Dubrovnik: The Original Game of Thrones Tour & Lokrum Option

King’s Landing starts at Dubrovnik’s gates. This tour is a fast, guided walk through real filming streets, with Game of Thrones camera-angle stories and a photo stop on the Iron Throne replica. I like how the guide connects show moments to how Dubrovnik actually works as a place to live and move, not just as a movie set. The one real catch is the footing and stairs, so it can be rough for people with mobility limits or vertigo.

If you choose the extended option, you add a ferry to Lokrum, where the island stood in for Qarth in Season 2. For the money, it’s a lot of famous locations in a short window: $26 for the 2-hour style tour, with extra add-ons only for the fortress entrance and Lokrum ferry and entry. Expect a clear, English-speaking guide, scene photos at stops, and plenty of chances to take photos.

Quick hits before you go

• Iron Throne photo stop: Get your shot without waiting for later museum lines
• Cersei Walk of Shame routing: Follow the exact streets used for the infamous sequence
• Lokrum as Qarth: Island time plus official Iron Throne photos in the extended tour
• Lovrijenac, tied to the Red Keep: Big fortress vibes with sweeping Old Town views
• Jesuit Stairs and photo angles: Short climb, good sight lines, great storytelling
• Local guide style: Many guides are praised for humor, patience, and scene-matching photos

Dubrovnik Goes Full King’s Landing (Without the Guesswork)

Dubrovnik sells itself fast, and this tour makes sure you know what you are looking at. You are walking the Old Town with a local guide who ties each stop to the show’s filming logic: where the camera would be, why certain angles worked, and how the story’s tone fits the city’s real shape.

I like that this is not just a checklist of famous names. The guide uses scene photos during the walk, so you can match what you remember from the series to the exact corner or stairway in front of you. That also helps if you are a casual fan. You still get context, but you are not forced to be a superfan to enjoy it.

The route also gives you a built-in orientation to Dubrovnik. After a couple of hours, you tend to understand where the main streets sit, how the fortress viewpoints connect, and where the best natural photo moments are hiding.

Meeting Point and How to Start Smooth

You’ll meet at one of the Onofrio fountain starting locations, with the practical meetup being a representative with a red umbrella by Large Onofrio’s Fountain, next to Hard Rock Cafe. Arrive a few minutes early so you can find the group without stress. Old Town is crowded in peak times, and getting pointed in the right direction quickly matters here.

From the start, the tour is set up like a walk with short narrative breaks, not a slow lecture. That pacing is part of the value at this price level. The guide keeps moving, but at each stop you get a quick payoff: what scene was filmed there, what to look for in your photos, and a behind-the-scenes detail.

One thing I’d watch for is comfort with walking. Dubrovnik is not flat, and this route includes stairs as part of seeing certain key spots. If your body hates uphill steps, bring water and consider whether you want the faster 2-hour option over the longer Lokrum add-on.

Pile Gate: The First Scene Connection

The tour typically begins at Pile Gate, your entry point into the heart of Dubrovnik’s Old Town. From here, you start getting that strong King’s Landing feel, because the city’s walls and entrances shape how the show could frame movement and scale.

Why this stop matters for your viewing: Pile Gate is one of those places where Dubrovnik’s layout immediately makes sense. Once you understand the gate and the street flow, everything else feels less like random locations and more like a coherent set of choices the production could build on.

Practically, it also gives you a natural start to photos. If you time it well, you can capture the gate area and the street lines without feeling like you are constantly chasing the group. The guide will point out what to photograph and where to stand so you don’t waste time moving after the story moment has already passed.

Lovrijenac Fortress and the Red Keep Vibe

Next comes Lovrijenac Fortress, which the tour connects to the Red Keep. This is the big viewpoint stop, and it’s also where Dubrovnik looks most like the show’s dramatic world.

The guide covers why Tyrion and Varys plotted and schemed here, and you’ll get the visual sense of why this fortress works on screen. Fortress walls create clean, high-contrast backdrops. They also give you framing that feels intentional, especially for scenes that need tension or scale.

