The Real Alcázar Game of Thrones Filming Guide
Every Game of Thrones location inside the Real Alcázar — the Water Gardens of Dorne, the Sunspear palace and the underground vaults — plus the wider Seville filming cluster.
Game of Thrones used Seville more heavily than any other Spanish city, and the Real Alcázar is the centrepiece of the city's filming map. Across multiple seasons, the Patio de las Doncellas, the Galería del Grutesco, the Mercury Pond gardens and the Baños de Doña María de Padilla appeared as the Water Gardens of Dorne — the Martell family seat — and as the underground vaults beneath the same palace. The locations are spread across the standard visitor route, which means a single Alcázar visit at the right time of day lets you photograph every scene without a special tour. This guide identifies each location precisely, explains which scenes were filmed where, suggests the best time of day to photograph the same compositions, and outlines the wider Seville filming cluster — Itálica, Plaza de España, Castillo de Almodóvar — that fans frequently combine into a single Andalucía itinerary.
The Water Gardens of Dorne Filmed at the Alcázar
The Water Gardens of Dorne first appeared in Season 5 of Game of Thrones in 2015 and returned across subsequent seasons as the seat of House Martell. The location is the Real Alcázar de Sevilla, specifically the gardens behind the palace and the Galería del Grutesco walkway above them. HBO chose the Alcázar because its combination of Moorish-tradition water design, walled gardens with reflecting pools, orange trees, and the raised Grutesco gallery gave the production a ready-made set that matched the show's vision of Dorne as a Spain-and-Morocco analogue in the Seven Kingdoms. The production filmed on closed days and after public hours rather than during normal opening, so the visitor experience of the locations today is closer to the Castilian-Mudéjar reality than to the dressed set.
The principal Water Gardens compositions are the Mercury Pond — the large rectangular reflecting pool at the centre of the formal gardens — and the walks along the Galería del Grutesco overlooking it. These appear in scenes featuring Doran Martell, the Sand Snakes and the kidnap of Myrcella Baratheon. The gardens look essentially the same to visitors today as they do on screen, with the peacocks adding a layer of background sound that was kept in the soundtrack. The Pavilion of Charles V, also visible in some Dorne scenes, is the small Renaissance summer house that stands on the eastern side of the formal garden. The best time to photograph these compositions is the final hour of the operating day when the light drops and other visitors thin out across the gardens.
The Patio de las Doncellas as the Sunspear Palace
Inside the palace, the Patio de las Doncellas appears as the throne room and audience chamber of the Sunspear palace — Doran Martell's residence in the Dornish capital. The long sunken reflecting pool running down the centre of the courtyard is the single most recognisable shot from the Dornish scenes, with characters walking along its flanking marble walks and the sebka tracery of the upper walls forming the background. The production used the courtyard largely as it stands, without significant dressing, because the Mudéjar geometry already matched the visual grammar of Dorne as imagined in the show. For fans, the courtyard is the single most photographable Game of Thrones location anywhere inside the Real Alcázar itself.
Photographing the same composition today is straightforward because the courtyard has not changed. The most-replicated shot is taken from the south end of the courtyard looking north along the reflecting pool, with the sebka tracery rising on both sides and the carved stucco arcade in the foreground. This composition photographs best at opening time, in the first thirty minutes of the operating day, when the reflecting pool is undisturbed and the morning light catches the upper walls. Tripods and selfie sticks are generally not permitted in the courtyard, so plan for hand-held photography only. Avoid the midday hours, when crowd density is at its weekly peak and direct sun produces harsh shadows on the courtyard floor.
The Baños de Doña María de Padilla as Underground Vaults
The Baños de Doña María de Padilla — the vaulted brick baths beneath the Patio del Crucero — appear in Game of Thrones as the underground vaults beneath the Water Gardens, where some of the more atmospheric Dornish scenes were filmed. The space is structurally a long barrel vault of unrendered brick lit dimly from above, with a continuous reflecting pool on the floor that produces a near-perfect mirror image of the vault overhead. The result is the most cinematic single space in the Alcázar and the closest to a film set you can walk inside today. The reflecting pool stays undisturbed because the floor is fenced from the walking path on both sides of the central channel.
Access to the baths involves descending a flight of steps from the Patio del Crucero level. The space is typically the coolest part of the palace in summer and stays at a near-constant temperature year-round. Photography is permitted; flash is not. Tripods and selfie sticks are not permitted. The reflecting pool composition photographs best with a low-angle shot from the entrance end of the vault, taking advantage of the natural light from the openings overhead. The vault is small and the visiting capacity is limited, so peak hours produce crowding; the first slot of the morning or the last hour before closing give the clearest opportunity for an unobstructed photograph of the reflected vault.
