Game of Thrones: Irish Landmark Trust Locations
Game of Thrones was filmed across roughly 25 locations in Northern Ireland between seasons one and eight, including Tollymore Forest, Ballintoy Harbour, Downhill Beach, Binevenagh, the Dark Hedges, Pollnagollum Cave, Inch Abbey and Castle Ward.
Irish Landmark Trust has self-catering heritage properties within easy driving distance of most of these sites, making them an ideal base for a Game of Thrones tour of Northern Ireland.
Are you planning your visit to Northern Ireland as a Game of Thrones fan?
For ten years, HBO and Game of Thrones® made Northern Ireland their home. Filming of seasons one to eight took place in around 25 locations around Northern Ireland.
If you are looking to get as close to the spirit of the action as possible, why not book an Irish Landmark Trust property? To help you plan your visit, here are 8 must-see Game of Thrones locations in Northern Ireland, and some self-catering Irish Landmark Trust property suggestions that would work perfectly as a base during your GOT tour.
Northern Ireland is now home to the official Game of Thrones Studio Tour, created in partnership with Warner Bros. This tour offers an unforgettable immersive experience for fans from across the world.
Tollymore Forest, Co. Down
Tollymore Forest was the first state forest park in Northern Ireland, established in 1955 and covering an area of 1,600 acres. Oak wood from Tollymore was the preferred material for the interiors of the White Star liners including the Titanic, which was built in Belfast.
In Season One of Game of Thrones, Tollymore Forest appeared as the lands around Winterfell. Here Ned Stark comes across the orphaned direwolves – the symbol of House Stark.
Stay nearby: John’s Point Ketch or Sloop, Killough, Co. Down – 1 hour drive Blackhead Lightkeeper’s Houses, Whitehead, Co. Antrim – around 1 hour 15 minute drive
Book St. John’s Point, Co. Down → | Book Blackhead Lightkeeper’s Houses →
Ballintoy Harbour, Co. Antrim
Ballintoy is a village on the coast of Co. Antrim with a small fishing harbour located at the end of a narrow, steep road down Knocksaughey hill, which passes the entrance to Larrybane and Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge. Home to just under 200 people, Ballintoy means “the northern townland” in Irish (Baile an Tuaigh).
Ballintoy harbour was the setting for Theon’s return to the Iron Islands. It was here that Theon first met his sister Yara and was baptised in the name of the Drowned God.
Stay nearby: Magherintemple Lodge, Ballycastle, Co. Antrim – 2 minute drive Drum Gatelodge, Bushmills, Co. Antrim – 10 minute drive Kiln Wing, Old Corn Mill, Bushmills, Co. Antrim – 10 minute drive
Book Magherintemple Lodge → | Book Drum Gatelodge → | Book Kiln Wing →
Downhill Beach, Coleraine, Co. Derry/Londonderry
Located in the very north of Northern Ireland, the beach is part of a seven-mile stretch of sand offering water sports and scenic walks. Above the beach is the prominent Mussenden Temple, one of the most photographed buildings in Northern Ireland.
In Game of Thrones Season Two, Downhill Beach serves as Dragonstone, the place where Stannis Baratheon rejects the Seven Gods of Westeros and allows Melisandre to burn their effigies as an offering to the Lord of Light.
Stay nearby: Drum Gatelodge, Bushmills, Co. Antrim – 20 minute drive Kiln Wing, Old Corn Mill, Bushmills, Co. Antrim – 10 minute drive
Book Drum Gatelodge → | Book Kiln Wing →

Dunluce Castle, Co. Antrim

Dunluce Castle sits on a basalt sea stack on the Causeway Coast, between Portballintrae and Portrush, connected to the mainland by a narrow stone bridge with sheer drops to the Atlantic on three sides. Seat of the MacQuillan and later MacDonnell clans, the castle dates back to the 13th century and has dominated this stretch of coastline since the 16th.
Dunluce provided the visual basis for Castle Pyke, seat of House Greyjoy, in Game of Thrones – the cliff-edge setting and crumbling silhouette carried through into the show even where CGI took over for wider shots.
Stay nearby: Drum Gatelodge, Bushmills, Co. Antrim – 5 minute drive Kiln Wing, Old Corn Mill, Bushmills, Co. Antrim – 5 minute drive Magherintemple Lodge, Ballycastle, Co. Antrim – 20 minute drive
Book Drum Gatelodge → | Book Kiln Wing →
Binevenagh, Limavady, Co. Derry/Londonderry

The plateau and steep cliffs extend for over six miles across the peninsula of Magilligan, dominating the skyline over Bellarena, Downhill, Castlerock and Benone beach. It has panoramic views over Lough Foyle, the Roe Valley, Inishowen and the west coast of Scotland, and is an Area of Special Scientific Interest for its geological and geomorphological features.
It appeared as the Dothraki Grasslands in Season Five, when Daenerys Targaryen was rescued by her dragon, Drogon, while fleeing from the Sons of the Harpy in the fighting pits of Meereen.
Stay nearby: Magherintemple Lodge, Ballycastle, Co. Antrim – 35 minute drive Drum Gatelodge, Bushmills, Co. Antrim – 40 minute drive Kiln Wing, Old Corn Mill, Bushmills, Co. Antrim – 40 minute drive
Book Magherintemple Lodge → | | Book Drum Gatelodge →
Dark Hedges, Stranocum, Co. Antrim

