The Ultimate Northern Ireland Itinerary + Game of Thrones Journey of Doors
If you’re a fan of Game of Thrones and are hoping to experience some of the excitement of the show in real life, look no further than Northern Ireland. As someone who has visited locations from HBO’s iconic TV series in 6 countries-Iceland, Spain, Malta, Morocco, Croatia, and Northern Ireland, nothing compares with the sheer number of incredible filming locations you’ll find in picturesque Northern Ireland.
In fact, there are so many stunning castles, coastlines, and causeways featured on Game of Thrones that the Northern Ireland tourism board has declared NI #GOTterritory. An entire tourism industry has sprung up around GOT lore, from Westeros visits to film location tours to actually being able to meet the GOT Direwolves (more on that later!). There is even a “Journey of Doors” complete with an App and corresponding “passport” which outlines important filming locations and reveals the location of 10 carved GOT doors, where visitors can get their passport stamped. The rush of heading from location to location, filling your passport will have you feeling like you are part of the Game of Thrones adventure yourself!
During our 2-week family trip through Ireland and Northern Ireland, my family and I managed to collect all 10 Journey of Doors passport stamps and saw some truly incredible filming locations along the way. Even my parents, who had never seen the show, became immersed in the GOT world as we rushed to visit every Journey of Doors location before our flights out of Belfast! In fact, our stamp-collecting adventure turned out to be a trip highlight for the whole family!
For fans of the show, the opportunity to walk in the footsteps of your favorite Westerosians is sure to be a thrill. And for those who have yet to immerse themselves into the world of GOT (is there anyone who still doesn’t watch? Looking at you, Mom and Dad!), the sheer natural beauty of Northern Ireland will make you want to go home and binge watch the series!
So what are you waiting for? Cue the Game of Thrones theme song and let’s dive into the ultimate Game of Thrones Northern Ireland itinerary!
About the Journey of Doors
In 2016, Storm Gertrude made its way through Northern Ireland, felling a number of trees that comprised the famous “Dark Hedges,” better known as the Kingsroad to GOT fans. To best utilize these trees, the Northern Ireland tourism board had the great beech trees transformed into a series of 10 doors, each intricately carved with a different theme. The 10 doors help tell the story of Game of Thrones Season 6, and are placed in various pubs and restaurants throughout Northern Ireland. Each door is within close proximity to the show’s filming locations, making it easy for GOT enthusiasts to collect their stamps while en route to iconic sites throughout NI.
Tips For Your Journey
Game of Thrones Northern Ireland App
- Download the App: To begin your Game of Thrones tour of Northern Ireland, I highly recommend downloading the free GOT NI App (available on the App Store or Google Play). The app will reveal the location of the doors and their corresponding filming locations, as well as information about the doors and scenes filmed there.
- Get a Journey of Doors Passport: I recommend printing off your own here before visiting, just in case the first bar/restaurant your visit is out! You should be able to pick up a passport at any door location.
- Check opening hours: If you are planning on collecting all the GOT passport stamps, be sure to check out the hours of operation of each bar/restaurant to avoid disappointment and to help plan your routes.
- Allow enough time: Just to visit each of the doors is a 358 km, 222 mi drive. That’s well over 6 hours of driving alone and doesn’t include any filming locations or additional points of interest. We managed to squeeze (and I mean squeeze!) in all of the doors and quite a few sites in about 3 days, but I’d recommend 5-7 so you can visit more locations, take your time, and have a couple of full days in Belfast.
- Decide which stops to skip: Some of the filming locations are quite off the beaten path, or are areas of coastline/countryside which aren’t incredibly exciting besides the fact that they appeared on the show. You’ll definitely want to strategize beforehand which locations you may want to cut from the route, we cut out quite a few to stick with our itinerary! I’ve listed most of the Game of Thrones filming locations from the official GOT Northern Ireland app in this post, including many sites I didn’t visit, so you can determine which stops are most interesting to you!
