Game of Thrones Filming Locations in Iceland
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Game of Thrones Filming Locations in Iceland: Complete Travel Guide
Iceland is where Game of Thrones found its coldest, wildest and most mythic landscapes. Glaciers became the world beyond the Wall, lava castles became the Free Folk camp, a geothermal cave became one of the show's most famous romantic locations, and South Iceland's rift valleys, waterfalls and turf farms became parts of the Vale, Meereen and the Riverlands.
This guide explains where Game of Thrones was filmed in Iceland, which seasons and episodes used Icelandic locations, which characters are connected with each place, and how to visit the strongest filming areas in South and North Iceland.
Short answer: where was Game of Thrones filmed in Iceland?
The main Iceland filming areas were glaciers in South and Southeast Iceland for early Beyond the Wall scenes, Lake Mývatn, Dimmuborgir and Grjótagjá for Season 3, Þingvellir and Þórufoss for Season 4, and Kirkjufell on Snæfellsnes for the famous arrowhead mountain in later seasons.
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Quick facts: Game of Thrones in Iceland
- First major Iceland filming: Season 2, with scenes north of the Wall filmed on Icelandic glaciers and winter landscapes.
- Most famous North Iceland locations: Dimmuborgir, Grjótagjá and the Lake Mývatn area.
- Most famous South Iceland locations: Þingvellir National Park, Almannagjá, Öxarárfoss, Þórufoss, Stöng and Gjáin.
- Most famous West Iceland location: Kirkjufell, the arrowhead mountain on Snæfellsnes.
- Best tour from Reykjavik: Private Luxury Jeep Tour - Game of Thrones Experience.
- Best North Iceland tour: Mývatn Mystery and Magic - Game of Thrones.
Game of Thrones in Iceland by season and episode
Iceland was not used in every season, but when it appeared it did heavy visual work. The country became the lands beyond the Wall, parts of the Frostfangs, the Vale, the Riverlands, Meereen-adjacent countryside and the arrowhead mountain north of the Wall.
| Season | Iceland use | Key places | Characters connected with the scenes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Season 2 | Early Beyond the Wall, Frostfangs and Fist of the First Men atmosphere. | Vatnajökull, Svínafellsjökull, Mýrdalsjökull and Höfðabrekkuheiði / Höfðabrekka area. | Jon Snow, Ygritte, Qhorin Halfhand, Samwell Tarly and the Night's Watch / Free Folk storyline. |
| Season 3 | Beyond the Wall scenes, Mance Rayder's camp and the Jon Snow / Ygritte cave setting. | Lake Mývatn, Dimmuborgir and Grjótagjá. | Jon Snow, Ygritte, Mance Rayder, Tormund Giantsbane and the Free Folk. |
| Season 4 | The Vale, Arya and the Hound's route, Brienne vs. the Hound, Drogon's goat scene and Wildling raid atmosphere. | Þingvellir, Almannagjá, Öxarárfoss, Þórufoss, Þjóðveldisbærinn Stöng and Gjáin. | Arya Stark, Sandor Clegane, Brienne of Tarth, Podrick Payne, Sansa Stark, Littlefinger, Olly, Wildlings and Drogon. |
| Seasons 6-7 | The arrowhead mountain and later Beyond the Wall imagery. | Kirkjufell on the Snæfellsnes Peninsula. | The Hound, Jon Snow, Tormund, Jorah, Beric, Thoros, Gendry, the Night King and Daenerys's dragon-rescue storyline. |
Some Iceland sequences are documented very clearly in production notes, while others are better known through local filming-location tours and operator knowledge. The strongest confirmed public references are the Season 2 glacier work, Season 3 Mývatn / Dimmuborgir / Grjótagjá filming, Season 4 Þingvellir and Þórufoss scenes, and Kirkjufell's arrowhead mountain role.
South Iceland Game of Thrones filming locations
Þingvellir National Park
Best known in the show for: the Vale, the road to the Eyrie, Arya and the Hound's journey, and the fight between Brienne of Tarth and Sandor Clegane in Season 4.
Þingvellir is one of the best Game of Thrones locations in Iceland because it is already dramatic before you add the show. The national park sits in a rift valley between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates, with cliffs, pathways, lava fields and historic assembly grounds. In the series, this kind of landscape could easily become the rugged road into the Vale.
The Season 4 finale, The Children, used Þingvellir National Park for the brutal fight between Brienne and the Hound. The scene matters because it is not just action: it is one of the turning points in Arya's story. Brienne wants to protect Arya; the Hound refuses to hand her over; Arya watches the old world around her keep failing.
Almannagjá gorge
Best known in the show for: the Bloody Gate / Eyrie route atmosphere and Vale travel scenes.
Almannagjá is the long, dark rift inside Þingvellir. It gives the landscape a natural gate feeling, which is why it works so well for the Vale. If you are visiting as a fan, do not rush this area. The drama is in the walls, the scale, the narrow passages and the way the path feels like a route between kingdoms.
Öxarárfoss waterfall
Best known in the show for: Arya and Hound-era Þingvellir atmosphere.
