Northern Ireland | Belfast & Game of Thrones Tour

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I was lucky enough to visit Northern Ireland at the start of the month to celebrate an old school friend's birthday. I was only there for the weekend, but we made the most of it by exploring Belfast the first day and hunting for filming locations for the popular tv show Game of Thrones on the second. Enjoy the photos!

Botanic Gardens and Ulster Museum

The Ulster museum was quite hard to navigate, but once we found our way around it was really very good. As well as having displays on the history of Northern Ireland from present to past, it went further back than this and took you back through time right back to prehistoric times. A cultural history museum AND natural history museum, the Ulster felt well curated and aimed at children as well as adults. One of the most interesting displays was a real mummified Egyptian Woman called Takabuti. The architecture of the museum is also interesting, as their expansion project saw a brutalist mullet-like add on at the back and side of the existing building. The interior exhibitions really make use of this space, and I suppose it's better to compromise rather than have the old building demolished.

Although it was raining the botanic gardens were also lovely, if not on the small side. The real highlight here was the beautiful victorian greenhouse and her friendly gardener.

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St George's Farmers Market

A local landmark, the people of Belfast really are lucky to have this produce and crafts/retail market. Unlike the markets in Budapest where everything felt reproduced and cheap, St George's felt like it captured the feeling of the city - a friendly and timeless vibrancy. We got breakfast baps and watched local Irish men and woman filling up their shopping baskets with freshly dug potatoes and lovely glistening fish and cheese. 

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Game of Thrones Tour

We were so excited for this! Because we were short on time, and Heather doesn't drive, we decided taking a bus tour would ensure we saw all the filming locations in one day. I never take bus tours and I don't much enjoy group activities, so with that in mind let me tell you we had a great time!

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The Dark Hedges

Aka. the Kings Road. Also used in the new and horrendously bad Transformers Movie (don't see it unless you're high, wanting to watch a sci-fi parody, and are watching it in 3D)

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Giants Causeway

Aka. one of the 8 wonders of the world, aka. where the Onion Knight comes ashore on dragonstone, aka. they didn't really film here but it's an amazing place so they put it in the tour...

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Ballintoy

Aka. Pyke and the Iron Islands. Various scenes including Theon Greyjoy coming ashore at the harbour, his baptism/water rebirth, the old king's funeral and the kings moot. Also some of Brianne's fight scenes and the meeting with Catelyn Stark. The beach where you can see Hodor's name in the sand is also where Melisandre gives her 'the night is dark and full of terrors speech when they burn the fires and Stannis is sworn in to the Light.

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The end! Did you recognise some of the locations?

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