18 essentials: what to see and do in Northern Ireland in 3, 4 or 5 days

One of the main attractions of a sightseeing trip to the island of Ireland is to explore its coasts, where we can see beautiful landscapes with cliffs and enormous beaches, charming towns or castles.

Good example is the Wild Atlantic Way which runs through the west and south of the island, and of which we have already traveled some of its sections where we have visited places as interesting as the Cliffs of Moher or Cork surroundings.

The same happens in North Ireland, British territory in the island of ireland, whose main tourist attractions are concentrated on the coast.

In our recent trip to northern ireland in search of the most emblematic scenes of the so-called Game of Thrones territory, places where scenes from this now legendary television series have been filmed, we have discovered many other interesting corners to visit.

And specifically the stretch of coast that connects the cities of Belfast y Derry Londonderry, which has the name of Causeway Coastal Route, concentrates really interesting places, beyond the best known and visited, the Giant's Causeway.

Best places to see and visit for tourism in Northern Ireland

Based on our recent experience, we are going to show you the images of the most interesting corners that you can see in a driving route through Northern Ireland, having as its main axis the aforementioned Causeway Coastal Route.

Tollymore Forest Park in Northern Ireland

We started the route by car in Dublin, whose airport we arrived from Spain, and before arriving at Belfast We visited one of the most outstanding nature enclaves of North Ireland, Tollymore Forest Park.

This is the Northern Ireland's first forest park, located at the foot of the hill Morne Mountains, which is configured as a huge and typical 18th century garden, with a river and a large forest.

In your walk through Tollymore You will find stone constructions whose purpose is to enable areas for the enjoyment of the garden.

The large size of its parking already tells you that it is a very visited place, especially during vacation times and on weekends.

Castle Ward mansion in Northern Ireland

On this route, also before arriving in Belfast you can visit the stately mansion known as Castle Ward.

Managed by the British institution National trust dedicated to the conservation of heritage, Castle Ward It is an 18th century mansion located overlooking a lake, and whose architecture is a mixture of classical and Gothic styles.

If you are a fan of the aforementioned Game of Thrones, in the garden complex that surrounds this mansion is the set of buildings and the tower that make up one of the most emblematic locations of said television series.

I mean Winterfell, the house of the stark family, a place where you can now enjoy one of the most entertaining tourist activities related to the series, including dressing in period clothing and practicing archery.

Strangford in Northern Ireland

One hour from Tollymore you find a nice corner, the seaside town of Strangford, from where you can cross by ferry to the town of portaferry, located on the other side of the strait located at the exit of an inland sea.

En Strandford you can see a small port with beautiful 19th century houses.

From there, crossing the ferry, you have an alternative route to reach Belfast.

Belfast in Northern Ireland

Belfast is capital of the British territory of Northern Ireland.

It will take you to Belfast above all visit the Titanic museum, one of the essential places to visit in Northern Ireland.

But during your stay in the capital you have the opportunity to take a walk through the center of it, with a highlight in the large neoclassical building of the Belfast City Hall from the beginning of the 19th century, which separates the business area and the historic center.

You can explore its interior in a one-hour visit, and in the gardens that surround it you will find the Titanic Memorial monument, with 15 plaques where the names of the 1.512 victims of that sadly famous disaster appear in alphabetical order.

Another notable corner is the belfast cathedral, a building that began construction in 1899.

From its exterior you will surely be struck by the surprising metal needle 45 meters high that was added in 2007 on the roof of the central nave.

Also in your walk through the center of Belfast you will be able to see numerous samples of urban art on the facades of buildings, some of them semi-abandoned.

Si vas a spend the night in belfast, you also have the opportunity to meet The Crown Bar, historic pub of the city with a striking exterior and interior decoration.

Titanic Museum in Belfast

El Titanic museum is, by far, the great belfast city tourist attraction.

Located in the same location as the shipyards where the Titanic It was designed, built and launched, it is the largest museum in the world dedicated to this mythical transatlantic ship and its sinking.

