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King's Landing in real life: a complete 2026 guide to Dubrovnik's Game of Thrones filming locations — the city walls, Fort Lovrijenac, Lokrum Island, prices in euros, crowd-avoidance, and day trips.
Bottom line first: Dubrovnik’s old city is the real-life King’s Landing, and a full walking day can tick off the great majority of the filming locations — but prices are now in euros (Croatia adopted the euro in January 2023; the old kuna prices in older guides are obsolete), and the old city walls ticket has risen to about €35 as of 2025. Arriving before 7am is still the only way to have the Stradun and the walls to yourself before the cruise-ship groups arrive from 9am. The Game of Thrones exhibition that once stood near Pile Gate closed in 2023 — the locations themselves, all free to walk, are the draw now.
Who this guide is for: Game of Thrones fans doing the King’s Landing pilgrimage, and first-time Dubrovnik visitors who want the walls, the fort, and a sensible crowd plan.
Who should skip it: if you have no interest in the show, the old city is still worth a day but the locations below lose their context — do the walls, the cable car, and Lokrum instead; if you’re on a cruise stop with under 4 hours ashore, pick the walls only.
The core filming location checklist
1. The city walls (King’s Landing panoramas)
The full circuit is about 2 km and takes 1.5–2 hours. This is where the show’s aerial establishing shots of King’s Landing came from — Minceta Tower (the House of the Undying exterior), the harbour views (Blackwater Bay), and the rooftops of the old town.
- Ticket (as of 2025): about €35 for adults — it was €27 when Croatia switched to the euro in 2023 and has risen since; the official wall-ticket price for 2026 should be confirmed on the Dubrovnik tourist board site before you go.
- Best time: 7–9am, before the tour groups; the walls close about 7pm in summer.
- Entry points: three gates to the wall itself — near Pile, near Ploče, and at the fort; walking the whole loop from any of them works.
2. Fort Lovrijenac (the Red Keep exterior)
The fortress on its own rock outside the western wall was the exterior of the Red Keep — including Cersei’s coronation scene. The steps up to the fort’s entrance are the “Walk of Shame” route’s backdrop (the actual walk was filmed on the Jesuit Staircase inside the city — see below).
- Ticket: separate entry about €15, or a combined walls-and-fort ticket — check current prices on the tourist board site.
- Best time: early morning for the light on the rock, or late afternoon when the crowds have moved to the sunset spots.
3. The Jesuit Staircase (the Walk of Shame)
The baroque staircase behind the cathedral (on the street running south from Gundulić Square) is where Cersei’s Walk of Shame was filmed. Free, public, and easy to find — go early; the tour groups run through it from mid-morning.
4. Pile Gate and the Stradun (King’s Landing streets)
The main gate (Pile) and the marble Stradun were used for countless street scenes, riots, and processions. The Stradun is free to walk; the prop exhibitions that once lined it have largely closed since the show ended — the architecture is the scenery now.
5. Minčeta Tower and the Rector’s Palace
Minčeta Tower’s top (part of the walls ticket) stood in for the House of the Undying; the Rector’s Palace courtyard (Sponza Palace interiors nearby) hosted Qarth and other interiors. Both are inside the old city.
6. Lokrum Island (Qarth)
The island 15 minutes by ferry from the old port was used for Qarth’s gardens and bathing pools. The ferry runs roughly every 30 minutes in season; the round trip is about €15–18 as of 2025 (check the current fare at the port kiosk). Allow a half-day: the botanical gardens, the monastery, the salt lake for swimming (clothing-optional beach on the island’s far side), and the peacocks.
7. Trsteno Arboretum (the Gardens of the Red Keep)
About 20 km north of Dubrovnik, the 15th-century arboretum by the sea stood in for the Red Keep’s gardens. Entry is a few euros; reachable by local bus or car. Worth it only for completists or gardeners.
The cable car: the view the show used
The cable car to Mount Srđ (about 412 m above the city) gives the panorama that doubles as King’s Landing’s landscape shots — the old city, the islands, and the Adriatic in one frame. Round trip about €27 as of 2025; the station is just outside Pile Gate. Note: the cable car has been closed intermittently for upgrades in recent years — check its official site before you rely on it, and be aware the mountaintop restaurant and viewing platform get crowded at sunset. The walking alternative is the serpentine path up from the old town (about 1–1.5 hours, free).
