Dubrovnik: Game of Thrones&Lokrum Island Walking Tour

Dubrovnik makes a convincing King’s Landing because its stone walls, steep lanes, forts, and sea views need very little stage dressing. This three-hour tour takes you from Lovrijenac Fortress, the Red Keep, through the Old Town filming sites, then across to Lokrum for the Iron Throne and a choice: return to town or stay for a swim.

I like two things here. First, the guides do not treat Game of Thrones as the whole story. Guides such as Mihaela, Marko, Andrea, Ines, and Josip have mixed filming details with Dubrovnik and Croatian history, which gives the walk more substance. Second, Lokrum adds a proper island outing, not just another stop for a quick photograph.

The main consideration is cost. The tour is listed at $41 per person, while entrance to Lovrijenac costs €15 and Lokrum costs €30 separately. That can make the day much more expensive than the headline price suggests, especially if you are booking for a family.

Key points at a glance

• Lovrijenac sets the scene: Spend about an hour at the fortress used as the Red Keep, with wide views over Dubrovnik and the sea.
• The Old Town becomes King’s Landing: See the Walk of Shame route, Blackwater Bay, the Purple Wedding setting, and other recognizable locations.
• Guides add more than filming trivia: Mihaela, Marko, Andrea, Ines, Josip, Davor, Darko, and Alex have been praised for humor, local context, and behind-the-scenes stories.
• Lokrum changes the pace: After the city walk, take a 15-minute ferry ride to the island, where the Iron Throne and former monastery await.
• You may stay for the afternoon: Bring swimwear, a towel, and sunscreen if you want to use Lokrum’s rocky beaches after the guided portion.
• Budget for extra tickets: Lovrijenac is €15 and Lokrum is €30, neither included in the listed tour price.

Why Dubrovnik works as King’s Landing

You do not need elaborate scenery to understand why HBO chose Dubrovnik. The Old Town has thick defensive walls, narrow stone streets, monumental stairways, and a harbor opening onto the Adriatic. The city can play a royal capital, a besieged port, or a setting for court intrigue without much alteration.

This tour uses that built-in drama well. Instead of showing you one famous viewpoint and sending you off, it links several places into a story. You see where key scenes were filmed, then hear how the real city fits around the fantasy version.

The strongest part is the balance. If you know every major character and plot turn, the filming details give you the details you came for. If you have never watched the series, the Dubrovnik history and city views still give you something useful to follow. Several guides have made a point of including enough Croatian context to keep mixed groups interested.

Meeting the guide at Pile Square

The meeting point is the Amerling fountain in Pile Square, just outside the Old Town. Look for the blue umbrella marked with the DUtheTour logo, near the Dubravka restaurant.

This is a sensible place to start. Pile Gate is one of the main entrances to Dubrovnik, and the square gives the guide room to gather the group before the streets narrow. Arrive with comfortable shoes. The route includes stairs, sloped lanes, fortress paths, and hard stone underfoot.

The activity is offered in English or German. A private group option is available, which may suit families or friends who prefer a more personal pace. The regular tour lasts three hours, though your time on Lokrum can continue after the guided section if you choose to remain on the island.

Lovrijenac Fortress, the Red Keep

The first major stop is Lovrijenac, also called St. Lawrence Fortress. The guided visit takes about an hour, making it the most substantial single stop on the route.

For Game of Thrones fans, this is the Red Keep. The fortress was used for scenes tied to King’s Landing, including parts of the courtly and military world surrounding the capital. The setting does much of the work: rough stone walls, open sea, and a strong position above the water make it easy to see why filmmakers liked it.

You will also get some of the best views of Dubrovnik from here. That is important because this is not only a television stop. You can look back toward the Old Town walls and out across the water, gaining a clearer sense of how the city is arranged.

There is one practical catch. The entrance ticket to the Red Keep is not included and is listed at €15. Check the current ticket terms when booking, since entrance fees can change. For some people, this will be the highlight that justifies the extra cost. If you are less interested in the show, you may prefer a general city walk that does not add this charge.

Pile Gate and the Old Town scenes

After the fortress, the tour returns to Pile Gate for a short guided stop of about 10 minutes. This gate is more than a meeting landmark. It forms a natural threshold between modern Dubrovnik and the walled city, and it appears in the show as part of King’s Landing.

