Dubrovnik: Game of Thrones Walking, Car and Boat Tour

Dubrovnik is more than a handsome medieval city in Game of Thrones. It became King’s Landing, Qarth, Blackwater Bay, and the Red Keep, and this three-part tour lets you see those places from the street, the water, and the road above town. You will visit more than 15 filming locations, including the Walk of Shame route and the site of the Mountain and Oberyn’s battle.

I like the mix of transport and the practical use of show screenshots, which helps you match a real stone staircase or garden with its television version. I also like that the guides bring local knowledge to the tour. Guides Mikki and Dorotea are noted for their quick wit, friendly style, and strong grasp of both Dubrovnik and the series.

The main drawback is the pace. Seven hours of walking, boat travel, and car touring makes for a full day, and the steep stone streets are not suitable for everyone. You can split the three parts across separate days, which is a smart choice if you want more time at each stop.

Key points to know before booking

• More than 15 filming sites: See locations used for King’s Landing, Qarth, Blackwater Bay, the Red Keep, and the King’s Road.
• Three ways to explore: Combine a two-hour walking tour with a 15-minute boat ride to Lokrum and a separate car excursion.
• The Iron Throne photo: Sit on the throne at Lokrum for the classic souvenir photo.
• Show scenes meet real places: Your guide carries a book of screenshots to help you compare the television scenes with Dubrovnik today.
• A botanical garden and a battle site: Trsteno Arboretum adds a worthwhile stop even if you are not a devoted fan, while the abandoned hotel Belvedere recalls the Mountain and Oberyn’s duel.
• Flexible scheduling: Take all three sections in one day or arrange them across separate days.

Why this Dubrovnik tour works for Game of Thrones fans

The clever part of this experience is its range. A standard walking tour can show you the Old Town locations, but it cannot easily reach Trsteno Arboretum or the King’s Road viewpoint. A car tour can cover those places, but it misses the feel of Dubrovnik’s narrow lanes and fortress walls. The boat adds a third angle, carrying you out to Lokrum and the gardens used for Qarth.

You are not simply checking off film names. You are seeing how Dubrovnik’s stone architecture, island setting, old gardens, and broad sea views were shaped into Westeros. The guide’s screenshot book matters here. A wall may look ordinary until you see the frame from the show and recognize the exact arch, path, or terrace.

The tour costs $294 per person. That is a serious price, but it includes three distinct outings, an English-speaking guide for each section, the St. Lawrence Fortress entrance, Trsteno Arboretum admission, the round-trip boat to Lokrum, and Lokrum National Reserve entry. If you would otherwise book separate transport and admission tickets, the bundled format offers useful value. If you only want a quick photo at one location, this is more than you need.

Starting near Pile Gate and entering King’s Landing

The meeting point is near Pile Gate, the western entrance to Dubrovnik’s Old Town, by the Amerling fountain and next to Dubravka restaurant. This is a practical starting place because the walking portion can move straight into the historic center and toward the city’s famous filming locations.

Allow time to find the fountain. The address is Brsalje bb, 20 000 Dubrovnik. Hotel pickup and drop-off are not included, so you need to make your own way to Pile Gate. Do not bring large luggage or oversized bags. Comfortable shoes and clothing are essential.

The walking section lasts about two hours. Here, the focus is on the locations that made Dubrovnik King’s Landing. You will see sites connected with the Red Keep, Blackwater Bay, and the infamous Walk of Shame. You also visit St. Lawrence Fortress, with admission included.

The fortress is one of the important stops because it shows how the city supplied the series with a strong defensive setting. From the outside, Dubrovnik can feel like a perfect film set, but the fortress also gives you a better sense of the real medieval city around it. The guide explains how scenes were shot, where actors worked, and how the fictional story was placed over the actual buildings.

This part suits you best if you enjoy details about production. The tour promises facts about filming, actors, and behind-the-scenes stories, so it is not only a parade of photo stops. Guides such as Mikki and Dorotea have been praised for bringing friendly banter and quick wit to the outing, a useful quality when the subject matter includes battles, betrayals, and a very public walk through the city.

