-Europe.NorthernIreland-

---

*In this post , there is mention of GoT characters and places but no intentional giveaway spoilers to the show storyline.

I recently visited Northern Ireland and if nothing else it is currently famous for , is the filming location of the mega hit TV fantasy The Game of Thrones.  There are various tour providers but I went with Game of Thrones Tours from Belfast. I selected the Iron Islands Tour because it includes the Giant’s Causeway as well as the Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge.

So should you go for the Game of Thrones tour if you are not a fan ?  I say definitely because for me it is about seeing the best of the Northern Irish countryside and coastlines, and what better way to experience the expertise of the location scouts of movie and TV sets who always manages to find the most beautiful and remote places.

For fans, it is of course an exciting opportunity to see the familiar places on the small screen in real life. In the Game of Thrones tour , the Guides are often extras on the Game of Thrones set and are privvy to tidbits about the filming or the actors and what goes on between takes. In this particular tour we had Adrian as our guide. He was also the stand-in for Ser Davos. Throughout the day he told us stories about his time on the set.

The Tour Stops

Carnlough

We started the day early and departed punctual at 7:45am from Belfast – The journey was scenic throughout as the coach drove by the Coastal way and there is always the sea view on the right side of the bus.

Our first stop was in Carnlough , a lovely town which did not appreciate being over run by tourist – this was where they filmed Arya in Braavos. Apart from that the views were beautiful in this little quiet fishing village.

---

Cushendun Caves

Here is also a  quiet place by the beach and the caves where they filmed Melisandre in the caves with Ser Davos. Again the awesome scenery looking out from the caves.

---

Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge

This is no filming location but a well known rope bridge which I really wanted to see and experience. This required walking and not suitable for the mobility challenged , lots of steps to get to the bridge itself. It took time for me as I was fascinated by the views by the cliffs and stopped ever so often to take in a nice sight. The rope bridge itself hangs 30m above the rocks and the Atlantic Ocean. Here is the link to opening times and tickets should you decide to go on your own.

---

Iron Islands Kingsmoot

The scene is where ceremonies  are held by the inhabitants of Iron Islands.  Close to where the Carrick-a-Rede bridge is a big parking lot which was used to film the scene.

---

Lunch Stop at Fullerton Arms.

Here is a restaurant and pub in a quiet town of Ballintoy.  I ordered my favourite staple in Ireland the seafood chowder. :).  There is a mini throne here and we had fun taking photos with it. Fullerton Arms is also one of the places with one of the ten finely carved doors from trees that fell from a storm in the Dark Hedges. The ten doors represent a theme from each episode in Season 6.  You can ask the Pub to stamp on a collector’s book of all Game of Throne Doors (which I did). The link to the Pub is here

---

A visit to the Iron Islands

After lunch was an opportunity to play dress-up for a photo shoot at the Ballintoy Harbour. There was fun in wearing the costume which was too big for me and choosing a weapon of choice for the photo shoot. The Harbour itself is very scenic and I think I managed to take a good picture.

---

The Giant’s Causeway

This is not a filming location but was another interesting place I wanted to see. The area out to the ocean is made up of thousands of basalt columns. The build up seems to be gradual and has an interesting lore connected to it related to Giants. There is a large parking are at the Visitor’s Center where headsets can be picked up to accompany you on the almost 1km hike down to the Columns. Its 2km all in for a return trip. Alternatively the Ulster Bus goes around and a fee of 1 Pound 20 per way is charged. Here is a link to helpful information about visiting the Causeway should you decide to do it on your own.

---

The Dark Hedges

Last but not least we visited the King’s Road where impressive Beech trees line up on either side of the road to create a stunning effect. The place is full of people trying to have a photo stop therefore arriving early in the morning would be best. The place was hit by a storm and felled some of the beautiful birch trees , whereupon the wood was used to carve beautiful doors as the one I saw in Fullerton Arms.

---

In summary , it was a great day getting to see the beautiful Irish coast and dropping in to the Carrick-a-Rede and the Giants Causeway in addition to the beautiful stopping points of the filming locations. I especially liked playing dress up on the Ballintoy Harbour and having a guide who has worked on the set was an additional perk.

If you like this, Pin It!

 

-The End-