Dubrovnik: Game of Thrones Walking, Car and Boat Tour

This is not just a quick stroll past a few Game of Thrones backdrops. In seven hours, you move through Dubrovnik by foot, car, and boat, seeing more than 15 filming locations tied to King’s Landing, Qarth, and Westeros. The mix gives you both the famous Old Town scenes and places you would be unlikely to reach on a short city walk.

I like the show-versus-reality screenshots, which help you spot how Dubrovnik was altered for television. I also like the variety: the Iron Throne on Lokrum, the gardens at Trsteno Arboretum, the abandoned Hotel Belvedere, and the panoramic King’s Road each offer a different kind of experience.

The main drawback is the pace and physical demand. This is a long day with walking, driving, stairs or uneven ground, and a boat ride. It is not a good fit for anyone with mobility problems, back trouble, or a strong tendency toward seasickness.

Key points to know before booking

• Three ways to see Dubrovnik: Complete the walking, boat, and car sections in one seven-hour day or spread them over separate days.
• More than 15 filming sites: Visit locations used for the Red Keep, Blackwater Bay, Qarth, the Walk of Shame, and the King’s Road.
• A real Iron Throne photo: Lokrum gives you time to take your own picture on the throne.
• A useful visual guide: Your guide carries screenshots from the show, making it easier to match television scenes with real locations.
• Strong guide presence: Guides including Mikki and Dorotea bring friendly banter, quick wit, and detailed background about Dubrovnik and the production.
• Good value for serious fans: The $294 price includes guides, fortress and arboretum entry, the Lokrum boat, and Lokrum National Reserve admission.

Starting near Pile Gate in Dubrovnik’s Old Town

The tour begins near Pile Gate, the west entrance to Dubrovnik’s Old Town, by the Amerling Fountain and next to Dubravka restaurant on Brsalje. This is a practical meeting point, but it can be busy, so I would arrive with the full confirmation document in hand.

The meeting point puts you right beside the city’s historic core. You do not need a hotel transfer, since pickup and drop-off are not included. That keeps the price focused on the three-part experience, but you must arrange your own way to Pile Gate.

Bring comfortable shoes and light, comfortable clothing. Large bags and luggage are not allowed, which makes sense when you are moving through narrow streets, boarding a boat, and getting in and out of a car.

The English-language tour runs for about seven hours when taken as one experience. Starting times depend on availability. You can also arrange the walking, boat, and car portions on separate days, a useful option if you want more time for Dubrovnik itself.

Walking through the Red Keep and Blackwater Bay

The first section is a two-hour walking tour through Dubrovnik and its famous landmarks. This is the part that connects the television fantasy most directly to the real city.

You visit locations used for the Red Keep, Blackwater Bay, and the infamous Walk of Shame. The pleasure here comes from seeing ordinary stone streets and walls transformed by camera angles, costumes, digital effects, and careful production design.

Your guide explains where scenes were shot, which actors used the locations, and what happened behind the scenes. The tour is not limited to naming a location and moving on. The guide’s screenshots let you compare the exact television image with the Dubrovnik view in front of you.

I find that comparison especially useful for people who know the show well. A familiar scene may look quite different when you see the real setting. The screen version often uses only one arch, staircase, wall, or courtyard, while the rest of Dubrovnik continues around it.

This part also gives you a quick introduction to Dubrovnik beyond the series. The guides, including Mikki and Dorotea, are praised for their friendly banter, quick wit, and ability to talk about both Game of Thrones and the city itself. That matters because a guide who knows only the television details can make the walk feel narrow. Here, the show is the focus, but Dubrovnik remains part of the story.

The tradeoff is that this is an active walk through an old stone city. You should expect a fair amount of standing and walking. People who want a relaxed, seated tour may find this section tiring, especially when combined with the later stops.

Crossing to Lokrum for Qarth and the Iron Throne

The second part begins with a boat ride to Lokrum. The crossing takes about 15 minutes, giving you views back toward Dubrovnik and a welcome change from the tight streets of the Old Town.

