Northern Ireland, and particularly the Causeway Coast, is a beautiful part of the world to explore. Rolling green hills dotted with sheep, dramatic cliffs along the sea, and sparkling clear water welcome visitors to this fascinating place. I spent a few days roadtripping along the Causeway Coast and taking everything in. Here is a Causeway Coast itinerary so you can do the same!

Best Places To Visit Along The Causeway Coast

Carrickfergus Castle

This is one of the traditional starting points for the Causeway Coastal Route. Carrickfergus Castle is an imposing Norman castle, located right at the waterfront. Carrickfergus isn’t far from Belfast, so it’s an easy first stop if you’re renting a car from the airport in Belfast. Unfortunately, the main part of the castle, the keep, was closed for conservation works during my visit. But it was still a fun place to walk around and learn more about the history as the castle has seen its fair share of invasions. There’s free parking at the harbor, and a small admission charge for the castle.

One place that I missed out on was the Gobbins, located between Carrickfergus Castle and the rest of the coast on a peninsula. In order to do the trek along the cliffs, you do need to book a tour in advance—I didn’t want to book anything in to enjoy the freedom of the car, so I missed out. You can find more information on this unique stop along the Causeway Coast here!

Glenariff Forest Park

One of my favorite places that I diverged from the Causeway Coast was a visit to Glenariff Forest Park. This park is in a beautiful area, and there are quite a few different walking trails you can take. I’d recommend doing the Waterfalls Trail, which took me about 1.5-2 hours including a stop for cake halfway through. The walk takes you down into the gorge, from where you can see loads of waterfalls! There is a parking charge of £5 here. Parking fees are one of the main things to keep in mind for your trip budget for Northern Ireland.

Cushendun

Cushendun is a charming little village, located right next to the sea. It was the start of my stunning introduction to the Causeway Coast road trip. The houses along the main road are quite a unique style of building, and there’s walking paths along the sea. Cushendun is also home to the statue of Johann the Goat, a local around the beach area—he died in 2001.

Torr Head

Torr Head is a must on any itinerary along the Causeway Coast, or really any trip to Northern Ireland in general. This is closest point to Scotland on the island of Ireland, and you can actually see Scotland in the distance! I visited just around sunset, and I’d definitely recommend trying to time it right to be here then. There’s an abandoned building at the top which is a great viewpoint. Just be careful as it can get really windy here, and the road down is quite winding and narrow.

Ballycastle

Ballycastle is one of the larger towns, right on the Antrim Coast. It’s either the starting or end point for the Causeway Coast Way, a long-distance hiking path that takes in this part of Northern Ireland. It’s a cute place and convenient for shops and public transport along the Causeway Coast. I’d highly recommend stopping for lunch here if you can. I had delicious mussels at the Central Bar in Ballycastle—they do a half-price lunch menu during the week in the off-season! There is free on-street parking in the center of Ballycastle for 1 hour.

The Dark Hedges

One of the many Game of Thrones filming locations in Northern Ireland is the Dark Hedges. This is an avenue of beech trees and a beautiful place to visit. It’s well-marked on Google Maps. While technically the road is closed to all traffic, there are places to park at either end of the road. I’d recommend coming here late in the afternoon, or first thing in the morning, to beat the crowds and tour groups that will be visiting.

Kinbane Castle

One of my favorite stops on my road trip was Kinbane Castle! It’s a steep walk down (and back up again) but absolutely stunning views of the land jutting out into the sea. The castle is essentially just ruins today—there’s not very much left. But it feels very quiet and deserted, and I was surprised that there were only a few other cars in the parking lot! If you have the time, definitely make a stop here.

Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge

This is now one of the most popular attractions in Northern Ireland, and definitely one of the most visited places on the Causeway Coast. It’s a short walk along amazing coastal cliffs to the rope bridge, where you then cross onto another island. Back in the day, the fisherman used to do this with just a single rope! Again, there are gorgeous views here—I love just how clear and turquoise the color of the water is. The Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge is run by the National Trust, and costs £9 for entry.

