Northern Ireland is where much of Game of Thrones was filmed, and a lot of it is real places you can visit: a tunnel of twisted beech trees, a fishing harbour, sea caves, a cliff-top beach and a National Trust farmyard that played Winterfell. It's also close to home, so it works as a long weekend. This guide covers how to plan the trip, the main locations, the official studio tour, what to book in advance and roughly what it costs. Prices are in pounds, change often and come from the sources listed at the end, so check official sites before you go.

Planning the trip

  • Getting there: you can fly to Belfast City or Belfast International from airports such as Manchester and Liverpool, or take a car ferry from Cairnryan in Scotland to Larne, according to Rome2rio. We haven't checked current fares or timetables, so compare them yourself
  • A car makes it easy: many of the locations are on the north Antrim coast or in rural County Down, and several are small sites with limited parking. You can see some of them on a guided day tour, but a car lets you start early and avoid the crowds
  • Timing: one guide suggests May to September for the mildest weather. Tides matter at some locations, and some spots can be muddy, steep or slippery, so wear proper shoes
  • How long: one day is enough for a taste (Castle Ward, Ballintoy and the Dark Hedges), two to three days lets you add the studio tour and the coast, and five days covers most of it

The Game of Thrones Studio Tour, Banbridge

This is the official studio attraction, created in partnership with Warner Bros. and based at Linen Mill Studios in Banbridge, County Down. It's about 30 minutes from Belfast and about 90 minutes from Dublin, and it's a self-guided tour indoors.

  • What you see: original sets such as the Great Hall of Winterfell, Dragonstone's throne room, the Small Council Chamber and Castle Black's Mess Hall, plus costumes, weapons, props and interactive areas. There's also a large shop

  • Price: a May 2026 guide listed about £39.50 for an adult (studio only), with cheaper rates for seniors, students and youths aged 12 to 15, and free entry for under-11s with studio-only tickets. It also listed coach packages from Belfast and Dublin. Check the official site for current prices

  • How long: about two to three hours

  • Opening times: the same guide listed 10:00 am to 6:30 pm, with the last tour at 3:00 pm. From March to September it's open every day, and in January, February and October to December it's closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Check the official calendar, because it also closes on some public holidays

  • Booking: tickets are timed entry, and popular slots can sell out weeks ahead, especially in summer

  • Parking: there's no parking at the studio except for Blue Badge holders. You park at the free Studio Tour car park on The Boulevard in Banbridge (BT32 4LF) and take a free shuttle of about 10 minutes. The time on your ticket is your shuttle time, so arrive 15 minutes early

  • With transport: on Viator there's a Studio Tour admission and transport option and a Studio Tour admission and coach transfer from Dublin. Check each listing for the pick-up point and times

Castle Ward: Winterfell

Castle Ward, a National Trust estate on Strangford Lough, is where the clock tower in the historic farmyard became Winterfell. It's about 40 minutes from Belfast city centre.

  • Admission: from 1 March 2026, adults were £12.00 (£13.20 with Gift Aid), children aged 5 to 17 were £6.00, and a family ticket was £30.00. Under-5s are free and National Trust members get in free. The page also showed an older price table, so confirm the current price
  • Opening times (autumn): grounds 10:00 to 17:00, garden 10:00 to 16:00, mansion 12:00 to 16:00
  • Next door: Audley's Castle, near Castle Ward, is linked to the Twins and the Red Wedding scenes, and you can view it for free from outside
  • A guided option: the Game of Thrones Winterfell locations trek from Belfast is a full-day tour. The operator's own listing says it visits Castle Ward, Tollymore Forest and Inch Abbey in about 10 hours, with Stark cloaks and props to use on the coach. Check the Viator listing for the exact stops and what's included
  • Booking: the National Trust page doesn't list a Game of Thrones booking, and other guides mention activities such as archery and costumes. Check what's running when you plan your visit

The Causeway Coast

The north Antrim coast has most of the best-known locations, and you can link them in one long day from Belfast. If you'd rather not drive, there's a Giant's Causeway day trip from Belfast and a Legenderry Iron Islands, Giant's Causeway and rope bridge adventure, so check each listing for the exact stops and whether entry tickets are included. One guide's route goes Magheramorne (viewpoint), Cushendun, Ballintoy, the Giant's Causeway, the Dark Hedges and Downhill, and suggests leaving Belfast by 7:30 am.

