Belfast & Causeway Coast

Belfast, birthplace of the Titanic, plus a day trip along the Causeway Coast to the hexagonal basalt columns of the Giant's Causeway, a rope bridge and the Game of Thrones Dark Hedges.

Belfast, capital of Northern Ireland in the UK, sits where the River Lagan meets Belfast Lough. Once a world centre of shipbuilding, it is where the Titanic was built. The city divides into the City Centre around City Hall; the Cathedral Quarter (pubs and nightlife); the Titanic Quarter (Titanic Belfast and SS Nomadic); the Queen's Quarter in the south, with Queen's University and the Botanic Gardens (Ulster Museum); and West Belfast, with its peace walls and political murals. About 90 km to the north lies the Causeway Coast of County Antrim: along the Causeway Coastal Route you'll pass Glenariff Forest Park, Cushendun Caves, Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge, Ballintoy Harbour, the Giant's Causeway, Dunluce Castle and the Old Bushmills Distillery, with the Dark Hedges inland and Mussenden Temple at the western end – many of them Game of Thrones filming locations. The best time to visit is May–Sep, with long days and more settled weather; the coast is windy and wet, so pack a windproof, waterproof jacket year-round. Getting there: trains or coaches from Dublin to Belfast take about 2–2.5 hours, and Belfast has two airports. Public transport along the coast is limited, so driving (on the left) or joining a day tour is recommended. Allow 3–4 days: 2 in Belfast and 1–2 on the Causeway Coast (stay in Portrush or Bushmills). Northern Ireland uses the pound sterling, and UK visa rules apply for entry.

Top sights

• Titanic Belfast – A landmark museum built beside the slipways where the Titanic was constructed. Its nine galleries recreate the full story of its building…
• Belfast Murals & Peace Walls – High walls separating Catholic and Protestant neighborhoods, along with hundreds of political murals that document the history of the Troub…
• Giant's Causeway – About 40,000 hexagonal basalt columns run out into the sea. It is the only volcanic landscape in the UK inscribed as a World Heritage Site.
• Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge – A rope bridge suspended about 30 meters above the sea, linking to a small island. It was originally built by salmon fishermen.
• The Dark Hedges – Beech trees planted in the 18th century, with branches intertwined to form an arched tunnel. They are famous for appearing as the King's Ro…
• Dunluce Castle – A medieval castle ruin standing on the edge of a sea cliff. Legend says the kitchen once fell into the sea on a stormy night.
• SS Nomadic – The only surviving ship of the White Star Line, which once ferried passengers out to the Titanic and now sits in a dry dock where visitors…
• Belfast City Hall – A Baroque Revival city hall completed in 1906, whose green copper dome is a landmark of the city centre, with free guided tours available.
• Crumlin Road Gaol – A Victorian prison that opened in 1845 and closed in 1996, where guided tours take you through cells, underground tunnels and the execution…
• Ulster Museum – Free to enter and the largest museum in Northern Ireland, covering art, natural history, Egyptian mummies and galleries on the Troubles.
• Botanic Gardens, Belfast – A Victorian park opened in 1828, where the cast-iron and glass Palm House, built in the 1840s, is one of the earliest curved iron-and-glass…
• St George's Market – A Victorian indoor market from the 1890s, where weekend markets offer local produce, handicrafts and live music.
• Cathedral Quarter & St Anne's Cathedral – An old district centred on St Anne's Cathedral, where cobbled lanes are packed with bars, restaurants and street art, making it the heart o…
• Crown Liquor Saloon – A century-old pub with ornate Victorian decoration, where stained glass, carved wooden snugs and gas lamps are well preserved, and which is…
• Belfast Castle & Cave Hill – A Scottish baronial-style castle on the slopes of Cave Hill, where a climb to the basalt cliff known as 'Napoleon's Nose' offers views over…
• Parliament Buildings, Stormont – The seat of the Northern Ireland Assembly, where the white neoclassical building stands at the end of a mile-long avenue.
• HMS Caroline – The only warship still surviving from the Battle of Jutland, moored at a quay in the Titanic Quarter, where visitors can go aboard.
• Ulster Folk and Transport Museum – An open-air folk museum recreating village streets and farmhouses from a century ago, plus a Transport Museum with trains, cars and Titanic…
• Carrickfergus Castle – A seaside castle built by the Normans in 1177, one of Ireland’s best-preserved medieval castles.
• The Gobbins Cliff Path – A path hugging basalt sea cliffs, crossing tubular steel bridges, sea caves and tunnels, often ranked among Europe’s most thrilling coastal…
• Game of Thrones Studio Tour – An official exhibition in the original studio where the series was filmed, displaying original sets, costumes, props and weapons, with walk…
• Mount Stewart – A neoclassical estate on the shore of Strangford Lough, with gardens rated world-class and full of Italian and Spanish-style features and m…
• Old Bushmills Distillery – A distillery that claims the world’s oldest whiskey-making licence (1608); visitors can taste Irish whiskey after a guided tour.
• Ballintoy Harbour – A small fishing harbour ringed by limestone and basalt rocks, and the filming location for the Iron Islands in Game of Thrones.
• Mussenden Temple & Downhill Demesne – A round classical temple on a cliff edge overlooking a long beach, one of the most photogenic buildings on the Northern Irish coast.
• Portstewart Strand – A golden beach about 3 km long, backed by high dunes, where cars can drive onto the sand to park.
• Rathlin Island – Northern Ireland’s only inhabited offshore island, where the seabird centre at the West Lighthouse lets you get close to puffins and tens o…
• Glenariff Forest Park – Known as the “Queen of the Glens of Antrim,” a wooden walkway follows the gorge past tiered waterfalls and moss-covered forest.
• Cushendun Caves – Caves carved by the sea into red conglomerate cliffs, and the filming location where Melisandre gives birth to the shadow assassin in Game…
• Torr Head – A headland at the northeastern tip of Northern Ireland, from which you can see Scotland’s Kintyre peninsula about 20 km away on clear days.

Where to eat

• OX – A Michelin-starred restaurant by the River Lagen, holding its star since 2016, featuring a tasting menu built around lo…
• Mourne Seafood Bar – A flagship spot for local Belfast seafood, renowned for its freshly shucked oysters, seafood chowder, and seafood casse…
• Maggie Mays (Botanic Avenue) – A budget-friendly cafe popular with locals, serving all-day Ulster Fry and famous for its massive milkshakes.
• The Morning Star – A family-run historic alleyway pub dating back to 1810, famous for its local grass-fed steaks and Irish stew.
• Tartine at The Distillers Arms – A modern bistro in Bushmills, serving Irish cuisine made with Northern Irish seafood, beef, and farm-fresh ingredients.
• Morton's Ballycastle – An established fish and chip shop by Ballycastle Harbour, offering views of Rathlin Island and drawing long summer queu…

Itineraries

• Causeway Coastal Route: Belfast to Derry – A one-way road trip along the north coast, connecting glens, cliffs, the Giant's Causeway, and the historic city of Der…
• Northern Ireland Grand Loop – A road trip starting from Belfast to loop through the North Coast, Derry, the Fermanagh Lakelands, and the Mourne Mount…
• Belfast & North Coast by Train and Bus – Skip the driving and travel from Belfast to Derry using trains and coastal buses.
• Northern Ireland & Northwest Loop – Head north from Dublin to Belfast and the Giant's Causeway, then loop back to Galway via Donegal and Mayo.