The limitation is physical. Dubrovnik’s Old Town has hard stone paving and some steps. The experience is not suitable for people with mobility impairments or serious back problems. Even fit visitors should wear shoes with a secure sole, not flimsy sandals.

Taking the 15-minute boat to Lokrum

The second part moves from the Old Town to the sea. You board a ferry for the short ride to Lokrum, an island just off Dubrovnik. The boat journey takes about 15 minutes, giving you a quick change of scenery and a view of Villa Šeherezada, the setting associated with Tyrion’s conspiratorial balcony scenes.

The ride is brief, but it adds something that a land-only tour cannot. You see Dubrovnik from offshore and understand why the coastline worked so well for Blackwater Bay. The water can also make the outing feel like a proper change of scene rather than another stop within the same city.

Lokrum’s gardens were used for scenes set in Qarth. You will walk through the gardens and visit a Benedictine Monastery, where the guide connects the real site with the fictional world of Westeros. The island also provides time away from the tight streets of the Old Town.

The Iron Throne is the main photo stop. You can sit on it and take a souvenir picture, which gives the Lokrum visit a clear payoff even if you are only a moderate fan of the series. Entry to Lokrum National Reserve and the round-trip boat ticket are included.

You have free time to explore Lokrum before returning by boat when ready. The information provided does not give a fixed amount of free time, so ask your guide about the return arrangement at the start. That flexibility can be useful, but it also means you should pay attention to instructions and boat timing.

The island section is not ideal for anyone prone to seasickness. The ride is short, but the tour specifically advises against booking if you are likely to feel unwell on boats. Bring only what you need, since large bags are not allowed.

Comparing Trsteno Arboretum with the King’s Landing gardens

The car portion takes you outside Dubrovnik to Trsteno Arboretum. This stop was used for many garden scenes in King’s Landing, and it offers more than a quick television reference. The arboretum is described as the oldest botanical garden in the world, with exotic plants and formal garden spaces.

I would value this stop even without the show connection. It gives the day a different rhythm after the Old Town’s stone streets and Lokrum’s island paths. The guide uses the screenshot book again, allowing you to place the filmed version beside the real garden.

The comparison is one of the tour’s strongest ideas. Television can make a location appear larger, more dramatic, or more isolated than it feels in person. Seeing the original setting helps you understand what filming, framing, and editing added to the scene. It also makes the tour more interesting for anyone in your group who is not a serious fan.

Trsteno Arboretum admission is included. The information supplied does not state how long you stay, so expect the guide to manage the timing within the seven-hour experience. If gardens and plants matter to you, this is one of the stops where you may wish the schedule allowed extra time.

Visiting the abandoned hotel Belvedere

The car tour also reaches the abandoned hotel Belvedere. This is the site used for the epic fight between the Mountain and Oberyn Martell. The building’s unfinished, worn appearance gives the stop a different mood from the polished Old Town and cultivated arboretum.

This location is valuable because it shows how the production used existing spaces that do not immediately look like medieval Westeros. The guide can point out how the scene translated the real setting into a brutal arena. For fans of the series, it is one of the more memorable filming locations because the place is tied to a major confrontation rather than a passing background shot.

Do not expect a fully restored attraction or a traditional sightseeing site here. It is an abandoned hotel, and the appeal comes from the connection to the scene and the atmosphere of the place. The supplied information does not describe interior access or the exact viewing arrangements, so follow the guide’s instructions and do not assume every part of the building is open.

Finishing above Dubrovnik on the King’s Road

The final stop is the King’s Road, where you get a panoramic view over Dubrovnik’s Old Town. After spending much of the day among walls, courtyards, and gardens, this high viewpoint helps you understand the city’s setting as a whole.

The view is also a useful reminder that the real Dubrovnik is the main attraction. The show made the city famous in a new way, but the old town, fortress, coastline, and surrounding hills already had a strong visual character. From the King’s Road, you can connect the individual locations you visited throughout the day.

