Game of Thrones Filming Locations in Split & Klis, Croatia: The Complete Guide
Split and Klis stood in for the slave city of Meereen in seasons 4 and 5 of Game of Thrones. This guide breaks down every filming location, what each site looks like in real life versus on screen, and how to plan an efficient half-day covering both.
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TL;DR
- Split's Game of Thrones locations split into two distinct sites: Diocletian's Palace cellars for interior Meereen scenes, and Klis Fortress 15km north for the exterior walls and cityscape.
- The Diocletian's Palace cellars are partly free to enter; full access to the basement network requires a small admission fee (verify current prices on-site — they change seasonally).
- Heavy CGI transformed both locations in post-production — don't expect a perfect replica of what you saw on screen. The actual history here is, arguably, more impressive than the fiction.
- Combine both sites into a single half-day: the Palace cellars first, then drive or take a guided tour to Klis Fortress for the afternoon.
- Arrive at the Palace before 9am or after 4pm in summer. At Klis, midday heat on exposed limestone is brutal — mornings and late afternoons are significantly better.
Why Split and Klis Were Cast as Meereen
When the Game of Thrones production team needed a convincing Essos slave city for seasons 4 and 5, Croatia delivered two locations that required minimal set dressing. Split offered Roman architecture about 1,700 years old: stone corridors, vaulted cellars, and open courtyards that read on camera as ancient and monumental. Klis Fortress, perched on a limestone ridge between the Kozjak and Mosor mountains about 13km northeast of the city, provided exactly the dramatic hillside silhouette and exterior ramparts that digital artists could expand into Meereen's towering walls.
Production filmed in Croatia in 2013 and 2014, primarily during the shoulder season to avoid tourist crowds and manage logistics. Unlike Dubrovnik's King's Landing locations, which are immediately recognizable on screen, Split's contribution was more heavily transformed by CGI. That distinction matters when you plan your visit: you are not walking into a perfect replica of what appeared on television. You are visiting extraordinary historical sites that inspired it. For a large share of visitors, the actual history of Diocletian's Palace ends up outweighing the film connection considerably.
ℹ️ Good to know
Split and Klis represent Meereen in Slaver's Bay, appearing primarily from season 4 onward. The Palace cellars served as Meereen's interiors; Klis Fortress provided the exterior walls and cityscape. If you're looking for King's Landing, that's Dubrovnik — a different city entirely, roughly 230km south along the coast.
Diocletian's Palace: Throne Room, Dragon Pits, and Slave Rebellion
The Diocletian's Palace is the anchor of any Game of Thrones tour in Split. Emperor Diocletian built his retirement complex between 295 and 305 AD, and the area has been continuously inhabited in various forms ever since. Today over 2,000 people live inside its walls alongside cafes, boutiques, and some of the best-preserved Roman substructures in Europe. It earned UNESCO World Heritage status in 1979.
The key GoT location within the Palace is the basement cellars, known locally as the podrumi. These vaulted Roman substructures were used to film Daenerys' throne room scenes and sequences involving her dragons in Meereen. Architecturally, the cellars mirror the layout of the imperial apartments above ground: long barrel-vaulted corridors in honey-colored stone, with occasional chambers opening off the main axis. You can access a portion of the cellars for free from the southern seafront entrance near the Riva. Full access to the complete network requires a ticket — prices change seasonally, so check on-site, but entry is affordable by European standards.
Papalićeva Street, within the Palace interior, appeared in the Meereen slave revolt sequence in season 4. Walking it today, you'll find a narrow medieval lane of stone buildings with locals going about their day and tourists taking photos. Without CGI overlays, the GoT connection is subtle at best. Still, it's worth noting as you explore on foot, and the street sits along the natural route between the Golden Gate to the north and the Peristyle courtyard at the center of the Palace. The entire old town within the walls takes about 90 minutes to explore properly at a comfortable pace.
- Diocletian's Cellars (Podrumi) Primary interior filming location for Meereen throne room and dragon pit scenes. Partly free, full access requires a ticket. Enter from the southern Riva-facing entrance on the waterfront side.
- Papalićeva Street Used for the Meereen slave rebellion sequence. No admission required — walk freely as part of any Palace exploration.