Ballintoy

Ballintoy is another popular Game of Thrones filming location, and another stop on the Causeway Coast. This is a very small village, and the harbor is set back from the main road—it’s a winding road down to the parking at the harbor. There are more great views here, especially of the rocky outcrops in the sea! There is no access for coaches, so it’ll most likely be pretty quiet (compared to the other Game of Thrones locations in Northern Ireland).

Whitepark Bay

Whitepark Bay is one of the most beautiful beaches I saw on the Causeway Coast. There are walking paths down to the water from the parking area, and on a nice day this is a great place to enjoy the weather. If you’re looking for somewhere unique to stay, there’s a hostel here just a few minutes from the beach! (Note it’s only open from March-October.)

Dunseverick

This is a quick stop if you’re driving. There are some very sparse remains of Dunseverick Castle, which you can walk out to from the parking off the road. Dunseverick Harbor is a short drive from the main road, again with nice views and some paths along the water.

Giant’s Causeway

The real showstopper of the Causeway Coast (and Northern Ireland as a whole!) is the Giant’s Causeway. These stones (interlocking hexagonal basalt columns) are stunning and one of the most unique features of any trip to the UK. I’ve already written a blog post on my visit to the Giant’s Causeway, so you can check that out for more detailed information. It’s free to see the stones and walk along the paths on the cliff, but there is a visitor center that charges an entrance fee. There are also steep parking fees, as in order to park your car, you have to purchase admission to the visitor center. If you get the chance, come here for sunrise!

Bushmills Distillery

The town of Bushmills is pretty quiet, with a handful of shops, pubs, and takeaways. The real gem is Bushmills Distillery, where they make the Irish whiskey! The Distillery runs tours (which do include a taster!), but if you are just wanting to visit they have a restaurant, bar, and large gift shop. I wasn’t fussed about a Distillery tour, but stopped by for a dram of the good stuff on the road trip!

Dunluce Castle

Dunluce Castle is essentially in ruins today, as part of the building collapsed into the sea in the 1600s. You are able to walk out to see what’s left of the castle today, although there is an entrance fee for this. This was another filming location in Game of Thrones. It can be a bit tricky to get nice photos here, as there isn’t a great view from the castle parking lot.

Magheracross

There are a lot of scenic viewpoints on this drive along the Causeway Coast. One of my favorites was Magheracross, right by Dunluce Castle. I loved the cliffs and the color of the water here—it reminded me a lot of Flamborough Head in Yorkshire! If you’re wanting to make a quick photo stop, I’d recommend this viewpoint.

Downhill Demesne and Mussenden Temple

This National Trust site is a popular stop, with a ruined manor house off in the middle of a field and a Victorian temple near the sea. It was very foggy and misty which gave the place a creepy-but-cool atmosphere when I was there—but this also meant I missed out on what is supposedly amazing views! If the weather isn’t great I’d advise skipping it, but if there’s visibility you can certainly while away a bit of time here. As I’m a National Trust member I got in for free, but there is an entry fee to see the house and temple.

Gortmore

From Castlerock (near Downhill Demesne and Mussenden), take the road for Binevenagh Scenic Route. This will lead you through the forest, and eventually you’ll see the viewpoint at Gortmore. On a clear day, there are amazing views out over Donegal and even to Scotland! You can also see the statue of Manannan Mac Lir, a mythical sea god.

Binevenagh

By taking the Binevenagh Scenic Route off the Causeway Coast, you’ll get glorious views of Binevenagh mountain. There are lots of hiking trails here (some starting from the Gortmore viewpoint), and you can even hike up Binevenagh itself! It’s about a 3-mile walk, with the summit at an elevation of 385 meters. You can find a detailed description of the walk here—I definitely want to go back and do this hike!

Derry/Londonderry

The traditional end of the Causeway Coastal Route is Derry/Londonderry. Along with Belfast, this is one of the major cities in Northern Ireland. The city saw a lot of civil unrest during the Troubles in the second half of the 20^th century, and there are still divisions and conflict in the city today.

