I love Game of Thrones and when I found out that I was going to visit Malta, I knew that I needed to find the Game of Thrones locations around Malta. Since I had limited time, I chose to take the Game of Thrones tour with Malta Film tours after reading the glowing reviews.
This is an independent review of the tour for my Game of Thrones lovers with some additional tips for finding GOT filming locations in Malta! No spoilers beyond season 1, I promise.
This is an independent review, which means that I paid for myself and it is 100% my opinion. As I don’t want to discourage people from going on the tour itself, so I will not be revealing the exact locations.
I’m bit obsessed with finding filming locations and whenever I’m watching a show/movie that is shot somewhere beautiful, I want to know where it was filmed. (That’s how I ended up in the Wadi Rum desert to retrace the steps of the Martian!)
As a long-time Game of Thrones fan, I wondered where was Game of Thrones filmed? Malta was my third country to visit on the look out for Game of Thrones set locations after finding Jon Snow’s love cave in Iceland and the Alhambra in Spain.
Contents
- 1 Malta as Game of Throne filming location
- 2 Assessment of GoT filming tour: 9.5/10
- 3 The World of Westeros in Malta
- 4 San Anton Palace: King’s Landing Gardens & the Tower of the Hand
- 5 King’s Landing: “When you play the game of thrones, you win or you die.”
- 6 Mdina: Little Finger’s Brothel & The Street of Steel
- 7 Red Waste & Essos
- 8 Not included on the tour 🙁
- 9 Included on the tour, but not in Game of Thrones: Popeye’s Village
- 10 Tour logistics
- 11 What to bring on your tour
- 12 Have you been so inspired by a film/movie that you visited a place?
Malta as Game of Throne filming location
Malta was used the Game of Thrones season 1 filming locations. Filming was done as part of the pilot for Game of Thrones, so the producers were seeking a country with a diverse landscape and old cities that didn’t require that much work to dress up for the show. As a result, the Malta filming locations are so close to how they appear in the show. It makes visiting Malta a dream for Game of Thrones fans!
Assessment of GoT filming tour: 9.5/10
I usually prefer to do things myself and as a result, we went Game of Thrones location hunting on our own in Iceland. It worked out well, but in Malta, we didn’t have a car. I really loved this tour and it was worth every penny.
We chose the Game of Thrones Tour in Malta as Malta is quite small, so you can see a lot of locations within one day. Similarly, Malcolm is the ultimate insider into the film industry as someone who works both in acting as well as in insurance (for filming), which meant that I learned so much about what happens behind the scenes for filming Game of Thrones (as well as other productions) in addition to seeing the location and laughing at his hilarious stories.
He did a great job bringing us to lesser known Game of Thrones shooting locations as well as showing the beauty of Malta, so if you’re even a slight fan, this is a great introduction to Malta as you will see a lot of Malta within one day.
My only complaint is not visiting the other Maltese filming locations for the Red Keep, the Sept of Baelor, Verdala Palace as well as the Azure Window (which doesn’t exist anymore).
The World of Westeros in Malta
Malta is such a beautiful country and it is easy to see why HBO chose this Mediterranean island to film Game of Thrones on. The tour includes quite a few filming locations that are part of the world of Westeros, including the Red Waste, Essos and King’s Landing. This post will be a brief review as well as a photo essay of Malta’s beautiful architecture/nature.
San Anton Palace: King’s Landing Gardens & the Tower of the Hand
The Presidential gardens (where quite a few scenes from King’s Landing were filmed) is absolutely beautiful. This is where Sansa and Tyrion had their famous chat in Season 1. I loved listening to Malcolm’s hilarious story about chasing Arya around the gardens.
We were lucky enough to see the president of Malta passing as we toured the grounds of her palace. A few extra stops relevant to Maltese history were added to the tour, which including visiting a small painted chapel. The grounds were also used for the filming locations for the hallways of the Red Keep and the stables of King’s Landing.
