By Alaric 
Hey D&D fans, did you know that there are Dungeons & Dragons filming locations you can visit in Northern Ireland?
The epic movie Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves used many spectacular destinations throughout the country to film the landscape of Faerûn.
From dramatic mountains to lush forests, historic castles and sandy beaches. You can visit Neverwinter, Longsaddle and even the Underdark in real life!
As a huge fan of the movie and Balder’s Gate 3, I had so much fun visiting all of these places. It felt like you were in the World of Forgotten Realms.
Here are all the Northern Ireland Dungeons & Dragons filming locations you can visit.
Where was Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves filmed?
Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves is a movie inspired by the fantasy board game created in 1974.
It has attracted more than 50 million people since its creation and, although it’s always been popular, it’s now experiencing a renaissance with new fans.
It’s featured in the popular TV show Stranger Things and parts of the world are included in the new computer game Balder’s Gate 3.
This epic fantasy movie set on Planet Toril was filmed predominantly in the United Kingdom around Northern Ireland and England.
There were also scenes filmed in Iceland for the wild and barren landscape of Revel’s End Prison.
The action has an all-star cast with Chris Pine, Hugh Grant, Michelle Rodriguez and Bridgerton’s Justin Smith.
So, Dungeons & Dragons fans can follow in their footsteps and visit the mystical lands of Faerûn on a legendary adventure!
I recently took a magical road trip around Northern Ireland to visit these filming locations and had the best time.
Northern Ireland Dungeons & Dragons Filming Locations
1. Tollymore Forest Park
One of my favourite Dungeons & Dragons filming locations has to be Tollymore Forest Park in County Down.
This magical landscape is like something from a fairytale, especially in autumn when all the leaves change colour.
In the movie, they used many of the bridges in the forest but the most recognisable has to be Foley’s Bridge.
This gorgeous 18th-century crossing was used during Edgin Darvis’ flashback at Revel’s End Prison to when he became a member of the Harpers.
Beyond the filming locations, the entire place is filled with wonders.
From hermitages, stepping stones, bridges and endless natural beauty. You could spend hours there.
The park is free to visit but you pay for parking. There are different charges for cars (£5), motorbikes (£2.50) and camper vans (£13).
You can also visit Hen Mountain in the Mourne Mountains which was used for an establishing scene of Evermoors Cemetery, a burial ground used by the Uthgardt Elk tribe.
2. Castle Ward
Another beautiful location used in County Down was Castle Ward near Strangford.
As Edgin’s gang are tracking the Helmet of Disjunction, they seek out a renowned hero and Paladin, Xenk Yandar.
As a Thayan who swore the Oath of Devotion, he now travels the realms as a knight doing charitable deeds.
We meet him in Mornbryn’s Shield on the River Surbrin and he can be seen saving a tabaxi baby from a fish monster, handing coins to a dragonborn beggar and being (almost insufferably) honourable to a fault.
The village and shore were filmed in Old Castle Ward on the demesne with a little bit of CGI to create the magic.
Today, it’s a National Trust property and a great day out where you can visit the Viscounts of Bangor mansion and the wider estate to Audley’s Castle.
This castle was also used for Winterfell Castle in Game of Thrones. You can even book an archery lesson or a cycling tour to see more filming locations.
3. Carrickfergus Castle
Carrickfergus Castle is located a short drive from Belfast and is one of the oldest castles in the country.
It was first built by the Normans but was besieged by many including Scottish and Irish clans, the English and French.
It served as a military base for years until 1928. It’s now one of the best-preserved castles of its age in the country and a museum you can visit.
In the Dungeons & Dragons movie, this castle and the harbour outside were used to portray Neverwinter.
Carrickfergus Harbour features in the scenes when the gang plans to escape with Forge’s treasure hoard by boat.
Visiting the harbour area is free with free parking nearby. But, the museum costs £6 for an adult and £4 for a child (5-17). It’s well worth seeing inside!
4. Glenarm Castle & Barbican Gate
Another Dungeons & Dragons filming location you can visit is Glenarm Barbican Gate in County Antrim.
Although this tower looks straight out of the medieval era, it’s a folly built in the 19th century to beautify the Glenarm estate.
In the movie, this is also used in Edgin’s flashback scenes. Edgin was a Bard but also a member of the valiant Harpers and the gate features when he’s stopping bandits in their tracks.
You can visit this location for free and it’s located on Castle Street in Glenarm.
You’ll find it at the end of the road and there is free street parking nearby.