I spent a few hours here, and I’m really glad I did. There is so much interesting history, and it’s a very important place to understand more of what happened in Northern Ireland, and how that has affected the country today. I’d recommend walking the City Walls, seeing the Bogside Murals (and the Free Derry sign), and visiting the Museum of Free Derry. I learned a lot from the museum, but if you want to learn more there are lots of walking tours that will take you around the city. Here are a few different tours to check out:

My Causeway Coast Route

I did this route in a slightly different way than the geographical route listed above. I started on Day 1 at Carrickfergus Castle, stopped at Cushendun and Torr Head, and by that point it was already dark so drove straight through to our accommodation. The following morning (on Day 2) I saw the Giant’s Causeway at sunrise, stopped by Dunseverick, Whitepark Bay, and Ballintoy, and visited the Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge and Kinbane Castle. I had lunch in Ballycastle, then saw Glenariff Forest Park and the Dark Hedges. Day 3 saw me go more or less straight from Dunluce Castle to Magheracross, Downhill Demesne, Gortmore, and Binevenagh, finishing in Derry/Londonderry. I stopped off at Bushmills at the end! This made the most sense based on when our flight landed and our limited daylight hours. But it will really depend on where you’re staying and what all you want to see!

The Basics

Northern Ireland is a part of the United Kingdom, although it is not a part of Great Britain (which is England, Scotland, and Wales). The official language is English (although some signs will be multilingual in Gaelic as well), and the currency is pounds (GBP). Northern Ireland is a separate country to the Republic of Ireland (where the currency is Euros). There is no border between the two (for the time being, although pending Brexit…) but if you drive between the two the road signs will switch to km/hr instead of miles per hour.

Getting Around

In order to maximize your time, you really should rent a car and drive the Causeway Coast. So many of these stops just wouldn’t have been possible by public transportation! Like the rest of the UK, they drive on the left in Northern Ireland. Most cars are manual—if you don’t want to drive a stickshift, you can rent an automatic car but it almost certainly will be more expensive. If you plan on driving in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, you will likely have to pay extra for your rental car.

There are bus services between Coleraine and Ballycastle if you have more time and want to use public transportation, and are just wanting to visit a few of the main places. You can find the timetable for Bus 402 here. The Causeway Coast is also home to a long-distance hiking trail, the Causeway Coast Way, so you can walk from Portstewart to Ballycastle (or vice versa) if you are so inclined! If you’re wanting to do a tour of the Causeway Coast instead of getting around on your own, here are a few ideas:

Where I Stayed

I split my time on this trip with two nights near the Giant’s Causeway, and two nights in Belfast. I stayed at Finn McCool’s Giant’s Causeway Hostel for the first two nights. While the hostel is a bit shabby and could do with a deep clean and a refurb, it has free parking, good wifi, and an unbeatable location. The hostel is just a 5-minute walk away from the Giant’s Causeway (saving you loads considering the parking fees there!), which is perfect for exploring the Causeway Coast. Considering the location, it’s good value for money and I’d stay here again.

Planning Your Trip

Northern Ireland is easy to visit as part of a tour to (the Republic of) Ireland. There are frequent bus connections, particularly between Belfast and Dublin. I flew into Belfast International Airport, but there are regular buses between Dublin Airport and Belfast. I always use Skyscanner to find the best deals on flights. There aren’t very many trains in Northern Ireland (mainly to/from Belfast), but if you are booking a train journey I use Trainline to get the best price.

If you’re looking for accommodation, you can search for hostels on Hostelworld, and hotels on Booking.com! You can also sign up to and search accommodation on Airbnb here. Considering travel insurance for your trip? World Nomads offers coverage for more than 150 adventure activities as well as emergency medical, lost luggage, trip cancellation and more.

Northern Ireland is still fairly underrated as far as UK destinations go. The Causeway Coast is a gorgeous part of the country and certainly worthy of exploration. I hope this post helps in planning your route along the Causeway Coast in Northern Ireland!

Have you ever been to Northern Ireland before? What were your favorite destinations? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

You might like my other posts on Northern Ireland:

Exploring The Giant’s Causeway At Sunrise

How Much Does It Cost To Travel Northern Ireland For 5 Days?

A City Guide To Belfast: What To Do, See, Eat, And Drink!

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