Day Trip to Northern Ireland

Cross the border from the Republic of Ireland (in the EU) and explore Northern Ireland (in the UK)! Northern Ireland should not be missed during your travels on this island. If you’re a Game of Thrones fan, you’re in luck. A lot of scenes were filmed in Northern Ireland, you can even jump on a Game of Thrones bus tour to see some of the filming locations. Here is an itinerary for a day trip to Northern Ireland.

Dark Hedges

The first stop of our day was at the Dark Hedges, or the King’s Road in Game of Thrones. These impressive beech trees were planted in the 18th century to impress guests on the way to the Stuart family’s home, and still attract tourists to this day. 90 of the original 150 trees remain, but still create an impressively haunting look.

Carrick-A-Rede Rope Bridge

Our second stop was at Carrick-A-Rede Rope Bridge near the village of Ballintoy. This rope bridge was first built by salmon fishermen over 300 years ago and is 100ft high. While there aren’t many salmon left, the bridge has been updated for tourists to cross from the mainland onto the tiny island of Carrick-A-Rede. You do however, have to pay to cross the bridge (£9.00 per adult). The water was a beautiful blue, every direction you look is incredible. On a clear day, the coast of Scotland is also visible. Ballintoy is also a film location for Game of Thrones, home to the Port of Pyke.

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Giant’s Causeway

A day trip to Northern Ireland is not complete without visiting this wonder. The Giant’s Causeway is a natural phenomenon created 60 million years ago by either giants of volcanos – you decide which is more likely to occur in Ireland. The Causeway consists of over 40,000 perfectly shaped basalt hexagonal columns and is a lot of fun to explore. There are multiple walks in the area of different lengths and difficulty. The most popular is an easy walk that takes you to the Causeway, while others take you into the impressive mountains behind the beach.

Dunluce Castle

Make sure to stop at Dunluce castle nearby as well, another filming location for Game of Thrones. With the addition of some CGI, this castle perched along the edge of a cliff acted as Castle Greyjoy. It costs £5.50 per adult, if you would like to go inside the ruins. It dates back to the 13th century, and is accessible via a bridge from the mainland. There are steep drops to the ocean on all sides of the castle. Legends surrounding the castle include banshees, and part of the kitchen next to the cliff, collapsing into the sea.

Belfast

Before you leave Northern Ireland and head back to Dublin, stop in the city of Belfast – full of history and bloodshed over politics and religion. While the worst is behind them, The Troubles still haunts the city and it’s people to this day. Make sure you learn some of it’s history while you’re visiting – if you have the time, take a Black Cab Tour. If you don’t have as much time, highlights include the impressive looking City Hall, Albert Memorial Clock, The Big Fish/Salmon of Knowledge, Beacon of Hope statue, the giant H&W twin cranes and the Titanic Centre. All of these sights are within walking distance of each other!

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There is plenty more to discover in Northern Ireland, this should keep you busy enough if you’re only limited to one day! If you’re interested in more day trip itineraries around Ireland, check out my other posts for a day trip to the Cliffs of Moher, or to Blarney Castle!