Game of Thrones Doors, have you heard of them? There is a great story behind how they came to be.
Like many people worldwide, I am a massive Game of Thrones fan and have visited filming locations in Ireland, Croatia, and Spain. I didn’t go to those places because of Game of Thrones but realized I could do a Game of Thrones tour when researching my trips.
Tours in Northern Ireland show you the locations used to film the series. Most have brilliant reviews on TripAdvisor, which is always a great place to start planning your trip. The tour I took started in Belfast, and through the journey, I learned about the Game of Thrones Doors, which I thought was a brilliant story.
The Dark Hedges has long been a tourist attraction in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. Still, it became iconic after Game of Thrones used the road to represent the King’s Road.
The story of Dark Hedges started over 400 years ago. In 1775, Aristocrat James Stuart planted 150 beech trees to line the narrow road that led to his Georgian mansion, Gracehill House. He wanted the entry to his home to be imposing.
By 2016 only 90 of the trees were still standing, but they were breathtaking as they had grown to intertwine above the road. Sadly, in January that year, Storm Gertrude hit Ireland’s shores with 105mph winds.
Throughout Ireland, many homes and businesses lost power, and trains, flights, and ferries were canceled. The storm destroyed two trees in the Dark Hedges, and another was damaged.
In 2017 Storm Doris took another tree down, and in 2018 and 2019, two more trees fell.`
Tourism Northern Ireland and Tourism Ireland took the two fallen trees and carved them into ten intricately designed doors. Each door is unique and tells the story of an episode in season 6 of Game of Thrones.
The Game of Thrones Doors is displayed in different pubs, cafés, and inns throughout Northern Ireland, each situated near an iconic filming location. You can find a video of the making of the doors HERE.
Tourism NI’s Journey of Doors Passport shows a map of where each door is located and explains what the door represents and which filming location is nearby. It is free to visit these doors; however, it’s probably best to have a pint while there and then ask one of the staff to stamp your passport. You can see a pdf of the passport HERE.
Game of Thrones Doors Locations
1. The Cuan, Strangford Co. Down
Nearby Filming Locations:
The Cuan is a family-run pub/restaurant. You'll find Castle Ward aka Winterfell, Audley’s Field, Quoile River, and Inch Abbey a short drive away.
2. Fiddler’s Green, Portaferry Co.Down
Nearby Filming Locations:
Fiddler's Green is a B&B / pub and a short drive away from Quintin Bay, where Jaime Lannister goes to find Bronn.
3. The Percy French, Newcastle Co.Down
Nearby Filming Locations:
Percy French is a lovely restaurant at the foot of the Mourne Mountains near Tollymore Forest, the setting for the Haunted Forest and also where the Starks found their Dire Wolves in Season one.
4. Blakes of the Hollow, Enniskillen, Co. Fermanagh
Nearby Filming Locations:
Blakes is a Victorian pub that is over 125 years old. Nearby is Pollnagollum Caves – hideout for the Brotherhood Without Banners.
5. Owen’s Bar, Limavady Co.Londonderry
Nearby Filming Locations:
Owen's is a traditional pub with a White Walker Door. Nearby is Downhill Beach, aka Dragonstone – previously home to Stannis Baratheon, and Binevenagh, aka the Dothraki sea.
6. Fullerton Arms, Ballintoy Co. Antrim
Nearby Filming Locations:
The Fullerton Arms is a guest house near picturesque Ballintoy Harbour which was the filming location for most of the Iron Islands’ scenes.
7. Gracehill House, Ballymoney Co.Antrim
Nearby Filming Locations:
Gracehill House is where The Dark Hedges aka Kingsroad which runs from Castle Black to Kingslanding is located.
8. Mary McBrides, Cushendun Co. Antrim
Nearby Filming Location:
Mary McBrides is one of the smallest pubs in N. Ireland. Cushendun Caves are nearby, the location for the birth of Melisandre’s Shaddow baby.
9. Ballygally Castle, Co. Antrim
Nearby Filming Locations:
Ballygally Castle was built in 1625 and is now a hotel. Nearby is Cairncastle where Ned beheaded the Night’s Watch deserter and also serves as the backdrop of Winterfell.
10. The Dark Horse, Belfast Co. Antrim
Nearby Filming Locations:
The Dark Horse is a coffee house in Belfast’s Cathedral Quarter. Nearby is Titanic Studios where nearly all the interior shots were filmed, including everything inside King’s Landing, the Red Keep, the Throne Room, and the Great Sept of Baelor.
Game of Thrones Doors App
The Game Of Thrones Northern Ireland app is user-friendly and free to download on IOS and Android.
The interactive map allows users to flip between the mythical worlds of Westeros and Essos and the Northern Ireland filming locations.
Twenty-five scenes from Seasons 1-7 are on the app, with detailed information on each scene and the filming location.
The app will explain the background of each Game of Thrones Door, show you which filming locations the door is near, and the GPS directions to locate it.
Fans can also experience the beauty of Northern Ireland from their own home as each location features a 360-degree panoramic photograph. You can find the app HERE.
How to Get Around Northern Ireland
There are many different Game of Thrones tours you can take in Northern Ireland, but none of them will take you to see all ten Game of Thrones Doors.
To do this, you would need to hire a car, and to do it comfortably, plan on spending about 3-4 days. The narrow coastal road around the north is stunning, but keep in mind that it's a very winding road, and you will be driving on the left side. If you are uncomfortable with the idea of driving on the left, another option is to hire a private driver.
Flying into Northern Ireland – fly to Belfast or Dublin. If you fly into Dublin, you can either drive or take a bus from Dublin airport (right outside arrivals), which will bring you to Belfast City. The bus usually takes 1 hour and 50 minutes.
You can find the Northern Ireland Tourism website HERE.
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