- If you have less time: If you don’t have the time to visit every door, then you may want to consider saving yourself a rental car and hopping on a Game of Thrones tour instead. There are many options for day trips that depart from Belfast and include many of the highlights of this itinerary.
Note: This map includes the GOT doors and filming locations listed on the GOT Northern Ireland App. I recommend using their official directions (available in the app) when actually navigating from place to place! The app also features information about each site. I’ve highlighted the route I’ll be detailing in this post in blue, which includes stops at each door, and I’ll also be adding in some other points of interest and filming locations throughout the post!
- Brown-Game of Thrones Door
- Green-Game of Thrones Filming Location
- Blue-additional point of interest not featured on Game of Thrones
As always, this itinerary is a suggestion! Feel free to add things, leave things out, or mix up the order according to your schedule and interests! You can also complete the itinerary in reverse order if you are starting in Dublin or Belfast!
1. Marble Arch Caves
Your Game of Thrones Northern Ireland journey begins at the Marble Arch Caves. These limestone caves are located within the Marble Arch Global Geopark and are a must visit if you are planning on stopping at the furthest door location (Blakes of the Hollow) to collect your first passport stamp. Be sure to check the website in advance, as hours are limited and the park is even closed during several months of the year. You’ll also want to book a tour at least two days in advance to avoid lines, particularly during the summer months. We really enjoyed seeing the caves and learning about their geology and history from our guide. The tour highlight was a super reflective part of the cave where you couldn’t tell where the cave ended and the water began! There were also some really cool stalagmites, stalactites, and even fossils!
2. Pollnagollum Cave
Also within the Marble Arch Global Geopark lies Pollnagollum Cave, just a short drive from the Marble Arch Caves. This spot wasn’t particularly well marked, and my family actually drove past the path a couple of times in each of the spot. Once we parked our car, we followed a footpath to the Pollnagollum Cave. You may recognize it as Hollow Hill, the Riverlands from Game of Thrones Season 3, Episode 4.
3. Blakes of the Hollow
Now that you’ve started the day off with some adventure, it’s time to collect your first stamp at Blakes of the Hollow. This Victorian pub has been an institution for over 125 years and is worth popping into for its unique atmosphere alone. Grab a pint, admire the door, and have a chat with the bartender to get your passport stamped! I just loved all the House Targaryen details, particularly the dragons!
4. Owen’s Bar
This next pub was probably my absolute favorite. Not only does Frank Owen’s Bar feature an incredibly fierce carving of the Night King, but the owner of the pub was by far the most welcoming and friendly of all the establishments we visited during our Journey of the Doors. We loved chatting with him so much that we stayed for a couple of pints and chatted with several locals at the bar. He also had us sign a guest book, and it was so fun seeing all the visitors who had passed through from around the world. I recommend purchasing a drink (even if it’s just a soda) from every pub along the route out of politeness, but this is definitely a great pub to pull up a chair and have a pint (or two!) in!
My mom took this rather unflattering photo of me but I smiled so much at the memory that I had to include it in this post!
5. Binevenagh
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bl7s9HPFgOb/
Binevenaugh is part of the Atrim Plateau and was formed millions of years ago by molten lava. This area was featured in Game of Thrones Seasons 5 and 6 as Dothraki grasslands, so fans of Daenerys won’t want to miss it! You can drive up Binevenaugh mountain for a fantastic panoramic view of Roe Valley, the Sperrin Mountains, and the North Coast. Unfortunately, we didn’t have time to stop here, but if you have more than 3 days or are making good time, the views look like they are worth a stop!
6. Mussenden Temple and Downhill Beach
https://www.instagram.com/p/BeyZJF-FPsj/
Downhill beach is a seven-mile-long beach overlooked by the picturesque Mussenden Temple. Cars are permitted to drive along the beach, so feel free to hop in your car and explore! You may recognize this beach as the location of Dragonstone in Season 2 Episode 1, where Stannis Baratheon and Melisandre make offerings to the Lord of Light.