A key practical point: you get the tour guidance, but the fortress entrance costs €15 on top, unless you have a valid Dubrovnik Pass or a City Walls ticket. That means your real all-in cost depends on whether you already planned for walls or paid for a pass.

If you do pay the entrance fee, go in with the expectation that you’re buying time on viewpoints and photo angles. If you do not, you still get the story and scenic views on the way, but you’ll miss the inside access.

Stradun and Orlando’s Column: Where the City Looks Like a Set

Then you hit Stradun, Dubrovnik’s main promenade, and after that Orlando’s Column. This is where the tour becomes more than GoT trivia. Stradun is visually cinematic in its own right: the street width, the stonework, and the way the space pulls you forward make it an easy place to understand why productions love this kind of geometry.

The guide ties the street feel to what appears in King’s Landing scenes. Even if you don’t remember exact plot beats, you’ll recognize the production’s use of wide corridors and open sight lines. Those are the kinds of settings that let scenes show movement, crowds, and shifting power.

Orlando’s Column gives you a different kind of connection: it’s a landmark that helps you orient in the center of Old Town. You get a strong sense of where you are in the city, and that makes later stops easier to follow, especially if you plan to wander after the tour ends.

Cersei’s Walk of Shame and the Riot Energy

One of the best parts of the tour is how it maps famous sequences onto real streets. You’ll be shown the route connected to Cersei’s Walk of Shame, plus locations tied to the Kings Landing riots. The guide also includes stops connected to the Purple Wedding.

Why this is valuable, even if you only half-watch the show: the guide does not treat these scenes like random moments. It connects them to the city’s scale and street design, so you understand how productions turn a living city into a dramatic stage.

If you want great photos, this is also where your timing matters. The route includes points where you can shoot without blocking others, and the guide’s scene photo references help you pick a spot that matches what you remember seeing on screen.

Expect some crowd noise and normal Old Town bustle around these central streets. Dubrovnik’s popularity means you will share the space, so keep your camera up, but be ready for brief stops while the group catches up and the guide finishes the story beat.

Jesuit Stairs: Short Climb, Big Payoff

Jesuit Stairs (and the surrounding area) are a standout stop because stairs do two jobs at once. They create a physical sense of height and direction, and they give you strong angles for photos. The tour uses this kind of spot to connect the series look to Dubrovnik’s real topography.

This stop is also where the guide’s storytelling style really shows. Many guides in this tour are praised for being interactive, and for helping people understand what they are seeing through comparisons between scene stills and the real location.

One practical caution: if you are the kind of person who gets uneasy on heights, avoid forcing yourself. The tour is specifically not for people afraid of heights, and it may be a struggle for people with vertigo or motion sickness. Even if you are not dizzy, those steps can add fatigue if you are already tired from walking the Old Town walls the day before.

Extended Tour Option: Ferry to Lokrum and Qarth Locations

If you upgrade to the 3-hour option, you add a ferry ride of about 15 minutes to Lokrum Island. You’ll start with everything from the main tour, then continue with the island portion.

On Lokrum, the tour includes a guided portion tied to Qarth in Season 2. You also get a photo stop with the official Iron Throne on the island. If you care about the full visual set of GoT symbols, this is where you feel the payoff. The island makes it easier to imagine how the show built a new world out of Dubrovnik’s reach.

After the guided stops, you get free time. Use it. This is not a rigid schedule. You can swim in hidden coves, stroll through botanical gardens, and take breaks in shaded areas. You can also grab a drink or lunch before returning to Dubrovnik at your own pace.

Costs change here. The round-trip ferry and Lokrum admission are not included: €30 for adults, €5 for children ages 5-17. So the upgrade can turn from a simple add-on into a meaningful extra line item, depending on your group.

Price and Value: What $26 Buys You, and What Costs Extra

The base price is $26 per person and the typical duration is 2-3 hours depending on which option you choose. For that price, you are getting a guided walking tour, scene storytelling at multiple stops, and a photo opportunity on the replica Iron Throne.

