Game of Thrones locations that you can visit in Iceland

I am a HUGE fan of ‘Game of Thrones’ and the A Song of Ice and Fire saga. I think the adaptation of the show, especially on the first seasons, is one of the best adaptation work in the history of TV. And of course an important part of that is choosing right where to film the scenes. In that HBO has excelled, choosing some amazing locations for filming the show. I have collected some here that you can visit during your travels, to give a little spice to your trip. Game of Thrones has been filmed in six countries: Croatia, Iceland, Spain, United Kingdom (mostly Northern Iceland), Morocco and Malta. This post will focus on the locations in Iceland that are used in the show. You can find links to the rest of the locations at the end of the page.

*Disclaimer: if you are not up to date with the show you may find spoilers in this article. Proceed at your own peril!

Iceland

The mountainous landscapes, the snowy weather and the breathtaking glaciers makes of Iceland the perfect candidate to double as the lands Beyond the Wall. However, there are some exceptions in this list.

Kirkjufell, Iceland (Arrowhead Mountain, Beyond the Wall)

Kirkjufell is the most photographed mountain in Iceland and, can you blame them? This stunning mountain “plays the role” of the Arrowhead Mountain, located Beyond the Wall. We see it when Jon Snow and his team go North of the Wall to catch a wight to show to Cersei, and again in Bran’s vision of the children of the forest creating the first White Walker.

Vík, Iceland (Eastwatch-by-the-Sea)

Concretely Reynisfjara beach, located close to the town of Vík in the south of Iceland, is the location where Eastwatch-by-the-Sea was filmed in season 7. Here is where the group travels north to catch the wight and where the wall falls in the last episode.

Vatnajökull Glacier, Iceland (Beyond the Wall)

Vatnajökull is Europe’s largest glacier, so it is no surprise that the producers chose it as a set for North of the Wall when Jon Snow is captured by the wildlings.

Lake Mývatn, Iceland (Beyond the Wall)

Lake Mývatn is one of the locations where the Mance Rayder’s camp was filmed.

But Grótagjá cave is the love nest Beyond the Wall of Jon Snow and Ygritte in season 3. This small cave in Lake Mýcatn cave was actually a popular bathing spot, but geological activity rose the temperature in the 1970s so it is not possible to bathe there anymore. Fun fact: the steams of the water disturbed the shooting so much that most of the scene had to be recorded in the studio.

Thingvellir, Iceland (the Eyrie)

Actually written Þingvellir, this national park is particularly interesting, since the Mid-Atlantic Ridge passes through it, separating the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates. In the show, it is used as the narrow pathway leading to the Eyrie, home of house Arryn (led by Lysa Arryn and her son Robin, Carelyn’s sister).

Skaftafell, Iceland (Beyond the Wall)

Skaftafell and Svínafellsjökull glacier were also used as the lands Beyond the Wall when the fake snow was no longer good enough for the show.

Thorufoss, Iceland (somewhere in Essos)

Again, it is actually written Þórufoss. This 18m high waterfall is the only filming location in Iceland that was used as something other than Westeros. When Daenerys is in Meereen, Drogon surprises the goatherds and eats one of their goats here.

Photo credit: Bromr with CC BY-SA 3.0

Dimmuborgir, Iceland (Wildling Camp, Beyond the Wall)

Dimmuborgir is a complex of volcanic caves that creates a field of lava with strange shapes. It is actually one of the most visited natural tourist attractions in northern Iceland, but it is also visited by Mance Rayder’s wildlings in season 3 were they set their wildling camp.

Closing statement

The world is a fantastic set for many movies and series, and in Game of Thrones they have done a remarkable job at transporting us to Westeros and the other sites in the World of Ice and Fire. Discover the other filming locations in the links below:

→ ‘Game of Thrones’ locations that you can visit in Croatia

→ ‘Game of Thrones’ locations that you can visit in Spain

→ ‘Game of Thrones’ locations that you can visit in United Kingdom

→ ‘Game of Thrones’ locations that you can visit in Morocco

→ ‘Game of Thrones’ locations that you can visit in Malta

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