The first thing that will catch your attention is the very modern design of the museum building, which was inaugurated in 2012, whose shape somewhat emulates the bow of the Titanic.

On your visit to the so-called Titanic Experience You will visit nine very interesting interactive rooms in which the history of Titanic, from its conception early in the past, to the discovery of the place where it is sunk in the ocean.

La visit of the Titanic museum you will complete it with the visit of SS Nomadic, a 1911 boat that has been restored and displayed in a nearby dock.

It is the last one that remains of those that belonged to the maritime company White Star, owner of the aforementioned Titanic.

Ulster Museum in Belfast

If you want to go deeper into the history of northern ireland, as well as the artistic expressions typical of this territory of the island of Ireland, in Belfast you have the opportunity to visit the Ulster museum.

You find it next to the Botanical Gardens of the city, and it is a museum that was reopened in 2009, and its collection is displayed in a very educational way and with the latest museum trends.

In the Ulster Museum Collection You will find everything from archeology or ethnography objects, to zoology or fine arts.

To highlight the dedicated room Armada Española, with objects recovered from the ship Gerona that belonged to it.

Carrickfergus Castle in Northern Ireland

Already in the aforementioned Causeway Coastal Route, north of Belfast you will reach the Carrickfergus Castle.

It is a Norman fortification located next to the port of this coastal town, which was built in 1177, and during the following centuries it had a great role in war, with the English, Scots, Welsh and even French passing through there.

Currently it is a history museum with various objects among which the cannons from between the 17th and 19th centuries.

Glenarm Castle and Gardens in Northern Ireland

Following the route, also along the coast, you will arrive Glenarm Castle and Walled Garden.

In this small town with pretty colorful houses, you will find the aforementioned Glenarm Castle a great mansion which dates back more than 400 years, making it one of the oldest in North Ireland.

You cannot visit it because it is a private mansion where the family of the Earls of Antrim, but if you visit from mid-March to mid-October, the gardens that surround it within the walled enclosure are open to the public.

Carnlough Harbor in Northern Ireland

In the Causeway Coastal Route You find some places with a special charm, and one of them is the corner of the Carnlough Harbor, a small old fishing port in front of which a succession of beautiful colored houses are arranged.

It is also one of the locations used to film the series of Game of Thrones.

Dark Hedges, Game of Thrones in Northern Ireland

If you are passionate about the aforementioned series, following the route towards the north, you will surely want to make a foray from the town of ballycastle inland to see one of the most emblematic locations.

I mean Dark hedge, a stretch of road with spectacular trees with thick trunks and branches that adopt contorting and ghostly shapes, and that in the series star the scene of Camino Real.

I can tell you that it is such a tourist place, that you should not be surprised if you arrive and find it full of visitors, cars and even buses.

Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge in Northern Ireland

One of the most visited places in the Causeway Coastal Route is the islet of Carrick a Rede, which is crossed by a rope bridge located high above the cliffs.

This tourist enclave is also managed by the institution National trust, and the focus of the visit is on crossing the famous rope bridge that was installed in 1755 by a salmon fisherman.

The more than 400-year-old house that served as a fish factory is also preserved on the small islet.

The times to visit Carrick-a-Rede y cross the famous rope bridge They are, in July and August, from 9,30:20 a.m. to 9,30 p.m., and the rest of the year, from 18:XNUMX a.m. to XNUMX p.m.

Ballintoy Harbor in Northern Ireland

Continuing along the coastal route, very close you will find the small town of ballintoy, whose colorful houses follow one another on both sides of the road.

But what is really interesting is going down a narrow and winding road to the picturesque Ballintoy fishing port, another corner with great charm that dates back to the 18th century.

It is also another of the locations of Game of Thrones in Northern Ireland.

Giant's Causeway in Northern Ireland

El most iconic tourist spot in Northern Ireland, and which gives its name to the coastal route that we follow on our trip, is the Giant's Causeway, an enclave that has been declared Heritage awarded by the Unesco.

