We’re on the hunt for Peter Dinklage. Well, technically, for Tyrion Lannister—because seeking out a character from Game of Thronesis now a major tourist attraction. Ever since the HBO swords-and-scandal drama premiered in 2011, off-the-beaten-path filming locations—a quarry in Northern Ireland, or a viking-era settlement in Þjórsardalur, Iceland—have seen the kind of foot traffic typically reserved for theme parks. The fandom has been an economic boon to Northern Ireland in particular, where GoT tours have been credited with bringing in more than £87 million to the country; meanwhile, Bloomberg reports that the show has helped Croatia, site of King's Landing and the coveted Iron Throne, battle its recession, adding $10 million a year to Dubrovnik’s tourism revenue.
Game of Thrones tours that take you to filming locations in Croatia, Northern Ireland, Spain, and Iceland have now become the norm—ranging from Clearksy Adventure’s self-guided cycling tour of Winterfell(Castle Ward in Northern Ireland) to a seven-day, $3,200 “unique tour of Croatia” by Zicasso, complete with a walk-through of King’s Landing (Old Town, Dubrovnik) and falconry lessons. Fans of the show and the books by George R. R. Martin, my husband and I decided to turn a trip to Belfast in 2013 into self-guided, two-day visit to “The Real Westeros,” mapped out by the Northern Ireland tourism board. Our mission: Find Peter Dinklage.
Day 1: Belfast
Our Belfast City Bike guide's name is Norm, and true to form, everyone knows his name—from the vendors at St. George's Market, where we downed raspberry and white chocolate scones, to the skipper on the boat taking us to the Titanic Slipways, where the ship herself was built. Though this wasn't a dedicated GoT tour, it passed by Titanic Studios, where HBO has set up shop to film scenes in Mereen this season, where the Mother of Dragons Daenerys Targaryen holds court. "Belfast remains the heart of the show," they say in the "Game of Thrones Season 5: A Day in the Life" short; if that's the case, Titanic Studios is the brain.
It's our first time in Belfast, and we're here to get the lay of the land before heading to Westeros, so we do it all: a black taxi tour of the Troubles, afternoon tea at Titanic Belfast (pictured above); and of course, no trip here is complete with a proper pub crawl. Our route included historic Crown Liquor Saloon, local haunts Fibber Magees and Robinsons, nightclub Filthy McNasty (I'm not making these up, folks), and upscale bar the Spaniard, where the GoT cast is rumored to hang out once the day is done. We didn't see any familiar faces that night; then again, it's hard to recognize the cast when they're not covered in mud or blood.
Day 2: Causeway Coastal Route
I've said it before, and I'll say it again: Northern Ireland’s Causeway Coastal Route is gorgeous. It snakes out to the northeast of Belfast, a winding, two-lane highway with stone cottages and sheep speckling those famed emerald-green hills to the left, and half a dozen GoT locations to the right. I can't see it, but I know we're passing the Shillanavogy Valley, beneath Slemish Mountain in County Antrim, which stood in for the Dothraki grasslands. I'm too busy focusing on the road, hoping we don't die as the locals do what feels like 80 mph in a 40 mph zone.
The Stormlands: Larrybane, Carrick-a-Rede, Co. Antrim
Larrybane...it sounds like an herb for overcoming ordinariness. It's also the site of Renly Baratheon's camp in season 2. There's an actual tourist attraction here—the Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge, built by salmon fishermen, crosses a chasm 100 feet above the sea. Looking straight down is thrilling, and intimidating: a fitting spot for Renly to encounter the wrath of his brother Stannis.
As we were driving away, we saw an official-looking guy with an official-looking GoT sign at the top of a hill. We pulled up to say hi. Lesson learned: If anyone ever asks you “Are you with the unit?,” just say yes. Ask for forgiveness later.
Pyke, The Iron Islands: Ballintoy Harbor, Co. Antrim
Ballintoy stands in as the harbor of the Iron Islands, where Theon Greyjoy enjoys an understated homecoming and, err, reconnects with his sister, Yara. It's also the spot where Ser Davos is shipwrecked after the battle of Blackwater Bay, says the Northern Ireland tour map. It’s a charming harbor on its own—a rocky shore, all mossy green, with a little shack to have a bowl of soup or scones (I’m developing an addiction to scones)—but it has some extra buzz the day we’re there, as the GoT crew unloads a props truck. There are old rusted metal bins, a wooden frame holding clay pots and urns. We start trying to guess what they’re setting up: a king’s moot? A burning at the stake? Just another day in Ballintoy.
The Stormlands: Cushendun Caves, Co. Antrim
There are more than a few conveniently located spots along the Causeway Coastal Route to give birth to a demon shadow baby, as red priestess Melisandre does in season 2, but Cushendun Caves are the official filming location for that dark scene. We don’t linger too long.
The King's Road: Dark Hedges, Co. Antrim
After a detour to the Giant’s Causeway, an actual UNESCO World Heritage site on this pop culture tour we’re on, we take a hard left away from the coast and head to our final stop: the Dark Hedges. To open season 2, Arya Stark escapes from King's Landing with Yoren of the Night's Watch, and the road to safety has never seemed longer or more doomed than when they pass beneath the Dark Hedges. The beech trees, planted by the Stuart family in the 18th century, create a shadowy arch over the lane, and the locals say the Grey Lady, a lost spirit from a long abandoned graveyard, appears among the trees at dusk. Sounds like a season six GoT character to us.
Number of Dinklage sightings in Northern Ireland: zero.
Number of Dinklage sightings when I returned home to Manhattan: one. Turns out he’s my neighbor.
