Dubrovnik Game of Thrones Tour & Optional Lokrum Island Visit

Dubrovnik’s Game of Thrones filming locations are packed into a walkable stretch of the Old Town and its western edge. You’ll see Pile Gate, the harbor used for Blackwater Bay, Fort Lovrijenac as the Red Keep, and the staircase from Cersei’s Walk of Shame. The guide supplies the missing link between the real stone streets and the finished television scenes.

I like the way the tour combines show trivia with Dubrovnik history, so it still works if only one person in your group watched the series. I also like the practical route: a guide leads you through places that would be easy to miss, then explains filming tricks with scene photos and local stories. The catch is the climb to Fort Lovrijenac, plus a separate €15 entry fee unless you have a Dubrovnik Pass or City Wall Ticket.

Key points to know before booking

• Fort Lovrijenac is the tour’s big payoff: The Red Keep setting brings the best views and the most substantial stop, but it requires stairs and costs extra.
• The route covers major filming sites: You’ll visit Pile Gate, Kolorina Beach, Dubrovnik West Harbour, Old Town streets, and the Walk of Shame staircase.
• Local guides add more than plot details: Guides including Jelena, Joseph, Ana, Edi, and Josip are praised for mixing filming facts with local history and stories about Dubrovnik during the show’s production.
• The basic walk lasts about two hours: The full experience is listed at roughly two to three hours, depending on the group and optional Lokrum visit.
• Lokrum changes the day from a walking tour to a short excursion: The upgrade adds a ferry ride, island admission, Qarth filming sites, and Dubrovnik’s official Iron Throne.
• Plan for crowds and stairs: Groups can reach 70 people, though audio equipment and splitting a large group may help the guide stay audible.

Starting at the Large Onofrio Fountain

The meeting point is the Large Onofrio Fountain inside Dubrovnik’s Old Town, near the western entrance and the Hard Rock Cafe. Look for a representative with a red umbrella marked Dubrovnik Walking Tours. That simple sign matters in a crowded square, especially when cruise-day foot traffic fills the entrance streets.

The guide gathers the group, gives a short introduction, and sets off toward Pile Gate. The tour is offered in English and uses a mobile ticket, so you do not need to print anything. Confirmation arrives when you book.

This is a walking tour, not a bus outing. Wear shoes with a firm grip and expect uneven stone, steps, and a climb to the fortress. The route is not presented as an extreme hike, but several people found the Fort Lovrijenac ascent demanding enough to deserve a slower pace. Guides such as Jelena and Joseph have been praised for pausing when needed and helping older participants manage the stairs.

Pile Gate: your first King’s Landing scene

Pile Gate is only a short walk from the fountain, but it gives you an immediate sense of how Dubrovnik became King’s Landing. The gate and approach appear in scenes from Seasons 2 and 3, including the royal procession involving King Joffrey and the angry crowd.

Your guide explains how the setting was used for the riot after Joffrey orders his guards to attack the people. You’ll also hear about Jaime Lannister’s return to the city with Brienne of Tarth, including the scene in which Jaime enters without being recognized.

The value here is visual. Dubrovnik’s gate has the scale and hard stone that television needed, yet the real place is much more compact than it feels on screen. A guide who shows still images can point out camera angles and help you understand how a single entrance became several parts of King’s Landing.

Pile Gate is also one of the busiest areas on the route. If you want clear photos, your best chance comes when the group pauses and the guide positions everyone away from the main flow of people.

Kolorina Beach and the docks of King’s Landing

Below Pile Gate, the path leads toward Kolorina, a small waterfront area used for several scenes. This is where the royal party sees Princess Myrcella off to Dorne, and where the show depicts the Gold Cloaks hunting King Robert Baratheon’s illegitimate children.

The same setting also connects to Tyrion’s planning with Lord Varys near Fort Bokar before the Battle of Blackwater Bay. That is one reason this stop is more interesting than a simple photo break. The guide can show how the production reused one compact harbor area for different storylines, seasons, and moods.

You’ll spend about 10 minutes here. That is enough for an explanation and a look around, but not enough for a long waterfront pause. The tour keeps moving, so do not count on free time at each location.

Dubrovnik West Harbour and Blackwater Bay

The route continues to Dubrovnik West Harbour, where the water and stone piers played several roles. The harbor doubled for sections of Blackwater Bay and was used for scenes involving wildfire. It also appears in a conversation between Sansa and Shae before Littlefinger arrives with news about Sansa’s possible escape.

This stop helps you see one of the show’s cleverest advantages in Dubrovnik: the city offers sea views, old walls, steep streets, and enclosed harbors within a short walk of one another. The production could shift from a city street to a military waterfront without traveling far.

The approach to Fort Lovrijenac begins from this area. That means the harbor stop is also your warning that the harder part of the route is coming. Take water with you, particularly in warm weather, and avoid treating the next climb as a race.

Fort Lovrijenac, the Red Keep above the sea

Fort Lovrijenac is the centerpiece. The massive fortress sits above the water and served as the Red Keep, the royal stronghold of King’s Landing. Its courtyards, walls, and exterior views were used for scenes including the Purple Wedding and the tournament held for King Joffrey’s name day.

You’ll spend about 45 minutes here, much longer than at the earlier stops. That extra time is useful. The fortress has enough corners, levels, and sea views to make the location feel like more than a backdrop. You can look back toward Dubrovnik’s Old Town and understand why the show’s producers favored this spot for a castle that needed to dominate the bay.

Entry is not included in the base price. The listed cost is €15 per person, but admission is free with a Dubrovnik Pass or a City Wall Ticket. If you already plan to walk the city walls, check your ticket before paying again. This is the most important extra cost on the standard route.

Fort Lovrijenac is also the main physical test. The climb and interior steps may be manageable for most people, but the route is not flat. One guide, Jelena, was praised for allowing pauses, and other guides have been described as attentive and good-humored. Even so, you should be comfortable with stairs before booking.

Old Town streets after the fortress

After the fortress, the group descends into the Old Town and follows streets used for several King’s Landing scenes. This section links the dramatic fortress to the everyday lanes where rebellion, political plotting, and personal confrontations took place.

You’ll hear about the aftermath of the Purple Wedding, Sansa’s flight toward a ship, Jaime’s return after imprisonment, Littlefinger’s brothel, and Tyrion’s meeting with Prince Oberyn Martell. The settings are close together, but the storylines span different parts of the series.

This is where the guide’s style matters most. A list of locations would get dull quickly. A good guide uses the street layout, scene photos, and filming details to show how production teams altered the same buildings and alleys. Guides such as Joseph, Ana, Edi, and Josip have been praised for humor, clear explanations, and strong command of both the series and Dubrovnik itself.

The Old Town section also makes the tour useful as a first orientation walk. Even if you care more about Dubrovnik than the show, you’ll pass through central lanes and learn how the city’s public spaces fit together.

The St. Ignatius staircase and Cersei’s Walk of Shame

The final major stop on the standard route is the staircase outside the Church of St. Ignatius of Loyola. It was used for Cersei’s Walk of Shame, one of the series’ most recognizable Dubrovnik scenes.

This is the best photo stop on the basic walk. The stairs rise in a dramatic curve, and the setting is easy to recognize even without a guide’s explanation. You’ll learn about the Faith of the Seven ritual and the scene’s place in Cersei’s story, but the guide also explains how the production used the real staircase to create a longer, more public-feeling route.

The stop lasts about 15 minutes. It can be crowded, and the stairs are active public space, so your photo opportunity may depend on timing. Still, this is the location most likely to make a casual fan happy.

Afterward, the standard tour continues toward Veliki Muo, where the Lokrum ferry departs. The activity ends in a different location from the fountain, so keep that in mind if you have a restaurant booking, museum visit, or transport connection soon after the walk.

Adding Lokrum Island and the official Iron Throne

The Lokrum option extends the experience beyond Dubrovnik’s walls. After the Old Town walk, you take a ferry to Lokrum Island, the setting used for Qarth in Season 2. The island section adds about 30 minutes, not counting ferry timing.

The upgrade includes the same main city locations, then adds the island’s filming connection and Dubrovnik’s official Iron Throne. The Iron Throne photo is a fun finish, especially for dedicated fans. It also gives you something the standard city route cannot: a physical show prop and a setting associated with a different part of the series.

The added cost is €30 for adults and €5 for children aged 5 to 17, covering round-trip transportation and Lokrum admission. That is a sizeable increase over the $24.19 base price, so I would choose it for the island and Iron Throne rather than treating it as a minor add-on.

Lokrum is the better choice if you have extra time in Dubrovnik and want a broader Game of Thrones day. If your schedule is tight, the two-hour city route covers the most famous locations without committing you to a ferry and island visit.

How much value do you get for $24.19?

At $24.19 per person, the standard tour is fairly priced for a guided route that includes a local guide, show-specific explanations, and access to locations you might not identify on your own. The real value comes from interpretation. Pile Gate is impressive by itself, but a guide connects it to Joffrey’s riot, Jaime’s return, and the camera work that turned it into King’s Landing.

You should budget separately for Fort Lovrijenac. The €15 entry fee can change the calculation, especially if you are not buying a Dubrovnik Pass or City Wall Ticket anyway. On the other hand, the fortress is the most substantial stop and offers the best views, so skipping it would remove a large part of the tour’s appeal.

The group limit is listed at 70 people. That is potentially large, though the use of audio guides and the option to split the group can improve communication. If you prefer quiet, slow sightseeing, a private booking may suit you better. The shared format makes more sense for solo visitors, couples, and families who want an affordable introduction.

The high rating, with 99 percent recommending the experience and a 4.9 score from 4,702 ratings, matches the repeated strengths: guides who are funny, clear, passionate about the show, and able to add local context. Individual guides vary, but names often praised include Jelena, Joseph, Ana, Edi, Josip, Ivica, and Eddie.

Who will enjoy this Dubrovnik tour most?

You do not need to have watched every season. Several guides explain the locations clearly enough for newcomers, and the Dubrovnik material gives the walk value beyond television trivia. If you watched the series closely, you’ll get more from recognizing the scenes and asking about filming methods.

I think the tour fits best for:

• Fans who want the real locations rather than a general city walk
• Couples or families with mixed interest in the show
• First-time visitors who want a quick Old Town orientation
• People who prefer a guide to navigate the narrow streets and fortress route
• Visitors with enough mobility for stairs and uneven paving
• Anyone considering Lokrum and wanting the ferry, Qarth sites, and Iron Throne in one plan

It is less suitable if you want a relaxed, flat walk, long time at each site, or a small group guaranteed from the start. The route has a set pace, and the fortress climb is part of the deal.

You can cancel for a full refund up to 24 hours before the start time. Changes or cancellations within 24 hours are not refunded. The experience requires good weather, so a weather cancellation results in either another date or a full refund. Service animals are allowed, and most people can participate, but the stairs still deserve serious consideration.

Should you book it?

Book the standard tour if Game of Thrones is a real interest, you want a guide to connect the scenes, and you are comfortable paying extra for Fort Lovrijenac. The route is well chosen, the Walk of Shame staircase is memorable, and the Red Keep views give the experience more substance than a quick photo hunt.

Choose the Lokrum option if you have time for the ferry and specifically want Qarth and the official Iron Throne. For everyone else, the city walk delivers the strongest value at the lower price. Bring water, wear good shoes, and arrive ready for stairs. That small bit of preparation lets you focus on the fun part: seeing Dubrovnik turn into King’s Landing before your eyes.

FAQ

Where does the Dubrovnik Game of Thrones tour start?

The tour starts at the Large Onofrio Fountain inside Dubrovnik’s Old Town, near the western entrance and the Hard Rock Cafe.

How do I find the meeting point?

Look for a representative holding a red umbrella marked Dubrovnik Walking Tours.

How long does the tour last?

The city walking tour takes about two hours. The full activity is listed as approximately two to three hours, depending on the optional Lokrum visit.

What language is the tour offered in?

The tour is offered in English.

Is Fort Lovrijenac included in the tour price?

No. Entrance to St. Lawrence Fortress costs €15 per person. Admission is free with a Dubrovnik Pass or a City Wall Ticket.

Does the tour include the Lokrum ferry?

Only the Lokrum option includes round-trip transportation and Lokrum Island admission. The listed cost is €30 for adults and €5 for children aged 5 to 17.

What will I see on Lokrum Island?

The Lokrum option includes filming locations connected with Qarth in Season 2 and a visit to Dubrovnik’s official Iron Throne.

Is the Iron Throne photo opportunity included?

An Iron Throne photo opportunity is included in the experience. The Lokrum option specifically includes the official Iron Throne on the island.

How large can the group be?

The tour can have a maximum of 70 participants. Audio guides may be used, and large groups may be split to help with interaction and questions.

What is the cancellation policy?

You can cancel at least 24 hours before the start time for a full refund. Cancellations or changes made less than 24 hours before the start time are not refunded. If poor weather cancels the tour, you can receive a different date or a full refund.