This is a particularly good ending for photography. The tour information promises a stunning panorama, but weather and visibility will affect what you see. The guide can also help you link the broad view to the series locations below.

One full day or three easier outings

The total duration is seven hours, though the walking, boat, and car sections can be taken on separate days. This is one of the most useful features of the experience.

Take it as one day if you have limited time in Dubrovnik and want the complete story in a single outing. You will see the strongest range of locations without arranging separate tickets or transport. The tradeoff is a long, busy schedule with little room to linger.

Split the sections if you are staying longer. The walking tour is the most city-focused, the boat trip gives you Lokrum and the Iron Throne, and the car trip reaches Trsteno, Belvedere, and the King’s Road. Spreading them out gives you more energy for the stone streets and more time to enjoy Lokrum and the arboretum.

Starting times depend on availability. Since the sections may be taken on separate days, check the schedule carefully when booking and print the full confirmation document with all details, not just the ticket. Infant seats are available on request if you advise the operator at booking.

How good is the guiding?

The quality of the guide matters more than usual on a film-location tour. Without context, you may see a staircase, garden, or balcony and wonder what you are looking at. The guide’s screenshot book turns those ordinary details into clear scene comparisons.

Mikki and Dorotea are two guides associated with this experience. Their style is described as enthusiastic, witty, and well informed about both Dubrovnik and Game of Thrones. That combination is important. You want accurate filming details, but you also want someone who can keep a seven-hour day moving without making every stop feel like a lecture.

The tour is offered in English. If English is not comfortable for you, this is worth considering before booking, since the explanations and behind-the-scenes stories are a central part of the experience.

Who should book this $294 experience?

You should consider booking if you want a full Game of Thrones day rather than one quick Old Town walk. The price makes more sense for you if you value included admissions, a guide for each section, the Lokrum boat, and access to locations spread across the Dubrovnik area.

It is also a good fit for mixed groups. A devoted fan gets filming locations, screenshots, and the Iron Throne, while a less committed companion gets Dubrovnik’s fortress, Lokrum, the arboretum, the coast, and a broad city view.

You may want to skip it if you dislike organized touring, need a slow schedule, or are uncomfortable with boats. It is also a poor match for people with mobility limitations, back problems, or a tendency toward seasickness. The ability to split the tour across days solves the stamina issue, but not every physical concern.

Cancellation is free up to 24 hours before the experience, and you can reserve now and pay later. Those policies help if your Dubrovnik schedule is still changing, but the main decision remains the price and the amount of Game of Thrones content you want.

Should you book it?

Book this tour if the series is a major reason you are visiting Dubrovnik and you want to see the filming locations properly, not just photograph a famous street. The combination of Old Town walks, Lokrum, Trsteno Arboretum, Belvedere, and the King’s Road gives you a fuller picture than a single-location tour.

If you have only a passing interest in the show, book it for the transport and sightseeing value, but be sure you are comfortable paying $294 for a guided seven-hour experience. For most fans, the screenshot comparisons, Iron Throne photo, and variety of settings make the cost easier to justify. For everyone else, the two-hour walking section alone may be enough.

FAQ

Where does the tour meet?

The meeting point is near Pile Gate, the west entrance to Dubrovnik’s Old Town, by the Amerling fountain next to Dubravka restaurant.

How long does the full experience last?

The complete experience lasts seven hours.

Can I take the three parts on separate days?

Yes. The walking, boat, and car tours can be scheduled on separate days.

Is the tour offered in English?

Yes. The tour has live English-speaking guides.

How many Game of Thrones filming locations will I see?

The experience visits more than 15 filming locations around Dubrovnik.

Is the boat ride included?

Yes. A round-trip boat ticket to Lokrum and admission to Lokrum National Reserve are included.

Is Trsteno Arboretum admission included?

Yes. Entry to Trsteno Arboretum is included.

Is the tour suitable for people with mobility problems or seasickness?

No. The experience is not suitable for people with back problems, mobility impairments, or a tendency toward seasickness. Comfortable shoes and clothing are recommended, and large bags are not allowed.