'Game of Thrones' Filming Locations See Crazy Spike in Interest This Year

It's no surprise that Croatia has seen a huge jump in tourism thanks its key role in the wildly popular Game of Thrones. Now, as the HBO drama's sixth season comes to a close, TripAdvisor has revealed that traveler interest has increased an average of 120 percent as people binge-search information about 10 real-life filming locations. From Jon Snow and Ygritte's cave in Iceland to the actual site of Braavos, these Westerosi spots should be on any true fan's trip list. (It's not that geeky to go—we swear.) Read on for Traveler's full guide to Westeros.
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    Mdina, Malta

    Interest in the 4,000-year-old capital has increased 18 percent, thanks to the gate that serves as the entrance to King's Landing from the first season.

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    Trsteno, Croatia

    Dubrovnik may be the central filming location for King's Landing, but head seven miles north to explore the Red Keep's lush gardens where many of Cersei, Margaery, and Lady Olenna Tyrell's hushed conversations occur. Interest in the Trsteno Arboretum has increased 18 percent.

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    Girona, Spain

    Girona and its winding streets came front and center in season six, as the location of Arya's (blind!) battle training in Braavos. The new filming location has seen an increase in searches of 19 percent.

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    Myvatn, Iceland

    Near northeastern Iceland's Lake Myvatn, Grjótagjá is the small volcanic cave where water in the spring can top 100 degrees Fahrenheit. It's also home to Jon Snow and Ygritte's subterranean love scene and has seen an increase in interest of 42 percent.

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    Krka National Park, Croatia

    Krka National Park may not be the most recognizable Game of Thrones filming location—but it serves as a backdrop for a number of on-the-road locations and wide shots from across the Seven Kingdoms. Interest from TripAdvisor travelers has grown by 46 percent.

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    Vatnajokull National Park, Iceland

    Vatnajökull is Europe's largest glacier and played a major role in sweeping scenes Beyond the Wall. East of Reykjavik, the national park has seen an increase in interest of 58 percent.

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    Dimmuborgir, Iceland

    To the north, Dimmuborgir is the setting of Mance Rayder's wildling camp and travelers' interest in visiting the rock formations has increased 64 percent.

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    Vik, Iceland

    Playing the part of the Frostfang Mountains beyond the Wall, the Höfðabrekka range is near Iceland's southernmost city of Vik. TripAdvisor has seen a 78 percent increase in interest from travelers and Thrones fans.

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    Campillo de Dueñas, Spain

    The Tower of Joy—which plays a pivotal role in Lyanna Stark's storyline this season—sits between Madrid and Barcelona, and interest in the castle has increased a whopping 291 percent since the show started filming there in 2015.

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    Klis, Croatia

    The Klis Fortress may not have been on screen for long, but it can be recognized as part of Meereen, one of the many places on Daenerys's path to power. The Croatian city just north of Split has seen the largest uptick in interest from travelers, with an incredible 579 percent increase. (No, that's not a typo.)

A travel writer and editor for over a decade, Meredith Carey was the Travel Bookings Editor at Condé Nast Traveler and is currently Deputy Editor at Tripadvisor. Throughout her career, she has extensively covered Airbnbs and vacation rentals, travel's intersection with pop culture, and cities around the world, from [Austin,... Read more