The guide can help you match the real entrance with scenes you may remember from the series. This is where having photos or scene references can help. Guides such as Marko have used images to give context, making it easier to see how camera angles changed the appearance of familiar places.

From here, you enter the Old Town and walk along Stradun. The main street takes about 15 minutes on the tour. It is broad by Dubrovnik standards, lined with pale limestone buildings, and useful for understanding the city’s basic layout. You will not spend the whole time on filming trivia. The guide also explains the real city around you, which keeps the walk from feeling like a set tour only.

The Jesuit Stairs and the Walk of Shame

The Jesuit Stairs are one of the tour’s most recognizable stops. The staircase was used for Cersei’s Walk of Shame, one of the show’s most intense scenes.

This is a good example of how the tour adds value beyond naming a location. A guide can point out the exact route, explain how the scene was framed, and share behind-the-scenes details about filming. The stairs also give you a strong visual connection to the series because the location is easy to recognize without much explanation.

Take your time here, but be considerate of people moving through the Old Town. The staircase is a real public passage, not a closed studio set. It can be crowded, and you may need to wait briefly for a clear photograph.

The stop lasts about 15 minutes. That is enough for the story and some pictures, but not enough for a long pause. If this is your favorite scene, you may want to return later on your own.

Rector’s Palace and Blackwater Bay

The next stops include Rector’s Palace and the Old Port. Rector’s Palace receives about 10 minutes of guided attention. Its formal stone architecture provided a fitting backdrop for scenes connected with the ruling world of King’s Landing, including the Purple Wedding setting.

The guide’s role matters here. The building is not simply a background. It helps explain how Dubrovnik’s civic spaces, ceremonial rooms, and narrow passageways were turned into locations for political drama. You can compare the real palace with the fictional world while learning a little about Dubrovnik’s own government and past.

The Old Port follows, with another short stop of about 10 minutes. It is used to discuss Blackwater Bay and other waterfront scenes. The harbor gives you a different side of the production. Instead of stairs and enclosed streets, you see the open water and working edge of the city.

The sequence from palace to port also breaks up the walking. You move between interior-looking streets, grand stone buildings, and open waterfront views. The pace is active, but the itinerary does not leave much spare time for independent exploration during the guided portion.

The ferry to Lokrum

After the Old Town locations, you take a ferry to Lokrum. The crossing is listed at about 15 minutes, so this is a short transfer rather than a long boat excursion.

The change of setting is welcome. Dubrovnik’s Old Town is built-up, crowded, and focused on stone architecture. Lokrum is a protected forest reserve with a quieter, greener feel. The island was used for scenes from Qarth, giving the second half of the tour a different visual identity from King’s Landing.

The ferry also gives you a chance to rest your feet and look back toward Dubrovnik from the water. Since the tour ends on Lokrum, think ahead about what you want from the island. You can follow the guided visit, take your Iron Throne photograph, then return to the mainland. Or you can stay on the island for the rest of the day.

The Benedictine Monastery and the Iron Throne

On Lokrum, the tour visits the Benedictine Monastery for around 15 minutes. The ruins and old stonework add another layer to the island, even if you are mainly here for the show.

The signature stop is the Iron Throne. HBO gifted the throne to Dubrovnik, and it is displayed as part of the island’s Game of Thrones visitor center. You get about 10 minutes for the visit and photographs.

This is the most straightforward fan moment of the day. You are not just looking at a filming location where a scene once happened. You can sit on the official Iron Throne and take the classic photograph.

The island also has peacocks and bunnies, described as its only residents. They are friendly, but treat them as wild animals and do not disturb them. The monastery, paths, and animals give non-fans something to enjoy while the series enthusiasts take their turn on the throne.

Staying on Lokrum after the tour

The tour finishes on Lokrum, which gives you more freedom than a standard point-to-point sightseeing walk. You can return to Dubrovnik after the guided portion or stay for swimming and time outdoors.

Bring swimwear, a towel, and sunscreen if you plan to stay. The island’s beaches are rocky, so do not expect a broad sandy beach. The appeal is the combination of clear coastal water, nature, old stone remains, and a break from the city.

You must leave on the last ferry. Overnight stays are not allowed, and Lokrum is a protected forest reserve. The practical lesson is simple: confirm the final ferry time before settling in for the afternoon. Missing it is not an option.

