County Antrim is the northeast corner of Northern Ireland, and it holds the single most famous natural site on the whole island: the Giant’s Causeway, with its 40,000 hexagonal basalt columns dropping into the sea. That alone puts it on most first trips, but there’s a lot more packed into this one county.
You’ve got the Causeway Coastal Route, one of the best coastal drives anywhere in Ireland, the Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge strung between two cliffs, the Dark Hedges from Game of Thrones, and the Old Bushmills Distillery still making whiskey after 400 years.
It’s an easy add-on from Belfast, which sits right on the county’s southern edge, so you can base yourself in the city and reach almost everything on a day trip. Give it two or three days and you can do it properly.
Below I’ll run through the best things to do, the tours actually worth booking, where to eat, when to visit for the fewest crowds, and where to stay along the coast.
More County Antrim & Causeway Coast Guides
- Things to Do in Antrim: The Best of the Causeway Coast
- Giant’s Causeway From Belfast: All Day Trip Options
- Northern Ireland: A 3-Day Itinerary
Quick Answer:
County Antrim sits in the northeast corner of Northern Ireland and holds the Giant’s Causeway, the Causeway Coastal Route, the Dark Hedges, the Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge and the 400-year-old Bushmills distillery, most within a short drive of each other. Base yourself in Belfast on the county’s southern edge and you can reach the headline sights in one to three days.
Best Things to Do in County Antrim
County Antrim packs more famous sights into a small stretch of coast than almost anywhere else in Ireland. The big ones sit within a 30-minute drive of each other along the north coast, so you can string them together in a day or two without much backtracking. If you’d rather someone else do the driving, you can book a full-day Giant’s Causeway tour from Belfast on GetYourGuide that hits the main stops in one go.
The Giant’s Causeway
This is the one everyone comes for, and it earns it. Around 40,000 basalt columns, most of them near-perfect hexagons, step down into the Atlantic like something built on purpose. They formed from cooling lava about 60 million years ago.
It’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site and Northern Ireland’s most visited attraction, which means it gets busy. The stones themselves are free to walk on. What you pay for is the visitor center and the parking, so if you arrive early or on foot from the coast path you can skip the fee.
Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge
A rope bridge strung nearly 100 feet above the sea, connecting the mainland to a tiny island that fishermen once used to net salmon. It’s about 65 feet across and it sways, which is the whole point.
You have to book a timed ticket in advance, and it sells out in summer. It’s run by the National Trust, and if it’s too windy they close it, so check the forecast. The views back along the cliffs are worth the crossing even if heights aren’t your thing.
The Dark Hedges
A row of beech trees planted in the 1700s, their branches grown together over the road into a tunnel. It became famous as the Kingsroad in Game of Thrones, and now the fans come in busloads.
It’s a striking spot, but it’s smaller than the photos suggest and the road gets crowded fast. Go early in the morning if you want a shot without a dozen people in it. Fifteen minutes here is plenty.
Drive the Causeway Coastal Route
This is the thread that ties everything together, one of the best coastal drives in Ireland and up there with anything in Europe. It runs from Belfast up to Derry, hugging the cliffs, the Glens, and a string of beaches and ruined castles.
Don’t rush it. You could blast the whole thing in a couple of hours, but the point is to stop. Pull in at Dunluce Castle, the cliffside ruin that inspired part of C.S. Lewis’s Narnia, and at the little harbors along the way.
Tour the Bushmills Distillery
Old Bushmills has been licensed since 1608, which makes it the oldest working whiskey distillery on the planet. It’s just a few minutes from the Giant’s Causeway, so it’s easy to pair the two.
The tour walks you through how they make it and ends with a tasting. Book ahead, especially in summer. Even if you’re not a whiskey drinker it’s a good hour out of the weather, and the stuff they pour at the end is worth the ticket.
Ballintoy Harbour and the Glens of Antrim
Ballintoy is a small working harbor tucked below the cliffs near Carrick-a-Rede, all white limestone and black rock. Game of Thrones fans will know it as the Iron Islands, but it’s worth the drive down the steep little road regardless.
Inland, the nine Glens of Antrim run down from the hills to the sea, green valleys with waterfalls and forest parks. Glenariff is the one to aim for if you only do one, with a waterfall walk that takes an hour or so.
Royal Portrush and Portstewart Strand
Royal Portrush is one of the best links golf courses in the world and has hosted the Open Championship. If you play, it’s a bucket-list round, and you’ll want to book well ahead and expect to pay for it.
Right next door, Portstewart Strand is two miles of sand that you can actually drive your car onto and park. It’s run by the National Trust and it’s a proper beach day when the weather cooperates, which up here is a real if.
More Game of Thrones Spots in Northern Ireland
- Game of Thrones Filming Locations in Northern Ireland Map
- Game of Thrones Studio Tour (Banbridge): A Visitor’s Guide
- Secret Castles in Northern Ireland – Game Of Thrones Territory
Best Tours of County Antrim
If you’re not renting a car, tours are how you see County Antrim. The big sights sit along the north coast with no easy public transport between them, so a guided day trip from Belfast does the driving and stitches the stops together for you.
