For fans of the series, the Game of Thrones Studio Tour is the most immersive day out in Northern Ireland. It opened in 2022 at Linen Mill Studios in Banbridge, County Down, one of the places where the show was actually made, and it lets you walk through real sets rather than replicas. Highlights include the Great Hall of Winterfell, where Jon Snow was proclaimed King in the North, Daenerys’s throne room on Dragonstone, the Crypts of Winterfell, the mess hall of Castle Black and the eerie Hall of Faces. Around them, galleries display hundreds of original costumes, dragon eggs, Valyrian steel weapons and a vast dragon skull, alongside exhibits on the effects, the prosthetics and the craft of the production, and a green-screen set where you can step into a scene. At the end, you can pose on the Iron Throne for a photograph. This page links to the Tiqets ticket that combines studio admission with a return coach from Belfast city centre, so you do not need a car.
How it works: the coach leaves from 9 Donegall Square North, in front of the Visit Belfast welcome centre and opposite City Hall. Choose from three departures, at 9:30am, 11:00am or 2:00pm, which get you to the studio for entry at 10:15am, 11:45am or 2:45pm. Return coaches leave the studio at 1:15pm, 2:45pm and 5:45pm, arriving in Belfast about forty minutes later. Arrive fifteen minutes before your coach with your voucher ready to scan. The whole outing takes about four and a half hours, and the ticket can be cancelled or rescheduled free of charge up to forty-eight hours before your visit.
What to expect: the tour is self-guided with an English audio guide, and most people spend two to three hours inside. The sets are lit and dressed as they were for filming, and the costume galleries are remarkably detailed up close. There is a café on site, and the shop sells a wide range of merchandise. The studio has no visitor parking of its own, so drivers check in at The Boulevard shopping centre in Banbridge and take a shuttle, which is another reason the Belfast coach ticket is the easiest option.
Making the most of it: take the 9:30am coach for the quietest galleries and a relaxed lunch back in Belfast, or the 11:00am coach if you prefer a later start. Rewatch a few key episodes before you go, as the sets mean much more when you recognise the scenes.
What to expect
The experience
A self-guided walk with an English audio guide through original Game of Thrones sets, costume and prop galleries and production exhibits, with a return coach from Belfast.
Best time
The first coach of the day at 9:30am, when the sets are at their quietest.
How long
About four and a half hours from Belfast, including two to three hours inside the studio.
Tips
Be at Donegall Square North fifteen minutes before your coach, and cancel or change no later than forty-eight hours ahead.
Quick picks
- Best for
- Game of Thrones fans who want to stand in the real sets and see the costumes up close.
- Families
- Teenagers who know the series love it, though younger children may find some galleries dark and intense.
- Couples
- A fun half day for a couple of fans, ending with a photo on the Iron Throne.
- Pair with
- The Giant’s Causeway and Game of Thrones locations tour on another day to see the coastline from the series.
- Time needed
- Half a day from Belfast.
Good questions
Where is the Game of Thrones Studio Tour?+
It is at Linen Mill Studios in Banbridge, County Down, where parts of the series were filmed. This ticket includes a return coach from Donegall Square North in central Belfast.
What can you see at the Game of Thrones Studio Tour?+
You walk through original sets including Winterfell’s Great Hall, the Dragonstone throne room, the Crypts of Winterfell and Castle Black. Galleries display costumes, weapons, dragon eggs and production exhibits.
How long does the Game of Thrones Studio Tour take?+
Most visitors spend two to three hours inside the studio. With the coach from Belfast, the whole outing takes about four and a half hours.
What time does the coach leave Belfast?+
Coaches leave at 9:30am, 11:00am and 2:00pm from in front of Visit Belfast, opposite City Hall. Return coaches leave the studio at 1:15pm, 2:45pm and 5:45pm.
Can I cancel my Game of Thrones Studio Tour ticket?+
Yes, this Tiqets ticket can be cancelled for a full refund up to forty-eight hours before your visit. Rescheduling is also possible within the same window.