The Dark Hedges (the Kingsroad)

An avenue of beech trees planted by the Stuart family around 1775 became the Kingsroad, where Arya Stark travels north in the second series. It's near Ballymoney in County Antrim.

  • Access: vehicles aren't allowed on Bregagh Road, so you walk to the trees. Park at The Hedges Hotel on Ballinlea Road in Stranocum (139A Ballinlea Road, BT53 8PX), about a five-minute walk. Sources disagree on whether parking costs £4 or is free, so check the signs
  • Free to visit and always open
  • Crowds: it gets very busy with coach tours. One guide says to arrive before 8:30 am or after 6 pm, and another says go at sunrise. Weekdays outside summer are quieter
  • Please be careful: heavy foot traffic and parking have damaged the verges and tree roots, and some trees have come down in recent years, so the site is changing

Ballintoy Harbour (the Iron Islands)

A working fishing harbour used for the Iron Islands, Theon Greyjoy's home. It's free. Park in the village and walk down the steep, narrow lane, and take care around boats and gear. The rocks are slippery.

Cushendun Caves (Melisandre)

The sea caves where Melisandre gives birth to the shadow. They can only be reached at low tide, so check tide times, wear shoes with good grip and leave if the tide turns. There's a small car park at the top of the lane, and it's free. In the village, a "Door of Thrones" is carved at Mary McBride's pub, according to Visit Causeway Coast and Glens.

Downhill Strand and Mussenden Temple (Dragonstone)

The long beach and cliff-top temple stand in for Dragonstone. The beach and cliff path are free, and the National Trust charges for the car park and some buildings. One guide listed parking at about £5 per vehicle at Lion's Gate, so check the signs. Castlerock station is walkable if you're coming by train. Tides affect how much of the beach you can walk, and the cliff edge needs care.

Other coast stops

  • Larrybane Quarry (near Carrick-a-Rede): Renly's camp. You view it from public viewpoints, because the quarry floor is closed
  • Murlough Bay and Fair Head: wild coastal scenery used for scenes with Jon and Daenerys and Renly and Stannis. Murlough Bay's single-track road can close in bad weather, and Fair Head crosses private farmland that may be restricted in lambing season
  • Dunluce Castle: a ruined clifftop castle that's linked to the Iron Islands. Check opening times and prices before you go

County Down

  • Tollymore Forest Park: where the Starks find the direwolf pups. Parking was £5 per car for 2026/27, according to NI Direct, and an annual car permit was £40. Trails can be muddy, so wear waterproof boots. The Winterfell locations trek above also includes a Tollymore walk, according to the operator. A guided "Winterfell" walk was listed at about £8 to £10 per person in one guide
  • Inch Abbey, near Downpatrick: the ruined abbey where Robb Stark is declared King in the North. It's free and has a small car park

Places you can't visit

  • Magheramorne Quarry, near Larne: Castle Black and the Wall were filmed here, but it's a working industrial site and not open to casual visitors. Don't go onto private land
  • Titanic Studios, Belfast: the main production base. It isn't open to the public

Sample plans

  • One day (about 12 hours): Belfast, Cushendun, Ballintoy, the Giant's Causeway, the Dark Hedges, Downhill, back to Belfast
  • Long weekend: day 1, the studio tour, Castle Ward and Audley's Castle, or Tollymore. Day 2, the Causeway Coast loop. Day 3, Fair Head and Murlough Bay or a slow morning
  • Family trip: the studio tour first, then Castle Ward

What it costs: rough guide

  • Studio Tour: about £39.50 for an adult (studio only)
  • Castle Ward: £12.00 for an adult from 1 March 2026, children £6.00 and family £30.00
  • Tollymore Forest Park: £5 per car per day (2026/27)
  • Dark Hedges, Ballintoy Harbour, Cushendun Caves and Inch Abbey: free (parking may be charged at some)
  • Downhill: about £5 per vehicle for parking, plus National Trust charges for the temple

Before you go

Book the studio tour first, check tides for the caves and beaches, and plan to reach the Dark Hedges early. Take waterproofs, as it's a coastal climate, and respect private land and working harbours. For driving, you can compare car hire prices on DiscoverCars.

Planning more? See all our travel guides for UK travellers.

Where this comes from

Prices and rules change, and the sources don't always agree, so this is a snapshot checked on 29 October 2026. These are the sources it draws on: