.png){kind=logo}
By Ana Marendić, licensed tourist guide and art historian, Split, Croatia · Last updated: May 2026 · ~12 minute read
Between 2011 and 2018, HBO filmed Game of Thrones across four Croatian cities — Dubrovnik (King's Landing), Split (Meereen), Šibenik (Braavos), and Trogir (Qarth) — making Croatia the most-used non-British location in the entire series. The reason was simple: HBO didn't have to build sets. Croatia's UNESCO-protected old towns, intact medieval fortifications, and Roman imperial palaces already looked exactly like the fictional cities the show needed. This guide, written by a licensed Croatian tourist guide, identifies every major Game of Thrones filming location in Croatia, the specific scenes shot at each, the actual historical building HBO used, and the most efficient way to see all of them in a single trip.
HBO didn't build King's Landing. They rented a 13th-century walled city. They didn't build Meereen — they used a 1,700-year-old Roman palace. They didn't build Braavos — they filmed inside a 15th-century cathedral. They didn't build Qarth — they used a 13th-century coastal town that has barely changed since the Middle Ages.
Game of Thrones is the most architecturally honest fantasy series ever made. Almost every wall you see on screen is real, and most of them are between 500 and 2,000 years old.
The first season was filmed in Malta. Production then moved to Croatia for Season 2 — partly because Maltese authorities had become difficult about extras and permits, partly because the producers had visited Dubrovnik and realised the old town would not need a single set built. Once they were there, they kept finding more locations. By the end of the series, Game of Thrones had filmed in four Croatian cities and a handful of small villages between them.
I am Ana Marendić, a licensed tourist guide in Split. Below is every major filming location in Croatia — what was shot there, what season and episode, and what the building actually is when it's not pretending to be Westeros or Essos.
Dubrovnik, the 13th-century walled city on Croatia's southern coast, served as the primary filming location for King's Landing — the capital of the Seven Kingdoms — across seven of the eight seasons of Game of Thrones.
Dubrovnik is, in real life, one of the most intact medieval walled cities in the world. The Old Town is enclosed within 1,940 metres of stone walls, up to 25 metres high and 6 metres thick, completed between the 13th and 17th centuries. It was the capital of the Republic of Ragusa — an independent maritime state that rivalled Venice for centuries — and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1979.
Below are the most important Game of Thrones filming locations within and just outside Dubrovnik.
The western entrance to Dubrovnik's old town, with its stone bridge and tunnel arch, is the primary entry shot for King's Landing across the series. In Season 2, Episode 6 ("The Old Gods and the New"), this is the location of the riot in which a starving mob attacks King Joffrey and his retinue, leading to his infamous "Kill them. Kill them all" order. The same gate is used again in Season 3 when Jaime Lannister returns to the capital.
The Lovrijenac Fortress, a freestanding 11th-century fortification on a 37-metre cliff just outside Dubrovnik's western walls, is the exterior of the Red Keep. It is the location of Joffrey's name day tournament in Season 2 ("The North Remembers"), of the scene where Cersei watches the executions in preparation for Tyrion's trial, and of the courtyard fight between The Hound and a Lannister soldier.
Lovrijenac is sometimes called "Dubrovnik's Gibraltar." It was built in the early Middle Ages to defend the city from Venetian invasion. Above its entrance is carved the Ragusan motto: Non bene pro toto libertas venditur auro — "Freedom is not sold for all the gold in the world."
The Minčeta Tower, the highest point of Dubrovnik's city walls, was used as the House of the Undying in Qarth in Season 2, Episode 10 ("Valar Morghulis"). This is where Daenerys searches for her stolen dragons in a labyrinthine vision.
The tower was completed in 1464 by the Italian architect Michelozzo as part of Dubrovnik's defensive upgrades against the Ottomans. Its cylindrical form was specifically designed to deflect cannonballs.
The grand Baroque staircase leading from Gundulić Square to the Jesuit Church of St. Ignatius was used as the beginning of Cersei Lannister's infamous Walk of Shame in Season 5, Episode 10 ("Mother's Mercy"). The walk continues down the streets of the old town to the Pile Gate.
The staircase was designed in 1738 by the Roman architect Pietro Passalacqua, modelled on the Spanish Steps in Rome.
Long stretches of Dubrovnik's city walls appear throughout the series as the ramparts of King's Landing. The walk along them is used in scenes where characters survey the city, plot, walk together, or look out over Blackwater Bay. Entry to the walls costs around €40.
The small fishing harbour just outside the western walls served as Blackwater Bay and the harbour of King's Landing across multiple seasons. The Battle of Blackwater (Season 2, Episode 9) was partly filmed here. So was the scene where Princess Myrcella is sent off to Dorne (Season 2, Episode 6), Cersei waiting for Myrcella's return (Season 6, Episode 1), and Littlefinger and Sansa's conversations along the pier.
Twenty minutes north of Dubrovnik by car, Trsteno Arboretum is the oldest arboretum in Croatia, founded in the 15th century by a Ragusan noble family. Its Renaissance gardens, with their stone aqueduct, fountains, and terraced views over the Adriatic, served as the gardens of the Red Keep — the setting for many quiet plotting conversations between Margaery Tyrell, Olenna Tyrell, Sansa, and others across Seasons 3 to 5.
The Rupe Ethnographic Museum, housed in a 16th-century grain storage building (the name rupe means "holes," referring to the underground grain pits inside), was used as the exterior of Littlefinger's brothel in King's Landing — most memorably in the Season 4 scene where Tyrion meets Oberyn Martell.
The small forested island just off Dubrovnik's coast, accessible by a 15-minute ferry, was used for the interior of Qarth in Season 2 — including the scene where Daenerys is welcomed by the Thirteen and the masquerade ball at Xaro Xhoan Daxos's palace. Lokrum's Benedictine monastery ruins provided the cloistered architecture HBO needed.
The island also contains a small replica of the Iron Throne, donated by HBO at the end of filming. You can sit on it.
Between 2014 and 2016, the Split metropolitan area was used as the Slaver's Bay city of Meereen across Seasons 4, 5, and 6. The locations include the underground cellars of Diocletian's Palace (Daenerys's throne room and dragon dungeons), the Vestibule (the Sons of the Harpy ambush of Grey Worm), Papalićeva Street (the slave revolt chase), the Peristyle (establishing shots), Klis Fortress 9 kilometres inland (Meereen's exterior walls), and the village of Žrnovnica (Missandei's bath and Daenerys's army approach).
For a complete scene-by-scene breakdown of every Game of Thrones filming location in Split and its surroundings, see our dedicated guide: Game of Thrones Filming Locations in Split, Croatia: A Complete Guide.
The short version: the Split locations are the most architecturally distinctive in the entire series. The "dungeons of Meereen" are the substructures of a Roman emperor's private residence, built in the 290s AD. Walking through them, even without context, is more memorable than most museum visits.
Want a guide who'll show you the Roman version of these Meereen locations? Time Walk is a licensed VR-enhanced walking tour of Diocletian's Palace, led by an accredited Split historian. At two locations — the Golden Gate and the Peristyle — guests put on Meta Quest 3 headsets and see the palace reconstructed as it stood in 305 AD: the imperial apartments above the "Meereen dungeons," the original gold mosaic dome of the "Sons of the Harpy" room, the painted Peristyle as Diocletian saw it.€19 · 80 minutes · Small groups · Rated ★ 5.0 across 170+ verified reviews→ Book your tour
The Renaissance coastal city of Šibenik, 80 kilometres north of Split, served as the Free City of Braavos in Season 5 of Game of Thrones.
Šibenik is the oldest natively Croatian city on the Adriatic, founded in the 9th century by Croatian King Krešimir IV. Its old town is built on a series of stone steps climbing up from the harbour, with narrow alleys and Renaissance palaces. The skyline is dominated by the Cathedral of St. James, one of the most important Renaissance buildings in the Mediterranean.
The Cathedral of St. James — a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2000 — served as the exterior of the Iron Bank of Braavos in Season 5, Episode 6 ("Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken"). This is where Stannis Baratheon's envoy Davos Seaworth attempts to borrow money to fund the war for the Iron Throne.
The cathedral was built in three architectural phases between 1431 and 1535 by master builders Juraj Dalmatinac and Niccolò di Giovanni Fiorentino. It is constructed entirely of stone, without any binding mortar — an unusual technique for its size — and is famous for the frieze of 71 carved human heads on its exterior, depicting real 15th-century citizens of Šibenik.
The Square of the Four Wells (Trg Četiri bunara), a small 15th-century cistern square just below the cathedral, was used for street-level scenes in Braavos. The wells themselves date to 1446 and supplied the city with drinking water for centuries.
The narrow stone stairways climbing up from the cathedral were used in several Braavos scenes, including Arya Stark's training as a Faceless Man and her chases through the city. The alleys of Šibenik are remarkably unchanged since the 15th century, which is why HBO chose them with minimal CGI alteration.
Šibenik is reachable from Split in about an hour by car or by bus. The cathedral charges a small entrance fee of around €5.
The small medieval town of Trogir, 30 kilometres west of Split, served as the exterior of Qarth in Season 2, Episode 5 ("The Ghost of Harrenhal").
Trogir is one of the most intact medieval-Renaissance towns in Europe. It sits on a small island connected to the mainland by short bridges and has been continuously inhabited since 380 BC, when it was founded by Greek colonists from the island of Vis. The historic core is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The exterior city walls and waterfront fortifications of Trogir, particularly the area near the Kamerlengo Fortress, were used for the establishing shots of Qarth when Daenerys and her party arrive at the city's closed gates. This is the iconic shot of the immense exterior of Qarth, taller than any city Daenerys has ever seen — created mostly with CGI built on top of Trogir's real medieval walls.
Trogir is the easiest Game of Thrones day trip from Split: about 30 minutes by car or bus, or 50 minutes by ferry. The old town can be walked end to end in 15 minutes. Combine it with a stop at the nearby Roman ruins of Salona, the ancient capital of Dalmatia where Diocletian was born.
The most efficient Game of Thrones trip to Croatia uses Split as a base for the northern locations (Šibenik, Trogir, Klis) and Dubrovnik as a base for the southern locations (King's Landing sites, Trsteno, Lokrum). Split and Dubrovnik are connected by frequent buses (4 hours), ferries (5 hours in summer), or short flights (45 minutes on Croatia Airlines).
Suggested 6-day itinerary:
Day 1: Arrive in Split. Walk Diocletian's Palace — Peristyle, Vestibule, cellars (Meereen interiors). Book a VR-enhanced walking tour for the historical context.
Day 2: Day trip to Klis Fortress and Žrnovnica. Morning at Klis (Meereen exterior). Lunch at a local konoba below the fortress. Afternoon in Žrnovnica (Missandei's bath, army approach quarry).
Day 3: Day trip to Šibenik and Trogir. Morning in Šibenik (Iron Bank of Braavos). Afternoon in Trogir (Qarth gates) and optional Salona Roman ruins.
Day 4: Travel to Dubrovnik. Catamaran ferry from Split is the most scenic option in summer. Evening walk through Dubrovnik old town — Pile Gate, the city walls at sunset.
Day 5: Dubrovnik old town. Lovrijenac Fortress (Red Keep), Minčeta Tower (House of the Undying), Jesuit Stairs (Walk of Shame), Pile Harbour (Blackwater Bay), Ethnographic Museum (Littlefinger's brothel), Rector's Palace (Spice King).
Day 6: Day trip from Dubrovnik. Morning at Trsteno Arboretum (King's Landing gardens). Afternoon ferry to Lokrum Island (Qarth interior). Return for a final dinner in Dubrovnik.
This route covers every major Game of Thrones filming location in Croatia, with no backtracking. Compress it to 4 days by skipping Šibenik and Trogir if you are short on time. Extend it to 8–10 days if you want beach time on the islands of Hvar, Brač, or Korčula.
For broader Split-specific itinerary planning, see our one-day Split itinerary. For the comparison between Split and Dubrovnik as bases, see our Split vs Dubrovnik guide.
80 minutes · €19 · Small groups · Rated ★ 5.0 across 170+ verified reviews · Available in English
HBO moved Game of Thrones production to Croatia from Season 2 onward because Croatia's UNESCO-protected old towns, intact medieval fortifications, and Roman imperial buildings provided film-ready locations without the need to build expensive sets. Dubrovnik's 13th-century walled old town was an almost perfect match for the producers' vision of King's Landing. The first season had been filmed in Malta, but local authorities there became difficult about extras and permits, prompting the switch.
Four Croatian cities served as major Game of Thrones filming locations: Dubrovnik (as King's Landing), Split and its surrounding area (as Meereen), Šibenik (as Braavos), and Trogir (briefly as Qarth). Smaller locations were used in nearby villages including Žrnovnica, Trsteno, and on Lokrum Island near Dubrovnik. In total, Game of Thrones filmed at approximately 40 distinct sites across Croatia.
Dubrovnik is the most-used filming location in Croatia and the highest priority for any Game of Thrones fan, with King's Landing scenes filmed across all seven of Croatia's seasons of production. Split is the second priority, offering the entirety of Daenerys's Meereen storyline. Most serious Game of Thrones fans visit both, using one as a base and the other as a multi-day extension.
A complete Game of Thrones Croatia trip — covering Dubrovnik, Split, Šibenik, Trogir, and the surrounding day-trip locations — takes 5 to 7 days at a relaxed pace. A compressed version focusing only on Dubrovnik and Split can be done in 3 days. Most fans combine the Croatia portion with the Northern Ireland filming locations (Winterfell, Castle Black, the Iron Islands) on a separate trip.
Yes. Every major filming location in Croatia is open to the public year-round, and many are free to enter or charge only small fees. Self-guided visits work well if you have read up on each location beforehand. Guided tours — especially in Dubrovnik and Split — add behind-the-scenes context, exact camera positions, and historical interpretation that most visitors miss on their own.
Several options exist depending on your time and budget. In Dubrovnik, the most popular tours are walking tours of the old town focused entirely on King's Landing scenes, typically 1.5–2 hours. In Split, Time Walk's VR-enhanced walking tour covers all in-palace Meereen filming locations and reconstructs each in its original 305 AD Roman form using Meta Quest 3 headsets — combining the Game of Thrones layer with the underlying historical layer. For Klis Fortress, several Split-based tour operators offer half-day combination trips.
Daenerys Targaryen's storyline in Croatia was filmed primarily in Split and its surroundings, which served as Meereen across Seasons 4, 5, and 6. Specific Daenerys filming locations include the cellars of Diocletian's Palace (her throne room and dragon dungeons), Klis Fortress (where she conquers Meereen and gives her victory speech), and Žrnovnica village (where her army approaches Meereen). Some of her earlier scenes in Qarth (Season 2) were filmed in Dubrovnik (Lokrum Island interior) and Trogir (Qarth's exterior gates).
Cersei Lannister's Walk of Shame from Season 5, Episode 10 ("Mother's Mercy") was filmed in Dubrovnik, starting at the top of the Jesuit Stairs and continuing through the streets of the old town to the Pile Gate. The exact starting point is the Baroque staircase leading up to the Jesuit Church of St. Ignatius, designed in 1738 by Pietro Passalacqua.
Dubrovnik wins on volume — it hosted scenes from seven seasons across more than 20 distinct filming sites. Split wins on architectural distinctiveness — the Roman cellars where Daenerys keeps her dragons are 1,700 years old, which no other filming location in the world can match. Most fans visit both. If you have to choose one, Dubrovnik is the conventional answer; Split is the deeper-cut answer for fans who care equally about real history.
Split and Dubrovnik are connected by frequent buses (about 4 hours), ferries (about 5 hours, summer only), and short flights (45 minutes). Šibenik and Trogir are reachable from Split by bus in about 1 hour and 30 minutes respectively. A rental car is the most flexible option for visiting all four cities in a single trip, though parking in the old town centres is difficult.
Self-guided visits are completely viable and free for most locations. However, Game of Thrones tours add three things you can't easily get on your own: the exact camera positions for famous shots (so you can match screen images to the real place), behind-the-scenes anecdotes from the production, and the underlying historical context of the buildings themselves. For visitors who want both the show and the real history of the locations, a guided tour is usually worth the cost.
Ana Marendić is a licensed tourist guide (turistički vodič) registered with the Croatian Ministry of Tourism and Sport. She conducts walking tours of Diocletian's Palace and Split's historic centre as the resident guide for Time Walk, a VR-enhanced walking tour of the palace. She is based in Split, Croatia.
This article draws on the author's professional guiding experience in Split, cross-referenced with episode-by-episode Game of Thrones location verification from HBO's published production materials, the Internet Movie Database, and the official Croatian Ministry of Tourism filming records. Historical and architectural context for each Croatian filming location is supplemented by UNESCO World Heritage nomination dossiers for Dubrovnik (1979), Diocletian's Palace in Split (1979), the Cathedral of St. James in Šibenik (2000), and the historic town of Trogir (1997). Where scene-to-location matches are debated among fans, the article uses the most widely accepted production-source attribution. The Croatian Game of Thrones trip itinerary at the end of the article reflects routes regularly used by Split-based guides for fan tourists.
Want to learn more about us? Read our story.
Or browse more from our blog: