HBO filmed parts of Game of Thrones in Split and around Split for five seasons, from 2013 to 2017. Multiple cruise visitors a week ask us where the Daenerys throne room scenes were shot. The answer is in your hand as you walk through Diocletian Palace. Most other “Game of Thrones tours” in Split charge 30 to 50 euro to walk you to three spots in 90 minutes. This guide gives you the same information for free, plus the locations the tours skip.
Why Split for Game of Thrones?
The producers needed a real ancient city for Meereen, Daenerys Targaryen’s adopted city in Essos. Croatia was already filming heavily in Dubrovnik (used as King’s Landing). They scouted Split and found Diocletian Palace – a 4th-century imperial complex that looked like nothing else in modern Europe. Add Klis Fortress (12 km inland), some Adriatic coast scenes, and Split became the secondary Croatian filming hub for the series.
For travelers who want to retrace the filming locations, Split offers about 5 substantial spots, all within 30 minutes of each other. Here they are, in walking order.
Location 1: The Substructures of Diocletian Palace
What was filmed here: The dragon scenes in Season 4. Daenerys keeps her dragons Viserion and Rhaegal chained in the catacombs beneath her pyramid in Meereen. The vaulted basement halls under the Roman palace stood in for those catacombs. The flickering torches, the dramatic acoustics, the imposing column-and-arch architecture – all the same as Diocletian left it in 305 AD.
Where it is: Enter the palace through the Brass Gate from the Riva. The first basement vault you walk through is the central nave, which is free. The actual filming hall is in the inner ticketed section (5 euro). Buy the ticket at the small booth near the entrance.
What to look for: The third or fourth hall from the entrance has the highest vaulted ceiling. Stand in the middle, look up. You will recognize the silhouette from the show. The Romans dug these halls as foundation support and dumping space. HBO needed darkness and dramatic columns – they got them ready-made.
Tip: Go early (before 10am) or late (after 5pm). Midday queues for the ticketed section can be 20 minutes in July.
Location 2: The Peristyle
What was filmed here: Brief exterior shots of Meereen’s central plaza. The Peristyle’s columns and the cathedral facade appear in several wide-angle establishing shots.
Where it is: Walk up from the Substructures into daylight. You are on the Peristyle automatically. The black Egyptian sphinx on the eastern side (genuine, brought from Egypt by Diocletian, 3,500 years old) makes a brief appearance.
What to look for: Look at the columns. Same camera angles work. If you have an HDR camera and morning light, you can replicate the production’s signature look. Free.
Location 3: The Throne Room Vestibule
What was filmed here: Some interior scenes of Daenerys’ Meereen quarters. The small circular domed room called the Vestibule served as a stand-in for parts of the Great Pyramid interior.
Where it is: From the Peristyle, walk south through the small archway. The Vestibule is the open-topped circular room you enter. Free.
What to look for: The Vestibule has perfect acoustics – if you hum a note it carries. Klape (Croatian male a cappella groups) sometimes sing here. The hole in the dome ceiling was decorative in Roman times, dramatic in HBO scenes.
Location 4: Klis Fortress (12 km Inland)
This is the bigger Game of Thrones site, and the one most tours skip because it requires leaving the Old Town.
What was filmed here: Meereen exteriors – the city walls, the gates, the wide cinematic shots of Daenerys’ adopted city from outside. Klis Fortress sits on a dramatic mountain ridge with a 360-degree view of Split below and the islands beyond. From the right angles it looks unmistakably like Essos in Season 4 and Season 5.
Where it is: 12 km north of Split. Bus number 22 from the main bus station takes you there in 30 minutes. A taxi costs around 15 to 20 euro one way. Some tour operators run dedicated half-day trips. Entry to the fortress is 10 euro.
What to look for: The eastern wall of the fortress gives the iconic “Meereen from outside” angle. Walk the full perimeter for the full set of camera positions. Allow 90 minutes to explore properly. Best in late afternoon when the light hits the ridge from the west.