It is a coastal enclave with a large influx of visitors, especially during the holiday season, who come with the curiosity to see the spectacular basaltic formations that descend to the sea.

Specifically, there are up to 40.000 octagonal basalt columns of volcanic origin that date back almost 60 million years, and whose history is wrapped in legends of giants who united the Irish and Scottish coasts with stones.

For visit of the Giant's Causeway you will leave the car in the Visitors Center, and from there you will have a walk of about 15 minutes to reach the basaltic formation area next to the sea.

You also have the possibility to tour various hiking trails Around the area.

Dunluce Castle in Northern Ireland

If a castle that has really caught our attention in our trip through northern ireland is the dunluce.

In reality it is the remains of a castle built in the County Antrim at the beginning of the 16th century, whose great attraction is its spectacular location on top of cliffs.

On the one hand, you can take beautiful photos of the castle in its location, and on the other, during the visit of the fortification You will have spectacular panoramic views of the surrounding cliffs.

No doubt the dunluce castle It towers over the most beautiful area of ​​coastline we have seen in Northern Ireland.

Whiterocks beach in Northern Ireland

A little further on, in this same area, on the road you have Mageracross viewpoint from which, on one side you will see the area of ​​cliffs where the dunluce castle, and on the other, the spectacular whiterocks beach.

The name of the beach refers to the various rock formations with whimsical shapes that occur in the aforementioned stretch of cliffs, among which those known as the Arch of Desire and Elephant Rock.

Downhill Demesne in Northern Ireland

In the Causeway Coastal Route, in this area already close to the city of Derry-Londonderry, there is another of the most notable points, Downhill Demesne.

The attractiveness of this enclave also managed by National trust It is its spectacular location on a large meadow on top of 35 meter high cliffs.

In this place are the remains of the Hezlett Mansion which since 1773 was the country house of the then Bishop of Bristol and Derry.

Although the most emblematic place is the neoclassical temple known as Mussenden, located right on the edge of the cliff, where the bishop had his library.

During your walk through the meadow Downhill Demesne You will be able to see spectacular panoramic views of the coast.

Gortmore Lookout in Northern Ireland

Although if you want to see the best panoramic views of this area of northern island of irelandat Downhill Demesne en route to Derry-Londonderry it's worth going up Gortmore.

At the top of the hill you find a gazebo from which you can contemplate the widest views of this entire coastal area, with the enormous downhill beach in the foreground, which has been the location of Rock Dragon in the series Game of Thrones.

Derry Londonderry in Northern Ireland

Un trip through northern ireland must have as a climax the Londonderry visit…or Derry, two names by which this city is known, which currently has its official name Derry-Londonderry.

It is a city whose historic center is walled and when you visit you can delve into the history of this area of ​​the territory of the island of Ireland, whose conflicts between the Catholic and Protestant religious communities date back to the beginning of the 17th century.

It was then that the Protestants who lived in Derry They suffered 305 days of siege by the English king James II, who was Catholic, but the city was not conquered.

And more recently, in 1969, the riots known as the Battle of Bogside, name of one of the catholic neighborhoods, and in 1972 the one known as Bloody Sunday.

Currently in your Derry-Londonderry visit You can walk along the wide wall that frames the historical Center inhabited by Protestants, which is located on the hill that rises above the Catholic neighborhoods.

You should also visit the neo-Gothic building of the Guildhall, headquarters of the local government, and very close you can cross what is known as Peace Bridge, built in 2011 as a symbol of the union between the two communities in conflict.

Interesting corners to visit in the walled historic center are The Craft Village, a block of houses now recovered and where you can find artisans and leisure areas, or the St Columb's Protestant Cathedral, from 1633, the oldest surviving building in the city.

You will also be struck by the large mural of the popular television series The Derry Girls.

And you Derry-Londonderry visit It will be incomplete if you do not go through the Bogside Catholic Quarter located outside the wall, at the foot of the hill where the historic center is located.

There you can see corners like the one marked as Free Derry, or the numerous murals that recount the main events of the conflict experienced in Northern Ireland.