For years, fantasy tourists flocked to the freezing coastlines of Northern Ireland and the medieval streets of Croatia. But it was the sun-baked architecture and cracked deserts of southern Spain that brought the most exotic kingdoms of Westeros to life.

Game of Thrones Filming Locations: The Ultimate Andalusian Road Trip

When the television production crew arrived in Andalucía for Season 5, they transformed medieval Moorish palaces into the Water Gardens of Dorne, repurposed ancient Roman bridges for the Free City of Volantis, and turned dusty provincial arenas into the fighting pits of Meereen. This is not just a standard location tour; it is a meticulously plotted 600-kilometre road trip that crosses four southern Spanish provinces, threading together authentic, centuries-old architecture with high-fantasy drama.

You will drive the exact routes the location scouts took, standing on the very balconies where the Sand Snakes plotted treason and walking the arid wastelands where Daenerys Targaryen led her khalasar. Along the way, we include a detour to the Alhambra—a palace that, while not appearing on screen, served as the direct literary blueprint for Dornish culture in the original novels. You will need a reliable rental car, at least six days, and a willingness to brave the Andalusian heat.

To execute this properly, do not simply rush from province to province snapping photographs. Take the time to understand the Moorish and Roman engineering that made these sites so appealing to the directors in the first place. This guide breaks down the distances, the specific motorways to navigate, and the precise times of day to visit to ensure you experience the atmosphere without the distraction of a thousand other sightseers.

Stage 1: Seville & The Real Alcázar (Dorne)

Seville is the natural starting point for this route. Park your vehicle at the subterranean lot at Paseo de Colón; you will not need a car to navigate the tight, restrictive alleys of the Santa Cruz neighbourhood. The Real Alcázar is the primary stand-in for Sunspear and the Water Gardens of Dorne. The location managers specifically chose the Baths of Doña María de Padilla—a subterranean, vaulted crypt with a long, still pool—for the scene where Ellaria Sand incites rebellion. Upstairs in the Ambassador’s Hall, beneath a gilded cedarwood dome, Prince Doran received Jaime Lannister.

The layout of the mudéjar courtyards provides a deliberately disorienting, maze-like feel. When you walk through the Courtyard of the Maidens (Patio de las Doncellas), take note of the sunken gardens and reflective pools; the television crew barely had to alter the physical space to achieve their fantasy setting, simply adding a few strategically placed props and silk curtains. Book your entry slot for 9:00 AM, the exact moment the heavy wooden gates open at the Puerta del León. By 11:00 AM, the courtyards will be packed with guided groups, shattering any illusion of Westerosi royalty.

Once you have finished exploring the gardens, walk ten minutes down to the Royal Shipyards (Reales Atarazanas) near the riverbank. These colossal 13th-century brick vaults doubled as the crypts of the Red Keep, where Cersei Lannister famously wandered among the dragon skulls.

To complete your Sevillian experience, drive 15 minutes north of the city limits to the Roman ruins of Itálica in the town of Santiponce. This remarkably preserved Roman amphitheatre served as the Dragonpit in King’s Landing. Walk down into the centre of the ruined arena and look up at the tiered seating; the scale is immense, and because it sits outside the city centre, it rarely suffers from overwhelming queues. Parking is free and directly outside the archaeological site.

[AFFILIATE: Skip-the-line Real Alcázar and Game of Thrones Tour]

Overnight: [AFFILIATE: Hotel Casa 1800 Seville], situated just a three-minute walk from the Alcázar exit walls.

Stage 2: Osuna (The Pits of Meereen)

Distance: 87 kilometres from Seville
Road: A-92 eastbound

Leave Seville after the morning rush hour dissipates and merge onto the A-92 motorway, driving for exactly an hour until the honey-coloured university building of Osuna appears on the horizon. This quiet agricultural town is a masterclass in Andalusian baroque architecture, yet it remains blissfully ignored by the majority of international tourists. The town experienced a sudden, overwhelming influx of Hollywood executives when its century-old Plaza de Toros was selected to portray Daznak’s Pit in Meereen.

This is where the chaotic climax of Season 5 was filmed, featuring the Sons of the Harpy ambush and Daenerys’s escape on the back of Drogon. The bullring itself was inaugurated in 1904. The production team spent twelve days filming here for a sequence that lasts roughly seventeen minutes on screen, hiring five hundred local extras to sit in the stands and endure the intense daytime heat. Walk inside (entry is typically two euros at the ticket office) and stand directly in the centre of the yellow sand to grasp the scale of the arena.

Afterwards, walk up Calle San Antón to the Museo de Osuna. The local council has dedicated an entire 'Ice and Fire' wing to the production, filling two rooms with original props, behind-the-scenes photographs, and cast signatures. For lunch, grab a table at Casa Curro on the central square, a tapas bar where the cast and crew regularly ate after gruelling, 14-hour shooting days in the blistering sun. Do not leave Osuna without visiting the local bakeries; the convent of San Pedro produces excellent traditional pastries that are far more rewarding than standard motorway snacks.

[AFFILIATE: Guided walking tour of Osuna's historic centre]

Stage 3: Córdoba (Volantis and Highgarden)

Distance: 100 kilometres from Osuna
Road: A-351 north to Écija, then A-4 eastbound

Drive north from Osuna through endlessly rolling olive groves to merge onto the A-4 motorway towards Córdoba. The approach into the city drops you almost directly beside the historic centre. Your primary target here is the Roman Bridge (Puente Romano) spanning the wide, shallow Guadalquivir River. Built in the early 1st century BC and subsequently modified, this structure was heavily augmented with digital effects to become the Long Bridge of Volantis. However, the distinctive multi-arched foundation you see from the riverbank is exactly as it appears on screen when Tyrion and Varys cross into the Free City.

Walk the bridge at dusk, starting from the Calahorra Tower on the southern bank and heading towards the illuminated Mosque-Cathedral. The swallows dive low over the water, and the yellow street lamps reflect on the river, making it incredibly easy to imagine the crowded, chaotic markets of Essos.

The following morning, take a 30-kilometre detour west along the A-431 to the Castillo de Almodóvar del Río. This meticulously restored fortress, perched on a sheer rocky outcrop, served as Highgarden, the ancestral home of House Tyrell. The ascent from the car park is steep, winding up a paved path that offers increasingly spectacular views over the valley. You can walk the exact battlements where Olenna Tyrell delivered her final, devastating confession to Jaime Lannister. The castle administration has smartly placed small metal plaques showing stills from the episode at the exact angles the cameras were positioned, allowing you to perfectly align your photographs.

[AFFILIATE: Tickets to Castillo de Almodóvar del Río]

Overnight: [AFFILIATE: Balcón de Córdoba], offering spectacular rooftop views over the Mosque-Cathedral.

Stage 4: Granada & The Alhambra (The Spirit of Dorne)

Distance: 170 kilometres from Córdoba
Road: N-432 south-east

The drive from Córdoba to Granada via the N-432 offers a spectacular visual transition, moving from flat agricultural plains into the jagged foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains. While the production crew ultimately bypassed the Alhambra due to strict filming restrictions and the sheer volume of daily visitors, no Westerosi road trip is complete without inspecting it. The author of the source material explicitly stated that the advanced hydraulic engineering and courtyard aesthetics of the Alhambra served as the direct literary inspiration for the Water Gardens of Dorne.

Walking through the Generalife gardens, with their perfectly symmetrical fountains and low-hanging citrus trees, you will immediately recognise the aesthetic that the showrunners eventually replicated in Seville. You must secure your Alhambra tickets at least two months in advance, booking a Nasrid Palaces timeslot for late afternoon when the harsh mountain light softens into a deep, photographic gold. The walk up the steep Cuesta de Gomérez from the Plaza Nueva will test your calves, but it provides a grand, physical transition from the modern city below into the fortress above.

If you require an actual on-screen location nearby, drive 50 minutes east of Granada on the A-92 to Castillo de La Calahorra. This imposing, windowless red fortress was used extensively in the prequel series, standing in for the Free City of Pentos.

[AFFILIATE: Official Alhambra and Generalife Guided Tour]

Overnight: [AFFILIATE: Parador de Granada], located directly within the walls of the Alhambra complex.