Then there are the add-ons where you should do a quick mental math check:

• Lovrijenac Fortress entrance (€15) is not included. It can be free if you hold a City Walls ticket or a Dubrovnik Pass.
• With Lokrum: ferry round-trip (€30 adults, €5 kids 5-17) and Lokrum admission are not included.

So is it good value? For GoT fans, yes, because you are paying for access plus interpretation, not just walking around on your own. Dubrovnik is expensive and crowded, and this kind of guided focus can save time. The guide’s use of scene photos and the matching camera-angle storytelling are what you are really buying.

If you are not sure you will care about filming details, do the math differently. This tour’s strongest value is the show-to-street connections. If you love that, you will likely feel like the money was spent well. If you are more into general history, you might still enjoy it, but you’ll get more out of it if you watched enough of the series to recognize the major beats.

Booking Smart: Group Size, Pace, and Photo Strategy

The tour rating is very high, and the reviews also point to a pattern: guides often bring humor, patience, and a calm way of keeping the group moving without rushing people. Names you may see include Boris, Tiho, Tihomir, Bruno, Eddie, Josip, Jelena, Karmen, and Ivo. The common thread is interactive storytelling, plus a focus on photos.

There’s also a practical strategy hidden in the reviews. When people booked in low season, they sometimes ended up with smaller groups, even private tours. If you can travel in shoulder periods, you may get more attention and more freedom for photos.

Photo strategy tip: bring your patience. Old Town is busy. The guide will point out angles, but you will still share space with other visitors. If you want the cleanest shots, be ready to step where the guide suggests and to wait for a quick gap.

Who Should Book (and Who Should Skip)

This tour is a strong fit for:

• Game of Thrones fans who want the real Dubrovnik locations mapped to show scenes
• People who like story-led walking tours rather than museum-style history
• Travelers who want a short, efficient way to understand the Old Town layout, since the route covers major landmarks

It’s not a good fit for people who:

• Use wheelchairs or need accommodations for mobility impairments
• Have strong vertigo, severe fear of heights, or motion sickness triggers
• Are pregnant, based on the tour’s stated suitability limits
• Rely on mobility scooters (not allowed on this tour)

Also, alcohol and drugs are not allowed. If you like a casual stroll with drinks, this is not that kind of tour.

If you do have mobility concerns but are otherwise stable, consider choosing the shorter version over Lokrum. The extra ferry and extra island walking can add fatigue.

Should You Book This Original Game of Thrones Tour?

I’d book it if you want a compact, high-focus experience that turns Dubrovnik’s streets into show moments you can actually see. The combination of filming locations, scene photos, and the Iron Throne photo opportunities is where this tour pulls its weight. At $26, it’s also priced like an activity, not a big-ticket production.

I would hesitate if stairs and uneven footing are a real issue for you, or if you get uncomfortable with heights. In that case, it may be better to pick a different style of Dubrovnik tour where you can stay flatter and slower.

If you can do one upgrade, the Lokrum option is the most rewarding add-on, mainly because it includes the island context for Qarth and more Iron Throne photos plus free time to swim and relax.

FAQ

Where do I meet for the tour?

Meet by the Large Onofrio’s Fountain, next to Hard Rock Cafe, looking for a representative with a red umbrella.

How long is the tour?

It lasts about 2-3 hours, depending on whether you choose the basic tour or the extended Lokrum option.

Is the Iron Throne photo included?

Yes. The tour includes a photo opportunity on the replica Iron Throne during the guided portion.

Do I have to pay extra for Lovrijenac Fortress?

The Lovrijenac Fortress entrance (€15) is not included. It is free if you have a Dubrovnik Pass or a City Walls ticket. Children under 7 also have free entry.

What extra costs come with the Lokrum option?

For the 3-hour Lokrum option, the round-trip ferry ticket and Lokrum Island admission are not included: €30 for adults and €5 for children ages 5-17.

Are tickets or food included?

Food and drinks are not included, and Lokrum ferry and admission are not included with the Lokrum upgrade.

Is the tour in English?

Yes, the live tour guide speaks English.

Is a private group available?

Yes, private group options are available.

What is the cancellation window?

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.