This extension can make the $41 tour feel like better value, since you are not forced to leave after the last guided stop. It can also make the day longer than expected. If you have a dinner booking, cruise departure, or another fixed plan, return to Dubrovnik rather than treating Lokrum as an open-ended beach stop.

What the guides add

The most consistently praised part of this experience is the guiding. Names that appear in the tour feedback include Mihaela, Michaela, Marko, Andrea, Ines, Josip, Davor, Darko, and Alex.

The descriptions of these guides share a pattern: humor, enthusiasm, patience, and strong command of both the show and Dubrovnik. Marko, in particular, has been noted for using photographs, trivia, and behind-the-scenes stories to keep the walk moving. Andrea has been praised for making groups with non-fans feel included. Mihaela has been singled out for combining passion with local history.

Guide assignments can change, so you should not book expecting one specific person unless the operator confirms it. Still, the range of named guides gives you a useful sense of the tour’s character. The experience depends heavily on the person leading it, and this company appears to put real weight on storytelling rather than simply pointing at walls.

Is $41 a fair price?

At $41 per person, the tour is reasonably priced for three hours with a professional guide, a full Old Town route, a ferry transfer, Lokrum, and the Iron Throne stop. The value is strongest if you use the optional island time after the guided portion.

But the extras matter. Lovrijenac is listed at €15, and Lokrum at €30. Those are substantial additions, bringing the required budget well above the headline figure if both apply to your visit.

Ask yourself what you want. If you mainly want a quick photo at the Jesuit Stairs and a few Old Town filming sites, a shorter city walk may be enough. If you want the fortress, the island, the Iron Throne, and a guide who connects the show to Dubrovnik, this package covers a lot in one morning or afternoon.

Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead and reserve-now, pay-later booking make it easier to fit into a changing itinerary. These policies are useful, but they do not reduce the entrance fees, so keep those in your budget.

Who should book this tour?

I would choose this for a Game of Thrones fan who wants more than a list of filming locations. The combination of Red Keep, Walk of Shame, Blackwater Bay, the Purple Wedding setting, Qarth, and the Iron Throne gives you the major themes in one outing.

It also works well for a mixed group. If one person has never watched the series, the Dubrovnik and Croatian history keep the experience from becoming a string of inside jokes. The island is another advantage for non-fans, especially if they enjoy coastal walks, old ruins, animals, or swimming.

Families should weigh the total price and the stone steps. The route is active, and the island extension requires planning around the last ferry. Private groups may be worth considering if you want to stop longer for photographs or keep the pace suited to your party.

My booking advice

Book this tour if you want the full connection between Dubrovnik and King’s Landing, and if you can accept the extra entrance fees. The strongest reasons are the Red Keep, the well-chosen Old Town locations, and the chance to finish with a swim on Lokrum instead of simply returning to the starting point.

Skip it if you only want general Dubrovnik sightseeing, dislike television-themed tours, or have a tight schedule that cannot absorb the island and ferry timing. For everyone else, this is a lively way to see the city, with enough real local context to make the fantasy locations worthwhile.

FAQ

Where does the tour meet?

Meet at the Amerling fountain in Pile Square, outside Dubrovnik’s Old Town. It is near the Dubravka restaurant. Look for the blue umbrella with the DUtheTour logo.

How long does the tour last?

The guided activity lasts three hours. You may stay on Lokrum after the guided tour if you choose.

Which languages are available?

The tour is offered in English and German.

Is Lovrijenac included in the tour price?

The tour includes the guided visit, but the entrance ticket to the Red Keep, Lovrijenac Fortress, is listed separately at €15.

Is the Lokrum entrance fee included?

No. The Lokrum entrance ticket is listed separately at €30.

Which Game of Thrones locations are visited?

The route includes Lovrijenac, Pile Gate, Stradun, the Jesuit Stairs, Rector’s Palace, and the Old Port. These locations relate to the Red Keep, Walk of Shame, Blackwater Bay, Purple Wedding, and other scenes.

Can I sit on the Iron Throne?

Yes. The Iron Throne is on Lokrum, and the tour includes a visit and time for photographs.

Can I swim on Lokrum after the tour?

Yes. You can stay on the island after the guided portion and use the rocky beaches. Bring swimwear, a towel, and sunscreen.

How do I return from Lokrum?

You must leave the island by the last ferry. Overnight stays are not allowed.

Is a private group available?

Yes. A private group option is available.