- The Peristyle Courtyard Not directly used as a GoT filming location, but the natural center of the Palace and the best place to understand the scale of the original Roman structure before heading underground.
- Golden Gate (Zlatna Vrata) The most photogenic of the Palace's four gates and a logical starting point for a self-guided tour. It didn't feature directly in GoT but anchors the northern entrance to the complex.
⚠️ What to skip
The Game of Thrones Museum in Split is a separate paid private attraction using props and displays to explain the filming connection. It's aimed squarely at fans wanting merchandise and exhibits rather than the actual filming sites. If your priority is seeing the real locations with historical context, spend the entrance fee on a guided tour to Klis instead.
Klis Fortress: The Exterior Walls of Meereen
Klis Fortress is the location that translates best on screen. Its position on a sheer limestone ridge, with panoramic views sweeping down to the coast and Split below, gave the production team exactly the dramatic topography Meereen required. The fortress was used for exterior shots of the city walls, gate sequences, and scenes featuring Tyrion and Varys after Daenerys' departure. CGI expanded the fortress significantly in all directions, but the basic silhouette against the mountains remains recognizable in several episodes of seasons 4 and 5.
Klis itself has a history that rivals any fictional city for sheer drama. It served as an important Croatian stronghold from the 9th century, held out against Ottoman siege for decades, and finally fell in 1537 after a brutal campaign that cost the Croatian commander Petar Kružić his life. The fortress changed hands several more times before Venice took control in the 17th century. Walking the ramparts, you get genuine vertigo-inducing views south toward Split and the Dalmatian islands, and north toward the Mosor massif. This site is worth visiting entirely on its own merits, Game of Thrones connection or not.
Getting to Klis takes 20 to 30 minutes by car from central Split. Public bus connections exist but run infrequently and involve a walk from the stop to the fortress entrance. The practical options are driving, taking a taxi, or joining an organized tour that combines Klis with the Palace cellars in a single outing. In summer, plan to arrive early in the morning or after 4pm: midday heat on exposed limestone is intense, and the parking area fills quickly in July and August.
💡 Local tip
Bring water and wear closed shoes at Klis. The fortress paths involve uneven stone and some steep sections that become slippery after rain. The site is less developed for tourism than Split's old town, which contributes to its atmosphere, but it also means less infrastructure. There are limited food options near the entrance, so come prepared.
Žrnovnica: The Missandei Bath Scene Location
Roughly 8–10km east of Split's center, the village of Žrnovnica sits alongside the Žrnovnica River, with old stone mills lining the banks. This quiet spot was used for Missandei's bathing scene with Grey Worm in season 5. There are no signs, no tour groups, and no entrance fee. It's genuinely peaceful and almost entirely overlooked by visitors, largely because nothing at the site signals the GoT connection on arrival. If you're a dedicated fan completing a full location checklist, it's worth the short detour by car. If your priorities are impressive architecture and history, Klis and the Palace are a better use of your time.
How to Plan Your Game of Thrones Half-Day in Split
The most efficient approach is a half-day starting inside Diocletian's Palace and ending at Klis. Spend the morning at the Palace: walk the cellars, explore Papalićeva Street, and take time to see the Cathedral and the Peristyle courtyard. By late morning, head north to Klis. Allow at least 90 minutes at the fortress, more if you want to walk all the ramparts and take in the views properly.
For visitors who prefer a guided experience, several Split-based operators run dedicated GoT and Klis tours, typically lasting 3 to 4 hours and covering both sites on a single itinerary. Group tour prices generally range from around 30 to 60 EUR per person; private tours run higher. Booking in advance is strongly recommended in summer. If you're driving, the route via Solin allows a quick stop at the Roman ruins at Salona, adding useful historical context to the day without significantly extending the journey.
- Arrive at the Palace cellars before 9am in peak season to avoid the first tour buses, which begin arriving around 9:30am.
- Pick up the Visit Split GoT map at the tourist office near the Riva for a self-guided Palace circuit with marked filming locations.
- Drive to Klis via the Solin route to combine a short stop at the Roman ruins of ancient Salona on the same trip.