Crowd plan and cruise-ship schedule
Dubrovnik publishes a cruise-ship arrival calendar each season — check it for your dates, because it predicts the crowds better than any tip. The pattern:
| Period | Ships per day | Arrival window | What to do |
|---|---|---|---|
| May–September | 2–5 | 7–9am | Walls at 7am; old city before 2pm or after 5pm |
| April / October | 1–2 | 8–9am | Early morning start works |
| November–March | A few per week | Varies | No crowd pressure; some sites close for winter |
Core tactics: the old city has three gates — Pile (west, where most groups enter), Ploče (east), and the Buža gate (north). Enter at Ploče and walk the route in reverse to stay ahead of the groups; do the walls first (they’re busiest 9–11am); eat lunch outside the walls (Lapad or Gruž are half the old-town price).
Day trips that actually make sense
The old guidebook suggestion of “Plitvice” as a Dubrovnik day trip is wrong — Plitvice Lakes is 6+ hours away by car. Realistic options:
| Destination | Travel time | How | What you get |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elafiti Islands (Koločep, Lopud, Šipan) | 30–60 min by ferry | Public ferry from the old port | Car-free islands, swimming, the 15th-century Franciscan monastery on Lopud |
| Ston | ~1 hour | Bus or car | The 5.5 km medieval walls and the oyster beds of the Mali Ston bay |
| Korčula | ~1 hour by catamaran (seasonal) | Ferry from Gruž | The “little Dubrovnik” walled town; Marco Polo’s alleged birthplace |
| Kotor, Montenegro | ~2.5 hours by car/bus | Tour or self-drive | The fjord-like Bay of Kotor and its walled old town — bring your passport, it’s a border crossing |
| Mostar, Bosnia | ~2.5–3 hours | Tour or self-drive | The 16th-century Stari Most bridge — another border crossing |
Where to sleep
- Inside the old city: the full King’s Landing experience (€150–350/night in summer as of 2026) — but you’ll carry luggage over cobblestones and the nightlife noise is part of the deal.
- Lapad: the local peninsula west of the old city, 15–20 minutes’ walk or a short bus ride; family-run hotels and the seafront promenade at €80–150/night — the value pick.
- Gruž: the port district — functional, cheaper, and the ferry hub if you’re island-hopping.
- Babin Kuk: the resort zone south of Lapad with the big hotels; good for self-drivers, a bus ride from the old city. Compare Dubrovnik hotels by neighborhood.
Practical information
- Money: the euro — since January 2023. Cards work almost everywhere in the old city; cash for market stalls and small kiosks.
- Getting in: Dubrovnik airport (DBV) is 22 km south — the airport bus to the old city is about €9–11 as of 2026, taxis €35–50; a pre-booked transfer sits in the same range. Search flights to Dubrovnik once your dates are fixed.
- Visa: Croatia is in the Schengen area — most non-EU visitors get visa-free entry for up to 90 days in any 180-day period, with ETIAS registration coming for visa-exempt nationals in 2026; see the Croatia visa guide for your passport.
- Language: English is widely spoken in the tourist core; a few words of Croatian (dobar dan, hvala) go a long way.
- Parking: near the old city it’s scarce and expensive — stay outside and bus in, or use the big public garage at the foot of the cable car.
- Best season: early May–mid-June and September–mid-October — cruise ships are present but the weather is 22–27°C and the old city breathes; July–August is hot, packed, and 30–50% pricier on rooms.
Budget reference (per person, as of early 2026)
| Item | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| City walls | ~€35 | Confirm the 2026 price on the tourist board site |
| Fort Lovrijenac | ~€15 | Or combined walls+fort ticket |
| Cable car round trip | ~€27 | Check the official site for closures |
| Lokrum ferry round trip | ~€15–18 | Half-day visit |
| Airport bus | ~€9–11 | To the old city |
| Old-town taverna meal | €20–35 | Lapad/Gruž run 30–50% less |
| Hotel (Lapad, summer) | €80–150/night | Old city €150–350 |
Bottom line: Dubrovnik’s King’s Landing locations are mostly free and all walkable — the walls ticket is the only big spend, and the 7am start is the single most effective trick in this guide. Do the walls and Lovrijenac first, walk the Walk of Shame staircase when the tour groups are at the walls, and save Lokrum for a half-day when you want to swim between the filming locations.