7. Portstewart Strand
The stunning coastal sand dunes of Portstewart Strand are better known to Westerosians as the Dornish coastline, and can be seen in Season 5, Episode 4. We skipped this stop as we were tight on time and had already seen so much coastline during our 2 week Ireland adventure. Plus, I was more than a little excited to get to our next few stops!
8. Dunluce Castle
Dunluce Castle is dramatically perched at the edge of the water, making it a perfect setting for Game of Thrones. Used in the series as a setting for the Iron islands, this castle dates back to the 13th century and is definitely worth a stop. It really paints quite an impressive picture!
9. Bushmills
What is a visit to Northern Ireland without a little whiskey? Though I myself am not a fan of this popular drink, we paid a visit to the Bushmills Distillery for a quick tour before continuing along our road trip. (It couldn’t all be about Game of Thrones, could it?) Unfortunately, we had to visit right as the distillery opened, and I must say, if I don’t like whiskey normally, I certainly don’t enjoy it in the early morning!
We toured the distillery and sampled some of their famous whiskeys learning about the tradition and history of Bushmills. Unfortunately, our tour guide was actually pretty rude to my dad (for no apparent reason), so I can’t say I recommend visiting. Hopefully, if you visit, you’ll have a more pleasant tour guide! Reviews on TripAdvisor are good, so perhaps this was a fluke. I know next time, I’ll be stopping into Jameson’s in Dublin or Midleton instead!
10. Giant’s Causeway
While the Giant’s Causeway hasn’t been featured in Game of Thrones, it is an absolute must when visiting Northern Ireland, and is even a UNESCO World Heritage site! The 40,000+ basalt columns interlock to create the stunning geological phenomenon that is the result of an ancient volcanic eruption.
The basalt columns reminded me a lot of Iceland‘s Reynisfjara Beach, but these columns were even easier to walk along, making the area more interesting to explore. Unlike many of the natural sites along this itinerary, there is a massive visitor’s center and fee to visit. With the entrance fee, you’ll receive an audioguide which tells all about the history and geology of the Giant’s Causeway. Even the trail to view the causeway is stunning!
This is another one of Northern Ireland’s picture-perfect gems, so beware of fellow tourists looking to get the perfect Instagram! I’d recommend visiting early in the morning or around sunset “golden hour” for the best pictures and to avoid crowds.
Our tight schedule made it impossible to plan around crowds, so we had lots of fellow tourists to contend with! (But really, who could blame everyone for wanting to see this natural wonder?)
11. The Dark Hedges
The Dark Hedges is a majestic, beech tree-lined lane that is one of the most iconic Game of Thrones landmarks in Northern Ireland. The historic beech trees were planted in the 18th century to form an impressive entranceway to Gracehill House (where you’ll collect your GOT passport stamp).
The Dark Hedges form the Kingsroad in the HBO series, and are seen in Season 2, Episode 1 as Arya sets out on her journey north.
After the 2016 storm Gertrude felled several of these magnificent trees, they were then carved into the 10 Game of Thrones-themed doors that comprise the “Journey of Doors” that you’re now on!
This was one of my favorite stops, and the tree-lined way is oh-so-Instagram-able. That being said, if you’d like crowd-free pictures (or to have a more relaxed, tranquil visit), you’ll have to arrive early to beat the crowds! To stay on schedule, I had to visit during the middle of the day, but still managed to get some decently people-free shots in between tour buses.
12. Gracehill House
Gracehill House is the golf course and historic home located just across from the Dark Hedges. Pop on over to get your passport stamped and to see the next door which features a three-eyed raven and the emblem of House Stark!