The Wider Seville Filming Cluster
Beyond the Alcázar itself, Game of Thrones filmed at several other locations across Seville and the surrounding province. Plaza de España, the spectacular pavilion built for the 1929 Ibero-American Exposition and located ten minutes south of the Alcázar through the Jardines de Murillo, appeared as the Sunspear capital — the city beyond the Water Gardens. The pavilion's semi-circular arcade and tiled benches representing the provinces of Spain are unchanged and free to visit; no ticket is required. The ruined Roman city of Itálica, fifteen minutes north-west of Seville by bus, served as the dragonpit, where in Season 7 the major leaders of Westeros met in the show's most-watched single scene that season.
Further out, Castillo de Almodóvar del Río in the province of Córdoba served as Highgarden, seat of House Tyrell. The castle is roughly an hour and a half from Seville by car or train plus local taxi. A common fan itinerary chains the Alcázar in the morning, Plaza de España at lunch, Itálica in the afternoon, and Almodóvar the following day as a Córdoba day trip combined with the Mezquita-Cathedral. None of these wider locations require an Alcázar concierge ticket; they are entered under their own admission systems. The Alcázar remains the centrepiece of the Seville filming cluster and the only location where multiple distinct scenes — gardens, throne room, vaults — were filmed in the same single building.
How to Visit the Locations Without a Specialist Tour
There is no official HBO-branded tour inside the Real Alcázar, and the production does not maintain any signage or markers at the filming locations themselves. The locations are spread across the standard self-guided visitor route, which means walking the normal circuit slowly is enough to spot every Alcázar scene without a guide. Print a list of the four locations — the Patio de las Doncellas, the Galería del Grutesco, the Mercury Pond gardens, and the Baños de Doña María de Padilla — before you arrive, and tick them off in route order. The full Alcázar visit takes two and a half to three hours; adding the Game of Thrones angle does not extend that time materially for most fans during the walk through.
Practical tips for the Game of Thrones angle. Book the earliest morning slot or the final two slots before closing — these are the only windows when the popular filming-location compositions are not crowded with other visitors trying to photograph the same shots. Bring a phone or compact camera; tripods and selfie sticks are not permitted, and the lighting in the baths is too dim for a fast handheld without a steady stance against a wall. If you want to combine the Alcázar Game of Thrones locations with Plaza de España and Itálica, allocate a full day: Alcázar at opening time, Plaza de España at lunch, Itálica in the afternoon. Reserve Castillo de Almodóvar for a separate Córdoba day trip.
Frequently asked
Is the Real Alcázar where the Water Gardens of Dorne were filmed?
Yes. The gardens behind the palace, including the Mercury Pond and the Galería del Grutesco walkway above them, served as the Water Gardens of Dorne — the seat of House Martell — across multiple seasons of Game of Thrones.
Which seasons of Game of Thrones filmed at the Alcázar?
The Alcázar first appears in Season 5 in 2015 when the Dorne storyline begins and returns in subsequent seasons through the show's run. The Patio de las Doncellas, the Baños de Doña María de Padilla and the gardens all feature in different scenes.
Is there a Game of Thrones tour of the Alcázar?
There is no official HBO-branded tour inside the palace. Several independent operators in Seville offer themed walking tours that combine the Alcázar with the wider Seville filming locations. Inside the Alcázar itself, the standard self-guided route is enough to spot every scene location.
Where in the Alcázar did the underground vault scenes film?
The Baños de Doña María de Padilla, the vaulted brick baths beneath the Patio del Crucero, served as the underground vaults beneath the Water Gardens. The space is reached by descending a flight of steps from the Crucero level and is included in general admission.
What time of day is best for Game of Thrones photography in the Alcázar?
The first slot of the morning gives the calmest reflecting pool in the Patio de las Doncellas and the clearest light in the gardens. The final hour before closing gives the most cinematic light in the Galería del Grutesco. Avoid midday when crowds peak and direct sun is harsh.
Are tripods allowed inside the Alcázar?
Tripods and selfie sticks are generally not permitted inside the palace. Personal hand-held photography without flash is allowed in almost all areas. Verify current rules with staff on entry; commercial photography requires advance permission from the Patronato.
What other Game of Thrones locations are in Seville?
Plaza de España appeared as the Sunspear capital; the Roman ruins of Itálica north-west of Seville served as the dragonpit in the Season 7 summit scene; Castillo de Almodóvar del Río in Córdoba province served as Highgarden, seat of House Tyrell.
Can I combine all the Seville Game of Thrones locations in one day?
Yes, with planning. A workable day is Alcázar at opening time, Plaza de España at lunch, Itálica in the afternoon by bus from Plaza de Armas. Castillo de Almodóvar is better as a separate day trip combined with Córdoba and the Mezquita-Cathedral.
Were any scenes filmed in the Salón de Embajadores?
The Salón de Embajadores with its gilded muqarnas dome was not used as a primary scene location in Game of Thrones; the Patio de las Doncellas was the main throne-room substitute. The Salón remains the most spectacular Mudéjar interior in the palace regardless of its filming history.
Does the Alcázar look the same today as on screen?
Yes. The production filmed on closed days and after public hours and dressed the locations minimally. The Mercury Pond, the Galería del Grutesco, the Patio de las Doncellas reflecting pool and the Baños vault are essentially identical to what visitors see today on the standard route.