Dubrovnik Travel Guide: Visiting Kings Landing

Let me take you through my itinerary of a day trip in Dubrovnik, where I explored the famous Kings Landing and delved into the realm of Game of Thrones

Game of Thrones Fans

Just like so many GoT fans, Dubrovnik was on my bucket list from the incredible portrayal of Kings Landing from the TV show which had captured our attention for at least 7 seasons...obviously I'm still not over season 8.

Nevertheless, the beauty of Dubrovnik can be explored via a guided tour, which usually cost between €20-40, however we did our own which was easy enough. The old town is relatively small, so you can do everything within half a day, but don't be fooled, the small alley ways are rather confusing and you might end up getting lost!

Locations to Visit in the Old Town

These are some of the spots I visited, with a focus on a Game of Thrones inspired tour.

• The City Walls

• Minceta Tower

• The Red Keep

• The Spanish steps, otherwise known as the Shame steps
  

The City Walls

It costs €35 to gain entry to the City Walls, and it takes an average of 90 minutes to complete. We arrived in Dubrovnik Old Town around 12pm, expecting the wall to be busy, however because it was the 'off-season', we had the entire place to ourselves!

There are steep steps to get yourself up to the main wall, but it's over quick and that's most of the incline done! The walk is pretty much flat from there on out. There are toilets about half way round the walls, but no sections for refreshments so bring your own.

Additionally, make sure you keep a hold of your ticket as there are a couple of 'checkpoints' that staff can check or scan your tickets, especially when you get to Minceta Tower section.

Minceta Tower, a part of the city walls

The tower was built in the 15th century as part of Dubrovnik's defence against attack, but now It is considered the symbol of Dubrovnik's old town, with it overlooking the entirety of the historic location.

The exterior of the tower was used in GoT season 2, when Daenerys tries to find her stolen dragons.

Jesuit Staircase, (The Spanish or Shame steps)

Another stop on our GoT inspired trip was the famous steps that appeared in season 5. Despite the rain, we had a dramatic re-enactment of Cersei's shame walk while ringing our imaginary bell. It is right next to the beautiful church, in which we were able to take a short walk through and enjoy the marvellous stained glass windows.

Fort Lovrijenac (The Red Keep)

The fortress is included in the €35 ticket you paid for the city walls, so take advantage of that to get your moneys worth! Many GoT scenes were shot from this location, so it's a must-do on your tour around the Old Town.

If you choose the to experience the Old Town unguided, enjoy the experience of getting lost in the beautfful alley ways of Dubrovnik.

When to go?

Depending on the activities you want to do, this will dictate what time of year you should go. We went in March, during the off-seasons, so the town was super quiet, and all the activities we did were without crowds, so we were able to take our time. This is definitely the best time of year to go if you are a GoT fan, a photographer, or somebody who hates crowds!

The Old Town was still open, however, a lot of things did begin to close at 5pm, but we did find ourselves a bar to cosy down in. The Buzz Bar was definitely a locals favourite. We enjoyed a bottled beer before leaving the city. Please be aware that some bars allow smoking indoors, and they will indicate this by a green sign on the window or door.

In the summer, you can go Cliff diving and Swimming at the famous bar, 'The Hole in the Wall' which was unfortunately under construction when we visited. However, I'm not sure anybody would have been sat outside considering the awning was flying off and you would have been in the prime splash zone.

Insert Exhibit A...

Dubrovnik was an incredibly beautiful city, and I wish we had better weather conditions as I was hoping to see the city from the incredible view of the cable cars and get a drink from the bar at the top. However, there's always next time! If you do visit, please let me know how it was.