One especially interesting sight on the way is Villa Šeherezada, where Tyrion spent time conspiring on a balcony in the series. You see it from the water, which gives the location a different context than a street-level visit.

On Lokrum, you walk through gardens used as the city of Qarth. The setting shifts from Dubrovnik’s dense stone architecture to open grounds and greenery, making this section feel distinct from the walking tour.

You also visit a Benedictine monastery and hear the fictional Westeros background connected with the site. The tour includes admission to the Lokrum National Reserve, so you are not paying a separate entrance fee for that part.

The most memorable stop for many fans is the Iron Throne. You can sit on it and take a photo, giving you a simple souvenir that is more personal than another picture of a filming location.

You also have free time on Lokrum before returning by boat. That flexibility is valuable. You are not rushed straight from one explanation to the next, and you can use the time to look around at your own pace.

Still, the boat section has practical limits. People prone to seasickness are specifically advised against booking this experience. The tour also includes walking on Lokrum, so it is not a good substitute for a fully accessible sightseeing outing.

Driving to Trsteno Arboretum and the King’s Landing gardens

The car section takes you beyond central Dubrovnik to Trsteno Arboretum. This is one of the strongest reasons to choose the full experience rather than a basic Old Town filming walk.

Trsteno was used for many garden scenes in King’s Landing. Even if you care little about Game of Thrones, the arboretum is worth your time. It is described as the oldest botanical garden in the world and contains exotic plants, giving the visit value beyond its television connection.

The car makes this part practical. Rather than trying to organize separate transport to a location outside the Old Town, you travel with a guide who can point out how the real gardens appeared on screen.

Again, the screenshot book makes the location easier to understand. You can look at the television frame, then identify the plants, paths, walls, or views that remain in place. The contrast also shows how much a production can change the feel of a real location without rebuilding it entirely.

For me, Trsteno is likely to appeal most to people who want a break from fan trivia. It adds plants, open space, and a different setting to a day otherwise centered on stone streets and fortifications.

The drawback is time. A seven-hour tour gives you access to more places, but it leaves less room for a slow independent visit. If botanical gardens are a major interest, you may wish you had more time to explore every corner.

The Hotel Belvedere and the Mountain versus Oberyn

The car tour also goes to the abandoned Hotel Belvedere. This location was used for the major fight between the Mountain and Oberyn Martell.

The site has a very different character from the polished Old Town. Its abandoned condition gives the stop a stark backdrop, and fans can connect the real space with one of the series’ most dramatic confrontations.

Your guide’s visual references are useful here. The real location may not immediately look like the television set, especially when you are viewing it without actors, costumes, props, and editing. The screenshots help you focus on the exact details that made it into the scene.

This stop will mean more to fans who remember the fight clearly. If you have only a casual interest in the show, the abandoned hotel may feel less rewarding than the Old Town or Trsteno Arboretum.

That is one of the fair choices built into this tour. It does not pretend every stop has equal appeal for every person. Some places are valuable for Dubrovnik itself, while others are mainly for dedicated followers of the series.

Looking down from the King’s Road

The final stop is the King’s Road, where you get a broad panoramic view over Dubrovnik’s Old Town. After the close-up work of comparing walls, gardens, and stairways, this is a good way to finish.

The view helps you understand Dubrovnik as a whole. You can see how the Old Town sits within its coastal setting and why it worked so well as a visual stand-in for King’s Landing.

This is also a useful moment for photos that are not strictly about Game of Thrones. The tour begins among the city’s narrow streets and ends with a wider view, giving the day a clear visual arc.

I would not book the full tour only for this viewpoint, since the location is one part of a much longer program. But as a final stop, it adds real value and prevents the day from feeling like a series of disconnected production references.

What the $294 price really includes

At $294 per person, this is an expensive sightseeing experience. The value depends on how much you want the complete three-part program.

