the city of Meereen overlooking Slaver’s Bay. You can also venture to Lokrum, the island near Dubrovnik that stood in for Qarth and even houses a replica Iron Throne. Each location feels cinematic in real life, even before you remember the dragons.

Kastel Gomilica is a 16th-century fortress near Split, Croatia, which served as a primary filming location for the Free City of Braavos in Game of Thrones Season 5.

Mount Srđ (Srd Lookout Point) is a 412-meter (1,352 ft) mountain situated directly behind the Old Town of Dubrovnik, Croatia, serving as a key viewpoint for fans of Game of Thrones.

Explore With Erin Game of Thrones Wrap Up

Did you know Game of Thrones was the most-pirated TV series of2012, 2013, and 2014? Which means Tom keeps very busy, running over 100 tours during the summer months in Dubrovnik.

For fans and soon-to-be-fans, I would have to say this is a great amalgamation of Dubrovnik history, secret local spots, and pure Game of Thrones obsession. The only thing that could have made it better was if Peter Dinklage replaced Tom as my local expert guides. Sorry, Tom.

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