Here Are the Gorgeous Real-Life Locations Where ‘House of the Dragon’ Is Filmed

Who are the real stars of House of the Dragon? Is it the dragons? Nah. It’s the locations. House of the Dragon shows us scenery that takes our breath away, and the good news is, most of those places exist in real life and you can visit them!

Let’s take a look at the most iconic locations from the show. There are no actual dragons in any of them, sorry.

North Wales, United Kingdom

When you see a House of the Dragon season two scene set in the wild outdoors, it’s very often North Wales. The Dragonstone scenes are filmed in Gwynedd, and the imposing ruins of the Trefor Granite Quarry form the exterior of Dragonstone Castle. Another quarry, Dinorwig Quarry, is the exterior of the haunted Harrenhal.

If you ever want to make a pilgrimage to the place where Rheanyra sobbed over finding Luke’s remains, you want Porth y Cwch Beach in Anglesey. Another beach that features in season two is Llanddwyn Beach, also in Anglesey.

“This is a real demonstration of the strength of north Wales as a region, and I’m delighted we were able to support such a high-end, big budget production,” said Dawn Boden, former Welsh Deputy Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism, to Wales Online. “Not only has it boosted the economy locally during the shoot itself, but it has huge potential to bring future tourism to Wales.” Here’s to hoping, because House of the Dragon definitely highlights the stunning natural beauty of the area.

Cornwall, United Kingdom

Cornwall is a beautiful part of England, and in House of the Dragon St Michael’s Mount is the real-life location of Driftmark, the home of the Velaryons.

St Michael’s Mount is a pretty cool place with or without the House of the Dragon connection, though. According to the website Cornish Gems, it was involved in multiple wars throughout history, destroyed a Napoleonic ship with cannons, and currently houses a piece of Napoleon’s Battle of Waterloo coat. All that, and the beach area is very popular with surfers.

Speaking of beaches … other House of the Dragon scenes were filmed at Cornwall’s Holywell Bay, and another grand Cornish location, Kynance Cove, is the place where Daemon achieves victory at the Stepstones.

Surrey, United Kingdom

The Battle of Rook’s Rest was filmed in Bourne Wood in Surrey, and you may also recognize the place from Ridley Scott’s Gladiator. Fabien Frankel, aka Cristan Cole, was super excited to be there. “Filming in the same place as Gladiator was really special,” he said. “I mean, that’s cinematic history and we were filming on the same ground. I had to pinch myself.” Awww.

Derbyshire, United Kingdom

The Vale of Arryn is actually Castleton in Derbyshire, UK. There was yet more quarry filming done here, this time at Eldon Hill Quarry. Go yourself and have a lovely long hike around one of Britain’s most beautiful spots.

Monsanto, Portugal

In season one, many Dragonstone scenes were filmed in Monsanto, Portugal. Monsanto, a place once dubbed “the most Portuguese village in Portugal” instantly won the heart of House of the Dragon showrunner Ryan Condal, who declared, “When we saw Monsanto on a mountain, we found Dragonstone.” However, it only served as Dragonstone for season one of the show.

Cáceres, Spain

Cáceres served as the location for King’s Landing in season seven of Game of Thrones, and now it’s being used again for House of the Dragon. Its beauty and history have made it a World Heritage City, so tourists would flock to the place even without the Westeros connection. But there’s also a House of the Dragon festival held there every year! It’s called City of Dragons and it’s very popular.

Gaztelugatxe, Basque Country, Spain

The incredible stairs at Dragonstone are actually located in Gaztelugatxe. You saw them in Game of Thrones and they returned for House of the Dragon. Thanks to the two shows, tourism increased in Gaztelugatxe and there are specialized tours which will take you to the stairs. Come prepared to do a lot of walking.

Lloret de Mar, Spain

The gardens of the Red Keep are actually the Santa Clotilde Gardens in Lloret de Mar and they’re stunningly beautiful in reality as well as on film. The Santa Clotilde gardens offer a tour called “Gardens of the Dragon” now, but even without the tour they would be well worth visiting.

Grenada, Spain

The castle of La Calahorra in Grenada, Spain stands in for the castle of Pentos, the place where Daemon and Laena live after their marriage. You can get yourself a guided tour around the castle if you go there in real life!