One of the highlights of our September trip to Belfast was a day trip exploring the Causeway Coast of Northern Ireland.
We booked a full-day trip with Odyssey Coach Tours, whose tours are given in smaller vehicles with fewer people. We liked the fact that this company’s Giant’s Causeway Day Tour travels in the opposite direction taken by most larger tour buses, helping avoid crowds of people.
After our tour departed Belfast, we traveled inland straight to the Causeway Coast. Our first stop was to view the ruins of the medieval Dunluce Castle, which dates to the 14th Century and has quite a story as part of the Castle actually fell into the sea (while people were residing in it.)
Next we headed to the village of Bushmills, home of the oldest working distillery in all of Ireland. The Old Bushmills Distillery has been licensed to distil since 1608.
There was not enough time for the in-depth tour, but there was plenty of time to taste the Irish whiskey in the Bushmills gift shop.
The Giant’s Causeway, Ireland’s only World Heritage Site, was our next stop.
As we climbed over the ancient stones, we marveled at the unique forces of nature that created these 40,000 interlocking, straight-sided, basalt columns 60 million years ago. There was a bus that we could have taken to and from the sea-side site, but we hiked, and then ate heartily afterward at The Nook, a cafe-pub near the site recommended by our driver.
The sun came out in force our next stop at the Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge, which made for picture-perfect views on the 20 minute hike to the bridge.
Even if you aren’t willing to step onto the rope bridge to cross to the island, you can still enjoy coastal walk and the incredible views.
Finally, we headed down the Antrim Coast Road, filled with spectacular views of windswept cliffs.
The last tour stop was in the small fishing village of Carnlough along the Antrim Coast.
A version of this tour is also offered to cruise ship visitors to Belfast. It’s an excellent way to explore the thrills and beauty of the Northern Ireland Coast.
Learn more about the Causeway Coast in Northern Ireland with this book:
The Giant’s Causeway: And the North Antrim Coast
Are you planning to visit Belfast and/or the coast of Northern Ireland? Check out these related posts:
- 15 Views From Walking Around Belfast
- Climbing on the Giant’s Causeway in Antrim County, Northern Ireland
- A Look Inside the Hilton Belfast Hotel
- Crossing the Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge in County Antrim, Northern Ireland
- A Visit to the Titanic Quarter and Titanic Belfast
You may also want to check out our Pinterest board on Belfast, Northern Ireland.
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