Tour from Dublin
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Meet your expert day tour guide, mount your luxury tour bus and commence the exciting scenic drive North to Belfast City, once the industrial and shipbuilding engine of the British Empire. We’ll follow a well- beaten ancient path known as the ‘Gap of the North’, where the legendary Celtic Warrior CúChulainn singlehandedly fought his last epic battle against a massive invading army, and through the infamous “Bandit Country” of South Armagh (British Army helicopter patrols were commonly seen on tour until as recently as 2007). Arrive in central Belfast at 08.45 am approx.
We’ll have time for a restroom stop and a quick coffee / cup of Irish breakfast tea, maybe quickly glimpse some of the city highlights like Queen’s University Belfast and Victorian City hall. We’ll provide a panoramic coach-tour of Belfast city- centre, including Royal Avenue and the Titanic Docks & Shipyard area. Then we get ready for what are truly the highlights: the amazing Antrim Coastal Route and the Wonder of the World that is the Giants Causeway! NB: This is a brief one hour visit for those who may not get the chance otherwise. We also offer a Belfast day tour if you wish to see the city at length. The one hour visit can be either morning or afternoon depending on the day.
Leave Belfast City and tour through the lush rolling fields, hedgerows and valleys of part of the Glens of Antrim to the Northern Coast of Ulster. Our first stop is the charming village of Ballintoy which is home to the famous Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge (Now open year-round!). There are great views of Rathlin Island and even Bonnie Scotland only 12km away!
By popular demand we bring you to this stunning location. The Dark Hedges is perhaps the most mysteriously cool road ever! This tunnel- like avenue of gnarly ancient beech trees was originally planted in the 1700s by the Stuart family to wow guests approaching their manor. These days, the King’s Road wows global audiences on HBOs Game of Thrones. Locals say the Dark Hedges are actually haunted in real life by the Grey Lady who appears at dusk. So, don’t stray too far from the bus!
This spectacular volcanic formation, Northern Ireland’s only UNESCO World Heritage Site, is one of our most unique & haunting landscapes. The Causeway features 37,000 basalt columns forming “stepping stones” leading from the cliffs and disappearing under the sea. The columns reappear on the Scottish island of Straffe, leading to the legend that the mythical warrior Giant Finn McCool built this path to allow Scottish Giant Fingal visit for a fight! Your day tour ticket also allows you pre-paid access to the new “Giant’s Causeway Visitor Experience” which would otherwise cost you GBP 9.00! (a benefit only included by leading operators). This access includes an innovative pocket- size audio guide in various major languages, telling you the story of the basalt columns as you explore them at leisure! The visitor experience also offers you a “grab and go” style café and an exclusive retail store featuring local products. All going well with weather and local logistics we’ll enjoy 2 hours at the Giant’s Causeway (at least one hour and thirty minutes). (Not only is Giant’s Causeway one of the most unique and beautiful locations on earth, this area was home to several key scenes in Game of Thrones!)
Next stop is the House of Greyjoy from HBOs Game of Thrones. In real life, Dunluce Castle was built by the McQuillan family around 1500.
One of Northern Ireland's premier castles, it is located atop sheer cliffs overlooking the Atlantic ocean – the perfect setting for one of the Great Houses of Westeros. The Castle’s dramatic history of violence, intrigue and rebellion is matched by the scandal and betrayal committed by the Greyjoys in Game of Thrones.
Entrance fee inlcuded in the price of your tour - enjoy a comprehensive visit (45 minutes approx) at Dunluce Castle
Wind down after this action packed day trip with some R&R in Belfast. Depending on the weather and local operational considerations you will be shown the highlights of Belfast city centre such as the Titanic Docklands Quarter and Victorian City Hall either in the morning (before the Causeway etc.) or now at approximately 16.30. In any case, you’ll enjoy a stop at leisure to explore the city centre before we return to Dublin together. Perhaps pop in to the Victorian “Crown Liquor Saloon” for a swift pint of local favourite “Harp Lager” or a cheeky dram of Bushmills “Black Bush” Whiskey (The Crown is an ostentatious masterpiece and a pub at the same time. Renovated by Italian craftsmen working on churches in 1885, the bar is still lighted by gas and has antique push- button bells for ordering a round of drinks – that’ll be a story for the guys back home!).
After a giant day out, the tour arrives in central Dublin in time for dinner and creamy pints of Guinness at approximately 20.00! Probably one of the best day tours in the world!
This tour is exclusively in English.
You will receive your ticket (featuring your booking number) via email immediately at time of booking. There is no need to print the ticket. If you wish, you can simply show it on your phone or tablet.