Lined with beech trees whose twisted branches form an arch over the road, the Dark Hedges is one of the most photographed spots in Northern Ireland. This beautiful avenue was planted by the Stuart family in the 18th century to impress visitors approaching Gracehill House.
The Dark Hedges was used as the filming location for the “King’s Road” – the mystical interlocking trees provide the setting through which Arya Stark escaped King’s Landing.
Stay nearby: Magherintemple Lodge, Ballycastle, Co. Antrim – 35 minute drive Drum Gatelodge, Bushmills, Co. Antrim – 40 minute drive Kiln Wing, Old Corn Mill, Bushmills, Co. Antrim – 40 minute drive Blackhead Lightkeeper’s Houses, Whitehead, Co. Antrim – 1 hour drive
Pollnagollum Cave, Marble Arch Caves, Co. Fermanagh
Pollnagollum Cave in Belmore Forest is part of the Marble Arch Caves Global Geopark in Co. Fermanagh. The cave is fed by a waterfall, and you can follow the Belmore Forest walk.
The cave features as Beric Dondarrion’s hideout in the Riverlands, during Season Three of Game of Thrones.
Stay nearby: Triumphal Arch Lodge, Colebrooke Estate, Co. Fermanagh – 40 minute drive Book Triumphal Arch Lodge →
Inch Abbey, Co. Down
Located on the north bank of the Quoile River, Inch Abbey was founded by John de Courcy in atonement for his destruction of Erenagh Abbey. It has distant views towards the cathedral town of Downpatrick.
The site was used as Robb Stark’s camp, Riverrun, in Season One of Game of Thrones. It is where he was proclaimed King of the North.
Stay nearby: John’s Point Ketch or Sloop, Killough, Co. Down – 1 hour drive Blackhead Lightkeeper’s Houses, Whitehead, Co. Antrim – around 1 hour 15 minute drive
Book St. John’s Point, Co. Down → | Book Blackhead Lightkeeper’s Houses →
Castle Ward, near Strangford, Co. Down
Overlooking Strangford Lough, Castle Ward has been home to the Ward family since the 16th century. The 18th century mansion house rests on a rolling hillside surrounded by a beautiful 820-acre walled demesne with gardens and woodland.
The site appeared in Game of Thrones Season One as the iconic Winterfell, home of House Stark. King Robert Baratheon arrived at Winterfell and was met by Stark during Episode 1, and this was where they talked during the hunt in Episode 2. Castle Ward made a return in Episode 10, when Bran and Osha were at Winterfell.
Stay nearby: John’s Point Ketch or Sloop, Killough, Co. Down – 1 hour drive Blackhead Lightkeeper’s Houses, Whitehead, Co. Antrim – around 1 hour 15 minute drive
Book St. John’s Point, Co. Down → | Book Blackhead Lightkeeper’s Houses →
More Northern Ireland screen tourism: St John’s Point on Netflix
Game of Thrones isn’t the only screen credit for our County Down coastline. St John’s Point Lighthouse recently featured in Lisa McGee’s Netflix drama How to Get to Heaven from Belfast, standing in as the lighthouse in the fictional Knockdara. If you’re planning a Northern Ireland screen-tourism trip, it’s well worth combining both storylines in one visit – Castle Ward, Inch Abbey and Tollymore Forest are all within an hour of the John’s Point Lightkeepers’ Houses.
Read: St John’s Point is on Netflix →
Frequently Asked Questions
Where was Game of Thrones filmed in Northern Ireland? Game of Thrones was filmed across around 25 locations in Northern Ireland, including Tollymore Forest, Ballintoy Harbour, Downhill Beach, Binevenagh, the Dark Hedges, Pollnagollum Cave, Inch Abbey and Castle Ward.
Can I stay near Game of Thrones filming locations in Northern Ireland? Yes. Irish Landmark Trust has self-catering heritage properties within a short drive of most major filming locations, including Magherintemple Lodge and Drum Gatelodge near the Causeway Coast sites, Triumphal Arch Lodge near Pollnagollum Cave, and the John’s Point Lightkeepers’ Houses near Castle Ward and Inch Abbey in Co. Down.
Is there a Game of Thrones Studio Tour in Northern Ireland? Yes. The official Game of Thrones Studio Tour, created in partnership with Warner Bros., is open in Northern Ireland and features props, costumes and interactive galleries from the show.
Is Irish Landmark Trust affiliated with HBO or Game of Thrones? No. Irish Landmark Trust properties are independently operated and are not sponsored, endorsed, or affiliated with HBO or Game of Thrones.
DISCLAIMER: These properties are independently operated by the Irish Landmark Trust CLG. They are not sponsored, endorsed, or affiliated with HBO or anyone associated with ‘Game of Thrones’.