13. The Fullerton Arms
The next stop along the way is the Fullerton Arms, a hotel, bar, and restaurant that is home to the next door. The best part about this door (besides the epic depiction of Drogon) is the fact that it’s located outside the bar. While you’ll still need to head inside to get your official passport stamp, its really easy to snap photos of the door without feeling like you’re interrupting anything! It’s also great if you aren’t collecting stamps to be able to see the door from outside.
14. Ballintoy Harbour
Ballintoy Harbor serves as the location of Pyke, so if you are a fan of Theon, Yara, or Euron Greyjoy you may want to stop and take a look at the real-life Iron island locale. The harbor is pictured in several scenes in Season 2, 4, 5 and 6. This location was also unfortunately cut for time on our whirlwind tour of Northern Ireland, but I’d love to go back especially as I can now say I’ve become such a fan of Theon in this last season! The scenery here looks quite stunning.
15. Larrybane
Larrybane is another location we skipped out on, but for those who have more time to explore, the area was featured on several GOT episodes as Nagga’s Hill, Old Wyk in the Iron islands and as the Stormlands where Margaery Tyrell and Renly Baratheon watch a tournament between Brienne of Tarth and Ser Loras Tyrell.
16. Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge
Okay, okay, so the Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge wasn’t featured in Game of Thrones. That being said, it is a must-see on any Northern Ireland itinerary and is sure to add a fun bit of adventure to your day. This stop was one of my favorites along the way. The first iteration of the bridge was erected by fishermen in 1755.
Today, the bridge is primarily used by tourists to walk from the mainland to the very small island of Carrickarede. This is a fun stop, and allows for some pretty unique photo ops as well, as the nearby scenery is lovely. It is a popular tourist stop, so you’ll have to wait to cross the bridge until an attendant tells you it’s okay to go. You’ll also have to hurry along a bit, so you won’t have much time on the bridge itself.
17. Fair Head
Fair Head is a dramatic piece of coastline that is Northern Ireland’s tallest cliff face, standing 600 meters above sea level. The GOT app recommends those who visit this area take caution- “the locations on Fair Head which were used for filming are difficult to access. There is absolutely no vehicular access and although there are walking routes, it is through open land and working farmland; there are cliffs and depending on weather conditions, visibility could be poor, the wind can be strong and you are urged to consider very carefully before you attempt this route.”
As this land is private, we decided to skip this location altogether, although fans of the show would recognize Fair Head as the Dragonstone cliffs in Season 7, Episodes 3, 5, and 6.
18. Murlough Bay and Above Murlough Bay
For Westerosians, Murlough Bay is better recognized as Essos’ Slaver’s Bay, and can be seen in Season 5, episode 6. This tucked away spot is off the main road and down a steep path, which is why we didn’t make a stop here on our mad dash through #GOTterritory! Above the bay, you’ll discover Renly Baratheon’s camp in the Stormlands, as seen in Season 2.
19. Mary McBride’s Bar
Time for another door! Pop on into Mary McBride’s Bar to collect your next passport stamp on your Journey of Doors. If you’re a fan of Arya Stark, you’ll especially love this door as it features a portrait of the Faceless man and Needle. We stopped in for a quick lunch before continuing along our way.
20. Cushendun Caves
I have a confession to make-due to an uncharacteristic lack of research before the trip (I wasn’t really aware of the Journey of Doors until I arrived in Northern Ireland!) I didn’t even realize that the Cushendun Caves were so close to Mary McBride’s Bar. In fact, they are so close, we could have walked there! Well, since you’re reading this post you won’t make the same mistake we did and will be able to check out the Cushendun Caves for yourself. The caves were formed over 400 million years ago and were featured in Season 2, Episode 4 as a part of the Stormlands.
21. Carnlough Harbour
Arya lovers will definitely want to make a stop at Carnlough Harbour, the location where Arya climbs up the steps in Braavos in season 6, Episode 7.
22. Galboly
The next stop is not accessible to vehicles, and you’ll have to be a “competent hiker” to access this Season 5 and 6 filming location known as Runestone to fans of the show. We didn’t have the time (or gear) to hike to this location, but if you’re into hiking this could potentially be a fun spot to check out! More visiting instructions are available on the GOT Northern Ireland app.