- Wear layers at Klis: the ridge is exposed and wind picks up significantly in the afternoon, even in summer.
- Download episode screenshots before your visit to compare the raw locations with their on-screen versions in real time.
Honest Assessment: What You'll Actually See
The biggest source of disappointment for GoT fans visiting Split is the CGI gap. Production designers used the real locations as a foundation, then digitally expanded, repainted, and entirely rebuilt the surrounding cityscape. Diocletian's cellars are impressive Roman ruins but look nothing like their screen version without visual effects. Klis is more recognizable in basic silhouette, but the sweeping Meereen cityscape seen in the show was entirely digital. If your expectation is to step directly into the show, you will need to recalibrate before you arrive.
What you actually get is something worth arguing is better: two extraordinary historical sites that stand on their own. The cellars of Diocletian's Palace are among the best-preserved Roman substructures in Europe, built for an emperor and unchanged in their basic form for 1,700 years. Klis Fortress is a genuinely dramatic medieval fortification with real strategic history and views across Split and the Adriatic islands that no CGI cityscape can replicate. Both reward multiple hours of exploration regardless of which television shows filmed there. The GoT connection is a useful entry point for first-time visitors to everything Split offers, not the reason to keep coming back.
If Game of Thrones locations are the gateway that brings you to Croatia, use the visit to open up everything else the region offers. Day trips from Split can take you to Krka waterfalls, the medieval town of Trogir, or island-hopping routes to Hvar and Vis. The city rewards genuine curiosity well beyond any single TV connection, and most visitors who arrive for GoT end up staying longer once they realize what else is here.
✨ Pro tip
If GoT tourism is your primary reason for visiting Croatia, note that Split's contribution covers Meereen in seasons 4 and 5 only. Dubrovnik is the show's dominant Croatian location, serving as King's Landing across multiple seasons with far more recognizable, CGI-light scenes. Many visitors do both cities in the same trip, traveling the coastal route between them, which takes roughly 3.5 to 4.5 hours by bus or car.
FAQ
Which Game of Thrones scenes were filmed at Diocletian's Palace in Split?
The basement cellars of Diocletian's Palace were used for interior scenes set in Meereen during seasons 4 and 5, including Daenerys' throne room and dragon pit sequences. Papalićeva Street inside the Palace also appeared in the slave rebellion scenes. Both locations were significantly altered by CGI in post-production.
Is Klis Fortress worth visiting even if you're not a Game of Thrones fan?
Yes, without qualification. Klis has over a thousand years of documented history, including decades of resistance against Ottoman siege in the 16th century. Its cliff-top position gives panoramic views across Split, the Dalmatian coast, and the Mosor mountains. It's one of the most underrated sites near Split and stands entirely on its own merits without any TV connection.
How do I get from Split to Klis Fortress?
Driving takes 20 to 30 minutes from central Split. Taxis are available but can be expensive for a round trip with waiting time. Public buses to Klis exist but run infrequently and require a short walk from the bus stop to the fortress entrance. In peak summer, joining an organized tour is the most practical option and avoids parking issues.
Is there a dedicated Game of Thrones tour in Split?
Yes. Several local operators run combined GoT and Klis tours, typically lasting 3 to 4 hours and covering both Diocletian's Palace cellars and Klis Fortress. Group tour prices generally range from around 30 to 60 EUR per person; private tours cost more. The Game of Thrones Museum in Split is a separate private attraction with props and exhibits, not part of the official heritage tours.
What season of Game of Thrones features Split and Klis the most?
Season 4 features the Split and Klis locations most prominently, during the early Meereen story arc. Klis Fortress provided exterior shots of the city and its walls; Diocletian's Palace cellars provided the interior scenes. Neither location appears significantly in other seasons.
What is the best time of year to visit the GoT filming locations in Split?
May, June, and September offer the best balance of good weather and manageable crowds at both sites. July and August are peak season: the Palace gets extremely crowded by mid-morning, and Klis is brutally hot at midday. If you visit in summer, aim for before 9am or after 4pm at both locations. Off-season visits (October to April) are quieter but check opening hours in advance, as Klis has reduced winter hours.