Our Croatian Adventure - The Game of Thrones Tour

One of the things Ad and I were most keen to do during our stay in Croatia was to visit Dubrovnik and go on the Game of Thrones Tour. This is basically a 3 hour tour which takes in some of the most famous filming sites throughout the city with a little bit of history thrown in for good measure.

Our tour left at 10:30am and started by taking in the famous Lovrijenac Fortress which forms the setting for several scenes throughout the series.

Some might know it as the Red Keep but our guide had several screen shots which showed that this also formed the setting for scenes from the purple wedding, the famous scene where Tyrion slapped a certain someone around a little and also where the Hound saved Sansa.

The heat throughout the day was certainly unrelenting, but the view from the very top of the fortress made it all worthwhile.

From the top, you could see the city walls and the setting for the battle of Blackwater Bay.

It was also an ample spot to take in the island of Lokrum which was used as the setting for scenes based in Qarth. We didn't have time to visit Lokrum this time around but if we venture back to Croatia, this'll be on our hit list.

The Game of Thrones production team only used Dubrovnik Old Town during filming and it was certainly easy to see why as we wandered through the streets. Most of the buildings have retained their charm and original features including the unmistakable red mismatched clay tile roofs.

If you're interested, it's possible to do tours by kayak or boat which take in some of the local islands and give you a glimpse of the walls from a distance.

From the top of the fortress you can also view the primary setting for the Purple Wedding. Our guide told us that it was not unusual for tourists to come and lay flowers at the final resting place for the fallen King Joffrey.

Our guide also informed us that the filming of the Blackwater Bay scenes was not easy owing to the fact that Dubrovnik has a rather dated sewage system which has a tendency to run into the ocean during bad weather.

She assured us that the extras well compensated if they were affected!

From the Red Keep, the tour progressed throughout the city taking in various locations such as this one from Season 5 (think of the sparrows if you're struggling to place it) the Pile Gate where the peasants revolted against King Joeffry, which you can see below, and the setting for Little Fingers brothel.

We also took in the Walk of Shame which you can see below and were told that this particular area of Dubrovnik is actually based on the Spanish Steps in Rome. Having been to both I can certainly see the resemblance. Ad and I did our own tongue in cheek version of the walk of shame which involved me hitting Ad repeatedly over the head with his camera bag shouting "shame" as Ad filmed. Life is for having fun people!

Shortly after this we headed to the Rectors Palace where Dany asks for ships to take her army across the Narrow Sea before heading on over to the City Walls to conclude our tour.

The views from the top of the walls were amazing and on a clear day, it felt as though you could see for miles and miles.

As a word of warning I would say that there is a lot of going up and down stairs, so if you struggle, then a walk around the walls may not be for you.

In addition, there aren't very many shady spots so if you can, avoid going mid-day as this is obviously when the sun is at its hottest. If you can't avoid the mid-day sun and you're on a tour, then do make sure you have plenty of water with you and a hat.

The views from up here are unparalleled and well worth your time. If you're not on a tour, the entrance fee to the City Walls is 100 Kuna (£10) and I would say it's worth every penny.

Our tour took us onto the City Walls to take in the setting for the House of the Undying, or Minceta Tower as it's known in Dubrovnik. This is the highest point on the wall (which stretches for around 2km) and is the best place for taking a few panoramic snaps of the Old Town.

Overall, I really enjoyed our tour, at around £40ish I had questioned whether it would be worth the money but given it included all of our entrance fees and so many location spots (which I doubt we would have found on our own) I felt it was worth every penny. As the tour finished around lunch time, it meant we still had an entire afternoon to explore Dubrovnik before heading back to Cavtat.

Have you done the Game of Thrones tour? Would you be indulging your inner geek if you ventured to Dubrovnik?