Öxarárfoss is a short walk inside Þingvellir and is often included in Game of Thrones route storytelling. It is smaller than Iceland's headline waterfalls, but it belongs naturally to the same rocky setting as the Vale scenes. It is also easy to combine with Almannagjá when visiting Þingvellir.
Þórufoss waterfall
Best known in the show for: Drogon attacking a herd of goats in Season 4, Episode 6, The Laws of Gods and Men.
Þórufoss is one of the most satisfying filming locations because the real place still looks like a natural fantasy set. In the episode, the waterfall landscape is used for a Meereen-related scene where Drogon creates trouble far from Daenerys. The dragon is visual effects, of course, but the waterfall, open countryside and basalt setting are Iceland.
Þórufoss is not as famous as Gullfoss or Skógafoss, which is part of the charm. It feels quieter, less staged and more like a place that could exist inside the wider world of the show.
Þjóðveldisbærinn Stöng
Best known in local Game of Thrones routes for: the village connected with Olly and a Wildling attack.
Stöng is a reconstructed Commonwealth-era turf farm in Þjórsárdalur. It gives Game of Thrones fans something different from waterfalls and lava: settlement-age architecture, turf walls and a direct sense of how vulnerable an isolated farm or village could feel. In the story world, that makes it a strong match for the kind of place the Wildlings would raid south of the Wall.
Gjáin valley
Best known in local Game of Thrones routes for: Arya training atmosphere and hidden-valley scenery.
Gjáin is one of the most beautiful small landscapes in South Iceland. It has clear streams, small waterfalls, lava formations, green pockets and a strangely secretive feeling. Even if you did not know the show, it would feel like a fantasy valley. With the show in mind, it becomes an excellent final stop on a South Iceland Game of Thrones day.
Háifoss waterfall and the Stranger Things connection
Háifoss is included in the Private Luxury Jeep Tour - Game of Thrones Experience, even though it is better known on Fun Iceland for another screen connection: Stranger Things. The dramatic Háifoss and Granni canyon landscape is linked with the final scene atmosphere that brought many fans searching for the Stranger Things waterfall in Iceland.
If you are planning the South Iceland Game of Thrones tour, Háifoss is a bonus: one tour day can give you Westeros-style landscapes, Þjórsárdalur history, Gjáin, and a second pop-culture layer from the Upside Down. Read the full Háifoss Stranger Things waterfall guide for the filming-location background, Road 332 notes and waterfall planning tips.
North Iceland Game of Thrones filming locations
Dimmuborgir
Best known in the show for: Mance Rayder's wildling camp in Season 3.
Dimmuborgir means "dark castles", and the name fits. This Mývatn lava field is full of black rock towers, arches, caves and collapsed lava formations. It was used as the background for Mance Rayder's wildling camp, which makes perfect visual sense: it feels ancient, defensive, rough and not quite human-made.
For fans, Dimmuborgir is one of the strongest places in Iceland because you can walk through the texture of the show. It is not just a viewpoint; it is a landscape you move through. That makes it especially good for visitors who want more than a quick photo stop.
Grjótagjá cave
Best known in the show for: Jon Snow and Ygritte's cave setting in Season 3, Episode 5, Kissed by Fire.
Grjótagjá is a small lava cave with geothermal water near Lake Mývatn. In the show, it became one of the most memorable Jon Snow and Ygritte locations. The cave's real geothermal pool is atmospheric, blue and enclosed, but visitors should know that it is not a bathing stop today. The water can be dangerously hot and the cave is fragile.
Most of the intimate scene work was completed in studio conditions, but Grjótagjá supplied the establishing place and the visual idea. That is common in screen tourism: the real location gives the mood, then the production builds the controlled interior around it.
Lake Mývatn and Hverir
Best known in the show for: the Beyond the Wall feeling in Season 3.
The wider Mývatn region helped give Season 3 its cold, remote, north-of-the-Wall atmosphere. The area has steam vents, lava fields, craters, caves and open winter landscapes. Hverir, with its mud pots and steam, is not always named in production summaries as a specific scene location, but it belongs naturally to the same travel route and helps visitors understand why this part of Iceland feels so cinematic.
Goðafoss and Forest Lagoon on the tour route
The North Iceland Game of Thrones tour also includes classic regional highlights such as Goðafoss and Forest Lagoon. Goðafoss is not the core HBO filming-location reason to go, but it makes the day stronger as a North Iceland experience. Forest Lagoon gives the route a warm finish after lava fields, caves and Beyond the Wall storytelling.
Kirkjufell and the arrowhead mountain
Best known in the show for: the arrowhead mountain in Seasons 6 and 7, especially the Season 7 episode Beyond the Wall.
Kirkjufell, on the Snæfellsnes Peninsula, is one of Iceland's most photographed mountains. In Game of Thrones, it becomes the arrowhead mountain, a landmark seen in visions and later connected with Jon Snow's mission beyond the Wall. The shape is unmistakable: steep, pointed, isolated and easy to recognize from the north side of Snæfellsnes.