Glenarm Castle also briefly features in the backdrop when Edgin and his gang of thieves are escaping a heist.
This is when the sorcerer Simon Aumar and conman Forge Fitzwilliam are introduced.
It’s private property but they do sometimes run guided tours in the summer.
You can visit Glenarm Gardens which is open to the public but note that you can’t see any of the castle from them. So, I would save your gold pieces.
5. Hidden Village of Galboly
The Hidden Village of Galboly is now one of the country’s worst-kept secrets and can be found on a drive in Antrim towards the Causeway Coast.
You can find some off-road parking and walk up to a remote village that will transport you back in time.
It used to be home to a dozen residents in thatched cottages but has since been abandoned.
It’s now a popular filming location for historic dramas due to its untouched landscape and privacy away from civilisation.
This was also a Dungeons & Dragons filming location for Longsaddle when Holga Kilgore visits her ex-husband Marlamin.
After their heartbreaking separation, Edgin and Holga can be seen riding on horseback to their next adventure.
Edgin tries to cheer Holga up by singing his favourite song;
“No fortune found, nor faith divine, come close to topping the juice of the vine. With cherry crew, we sip and sway, let’s tip the tankard and waste the day.”.
6. Fairhead
One of the most spectacular locations you can visit in Northern Ireland is Fairhead Cliffs.
They can be found on the Causeway Coast and are well worth visiting for their spectacular views over the ocean.
In Dungeons & Dragons, they used this area to film some of the spectacular scenery while the gang were exploring Faerûn and heading to Dolblunde.
This location is a little hard to locate and can be accessed via narrow country roads.
You can park in a small car park with an honesty box and then head out for a panoramic stroll!
Just be careful not to get too close to the cliff edges, especially if it’s a windy day.
For Game of Thrones fans, this is also used in the show as Dragonstone.
7. Ballintoy Beach
When the Paladin Xenk Yandar offers to help Edgin’s gang retrieve the Helmet of Disjunction, he leads them to the Underdark.
He reveals that he has hidden the helm in the The Hanging City of Dolblunde so they must travel through dangerous underground caverns to retrieve it.
The interiors of Dolblunde were filmed in Titanic Studios but the beach outside the caves can be found near Ballintoy Harbour.
You can take a walk along the shore to Elephant Rock where the gang camp outside.
This is featured before they enter the caves and afterwards when the sorcerer Simon is fighting to control the helmet with his powers.
The walk will take you around 30 minutes from the harbour car park which is free of charge. It’s private land but pedestrians are allowed.
Just make sure to have waterproof shoes as there is lots of muck, sheep poo and several stiles to cross over!
I was racing to get here around sunset in October and had a bit of a nightmare in trainers.
I fell over in the mud and the sheep were not amused!
8. Dunseverick Castle
Dunserverick Castle is another spectacular location on the Causeway Coast.
It’s near the small village of Dunserverick and many visitors skip it for the bigger attractions. Don’t be one of those people!
This historic fortress dates back to the 5th century when St Patrick is recorded as having visited.
It was the seat of Fergus the Great, home to the O’Cahan family and was raided by Vikings.
The last family to live here was Giolla Dubh Ó Catháin in 1657. It then was destroyed during the Civil War and remains a ruin today.
In Dungeons & Dragons, this was another epic location used to portray the panoramic scenery of Faerûn.
It’s free to visit and there’s limited free parking nearby. You can then walk along the cliffs and up towards the ruins.
On my visit, it was very foggy on the cliffs but I think it added to the mystical atmosphere.
Just be careful as the ground here is steep and uneven. You can then head out to the magical Dunserverick Falls on the coast.
9. Giant’s Causeway
This is a little cheeky as they didn’t film on the Giant’s Causeway for the Dungeons & Dragons movie.
However, they did use the thousands of basalt columns there to inspire the landscape of the Underdark.
During the fight with the assassins in Dolblune, there are hundreds of hexagonal columns that make up the Underdark floor.
This landscape was taken directly from the Giant’s Causeway.
Even though it isn’t a ‘proper’ filming location, you can’t leave Northern Ireland without visiting.
Thankfully, there are no chubby dragons, Intellect Devourers or undead assassins waiting for you here!
It’s the most popular landmark and for good reason. It’s a magical place of history and legends and the scenery will take your breath away.
My top tip would be that you don’t have to visit when the visitor centre is open. The causeway is always open as you can’t close the coastline.
