In a day filled with glorious sights and endless photo opportunities, you’ll explore the windswept, raw beauty of the Northern Irish countryside and see where many of Game of Thrones’ iconic scenes came to life.
The Causeway Coastal Route
Setting off in the morning, you’ll first travel along this famous route. Well-known as one of the top five coastal drives in the world, a tour is the only way to experience its majesty without renting your own private car.
You’ll see spectacular views of the coast, dotted with villages, dramatic clifftops and golden beaches. As you travel, your guide will discuss the Game of Thrones TV series and the novels it was adapted from, and will throw in a bit of local history too.
The Cushendun caves
Your first stop is the beautiful, serene village of Cushendun. Here you’ll visit the cluster of nearby caves, the filming spot for one of season 2’s most famous scenes. It was here that Melisandre gave birth to her ‘shadow baby’, which went on to slay Renly Baratheon.
You will break for lunch in Cushendon – you can either bring a packed lunch with you, or buy something to eat in a local pub (for an additional cost).
Glenarm
You’ll visit the windswept plateau, called “the valley of the army” in Irish, where Ned Stark beheaded the Nights Watch deserter in one of the first ever scenes of the show. Moody mountain backdrops and panoramas of Westeros are also said to have been filmed here.
The Carrick-a-rede Rope Bridge
You’ll see Carrick-a-rede bridge, a famous and dramatic rope bridge that connects the tiny, rocky island of Carrickarede to the Irish mainland. Suspended a dizzying 80 feet above rocks below, the bridge was first set up by hardy salmon fishermen 350 years ago!
Larrybane and Ballintoy Harbour
You’ll move on to Larrybane, or Storm’s End, and Ballintoy Harbour nearby. It is at Larrybane, beside the dramatic white cliffs, where Catelyn Stark met Renly Baratheon, and we were first introduced to Brienne of Tarth.
One of the most picturesque stops of the day, Ballintoy Harbour provides stunning views out to Rathlin Island and the Scottish mainland beyond, and was the lookout to the Iron Islands in series 2 of the show.
Giant’s Causeway
Northern Ireland’s most famous landmark and only World Heritage site, the Giant’s Causeway is an incredible natural rock formation and a must-see for any visitor.
The causeway itself consists of 40,000 interlocking basalt columns and was formed in an ancient volcanic eruption – or was it? Some say it was actually carved out by a giant called Finn McCool, a Game of Thrones-worthy character from Irish mythology. See if you can spot the clues to his existence as you admire the stones and hear stories from your guide.
Dark Hedges
Your final tour stop is the Dark Hedges, a beautiful archway of 18th century beech trees and one of the most photographed sites in the whole country. It was filmed to portray the Kings Road in season 2, episode 1 of Game of Thrones, in the defining moment when Arya Stark fled King’s Landing disguised as a boy.
The tour then returns to Belfast at around 5.30pm - 6pm.