The Franciscan Monastery in Dubrovnik is one of the city’s most significant landmarks, located just inside the Pile Gate along the Stradun. Built in the 14th century, it was part of a larger complex that included a church, cloister, library, and one of the oldest operating pharmacies in Europe, established in 1317. Although much of the original structure was damaged in the 1667 earthquake, the Romanesque cloister survived and remains a highlight, adorned with elegant double columns and a peaceful garden. The monastery houses a rich collection of manuscripts, artworks, and religious relics, and its pharmacy still operates today, preserving centuries-old recipes and offering handmade creams and lotions. It stands as a quiet oasis in the bustling Old Town and a testament to the city's enduring spiritual and cultural heritage.
The medieval Old Town of Dubrovnik is a UNESCO-protected and remarkably well-preserved area, featuring distinctive limestone streets lined with beautiful buildings that tell the stories of centuries past. From the city’s foundation in the 7th Century to its illustrious era as a city-state and major maritime trading hub known as the Ragusa Republic. Our private 3-hour history and heritage tour peels back the layers of Dubrovnik, revealing its most intriguing tales through a carefully curated selection of key landmarks.
On this private 3-hour tour, you will:
For those who want a deeper introduction to Dubrovnik, this immersive three-hour private tour offers a comprehensive look into the city's incredible history and its architectural masterpieces. Led by a knowledgeable local expert guide, the itinerary is designed for those seeking meaningful context behind the beauty of Dubrovnik’s Old Town.
The tour begins at the monumental Pile Gate, where stone walls and drawbridges hint at the military might that kept this small republic fiercely independent for centuries. From there, you will step into a city that seems untouched by time. You’ll take a moment to check out Onofrio’s Fountain, and learn about the man who gave it his name, a renowned architect who brought engineering ingenuity from Naples to serve the needs of a growing maritime power in the 15th Century. Your guide will then lead you through the peaceful cloisters of the Franciscan Monastery complex, home to a library of rare manuscripts, a Romanesque church, and one of the oldest continuously operating pharmacies in Europe, established in the early 14th century. More than a religious site, you’ll discover how the monastery is a living link to Dubrovnik’s humanitarian and intellectual roots.
As you stroll along Stradun, the gleaming central boulevard, your guide will explain the different stages of Dubrovnik’s development, from its early Slavic origins and Byzantine ties to its peak as the Republic of Ragusa, a sophisticated city-state whose diplomatic finesse and maritime trading networks rivalled those of Venice. You’ll soon find yourself in Luža Square, a major gathering place for centuries, framed by the harmonious facades of the Sponza Palace and the stately City Bell Tower. While many pass these landmarks with a glance, your guide will reveal Sponza's former lives as a customs house, mint, and now the city archives, as well as the specially built statues installed within the Bell Tower, which have become beloved local emblems.
You will also have the chance to visit the Rector’s Palace, once the seat of power for elected leaders of the Republic. You’ll walk through chambers that blend Gothic, Renaissance, and Baroque styles, reflecting the city’s architectural evolution. Your guide can regale you with stories of justice, diplomacy, and scandal, all played out within these elegant walls. After leaving the palace, you’ll spend some time in the magnificent Dubrovnik Cathedral. Built on the ruins of earlier churches and adorned with precious relics, you’ll see how it can be seen as an enduring symbol of the city’s resilience, rebuilt in Baroque style after the devastating 1667 earthquake.
Your tour concludes in Gundulić Square, a charming enclave that hosts a daily morning market, named after Ragusa’s most renowned poet. Before bidding goodbye to your guide, you’ll get plenty of recommendations on where to eat, what to explore next, and how to make the most of your time in this extraordinary city. Thoughtfully paced and rich with historical insight, this experience is ideal for travellers eager to move beyond the postcard views and understand what truly made Dubrovnik one of the great cultural capitals of the Mediterranean.
With its stunning coastal setting, dramatic city walls and enthralling medieval streets, Dubrovnik certainly makes for a fitting backdrop for a fantasy series. The producers of the smash hit HBO show Game of Thrones took full advantage of Dubrovnik’s almost otherworldly beauty to bring some of the most iconic moments of the series to life, with the city representing King’s Landing, the capital of George R.R. Martin’s mythical world of Westeros where much of the saga's pivotal encounters, battles and intrigue unfolds. Our immersive private tour will cover the key filming locations used on the show, revealing a wealth of intriguing details along the way.
On this private walking tour, you will:
Uncover the real-life King’s Landing on this private 2-hour walking tour through Dubrovnik’s Old Town, tailored for fans of Game of Thrones who want to follow in the footsteps of their favourite characters while discovering the true stories and cinematic secrets behind HBO’s epic production. Your journey begins at Pile Gate, a grand and historic entrance to Dubrovnik’s Old Town that served as the primary gateway into King’s Landing throughout the series. As you cross into the city, your expert local guide, with a wealth of knowledge of both Croatian history and Game of Thrones lore, will set the scene, revealing how and why this UNESCO-protected city was chosen as the capital of Westeros.
You’ll gaze down at Pile Bay below, better known to fans as Blackwater Bay, where your guide can remind you of the pivotal on-screen moments that unfolded there, including Myrcella Baratheon’s departure for Dorne, the explosive Battle of Blackwater, and the dramatic return of the Lannisters to King’s Landing. You’ll be captivated by the stunning scenery, jagged cliffs, ancient stone, and the shimmer of the Adriatic as well as the behind-the-scenes insights, from CGI trickery to secret filming schedules and local extras cast as townspeople.
You’ll continue along a stretch of the spectacular city walls, where sweeping views mirror the dramatic aerial shots of King's Landing. With each step, your guide will share anecdotes about how Dubrovnik’s fortifications were digitally extended and transformed to mimic the vivid landscapes depicted in George R.R. Martin's novels. From there, you’ll pay a visit to the formidable Fort Lovrijenac, towering above the sea. This fortress was the stand-in for the Red Keep, the seat of House Baratheon and later the Lannisters. As you wander the same battlements where Cersei and Littlefinger plotted, or Joffrey faced off with Robb Stark’s emissaries, your guide will share set secrets and production challenges and point out precisely where scenes were blocked and shot.
You will then make your way into the heart of the Old Town, following the cobbled streets to the baroque Jesuit Staircase, where Queen Cersei began her infamous Walk of Shame. Your guide will explain how this emotionally charged scene was choreographed, such as the use of body doubles, and local controversies surrounding its filming. Winding through the atmospheric lanes, you’ll recognise narrow alleys once filled with Braavosi market vendors that were stealthily navigated by Arya Stark in season 5. Along the way, you will see historic landmarks like Sponza Palace and the Rector’s Palace that were cleverly repurposed in the show as noble residences and exotic palaces in Qarth. After a stroll through the Old Port, with Lokrum Island in the distance (which was used for another corner of Qarth), your experience concludes with a photo opportunity where you can snap a picture while sitting on a full-scale replica of the Iron Throne.
Whether you're a die-hard fan or merely intrigued by the crossover of history and fantasy, this tour delivers a thrilling mix of drama, insider knowledge, and spectacular sights. In just two hours, you'll see how Dubrovnik was transformed into a fantasy world, and leave feeling like you’ve just passed through one.
DISCLAIMER: This tour is an unlicensed and unauthorised tour of sites featured in the television series 'Game of Thrones' created by David Benioff and D. B. Weiss for Home Box Office, Inc. Travel Curious Ltd. and this tour does not have any association with or connection to, the television series 'Game of Thrones', David Benioff, D. B. Weiss and Home Box Office, Inc.
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