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From the shores of Dragonstone to the Iron Islands, the filming locations for HBO’s Game of Thrones have capitavated viewers since the series premiered in 2010.

Some of Northern Ireland’s most amazing locations have been front and centre of the hit fantasy series, with many key locations scattered along the causway coast.

More than thrilled at having a chance to wander my way through Westeros, I jumped at the chance to embark on the Game of Thrones Territory trip.

On the first day of the trip I was up with the birds to catch the train that would take part of the tour group from Dublin to Belfast, where we would join the rest of our group and the tour would begin.

Sharlene, our tour guide from Stones and Thrones and self-professed ‘Game of Thrones nerd’, greeted us warmly as we boarded the bus.

We left Belfast city centre and headed towards Limavady, which our bus driver Michael said would take just over an hour.

Once arriving in Limavady, we headed towards a bar called Owen’s – home to the first Door of Thrones on our journey.

The doors, commissioned by Tourism NI, were created from three felled trees from the Dark Hedges in late 2015.

Each piece is carved with intricate designs to celebrate each epsidoe from Season 6 of the HBO fantasy hit.

We saw a number of doors during our trip from some of the key episodes of the latest series, with each one more beautifully designed then the last.

(Image: Keeley Ryan)

Our bus climbed a steep and narrow road to get us to the summit of our next stop, the Dothraki Grasslands.

In one of the final moments of Season 5, Danaerys is rescued from the fighting pits and brought to the Dothraki Grasslands by her dragon Drogon – which is known locally as Binevenagh.

The breathtaking coastal views from the Co Antrim plateau made the morning specatuclar – and, as it turned out, we didn’t have far to go to take in more stunning sights.

Our next location, Downhill beach, was just below Binevenagh.

(Image: Keeley Ryan)

The Blue Flag beach, one of Ireland’s finest, doubles as the location for Dragonstone – familiar to fans as the spot where Melisandre burned the seven gods of Westeros in the second season.

Once we got back on the bus, things got a little competitive as we headed to our next location.

The tour group put their Song of Ice and Fire knowledge to the test with a Game of Thrones quiz – all in good fun, of course.

After a morning of busy morning of exploring Westeros, we arrived at Harry’s Shack – a cosy restaurant located in a building owned by The National Trust, directly on Portstewart Strand.

(Image: Keeley Ryan)

Donal Doherty, manager of Harry’s Shack, made sure our tour group felt more than welcome as he went through the menu with us – which featured a variety of locally brewed craft beer and mouth-wateringly fresh seafood.

The golden sands of Portstewart Strand serve as the backdrop for the coast of Dorne in Game of Thrones – the spot Jamie and Bronn arrived on the coast dressed as Martell soldiers in season 5, thinking Myrcella was in danger from the Martell’s.

(Image: Keeley Ryan)

Next, we visited the home of the Greyjoys – Lordsport Harbour and the Iron Islands of Pyke, a definite highlight of the trip for me.

The rugged coastline of Ballintoy serves as the backdrop for a number of storylines involving Theon Greyjoy and his kin, including his homecoming in season 2 and the shores where he reaffrimed his familiar loyalty and was baptised into the faith of the Drowned God.

Tourism NI and Stones and Thrones were well prepared to make sure the tour group got the most out of their Game of Thrones experience – breaking out Westeros-style cloaks and swords at a number of locations throughout the trip, which were thoroughly enjoyed by everyone in the tour group.

Our final location for the day was the limestone cliffs of Larrybane, which have featured in a number of big scenes in the series – including Brienne of Tarth’s face-off with Ser Loras Tyrell, where she earned a spot in Renly Baratheon’s kingsguard.

We settled in for the night at the gorgeous Bushmills Inn Hotel, located in the charming town of Bushmills.

(Image: Keeley Ryan)

The inn struck an ideal balance of modern and quaint, with cosy rooms, a hidden library and some truly excellent food – making it definitely worth a visit.

(Image: Keeley Ryan)

The next morning, we paid a visit to one of the most eerie – yet stunning – locations of the series as a Game of Thrones tour would in no way be complete without a visit to the iconic Dark Hedges.

The Co Antrim pathway, originally planted by the Stuart family in the 18th century, can be seen in season 2 of the HBO show as The Kingsroad.

(Image: Keeley Ryan)

The path of entwined beech trees is where Arya Stark, disguised as a boy, kicks off her long and weary journey north with Yoren and the new recurits for the Night’s Watch, including Hot Pie and Gendry.

Our tour continued to the Cushendun Caves in Co Antrim, which double as the Stormlands for the hit HBO show – better known to fans of the series as the location where the Red Priestess Melisandre gives birth to a shadow creature.

And, as we arrived back in Belfast, Stones and Thrones finished up the tour with a special surprise by giving us the chance to meet two of the direwolves from the show.

A visit with Thor and Odin, the dogs who played Bran Stark’s Summer and Robb Stark’s Greywind, is an exclusive to their tour.

Stones and Thrones’ Game of Thrones adventure is a must for any fan of the HBO show looking to fill the Westeros-sized hole in their life while awaiting season seven of the show, due to premiere late 2017.

Even for non-fans of the series, it is an essential journey. Incorporating some of Northern Ireland’s most amazing locations, the stunning coastal sights and breathtaking views make the trip all the more worthwhile.

To book a spot on the tour, visit www.stonesandthrones.com

To book a stay at the Bushmills Inn, visit www.bushmillsinn.com

To learn more about the Direwolves, visit: http://www.direwolftours.com/home

For more info about visiting Ireland's north coast, see www.discovernorthernireland.com