23. Shillanavogy Valley
Shillanavogy Valley is the valley beneath Slemish Mountain, the mountain where St. Patrick once tended sheep. For Game of Thrones fans, this valley can be seen in the show during Season 1, Episode 2 as the Dothraki plains. As this area is primarily grasslands, we chose to skip the stop in favor of some more iconic sites in Northern Ireland.
24. Sallagh Braes
Sallagh Braes is another stop along the Journey of Doors that we cut for time. This spot is not only interesting due to its appearance in the series as the Riverlands in Season 6, but there are also two prehistoric burial mounds nearby which date to 4,000 BC for those interested in visiting the area.
25. Carncastle
Carncastle features GOT filming locations from Season 1 and Season 5. Both of these locations are relatively close to the next stop, another door!
26. Ballygally Castle Hotel
The next door can be found within the Ballygally Castle Hotel. I thought this door was totally epic due to the giant direworlf and the symbol of House Bolton (although I am decidedly not a fan of House Bolton!). I thought the Ballygally Castle Hotel was a particularly cool location for a door, as visitors can also climb the nearby stairwell to discover a supposedly haunted part of the castle, which was a fun little road trip interlude.
The castle also hosts fun Game of Thrones-themed teas, banquets, and events if you are a superfan looking to add some extra GOT flair to your trip! More information here.
27. The Dark Horse
Shout out to my mom for talking us into the bar before it opened so we wouldn’t miss our stamp!
28. Titanic Belfast & Studios
View from Titanic Belfast. See the yellow, grey, and white building to the right? That is Titanic Studios!
When your favorite Game of Thrones actors weren’t filming outside in Northern Ireland or around the world, they were filming in Titanic Studios. While there are no guided tours of the studios themselves, if you walk behind the Titanic Belfast, you can see the studios or get a picture out front if you are a die-hard fan. While you’re there, I highly recommend paying a visit to Titanic Belfast, an interactive museum dedicated to telling the full story of the HMS Titanic.
We barely had a full day in Belfast, but we made sure to visit this highly experiential and fascinating museum-there is even a ride inside! It might not be related to Game of Thrones, but the museum offers an in-depth look into one of the 20th century’s biggest tragedies.
29. Fiddlers Green
After our visit to Titanic Belfast, we began to make our way back to Dublin, stopping at the last few doors and locations along the way. Our next door can be found within Fiddler’s Green, and we spotted it easily thanks to the giant dragon on the building! The door is dedicated to images of House Bolton and Greyjoy.
30. Quintin Bay
Quintin Bay is quite near to Fiddler’s Green and is an easy stop before reaching your next door! The bay was a filming location in seen in Season 5, Episode 2. The bay is also home to Quentin Castle, which dates back to 1184. I was feeling quite ill (I caught a nasty bug the last day of the trip) so we skipped this stop in order to get to Dublin a little faster so I could rest.
31. Portaferry to Strangford Ferry
To get to your next stops on your Journey of Doors, you’ll actually have to board a ferry! Be sure to check the ferry times so you don’t miss one and have to wait around. The town of Portaferry is located on the tip of a peninsula, so a ferry is your best bet for getting to Strangford. If you are pressed for time and don’t care about collecting all of the stamps, you could skip this stop and drive straight from Belfast to Strangford, but the ferry was quite short and ran relatively frequently. I couldn’t find a great schedule for ferry times online, so I recommend asking in town (we asked at Fiddler’s Green) or stopping by the ferry port for the most accurate information!
32. The Cuan
The next door is located at The Cuan, a hotel and restaurant where many of the Game of Thrones cast actually stayed during filming. Fan favorites such as Ned Stark, King Robert, Queen Cersei, Joffrey, Jon Snow, Catelyn, Arya, and Bran Stark spent time there, and now you can too!
