Belfast to Giant’s Causeway: A Stunning Coastal Day Trip

Causeway Day Trip

If ever in Belfast with an extra day to spare, Giant’s Causeway is a spectacular way to take in the wild, gentle beauty of Northern Ireland’s magnificent coasts, all within the comfort and guidance of a luxury bus tour.

Having found ourselves in Belfast on a whim, I was unfamiliar with the geography of the Emerald Isle, and unaware of the stunning landscapes found in this corner of the world.

The journeys to and from Giant’s Causeway, characterized by postcard-like villages and rolling green fields, was worth the cost of the ticket alone.

For those who feel a certain “pull” towards this island, whether due to ancestry or cultural affinity, the quintessential views of the gorgeous countrysides and coasts will leave a lasting impression.

Booking the Right Tour

Various tours can be found on any number of online travel sites, as well as tourist kiosks in the city center of Belfast.

Booking with your hotel’s front desk is always a safe bet for getting a good company at a somewhat fair price.

Most importantly, decide what you do and don’t want to see on the way to and from Giant’s Causeway, and ensure the tour you pick stops there.

Below are the main attractions along the way, but keep in mind most tours will not stop at every single one.

Our detailed list will hopefully help you narrow it down, even though any selections you make will not disappoint.

The entire ride was breathtaking.

How Long?

Full day tours depart around 8:30AM and return around 5:30PM, while half day tours last only about 4-5 hours, and have scattered departure times from 8AM to 1PM.

Prices start around $25 USD for half day tours and $45 for full day, with the shorter option more sparse in it’s itinerary.

Our go-to site, Viator, has always been reliable in terms of the online itinerary matching what we do on the day of.

We recommend the full day, as it is always nice to see and do as much as possible when in a neck of the woods you might not visit again.

We were back in the city center of Belfast before 6PM, ready to rest before heading to the pub.

What to Wear, and What to Bring

As with all other areas of Ireland, both North and South, the weather on any given day may lean more towards chilly winds and light drizzles than warm, sunny skies.

Luckily for us, we experienced a little of both on out trip, with quintessential dreary weather, fitting for the experience, periodically interrupted by pockets of sunshine and blue skies.

We advise wearing long pants and a light jacket, a backup sweater for the bus, and a windbreaker or poncho for the mist and the dew.

Pack good shoes for hiking, as the walk from the bus to Giant’s Causeway is a hearty 2 mile (3km) roundtrip trek downhill, and the back up.

The Causeway itself is exceptionally slippery, with seaweeds and moss prolific on the iconic hexagonal columns.

Waterproof and skid proof shoes are recommended.

Half the fun is scampering across the rock formations searching for that perfect shot.

The proper kicks will help.

Top Sites

1. Giant’s Causeway

As the title suggests, the main draw of the coastal tours are the hexagonal columns which, according to Irish legend, were built by the giant Finn McCool to cross the sea to to fight the Scottish Benandonner.

Made of black basalt, the dark hues of the stone are accentuated beautifully against the blue Irish Sea and green rock growths.

As mentioned above, waterproof and slip-proof shows are best, as even the most idle tourists will find themselves scampering to the top of stones to takes in the breathtaking panoramas of the North Irish coast.

Some half-day tours will do a nonstop roundtrip there and back, so those not wanting to commit to a full day, but still desiring to see these rare formations, can choose the shorter option.

2. Dark Hedges

A much advertised detour along the Giant’s Causeway jaunt, the Dark Hedges are a series of beech trees that have now been made famous by the Game of Thrones series.

Over a quarter millennia old, the trees were planted by a noble family in the area around 1775 and have grown uniformly ever since.

Even half-day tours will advertise a “drive-by” of the Dark Hedges, while other packages focus solely on the Game of Thrones series and the eerily beautiful botanical giants featured in it.

Although very nice and very scenic, it was a short, uneventful stop, and those who fail too book a tour with the hedges on the itinerary are not missing much.

All of North Ireland is just as aesthetically pleasing, and whichever itinerary you choose will not disappoint.

3. Dunluce Castle

Built in the 13th century by the MacDonnell clan, the ruins of Dunluce Castle is one of the most visited and photographed castles in both Irelands.

Perched (nearly) perfectly on the cliffs above the Irish Sea, part of the structure famously collapsed into the ocean in 1639, adding to it’s lore.

Though not on our tour’s itinerary, you can secure a company that does stop and allot time for wandering the medieval ruins.

Formal tours are not generally offered, though the most enjoyable part is taking in the magnificent views of the Irish Sea stretching all the way to Scotland.

4. Bushmill’s Distillery

Another missed opportunity on our part, Old Bushmill’s Distillery nonetheless awaits those of you craving an authentic whiskey tasting in the lush green hills of the Emerald Isle.

Tours are offered daily, with different packages offering different experiences, from basic tours of the facilities to tastings of some of Ireland’s finest whiskey.

Our tour did a drive-by, allowing us to snap a pic of the famed distillery that dates back to 1608, making it one of the oldest in the world.

The Industrial Revolution-era architecture is also an enjoyable site for any other former A.P. Euro teachers out there.

Fine masonry indeed.

Is Giant’s Causeway Worth it?

If in Belfast with a day to spare, Giant’s Causeway and the Irish coast will be one of those rare experiences that stands out from most others on your wanderlust bucket list.

The classic green colors of the Emerald Isle, the bright blue hues of the Irish Sea, and the beautiful black and brown shades of the castle bricks and coastal stones will ingrain in your memory an endearing love for North Ireland’s landscapes, and the calming effect they have on you.

From the full-day excursion to the half-day deal, do not miss the crown jewel of the island of Ireland’s physical beauty.