Even if you do have a car, a couple of these are worth it for the parts you can’t easily do yourself, like a walking tour of the Causeway with someone who knows the geology, or a distillery tour you don’t want to drive away from after a tasting.
From Belfast: Giant’s Causeway Full-Day Guided Tour
This is the one to book if you only do one. A full day out of Belfast that hits the Giant’s Causeway, Carrick-a-Rede, and the Dark Hedges, with the driving and the timings sorted for you. Expect roughly 9 to 10 hours door to door.
👉 Check From Belfast: Giant’s Causeway Full-Day Guided Tour Availability and Reviews
From Belfast: Giant’s Causeway and Game of Thrones Day Tour
Same coast, with the TV stops added on. This full-day trip pairs the Giant’s Causeway and Carrick-a-Rede with Ballintoy Harbour and the Dark Hedges, so fans get the filming locations without hunting them down on their own. Worth it if you know the show, skippable if you don’t.
👉 See what’s included on the Giant’s Causeway and Game of Thrones Day Tour
Belfast: Antrim Coast, Castles and Giant’s Causeway Tour
A private, small-group run down the Causeway Coastal Route that works in the castle ruins and the coastline the big buses drive past. You get more time at each stop and a guide to yourselves, which is the trade-off for the higher price.
👉 Check dates and prices for the Antrim Coast, Castles and Giant’s Causeway Tour
Morning Giant’s Causeway Half-Day Tour from Belfast
Short on time or don’t want a 10-hour day? This half-day run gets you to the Giant’s Causeway and back to Belfast by lunch, with a stop or two on the coast along the way. Less thorough than the full-day trips, but you get your afternoon back.
👉 Check Morning Giant’s Causeway Half-Day Tour Availability and Reviews
Where to Eat in County Antrim
The food up here leans hard on the sea. You’re on the north coast of Northern Ireland, so the strong bets are fresh fish, seafood chowder, and a plate of fish and chips eaten within sight of the water. The seaside towns are where you’ll find most of it.
Portrush and Portstewart are the two hubs for eating along the coast, both an easy hop from the Giant’s Causeway. They’ve got the biggest cluster of restaurants, cafes, and casual spots, so they make a good lunch stop between sights.
Seafood on the coast
Harry’s Shack sits right on the sand at Portstewart Strand, a National Trust beach shack doing fresh fish and a short daily menu. It’s popular and doesn’t take a huge number of bookings, so go early or expect to wait in summer.
For a proper sit-down meal, Portrush has a run of seafood restaurants along the harbor. Order whatever came in that day and you can’t go far wrong.
Eating near the Causeway and Bushmills
The village of Bushmills is a handy lunch stop given how close it is to the Causeway and the distillery. The Bushmills Inn is the well-known one, an old coaching inn with a restaurant that does Ulster classics, and it’s a solid spot to warm up on a wet day.
The Giant’s Causeway visitor center has a cafe if you just need a quick bite between the columns and the next stop, though you’re paying visitor-center prices for it.
Pub food and the Ulster fry
Most towns along the route have a pub doing hearty food, and that’s often your best value: a bowl of chowder, a steak pie, or fish and chips with a pint. It’s filling, it’s cheap enough, and it’s usually the warmest room in town.
Start the day with an Ulster fry if you get the chance. It’s the local cooked breakfast, with soda bread and potato bread fried alongside the usual eggs and bacon. Have one and you won’t need lunch for a while.
Basing Yourself in Belfast
- Titanic Belfast: The Complete Visitor’s Guide
- Where to Stay in Belfast: Best Areas & Hotels
- Belfast Mural Tours: A Visitor’s Guide
Best Time to Visit County Antrim
The short answer is late spring to early autumn, roughly May through September. That’s when the weather has the best odds, the days are long, and everything is open. The trade-off is crowds, because this is the busiest corner of Northern Ireland and everyone comes in the same few months.
You’re this far north, so pack for rain no matter when you go. The weather here changes fast and you can get all four seasons in an afternoon. Bring layers and a rain jacket, and treat a dry, clear day as a bonus rather than the plan.
Summer (June to August)
Peak season, and it shows. The days are long, up to 17 hours of daylight in June, which gives you loads of time to drive the coast and hit multiple stops. Temperatures sit around 15 to 19°C, which is mild rather than hot.
The catch is everyone else has the same idea. The Giant’s Causeway parking lot fills early, Carrick-a-Rede tickets sell out, and the Dark Hedges gets a steady stream of tour buses. If you come in summer, start early and book the timed-entry sites well ahead.
Shoulder season (spring and fall)
April, May, September, and October are the sweet spot. You still get decent daylight and a fair shot at good weather, but the crowds thin out and the timed-entry sites are easier to get into. Prices on accommodation ease off too.
May is a strong pick, with long days and the driest stretch of the year on average. September holds a lot of the summer warmth with fewer people around. If I had to name one window, I’d aim for one of these two.
Winter (November to February)
Winter is quiet and moody, and the coast still looks the part with big Atlantic swells hitting the cliffs. You’ll have the Causeway close to yourself some days, which is a real draw if crowds are your main worry.