King’s Landing: “When you play the game of thrones, you win or you die.”
The iconic exchange between Ned Stark and Cersei Lannister was filmed in a church slightly outside of Mdina. As this church is lesser known, we had it to ourselves (unlike Mdina which was quite crowded!).
It was one of the most beautiful churches that we saw in Malta and one of the priests let our group into a historic room with painted wallpaper that is typically off-limits to the public.
Cersei’s famous scene was filmed in the middle of this garden in the Centre! It wasn’t possible to walk to the famous fountain, but it was a beautiful courtyard to see!
Mdina: Little Finger’s Brothel & The Street of Steel
Mdina is one of those cities that takes your breath away and it still lives/breathes history. It was used as Malta’s capital during medieval times, however the elite of Malta still live in this stunning city. Despite the many tourists, it is still has retained its charms.
Be aware that if you go in summer or peak season, Mdina will be cramped. (I already thought it was quite busy!) In Game of Thrones, we see Catelyn and Ser Rodrik Cassel ride through the gate into King’s Landing.
Quite a few scenes from Game of Thrones were filmed here, including the fight scene between Jaime Lannister & Ned Stark’s men as well as Littlefinger’s brothel. (The fight scene was filmed in the same square.) You’ll also find the Street of Steel.
Red Waste & Essos
This remote location on the NW side of Malta is where Khal Drogo infamously fell off his horse after being poisoned by a witch in the Red Waste. “A Khal who cannot ride is not a Khal.”
This stunning seaside location on the Northwest side of the island is fairly difficult to access (compared to other locations), however absolutely beautiful to visit.
It is also where Daenerys creates the funeral pyre for Khal Drogo…and most importantly, it is where her dragons hatch and she emerges naked out of the flames.
I had my own moment pretending to be the Queen of Dragons although I wish we had more time to hike down to the sea. There’s a mysterious staircase carved into the nearby rocks that leads down to the sea.
There was also a sword fight scene filmed nearby and you’ll spot this beautiful landscape as part of stock footage used as Daenerys looks out of her window in Pentos.
Not included on the tour 🙁
Sadly, the Azure window is gone. I was lucky enough to see it before it fell into the sea, however it had been the filming location for Daenerys and Khal Drogo’s wedding. The Azure window as also reason that Game of Thrones stopped filming after season 1.
For filming, many locations were covered with sand. For the filming of the wedding, the contractor hired (and vetted) for filming used a less expensive sand, which ended up leaking into the sea. The environment close to the Azure Window is protected under Maltese law.
Unfortunately, the sand leak destroyed part of this unique environment, which put an immediate end to filming Game of Thrones in Malta for the foreseeable future.
Included on the tour, but not in Game of Thrones: Popeye’s Village
This is not a Game of Thrones filming location, but the strange and stunning Popeye’s Village is a remnant from the filming of the 1980 live-action film of Popeye. It is built intentionally to look ramshackle and it has been lovingly maintained (and kept ramshackle) over the years. (A lookout over the village is included on the tour.)
Tour logistics
The tour that I went on was only 8 people, however the tour can be quite a bit larger. Pick-up and drop-off anywhere in Malta is included, which makes it perfect for those staying in Malta without a car.
At the time, the tour cost 59 euros per person and there was a lunch break at a lovely restaurant in Malta overlooking the historic city of Mdina. (Lunch cost not included although it was very reasonable.) The tours are every Saturday (at time of publication).
What to bring on your tour
Yourself, your camera, a pair of sneakers (a fair amount of walking and some walking is on uneven terrain) and a knowledge of Game of Thrones. Season 1 is the main season discussed here, so even if you’re not a big fan, watch the first season beforehand. Optional: wear your game of thrones shirt. Click for the men’s version.
Have you been so inspired by a film/movie that you visited a place?
Click for my perfect Malta itinerary without a car and tips for getting off the beaten path in Malta written by a local!