On my last visit, I stayed at the Causeway Hotel and enjoyed a magical sunset without the crowds.
10. Dún Briste Stacks
The Dún Briste Stacks are one of the only Dungeons & Dragons locations filmed in the Republic of Ireland.
We see these sea stacks in Edgin’s flashback for Korinn Keep, an island stronghold of the Harpers.
The name Dún Briste means broken fort in Gaelic and is a natural rock stack of 150 feet (45 metres) in the ocean.
There is a legend that St Patrick struck the ground with his crozier and the stack parted from the mainland to trap the Druid Crom Dubh.
The reality is that a terrible storm caused the cliffs to separate in 1393.
You can visit Downpatrick Head as part of the Wild Atlantic Way and it’s just a 10-minute walk from a car park.
11. Titanic Studios Belfast
Beyond all the Dungeons & Dragons filming locations you can visit, it’s important to mention that most of the movie magic happened at Titanic Studios in Belfast.
This is one of the largest filming studios in the country and is also where they recorded the majority of Game of Thrones.
All of the green screen scenes and CGI were created or added here.
You can’t visit for a tour but you can see the enormous building in the Titanic Quarter.
It’s home to the famous Titanic Museum as the fateful ship was built in Belfast in their dry harbour.
This area in the city is stunning and there are so many things to do here, especially for fantasy fans!
One of my favourite attractions is the Glass of Thrones walk where you can find six stained glass windows from Game of Thrones.
You’ll find the Starks, Lannisters, Targaryens, Wildlings and White Walkers. You can even sit on the Iron Throne.
How long do you need to visit?
I would say you need around 2-3 days to visit all the D&D filming locations in Northern Ireland, it’s quite easy to do as long as you don’t mind driving.
I would recommend 1 day in County Down and then 1-2 days in County Antrim and the Causeway Coast.
Belfast is a great base for your trip as this is where most visitors will arrive in the country.
Other Dungeons & Dragons filming locations in the UK
Once you’ve finished chasing down all the Northern Ireland Dungeon & Dragons filming locations, there’s even more magic to be found in the UK.
The fantasy production was filmed at a few sites across England as well. So, make sure to add these spectacular places to your bucket list.
Alnwick Castle
Alnwick Castle was used to film scenes around Castle Never in Neverwinter.
We see the fortress used in scenes of the Thieves Camp and the Outer Bailey is set up with banners and flags for Forge’s Games.
Later, you can see Edgin enter the keep through the famous Lion Gate while distracting the guards with a song.
We also see scenes with the Red Wizard Dralas arriving by boat to meet Sofina.
This was filmed at the famous Lion Bridge in Alnwick just outside of the castle over the moat.
Dungeons & Dragons wasn’t the only magical movie filmed here, if you’re a fan of Harry Potter this is also where they filmed parts of Hogwarts.
You can visit filming locations on a guided tour, buy spellbinding gifts, and even take a broomstick flying lesson!
Wells Cathedral
Wells is a small but holy city in the south-west of England home to the famous Wells Cathedral.
You can find many Dungeons & Dragons filming locations inside and places from Castle Never in Neverwinter.
Firstly, Edgin and Holga meet Forge in the nave and confirm that he is now the Lord of Neverwinter.
Edgin and Holga later wait to meet Kira and these scenes were filmed in the cathedral cloisters.
Edgin is seen running from soldiers in Castle Never and these scenes were filmed in the White Staircase.
Lastly, we see Lord Nevember’s chambers in the Chapter House. This is a stunning octagonal room with a central column and stained glass windows!
Wells is one of my favourite cities in the UK and there is so much to do. You must stop by Vicar’s Close, the oldest street in England.
You can also watch an astronomical clock show at the cathedral, explore the Bishop’s Palace and chase down Hot Fuzz filming locations.
Read more of my Northern Ireland travel guides
45+ Game of Thrones filming locations in Northern Ireland
10 Game of Thrones doors to find
Game of Thrones Studio Tour review
How to visit the Dark Hedges
How to visit the Umbrella Street in Belfast
Visit Cushendun Caves from Game of Thrones
A Complete Guide for Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge
Why you must visit Dunluce Castle
How to visit the Garvagh Pyramid
How to visit Gleno Waterfall
Crown Liquor Saloon – Visit a Gin Palace in Belfast
Armagh Robinson Library – Visit the oldest public library in Northern Ireland
Discover Northern Ireland
Save these Northern Ireland Dungeons & Dragons Filming Locations for later!
