Best Game of Thrones Malta Filming Locations
Malta is a tiny country just south of Sicily. Many TV shows and movies have used Malta as the set for their productions, but Game of Thrones is one of the most notable shows to film here.
Much of season 1 was filmed in Malta, but they moved productions to Croatia after that and you won’t spot Malta in the show after the first season. Some of the most recognizable locations in Game of Thrones, like King’s Landing and the Red Keep, were filmed in Malta!
There are many Game of Thrones Malta filming locations and most are easy to find, even if you aren’t looking for them! While working your way through the best things to do in Malta, you will likely walk right through an area that was used for scenes in Game of Thrones (we did!).
If you are in search of the exact Game of Thrones Malta filming locations before you embark on your trip, this guide will provide you with a list of the best ones to visit!
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St. Dominic’s Priory, Rabat – Red Keep Courtyard
Just outside of Mdina is the town of Rabat. St. Dominic’s Priory is a small church with a quaint courtyard that you can visit during opening hours.
The scene filmed here is when Ned Stark confronts Cersei Lannister about having an incestual relationship with her twin brother. Throughout the conversation, they are standing in the center of the courtyard of St. Dominic’s Priory.
In this scene, Cersei delivers one of her famous lines:
“When you play the Game of Thrones you win or you die; there is no middle ground.”
— Cersei
While you cannot enter the courtyard, you can walk along the cloister to get the same viewpoint as the scene was shot! It now has some pots of plants that weren’t there during filming, but otherwise, it’s incredibly recognizable if you’re familiar with the scene.
You can also go inside the ornate church here once you’re done walking around the edge of the courtyard.
We were some of the only people here during our visit! I’m unsure if we got lucky or if this church is less known to tourists.
Episode: You Win or You Die (Season 1, Episode 7)
Location: Misraħ RBT 2521, San Duminku, Rabat, Malta
Shop Dresses Similar to Cersei’s
Mdina Gate – King’s Landing Entrance
Mdina is one of the must-visit areas in Malta! The city is really fascinating to explore, even if you aren’t visiting specifically for the Game of Thrones filming locations.
The most notable Game of Thrones filming location in Malta is the front gates of Mdina. These gates were used as the exterior entrance to King’s Landing in season 1! They can be spotted in a scene as Lady Stark rides a horse into King’s Landing.
The final scene between Ned Stark and Catelyn Stark takes place just inside the gates. You can see the backside of them as they stand in the courtyard speaking with each other for the last time.
Episode: Lord Snow (Season 1, Episode 3)
Location: VCM3+V9W, Mdina, Malta
Mesquita Square, Mdina – Jamie Attacks Ned’s Men
Once you walk through the gates of Mdina, you will eventually come upon Pjazza Mesquita (Mesquita Square). We happened upon it after exploring throughout the small city, but it’s pretty close to the entrance.
To reach it, take a left after walking through the front gates, then take your first right past St. Agatha’s Chapel. Finally, take the first left and continue down the street until you reach the square.
This is where Jamie Lannister orders his men to attack Ned Stark’s guards in an ambush. The square serves as the setting for this attack, in addition to being the exterior of Littlefinger’s brothel!
While you won’t find a brothel during your visit, there are a few restaurants here where you can grab lunch and enjoy the square. The square is unassuming and we walked right through it without knowing it was even a Game of Thrones Malta filming location! Because of this, I unfortunately did not take a single photo of it.
Episode: The Wolf & the Lion (Season 1, Episode 5)
Location: 7 Triq Mesquita, Mdina, Malta
Migra Ferha, Rabat – Dothraki Camp
The Dingli Cliffs offer some of the most stunning and dramatic views in Malta. Just north of these cliffs is Migra Ferha, an area known for being a perfect spot to watch the sunset from above or go for a dive below (for experienced divers only).
It’s also just a 15-20 minute drive from St. Dominic’s Priory and Mdina. If you’re visiting those filming locations, this is an easy one to tack on!
You will spot these cliffs often in the scenes of the Dothraki Camp. It is where Khal Drogo is given a flame-filled funeral and soon after where Daenerys emerges from the ashes with three live dragons that hatched from the gifted eggs.
This is a rocky area, so it’s recommended that you wear close-toed shoes if you want to walk out onto the dirt area.
Episode: Fire and Blood (Season 1, Episode 10)
Location: V8GR+2QM, Rabat, Malta
Fort Manoel, Gzira – Ned Stark Beheading
From Valletta, you can see the large fort, built in 1723, across the harbor in Gzira. Extensive restoration work was done to the fort starting in 2001 and has been ongoing, costing over €20 million so far.
The fort is currently closed, but they hold public events on rare occasions. Keep up with their Facebook page to find out when the next event will take place!
In Game of Thrones, Fort Manoel was used for the scene where Ned Stark is beheaded on the steps of the Great Sept of Baelor.
Although you cannot access this exact location, you can admire the fort from Valletta or via boat/ferry as you cross the harbor from Valletta to Sliema.
One sneaky thing I noticed is that the two dome structures in the background are NOT part of the fort — it’s actually the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco added in (twice!) with CGI!
