Dubrovnik city guide: What to do on a Game of Thrones inspired weekend in Croatia's walled city

Whether you’re House Lannister or House Stark, Dubrovnik’s ancient stone walls and rounded towers will feel like home for any fan of HBO’s fantasy series Game of Thrones. The Croatian walled city doubles as the location for King’s Landing, the capital city of Westeros and epicentre of many of the series’ most memorable – and grisliest – political feuds. With the new series of Game of Thrones having kicked off on HBO and Sky Atlantic on 16 July, now’s the perfect time to take your place on the Iron Throne.

Overlooking the Adriatic, the ancient maritime city grew up around its port on Croatia’s Dalmatian coast. At Dubrovnik’s core is the Old Town (1), which is accessible through the gates that break up its medieval ramparts, of which Pile (2) and Ploče (3) are the most dramatic.

From the airport (4), take either the number 11 or the number 27 bus to the Old Town (1). The scenic ride along the coast costs 15 hrk (£1.70) each way and takes around 40 minutes (libertasdubrovnik.com/en). Dubrovnik has a number of tourist information offices, of which the most central are near Pile at Brsalje 5 (5) (00385 20 312011), which is open from 8am-8pm, and near Gruz on Obala Ivana Pavla II, br. 1 (6) (00385 20 417983), open from 8am-8pm and until 2pm on weekends.

Take a view

Unlike Game of Thrones’ Daenerys Targaryen, you’re unlikely to find any stolen baby dragons hidden away behind the thick, stone walls of the Minceta Tower’s rounded Gothic fort at the end of Peline Street (7). But as the highest point on Dubrovnik’s city walls, the tower is worth climbing for its commanding views of the Adriatic and the warren of old streets below. The fortress is part of the city walls, which are open from 8am-6.30pm in May and until 7.30pm in June and July (00385 20 638 800; citywallsdubrovnik.hr). Tickets to tour the walls cost 150 hrk (£16.95) and can be bought from the entrance near the Pile gate (8). Although sunset over the sea is breathtaking, it’s best to start walking the walls early to avoid crowds.

Take a hike

In season five, Queen Cersei Lannister was forced to walk naked through the streets of King’s Landing as an act of penance, a filming decision that involved a great deal of wrangling with local churches. Retrace her infamous Walk of Shame – probably best to do this with your clothes on – by starting at the Sponza Palace (9) at the end of the Old Town’s main street, the Stradun (10). A left turn onto Lučarica Street (11) takes you through the square where the historic Gunduliceva Poljana Market (12) takes place daily until 12.30pm – a great spot to pick up oils, nuts and sweets from local farmers. Follow the street as it ducks between buildings and out into sunlit squares as far as the Jesuit Steps (13) and the church of St Ignatius (14) on Poljana Ruđera Boškovića 7. The lovely square outside the church (15) was CGI-d out for the television series, but the stately steps are identical – albeit now dotted with superfans taking selfies.

Lunch on the run

A well-respected restaurant in its own right, Croatian Restaurant Kopun (16) (00385 20 323 969; restaurantkopun.com) has made the most of its position outside St Ignatius church (14) in the heartland of Game of Thrones tourism by offering a themed lunch menu. As tacky as that sounds, the set menu is actually very good, and includes fresh seabass and succulent honeycakes with sherbet – all served on Game of Thrones themed plates and bowls. Open 11am-11pm.

Take a ride

It wouldn’t be a Game of Thrones-themed weekend if you didn’t step foot on a boat. Take a taxi boat from the Old Harbour (17) to the pretty forested island of Lokrum (18) (lokrum.hr), just a 15-minute sail from Dubrovnik. Tickets cost 100 hkr return (£11.30) and include entrance to the nature reserve and other attractions. As well as boasting some beautiful tucked away spots for a swim, the ruins of the island’s Benedictine monastery were used as the set for the fictional city of Qarth. Nowadays the monastery houses a Game of Thrones museum (19) with pictures and exhibitions about the filming – and a genuine Iron Throne prop. Boats leave Dubrovnik every half hour during the summer, with the last boast departing from Lokrum at 5pm, when the island shuts down for the night.

An aperitif

You don’t have to be the Mother of Dragons to enjoy the dragon-liveried beers from Croatia’s superb Zmajska brewery, which is based in Zagreb but available bottled and on keg at the Glam Cafe (20) (00385 91 151 8257; facebook.com/glamdu) craft beer bar. Well-hidden down a narrow side street on Palmotićeva ul. 5, at the foot of one of the Old Town’s many intimidatingly lethal staircases, it serves a brilliant array of rare Balkan beers.

