Game of Thrones in Malta: a self-guided tour

The route

1. 1

   Mdina · Free

   Mdina Main Gate

   Start here. Mdina is free to walk around at any hour; it's quietest early in the morning.

   • Game of Thrones: Catelyn Stark and Ser Rodrik Cassel ride across the bridge and through Mdina Gate into King's Landing. Actor Ron Donachie (Rodrik) said it thrilled him because he'd seen a painting of knights riding through this very gate in a Valletta museum

   Walk across the stone bridge from Saqqajja / Howard Gardens.

2. 2

   Mdina · Free · 140 m from stop 1

   Mesquita Square

   A few minutes' walk inside the walls.

   • Game of Thrones: Pjazza Mesquita was used as the entrance to Petyr Baelish's brothel, where Littlefinger brings Ned to the hidden Catelyn
   • Game of Thrones: Jaime Lannister and his men ambush Ned and his guards as Ned leaves the brothel; Jaime and Ned fight, and Ned is speared in the leg

   A 3-minute walk inside Mdina from the Main Gate.

3. 3

   Rabat · Free · 1.1 km from stop 2

   St Dominic's Priory (Dominican Convent), Rabat

   Walk out of Mdina into Rabat. The cloister is in the south of the town.

   • Game of Thrones: Ned Stark confronts Cersei Lannister in the priory's cloister garden, beside the fountain and benches, telling her he knows her children were fathered by Jaime and urging her to leave the city before he tells Robert; Cersei replies 'When you play the game of thrones, you win or you die.'

   Cloister walkways are open when the door is unlocked; the central garden courtyard is usually closed off, so you view it from the arcades. Dress modestly and keep quiet: friars live here.

4. 4

   Attard · Free · 4.9 km from stop 3

   San Anton Gardens

   A short drive or bus ride to Attard. The palace is closed; the gardens are a free park.

   • Game of Thrones: Arya recovers her sword Needle outside the Red Keep while fleeing the Lannister purge of the Stark household (filmed at San Anton Palace)

   Main entrance on Triq Birkirkara, Attard.

5. 5

   Buskett & Siġġiewi · Outside only · 5.8 km from stop 4

   Verdala Palace

   Above Buskett woods. Not open to the public; you see it from the roads around it.

   • Game of Thrones: Verdala Palace was used for the exteriors of Magister Illyrio's mansion in Pentos, where Viserys presents Daenerys to Khal Drogo. All the pilot's Morocco scenes were reshot in Malta

   Private residence; view from the road and Buskett Gardens.

6. 6

   Mellieħa · Free · 9.8 km from stop 5

   Manikata (Lhazareen village)

   Out in the north-west countryside, so you'll want a car.

   • Game of Thrones: Khal Drogo's Dothraki sack the Lhazareen village among old stone ruins on what is now the Manikata Rural Heritage Trail; Drogo kills the challenger Mago but is wounded in the chest, and Daenerys stops the rape of village women and takes Mirri Maz Duur under her protection

   Village streets and the Rural Heritage Trail are public; surrounding fields are private farmland, so stay on paths.

7. 7

   Manoel Island · Outside only · 14.2 km from stop 6

   Fort Manoel

   On Manoel Island, between Gżira and Valletta. Access depends on works and open days.

   • Game of Thrones: The climactic scene on the steps of the Great Sept of Baelor - Ned's public confession and execution - was shot at Fort Manoel in the last week of October 2010

   Opening of the grounds varies; check before visiting. Good views from the Gżira side.

8. 8

   Birgu · Paid entry · 1.7 km from stop 7

   Fort St Angelo

   Across the Grand Harbour in Birgu. Paid entry (Heritage Malta).

   • Game of Thrones: Arya gets lost in the Red Keep dungeons while chasing cats during her training; these were the dungeons of Fort St Angelo

   Open as a heritage site; ticket required.

9. 9

   Kalkara · Outside only · 990 m from stop 8

   Fort Ricasoli

   Next door in Kalkara. Usually closed; you see the gate area from the road.

   • Game of Thrones: At the start of 'Lord Snow' the royal entourage enters King's Landing through Fort Ricasoli's gate

   Restricted site used for productions; view the main gate from outside and check access before you go.

10. 10

    Dwejra · Free · 35.1 km from stop 9

    Dwejra & the Azure Window

    On Gozo: ferry from Ċirkewwa, then drive or bus to Dwejra. The arch fell in 2017; the coast is still there.

    • Game of Thrones: The Dothraki wedding of Daenerys and Khal Drogo was filmed at Dwejra with the Azure Window as backdrop. Sand made from crushed hardstone (quarry waste) spread over the protected fossil-rich site, and a subcontractor's heavy-machinery clean-up, damaged it and caused a row with MEPA in late 2010

    Ferry to Gozo, then drive or bus to Dwejra. Uneven rock: wear proper shoes.

Questions people ask