Stage 5: Almería (Dothraki Hordes and Dragonstone Echoes)

Distance: 150 kilometres from Granada
Road: A-92 eastbound

The final leg of the journey takes you into the province of Almería, Europe’s only official desert and the rugged backdrop for the franchise’s harshest environments. Head straight for the Desierto de Tabernas via the A-92. These dry, cracked ravines served as the Dothraki Sea and the dusty approach to Vaes Dothrak. The aridity here is absolute. When the crew filmed here, they utilised the wide, empty ramblas (dry riverbeds) to show Daenerys marching with thousands of Dothraki riders. The mid-afternoon temperatures easily exceed 40°C in the height of summer, so carry plenty of water in the boot of your car and stick strictly to the marked trails, as the terrain is deceptively disorienting.

Next, drive down to the provincial capital to explore the Alcazaba of Almería. Sitting high on a hill overlooking the port, this sprawling, 10th-century fortress is the largest Moorish citadel in Spain. Its fortified walls and arid courtyards were seamlessly blended with Seville’s Alcázar during the editing process to expand the visual scope of Dorne. The Patio de armas was the specific location used for Ellaria Sand's brutal assassination of Doran Martell.

Finally, drive an hour east to the Cabo de Gata Natural Park via the AL-5106. Here, perched on a dramatic cliff overlooking the Mediterranean, is the Torre de Mesa Roldán. This isolated watchtower featured as the location where Daenerys negotiated the surrender of the Masters of Yunkai outside Meereen. While the physical castle of Dragonstone was filmed further north in the Basque Country, Almería’s stark, volcanic coastline and sheer, plunging cliffs carry the exact same unforgiving, wind-battered energy of the Targaryen ancestral home. Take the time to drive the coastal road down to Playa de los Muertos; the jagged rocks and crashing waves provide a profoundly cinematic end to the road trip.

[AFFILIATE: 4WD Desert Tour of Tabernas]

Practical Information

When to Go

Avoid the peak summer months of July and August entirely. The locations in Seville, Osuna, and Tabernas regularly hit 42°C, making midday exploration physically dangerous and deeply uncomfortable. The optimal window for this road trip is late April to late May, or October. During these shoulder seasons, the skies remain clear but the ambient temperatures sit comfortably in the mid-twenties, allowing you to walk the steep fortress paths without risking heatstroke.

Getting Around

A reliable rental car is strictly necessary for this itinerary. While Seville, Córdoba, and Granada are connected by the AVE high-speed train network, reaching the rural bullring in Osuna, the isolated Tabernas Desert, and the coastal roads of Cabo de Gata requires your own vehicle. Use reputable local providers or major international desks at Seville Airport to pick up your car upon arrival. Do not rely on rural bus routes to reach specific filming locations, as the schedules are sparse and rarely align with optimal visiting hours.

[AFFILIATE: Discover Cars Andalucia]

Costs and Budgeting

Expect to pay €14.50 for standard entry to the Real Alcázar in Seville, and €19.09 for the full Alhambra experience in Granada. Smaller provincial sites offer excellent value; the Osuna bullring charges a mere €2, whilst the Alcazaba in Almería is entirely free for European Union citizens (and just €1.50 for everyone else). The Castillo de Almodóvar del Río costs €10. Accommodation will dictate the bulk of your budget. Historic, atmospheric properties like the Paradores average €150 to €250 per night, whereas reliable, mid-range guesthouses in Osuna or Almería sit comfortably around €70 to €90. Petrol for the entire 600-kilometre route will cost approximately €60 to €80, depending on the engine size of your rental vehicle and current fuel prices.

What to Bring

Sturdy walking boots are essential. You will be navigating the uneven Roman cobbles of Córdoba, steep medieval staircases in Almodóvar del Río, and the loose shale of the Tabernas ravines. Sun protection—specifically a wide-brimmed hat, factor 50 sunscreen, and a refillable water bottle—is non-negotiable across all these exposed southern sites. Finally, download the relevant episodes of the series to your tablet before you travel. There is a distinct, visceral thrill in watching the Meereen fighting pits on screen while sitting in the very town where the scene was filmed.