This trip was absolutely amazing! Our guide, Molly, was very informative and friendly, and every location was really worth the visit. Having the clips and screenshots of the scenes really helped us get even more engaged with the locations, and feel like we were really...More

  I recently went on the Direwolf tour during my weekend stay in Belfast. In all fairness, I had done a GOT Castle Ward/Tollymore Forest tour a year before with a different company out of Dublin - so I knew the locations and what to expect. However, I still booked this tour - partially because of the Direwolves, and partially just because I wanted to see if there was a difference between the two tours. I have to say I was pleasantly surprised as, even though I went to the exact same locations and saw the exact same things, I still heard new and different information that I had not heard before - including different behind the scenes videos about how filming was done. So for that reason, I was still able to stay interested and focused.

Every tour guide with GOTDirewolves has been an extra on the show at one point in time, so to be quite honest, you will get a slightly different tour with each guide as they all have their own behind the scenes anecdotes and stories to tell. That in itself makes the tour that much more fun.

My guide for the day was Molly (who had a featured scene in the season 8 trailer), and she was super nice and accommodating to everyone. I’m sure she’s given the same tour dozens of times, but she still seemed honestly enthusiastic about every location we went to and every clip we watched. Though, to be fair, I did go on the tour just one day before the premiere of season 8 (the final season ever), so everyone was extra hyped - including Molly.

The tour starts off in front of the Visit Belfast Tourist Center directly across the street from the entrance of City Hall. There’s usually a group of others waiting around too, so just ask someone if you aren’t sure. Ultimately though, your guide will meet you in the front of the building with a Stark banner - so you shouldn’t miss them.

Our tour was almost completely full, but the nice thing is that they use a small shuttle bus - not a large one like some of the other tours - so it seems a bit more intimate. Generally, for the most part, the majority of participants are big fans of the show, so there’s a bit of camaraderie between everyone from the get go. I actually went on the tour solo (as did a couple others), and I never felt left out or uncomfortable or awkward - it was all genuinely just fun.

You go to several (at least 9) spots where various scenes in the show were filmed, but these aren’t sets - these are actual on site locations near old castles, ruins, and forests. The scenery was beautiful - GOT fan or not - and it was a great way to see just a little more of what Northern Ireland has to offer. It was also great to hear stories about how GOT has positively influenced both local individuals and the Belfast economy as a whole.

You do get cloaks to wear and swords to pose with if you are so inclined (which I 100% recommend - no matter how silly it seems - because if you are already on a GOT tour to begin with you might as well go all out and get a fun photo out of it). The more everyone lets loose and has fun, the better the tour. Unfortunately, the wind was INSANE on the day of our tour. The cloaks lasted for only a few pictures before the wind became too much for everyone. To be honest, I was worried some of the participants wouldn’t like the tour as much since the wind sometimes made it hard to hear Molly at certain locations and it could be kind of cold - but lo and behold someone who actually went back to the bus early because of the wind still wrote a glowing 5-star review here on TripAdvisor. So that should tell you a lot right there.

Now, both this tour and the previous GOT tour I went on were fantastic and you really can’t go wrong with either one you pick, but what obviously separates this tour from others is the Direwolves themselves. These Northern Inuit Dogs (Thor and Odin) were two of the lucky pups chosen to play the Direwolves found in episode one (Greywind and Summer respectively). Obviously they are all grown up now, but it is still cool to see, pet, and get pictures with two of the “stars” of the show. Now, there is another tour company that sometimes partners with GOTDirewolves and you can occasionally see the dogs on those tours as well, but GOTDirewolves is the ONLY tour that can GUARANTEE Summer and Greywind - and that’s definitely what sets them apart from the rest.

While the dogs are obviously cute, getting to hear the story of how they were chosen to be in the show, as well as the story of their owners (the Mulhalls - all of whom have since become involved in the show themselves) is fascinating. On top of that, they are all super nice and genuinely have a lot of love for their dogs as well - as they aren’t treated as just a touristy gimmick, but as actual celebrities. You can tell they’re loved and spoiled which, to me as a dog lover, is great to see.

Last but not least, this tour is FAMILY OWNED AND OPERATED. As I mentioned before, you can’t go wrong with either GOT tour, but sometimes having the intimacy of a family run business over a bigger company is nice. To be honest, I actually booked a different special event with this company before booking the tour itself, and the lines of communication were direct - even through social media believe it or not. Response times were great and they were very helpful with all questions I had. On top of that, the separate event I booked with them (a GOT pub quiz/screening that takes place in Belfast every Monday night until the finale - if you happen to be around) was amazing and soooo much fun. So I really don’t think you can go wrong booking any tour or event with them. I’ll definitely have to try to go back one day in the future to try their newer “Dragon Tour.” While this tour does not include the Direwolves, it does go to places other GOT tours do not - and I can’t imagine, with any of my experiences with GOTDirewolves, that this new tour would be anything but great as well.

P.S. The lunch stop on the Direwolf tour (The Maghera Inn) was SO good. Definitely felt like a local Irish pub as opposed to a tourist spot (in fact, our group were the only “tourists” there that day). It was warm, cozy, and the venison burger I had (with goat cheese) was delicious. Lunch is optional (you can bring your own) and a separate expense not included within the price of the tour, but pounds, euro, and credit cards were all accepted when I went.

  Molly was absolutely fantastic. Would highly recommend to any. If you are a massive fan of the show (especially the doggos) this is the one for you. Lucky enough to have the weather on out side. Be warned there is a lot of walking so...More

  As my partner is a huge fan of Game of Thrones (and also loves big fluffy dogs!), this was the perfect experience to book for him on his birthday. Our guide Molly was really informative, we went to some beautiful locations, got to dress up in cloaks and pose with swords, and of course cuddle with the gorgeous direwolves! The owners of the dogs are so lovely as well, very welcoming and open to lots of questions! Highly recommend this tour!

  This was a fantastic day. A private tour with Andrew our guide and Ian the driver. As an extra on the show Andrew has great inside knowledge and stories to tell. The locations are stunning and posing with shots from the series in the locations, we could pretend we were there. A full day, full of memories to treasure and keep. We had so many laughs and still have our dark hedges wands! Highly recommended. Do not miss this opportunity you will not be disappointed.

  Thanks goes to GoT Direwolves for a wonderful visit. It was an absolute delight to meet Will and Will snr and, of course, Thor and Odin, the beautiful Direwolves whom played Grey Wind and Summer. The GoT stories they both told were enthralling and highly...More