The Giant’s Causeway is one of Ireland’s great attractions. For this reason it should be at the top of your list of places to see in Ireland. The Giant’s Causeway tour is available from Belfast and Dublin.
In this article I’ll tell you the differences between each of the tours and detail the one I took: Giant’s Causeway tour from Belfast.
Giant’s Causeway Tour from Dublin
Price and how to book
The Giant’s Causeway tour from Dublin costs around £75. There are several tours available; some include a visit to the Titanic Museum.
Apart from the Giant’s Causeway, what other places do you visit?
All tours stop for a couple of hours in Belfast to show you the essentials of the city – City Hall, the harbour area and murals.
You have about 2 hours to explore Belfast. My recommendation is to focus on the city centre and forget about visiting the Titanic Museum, the murals or the Ulster Museum on your own.
Crown Liquor Saloon, City Hall and surroundings, the Cathedral Quarter – home to the Duke of York and some more of Belfast’s famous pubs.
If you want to know a bit more about Belfast, you can read this article about Things to do in Belfast.
Giant’s Causeway Tour from Belfast
Price and how to book
The Giant’s Causeway tour is priced at €27.5 per person. It is a full day tour (about 8/9 hours).
The 5 stops on the Giant’s Causeway tour from Belfast
📍Carrick-a-rede
This is one of the most photogenic and breathtaking places in Ireland. Here you will find the famous Rope Bridge, a 30-metre high suspension bridge.
The bridge was used by fishermen to catch salmon. Today, it is one of Northern Ireland’s top tourist attractions. The entrance fee is 9 pounds (not included in the tour).
It is advisable to bring cash, as you will need to pay in cash at the start of the tour.
If you’re a bit apprehensive about crossing the bridge: don’t worry, the bridge has been fixed to withstand the rattling of tourists! Although I have to admit that I was not able to cross it… 🙄.
The moment you step out of the bus you start to feel the true essence of Ireland. Different shades of green, the smell of the sea, the nature…
The bus parks on an esplanade overlooking Sheep Island. For centuries, in order to prevent sheep theft, farmers took them to this island. Hence its name 🐑.
On this esplanade, there is a cafeteria and public toilets. I advise you to take advantage of this, as the next stop is more than an hour away and the bus does not have toilets.
To get to Rope Bridge, you have to walk along a dirt road along the cliffs. It’s usually very windy, but the views are breathtaking.
📍La Calzada del Gigante
The Giant’s Causeway is the highlight of this trip, and one of the most impressive places on the Emerald Isle.
An incredible volcanic formation formed by perfect hexagonal basalt columns, or perhaps the remains of an ancient causeway that linked Scotland to Northern Ireland?
Find out more about the legends surrounding the Causeway and learn the story of Finn McCool.
📍Old Bushmill
This is the oldest licensed distillery in the world and a must if you visit Northern Ireland.
On this excursion we couldn’t do a tour of the distillery due to the short time we had, but we did have the opportunity to do a tasting of 3 whiskies.
One of my least favourite parts of the Giant’s Causeway tour was this. According to the itinerary, we were supposed to have enough time to see the distillery and take a tour. However, the reality was a bit different.
We were going to have time, but we had to choose between taking a tour, having lunch and seeing a bit of the distillery or visiting the village.
📍Carnlough
Carnlough is the penultimate stop on the tour. At first glance it looks like an ordinary village, but this is where episode 7 of Game of Thrones Season 6 was filmed, specifically in its harbour. Any images come to mind?
The stop lasts just 15 minutes. Just enough time to explore the harbour a bit, take some pictures and run back to the bus.
📍Carrickfergus
One of the oldest towns in Ireland. Its main tourist attraction is its medieval style castle, one of the best preserved in Ireland.