The price includes a guide for each tour, entry to St. Lawrence Fortress, entry to Trsteno Arboretum, the return boat to Lokrum, and admission to the Lokrum National Reserve. Food and drinks are not included, and there is no hotel pickup or drop-off.

If you visited every area independently, you would still need to organize transport, boat tickets, and several entrance fees. You would also lose the show screenshots and the explanations linking locations to particular scenes.

That does not automatically make the tour a bargain. Independent visitors who only want the Old Town filming sites can spend less by taking a shorter walk and choosing only the locations that interest them. The full price makes more sense for a committed fan who wants the Red Keep, Qarth, Trsteno, Hotel Belvedere, and the King’s Road in one organized plan.

It is also better value if you split the sections over separate days. You can give the walking tour your full attention, then visit Lokrum and Trsteno without trying to absorb everything in one long stretch.

The tour has a strong record in the information provided, with a five-star rating from three verified bookings. The most praised points are the guides’ enthusiasm, their knowledge of Game of Thrones and Dubrovnik, and the wide range of places covered. That is a small review sample, so I would treat it as encouraging rather than final proof.

Who will enjoy this most

You should consider this tour if you:

• Know the series well and want to match scenes with real locations.
• Want more than an Old Town walking tour.
• Like having transport and admissions arranged for you.
• Enjoy hearing production details, actor stories, and behind-the-scenes facts.
• Want a photo on the Iron Throne.
• Can handle a long day with walking, a boat ride, and transfers by car.

It is less suitable if you have back problems, mobility impairments, or seasickness. The tour combines several forms of movement, and comfortable shoes are essential.

Casual fans can still enjoy the Old Town, Lokrum, Trsteno, and the views. But the price is easier to justify if you recognize the scenes and care about how Dubrovnik was turned into Westeros.

Practical ways to make the day easier

Wear shoes that work on stone streets and uneven outdoor paths. Comfortable clothes will help during the walking section, the boat ride, and the arboretum visit.

Do not bring luggage or a large bag. You will be changing between walking, boating, and car travel, so a small personal item is more practical.

Print the entire confirmation document, not only the ticket. This is specifically required information for the activity and could save confusion at the meeting point.

If you need an infant seat, request it when booking. Infant seats are available on request, but the request must be made in advance.

The tour can be canceled up to 24 hours before the start for a full refund. You can also reserve now and pay later, which helps if your Dubrovnik schedule is still changing.

Should you book this Dubrovnik Game of Thrones tour?

Book it if Game of Thrones is a major reason you want to see Dubrovnik and you would rather have the whole filming-location picture arranged for you. The three-part format is the key advantage: you get the Old Town, Lokrum, and outlying sites such as Trsteno Arboretum and Hotel Belvedere.

I especially like the combination of show screenshots and real places. It turns a simple sightseeing walk into a visual puzzle, while the Iron Throne photo and King’s Road viewpoint add memorable stops beyond the standard Old Town route.

Skip it if you want a cheap, short introduction or if a long active day sounds tiring. At $294, this is a specialist tour, not a general Dubrovnik bargain.

For a dedicated fan with seven hours to spare, the coverage, transport, admissions, and guides such as Mikki and Dorotea make the price easier to defend. If your schedule is tight, split the walking, boat, and car sections across separate days so the experience feels like three manageable outings instead of one packed day.

FAQ

How long does the Game of Thrones tour last?

The full experience lasts seven hours. The walking section itself lasts two hours, and the boat ride to Lokrum takes about 15 minutes.

Can I take the walking, boat, and car tours on different days?

Yes. You can complete all three parts in one day or take them on separate days.

Where does the tour meet?

The meeting point is near Pile Gate, the west entrance to Dubrovnik’s Old Town, by the Amerling Fountain and next to Dubravka restaurant at Brsalje bb.

Is the Iron Throne included?

Yes. On Lokrum, you can take a photo sitting on the Iron Throne.

Are entrance fees included?

Yes. The tour includes entry to St. Lawrence Fortress, Trsteno Arboretum, the Lokrum National Reserve, and the return boat ticket to Lokrum.

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.