The downside is real. Daylight drops to around seven or eight hours, the weather is at its wildest, and shorter opening hours kick in. Carrick-a-Rede closes for part of the winter, so check before you plan your day around it.
Where to Stay in County Antrim
You’ve got two ways to play this. Base yourself in Belfast and treat the coast as a day trip, or stay right on the north coast so you wake up next to the sights. Both work, and which one you pick comes down to how many days you have.
If you’ve only got a day or two, Belfast is the easy call, with the most hotels, restaurants, and flights. If you want to slow down and catch the Causeway at sunrise before the buses roll in, stay up on the coast instead. Either way, it’s worth a minute to compare places to stay across County Antrim on Booking.com before you lock anything in. Here are three I’d start with, one in the city and two up on the coast.
Regency House
Regency House is a smart townhouse guesthouse on Upper Crescent in Belfast, a short walk from the Botanic train station and the city centre. It scores 9.7 from more than 300 reviews, which is about as consistent as Belfast gets.
Rooms are done in a dark, moody style with big beds, and the location makes it easy to base here and run day trips up to the Causeway. It’s the pick if you want the city on your doorstep and a short walk to the trains.
👉 View Regency House Availability and Pricing
Malvern House
Malvern House is a bed and breakfast on Mark Street in Portrush, a few minutes’ walk from the seafront and the train station. It scores 9.9 from over 340 reviews, which puts it near the top of everything on the coast.
It’s a proper B&B, with a cooked breakfast and rooms that lean traditional rather than boutique. Portrush puts you within minutes of the Giant’s Causeway, Bushmills, and the Dark Hedges, so this is the base if you want the coast at sunrise before the buses arrive.
👉 View Malvern House Availability and Pricing
The Green House
The Green House is a self-catering apartment on Main Street in Bushmills, about as close as you can sleep to the Giant’s Causeway. It scores 9.7 from more than 60 reviews and sits a short walk from the distillery.
It’s a full apartment with a kitchen, so it suits couples or a small group who want their own space rather than a hotel room. Bushmills is small and quiet, and staying here means you can be at the Causeway in a few minutes before the day-trippers show up.
👉 View The Green House Availability and Pricing
The coastal towns are small and rooms are limited, so summer fills up fast and prices climb with it. If you’re coming June through August, book as far ahead as you can, especially anywhere in Bushmills or Portrush.
More Things to Do Around Northern Ireland
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- 7 Best Northern Ireland Golf Courses
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In short
- The Giant’s Causeway is free to walk on; you only pay for parking and the visitor center.
- Two to three days lets you drive the Causeway Coastal Route without rushing.
- Book the Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge online; it sells out in summer and closes in high winds.
- Base yourself in Belfast, a short drive from every headline sight in the county.
- Old Bushmills has been distilling whiskey for over 400 years.
Frequently Asked Questions
A few things come up again and again when people plan a trip to County Antrim. Here are the quick answers to the questions I get asked most.
How many days do you need in County Antrim?
You can see the headline sights in a single long day from Belfast, but two or three days is the right amount. That gives you time to drive the coast slowly, catch the Causeway before the buses, and not spend the whole trip rushing between stops.
Can you visit County Antrim without a car?
Yes, but a guided day trip from Belfast is your best option. The big sights are spread along the north coast with no easy public transport linking them, so a bus tour does the driving and connects the stops. If you want to move at your own pace, rent a car and pick it up in Belfast.
Is the Giant’s Causeway free?
The stones themselves are free to walk on. What costs money is the visitor center and the parking lot. If you arrive early or walk in along the coast path, you can reach the columns without paying the fee.
How far is County Antrim from Dublin?
The Giant’s Causeway is roughly three hours from Dublin by car, so it is doable as a very long day trip, but you would spend most of it driving. If you are coming from Dublin, it is better to build in an overnight in Belfast or up on the coast.
Do you need to book the Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge in advance?
Yes. It is a timed ticket run by the National Trust, and it sells out in summer, so book online before you go. They also close it in high winds, so keep an eye on the forecast and have a backup plan for the day.
Is County Antrim worth visiting?
Without a doubt. It holds the Giant’s Causeway, one of the best coastal drives in Ireland, a 400-year-old whiskey distillery, and a stack of Game of Thrones locations, all within a short drive of each other. For a county this size, that is hard to beat.
Final Thoughts
County Antrim is one of those places where the famous sights actually live up to the hype. The Giant’s Causeway alone is worth the trip, and then you’ve got the coastal drive, the rope bridge, the whiskey, and the Game of Thrones stops all within a short drive of it.
The thing to get right is time. Rush it in one long day from Belfast and you’ll see the highlights, but you’ll spend half the day in the car and arrive everywhere at the same time as the tour buses. Give it two or three days and it opens right up.
Get up early, book the timed-entry sites ahead, and pack for rain whenever you come. Do that and County Antrim is about the best value stretch of coast in Ireland for the number of big-hitters packed into it.
Whether you base yourself in Belfast or wake up on the coast, it’s an easy county to fall for. Go, take your time, and let the Causeway be the start of it rather than the whole thing.
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