Dine with the locals

A stone’s throw from the busy Stradun (10) is Taj Mahal (21) (00385 20 323 221; tajmahal-dubrovnik.com) a tiny Bosnian restaurant that serves the kind of meaty feasts even the Dothraki, Game of Thrones’ warrior horsemen, would be proud of. Small and rambunctious, it’s best to arrive early in the evening and plan to stay long into the night – try the Ghengis Khan platter (minimum two people) for 300 hkr (£33.85) or the “Cheerful Bosnian”, a rolled rumpsteak.

Out to brunch

Croatian food can be very meat, cheese and seafood heavy, so make like the Game of Thrones star Peter Dinklage and go vegetarian for a meal at Nishta (22) (00385 20 322 088; nishtarestaurant.com), a lovely local’s haunt on the corner of Prijeko street. The informal, cafe-style restaurant serves up healthy twists on Croatian favourites – like a fresh seaweed salad or dried figs cooked in sweet wine – as well as hearty hangover cures like tempeh burritos for 83 hkr (£9.37).

A walk in the park

Catch the number 12 bus from the Old Town to the splendid Trsteno Arboretum (23) (00385 20 751 019), one of the oldest in the world. A warren of leafy green tunnels and palm trees, blissful when Dubrovnik hits its hot summer highs, Game of Thrones characters including Dame Diana Rigg’s Olena Tyrell used its water-edge balconies to plot intrigue. In the early morning the sea view curves back down the coast towards Dubrovnik and the gardens are enveloped by the smell of warm blossom and seasalt. Open 7am-7pm in the summer; entry costs 35 hrk (£3.96).

Window shopping

Where once Dubrovnik was stuffed with small shops selling artisan olive oils and local wines, its street are now packed with shops selling paraphernalia from every notable sci-fi/fantasy series of the last decade. Get into the spirit of it with a trip to Dubrovnik City Shop (24) (00385 98 900 6860; dubrovnikcityshop.com) at Boškovićeva 7 – currently the only one to let you have your photo taken on a life-sized replica of the Iron Throne while you wait to buy an overpriced Jon Snow keyring.

Cultural afternoon

Dubrovnik’s fascinating Ethnographic Museum (25) (00385 20 323 013; dumus.hr/en/ethnographic-museum) was used as the exterior of one of King’s Landing’s most notorious brothels – but don’t let that put you off. Inside it’s a treasure trove of archaeology, with costumes, musical instruments and weapons from Dubrovnik and the nearby islands. It’s worth the 80 hkr (£9.03) admission fee just to explore the building, which used to be a granary, and enjoy its cool vaulted stone cellars. Open 9am-10pm every day during summer except Tuesdays.

The icing on the cake

For the ultimate Game of Thrones activity, test your deductive skills in Dubrovnik’s only King’s Landing themed escape the room game (26) (00385 976 44 21 45; dubrovnikescaperoom.com). It’s a 25-minute walk from the Old Town, but worth it – for 60 minutes, your team of between two and five people will race around, trying desperately to solve the GoT clues while dramatic music from the show plays in the background. Not a fan of the series? No problem. You don’t need any specialist knowledge to crack the codes. From 185 hkr (£22) per player for a team of five.

Getting There

British Airways (0344 493 0787; ba.com) flies direct to Dubrovnik Airport from London Gatwick from £60 each way.

Staying There

The Pucic Palace (27) (00385 20 326 222; thepucicpalace.com) is one of the best situated hotels in Dubrovnik, just behind the Stradum on Ulica od Puča 1. Its sumptuous rooms overlook the Gundulić square and its restaurant – with seating in the square itself – serves smart Croatian food. Doubles from €420, B&B.

Staying in the Old Town is expensive, but there’s a great alternative just along the coast at Camping Kate (28) (00385 20 487 006; campingkate.incroatia.info/en), a quiet and beautifully maintained campsite overlooking the sea at Tupina 1 in the nearby town of Mlini. Just off the coastal road between the airport and Dubrovnik, it’s only a 10 minute bus ride from the Old Town and, while Croatia’s balmy summer climate is perfect for camping, the sea breeze keeps things cool. Pitches cost from 130 hkr (£14.67) per person in the summer.

The award-winning City Walls Hostel (29) at 15 Sv Simuna (00385 91 799 20 86; citywallshostel.com) claims that Tyrion Lannister (Peter Dinklage) himself once stayed there. Its location - tucked right inside the ancient walls in the heart of the Old Town - makes that just about believable, but whether it's true or not, it offers an unbeatable bargain if you want a room with a view over the city or across the sea to Lokrum. Private doubles from €56, B&B.