This one is for all the thronies! Kit Harington (Jon Snow) and Emilia Clarke (Daenerys Targaryen) visited Iceland recently to shoot Game of Thrones season 8. Over the years, Iceland has been one of the show’s most favourite filming locations. Icelandic tour operators offer tours for Game of Thrones fans past memorable scenes of the show. Read on if you want to know more about the hot spots used as filming locations for Game of Thrones.
Kirkjufell
In West Iceland, close to fishing village Grundarfjörður, you find the majestic Church Mountain, or Kirkjufell. It has been a tourist attraction for decades, and it’s one of the most photographed mountains of Iceland. It plays a roll in season 6 episode 5, in which you see that the Night King was created close to this mountain to protect the Children of the Forest. You can also see it in season 7 episode 6, in which it’s called the Arrowhead Mountain. In this episode, Jon Snow and his friends head north of the Wall to fight the White Walkers.
Vatnajökull
Vatnajökull, Europe’s largest glacier, is seen in the background of season 2 and 3, in which it is used to show the territory of the Wildlings north of the Wall. One of its glacial tongues, Svínafellsjökull, has also been used as a shooting location. It’s a bit of a drive from Reykjavík, but this popular tourist attraction is easy to get to, as it’s part of Skaftafell National Park and close to Iceland’s ring road.
Grjótagjá and Dimmuborgir
Grjótagjá, probably Game of Thrones’ most popular filming location, is a small cave with geothermal water in North Iceland, close to nature reserve Mývatn. But beware, the water in the cave is generally a bit too hot to comfortably bathe in. You can see in season 3 episode 5, when Jon Snow and Ygritte (played by Rosa Leslie) share a very romantic moment inside the beautiful cave. Also close to Mývatn is Dimmuborgir, an impressive natural lava sculpture park. This is the location north of the Wall where in season 3 Mance Rayder set up camp with his army of Wildlings. It’s also where Samwell Tarly and Lord Commander Mormont are attacked by White Walkers.
Vík
Vík is the southernmost village of Iceland’s mainland. Its world-famous black beach is used to represent northern Westeros. It’s also used as the beach by Eastwatch, the easternmost castle along the Wall where the Night’s Watch is guarding. Mýrdalsjökull glacier, close to Vík, is the location of the Fist of the First Men, a natural defensive position. It’s located north of the Wall and is in the hands of the Wildlings.
Þingvellir National Park
Þingvellir, part of the Golden Circle, is a well-known tourist attraction because this is where the first parliament of Iceland met in 930 AD. It’s the shooting location of Eyrie, the principal stronghold of House Arryn, near the eastern coast of Westeros. In season 4, this is the location where Brienne and the Hound fight each other. It’s also used for Arya’s and Sandor Clegane’s trip through Westeros. But most of all, it’s known as the area where the White Walkers roam.
Close to Þingvellir, you will find the 18-meter high waterfall Þórufoss. This is the waterfall where the dragon Drogon devours an Icelandic goat in season 4 episode 6. The famous goat from farm Háafell has unfortunately also passed away in real life. Book this tour if you want to visit Þórufoss.
We can’t wait for the season 8! Again, Iceland will play a big role. If you’re a Game of Thrones fan, don’t miss the Game of Thrones Iceland tour.
We also recommend a Snæfellsnes self-drive day tour. The Snæfellsnes peninsula has some of the most diverse landscapes in Iceland, with waterfalls, caves, black beaches, and most importantly, Mt. Kirkjufell.
Even if you haven’t read the books or seen the series, you’ll soon see why the Icelandic landscape is so uniquely suited to host and enhance the epic drama.