This is the one major Iceland Game of Thrones location not covered by the two tours featured in this guide. It is worth mentioning because many fans search for it specifically, and because it connects the Iceland story to Season 7's huge north-of-the-Wall plot with Jon, the Hound, Tormund, Beric, Thoros, Jorah, Gendry, the Night King and Daenerys's dragons.
Which Game of Thrones actors and characters are connected with Iceland?
The characters most strongly connected with Icelandic filming locations are the ones whose stories take them beyond the Wall, into the Vale, or through the wild edges of Westeros. Some actors are directly connected with documented Iceland shoots; others appear in scenes whose exterior locations are Icelandic while interiors or close-ups may have been completed elsewhere.
- Kit Harington / Jon Snow: central to the Season 2 and Season 3 Beyond the Wall material. Production notes also mention that his ankle injury affected Season 3 Iceland filming schedules.
- Rose Leslie / Ygritte: closely tied to the Season 2-3 Iceland storyline, including the Mývatn and Grjótagjá material.
- Ciarán Hinds / Mance Rayder: associated with the wildling camp storyline, with Dimmuborgir as the dramatic lava backdrop.
- Kristofer Hivju / Tormund Giantsbane: part of the Free Folk / Beyond the Wall world that Iceland helped define visually.
- Gwendoline Christie / Brienne of Tarth: connected with the Season 4 Þingvellir fight against the Hound.
- Rory McCann / Sandor "The Hound" Clegane: tied to both the Arya travel storyline in Icelandic landscapes and the later arrowhead mountain storyline.
- Maisie Williams / Arya Stark: connected with the Season 4 Iceland-linked Vale / road scenes and the aftermath of Brienne's fight with the Hound.
- Daniel Portman / Podrick Payne: appears in the Brienne travel storyline connected with the Season 4 Þingvellir material.
- Sophie Turner / Sansa Stark and Aidan Gillen / Littlefinger: associated with the Vale route atmosphere that uses Icelandic landscapes such as Þingvellir and Almannagjá.
- Emilia Clarke / Daenerys Targaryen and Drogon: the Þórufoss scene is tied to Drogon's Season 4 goat attack, even though the dragon itself is visual effects.
- Season 7 north-of-the-Wall party: Jon Snow, the Hound, Tormund, Jorah, Beric, Thoros and Gendry are all connected with the arrowhead mountain story that fans associate with Kirkjufell.
Game of Thrones tours in Iceland
If you want to turn the filming-location story into an actual travel day, Fun Iceland currently has two strong options: one from Reykjavik into South Iceland, and one in North Iceland around Lake Mývatn.
South Iceland: private luxury Game of Thrones jeep tour
The Private Luxury Jeep Tour - Game of Thrones Experience is the best fit if you are based in Reykjavik and want Þórufoss, Þingvellir, Almannagjá, Öxarárfoss, Stöng, Háifoss and Gjáin in one private day. It is especially good if you want comfort, flexibility and a guide who can connect the locations with both Icelandic landscapes and the show.
North Iceland: Mývatn Mystery and Magic
The Mývatn Mystery and Magic - Game of Thrones tour is the stronger choice for Beyond the Wall fans. It focuses on the Lake Mývatn area, with Dimmuborgir, Grjótagjá, geothermal scenery, Goðafoss and Forest Lagoon included in the wider day.
Watch: Game of Thrones and the Mývatn connection
The video below is from the Mývatn Game of Thrones tour context and gives a quick visual sense of why North Iceland worked so well for the world beyond the Wall.
How to choose between the two tours
Choose the South Iceland private jeep tour if you are staying in Reykjavik, want a private vehicle, care about Þingvellir and Þórufoss, and like the idea of adding Háifoss, Gjáin and the Stranger Things waterfall connection to the same day.
Choose the North Iceland Mývatn tour if you are in Akureyri or North Iceland and want the strongest Season 3 Beyond the Wall feeling: Dimmuborgir, Grjótagjá, lava, steam, winter atmosphere and the Free Folk world.
Choose Snæfellsnes separately if your main dream is Kirkjufell, the arrowhead mountain. That location is west of Iceland's main touring routes and is best planned as a Snæfellsnes day trip or overnight.
FAQ: Game of Thrones filming locations in Iceland
Yes. Iceland was used for major Game of Thrones scenes in several seasons, especially for landscapes beyond the Wall, the Lake Mývatn area, Þingvellir, Þórufoss and Kirkjufell.
Final thoughts
- For the classic Beyond the Wall feeling, go to Mývatn, Dimmuborgir and Grjótagjá.
- For a Reykjavik-based Game of Thrones day, focus on Þingvellir, Þórufoss, Stöng, Háifoss and Gjáin.
- For the arrowhead mountain, plan Kirkjufell on Snæfellsnes as its own west Iceland route.
- For fans who also love Stranger Things, Háifoss makes the South Iceland tour especially fun.
Bottom line: Iceland gave Game of Thrones some of its most believable wild landscapes because the country already looks like the edge of a fantasy map. Pick the region that matches your favourite storyline, then let the real lava, ice, waterfalls and rift valleys do the rest.