The tour is fantastic. I recently went back to Malta for book research and just had to go on the tour. This is my second time and it was still brilliant. I would fully recommend it to anyone who visits the Island.
It looks so beautiful there!! And I had no idea Popeye was filmed there, I really want to go there now! 🙂
I just did a tour similar to this one but in the sets in Ireland. I really enjoyed going to the locations so this whole post was definitely up my alley! Thank you for a super informative post, I’d love to check it out next time I am in Malta. How long did you spend in Malta?
I wish we had been in Malta for longer, but about 5.5 days. It was just enough to do what I wanted, but I would have loved having another two days! 🙂 I really want to do the one in Northern Ireland!
Fantastic ! Not only are we currently binge watching GOT to catch up with the rest of the entire world but we are also booked to visit Malta in August. This guide will be perfect ! Thanks
When I was in Northern Ireland I didn’t miss to visit some of the places they shot, Same in Spain and Morocco. I’m a big fan of GoT. Malta is still on my list. The tour seems fantastic!
I’m a huge Game of Throne fan, so this tour is looking absolutely amazing to me, especially Red Waste & Essos. Popeye’s village is so colorful and stunning. I’ve never even heard of that location, until mentioned here. Thank you for this informative post and beautiful pictures.
Love this show. Will definitely keep in mind. So the sand that the crew used for filming is the reason the rock formation fell?
Hi Kayla,
This was a separate issue. Due to the water/wind, the rock was just eroding more rapidly than they had realized. There was a narrow section of the rock that just got eroded–and the whole thing fell as a result. It wasn’t the result of filming, just nature. 🙁
Thanks for reading,
Karen
I’m not a Game of Thrones fan personally, but I love finding filming locations so this is super cool! Everywhere you went looks beautiful too! I’m glad you had a great time 😀
This post might just convince us to change our 2017 travel plans and make a return trip to Malta. In 2015 the GoT mania was still growing, so we didn’t really consider any tour options. Plus, Omo only started watching the show around that time. I love that your tour guide had such insight into the show as an actor and insurance expert. I’m sure that personal connection really made the tour memorable! We bypassed the Popeye Village experience, thinking it might be too touristy. From your photos, it didn’t look like that at all. Perhaps the time of year you went helped? Great post as always Karen!
Hey there! If you ever decide to visit Malta let me know (I’m Maltese) and can give you some good tips on where to go!
To be fair, it is not that busy and crowded, and yes if you avoid June-August that is when majority of tourists visit, even though Feb-May is pretty hot too and suitable for stunning pics 🙂
I am a total GoT geek so would love this tour. I saw one of the filming sites when I went to Morocco and go so excited!! So sad about the Azure window too 🙁
I love Game of Thrones, but I have to admit that I don’t have such a good memory that I recognize all these places from the series! Planning to go to Dubrovnik next month, and heard they filmed quite a lot of scenes there as well, so thinking about taking a tour anyway. Is it interesting enough to go on such a tour if you haven’t seen the series? Travelling with mom, but mom has no idea about GoT.
Hi Brigitte, Thank you so much for reading. This is why you can rewatch it and luckily, the tour has blown up photos to help you see how it was shown in the film! Dubrovnik looks beautiful and I’ve love to visit to see the GOT sites. I haven’t been to the one there, but if the tour combines more general film history/local history like this Malta one, she still might enjoy it if there’s a bit more to offer beyond GOT. This one was good because we visited quite a few historic areas and learned about the history in addition to GOT. Depends a lot on the tour.
Thanks for reading,
Karen
I have visited Malta last autumn, when I had managed to see two of the GOT filming locations: Mdina and the Azure Window (I was so sad hearing about its collapsing and so lucky to have seen it when it was still standing). Knowing the island a bit, the tour you’ve taken was definitely good value for money!