Episode: Baelor (Season 1, Episode 9)
Location: WG34+732 Manoel Island, Gzira, Malta
San Anton Palace & Gardens – Heads on Spikes
San Anton Palace was the setting for the scenes where King Joffrey took Sansa Stark to show her Ned Stark’s head on a spike. When she talks back to Joffrey, he has his guard slap her across the face, which causes her to bleed.
It’s here where she begins to walk towards Joffrey—intending to throw him off the bridge—before Sandor Clegane stops her to wipe the blood off her mouth.
San Anton Palace is the home of Malta’s president. It is closed to the public, so you cannot access the setting where this scene takes place.
You can visit the gardens for free during opening hours, which are right next to the palace.
From older tourist photos, it seems you could once look into the courtyard of the palace from the gardens through the rungs of the gate. When I was there, the gate had a large posterboard image of the courtyard in the gate, blocking views of the actual courtyard.
Episode: Fire and Blood (Season 1, Episode 10)
Location: 24 G.Portelli, Attard, Malta
Azure Window, Gozo – Daenerys and Khal Drogo Wedding
The Azure Window was a natural arch over the sea that was an icon of Gozo — one of Malta’s three inhabited islands. In 2017, the arch collapsed into the sea below during severe storms and is no longer visible.
Despite the window being gone, this is still a popular tourist attraction due to being the setting where Daenerys and Khal Drogo get married.
When you walk out onto the limestone, the remains of the Azure Window are to the right. You can walk out this direction to get a better view of the deep blue sea below and take some photos.
To the left is where Daenerys and Khal actually sat throughout the wedding day. You can spot Fungus Rock in the background of the scene (and in my photos!). It is here where Daenerys is given the three dragon eggs as a wedding gift and where she meets Ser Jorah Mormont as he gifts her books.
It’s worth taking a day trip to Gozo just to visit this area! It’s really beautiful.
Episode: Winter is Coming (Season 1, Episode 1)
Location: 352R+W29, St Lawrence, Malta
Modern Dresses similar to Daenerys’
Fort St. Angelo, Birgu (Vittoriosa) – Arya Chases a Cat
You can spot Fort St. Angelo across the Grand Harbour from Valletta, which spans between Valletta and the Three Cities. It’s located at the tip of Birgu, one of the Three Cities.
The fort has a rich history starting as far back as the 1200s. Despite being hit 69 times in World War II, the fort is still standing and is now open to visitors.
Fort St. Angelo was used as the filming location for the dungeons of the Red Keep. It is here where Arya chases a cat and then hides in a dragon skull when she hears Varys and Illyrio talking.
We didn’t tour the inside of the fort but did admire it from the Upper Barrakka Gardens in Valletta, as well as Gardjola Gardens in Senglea (another one of the Three Cities).
Episode: The Wolf and the Lion (Season 1, Episode 5)
Location: Xatt l-Assedju l-Kbir 1565, Birgu, Malta
Game of Thrones Outfits to Wear
I like to pack outfits that will fit in well wherever I am traveling. There’s even a whole post I wrote all about where to get travel outfits! Picking out my outfits for a trip is one of my favorite parts of travel.
For Malta, I packed some dresses, flowy pants, a skirt, and tank tops. I also took hairstyle inspiration from Game of Thrones and braided a couple of pieces of my hair the day we visited Mdina and Rabat.
Midi dresses: I prefer midi dresses for travel as opposed to maxi dresses since it’s easier to walk around without them dragging on the ground. Fortunate One and Lulus both have great selections of dresses for Malta!
Flowy pants from Abercrombie: Some of my favorite clothes are from Abercrombie. They are high-quality and fit really well! They have some nice flowy pants that would be perfect for a day of visiting Game of Thrones Malta filming locations!
Skirts from Sabo: Some of the most beautiful skirts and sets I’ve found are from Sabo. They have unique patterns and colors, but also beautiful neutrals and solid colors.
Places in Malta that Look Like Game of Thrones Filming Locations
These spots are not Game of Thrones Malta filming locations (as far as I know), but they look like they could be!
Upper Barrakka Gardens, Valletta
These gardens are walled with archways that frame the Mediterranean Sea. From here, you can look out and see Fort St. Angelo (an actual Game of Thrones filming location) across the Grand Habor in Birgu.
The archways and walls look like they could have been straight out of a scene in Game of Thrones!
Palazzo Parisio and Gardens, Naxxar
While the interior of this palace is probably too grand and not the right time period for Game of Thrones, the balcony would have been perfect.
The balcony is large and overlooks the gardens. Although it wasn’t in Game of Thrones, you can definitely pretend you’re royalty while exploring the palace!
Cathedral of the Assumption, Gozo
If you visit Gozo during your Malta trip, you will likely spend some time in its capital, Victoria. The citadel is where you will find the Cathedral of the Assumption, which is the focal point for the entire area.
The cathedral would easily fit into the Game of Thrones world in the earlier seasons! You can get to this spot via the Citadel Walkway that wraps around the entire citadel.
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