Fans of the blockbuster House of the Dragon TV series may soon be flocking to eight locations in North Wales which were used by HBO for filming the second season.

House of the Dragon is one of HBO's largest high-end TV drama commissions to date, with the first series averaging 29 million viewers in the US and winning a Golden Globe for Best Drama Series in 2023. The series, which airs exclusively on Sky and NOW in the UK and Ireland, is based on George R.R. Martin’s ‘Fire and Blood’ novel and is set 200 years before the events of Game of Thrones.

Actors Rhys Ifans and Olivia Cooke (photograph by Ollie Upton/HBO)

The first season was shot on location in Spain, as well as in Cornwall and Derbyshire in England (read more here), with the main filming at Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden in Hertfordshire. But when it came to planning for the second season, the production team identified some key locations in North Wales.

Actor Emma D’Arcy (photograph by Theo Whitman/HBO)

The beautiful island of Anglesey, just off the north west coast of Wales, boasts many stunning locations and a handful were selected for filming. The locations used were on the east of the island, along the glorious Menai Straits, including Penmon and Beaumaris in the north, and Llanddwyn Beach and Porth y Cwch in the south.

Beaumaris Pier and Menai Straits © Hawlfraint y Goron / © Crown copyright (2024) Cymru Wales

Llanddwyn Beach, close to the village of Newborough, saw a good deal of filming and is said to have provided the backdrop for parts of Dragonstone.

Llanddwyn Beach

Locations on the North Wales mainland, within the spectacular Snowdonia National Park, included Trefor Quarry on the coast, south of the historic town of Caernarfon, which was transformed into Dragonstone Castle.

The otherworldly landscape of Dinorwic Quarry © Hawlfraint y Goron / © Crown copyright (2024) Cymru Wales

A significant amount of filming also took place at Dinorwic Quarry, once the world’s second largest slate quarry, which overlooks the beautiful lake Llyn Padarn. This will be seen as part of Harrenhal, a location which will become important in Season Two.

Beautiful Llyn Padarn in Snowdonia (Eryri)

Filming also took place in the Ogwen Valley (Dyffryn Ogwen) and around Penmachno Roman Bridge, near Betws-y-Coed.

Penmachno Roman Bridge

Executive Producer Kevin de la Noy said: “It was great to be shooting in Wales with its stunning scenery and landscapes, that bring to life our Westeros. I had no hesitation in taking House of the Dragon there, as we knew the support from government and the local populous would help us achieve remarkable footage, and we were blessed with the most glorious weather too. Thank you, Wales!”

Dawn Boden, Deputy Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism in the Welsh Government, added: “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. Not only has it boosted the economy locally during the shoot itself, but it has huge potential to bring future tourism to Wales.”

The second season of House of the Dragon is due for broadcast from summer 2024 and we’ll be looking out for all those filming locations in North Wales!

If your or your group would like to enjoy a tailor-made location tour of North Wales, discovering the sites associated with filming for House of the Dragon Season Two, please do contact our team today.