I am currently in NZ, have traveled across the world to view LOTR sites, and makes my heart pounding when I see the places I’ve seen in films… It makes me forget how b eayutiful Malta is, and that it has the same effect on other people, which makes me proud of being Maltese. Malta has so much to offer, and the history is so rich! I have never seen GoT (believe it or not haha), and seeing blog posts like these make me proud of coming from such a small wee island <3
Well done on the post! Mdina is still one of my favourite places (Silent City), and Popeye Village still is a huge tourist attraction till nowadays!
Did you know that the Azure Window was also a film location for the old Clash of the Titans and Count of Monte Cristo :)?
I would also suggest sunblock for those traveling in Summer :p It gets pretty hot in March, can you imagine August :p?
Thank you for reading! I really had NO idea how many movies were filmed in Malta until this tour. I need to rewatch a few now. 🙂 I might update about the sunscreen. You should definitely watch Season 1! 🙂
I agree about the sunblock although February was pretty good with a minimal jacket. The weather was fascinated.
Wow, that looked like an incredible tour! I love Game of Thrones- but I would probably have to re-watch it right before I went and after I came back lol!
We love Game of Thrones as well but have never considered touring different film sites while on the road! May be a new thing we do now!
I’m not a Game of Thrones fan, but I enjoyed reading your review! I absolutely love Malta! In my opinion, it is one of Europe’s most underrated destinations.
Unfortunately, I didn’t have time to visit Popeye Village. It looks so gorgeous in your photos 🙂
I’m usually pretty independent myself and did my own GoT tour in Dubrovnik, but it sounds like this tour was really worth it, even for the knowledge they give you and I guarantee some of those places would have been hard to find on your own. Great photos!
Loved this post <3 I’m a big fan of Game of Throne as well ! I've never even heard about the colorful and stunning Popeye's village before reading this post. I have never considered touring different film places while on the road but it sounds like this tour was really worth it ! Something I need to keep in mind 🙂
Ahhhh I’m heading there in a week and this article just got me so pumped for it! I’m also going to do the Gozo coastal walk, although there isn’t much information out there on it. They also did a lot of GoT filming in Dubrovnik, such a beautiful city. And I got to visit the love cave in Iceland too, although we didn’t get a chance to swim in it the water was the perfect temperature, like a bathtub 🙂 Great article! I can’t wait to start writing some blog posts about Malta 🙂
Hi Jax,
I hope that you have an AMAZING time. The Gozo walk will be beautiful. Gozo is pretty small, so it will be a lot of fun. 🙂
The love cave in Iceland’s water was really hot to me and I read that you would overheat if you went inside within a short amount of time. (Better not to go in).
Thanks for reading,
Karen
OMG I need to do this!!!
Hi Karen, great article. I’m also obsessed with visiting locations where films were filmed. It makes it more real to me. Malta is also on my list to visit, almost booked it last night, but booked a couple others for now 🙂 It’s a shame th Azure window is gone as I would have loved to see it. Your photos are great. Thanks for sharing this.
Ooooh, I visited Malta before Game of Thrones and found it amazing! All those winding streets in the Mdina and the amazing scenery outside the cities! But as a GoT fan, I’d love to go back and do a tour like this! Thanks for the tips!
I just spent 10 days in Malta and it was my second trip. A bit difficult to see everything if you don’t have your own car but the public bus system works – not always on time so factor in the waiting time for the bus to actually show up! I haven’t seen Game of Thrones yet but it might be worth checking out.
I haven’t watched GoT (keep meaning to..) but my husband is a huge fan, so when in Malta last year I booked us both on the tour. It was every bit as wonderful as you say. Malcolm is the perfect guide. He told us not only about GoT locations but lots of insights into the film industry in Malta.
I can’t recommend the tour highly enough. You get to see a lot of Malta you probably otherwise wouldn’t. We stayed in Valletta and walked a lot there, visited the other side of the Grand Harbour, and took the hop on-hop off bus one day to the ancient sites. This tour filled in the rest!
It was quite a large tour and the only tedious bit was all the drop-offs at the end (Valletta was last!), but that’s life!