Location 5: The Riva and Surrounding Streets
What was filmed here: Several Meereen street scenes – the slave revolt, market scenes, exterior shots of Daenerys’ carriage moving through the city. The narrow palace lanes north of the Peristyle were used most. Some shots use the Riva as background.
Where it is: Walk north from the Peristyle into the narrow alleys behind the cathedral. Walk west along Bosanska street, then back south through the People’s Square. You will pass two or three streets that featured in establishing shots.
What to look for: The shop signs and modern fittings give away modern Split immediately. For the show, they were digitally removed or hidden behind set dressing. But the stone walls, the narrow shadows, the cobblestones – all 100 percent real and unchanged since the 4th century.
The Walking Route (2 to 3 Hours)
If you want to do this as a Game of Thrones self-tour, here is the efficient walking order:
- Start at the Brass Gate on the Riva (8am to 10am best)
- Substructures – the ticketed inner section. 30 minutes. (5 euro)
- Up to the Peristyle. 15 minutes for photos.
- Vestibule (one minute walk south from Peristyle). 10 minutes.
- Narrow streets walk – exit Peristyle north toward Bosanska/People’s Square. 20 minutes.
- Back to the Riva for coffee. (Optional: pause here)
- Bus 22 to Klis Fortress. 30 minutes each way + 90 minutes to explore. (10 euro entry)
- Back to Split by late afternoon.
Total cost if you go solo: about 25 euro per person (tickets + bus). Compare to a guided GoT tour at 30 to 80 euro per person that covers fewer locations.
What the Paid GoT Tours Add
Honest assessment: the paid Game of Thrones tours in Split add three things:
- Detailed scene-by-scene commentary: If you are a deep fan and want to know exact episode/minute references at each spot, a knowledgeable guide is worth it.
- Replica costumes/props for photos: Some tours offer Daenerys-style clothing or sword props for photo ops. Tacky but Instagram-friendly.
- Klis Fortress transport included: Many tours include the drive to and from Klis, which saves you the bus.
If those three things appeal, book a tour. If you just want to see the places and take photos, you do not need a guide. The Substructures is a stop on our 1.5-hour panoramic bus tour (15 euro per adult), which also covers the rest of the city including Marjan Hill and Vidilica. The Substructure visit is brief in our tour (we are a sightseeing bus, not a deep-dive GoT tour) but you do get to walk through the central nave with audio guide commentary on the palace and the show. Reserve here.
One More Croatia Stop for GoT Fans
If you have time and you really love the show, consider extending your Croatia trip to include:
- Dubrovnik: 3 hours south. King’s Landing in the show. The Walls of Dubrovnik are the main filming location for the city. Heavy tourist site, but the most iconic GoT location in the country.
- Trsteno Arboretum: 30 min north of Dubrovnik. Used as the Red Keep gardens. Beautiful botanical garden.
- Lokrum Island: 15 min ferry from Dubrovnik. Used as Qarth.
Combined, a Split-Dubrovnik trip covers most of the Croatian GoT filming locations. Allow 4 to 5 days for the full route. Most tour packages cover this circuit.
Practical Tips for GoT Visitors
- Memorize the scene before you go: Watch the relevant episodes the night before. Recognizing the angles in person is the actual reward.
- Bring a phone with the actual episode: Hold it up at the location, match the frame, take your shot.
- Skip in midday August: Crowds are heaviest. Light is worst. Morning or late afternoon is better for photos.
- Klis is the better photo: If you only have time for one spot, Klis Fortress is the more cinematic location.
- Bring water and walking shoes for Klis: It is a fortress on a mountain. Real terrain.
Game of Thrones in Split is more accessible than most fans realize. The locations are walkable, cheap to access, and most of them are spectacular even if you have not seen a single episode of the show. The fact that HBO filmed there is a bonus, not the whole point. Diocletian Palace was a remarkable place for 1,700 years before Daenerys Targaryen walked through it. It will be remarkable for another 1,700.
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