The Cuan actually offers some Game of Thrones-themed experiences for superfans, which you can check out here. We stopped in for lunch and, of course, to see the door! My favorite part about visiting The Cuan though was sampling GOT-inspired “The Hodoor” beer!
33. Game of Thrones Direwolves Tour
You can’t tell in this picture, but I was totally starstruck by Odin and Thor-this is my attempting to stay composed!
As luck would have it, just as we were exiting the Cuan, we ran into a few of the show’s cutest stars just across the street-the direwolves Summer and Greywind (whose real names are Odin and Thor)! I was so excited to catch a glimpse of them that we literally turned the car around and headed back to discover that we’d seen the tail end of a Game of Thrones Direwolves Tour. Even though I didn’t know about the tour, after it wrapped up, the owners of the Direwolves (who appeared on the series themselves!) were kind enough to chat with me and let me take a picture with and pet the Direwolf doggies! They regaled me with their experiences being on set, told me all about how they (and Odin and Thor) got involved with Game of Thrones, and I even found out that some of them had appeared on Vikings, another show I love.
Shout out to Game of Thrones Direwolves Tours for taking the time to chat with me!
As a huge fan of Game of Thrones, I would have loved to experienced the whole 9-hour tour, which includes a visit with the Direwolves, and tour around ancient forests, abbeys, and castles led by a Game of Thrones extra. Though I wasn’t on the tour myself, I could tell that the family operated tour would’ve been an awesome experience (they have all 5-star reviews on Tripadvisor). This is in no way sponsored, just something I would recommend to any GOT superfan looking for a unique, immersive experience. More information about the Game of Thrones Direwolves Tour here. I’m definitely signing up on my next visit to Northern Ireland!
34. Audleys Castle
Unfortunately, after meeting the Game of Thrones Direwolves, we were running behind schedule and had to skip some pretty cool stops, like Audley’s Castle. This historic field and castle served as Rob Stark’s camp in Season 2, Episode 4.
35. Castle Ward
I was really bummed that we didn’t have time to visit Castle Ward, also known as Winterfell, especially because I love House Stark. This location was used as Winterfell during Season 1 of Game of Thrones. It is located quite near to Strangford so, unless you’re in a rush like we were, you should have no problems visiting!
36. Inch Abbey and Quoile River
37. Percy French
Woo hoo!!!! If you’ve made it to this point in the itinerary, you’ve reached the final door and are ready to get your last passport stamp at the Percy French! We were so excited to get our final stamp on our Journey of Doors, and couldn’t believe that we managed to collect all 10 stamps in just a few days! The nearby filming locations are Tollymore Forest Park and Leitrim Lodge, if you still have time and energy left to find them! As we still had to get to Dublin, we opted to grab a pint to celebrate and end our adventures in #GOTterritory here!
Overall Thoughts
I had such an incredible adventure on my Northern Ireland Journey of the doors. It truly turned out to be an unexpected highlight of our 2 week Ireland trip. I knew there were many beautiful and scenic places we’d see on our trip through Northern Ireland, but the GOT journey and passport really enhanced our trip. Even if you aren’t a massive Game of Thrones fan (my parents aren’t), following the itinerary will lead you to some pretty amazing places along the way! Though my family was able to complete our trip in 3-4 days, I really wish we had allowed closer to 5-7 days so we could explore more, have a more relaxed schedule, and have more time in Belfast.
My absolute favorite trip highlights were the Dark Hedges, Giant’s Causeway, Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge, Belfast, seeing the Direwolves from Game of Thrones, and getting my final Journey of Doors stamp.
I highly recommend visiting a door (or 10!) during your visit to Northern Ireland. So what are you waiting for? Winter is coming!
What do you think? Are you a fan of Game of Thrones or does embarking on the Journey of Doors appeal to you? Let me know in the comments what your Northern Ireland must-sees are!
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